No. 2 Augusta University (2-0) will host Fayetteville State (1-1) Sunday at 4:00 P.M. in the first regular season home game for the Jaguars since Miguel Arnold made a game winning three pointer to send Augusta to the NCAA Elite Eight last March.
The roster for Augusta, last season’s national runner up, is loaded with championship experience, especially in the senior class. Augusta’s returning Southeast Region and Peach Belt Conference Tournament MVP, 7’1″ center Tyshaun Crawford, debuted last weekend with a combined 41 points and 22 rebounds in a pair of wins over Mount Olive and Barton, at Mount Olive. Arnold, the school’s all time three point shot leader, scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the two games combined. And Tyree Myers, the all time assist leader, scored 14 points and dished seven assists in the opener. Darren Lucas-White continued to close in on 1,000 career points, and he makes yet another senior leader who has impacted multiple championship seasons for the Jaguars.
Even though he’s only a sophomore, Ja’Queze Kirby brings championship pedigree as well as the ability to bring fans out of their seats with a show stopping dunk. Kirby opened the season with 23 points (11-16 shooting) and six assists in last Friday’s 81-76 win over Mount Olive. He followed with a 13-point, 12-rebound Barton.
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At halftime Augusta will dedicate the naming of the floor to recently retired athletic director of 34 years, Clint Bryant. For months, there has been an effort to “Pack Christenberry” on Sunday, so Crawford gave his invitation to Jaguar fans after Augusta played Emory in an exhibition game on November 5.
Students (K-12) will get in free, so spread the word!
Football Playoffs
Thomson (class 2A), Harlem (3A), Lincoln County (1A), Strom Thurmond (South Carolina 2A) and Wagener-Salley (1A) will host playoff games Friday. Washington-Wilkes (1A) and Burke County (4A) will try to make it two straight playoff road wins in a row.
According to Wednesday morning’s Georgia High School Football Daily, No. 4 Thomson’s match-up against No. 9 Cook at The Brickyard is a rematch from the last time these schools met, fifty-five years ago when Thomson prevailed 39-0 in the class A semifinals.
Thomson rides a ten game winning streak into Friday’s second round, and the team’s defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown in 40 days! Star running back Jontavis Curry rushed for 86 yards, received for 94 and scored three touchdowns in Thomson’s 26-0 first round win over Tattnall County last week.
Harlem (10-1) was victorious in the playoff for the first time in school history last Friday when the Bulldogs shut out Long County 35-0. Friday’s foe, No. 8 Carver (8-2), will visit from Columbus after topping Upson-Lee 39-0 in round one.
No. 8 Lincoln County (8-2), will take the field for the first time in two weeks when the Red Devils will host Wilkinson County (7-4) in round two after receiving a bye past the first.
Elsewhere in Georgia, No. 8 Burke County (9-2) will travel to No. 6 Bainbridge (7-4) after the Bears took down No. 10 LaGrange 23-20 on the road in round one. And Washington-Wilkes (8-3) will visit Schley County (9-2) after earning a 35-14 road win over Mt. Zion last week.
For a Spot in the Final Four
Those games in Georgia are all for quarterfinal births. In South Carolina, the teams are vying for a spot in the semifinals. Strom Thurmond (10-2) will put its ten-game winning streak on the line at home against region rival Saluda (10-2). Of course Strom Thurmond burst into the Top 10 this season after topping then No. 1 Saluda 6-3 on the road behind two Nate Nordeen field goals.
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Undefeated Barnwell (2A) will host Andrew Jackson (10-2) on the road. And Wagener-Salley (1A) will host St. Joseph’s.
Strength of Schedule the November Theme for High School Hoops
In a 71-54 win over Cross Creek Tuesday, ESPN Top 60 junior Derrion Reid showed exactly why the 6-8 Grovetown guard has the high major college coaches visiting Grovetown regularly.
The No. 17 ranked Warriors won their second game, in as many tries, against a fellow returning state champion after defeating Westside 79-73 Friday in the Ricky Moore Invitational.
Grovetown (2-0) will now play its next eleven games outside the area before returning home January 7 for region play. The near term schedule for the Warriors looks like a misprint: McEachern (Saturday), Buford (next Tuesday), No. 24 Newton (next Friday) and No. 7 Wheeler (next Saturday).
Buford is who Grovetown beat in the state championship game last season. And Wheeler, which is led by ESPN Top 100 prospect Isaiah Collier, is who Grovetown beat in the quarterfinals at home last year.
Around the Area
In Georgia the high school hoops season has begun in every way, but the South Carolina schools won’t begin completely before the first week of December.
Here are some interesting match-ups in the area between now and the end of Thanksgiving weekend:
Cross Creek (0-1), the returning class 3A state champion, will host returning 2A champ Westside (0-2), who is coming off back-to-back losses against Grovetown and Eagles Landing High. Eagles Landing was class 5A’s runner up last season.
Harlem will host Lakeside Thursday in the opener for both teams.
Augusta Christian (2-0), the returning South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) champion, will visit Cross Creek next Tuesday. And AC will face New Hampstead (6:00 P.M.) in the Friday round of the 100 Black Men Thanksgiving Classic at Augusta University the day after turkey day.
Greenbrier (0-1) will visit Druid Hills Saturday before playing a lot of Thanksgiving week games, including a showdown with Thomson Saturday at Augusta University at 5:00 in the opener for the Bulldogs.
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Thomson made it to the class 3A semifinals last season, and the Bulldogs have since entered 2A and joined a red-hot region that includes Westside (returning champ), Butler (runner up), Thomson, Laney, Washington County, Putnam County, Glenn Hills and Josey!
Laney (0-1) will face Gainesville at noon on the Friday after Thanksgiving at Augusta University. Gainesville is head coached by Chuck Graham, the legendary former Richmond Academy and Florida State star.
Richmond, Glenn Hills, Evans and others will be in action as well this weekend and beyond as the non-region part of the schedule is starting with a sprint.
Follow Chad Cook’s coverage of local sports on Facebook and Instagram at @AugustaPressSports, and on Twitter at @AugPressSports.
