Region play has arrived and state championship contenders Grovetown, North Augusta, Cross Creek, Westside and Augusta Christian all opened up with victories recently.
The race is underway for postseason positioning, not to mention bragging rights, as Tuesdays and Fridays will give area fans reason to wish they could be in two places at one time, an annual occurrence during the January and February stretch run to the end of the regular season.
Below is a breakdown of the five regions that produced an unprecedented four state champions last season.
We’ll try to point you in the right direction for the most exciting games to watch in the next couple weeks, and what to look for from some of the best teams and players the area has to offer.
Class 6A, Region 2 – Favorite – Grovetown
Don’t let the non-region record (4-8) for No. 6 Grovetown fool you because the defending class 6A state champion is still very much the favorite to earn a region championship. In a year in which all the best area teams played the best competition it could find, Grovetown distinguished itself by taking on the most grueling non-region schedule we’ve seen since Laney’s storied 2014-15 squad. Ten of Grovetown’s 12 non-region opponents are currently ranked in the top 10 in the state in their respective classes. Three of those teams are ranked No. 1, and two of them are nationally ranked.
Size Like a College Team
Grovetown (5-8, 1-0) opened region play with an overwhelming 80-44 victory over South Effingham (6-8, 0-2) Saturday. The game was only the second at home for the Warriors and the first in 54 days. The fans had to be pleased when the home team scored 70 points in the first three quarters despite making only three three pointers the entire game.
Instead of heaving bombs, the Warriors used to their advantage the kind of size most college coaches would be thrilled to have. No fewer than five players on the roster stand 6’7” or taller. And even the team’s two starting guards are listed at 6’4”. But size alone wouldn’t produce the number of point blank shots at the rim that came as a result of Grovetown’s exceptional execution on offense in Saturday’s region opener.
FrankQuon Sherman (20 points), Derrion Reid (16), Malik Ferguson (10) and Amare Clark (10) led Grovetown in Saturday’s win.
This seven-team region also includes Lakeside (10-5, 1-1) and Evans (9-4, 1-1), which means on any given Tuesday, Friday or Saturday fans are likely to see a compelling rivalry game. And the most competitive matchups should be the two times when Brunswick (12-2, 4-0), a common second choice to become this region’s champion, faces Grovetown. Brunswick already picked up wins at home last weekend over Lakeside (Friday) and Evans (Saturday).
Key Upcoming Region Games:
Tuesday, January 10 – Grovetown at Evans
Friday, January 13 – Evans at Lakeside
Saturday, January 14 – Brunswick at Grovetown
Tuesday, January 17 – Grovetown at Lakeside
Friday, January 20 – Brunswick at Lakeside
Saturday, January 21 – Brunswick at Evans
South Carolina Class 4A, Region 4
No. 1 ranked North Augusta, the area’s only remaining undefeated team, has recorded five wins against top 10 teams, including impressive victories on the road over Cross Creek and Westside, both defending state champions from the Georgia High School Association (GHSA).
Similar to Grovetown, the Yellow Jackets (17-0, 1-0) have only played at home twice so far this season.
The team’s comfort level playing away from home came in handy when it defeated arch rival South Aiken on the road Friday after making up an eight-point second quarter deficit to earn a 61-49 win in the region opener. Of the seven remaining region games, five more will come against rivals because in addition to a home game against South Aiken, the Yellow Jackets will also face Aiken and Midland Valley twice each.
Four players scored in double figures for North Augusta in the win over South Aiken: DaRon Dunbar (12 points), Amarri Wilcher (12), Elijah Hall (11) and Tanner Harrell (10). South Aiken was led by Jeffrey Jackson, who scored a game high 17 points.
North Augusta’s deep roster features exceptionally skilled and experienced players like returning senior guards Elijah Hall and Amarri Wilcher, and 6’3” sophomore wing DaRon Dunbar. Ninth year head coach Tony Harrell talked about the trio, which helped lead the Yellow Jackets to the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs last season, during an interview in December:
The team also gained important reinforcements during the offseason when seniors Khaleed Heywood and Maliq Richards transferred from Grovetown’s state championship team to North Augusta, adding even more experience to a group that wasn’t lacking it in the first place. Richards is the team’s tallest player at 6’4”, and he is the best offensive rebounder. Heywood is a sure ball handler, an excellent passer and a tenacious defender.
Key Upcoming Region Games:
Tuesday, January 10 – North Augusta at Aiken
Friday, January 13 – Aiken at Midland Valley
Tuesday, January 17 – Midland Valley at South Aiken
Friday, January 20 – Midland Valley at North Augusta
Friday, January 20 – Aiken at South Aiken
Class 3A, Region 4
Continuing the strength of schedule trend, No. 7 Cross Creek (6-10, 1-0) took on nine top 10 ranked teams, including four ranked No. 1 in their class, in the non-region portion of the season. The signature win for the Razorbacks came at home against returning South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) champion Augusta Christian, when senior star Antoine Lorick tip dunked a miss by De’Kel Hobbs at the buzzer for a 68-66 victory. Lorick scored 14 of his 21 points during the fourth quarter in that game. He’s a 6’7” senior who started for Cross Creek during the last two seasons, both of which ended with class 3A state championships. His play during the final eight minutes of that game is worth a viewing:
Key Upcoming Region Games:
Tuesday, January 10 – Harlem at Hephzibah
Tuesday, January 10 – Richmond at Cross Creek
Friday, January 13 – Cross Creek at Salem
Friday, January 13 – Richmond at Harlem
Tuesday, January 17 – Hephzibah at Richmond
Friday, January 20 – Cross Creek at Hephzibah
Class 2A, Region 4
No. 1 Westside (10-4) has sprinted out to a 4-0 start to region play. The Patriots earned one of those victories on the road against No. 4 Thomson in December, and another last Tuesday at home against No. 9 Putnam County. Like every team featured in this review, Westside tested itself early by playing nine top 10 ranked teams, including three that are currently ranked No. 1.
During Westside’s 90-68 victory over Putnam County last week, seniors Khalon Hudson (30 points), AuMauri Tillman (19) and Jalexs Ewing (15) led the way. Putnam County was paced by Eren Banks (27 points) and Landon Bonner (22).
Four of the five starters returned for Westside who started for last season’s class 2A state championship squad. Seniors Hudson, Ewing and Tillman, and junior Marco Middleton are all capable of leading the way for the Patriots. They all provide a tremendous amount of defensive pressure on the perimeter, and they are as exciting as they come in the open court.
Tonight, No. 4 Thomson (9-2, 3-1) will travel to play No. 9 Putnam County (11-3, 3-1) to decide which team will hold the region’s second place spot five games into a 14 game schedule. Thomson seems to be rounding into form now that the team has had at least one month to integrate the players who joined the team in December after the school’s football team won a state championship. During wins over Glenn Hills and Laney last week, the Bulldogs averaged 97 points per game and won by an average of 56 points. But Putnam County might have the region’s best player, senior guard Eren Banks, who is set to play at Georgia Southern next season.
Key Upcoming Region Games:
Tuesday, January 10 – Washington County at Westside
Tuesday, January 10 – Laney at Butler
Tuesday, January 10 – Thomson at Putnam County
Friday, January 13 – Laney at Washington County
Friday, January 13 – Westside at Butler
Tuesday, January 17 – Westside at Laney
Tuesday, January 17 – Thomson at Butler
Friday, January 20 – Laney at Putnam County
Friday, January 20 – Washington County at Thomson
South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) Class 4A
Augusta Christian (17-4, 1-0) will be the favorite to repeat as the SCISA state champion. The Lions have put more miles on the bus/plane than any area team after playing three games in Charlotte, three in Columbia, two in Sumter, one in Atlanta and, get this, four in Las Vegas. But region foe Cardinal Newman, Augusta Christian’s opponent this Friday night, went to Vegas as well. And the Cardinals have also tested themselves against great teams like the famous Oak Hill (Virginia), North Augusta and Keenan (South Carolina).
AC is loaded. 6’10” senior center Luke Wilson has signed with Georgia Southern. And 6’5” guard Khaleel Pratt, who has committed to play baseball for Kentucky, is as much of a mismatch against guards as Wilson is in the paint.
The Lions leading scorer for Augusta Christian has been junior DJ Shine, the returning SCISA co-player of the year. Shine, Pratt, and fellow juniors Braylen Smith and Troy Booker played impressively Saturday in a 67-55 non-region win over Midland Valley, a game that Wilson missed because of an injured ankle.
Follow Chad Cook’s coverage of local sports on Facebook, and Instagram at @AugustaPressSports, and on Twitter at @AugPressSports
