SEMIFINALS TO WRAP UP AN ACTION-PACKED MARCH TO MACON

from 2023 GHSA Basketball Semifinals

WELCOME GHSA BASKETBALL FANS

Two-straight days of semifinal action will take place across the state starting Friday, March 3 and concluding on Saturday. Class 5A (West Georgia), Class 3A (Fort Valley State) and Class A Division I (Georgia College) will fill the Friday slate with a boys and girls semifinals at each site and then Saturday will return for the Class 7A (Georgia State), Class 6A (West Georgia), Class 4A (Fort Valley State), Class 2A (Georgia College) and Class A Division II (Valdosta State) action.

The 2022-23 GHSA basketball season accelerated after an ultra-competitive regular season with dramatic region tournament action across the state. The state playoffs tipped off on Feb. 21 and there were 448 total boys and girls playoff games played over the course of the next 10 days to set the stage for this year’s Final Four. In Class 7A, the Norcross boys and girls are both back in the semifinals and are each just two wins away from sweeping state titles for a second-straight season. The Norcross girls will start the four-game lineup against eight-time state champion Buford—who is at top form competing in Class 7A for the first time. The Norcross boys will take the court next at 4 p.m. against a Cherokee team that is coming off a 70-66 road win over Carrollton. The McEachern and Brookwood girls will tipoff at 6 p.m. and No. 1 ranked Wheeler will take on Grayson in primetime with an 8 p.m. tipoff.

Contested Courts

Lee County, who last won a state title in 1985, exists as the lone team in the boys Class 6A semifinals that has ever won a state title. The Trojans will take on Lanier—who defeated defending state champion Grovetown 62-58 in the quarterfinals and the winner will face either Alexander or Etowah. On the girls side, defending state champion Lovejoy has dominated as a No. 3 seed out of Region 3 and is the only semifinalists with a previous state crown on its resume. The Wildcats will take on Brunswick at 2 p.m., while Hughes and River Ridge are set to tipoff at 4 p.m.

The Kell Longhorns sent their boys and girls to the Class 5A semifinals and both programs are two wins away from a first-ever title. Before the Longhorns take on Region 5’s girls champion Maynard Jackson and boys champion Chapel Hill, the Calhoun

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

Creek boys seek a third-straight state title. The Razorbacks will take on Sandy Creek—who is coming off an impressive 56-50 win over Johnson-Gainesville. The winner of Sandy Creek and Cross Creek awaits either Douglass or Cedar Grove. Douglass last won a state title in 1984 and Cedar Grove’s last state championship came in 1997. On the girls side, defending state champion Lumpkin County will faceoff with Calvary Day and 13-time state champion Wesleyan will face undefeated Hebron Christian in Friday’s 2 p.m. opener.

Go For Glory

Defending Class 2A boys state champion Westside-Augusta will take the court against 30-1 Columbia—who has won 22-straight heading into tipoff. Model and Providence Christian will meet the winner of the Eagles and Patriots. On the girls side, defending Class A Private state champion Mt. Paran looks to take home this year’s 2A title and will face Landmark Christian after 2021 state champion Josey faces Banks County at 2 p.m.

girls will face Warner Robins and the No. 4 seeded Jones County boys will take on Eagle’s Landing. The Westover boys eliminated powerhouse McDonough for the second-straight season and will have to face the Warhawks’ Region 5 counterpart Pace Academy in the 4A semis. Benedictine and Fayette County will meet in Saturday’s Class 4A finale and the girls Final Four will stage Hardaway versus Griffin and Baldwin against Holy Innocents’.

History is on the line in Class 3A as the Cross

The Elbert County girls headline Class A Division I after taking a historic first-ever state title in Class 2A last year and will take on Galloway. Mt. Pisgah and Swainsboro have both won state titles in the past two seasons and will tipoff at 4 p.m. ahead of the Woodville-Tompkins girls against St. Francis and No. 4 seed King’s Ridge boys against No. 1 ranked Mt. Vernon.

In Class A Division II, defending Class A Private boys state champion Greenforest Christian takes on Charlton County after the defending Class A Public champion Lake Oconee girls face Mt. Zion-Carroll. Wilkinson County—a 10-time GHSA champion faces Macon County in the boys semis, while Clinch County and Taylor County look to punch their ticket to the girls Class A Division II finals.