Girls Final Four Previews

CLASS AAAAA: SUPRISES AND FAVORITES ADVANCE

Duluth vs. Redan: Neither team was expected to advance this far. The Duluth Wildcats had never even reached the semifinal round before, while Redan was a No. 3 seed out of Region 2 and did not get to play a single state tournament game at home. Duluth’s not-so-secret weapon Mykala Walker exploded in the quarterfinal round, scoring a game-high 22 points – including 11 points in the fourth quarter – and the Wildcats’ defense shocked the state by holding top-seeded Parkview to just 37 points. For Redan, Alisha Andrews is lethal scorer and can score 20 points at will. So don’t let that “No. 3 seed” label fool you, Duluth: Redan beat their three state tournament opponents by an average of almost 16 points.

Mill Creek vs. Stephenson: Mill Creek went through the majority of the 2007-08 season as the top-ranked team in the Score Prep Top Ten poll. Porsha Porter eclipsed the 1,000-point mark as a junior last year, and she was selected to the North-South Senior All-Star Game as well. She is joined by stars Moneshia Simmons and Olivia Towers-Solis, among several other well-rounded players. Their opponents, the Stephenson Jaguars, have experienced much frustration in the past three seasons, falling to the Maya Moore-led Collins Hill Eagles twice and South Gwinnett once. With Score Prep DeKalb Player of the Year Jylisa Williams, the Jaguars know there is no better time than now to get over the hump and win a state title.

Tad Arapoglou can be reached at tarapoglou@scoreatl.com.

CLASS AAAA: PANTHERS HAVE ANOTHER SHOT AT STATE TITLE

Fayette County vs. Madison County: The Tigers made it 2-for-2 in reaching the state semifinals along with the boys team, but they won’t be sitting in the shadow. Sophomore Anma Onyeuku has led the team thus far and did again in the quarters with 14 points. Junior Tessa Holt can do a little bit of everything. The Tigers know how to win close games, and they proved it by beating Jonesboro by two points in the quarterfinal round. On the other side, head coach Dan Lampe’s Red Raiders rely on junior center/forward Courtney Freeman to lead the team. Freeman helped the Red Raiders score a bit of an upset as they shut down Mays 67-57 in the quarterfinals and advanced to the Final Four.

Southwest DeKalb vs. Westlake: Head coach Kathy Richey-Walton’s Southwest DeKalb team has never won a state title, but the Panthers could change that this season. Future South Carolina Gamecock Charenee Stephens has been unstoppable thus far and Kayla Lewis is more than pitching in during this run. Both scored 20 points in the quarterfinal round. The Panthers entered the tournament as the No. 1 team. Meanwhile, Westlake is led by junior Tamika Willis and sophomore Dalia Robinson, who both play beyond their years. Willis has averaged 20 points per game so far this tournament. Westlake, No. 3 entering the tournament, blew out Baldwin 66-40 to reach the semifinals.

Fletcher Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.

CLASS AAA: SENIORS ARE THE STORY IN SEMIFINALS

Kendrick vs. Carrollton: The Kendrick Lady Cherokees have come so close to winning a state title over the past few years, and this year may be their best chance to do it. Seniors Jane McKinney and Mukia Merrick will be two of the best players on display this weekend. The team’s only weakness could stream from their dominance. Will they stay composed if someone finally plays them close? Carrollton was eliminated in the Elite Eight in the past three seasons, but under the leadership of point guard Velicia Bell, they finally got over the hump this season. The Trojans have been blowing away the competition, winning all of their tournament games by at least 12 points.

Monroe Area vs. Glenn Hills: Monroe Area rely heavily seniors Maya Brown and Brittany Kirkland. Both of them can fill up the stat sheet. Dee Gober is also a threat. A lack of size could provide a problem. Brown is the tallest of the bunch at 5-9. Glenn Hills’ Ciara Lyons is a pure scorer. She averaged 25 points per game in the regular season. Stopping her is out of the question. But Glenn Hills will need their supporting cast to step up to win a state title. The Spartans flew under the radar this season due to seven losses, but they have had tremendous success since winning the Region 3-AAA Tournament. They even opened the state tournament with a 74-29 victory over Crisp County.

Josh Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.

CLASS AA: LADY WOLVES SEEK FOURTH TITLE IN FIVE YEARS

Randolph-Clay vs. Paideia: The Randolph-Clay Lady Red Devils, like the boys team, is headed to Macon. The girls lost in dramatic fashion in the semis against Wesleyan last year (and guess who is lurking on the other side of the bracket?). Paideia’s Cinderella story continues, as the private school will take on Randolph-Clay’s girls on Thursday. Paideia, coached by Paul Meire, Jr., enjoyed a 14-game winning streak up until the region semifinals loss against Greater Atlanta Christian. Meire’s Lady Pythons are certainly battle-tested, and will look to pull off the upset over Randolph-Clay, a powerhouse that comes into the contest with a 26-3 record.

Wesleyan vs. Savannah Christian: Wesleyan isn’t all about Anne Marie Armstrong (the Score Prep Gwinnett Player of the Year), but the versatile player was near the top of the Gwinnett statistics in points and rebounds. She’s helped out by Erin Hall, a 5-foot-8 sophomore shooting guard and the team’s second-leading scorer. Wesleyan’s girls are going for their fourth state AA title in five years, but have Savannah Christian to contend with first. The Lady Raiders will be underdogs coming into this matchup, but Adrienne Defillipis and Meredith Stephens can really fill it up from beyond the arc. They will have to continue their hot shooting if there is to be an upset on Thursday.

Alex Ewalt can be reached at aewalt@scoreatl.com.

CLASS A: HIGH-POWERED OFFENSES TO LIGHT UP SCOREBOARD

Calvary Day vs. Towns County: It seems opposites always attract, whether it be in relationships or sports, which is the case between these two teams. Calvary Day brings height and a little bit of an older roster, while Towns is led by their youth and excitement. Calvary Day’s Katie Covington and Anna Moody are excellent players on the interior for the Cavaliers. For Towns, however, junior Nikki Winn and sophomore Kerri Abernathy lead the Towns attack. Their youthful exuberance helps fuel their high-scoring offense and somewhat counteracts their inexperience. Towns County rarely has trouble putting up points, and before from squeaking away with a 45-40 win last round, the team scored 63 and 71 in the first two rounds, respectively.

Terrell County vs. SW Atlanta Christian: While this game will feature two teams who have won titles in the last three years, most eyes will be following Terrell County’s Monshay Thomas. This all-state player won Region Player of the Year last year and is averaging six assists and eight rebounds on the year. To balance out, Southwest Atlanta Christian will rely on their balanced offensive attack with Latanya Scott, Mariah Eades and Briana Brown. Eades led five double-digit scorers with 15 in their quarterfinal victory. Southwest Atlanta Christian’s offensive game has been on fire lately, as the team has averaged 66 points per game in the state tournament and has scored 70-plus points in its past two games.

Jason Boral can be reached at jboral@scoreatl.com.

Boys Final Four Previews

CLASS AAAAA: TWO NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS IN FINAL FOUR

Hiram vs. Wheeler: Three of the four teams that reached the semifinal round were expected to be there from the beginning. The Hiram Hornets were a different story. Entering the state tournament with zero postseason wins in school history, the Hornets won their three state tournament games by slim margins. Stewart Clark leads the way with over 1,000 career points. Still, Hiram is in for a tough battle against nationally-ranked Wheeler. Aside from a three-point squeaker against McEachern in Round 2, Wheeler has obliterated their opponents, capping off their streak with a 22-point win over Berkmar in the quarterfinals. With Miami-signee Dequan Jones and star junior Ari Stewart on the floor, the Wildcats have a great shot at winning their second state championship in four seasons.

Norcross vs. Savannah: Another nationally-ranked team, the Norcross Blue Devils, reached the Final Four. Led by Rivals.com’s top-ranked small forward and Wake Forest-signee Al-Farouq Aminu, the Blue Devils won all three of their state tournament games by at least 15 points. Denzail Jones and Tarriq Muhammad make the back-to-back defending state champs even more dangerous. But if you think the Savannah Blue Jackets will be intimidated, think again. Savannah is led by Kevin Williams, who scored 19 points in the team’s quarterfinal victory over Douglass. And head coach Tim Jordan was also selected to be the head coach of the South team in the upcoming North-South Senior All-Star Game on March 30.

Tad Arapoglou can be reached at tarapoglou@scoreatl.com.

CLASS AAAA: CAN EAGLES REACH STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN?

Fayette County vs. Miller Grove: The Fayette County Tigers, having never won a state playoff game prior to this season have RUN all the way to the state tournament’s Final Four. Head coach Andre Flynn’s team normally puts 70 points on the scoreboard and is led by flashy 6-foot-7 junior Noel Johnson and 5-foot-11 senior Brandon Boykin. Miller Grove, meanwhile is led by Mfon Udofia, who has simply been a beast in the scorebooks. In the quarters, the 6-foot-2 junior scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Wolverines head coach Sharmon White will also use quick 6-foot-6 center Obataiye Edwards down low to clean up the boards.

Westlake vs. Columbia: On the other side, some are calling the Westlake vs. Columbia game the “de facto championship,” as it pits No. 1 Westlake vs. No. 2 Columbia. Columbia entered the tournament as a No. 3 seed following an early region tournament loss, but Travis Leslie and the rest of the Eagles seniors refused to let the team fail to reach the Final Four. Leslie had 23 against Peeblebrook, and the team shut down Tony Woods and Rome in the quarterfinals. The Eagles fell in the state championship game last year, so they are hoping to win it all this time around. At Westlake, however, a two-headed monster will be standing in the way. Oklahoma-bound Raymond Willis has been tearing up defenses all year and Gideon Gamble will make you pay if you leave him open.

Fletcher Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.

CLASS AAA: WILDCATS AREN'T ONLY ONES WITH TALENT

Dunwoody vs. Carver-Columbus: Dunwoody are the clear favorites this weekend. Three graduating seniors and Division-I signees – Chris Singleton (Florida State), Delwan Graham (Louisiana State) and Pierre Jordan (Florida State) – are all headed for big things at the next level. They have great outside shooting with Jordan and Issiah Grayson. And also attack inside with athletic bigs in Graham and Singleton. They’re a deep team too, with plenty of talent coming off the bench. With just three seniors on the roster, Carver-Columbus is easily the most untested team remaining. But they will ride into Macon with an eight-game winning streak, 16 wins in their last 18 games, and plenty of confidence - especially after their three-point victory over Liberty County in the quarterfinals rounds.

Hart County vs. Glenn Hills: Most fans didn’t know much about Hart County before the state tournament. They know now. Rock-solid center Quint Clinkscales is the catalyst offensively for an athletic team that scored just under 70 points per game in the regular season. When it comes to talent, Glenn Hills is right up there. Forwards Jerel Stephenson and Chris Reynolds are both headed for Division I-A ball. And they can both do it all. Point guard Reggie Middleton might be the key to their success - he always spots the open man and can score too.

Josh Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.

CLASS AA: WESLEYAN FAVORITE TO WIN FIRST STATE TITLE

Dublin vs. Wesleyan: Dublin, last year’s Class AA boys champions, beat previously undefeated Randolph-Clay 80-79 in the quarterfinal round. Dublin, which started the year with four straight losses because it was missing team members which are also football players (including 6-foot-5 Georgia Tech commitment Nick McRae, the team’s only senior), finds itself in the Final Four yet again, and will take on Wesleyan on Thursday. Wesleyan lost in last year’s second round, but had Georgia commit Howard Thompkins rejoin his team after spending a year at Oak Hill Academy. He and Clemson commit Tanner Smith give the Wolves a chance to win their first-ever state title. Wesleyan comes into the Final Four with a gaudy 25-5 record.

East Laurens vs. Lovett: East Laurens, which plays alongside Dublin in Region 4-AA, plays Lovett, Wesleyan’s regionmate in 6-AA. East Laurens is led by coach-on-the-floor Jimmy Williams, Jr., as well as fellow seniors Antwan Bailey and Ken Taylor. The Falcons come in with a near-perfect 29-1 record, with the only loss coming to Class AAA West Laurens, 79-77. The team easily took care of a talented Long County team by 26 points in the quarters. Point guard Andre Hicks, who signed with the University of Alabama-Birmingham as a running back, makes the Lovett attack move; he and Alex Elam form a two-man attack that was instrumental in taking out Coosa in the quarterfinals in Rome last week.

Alex Ewalt can be reached at aewalt@scoreatl.com.

CLASS A: OFF THE BENCH AND INTO THE FINALS

Turner County vs. Wilkinson County: This game will challenge the definition of substitution as both teams will rely heavily on their benches, an advantage that can make any player on the team a leading scorer candidate. However, that’s where the similarities end between these two. Wilkinson is looking for their second consecutive state championship while Turner is looking for their first since 1963. Wilkinson’s guard combo of Jamaal Day and Justin Stubbs have in-the-gym range and are great from behind the arc, which is where the Warriors look to do most of their damage. Turner’s advantage, meanwhile, may come in the paint where Demetrius Ewing and Todd Lawson will look to easy baskets on offensive rebounds and close range shots. The duo will need the talents of Marquis Jackson to get them the ball inside.

Portal vs. Hancock Central: The Final Four is unfamiliar territory for each of these teams who have hovered around the semifinal round for the past couple of years only to be eliminated in the quarterfinals. To get into the finals, Portal will need an excellent game from their field general, point guard David Buchannon. On the season, Buchannon is averaging over 20 points and right around three steals a game, which helps jumpstart the Panthers’ offense. For Hancock, the offense rests inside in the hands of Kammeon Holsey. He led the team in scoring with 16 in their quarterfinal win over Whitefield, and has really grown over his junior season.

Jason Boral can be reached at jboral@scoreatl.com.