Destination: Macon Coliseum and a GHSA basketball championship

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

Some coverage

Championship won, championship date set: CFCA takes GIAA AA title, Southwest advances to GHSA state finale (Saturday's coverage)

Central Georgia girls state basketball HQ
Central Georgia boys state basketball HQ

On the verge of being blown out, Baldwin started playing Baldwin basketball, and the Bravettes pulled away for the GHSA Class AAAA state title

Together again, 40 years later, the Southwest Patriots of Duck Richardson (story and videos)

"Best team in Georgia history" is what many called the 1978-79 Southwest boys, and the 1978-79 Southwest men will reunite Saturday night

Southwest's legendary team to be honored Saturday, 40 years after a perfect season

Wilkinson County picks up 11th state championship; Fourth-quarter woes doom Baldwin

centralgasports@gmail.com 

          Can Baldwin become the first Central Georgia high school basketball team to repeat as state champion since Wilkinson County and Upson-Lee’s boys in 2017-18?
          Can Southwest become the first Bibb County team to win a state title since, well, Southwest in 1989?
          Can Sandy Creek’s boys and Hebron Christian’s girls win a third straight state title?
          Answers to those questions and many others will be answered starting Wednesday in the GHSA state basketball championships at the Macon Coliseum.
          Defending a title is different for some.
          Hebron Christian won it last year in 3A, but now is in the private school classification.
          Two other programs who had two straight state titles aren’t back to go for a third, the girls from Mount Paran Christian (AA) and St. Francis (A/I). Both competed in the private school playoffs, Mount Paran falling to Hebron Christian in the quarterfinals and St. Francis getting knocked out by a bucket by Holy Innocents’ in the semifinals.
          In the first year of power ratings for AAA, AA, and A/Division I, 10 of the 16 finalists were seeded in the top 3, with all in the top 10 – out of 32 seeds – except for one, 15h-seeded B.E.S.T Academy, which takes on top seed Southwest in A/Division I.

Where are they from?

          Of the 26 schools represented this week – both teams from Newton and Holy Innocents’ advanced – nearly half aren’t from metro Atlanta.
          That’s if you exclude Gainesville (Cherokee Bluff) and include Covington (Newton).
          The figure is 46 percent from outside the metro area.
          Second-tier cities Macon, Columbus, Savannah, and Augusta are represented, and you can add Athens if you count North Oconee.
          McIntosh County Academy has the biggest drive. Located just north of Brunswick, it’s about 220 miles to Macon, nearly all by interstate.
          Fannin County and Union County are on the Tennessee border, and both have drives ot more than three hours. It’ll take both of them awhile on mountain roads to get to an interstate.
          Banks County has about 160 miles to, the majority on interstate.
          South Georgia – south of Macon – is represented only by Wilcox County, McIntosh County Academy, and Savannah.

          Underdogs are minimal with the classifications using the longstanding format, with 11 region champs, four runner-ups, and one No. 3. Last year, Region 4-6A fourth-place Riverwood grinded its way to a state title over Alexander.

Overall, 18 teams won at least 25 games, with one undefeated team and a pair with 30-1 records. Washington-Wilkes’ girls have the lowest win total at 14 and fewest games at 22. It’s the only team with fewer than 20 wins.
          A number of finalists had to get past a Central Georgia team to end the season in Central Georgia.
          Hughes took care of Veterans in the girls 5A quarterfinals. Fannin County’s girls topped ACE, while Banks County beat Washington County in Class A/Division I.
          Washington-Wilkes beat Macon County in the A/II semifinals, while Wilcox County knocked out Taylor County in the second round.
          Cedar Grove’s boys ended Baldwin’s season in the AAA quarters, while Union County dispatched Westside in the AA second round.
          B.E.S.T took out two area teams, Bleckley County in the first round by seven points and East Laurens in the semifinal. McIntosh County Academy beat Taylor County in the A/II second round.

Schedule

Wednesday
Private girls – Holy Innocents’ 57, Hebron Christian 39
Private boys – Holy Innocents’ 84, North Cobb Christian 45
AAA girls – Cherokee Bluff 66, Baldwin 58
AAA Boys – Sandy Creek 39, Cedar Grove 38

Thursday
AA girls – Hardaway 47, Murray County 34
AA boys – Butler 57, Union County 49
A girls – Creekside 57, Jackson-Atlanta 37
4A boys – North Oconee 60, Pace Academy 51

Friday
1 p.m.: A/Division II girls – R8/1 Washington-Wilkes (14-8) vs. R4/1 Wilcox County (27-1)
3 p.m.: A/Division II boys – R3/1 Savannah (27-3) vs. R3/2 McIntosh County Academy (26-5)
Girls 3-point contest
5:30 p.m.: 5A girls – R3/1 Langston Hughes (29-2) vs. R6/1 River Ridge (30-1)
7:30 p.m.: 5A boys – R4/1 Woodward Academy (27-4) vs. R4/2 Tri-Cities (25-6)

Class A/Division I girls: R8/1 Wilcox County 72, R8/1 Washington Wilkes 48
Class A/Division II boys: R3/1 Savannah 58, R3/2 McIntosh Co. Academy 52
Class 5A girls: R6/1 River Ridge 52, R3/1 Langston Hughes 47
Class 5A boys: R4/2 Tri-Cities 66, R4/1 Woodward Academy 55

Saturday
11 a.m.: A/Division I girls – No. 1 Fannin County (28-2) vs. No. 2 Banks County (25-5)
1 p.m.: A/Division I boys – No. 1 Southwest (27-2) vs. No. 15 BEST Academy (24-7)
3 p.m.: AAASP
Slam dunk contest
5:30 p.m.: 6A girls – R4/1 Grayson (30-1) vs. R4/2 Newton (24-5)
7 p.m.: 6A boys – R5/1 Wheeler (28-3) vs. R4/2 Newton (21-9)

Tickets: Only on GoFan (no price listed on GHSA website), $20
Broadcast: All games are on NFHS (paywall) and GPB/GPB.org
Policies: Clear bag, no re-entry, no posters or signs