Must-see match-ups on Super Tuesday
Welcome to Super Tuesday. The region play schedule has produced a number of must-see games on Tuesday, Jan. 14 around the state of Georgia. Instead of featuring the five best games to watch this week, we decided to deconstruct the schedule even deeper and lay out the match-ups you'll want to pay attention to on Tuesday.
No. 6 North Gwinnett at No. 9 Norcross, 7:30 p.m.: Over the years, this has been one of the best basketball games in all of GwinCo. North Gwinnett could take the early lead in Region 7-AAAAAA with a win on the road. Both teams have their footballers in jerseys and both count on the extra beef in all aspects. The House of Blue should be rocking for this one.
No. 12 North Cobb Christian at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m.: The two Class A powerhouses go head-to-head in a battle of major programs. There are, at a minimum, 12 college prospects in the game and both teams are looking for a little wiggle room at the top of Region 6-A. Keep an eye on this match-up - Stephon Jelks of NCC and Kaiser Gates of St. Francis. Both have played incredibly well this season and both are great on the class. As we've see already this season across all classifications, home court advantage has been big all season long.
Walton at No. 2 Wheeler: Nothing quite like a good old-fashioned East Cobb basketball rivalry. Wheeler faced a challenge from a slowed down Cherokee team last Friday night while Walton picked up loss number one at Milton last week. Pace could determine the outcome in this game. Wheeler is going through some lineup changes while the Raiders are as good as they've been defensively in some time.
No. 3 Tift County at Westover 7:30 p.m.: This is one of the few non region games in the state on Tuesday night but this is a South Georgia dandy. Tift County hasn't shrunk from good competition this year and playing on the road in Albany will be a challenge. This one will be loud, packed in and down to the wire.
No. 14 Clarke Central at Apalachee, 7:30 p.m.: We were there for the first meeting. The second one should be just as good. Cameron Johnson (CC) and Kamar Baldwin (AHS) make for one of the better player vs. player rivalries in the state. Both are as versatile as they come. Johnson is rising in the senior class while Baldwin has carved out a place in the top 10 in the loaded 2016 class in Georgia.
No. 15 Marietta at McEachern 7:30 p.m.: Cobb County's Region 4-AAAAAA McEachern won by four on the road the last time the two played. The Blue Devils are coming off a two-point win over East Paulding and a loss to South Cobb. No better time than now to right the ship. McEachern, on the other hand, hasn't lost to a Georgia team in over a month. Logan McIntosh is having as good of a year as any guard in metro Atlanta.
Newnan at No. 16 Douglas County: Both teams have just two losses each this season and both teams have great balance on the offensive end of the floor. Newnan is a bit bigger while Douglas County may be quicker. Like most games in Region 3-AAAAAA, this one should be a back-and-forth battle.
Blessed Trinity at No. 20 St. Pius X, 7:30 p.m.: Two of the top teams in the 6-AAA have a chance to gain some separation in the top-heavy private school region. Both teams are rolling right now and the Catholic schools both execute with precision. This could come down to who makes the last bucket in the game.