Girls basketball rankings: Class AAA's GAC loses, but all eight No. 1 teams remain the same

ajc.com

Credit: Brian O'Shea (AJC)

Credit: Brian O'Shea (AJC)

All eight No. 1-ranked girls basketball teams held on to their top spots after the final weekend of the regular season, despite Class AAA’s Greater Atlanta Christian suffering a 23-point loss on Saturday.

The Spartans were knocked off 78-55 by St. Francis, the No. 2-ranked Class A private school, but held off Franklin County for the top ranking. Franklin County (25-0) is one of only two undefeated girls teams in any classification, but strength of schedule gave the Spartans the nod. GAC’s schedule is rated by MaxPreps as the second-toughest in the state outside of the largest class.

St. Francis has just four losses this season, which came against Class AAAAAAA No. 2 Collins Hill (64-57), Class A (private) No. 1 Holy Innocents’ (60-48), and the No. 1 teams according to MaxPreps in Alabama (Hoover, 53-51) and New York (Christ the King, 67-61).

The other No. 1 teams are Westlake (AAAAAAA), Lovejoy (AAAAAA), Buford (AAAAA), Carver-Columbus (AAAA), undefeated Laney (AA), Holy Innocents’ (A private) and Greenville (A public).

Six new teams moved into the top 10s. Lowndes, which knocked off Colquitt County for the second time this season on Saturday to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Region 1-AAAAAAA tournament, replaced the Packers in Class AAAAAAA. Other new teams include Valdosta and Douglas County, which replaced Creekview and Stephenson in AAAAA; Americus-Sumter, which replaced region rival Westover in AAAA; Peach County, which replaced North Murray in AAA; and Terrell County, which returns to the top 10 in Class A (public) in place of Emanuel County Institute.

Some region tournaments began on Saturday, but the majority will kick off on Monday or Tuesday. Championship and consolation games, which determine the seeding for the state tournament, will be held on Friday and Saturday. The state tournament begins on Feb. 16-17.

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (23-1)
  2. Collins Hill (22-2)
  3. Norcross (22-3)
  4. Cherokee (22-2)
  5. North Forsyth (23-2)
  6. McEachern (17-5)
  7. South Gwinnett (21-2)
  8. Newton (22-3)
  9. Lowndes (19-6)
  10. Hillgrove (16-6)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Lovejoy (24-1)
  2. Winder-Barrow (20-4)
  3. Harrison (20-4)
  4. Forest Park (21-4)
  5. Lanier (20-5)
  6. Alpharetta (19-4)
  7. Northview (19-6)
  8. Valdosta (18-7)
  9. Douglas County (19-6)
  10. Tucker (17-8)

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (22-3)
  2. Harris County (23-2)
  3. Flowery Branch (20-5)
  4. Arabia Mountain (19-1)
  5. Ware County (22-2)
  6. Bainbridge (21-4)
  7. Villa Rica (20-1)
  8. Dutchtown (19-4)
  9. Carrollton (20-5)
  10. Rome (21-4)

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (24-1)
  2. Henry County (23-1)
  3. Spalding (20-3)
  4. Northwest Whitfield (22-3)
  5. Marist (19-2)
  6. Baldwin (23-2)
  7. Luella (19-4)
  8. Madison County (19-5)
  9. Burke County (15-6)
  10. Americus-Sumter (19-6)

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (19-4)
  2. Franklin County (25-0)
  3. Beach (23-2)
  4. Central-Macon (23-2)
  5. Lovett (20-4)
  6. Johnson-Savannah (17-5)
  7. Haralson County (21-2)
  8. Tattnall County (20-5)
  9. Peach County (18-7)
  10. Hart County (18-7)

Class AA

  1. Laney (25-0)
  2. Putnam County (20-2)
  3. Swainsboro (21-3)
  4. Josey (22-3)
  5. Dodge County (21-4)
  6. Banks County (20-5)
  7. Model (20-3)
  8. Rabun County (20-5)
  9. Washington County (18-6)
  10. Early County (19-6)

Class A (Private)

  1. Holy Innocents' (23-1)
  2. St. Francis (21-4)
  3. Wesleyan (21-3)
  4. Our Lady of Mercy (19-2)
  5. Calvary Day (23-2)
  6. Stratford Academy (21-2)
  7. Prince Avenue Christian (21-2)
  8. Athens Academy (21-3)
  9. Christian Heritage (19-5)
  10. Eagle's Landing Christian (18-6)

Class A (Public)

  1. Greenville (24-1)
  2. Telfair County (22-2)
  3. Pelham (24-1)
  4. Wheeler County (19-3)
  5. Wilcox County (20-4)
  6. Bowdon (20-4)
  7. Macon County (19-4)
  8. Marion County (18-5)
  9. Terrell County (20-4)
  10. Georgia Military (22-1)