Vienna/Rochelle —
The five area basketball teams who definitely qualified for state tournament play knew earlier in the week who, when and where they’d be playing in the opening round.
Two other squads who were almost certain to be state tournament participants learn until mid-afternoon Wednesday they had made the tourney field and where they’d be taking the court and who it would be against.
Crisp and Fullington academies girls were in action at ABAC in Tifton late yesterday as were Crisp County High’s boys who journeyed to Jonesboro High.
The Region 3-A champion Lady Wildcats (27-2) of Crisp Academy had an 8:30 game against Nathaniel Greene’s Lady Patriots, the No. 4 seed from Region 1-A. The winner plays again at 8:30 p.m. Friday at ABAC vs. the Robert Toombs-Lafayette Christian victor.
The Region 3-A runner-up Lady Trojans (8-16) of Fullington took the floor at 5:30 vs. John Hancock Academy’s Lady Rebels, the No. 3 seed from Region 1-A. The victor returns to action at 7 p.m. Friday at ABAC vs. the Citizens Christian-Heirway Christian winner.
Friday’s winners move on to the Final Four to be played on Feb. 28 and March 2 at Mercer University in Macon where the Crisp Academy girls are heavy favorites to capture a third straight state crown.
As Region 1-AAAA’s No. 3 seed, Crisp’s Cougars got their first Georgia High School Association state tourney test last night at 7:30 at Region 4-AAAA runner-up Jonesboro High.
Should Crisp have upset Jonesboro, it will play again either tomorrow or Saturday against either Statesboro or Baldwin County.
Area teams scheduled to play today at ABAC are the Crisp and Fullington Academy boys.
As the Region 3-A runner-up, the 11-10 Trojans of Fullington will take the court at 5:30 against John Hancock’s Rebels, the No. 3 seed from Region 1. The winner plays again at 5 p.m. Saturday at ABAC vs. the Robert Toombs-Layfayette Christian victor.
Crisp Academy’s Wildcats (9-15), the No. 4 seed from Region 3-A, play at 7 p.m. against Region 1 champion Curtis Baptist. The survivor of that contest sees action again at 2 p.m. Saturday at ABAC vs. the Oak Mountain-Citizens Christian winner.
The victors of Saturday games move on to the GISA’s boys Final Four to be played March 1-2 at Mercer University.
In the dark about their state tournament fate until yesterday were the Wilcox High Patriots (20-4) and Dooly County Bobcats (15-7) who claimed two of the 16 GHSA Class A public school topurnament slots.
Teams that won region championships — and there were four of them (Seminole, Turner, Portal and Hawkinsville) — automatically earned berths.
The remaining 12 slots were filled according to Max.Prep power rankings. Wilcox came in at No. 8 and thus gets to play at home Saturday at 6 p.m. against 10th-ranked Hancock Central.
Dooly wound up eighth
Please see DOOLY page 2B
and therefore gets to host Jenkins County in another 6 p.m. Saturday clash.
Failure to have made the top 16 would have meant the seasons for both the Patriots and Bobccats were immediately over — a fate the 6-16 Lady Bobcats and 3-8 Lady Patriots had already experienced.
AREA CAGE SLATE
WEDNESDAY
GISA Class A Girls at ABAC
5:30 p.m. — Fullington vs. John Hancock
8;30 p.m. — Crisp vs. Nathaniel Greene
GHSA Class AAAA Boys
7:30 p.m. — Crisp County at Jonesboro
THURSDAY
GISA Class A Boys at ABAC
5:30 p.m. — Fullington vs. John Hancock
7 p.m. — Crisp vs. Curtis Baptist
FRIDAY
GISA Class A Girls at ABAC
5:30 p.m. — Fullington plays if it wins Wednesday
8:30 p.m. — Crisp plays if it wins Wednesday
GHSA CLASS AAAA BOYS
TBA — Crisp County could play if it wins Wednesday
SATURDAY
GISA Class A Boys at ABAC
2 p.m. — Crisp plays if it wins Thursday
5 p.m. — Fullington plays if it wins Thursday
GHSA CLASS A BOYS
6 p.m.— Hancock at Wilcox County
6 p.m. — Jenkins County at Dooly County
GHSA CLASS AAAA BOYS
TBA — Crisp County could play if it wins Wednesday
Local Sports
Related Photos
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Crisp Academy’s Jay Jay Yawn (13) protects the basketball from Fullington Academy’s Madison Warbington during last week’s Region 3-A GISA championship game played at Dasher. The Lady Wildcats defeated the Lady Trojans 49-15. Both began state play last night at ABAC in Tifton where the outcomes of their contests were not available before press time. Bonnie Hauesler/Dispatch Correspondent
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Crisp Academy’s Chip Posey (22) and Fullington Academy’s David Roney race each other down the court in Pinehurst during the second of their two regular season meetings. Both the Trojans, who won that encounter 55-41, and the Wildcats will begin state tournament play today at ABAC. Fullington faces John Hancock at 5:30 and Crisp meets Curtis Baptist at 7. Bonnie Hauesler/Dispatch Correspondent
Dooly, Wilcox get home games while becoming 6th, 7th teams to qualify for state
- Local Sports
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Wildcats, Trojans reveal their Final Four series slates; Cougars start today
While Crisp County High launches its GHSA Class AAAA Final Four series at home today at 4 vs. Marist’s War Eagles, Crisp and Fullington academies have firmed up the playing dates and times for their upcoming GISA semifinals series.
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Lady Bobcats player signs with Albany Technical College
Lady Bobcats basketball player Tridedria Burke (seated third from left) has signed with Albany Technical College’s Lady Titans.
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Bobcats Smith signs with Tougaloo College
Dooly County High basketball player, Andravious Jerel "A.J" Smith has signed to play at NAIA member Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss.
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Eagles coach views Fullington's Trojans as tough foe
Beaten out in last year’s GISA Class A playoffs by a team now competing in Class AA, David Emanuel Academy plays host today to a Final Four foe that hasn’t been this deep in the playoffs since 2010.
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Knights want reverse outcome in re-match with Wildcats
Heading into this weekend’s GISA Final Four, Bethlehem Christian finds itself exactly where it was at this time a year ago — top-ranked, the Region 1-A titlist and a host vs. Crisp Academy.
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Dooly freshman excels at state golf tournament
Carding an overall 86, Dooly County High’s Jordan Miles placed 12th among 55 entries in Monday’s Georgia High School Association public school golf tournament.
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Pate reviews Final Four losses; Cougars' ace sticking with ’Dogs
Prior to the start of Monday’s Final Four series pitting Crisp County and Marist, coach Bill Pate said the key to the Cougars’ chances of moving on to the finals was for them to do what they had been doing.
As it turned out, they unfortunately didn’t. -
Marist foils Cougars' bid for baseball finals berth
In a nightcap battle of pitching “aces,” the deuce fourth-ranked Marist High had on the scoreboard was enough to get it a sweep of second-ranked Crisp County in a Monday Class AAAA semifinals duel.
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Northern Heights Neighborhood Watch Group formed
The newly-formed Northern Heights Neighborhood Watch Group will hold at 7:30 p.m. Thursday a meeting in the municipal courtroom located on the second floor of City Hall.
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Dooly County High pays tribute to its athletes at all-sports banquet
Winding up one of its most successful years overall athletically, Dooly County High honored participants in all of its sports program at a banquet held Tuesday in the school cafeteria.
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