And then there were four. As in, four Augusta-area teams remaining in the Georgia High School Association State basketball tournament.
Westside and Butler boys, Josey girls and Warren County boys are all still alive after each won their respective Elite Eight matchups this week.
Warren County (24-5) outlasted Portal, 76-74 in overtime Wednesday night, which means the Screaming Devils will advance to the Class A Division II semifinals against Manchester Friday at 3 p.m. at Fort Valley State.
After routing Banks County 65-48 in its Tuesday Elite Eight game, the Josey Lady Eagles will be one of three area teams traveling to Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville Saturday for the Class AA Final Four.
The Lady Eagles will tip off against Central-Macon (26-4) with the Butler and Westside boys squads matching up with Toombs County (28-2) and Columbia (28-3) respectively.
Here, we’ll unpack the matchups and provide our predictions of who will advance to the state championship games in Macon next week.
CLASS A DIVISION II BOYS
Who: Warren County (24-5) vs. Manchester (20-8)
When & Where: Friday, March 1, 3 p.m. at Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley.
The Matchup: Make it 15 wins in a row for the Screaming Devils. And they got No. 15 in the most dramatic fashion imaginable — by besting Portal, which came in with only one loss, in over time by just two points. The young Warren County bunch is led in scoring by a freshman with other sophomores and juniors adding in the mix. But, similar to the Butler boys squad, the youth and inexperience does not seem to bother Warren County, even on the state tournament stage. Perhaps things will shift a bit as the lights get brighter while playing their last game(s) in a college campus arena. Manchester is also young, literally without a single senior on its roster, but this is also a team that barely lost to Greenforest in last year’s Elite Eight.
The Path: Warren County defeated Portal 76-74 in overtime to qualify while Manchester eliminated Calhoun in a 61-46 win during Elite Eight action.
The Prediction: On paper, these two teams look extremely evenly matched — even down to the youth. We picked against Warren County last week. We won’t do that again this week. Winner: Warren County.
CLASS AA GIRLS
Who: Josey (27-3) vs. Central-Macon (26-4)
When & Where: Saturday, March 2, 1 p.m. at Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville.
The Matchup: Outside of Mount Paran, these two teams seem to be heads-and-shoulders above the rest in Class AA, which means this game should make for a classic battle. Both have talent, size, scoring and defense to burn. Central-Macon boasts both its region coach of the year in Tamara Bolston-Williams and player of the year in senior combo guard Alaya Grane who can score, rebound and defend like a player bigger than her. She’s accompanied by a pair of talented juniors in 6-foot-1 junior forward Jazlyn Johnson and rebounding machine Frances Anyakudo. Josey has size and length to match with several 6-foot-plus players who aren’t just big, warm bodies. Six-foot sophomore Za’miyah Jenkins averages a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double while seniors Sania Hills and Tamia Timbers are knocking on the door of double figures in boards per game, as is 5-foot-10 junior Shaniya Sanders.
The Path: Central defeated Columbia, 44-37 in the Elite Eight to qualify for the semis, while Josey dismantled Banks County 65-48.
The Prediction: This game will, by far, provide the toughest opponent either team has had to face this season, particularly in this year’s state tournament. Expect them to go toe-to-toe for the better half of three quarters before the Eagles’ size and versatility rises to the top. Winner: Josey.
CLASS AA BOYS
Who: Butler (24-6) vs. Toombs County (28-2)
When & Where: Saturday, March 2, 3 p.m. at Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville.
The Matchup: It may be safe to call Butler a bit of a Cinderella story in this tournament — not because the Bulldogs don’t have a Solid program pedigree. But because with a new coach, smallish lineup featuring some fresh faces, this Butler team has even outpaced first-year head coach Chaz Clark’s expectations. Butler’s scrappiness on defense and balanced offensive output — four players average double figures — make them a tough out for anyone. To prove it, the Bulldogs are the only team in the state that’s beaten No. 1 Westside more than once. It’s a bit of a non-descript bunch that just hustles and does the little things, and always seems to be playing a half-step ahead of its competition. And of the four double-figures scorers, only one — Roosevelt Brown — is a senior. The Toombs County test will be a tall one — literally. Starters Dominic Eason and Parker Stanley stand 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-6 respectively. Eason is their leading scorer, pouring in 20 points and six boards per game. Toombs also has big, rangy guards and more size on the bench. Meanwhile, while Butler isn’t exactly tiny, Kwamane Bridges and Brown, both standing 6-foot-3, are Butler’s tallest starters.
The Path: Butler defeated South Atlanta on the road, 51-47 in Elite Eight action while Toombs County routed Athens Academy 67-41. Toombs also beat Thomson in the Sweet 16 in come-from-behind fashion.
The Prediction: It’s tempting to say Butler’s playoff inexperience from head coach down to the last man on the roster will play a factor. But so far, it just hasn’t. Not only has Butler run the table through the tournament so far, it has done so on the road. And this won’t be the first time Butler’s had to battle size. We think they’ll be up for the challenge. Winner: Butler.
Who: Westside (27-4) vs. Columbia (28-3)
When & Where: Saturday, March 2, 7 p.m. at Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville.
The Matchup: 73, 30, 38. Those are the margins of victory for Westside during the Class AA state tournament — when it’s supposed to be best-on-best action. And if you go back further, only Butler has beaten Westside or even played them close in the last 18 games. Coach Jerry Hunter says his once-young ball club is getting more confident with each game. And you can see it, particularly from players like senior point guard Demarco Middleton. There’s a been-there-done-that kind of aura to this team, even though only Middleton, Xavier Goss and Lavonta Ivery have any real deep state tournament experience as starting or heavily contributing players. Columbia’s scoreboard tally hasn’t been quite as impressive, but it’s had some solid wins over the last month, and are one of those Georgia powerhouses that always seem to be in the mix of a state crown, no matter who comes or goes from year to year. Six-foot-2 point guard Trevian Callaway is one of the best in the business. It’ll be a good square-off between him and Middleton, as they’re arguably the top two pure floor generals in Class AA.
The Path: Westside dismantled Model 78-40 in Wednesday night’s Elite Eight action while Columbia soundly defeated Southwest Macon 55-37 Wednesday in its Elite Eight game.
The Prediction: Only nine boys basketball programs in GHSA history have won three consecutive state championships, regardless of the classification. And Columbia is the last to do it (2010-2012). Sort of symbolic that Westside will need to get past the Eagles in order to become three-peat program No. 10. In what should be a nip-and-tuck game most of the way, Westside’s athleticism and drive to make history should prevail. Winner: Westside.
