Area Football Snapshot: Breaking down the race in the area's most competitive region, which includes top 10 regulars Wagener-Salley, Blackville-Hilda, Ridge Spring-Monetta and Williston-Elko

Remedee Leaphart - Ridge Spring-Monetta

If you, like I, come from the Georgia side of the huge Central Savannah River Area, you might have not yet discovered the treasure that is the South Carolina High School League's class 1A, region 3 scene, which in the two seasons since I happened upon it has been headlined by four teams that seem to do almost weekly battle, while continuously populating the state's top 10 rankings, and figuring into every round of the post season. These are the teams in focus, their current statewide ranking, their finish in the 2019 state playoffs and their school enrollment figures:

Blackville-Hilda

Current Ranking - #5

2019 season playoff finish - Class 1A quarter-finalist

School enrollment - 186

Wagener-Salley

Current Ranking - #8

2019 season playoff finish - Class 1A semi-finalist

School enrollment - 270

Ridge Spring-Monetta

Current Ranking - #9

2019 season playoff finish - Class 1A Runner-up

School enrollment - 249

Williston-Elko

Current Ranking - NR

2019 season playoff finish - Class 1A first round exit

School enrollment - 259

"The Toughest Region in Class A"

Brian Smith, the second year head coach for #9 Ridge Spring-Monetta, took the time during a busy week preparing for this Friday's homecoming showdown against #5 Blackville-Hilda to describe what it's like to play in such a competitive region, and what's unique about small town football:

"We believe that our region is the toughest in 1A football in SC. Last year we finished third in our region but second in the state," Smith explained. "We defeated the first and second place teams in the playoffs. There are no easy victories or cupcakes in our region. Yes, every week feels like a playoff game and has huge playoff implications. These small town environments are what make high school football great. Playing tough games each week in hostile environments adds to the excitement every time we take the field."

October's "Region Tournament"

Because of this season's coronavirus induced 7 game SCHSL regular season schedule, and because only two teams (it's usually four) from each region will qualify for the state playoffs, when this month is over every Friday night in October will have featured essentially a must-win game between two of the four teams mentioned above. That six game slate, which is currently half-completed, reminds me of the region tournaments that exist in the Georgia high school basketball scene. Here's a run down of the league's standings, a look at where things are headed, and a review of what has already transpired:

Class 1A, Region 4 Standings

Blackville-Hilda (3-0)

Wagener-Salley (2-1)

Williston-Elko (2-1)

Ridge Spring-Monetta (1-1)

Hunter-Kinard Tyler (1-2); Denmark-Olar (0-2); Calhoun County (0-2); North (0-0)

In addition to this Friday's showdown between Blackville-Hilda and Ridge Spring Monetta, which will be played at RSM, we can look forward to RSM hosting Wagener-Salley (a rematch of last season's state playoff semifinal game) on October 23rd, and a game between Blackville-Hilda and Williston-Elko, in Williston, on October 30.

Video: Ridge Spring Monetta's dynamic junior quarterback Remedee Leaphart and receiver Bret Smith:

If the first three games in this "tournament" taught us anything, it should be that there is no way to predict how the next three will go. Here's a review of what has happened so far, along with a sampling of the exciting players and action this region can be counted on to display:

From October 2nd -

#5 Blackville-Hilda 42, #8 Wagener-Salley 0

This result was a shocker when it was posted. Wagener-Salley dominated the regular season last year. The surprise was one of three unexpected results in the first half of the October round robin.

Also from October 2nd

Williston Elko 32, #9 Ridge Spring-Monetta 6

AJ Chandler - Williston-Elko

The Blue Devils, led by first year head coach Richard Bush, made their presence known with a beat down on the road of last season's state playoff runner up. Williston-Elko was led in the statistical categories by a quartet of playmakers, three of whom excelled on both sides of the ball, which is the rule, not the exception, in class 1A ball:

AJ Chandler

(Senior) WR/DB - 4 receptions, 111 yards and 2 touchdowns; 1 interception

Javier Rudolph

(Sr) QB/FS - 10-11 passing for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns; 18 carries for 72 yards and 2 TDs; 1 pass break up

DeShawn Singleton

(Jr) RB - 20 carries for 106 yards; 3 receptions for 31 yards

Bryce Washington

(Jr) WR/CB - 2 interceptions; 3 receptions for 22 yards

Along with a pair of Wagener-Salley stalwarts whom I'll detail further down, Chandler, who has committed to Howard University, would deserve to be featured on anybody's "All CSRA Team." Here he is skying high for a catch before pulling it down and sprinting to the end zone in Williston-Elko's win at RSM:

From October 9th

Wagener-Salley 50, Williston-Elko 33

Wagener-Salley's road win was only surprising because of the prior week's region results. In an email interview Tuesday, fifth year head coach Willie Fox provided feedback for what led to the resurgence of the War Eagles in last week's win:

"The biggest factor in us being able to get a win over Williston-Elko after getting beaten so badly against Blackville-Hilda was the resiliency of our kids," Fox explained. "A lot of things went badly in the Blackville-Hilda game, and honestly, we did not respond well as a team. We talked all week at practice after the game about how we needed to be prepared for a dog fight against Williston-Elko and that is exactly what happened. Our kids responded well and were able to show the fight needed all night to get a victory over a good football team."

Elijah Davis (7) - Wagener-Salley

Three War Eagles posted eye popping statistics in the process:

Cameron Davis

(So) RB - 15 Carries for 220 Yards, 3 TDs and a 2 Point Conversion

AJ Swedenburg

(Sr) WR/CB - 3 receptions for 110 Yards and 2 touchdowns; 2 carries for 43 yards and a TD:

Because of plays like these, Swedenburg was probably the most exciting player I watched last season:

Elijah Davis

(Sr) LB/DE - 12 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble; also played every play on offense to help pave the way for 427 yards rushing

Davis, listed by 247 Sports as a 6-4 and 259 pound defensive end, might be the CSRA's most highly recruited player. That site reports he has received scholarship offers from 9 Division I schools, including South Carolina and West Virginia. Coach Fox confirmed to me that last Friday was Davis's first game at the middle linebacker position. I was particularly impressed by his footwork in being able to keep smaller and faster rushers in front of him before moving in for a sure handed tackle:

Area Football Snapshot: Richmond and Thomson will Clash for the Region's Top Spot

Rashad Williams - Richmond

"We know it's a fourth quarter game... it's a marathon, not a sprint." 

That's what running back Rashad Williams told me minutes after Richmond's 20-10 victory over Harlem last Friday when I asked him how he and and the blockers who helped spring him loose for a game sealing fourth quarter touchdown seemed to get fresher as the game wore on. The 10 play, 80 yard scoring drive that ended with Williams scampering into the end zone from 10 yards out showed another example of Richmond's endurance, something that's unexpected from a roster with only 42 players.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chad Cook (@augbball) on Oct 9, 2020 at 7:05pm PDT

 

The Musketeers, 4-1 overall and 1-0 in region play, also overcame a 9 point second half deficit in a recent win over Evans. Fourth year head coach Lyle Burns explained Tuesday in an email interview some of the measures his staff has implemented to help his players be at their best when it matters most:

"We have made a strong effort to peak and have plenty of gas in the tank on Fridays," Burns explained. "We have a hydration and nutrition plan in place and several other recovery activities that we use... Our practice schedule has been manipulated a lot over the last couple of years to increase efficiency. A lot of this has been done to curb some disadvantages that we have."

Stamina wasn't the only factor displayed when Richmond clinched its first league win Friday on the road. Impressive execution, creative play calling and the use of several playmakers (including a pair of quarterbacks who regularly alternate behind center) who all possess different and complimentary abilities were also factors in the team's success, as Burns explained: 

"First we have 2 running backs, Rashad Williams (Senior) and Jontavius Curry (So), that run very hard and a mobile QB in Maurice Freeman (So) along with Jackson Murphy's (So) improvement throwing the ball. They all do something different very well. I think that keeps defenses honest and having to play more predictable alignments, which helps offensive linemen determine their assignment much easier. I think on both of those drives [including the game opening 68 yard drive that ended in an 11 yard touchdown toss from Murphy to Chris Murray (Sr)] we had some good play calls with advantageous formations and our linemen did a great job of executing."

 

Richmond's offense takes the field
(14) Maurice Freeman, (55) Donovan Stevens-Craig,
(50) Travon Heard, (2) Rashad Williams and
(16) Jackson Murphy

Thomson will pose a stiffer test this Friday

Class 3A, region 4 action will heat up considerably when Thomson (also 4-1 and 1-0), will visit the historic Frank Inman Field at ARC Stadium*, home of the Musketeers, in a game that will be televised live on MeTV. In addition to a rich tradition of winning, the Bulldogs might have the most complete team in the area. Much like Richmond, opponents have trouble from series to series, and even from play to play, figuring out which of Thomson's playmakers will attack from what position.

Third year head coach Michael Youngblood summarized nicely Thomson's dizzying array of weapons in an email exchange:

"Tay Martin (Junior) is the catalyst of our offense. He is a playmaker whether at QB or WR and can be dynamic," Youngblood started. "Jahkious Jones (Fr) being brought along at the QB position allows Tay and Ashton Perry (Jr) to be threats on the outside in the passing game while opening running lanes for Snoop Williams (Jr), Lilvasco Winfrey (Sr) and Kindarius Green (Jr) at the RB position."

Snoop Williams - Thomson

A couple clips from Thomson's only loss of the season, suffered at the hands of Ware County, which might be the best team in class 5A, illustrate the exciting plays Youngblood's offensive weapons are capable of displaying:

Coach Youngblood also noted impact made by senior linebacker Skyler Lewis as well as the play in the trenches by defensive tackle Cam Wells (Sr) and offensive tackle DaiJuan Kendrick (Jr), adding that Kendrick (6-4, 284 lbs) "can be dominating." After throwing in the fact that Winfrey led the state in kickoff return production (677 yards and 4 touchdowns in 28 returns), it's easy to see the home team will have its most difficult challenge of the season so far when two programs meet up at a storied site with the top spot in the region standings on the line.

*I highly recommend this Augusta Chronicle article by Will Cheney for anybody wanting to learn about the historical significance of Frank Inman Field at ARC Stadium:

Exploring 90 years of Richmond Academy Stadium, Augusta’s cherished football venue

Area Football Snapshot: Private Powers Augusta Christian and Aquinas extend perfect start to the season; details about Augusta Christian's resurgence

Augusta Christian and Aquinas Continued their Rampage Friday Night

Zack Blackwell - Augusta Christian

On each team's homecoming night, the Lions and the Fighting Irish both turned in blowout wins Friday, with Aquinas blitzing Tattnall Square 47-7, and Augusta Christian thumping Pinewood Prep 45-6. Both teams reached 6-0 for the season, and both have compiled an impressive margin of victory, with Augusta Christian topping opponents by an average of 37 points, and Aquinas by 26.

Aquinas benefitted from a 392 yard and 6 touchdown rushing effort, continuing a dominant ground game that has yielded an average of 312 yards per game this season. Three players who are all averaging greater than 100 yards rushing per game this season led the way again Friday: 

RJ Edwards (170 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Darius Stone (85 yards and 3 touchdowns)

James Schlegel (115 yards and 1 touchdown)

James Schlegel - Aquinas

Augusta Christian's stat sheet was stuffed by what is quickly becoming a familiar list of standout Lion names:

Zack Blackwell (163 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception)

Jeb Bradford (17-26 passing for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns; 1 rushing TD)

Jacob Walker (7 receptions for 101 yards and 1 touchdown; 97 yard kickoff return for a TD; 227 all purpose yards)

Terrence Vandiver (1 interception; 4 receptions for 32 yards)

Andrew Thompson jars the ball loose form a receiver for Augusta Christian Friday.

While they compete in completely different leagues, both of these proud programs have earned the distinction of winning a state championship this decade. But the path since Augusta Christian's crowning moment in 2012, when the Lions captured a South Carolina Independent Schools Association title, until now couldn't be more different than the one Aquinas has followed since winning a Georgia High School Association championship in 2013. Since its championship run, Aquinas has compiled a winning record every year and won 75% of its games. But Augusta Christian only just this past Friday assured itself that 2020 will be its first winning season since being crowned in 2012.

Behind Augusta Christian's Resurgence

In his attempt to "#RestoreTheRoar" in the heart of his Lions, first year coach Andrew Stickel, who coached AC's middle school team the prior six seasons, couldn't be more pleased with the response he and his staff have gotten from the players:

"The kids have completely bought in and trust the coaching staff," Stickel said in an interview conducted over direct message Sunday. "They are flying around, playing fast, and playing for each other. That has been since noticeable since we were allowed to be back together, starting in June."

Stickel's first task as the new head coach was to navigate an off season full of coronavirus fueled uncertainty about whether or not a football season would even be played.

"There was so much unknown through the the Spring and early Summer. So many questions. During that time, we continued to communicate as much as possible." The coach added, "Clear communication provides clear vision."

But Stickel's vision was never limited only to getting the Lions safely onto the field of play. He wants badly for the school to experience again what it's like to have an area and statewide powerhouse, and he credits a strong group of veteran players and their families for the program's apparent turnaround:

For the past 7 years, we have been a 3 win football team. 20 wins in the last 7 years. One playoff appearance. Being at the school for the last 6 years as the middle school coach, I was able to closely watch what our varsity program was doing - Spring football, weight room, practices, mindset, etc.

 

So I shared my vision with these players and their parents that what we have been doing and where we have been gets us the bare minimum results, while other programs in our league and our area continue to run right past us. So we needed to change EVERYTHING.

 

Fortunately, I have been in this place before when I took over the middle school program. Being the doormat of the league, and understanding that we needed to create a new standard, a new normal, to raise our expectations, our work ethic, and our commitment level on and off the field. The roster I inherited... was heavy with upperclassman who were willing to lead the way. They just wanted to be pointed in the right direction, and given a plan of how to get there.

Augusta Christian's players are benefitting from their willingness to follow Coach Stickel's plan, and it will be exciting to see how close to the program's former glory this new look Lions squad gets in this unique, and, so far for Augusta Christian and Aquinas at least, perfect season.

Highlights from Augusta Christian's 45-6 win over Pinewood Prep:

Augusta Christian 45 ,Pinewood 6

Final

Augusta Christian keep its undefeated streak alive on homecoming night as they improve to (6-0)

Coverage provided by @4thtakefilms pic.twitter.com/x69pPaQVBy

— AugBball (@AugBball) October 10, 2020

Augusta is riding a 7 game winning streak ahead of Saturday's homecoming game, which begins a three game home stand to close the regular season

Augusta's Darren Lucas-White poses after the release.

Augusta notched its seventh consecutive victory Wednesday, propelled by a 27-4 run to open the second half that sent the Jaguars home from Dahlonega with a 92-65 win over Peach Belt Conference foe North Georgia. Rafael Monteiro (26 points and 13 rebounds), Miguel Arnold (23 points on 5-7 three point shooting) and Tyshaun Crawford (13 points and 10 rebounds) led a nearly flawless offensive performance for Augusta, which converted an eye popping 56% of its field goals and 58% of its long range attempts. The showing on the other end was equally impressive as the Jaguars held North Georgia to 36% field goal and 17% three point shooting, while outrebounding the Nighthawks 46-25.



The win came hours after the first NCAA Division II regional rankings were released. Augusta currently holds the #5 position in the Southeast Region, which consists of teams from the Peach Belt, the South Atlantic Conference and the Conference Carolinas. The Southeast Region is one of eight nationwide. The top eight teams in the final rankings will be rewarded with a trip to the NCAA tournament when the field is announced on March 8. Current Peach Belt Conference leader UNC Pembroke clocked in at #2, while PBC foe Lander occupies #6 spot, and USC Aiken stands at #8.

Augusta (18-7, 13-4) will finish the regular season with three home games in eight days, beginning with Saturday's (February 22) homecoming contest against Young Harris (7-18, 5-12), which will tip off at 3:30, immediately following the 1:30 women's game. On Wednesday (7:30 tip-off) USC Aiken (17-10, 13-4) will visit Christenberry Fieldhouse, and next Saturday (February 29) Augusta will play Georgia College (11-14, 8-9) in the regular season finale.

Augusta's recent winning streak has put into focus an impressive statistical performance this season by the team, which, alongside USC Aiken stands one game behind league leader UNC Pembroke (20-5, 14-3). The Jaguars lead the Peach Belt in offensive field goal percentage (50.6%) and three point shooting (40%). They also top the conference in both defensive field goal percentage (43.4%) and defensive three point shooting percentage (34%).

Full schedules and previews for this week's boys and girls region tournaments at Evans, Cross Creek, Laney and Hancock Central

Makhi Climons (Cross Creek)

South Carolina's teams won't finish their regular season until Valentine's Day weekend, and the next step in SC, as always, will be the state playoffs because South Carolina seeds its state tournament with regular season region standings, skipping region tournaments altogether.

But for the area's Georgia based teams, the regular season has ended, which means this week's region tournaments will decide which teams will advance to the GHSA state playoffs, what seed they will earn, and, unfortunately, which teams will see their season end over the next few days. Here are the details for the tournaments we will be watching closely:

Class 6A, Region 3

Grovetown's boys and girls teams captured the regular season championship, and with that the top seed and a bye into Thursday's semifinal round at this week's tournament at Evans. The second seed, which is Evans on the boys side and Heritage for the girls, will also bypass Tuesday's quarterfinal round. As is the case in all of the regions, the top four teams are guaranteed a spot in the state playoffs, but these four teams still have plenty of work to do this week because the region tournament champion and runner up will start their state playoff run at home, while the third and fourth place finishers will hit the road come playoff time.

Zy Wright (Grovetown)

Region tournament brackets at Evans

Boys

Preview:

Grovetown (9-1 in region), Evans (8-2) and Heritage (4-6) can all be seen as equally likely to leave Evans with the tournament crown and the region's top seed in the state playoffs because every time those teams met head-to-head during the regular season the game was a toss up. But don't count out the bottom three teams because Lakeside (3-7) and Alcovy (4-6), which will play for a semifinal birth tonight, both have the talent to come out on top on any given night. And Greenbrier (2-8) has already beaten Heritage one time this year, which should give the Wolfpack confidence going into today's quarterfinal matchup.

Girls

Preview:

Like his head coaching counterpart Darren Douglas at the school on the boys side, Grovetown's George Dukes claimed a regular season region championship in his first season at the helm. Grovetown's only loss in league play came against Greenbrier (6-4), which, like Grovetown, has a roster full of promising young players.

Class 4A, Region 3

Tournament host Cross Creek will supply the field's top seed on both the boys and girls sides after an 8 game regular season schedule in which Cross Creek, Burke County and Baldwin all threatened to take the top seeds. On the boys side, the Razorbacks won the regular season championship outright by posting a 7-1 record, while the girls field actually ended in a three way tie that tilted in the Lady Razorbacks' favor after a coin flip tie breaker.

Cross Creek's Jenna Wilbon (50), Jordyn Dorsey (21) and Burke County's Tyasia Freeman (40)

Class 4A, Region 3 tournament schedule

*Play-In Game
Feb 4th Tuesday @Thomson

6:00 ARC Vs. Thomson (Girls)
7:30 ARC Vs. Thomson (Boys)

Feb 6th Thursday @Cross Creek - 

4:00PM - #3 Burke County Vs. #2 Baldwin (Girls) 

5:30pm - #3 Burke County Vs. #2 Baldwin (Boys)

7:00PM - #4 (Thomson/ARC) Vs. Cross Creek (Girls)

8:30PM - #4 (Thomson/ARC) Vs. Cross Creek (Boys)

Feb 7th Friday @Cross Creek

4:00pm Consolation Girl's Game
5:30pm Consolation Boy's Game
7:00pm Championship Girl's Game
8:30pm Championship Boy's Game

Class 2A, Region 4

Rocky Drayton (Laney)

On the boys side, Glenn Hills (14-2) and Butler (13-3) claimed the #1 and #2 seeds, and along with that two of the four semifinal spots in Thursday's round. Again, that means automatic state playoff tickets. But those same two teams finished last regular season in those same two positions a year ago, only to finish third (Butler) and fourth (Glenn Hills) last year before they both lost in the first round of the state playoffs. Six or seven different teams have the capability to get hot and win this tournament this week!

On the girls side, Laney (16-0) will once again be the favorites, but both Butler (12-4) and Josey (14-2), which took Laney to overtime in last season's region tournament championship game, have the ability to cause 2020 to be the first time Laney does not win a region tournament championship in what seems like, and probably is, more than a decade, if not two.

Class 1A, Region 7 (Girls)

Tuesday (2/4)
At Stratford Academy

#2E Lake Oconee Academy vs. #3W First Presbyterian Day, 4:00
#1W Stratford Academy vs. #4E Aquinas, 5:30
#2W Wilkinson County vs. #3E Hancock Central, 7:00
#1E GMC vs. #4W Mt. de Sales, 8:30

Friday (2/7)
At Hancock Central

#1W Stratford Academy/#4E Aquinas vs. #2E Lake Oconee Academy/#3W FPD, 4:00
#1E GMC/#4W Mt. de Sales vs. #2W Wilkinson County/#3E Hancock Central, 7:00

Saturday (2/8)
At Hancock Central

Consolation: 4:00
Championship: 7:00

Franquon Sherman (Lincoln County)

Class 1A, Region 7 (Boys)

At Hancock Central
Wednesday (2/5)

#2W First Presbyterian Day vs. #3E Lincoln County, 4:00
#2E GMC vs. #3W Mt. de Sales, 5:30
#1W Wilkinson County vs. #4E Warren County, 7:00
#1E Hancock Central vs. #4W Twiggs County, 8:30

Friday (2/7)

#1W Wilkinson County/#4E Warren County vs. #2E GMC/#3W MDS, 5:30
#1E Hancock Central/#4W Twiggs vs. #2W FPD/#3E Lincoln County, 8:30

Saturday (2/8)

Consolation: 5:30
Championship: 8:30

Full highlights of Augusta's 79-71 win against USC Aiken, and a look at Augusta's 6 home games in February

Augusta (7-4 in PBC) is 2 games out of first place in the conference.

After Wednesday's road win over rival USC Aiken (highlights above), I want to invite and encourage everybody to attend some of Augusta’s 6 home games in February (starting this Saturday!). Here are the details...

Augusta University's men's and women's basketball teams will play 6 doubleheaders at home in the month of February. 4 of the game days come on Saturday afternoon and the other 2 on Wednesday evenings. I work closely with the basketball program and I am a huge fan, and I have noticed that very few people know when the teams play. And I usually find that fans of basketball are glad when I tell them about games because they enjoy seeing high level Division II basketball in person for a reasonable price.

Augusta's men's team won the Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament championship last season, and the team reached the third round of the Division II NCAA tournament. We are currently within 2 games out of first place in the standings with 9 games remaining in the 20 game conference schedule.

(For more information about the basketball program: AugustaJags.com)

Here are the dates and times for February's home games as well as pricing information:

Saturday, Feb 1 at 3:30 vs Columbus

- (women tip off at 1:30)

Wednesday, Feb 5 at 7:30 vs Lander

- (women tip off at 5:30)

Saturday, Feb 15 at 3:30 vs UNC Pembroke

- (women tip off at 1:30)

Saturday, Feb 22 at 3:30 vs Young Harris

- (women tip off at 1:30)

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 7:30 vs USC Aiken

- (women tip off at 5:30)

Saturday, Feb 29 at 3:30 vs Georgia College

- (women tip off at 1:30)

Ticket price information from Augusta's website:

$10 – General Admission*

$8 – General Admission (Single game / Non-Doubleheader Games)

$7 – Non-AU students, senior citizens, and military personnel with valid ID

FREE w/ ID - AU students, faculty, staff & retirees *

FREE – Kids six years and under

For more ticket options (for example: season ticket information):

https://aug.prestosports.com/information/buy-tickets

Area teams earn statewide recognition just when the region race heats up... tonight!

More than 10 of the 50 CSRA schools we track have a basketball team that has claimed a place in their classification's top 10 statewide ranking* as high school basketball bursts into the new year:

Georgia Boys:

Evans - #8 Class 6A
Cross Creek - #5 Class 4A
Baldwin - #9 Class 4A
Glenn Hills - #4 Class 2A
Butler - #5 Class 2A
Laney - #7 Class 2A
Hephzibah - #8 Class 2A

Georgia Girls:

Laney - #2 Class 2A
Josey - #6 Class 2A

South Carolina Boys:

Aiken - #3 Class 4A
Wagener-Salley - #5 Class 1A
McCormick - #6 Class 6A

South Carolina Girls:

North Augusta - #1 Class 4A

That accounting will be the last time we need to judge subjectively which teams will be most likely to make a run at a state title by looking at overall wins and losses, the strength of a team's schedule and the quality of its wins. Now the ONLY thing that will matter for figuring out which teams will play into March successfully will be the results of each "region race," a series of mostly Tuesday and Friday matchups in January that, for the Georgia teams, will determine not just the regular season region champions but also who will receive automatic state playoff bids and advantageous region tournament seeding.

And each region race in South Carolina will be even more important because, unlike Georgia, where state playoff seeding is determined during the region tournaments played in the first week of February, the regular season's region standings determine state playoff seeding in SC.

Here are some key matchups during the first 8 days of the region race, the results of which will mean far more than any current statewide ranking can:

Class 6A, Region 3

Friday, January 3
Grovetown (12-2, 1-0) at #8 Evans (10-2, 1-0)
Class 6A, Region 3

In December, both #9 Evans and Grovetown won the first game of their ten game league schedule, and whichever team earns a win Friday night will gain even more momentum before both will hit the road next week to take turns visiting Heritage (Evans Tuesday and Grovetown Friday). Heritage advanced to the semifinal round of the state playoffs last season, and the team features two widely heralded stars reportedly destined for college rosters after they graduate.

Friday, January 3
Heritage (12-3, 0-0) at Lakeside (5-7, 0-1)
Class 6A, Region 3

Tuesday, January 7
Evans at Heritage

Friday, January 10
Grovetown at Heritage

Lakeside's progress has been uneven in the pre-region portion of their schedule, with the only consistent ingredient being the production of senior Tyshun Briscoe, and, to a lesser extent, the scoring punch provided off the bench by sophomore Rico Gonzalez. The Panthers dropped their first region contest 58-49 at home.

Heritage will be playing its first region game, and new coach Brian Anderson (an Augusta native), as well as newcomers RJ Noord and James White, will set about continuing the momentum gained last season when the Patriots reached the Class 6A state playoff semifinal round.

Class 2A, Region 4

#4 Glenn Hills sits at the top of the region standings with a 7-1 record halfway through the 16 game league schedule. But 5 of the other 8 teams in the region are within two games of the Spartans, and 3 of them are ranked in the top 10 in the state. The next 10 days will give teams the opportunity to position themselves for a run at a top 2 spot in the final standings, which signifies an automatic state playoff spot, assuming this region will continue its recent practices for its region tournament seeding.

Friday, January 3
#5 Butler (8-4, 4-2) at #8 Hephzibah (8-5, 4-3)
Class 2A, Region 4

Friday, January 3
Jefferson County (8-4, 4-1) at Westside (6-6, 4-3)
Class 2A, Region 4

Tuesday, January 7
#5 Butler at #4 Glenn Hills
Class 2A, Region 4

Tuesday, January 7
#7 Laney (7-4, 4-2) at Jefferson County
Class 2A, Region 4

Friday, January 10
#8 Hephzibah at Jefferson County
Class 2A, Region 4

Friday, January 10
#7 Laney at #5 Butler
Class 2A, Region 4

Saturday, January 11
#8 Hephzibah at Westside
Class 2A, Region 4

Saturday, January 11
(Girls) #2 Laney at #6 Josey
Class 2A, Region 4

Class 4A, Region 3

On paper this might seem like a two team race on the boys side, but Burke County shouldn't be underestimated, especially after a recent 63-37 road win over Laney. And Thomson is the only team to have beaten #3 Aiken (South Carolina Class 4A) this season.

The girls race has traditionally been a dead heat between Baldwin, Cross Creek and Burke County. I expect that to be the case again this season.

Friday, January 3
Burke County (7-4, 0-0) at #5 Cross Creek (12-3, 0-0)
Class 4A, Region 3

Friday, January 3
(Girls) Burke County (6-3, 0-0) at #5 Cross Creek (9-4, 0-0)
Class 4A, Region 3

Saturday, January 4
#9 Baldwin (7-4, 0-0) at Thomson (4-5, 0-0)
Class 4A, Region 3

Tuesday, January 7
Baldwin at Burke County
Class 4A, Region 3

Tuesday, January 7
(Girls) Baldwin (10-5) at Burke County
Class 4A, Region 3

Above was a sample of the exciting league games in the first week of January. We'll track as much of that action, along with the key happenings from the leagues and teams not mentioned during the entire month's sprint.

*Rankings referenced:

Georgia boys - https://sandysspiel.com/category/ghsa-basketball/rankings/

Georgia girls - https://sandysspiel.com/category/girls-basketball/girls-rankings/

South Carolina boys and girls - https://southcarolinabasketball.net/2019/12/18/scbca-top-10-december-17/