HILLSMAN HEAVY: GIAA AND GAPPS PINCH POST

The non-GHSA pinch post action was included in the Hillsman Heavy Top 10 GA during the second half of the season as a featured segment. It took a look at the top non-GHSA schools in Georgia. Here is a look at some non-GHSA teams that have had solid seasons and have kept our attention the majority of the season and what is ahead for team in their respective association state tournaments, namely the GIAA and GAPPS associations.

GIAA:

GIAA 4A State Tournament Bracket

St. Anne-Pacelli (GIAA-4A): 24-6; 7-5 vs GHSA (6-4 vs GHSA state tournament teams), 2-1 in games decided by 5 points or less. St. Anne-Pacelli entered the GIAA 4A Boys State Basketball Tournament as the No.1 seed with a bye until the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, St. Anne-Pacelli defeated Brookstone 55-36 as Jalien Bush had 18 points while Jayddence Ford had 12 points to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals they defeated 5-seed Cristo Rey Atlanta 79-52. In the championship game, St. Anne-Pacelli defeated Loganville Christian Academy 44-31 to win the state championship. Jayddence Ford led St. Anne-Pacelli with 17 points, Azarel Juste tallied 10 points in th ewin over Loganville Christian. Notable wins over Douglas County (2x), Warner Robins, Valdosta, Dougherty, Greater Atlanta Christian and Heritage-Newnan (2x). Notable losses to Newton, Sandy Creek, Christian Heritage, Lee County. Every team St. Anne-Pacelli played during the regular season made the state tournament in their respective associations with the exception of St. Mary’s Academy. Jayddence Ford (17.8ppg 2.2rpg 3.3apg- ), TJ Smith (13.8ppg 5.3rpg 2.3spg- GIAA 4A All-State), Jalien Bush (7.2ppg 4.2rpg)

GIAA 3A State Tournament Bracket

Heritage-Newnan (GIAA-3A): 25-4, 3-1 in games decided by 5 points or less, 5-2 vs GHSA (4-2 vs GHSA state tournament teams). Heritage-Newnan entered the GIAA 3A Boys State Basketball Tournament as the No.1 seed with a bye until the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals Heritage-Newnan defeated Deerfield-Windsor 66-16 as Sam Mead had 15 points while Max Skidmore and Mason Bolinger each had 14 points, to advance to the semifinals where they will face the 5-seed Frederica Academy-who knocked off the 4-seed Brookwood School 64-48 in the quarterfinals. Notable wins over Ware County, North Cobb Christian, Jonesboro, Creekside Christian, Stratford Academy and St. Anne-Pacelli. Losses to Campbell, Carrollton and St. Anne-Pacelli (2x). Max Skidmore (16.2ppg 3rpg 2.7apg), Sam Meade (15.2ppg 7rpg) and Mason Robert-Bolinger (11.8ppg 5.5rpg 2.3apg) lead Heritage-Newnan. Of the teams that received a bye (4-Brookwood School, 2-St. Andrew’s and 3-Lakeview Academy) Heritage-Newnan did not play any of those teams in the regular season.

St. Andrew’s (GIAA-3A): 22-7; 9-6 vs GHSA schools (5-2 vs GHSA state tournament teams). St. Andrew’s is the two-time defending GIAA 3A State Champions. St. Andrew’s entered the GIAA 3A Boys State Basketball Tournament as the No.2 seed with a bye until the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals St. Andrew’s won their 15 straight game with a 64-63 win over Dominion Christian behind 30 points from Zayden Edwards to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals St. Andrew’s will take on Lakeview Academy on Wednesday February 28th. Notable wins over Hebron Christian Academy, Johnson-Savannah, Mt. Bethel Christian Academy and Savannah. Non-GHSA loss is to Furtah Prep, notable losses to Glynn Academy, Statesboro, Cedar Grove, King’s Ridge Christian. Zayden Edwards, Zyere Edwards, and Will Thompson lead St. Andrew’s. Of the teams that received a bye (1-Hertiage-Newnan, 3-Lakeview Academy and 4-Brookwood School), St. Andrew’s did not play any of those teams in the regular season.

GAPPS:

Creekside Christian 2024 D1-2A GAPPS State Champions

Creekside Christian (GAPPS-2A): 20-9, 7-3 vs GHSA (5-2 vs GHSA state tournament teams), 4-3 vs OOS, 4-4 in games decided by 5 points or less, 9-0 vs GAPPS teams and 1-2 vs GIAA schools. Creekside Christian is the defending GAPPS State Champion. Creekside Christian won their second straight GAPPS state title, this time in Division 1-2A (highest classification in GAPP this season), after defeating Cherokee Christian 75-49 in the championship game. Bilal Osman led Creekside Christian with 22 points while Cedric Taylor and Joseph Reddick each scored 10 points and Kelton Teasley put in nine points in the championship game. Creekside Christian during their state title run defeated Lanier Christian Academy 84-51 and Rock Springs Christian Academy 77-49. Creekside Christian complied notable wins over Decatur, St. Francis, Salem, Bell Creek (FL), Blanche Ely (FL), and Oxford (MS) this season. The Cougars has notable losses to Wilson Academy, Heritage-Newnan, Victory Christian (NC-1A NCISAA state champions), Riverwood, Cedar Grove, The Rock (FL-SIAA state champions), and FSU HS (FL). Cedric Taylor (17ppg 10.8rpg 2.5apg 1.8bpg), Bilal Osman (13.7ppg 4rpg), Joseph Reddick (11ppg 6.2rpg 2.9apg), Kelton Teasley (8.8ppg 3.2rpg) led Creekside Christian this season.

OTHERS:

Wilson Academy (Independent): 18-9, 4-3 vs GHSA (4-2 vs GHSA state tournament teams), 8-3 vs OOS, 4-4 in games decided by 5 points or less. Wilson Academy’s upcoming games include Sunrise Christian (KS) on February 29th and Link Academy (MO) on March 2nd. Notable wins over Creekside Christian, Paideia, Greater Atlanta Christian, Potter House-FL, Dutchtown, Word Of God (NC), Hargrave Military Academy (VA). Notable losses to Eagle’s Landing, La Lumiere (IN), Legacy Early College (SC), North Broward Prep (FL), Mt. Vernon, Archbishop Hoban (OH). Caleb Cameron, Isaiah Cameron and Jeremiah Stebbins are the team leaders.

Augusta Christian (SCISA 4A): 23-8, 4-2 vs GHSA (3-2 vs GHSA state tournament teams). Augusta Christian is located in Martinez, GA in the Augusta metro area and plays in the SCISA (South Carolina Independent School Association) in South Carolina. Augusta Christian is the two-time defending SCISA 4A state champion. Augusta Christian received a bye to the quarterfinals and, in the quarterfinals, defeated Wilson Hall 88-51. In the semifinals, they defeated Heathwood Hall 69-39 to advance to the finals against Cardinal Newman. In the finals Augusta Christian’s attempt for a three-peat fell short with a 71-61 loss to Cardinal Newman. Augusta Christian went 1-2 against Cardinal Newman this seasons as the two teams split their two previous regular season meetings. Augusta Christian had notable wins against New Hampstead, Greenbrier, Marietta, Cardinal Newman (SC), St. Patrick-St. Vincent (CA), Palo Alto (CA), Bethel (CA). They had notable losses to Houston County, Westside-Augusta, Quality Education Academy (NC) and Atlantic Collegiate Academy Armada (SC). Braylen Smith and Khaleel Pratt were the key players for Augusta Christian this season.

Be sure to check back for updates as these associations state tournaments progress for updates on how these teams did.

HILLSMAN HEAVY: June Basketball 6/13/2023

The first week of June Basketball is in the books. There were a number of college team camps held over the weekend and a number of Summer Leagues that started or had one-day summer league events.

The GBCA Southeastern Regional Live will be one the highlights this upcoming weekend at LakePoint in Emerson, GA The event will feature a total of 154 teams over 5 groups. The groups are Blue (39 teams), Green (45 teams), Red (34 teams) Yellow (22 teams) and Purple (14 teams). The team breakdown by state is as follows; Georgia leads the pack with 105 teams followed by Florida (31), North Carolina (10), Alabama (7) and Ohio (1). Tennessee and South Carolina, two states that border Georgia, are not represented. South Carolina has been represent in previous years. Augusta Christian, a school located in Georgia but plays in the SCISA in South Carolina, will be in the event.

The Blue and Green groups have the most notable and high profile team and player names in their group. McEachern, who has the best player pound-for-pound in Georgia in Ace Bailey (Rutgers), is in the Blue group.

Airious “Ace” Bailey of McEachern is the best player in the state of Georgia this year.

Other notable teams in the Blue group from Georgia are Grayson, Greenforest, Grovetown, Eagle’s Landing, Dutchtown, Alexander, Chapel Hill, Newton, Norcross, Kell, Wheeler, Pace Academy and Sandy Creek. Oak Ridge (FL), North Mecklenburg (NC), Myers Park (NC), Mainland (FL), Hoover (AL), Buckhorn (AL) and Cox Mill (NC) are notable non-Georgia teams in the Blue Group.

Some players of interest in the Blue group to lookout for are Akai Fleming (Osborne), Jeremiah Waters (Osborne), Clark Mastin (Eagle’s Landing), Chris Morris II (Eagle’s Landing), Maddox Melancon (Eagle’s Landing), Elijah Lewis (Greenforest), Caleb Kawela (Greenforest), Jonathan Crayton (Greenforest), KJ White (Newton), Davin Neal (Newton), Ky’Den Mays (Chapel Hill), Eric Chatfield (Pace Academy), Chandler Bing (Pace Academy), KJ Greene (Pace Academy), Braeden Lue (Alexander), Ethan Miller (Alexander), Allen Stoddard (Alexander), John McQueen (McEachern), Gicarri Harris (Grayson), CJ Hyland (Grayson), Ahmad Clark (Grayson), Jacob Wilkins (Grayson), Anthony Alston (Grayson), Darrien Reid (Grovetown), Gabriel Bradley (Dutchtown), OB Watkins (Carrollton), Caleb Holt (Buckhorn), Jalen Reece (Oak Ridge), Tyler Johnson (Oak Ridge), Kota Suttle (Wheeler), Ricky McKenzie (Wheeler), Micah Smith (Wheeler),Peyton Marshall (Kell), CJ Brown (Kell), Cannon Richards (Kell), Jordan Tillery (Oak Ridge), Isaiah Evans (North Mecklenburg), Dewayne Brown (Hoover), DJ Shine (Augusta Christian), Salim London (Hoover), Sir Mohammad (Myers Park), Sadiq AJ White Jr (Myers Park), Josh Dixon (Milton), Bishop Boswell (Myers Park) and PJ Green (Sandy Creek).

In the Green group, notable Georgia teams include Cross Creek, Etowah, Fayette County, Jonesboro, Hillgrove, Langston Hughes, Madison County, Marist, Portal, Riverwood, St. Pius X, The Walker School, Tucker, Tri-Cities, Lanier and Walton. Winter Haven (FL), SLAM Tampa Charter (FL), Sagemont (FL), Charlotte Catholic (NC), Centerville (OH), FSU High (FL) Grissom (AL), Chambers (NC) and Lake Worth (FL) are notable non-Georgia teams in the Green group. Players of interest in this group are Aiden Weaver (Etowah), Dimitri Angelakos (Etowah), Sean Van Dorn (Fayette County), Keith Gillespie (Fayette County), Luke Flynn (Walton), Grant Smith (Madison County), Jay Carruth (Madison County), Frae’Quan Wilkins (Madison County), Moustapha Diop (The Walker School), Karris Bilal (Riverwood), Trey Shephard (Hillgrove), Lawrence Sanford (Cherokee), Tahmar Mann (Tucker), Elijah Coleman (Portal), Ameer Jackson (Portal), Omarion Tremble (Portal), Jeremy Innocent (Lake Worth), Hedrens Barthelus (Lake Worth), Malique Johnson (Tri-Cities)., Jamie Phillips Jr (Winter Haven) and Isaac Celisar (Winter Haven)

The Walker School’s Moustapha Diop is picking up where he left off last season with a very strong summer and people are taking notice.

The Red group has a crop of Florida teams as well that are to be noted including Suncoast, Miami Southridge, Miami Country Day, Lake Highland Prep, Jupiter, Impact Christian, Bartow and Ribault. The Red group has the most Florida teams (11) of any group. Alabama has notable teams Sparkman, Thomson and Central Phoenix. Georgia notables in this group are Paidea, Seckinger, Christian Heritage, Lowndes, McDonough, Ware County, Rockdale County and Walnut Grove. Some players of interest in this group are Frank Jackson (Paideia), David Oglesby-Smith (Paideia), Shariff Kemp (Paideia), CJ Harper (Paideia), Jax Abernathy (Christian Heritage), Fallou Dioum (Rockdale County), Rey Daniels (Miami Southridge), Zion Greene (McDonough), Tyler Jewell (Walnut Grove), Brodie Johnson (Thompson) and Colben Landrew (Thompson).

CJ Harper of Paideia is continuing to build off his strong freshman season. The Sophomore guard is trending in the right direction.

The Yellow group only has two non Georgia teams (Quality Education-NC and Treasure Coast-FL). Georgia notable teams in this group include Spencer, Baldwin, Model, Meadowcreek, East Hall, Lakeside-Dekalb, Calhoun, Central-Carroll and Cedar Shoals. Some players of interest in this group are Jeremais Heard (Model), DJ Hubbard (Cedar Shoals), Daniel Washington (Cedar Shoals), Adonai Mussie (Meadowcreek), Daron Sturdivant (Meadowcreek), Damari Wright (Meadowcreek), Tre Lawrence (Baldwin), Isaiah Dennis (Baldwin), Gary Gaither (Spencer) and Key’Shun Sampton (Spencer)

The Purple group does not have any non-Georgia teams. Notable teams in this group include Mill Creek, Alpharetta and Buford. Some players of interest in this group are Brennan Wansley (Buford), Jacob Bryant (Alpharetta) and Stephen Jackson (Mill Creek).

The Hillsman Heavy June Basketball 2023

The On The Radar/Southern Hoops Report Shootout will be another highlighted event this weekend at Next Play 360 in Marietta, GA.

44 teams across multiple associations will play two games in the one day event on Saturday June 17th. Some of the notable teams in this event include, Archer, Cedar Shoals, Central Gwinnett, Lithonia, St. Francis, Lee County, Greenbrier, Sumter County, Houston County, St. Andrews School, Notre Dame Academy, The Heritage School and St. Anne-Pacelli. Some of the players of interest in this event include Alpha Berry (Central Gwinnett), Tim Smith (Central Gwinnett), Max Skidmore (The Heritage School), Jakorri Arnold (Salem), Jackson Jennings (Greenbrier), Marcus Calhoun (Lithonia), Cortez Vaughn (Lithonia) Isiah Sloan (Lithonia), Malik Gillespie (Houston County), Josiah Parker (Lee County), Dominick Wright (Archer), Darrian Joseph (Archer), Malik Rideout (Central Gwinnett), Jamari Mosley (Notre Dame Academy), Dre Cowan (Notre Dame Academy), DJ Hubbard (Cedar Shoals) and Daniel Washington (Cedar Shoals).

Hillsman Heavy June Basketball 2023

SOME TEAMS FROM THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE TO KEEP EYES ON:

These are teams that had a quality first week that we will keep eyes on the remainder of the summer into the regular season.

Rockdale County: Trees have began to grow in Rockdale County with Fallou Dioum, Nate Hawkins and Jayden Dickens bringing size and length to Rockdale County. Dioum has the makings of being special. If he continues to have a productive June and develops well over the remainder of the summer he could be a name you will come to know as the regular season approaches.

Fallou Dioum of Rockdale County is one to keep eyes on throughout the summer.

Portal: This senior-laden squads returns for another run at a state title after getting tripped up in the Elite Eight last season. They’ve played a heavy summer schedule and requested a number of higher quality teams for their June games. Ameer Jackson is an athletic anchor in the frontcourt. Elijah Coleman is the engineer of the offense while Omarion Tremble and Joseph Thomas can breakout at any time. Freshman David Thomas will have plenty of opportunities to solidify his spot as a sixth man for a team that features 5 seniors, 1 sophomore and 7 freshmen

Cedar Grove: Manny Green returns after a stellar freshman season and will be the leader this season. Cedar Grove is retooling after losses in the backcourt and frontcourt yet have guys looking to continue to make an impact with their activity. Nathaniel Lloyd and Brain Valentine were very productive last week and look to be trending in the right direction. Cedar Grove will continue to work throughout June and it will be interesting to who else is going to step up as we get closer to the regular season.

Emmanuel “Manny” Green will be the driving force for Cedar Grove this season.

Oglethorpe County: Head Coach Larry Brown led the team to the state playoffs and .500 record last season. Juvaun Pittard and Cole Appling return and are the leaders of this team. Oglethorpe County will be improved and the stress on defense and sound play has been a heavy emphasis so far in early June. Coach Brown will need to find some more height and depth but Oglethorpe County is trending up after many lean years.

Greenforest: Greenforest may not have the household names this June and upcoming season however the culture and depth of the program is still there and shining. Elijah Lewis, Mike Robinson, Caleb Kawela, Jonathan Crayton and Daniel Daramola each are ready to step in and continue the lineage of competitive basketball that is in Greenforest bloodline.

Alexander: Lost a lot coming off a state title team from last season, however Braedan Lue is the highlight name and the addition of Allen Stoddard could prove to be very big for the Alexander on the wings. Sophomore Ethan Miller continues to develop and his improved engineering play to go with his known shooting ability and consistent play will mean very good things for the guard as time goes.

There are a bevy of Summer Leagues and one-day summer leagues as is always the case in Georgia in June. Records don’t matter in June. Development, foundation laying, new coaches getting to work with their guys firsthand, building chemistry, working on areas that are important to college recruitment and taking advantage of Live Period events are the highlights of June Basketball for high school basketball programs.

#SeeYouInTheGym

Augusta Christian Repeats As SCISA 4A State Champions

The South Carolina Independent Schools Association state championships were held last weekend at the Sumter Civic Center in Sumter South Carolina. When the dust cleared it was Georgia team taking home the hardware for a second straight season. If the SCISA sounds familiar to you, it’s the same league/association Zion Williamson of the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans dominated during his high school tenure.

D.J. Shine and Augusta Christian cut down the nets for second straight season as SCISA 4A state champions

Augusta Christian (25-6) is a Georgia school and based out of Martinez, GA but plays in the SCISA defeated Cardinal Newman (SC) (19-16) 47-44 to claim its second straight state title. DJ Shine led Augusta Christian with 13 points while Braylen Smith finished with 11. Khaleel Pratt and Troy Booker each tallied nine points for Augusta Christian. It was the second victory this season for Augusta Christian over their Region I rival Cardinal Newman (SC) in their third meeting this season.

Augusta Christian has won five state titles all time and all have been in the SCISA. Head Coach Brandon Dotson has won two of those titles in his four years as the head coach and was an assistant coach on the 2013 state title team under head coach John Harris. Augusta Christian chooses to play in the SCISA for economic and geographical reasons and enjoys the level of play in the SCISA with the players and teams that have came through the association over the years from Seventh Woods to Zion Williamson just to name a few.

Augusta Christian spent time in the “Keeping Tabs On” team section of the Hillsman Heavy Top 10 GA this season

Augusta Christian, who was the SCISA 4A Region I champion as well, posted a 4-1 record over Georgia GHSA teams this season with the most notable win coming against Westside-Augusta . The Lion’s other wins were over Butler, New Hampstead and King’s Ridge who all made the GHSA state tournament in Georgia and Westside-Augusta and King’s Ridge advanced to the Elite Eight/Quarterfinals in their respective classifications. Augusta Christian’s lone GHSA loss was to Cross Creek- who is in the a two-time defending state champion and has advanced to the Elite Eight in their GHSA classification. The Lions capped the season on an eight-game winning streak.

Augusta Christian was in the “Keeping Tabs On” section of the Hillsman Heavy Top 10 GA teams for a good portion of the season and ended it with a state championship.

Hillsman Heavy: Final June Basketball 6/28/2022

Time flies when you are having fun and the month of June and high school basketball will come to a close this week. This is the final Hillsman Heavy for June Basketball so let’s jump right into.

This past week another one of the highlights of the summer was the NHSBCA Southeast Regional Live period event which features teams from Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama.

There were a number of college coaches from all levels in the gym all weekend and a number of players picked up offers from schools after solid performances or showing things to coaches who were looking for talent.

There were a number of teams that had very good showings and a number of teams that didn’t rack up a lot of wins but showed well in competitive games and players that showed well in competitive games.

NHSBCA Team Standouts: Myers Park (NC) left the event with four impressive wins including one over Grovetown (GA) in a game that was not previously scheduled. Sir Mohammed, Sadiq White Jr, Bishop Boswell and Elijah Strong form a core group for Myers Park that will have them in the conversation as the best public school team in North Carolina come the regular season. This core received plenty of attention from college coaches however their core group is very serious and had a lot of colleges paying keen attention.

Grovetown: Grovetown continued to be the talk of the summer despite a loss to Myers Park (NC). Derrion Reid against stood out to with the college coaches with his overall game on display. Frankquon Sherman, Vashon Ferguson and Markell Freeman also showed well. Grovetown’s overall team play offensively and defensively was on full display and is the reason why Grovetown is a heavy contender in Georgia’s 6A come the regular season.

Orlando Christian Prep (FL): The 2A powerhouse out of Florida has reloaded. Isaiah Brown, Isaiah Sutherland, Jayden Hastings and Ameer Ramadan showed why OCP will again be a threat. Hastings and his defensive presence led to him receiving offers. Brown can flat out play and Sutherland is a great change of pace player that does a little bit of everything well. OCP had wins over McDonough (Ga), OCP seems ready to make a run at a fourth straight state title come the regular season.

Gray Collegiate (SC): The defending 2A SC State Champs have reloaded and showed well in three of four games this weekend. Montravious White shot the ball better and showed he can engineer offense. Avantae Parker has major upside with his frontcourt presence and lefty picked up an offer over the weekend. Mychael Mitchell and Treyvon Mattox add to the firepower along with Jalen Jefferson.

Hoover (AL): All four of their games were decided by a total of 13 points including a two-point win over Greenforest. Dewayne Brown was the standout for a Hoover team that showed very well. Brown is a force in the paint and has good footwork to go with a soft touch and continuing development of his overall game. One of the highlights with Brown was when things were not going well he played through it and still found ways to impact the game. Hoover showed they can shoot the ball from distance and connected on 10-three-pointers in a loss to Grovetown. Jonathan Caicedo, Noah McAfee and Elijah Thomas shot it well all weekend. Good things are coming for this squad.

Oak Ridge (FL): Close wins in June with a failry new team is a good sign. Oak Ridge has the pieces again to make a serious run in 7A this season. There is solid core group in Tyler Johnson, Tyler Davis, Jordan Tilery, Cameron Simpson and Jalen Reece that all mesh well together and each seem to know their role and what they can bring to the team. On any given night Oak Ridge can have any of these guys go off. How they along with Elijah Elliott, Amari Davis and Alex Kuminga continue to develop will be fun to watch.

Greenforest (GA): You know about the height in DK Manyiel and Gai Chol. What really made Greenforest so good this weekend despite a two-point loss to Hoover was the play of Isaiah Lloyd at the guard spot. Lloyd made it seem as though he picked his spots but he really ran the offense in a way that allowed him to do his work in the second half. In the games against Providence (FL) and Kell (Ga), Lloyd scored 30 total points, 25 of those in the second half. Caleb Kawela showed his improvement by having solid efforts that featured multiple offensive rebounds and put-backs in key situations. DK Manyiel continued to show off his improving jumper and Chol showed he has improved on his perimeter game both offensively and defensively.

Windermere (FL): Windermere showed their depth playing without Sean Stewart. Their only loss was to Wheeler in sudden death overtime on a free throw. Cole White picked up t he slack in the middle while Jalen DuBose showed his improving jumper and sound defense. Ta’Veon Jones engineered the offense very well and Zachiah Clark seems ready to make his mark for this team. With Stewart in the fold Windermere is going to be a very tough out in 7A.

North Mecklenburg (NC): Isaiah Evans is the real deal. The upside for Evans is through the roof. Evans can score, defend, shoot, slash, rebound and when you need a bucket he’ll get you that as well. North Meck split their four games with a close loss to Westlake (Ga) and another loss to Sandy Creek (Ga) . They have plenty of youth that ha the continue to mesh and develop will have them in the conversation as one of the better public school teams in North Carolina come the regular season. Seniors Tayvion Roach and TJ Hardy will provide the experience as Trey Maxwell, Christian Foy and Greg Murray develop and get accustom to their roles.

Grissom (AL): A very solid showing for this team that feature DJ Thompson, RJ Johnson and Izzy Miles. Johnson was the name coming in but Thompson made his impact on the game felt with his hustle and fearless play. The only set back for Grissom was a three-point loss to Jonesboro. This team will be worth keeping an eye on as the regular season nears because there could be something brewing on low boil in Huntsville.

That’s just 10 of the 140 teams in attendance that stood out, not saying they were the best 10 but just the 10 that we mentioned because they stood out.

The Hillsman Heavy: Notable names from NHSBCA SE Regional Live

Here are some other notable players we saw or heard college coaching chatter about over the weekend (in no order).

Bryson Tiller (Pace Academy-GA), Jauin Simon (Pebblebrook-GA), Blake Wilson (Dwyer-FL),Devon Rainey (Jonesboro-GA), Dylan James (Winter Haven-FL), Kjei Parker (Winter Haven-FL), Arrinten Page (Wheeler-GA), Josh Hill (Wheeler-GA), Kota Suttle (Wheeler-GA), Jamie Phillips Jr (Winter Haven-FL), Eddrin Bronson (Tampa Catholic-FL), Kevin White (Newton-GA), Tay Jefferies (Newton-GA), Samarion Bond (Norcross-GA), Malachi Brown (Buford-GA), Terrell Wright (Columbia-GA), Cassidy Golden (Columbia-GA), Rashad Headges (Columbia-GA), Chad Moodie (Grayson-GA), LeBarron Phlion (Baker-AL), Gicarri Harris (Grayson-GA), Jeremy Innocent (Lake Worth-FL), Aiden Weaver (Etowah), Rodrecas Rouse (Westlake-GA), Dominick Scott (Riverside-Jacksonville-FL), Da’Avion Thomas (McDonough-GA), Amon McDowell (McDonough-GA), Chris Arias (Providence School-FL), Jaydon Cole (Kings Ridge-GA), Jamichael Davis (McEachern-GA), Keishawn Hampton (Collins Hill-GA) Jaylen Robinson (Providence School-FL), Josh Dixon (Milton-GA), Peyton Marshall (Kell-GA), PJ Johnson (Kell-GA), Cannon Richards (Kell-GA), Mier Panoam (Norcross-GA), Akai Fleming (Osborne-Ga), Caleb Holt (Buckhorn-AL), Tristian Gross (St. Petersburg-FL), Labaron Philon (Baker-AL), Maurio Hanson (Chambers-Vance-NC), Antonie Lorick (Cross Creek-GA), Kelvin Hunter (Chapel Hill-GA), Noah Melson (Alexander-GA),

Shot Clock Violations: In the 24 games played on Court 5 there were a total of 13 shot clock violations. Of the state with teams participating, Georgia is the only state where the shot clock will be mandatory beginning this upcoming 2022-23 season.

June Basketball

Minus a couple of play dates June basketball for high school teams is complete. As we mentioned in the first Hillsman Heavy June Basketball edition, June is different for every team. Schools have multiple teams, longer benches, have JV teams play in varsity leagues and play in team camps are colleges and universities in and around the state.

Player development will still the foundation of June basketball. What you do in the summer shows in the regular season. Continue to stay in the lab, build that sweat equity and hone your overall game. Before you know it Fall Leagues will be going on and then you will look up and the first official day of practice on October 25th will be here.

June is for building and developing. Learning how to win, learning how to bounce back from a bad game, learning to play through adversity learning how to take it to another level against equal and/or greater competition with game competition. June is excellent for high school coaches and players as it gives them the chance to get ready for the upcoming season and put their players and teams in front of college coaches. Wins and losses don’t count and still are to be taken with a grain of salt but programs are built through winning and losing and growing from both. The Live Period hits a little different as it should and there were some games that had regular season feels to them. There were some player matchups that many wanted to see so yes it hit a little different but once October 25th hits, everyone is 0-0. Learn from the wins and the losses, grow from the experience and keep developing your game.

#SeeYouInTheGym

Georgia Lands Four In Perfect Game Preseason Top 50 Baseball Rankings

The Perfect Game Preseason Top 50 high school baseball poll was released this week with two Georgia teams landing in the Top 10. North Gwinnett, which has never won a state title in school history, is the highest ranked team at No.4 while Parkview comes in at No.10.

Buford at No.31 and Houston County at No.37 round out the Georgia teams in the preseason rankings giving the state a total of four teams. North Gwinnett, Parkview and Buford are all in Gwinnett County.

Cobb County, which is rich in baseball and high school baseball history, did not have any teams in the preseason rankings. Pope (4), Walton (2), Harrison (1) and Lassiter (1) have all won state titles since 2001.

Parkview is the back-to-back defending 7A state champion and has won three of the last five titles in the highest classification and seven titles since 2001.

Buford won a state title in 2015 in class 4A and a 2A state title in 2011.

Houston County won state titles in class 5A in 2014 and 2016, both teams included former University of Georgia quarterback Jack Fromm.

The high school baseball season officially starts in Georgia for GHSA schools on Monday February, 10th.

Other Notable Bordering States Notes:

Florida led the way with 10 schools in the preseason poll led by No.1 Tampa Jesuit.

No.8- Bob Jones (AL), No. 25- Russell County (AL) and No. 32- Hoover (AL) are the Alabama representatives and No.43- Chapin (SC) is the lone team from South Carolina in the preseason rankings.

Dorman Rolling After Winning Beach Ball

A week after winning the Chick-Fil-A Classic in Columbia, SC, Dorman traveled further east to Myrtle Beach (SC) with sights on winning the Beach Ball Classic. Dorman entered the event 8-1, riding a six-game win streak and ranked No.16 in the latest Max Preps Top 25. The Cavaliers exit the event 12-1, the first team from South Carolina to win Beach Ball since 1986 after going 4-0 and defeating St. John’s (DC) 90-69 in the championship game.

The three-time 5A state champs moved up to No. 15 in the latest Max Preps Top 25 and have defeated national programs Huntington St. Joseph’s Prep (WV), Greensboro Day (NC) and Whitney Young (IL), South Carolina state contenders Keenan and Ridge View along with Georgia 7A playoff contender Peachtree Ridge, Georgia 1A-Private contender St. Francis on there heavy schedule so far this season. Their lone loss is to national power Oak Hill (VA).

Dorman (SC) now has a 10-game winning streak and will face region opponent Gaffney (SC) on Friday to begin a 13-game region stretch to close the regular season. Dorman is led by Seniors PJ Hall (Clemson), Myles Tate and Justin Amadi along with junior and Jalen Breazeale.

2018 TSC High School Football Coverage

The 2018 High School football season begins this week across Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. Total Sports Coverage will stream live audio broadcast of select high school football games for the 2018 season. Games in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina are being considered for broadcasting.

2019 High School Football

In addition to live streaming audio game broadcasts, a news and notes feature entitled “Games Of Interest” will begin this week and post on Sunday evenings. Games Of Interest will provide results, news, notes and score results from select games from Georgia, Florida and South Carolina from the weekend.

For the latest information on live game broadcasts stick and stay right here and be sure to follow us on Twitter @tsportscoverage for plenty of scores and notes on Friday nights this high school football season.

Georgia HSFB Week 2 Notes and Scores Interest

The Georgia high school football season continued with a bevy of interesting week 2 match ups. Here’s a look at some of the games of interest.

High School Football

Colquitt County (3-0) overcame a 14-7 halftime deficit by scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half enroute to a 35-21 victory over Tucker (2-1). Packers quarterback Steven Krajewski passed for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns and at one point completed 14 consecutive passes in a row.

Colquitt County QB Steve Krajewski (8) celebrates a big play

 

Cedar Shoals (2-0) got rushing touchdowns from quarterback Kiyonnice Smith (two), Jephari Colbert and Willingham along with a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown by Jai’vanna McDavid to defeat Decatur (1-2) 45-13 in thier home opener Friday night.

Arabia Mountain (3-0) defeated Redan (0-3) 46-6 as Josh Campbell accounted for five touchdowns (four rushing and one passing)

Etowah (1-2) played its first-ever game out of the state of Georgia to complete a home-and-home series with Spartanburg (SC) (1-2). Etowah won last season in Woodstock 21-14 however the result was not the same this year. Spartanburg rushed for over 400 yards as Zykamren Robinson racked up over 220 yards and three touchdowns rushing. Quarterback Keonte Cartledge connected with Romain Kelly and Damyjai Foster for touchdowns for the Vikings. Etowah quarterback Patrick Ferris passed for a pair of touchdowns, both to Blake Jones. Nick Maddox rushed for a touchdown for the Eagles.

Grayson (2-0) and McEachern (0-2) tussled in a defensive struggle all night before it was Grayson coming away with the 12-7 victory.

Stockbridge Tigers Pre Game Warm Ups

Lovejoy (2-1) opened the game with a 13-play 80-yard drive which was capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Huntington to Jerrod Means for the 7-0 lead against Stockbridge (2-0). Stockbridge’s defense did not allow Lovejoy to score again while the offense scored 21 unanswered points in the 21-7 victory. Yashan Mckee, BJ Riley and Gabe McKenzie rushed for touchdowns for Stockbridge. Lovejoy running back Zion Custis did not play in the second half for the second consecutive week due to an ankle injury. Stockbridge has allowed seven combined points in two games this season against 6A schools Mays and Lovejoy.

Westlake (1-1) scored 40 points in the first quarter in 66-6 victory at Shiloh (0-3). Quarterback Jaylen Williams passed for four touchdowns, two to Adrian Byrant of 75 and 33 yards in the win. As a team Westlake passed for five touchdowns, rushed for four touchdowns and James Miller added a pair of field goals.

Mays (1-1) a week after being shutout by Stockbridge, racked up over 340 yards passing and over 400 yards of total offense in a 41-0 shutout over Peachtree Ridge (0-3).

Woodland-Stockbridge (2-1) defeated Tri- Cities (0-2) 21-0. Jalen Mason, a former basketball player at Miller Grove, caught a touchdown pass while Kareem Rogers had a rushing touchdown. The Wolfpack scored a defensive touchdown when Lexington Stocker recovered fumble in the end zone.

Winder Barrow (3-0) won its third consecutive game to open a season for the first time since 2007 with a 38-17 victory over Northview. Jamar Mack rushed for two touchdowns, Justin Sims returned a fumble for a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown while quarterback Brock Landis rushed for a touchdown for the Bulldoggs.

Meadowcreek (2-0) improved to 2-0 for the first time since 1993 after a 51-36 victory over Duluth (1-1). Mustang running back Chauncey Williams racked up 568 all-purpose yards in the victory. Williams rushed for three touchdowns, caught a touchdown passing and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

Clarke Central (2-1) defeated Gainesville (1-2) 42-14 behind rushing touchdowns by Jonathan Sewell, and O’Brien Barnett. Quarterback Jack Mangel connected on touchdown passes to Trey Johnson and Marquise Smith. Kapres Forbes return a punt for a touchdown, his second of the season.

Other scores of interest:

North Gwinnett defeated Hillgrove 33-9

Marietta defeated Blessed Trinity 14-6

Dunwoody defeated Chamblee 16-0

North Cobb defeated Harrison 45-42

Westside (SC) defeated Hart County 30-7

Southwest Dekalb shutout Creekside 28-0

Wayne County defeated Valdosta 23-13

 

Boiling Springs Wins 7-on-7 National Championship

Boiling Springs (8-3) became the lowest seeded team ever and first team from South Carolina to win the USA Football 7-on-7 National Championship in Hoover, AL over the weekend.

The Bulldogs rallied from a 1-3 start in pool play to finish 3-3 earning the 25th seed. In tournament play Boiling Springs picked up where it left off in pool by ripping off five consecutive wins to claim the championship to end the event on an overall seven game winning streak.

In the finals against host and third-seeded Hoover (9-1-1), the Bulldogs trailed 17-0 before rallying with 29 unanswered points to win 29-17. Boiling Springs took the lead for good 19-17 after the successful PAT on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Dawson Taylor to Najee Thompson.

Boilings Springs defense proved to be instrumental in the victory by recording two interceptions (3 points each) and a turnover on downs (2 points each). The offense did not waste any of those opportunities as they scored touchdowns off of each defensive set up.

The come-from-behind victory capped an impressive tournament run by the Bulldogs who defeated four single-digit seeded teams. Including the victory over Hoover, Boiling Springs defeated top-seeded Walton (GA) in the quarterfinals, defending tournament champion and fifth-seeded McGill-Toolen (AL) in the semifinals and eighth-seeded Spain Park (AL) in the first round. The Bulldogs defeated 24-seed Baldwin County (AL) in the second round after Baldwin County upset ninth-seeded Gadsden City (AL) in the first round.

Coming off of a state runner-up finish in class 5A in 2016 Boiling Springs will open the 2017 season August 25th at Ashley Ridge.

Notes:

Dutch Fork was the only other team in the event from South Carolina. The Silver Foxes went 6-0 in pool play and were the 2-seed entering the tournament. Dutch Fork finished with an overall record of 7-1 after being eliminated in the second round by 15-seed Har-Ber (AR).

South Carolina Thursday HSFB Update

Mother nature effects us all whenever she wants and so with Hurricane Matthew bearing down on the eastern coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, a number high school football games where bumped up to Thursday.

South Carolina had a pair of region 3-5A games moved up to Thursday and both lived up to the expected billing even if they were played a day earlier.

Host Byrnes (1-6; 0-2) took a 28-17 lead early in the third quarter on a Rahjai Harris seven-yard touchdown run after recovering an onside kick to begin the half. From there Boiling Springs (6-1; 1-1) ripped off 25 unanswered points to defeat Byrnes for the first time since 1998 (also at Nixon Field).

Donavan Anderson broke a 28-28 tie in the fourth quarter returning an interception 42 yards for a touchdown with just under five minutes left. The Bulldogs sealed the victory when KJ Rogers raced 42 yards for a touchdown with just over a minute remaining for the final 42-28 margin.

Rogers finished with over 125 yards rushing and two touchdowns while quarterback Mason Streater passed for over 150 yards and had a rushing touchdown for Boiling Springs.

Brock Carroll finished with over 250 yards passing and two touchdowns passing while Quez Mays and Harris each rushed for a touchdown for Byrnes.

Byrnes will host non-region opponent Nation Ford (5-2) next week.Nation Ford fell 70-28 to Rock Hill (2-5) Thursday night.

Gaffney (5-2; 0-1) jumped out to a 21-0 lead on visiting Dorman (5-2; 2-0) as DJ Logan rushed for a touchdown, caught a touchdown and Tyshun Sarrat hooked up with Dennis Smith on a touchdown pass.

Dorman hit the comeback trail behind quarterback Jalen Fowler. Fowler accounted for seven touchdowns (six rushing, one passing) while passing for over 300 yards and rushing for over 60 yards.

Fowler gave Dorman its first lead (34-31) of the night on a 3-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter as the teams exchanged blows down to the very last play.

Gaffney went back in front 38-34 when Cameron Rice scored from fourteen yards out. Dorman answered with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Fowler to Chase Tinsley to go up 41-38.

Gaffney scored again with just over a minute remaining on Rice’s 9-yard run for the 45-41 lead.

Eli Buckley returned the ensuing kickoff into Gaffney territory then fumbled it only to have teammate Addison Wilkins scoop it up and take it to the Gaffney fifteen. Fowler scored from three yards out moments later to put the Cavaliers ahead 48-45 with less than thirty seconds left. Gaffney’s Hail Mary attempt was complete however Myell White was stopped inside the ten giving Dorman the victory.

Gaffney racked up 666 yards of total offense to Dorman’s 423. Sarrat finished with over 400 yards passing while Rice finished with over 140 yards rushing and two touchdowns for Gaffney.

Gaffney will face Boiling Springs while Dorman will host Spartanburg (5-2; 1-0) next week.

Spartanburg (5-2; 1-0) is off this week.