By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Can Baldwin repeat?

Can Warner Robins get back to the finals it reached two years ago?

Can Jones County make a deep run amid a historic season?

Who in the traffic jam known as Region 2-A/Division II lasts the longest?

Region tournament champions
GHSA
Jones County
Baldwin
East Laurens
Lamar County
Macon County
GIAA
Stratford
Brentwood
John Hancock

Teams
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Both the GHSA and GIAA tournaments start on Tuesday. Pairings were released Sunday.

Private schools are removed from GHSA Class AAA, AA, and A/Division I and put into their own class for the playoffs. There are no teams from Central Georgia in that group.

Thus, teams in those three classes moved up when the private schools were subtracted. That, and the flurry of action in region tournament affected many power ratings in a short time, allowing some to move up substantially.

Bubble teams, in their respective classes, were Upson-Lee and Jasper County, and both made it.

ACE Charter was close to getting a home game, and barely got up to 16 and is at home against region foe Bleckley County.

Teams in other classifications knew earlier Sunday.

Baldwin will try to be the first Central Georgia team to repeat since Baldwin won three straight in Class 4A, the largest classification, in 1986-87-88.

Warner Robins stormed to a runner-up finish in 2023, and enters the postseason with only one loss, coming in the region tournament.

Warner Robins, Jones County, Baldwin, East Laurens, Central, Macon County, Taylor County are among the top ranked teams in their classes in SandySpiel.com and are teams to watch.

Piedmont and reigning state AA player of the year Marissa Holden will defend a state title, but not in the same class. The Cougars will try to take the AAA championship won by Lakeview Academy.

GHSA semifinals are held at a variety of sites throughout the state: 5A, Georgia State, Feb. 28; 4A, Fort Valley State, March 1; 3A, Fort Valley State, Feb. 28; 2A, Georgia Southwestern, Feb. 28; A/Division I, Georgia College, March 1. A/Division II, Georgia College, Feb. 28.

The championships are March 5-8 at the Macon Coliseum.

GIAA second-round games will all be at FPD, Stratford, or Tattnall on Friday and Saturday. The semifinals for AAAA and AAA are at Columbus State and AA and A at Brewton-Parker, on Feb. 26-27.

The championships are Feb. 28 and March 1 at Columbus State.

Tuesday
GHSA
Region and region finish listed before team. Times at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted (though many haven’t been announced).

Class 5A
8/3 Jackson County at 2/2 Veterans
2/4 Northside at 8/1 Habersham Central
Class 4A
5/3 Southwest DeKalb at 1/2 Warner Robins
1/3 Perry at 5/2 Northview
8/4 Cedar Shoals at 2/1 Jones County, 7 p.m.
Class AAA
32. Howard at 1. Pickens
26. Adairsville at 7. Baldwin
Class AA
21. Westside at 12. Callaway
Class A/Division I
28. Coosa at 5. East Laurens
27. Northeast at 6. Lamar County, 7 p.m.
25. Jasper County at 8. Heard County
24. Thomasville at 9. Dodge County
22. Gordon-Lee at 11. Putnam County
19. Temple at 14. Central, 5:30 p.m.
18. Brantley County at 15. Washington County
17. Bleckley County at 16. ACE Charter
Class A/Division II
4/3 Hawkinsville at 3/2 Bryan County
1/4 Pelham at 5/1 Hancock Central
5/4 Wilkinson County at 1/1 Randolph-Clay
7/4 Manchester at 6/1 Macon County
7/3 Atlanta Classical at 6/2 Taylor County, Wedmesday, 6 p.m.

GIAA

Class AAAA
Bye, 2. Stratford
10. Strong Rock at 7. FPD
11. Tattnall at 6. King’s Academy
12. Mount de Sales at 5. Loganville Christian
Class AAA
Bye 3. Piedmont
12. St. Andrews at 5. At Westfield
10. Deerfield-Windsor at 7. John Milledge, 5:30 p.m.
Class AA
Bye, 1. Brentwood
Bye, 3. Central Fellowship
12. Sherwood Christian at 5. Trinity Christian
9. Gatewood at 8. Southland
Class A
11. David Emanuel at 6. John Hancock
10. Covenant at 7. Crisp
12. Twiggs Academy at 5. Memorial Day