A ticket to the state playoffs comes from success in region play, which is rapidly progressing as we approach the end of the regular season. For the public schools in Georgia and South Carolina, the top four teams from each region will earn a playoff berth, and the top two will host one or more playoff games.
In Georgia, those seeds will be determined by the results of the various region tournaments, which will finish no later than February 18. Seeding for the region tournaments will be determined by the results of regular season region play, which is generally approaching the halfway point this week. In most cases, teams that finish first or second in the regular season region standings will earn a bye into the semifinal round of their region tournament, which assures a place in the state playoffs even if such a team fails to win even a single region tournament game.
In South Carolina there are no region tournaments, which make the regular season region schedule, which will end no later than February 11, the deciding factor for playoff seeding.
Of course, we witnessed unprecedented success from area teams in last season’s state playoffs when four boys teams captured state championship trophies in their respective classes (Grovetown, Westside, Augusta Christian and Cross Creek). There’s no reason that feat can’t be matched this March. But first teams have to get in position to succeed. That’s the stage of the process we are in right now, and this is your guide for following the action.
Class 6A, Region 2
In this region, No. 5 Grovetown, winner of its first four region games in an eight-day span by an average margin of 19.5 points, will aim to build on recent positive momentum. And it’s “moving time” for Lakeside and Evans if the Panthers and the Knights want to join the Warriors in contending for a top-two spot in the standings before tournament time.
Grovetown (4-0) opened last Saturday with an 80-44 region opening win at home over South Effingham (0-4). Then the Warriors won on the road over Evans (3-2) and Effingham County (2-2) before ending its first eight days of region play Saturday with a convincing 80-59 home win over Brunswick, which entered the game with a 5-0 region record and an overall record of 13-3.
Saturday’s dominant outing followed an equally stout second half the night before, when the Warriors stormed back from a fifteen-point halftime deficit and outscored Effingham County 42-20 in the second half to earn a 60-53 win.
Fourth year head coach Darren Douglas, who is one of only four coaches in Georgia ever to lead both a private school (Aquinas in 2018) and a public school to a state championship, likes the way his team is “trending” after a brutal non-region schedule.
“You can see the energy’s a little different,” Douglas said after the win over Brunswick. “We’re kind of getting our swagger back about ourselves. So we just gotta keep working. Keep working. Keep praying.
“We’re back to defending the way that we do, and moving the ball up the floor the way that we do. So it’s pretty cool because we didn’t start out like that this year.
“Today (against Brunswick) looked like the second half yesterday (against Effingham County),” Douglas continued. “We kinda came out… It was a residual. It just kinda carried over to today.”
6’8” junior Derrion Reid’s performance Saturday showed why ESPN ranked him the No. 53 junior in the nation before the season began. Reid scored 26 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. 6’4” senior Malik Ferguson, who recently signed with Georgia State, added 18 points. And Sherman, a 6’6” senior who decommitted from Winthrop in the Fall, added 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Warriors took hold of the region’s top spot with a statement win.
A Big Week for Lakeside and Evans
This week Lakeside (3-1) will try to build on the momentum it gained last Friday when senior Elijah Gilbert scored with less than five seconds remaining to give the Panthers a 39-37 win at home over arch rival Evans (3-2).
Lakeside will host Grovetown tonight in the third game of a five-game homestand. Friday’s opponent will be Brunswick, who beat the Panthers in their region opener. Brunswick will stay the night and face Evans Saturday. Both the Panthers and the Knights will also take on Glynn Academy (0-4) this week, too. Avoiding an upset by Glynn and knocking off Grovetown and/or Brunswick will be the path for either of these teams to have a shot at a one or a two-seed and therefore an automatic playoff bid.
South Carolina Class 4A, Region 4
No. 1 ranked North Augusta topped No. 6 Jones County (Georgia Class 5A) 77-64 Monday at Cross Creek in the Battle of the Border MLK Invitational Classic. The Yellow Jackets improved to 19-0, a feat that is all the more impressive when you consider that 11 of the victories came against top ten opponents.
North Augusta was led by senior Amarri Wilcher (22 points), freshman Jordan Rouse (16) and sophomore DaRon Dunbar (11). The Yellow Jackets made 10 three pointers in the game. Wilcher scored 19 of his 22 points in the first half, and he made five of his six threes during that time period. During the second half, Rouse scored 14 and Dunbar 9, while Tanner Harrell added 7, including 2 three pointers.
The Yellow Jackets are 2-0 in region play with six games remaining. Friday’s home game against Midland Valley (12-4, 2-0) should be circled because not only are the Mustangs a rival, but they might have enough talent to knock off North Augusta if things bounce their way. But the truth is every Tuesday and Friday between now and the final day of the regular season (February 7) will see a matchup between at least two Aiken County rivals (North Augusta, Midland Valley, South Aiken and Aiken). And the results from those games, along with those against the region’s fifth team, Airport, will determine the seeding come state playoff time.
Class 5A, Region 1
Greenbrier (3-1) is the only local team in this region. After losing the region opener to Coffee County (3-2), the Wolfpack have won three straight. And Greenbrier will have a chance for revenge during Tuesday’s rematch at Coffee County. Then comes an opportunity Saturday for the Wolfpack to host the current region leader Bradwell Institute (3-1).
Greenbrier is led by juniors Jackson Jennings (17.1 ppg) and Cam Parada (14.8 ppg), and by sophomores Martez Ford (7.7 ppg) and Ty Jones (7.4 ppg and 3.5 apg). So head coach Dee Howard will have more than just this season to help this bunch maximize their potential. But the Wolfpack players surely would like to seize the opportunity starting the week!
Class 4A, Region 3
Burke County (2-1) has gotten off to a solid start in its Savannah area heavy six-team region. The Bears will host Southeast Bulloch (1-2) Tuesday before traveling to Islands (0-3) Friday and returning home Saturday to try to win its second game this season against Wayne County (2-1).
Class 3A, Region 4
The two time defending class 3A state champion Cross Creek has gotten off to a 3-0 start. Head coach Lawrence Kelly feels good about his team’s start to region play after the Razorbacks made their way through a grueling non-region schedule.
“We are starting to play good basketball,” Kelly said in a text exchange Saturday. “We still have a ways to go to get where we want to be, but the tough non-region schedule has helped prepare us for the challenges of the region.”
Hephzibah (0-3) will get a chance at the champ Friday when the Razorbacks visit the Rebels. Hephzibah gave No. 2 Beach a tough game Monday during Cross Creek’s Battle of the Border MLK Invitational Classic. A week from today, Harlem (2-1), which gave Cross Creek a tough game (64-57) in the region opener, will visit the Razorbacks to take another swing at the region favorite.
Class 2A, Region 4
No. 1 Westside (6-0) has dominated the first six games of its fourteen-game region schedule. The defending class 2A state champion has already logged double digit victories over No. 6 Putnam County (5-1), No. 7 Thomson (4-2) and returning state runner up Butler (3-3).
A few games of note this week: Butler will host Thomson tonight, and Westside will visit Laney (3-3). On Friday Laney will travel to Putnam County. T
The key in this region will be to earn as high a region tournament seed as possible to minimize the chance of drawing an especially dangerous team in the first round of the region tournament. In addition to the five teams mentioned above, Washington County (2-4), Glenn Hills (1-5) and Josey (0-6), all proud programs with a strong basketball tradition, round out this eight-team region.
South Carolina Class 2A, Region 3
No. 5 Strom Thurmond (1-0) will travel to Silver Bluff (2-0) Friday for a game that will likely determine the leader in this five-team region that also includes Fox Creek (1-1), Pelion (1-1) and Batesburg-Leesville (0-2).
Class 1A (Division II), Region 8
Aquinas (6-1) will travel to returning state runner up Warren County (7-0) tonight for a duel between the region’s top two teams. The Augusta Press will have a full game report from this matchup.
South Carolina Independent School Association Class 4A
Last Friday, defending SCISA state champion Augusta Christian lost its first region game since January 22, 2021. The Lions played without 6’10” senior center Luke Wilson, who recently signed with Georgia Southern. Wilson has suffered an injury, but even if he doesn’t return, Augusta Christian, Cardinal Newman, First Baptist and Porter-Gaud remain the favorites to contend for a state title this season.
