There were a lot of close contests on Day 1 of the Atlanta Hardwood High School Jam Fest. Here are the takeaways from the day’s action:

Jonesboro will be very tough to beat in AAAA

The road to the AAAA State Championship could very well lead through the Cardinals again. The Clayton County squad returned two big time playmakers in MJ Walker and Austin Donaldson, and they play a brand of aggressive basketball that is always difficult to beat. They found themselves down 20-6 after the first quarter to a Milton squad, and responded with toughness to end the game on a 50-17 run and win 56-37.

Morgan County’s duo is arguably the best in the state

Morgan County took on a St. Frances team from Baltimore that is stacked full of Division I prospects. Despite eventually losing this game in overtime, the Morgan County pair of Tookie Brown and Jailyn Ingram (pictured above) shined Friday night. Tookie carried the scoring during a Bulldogs comeback from double digits to eventually tie the game and finished the contest with 33 points. Ingram took on a slightly different role with CJ Turman now graduated. Ingram scored the ball well with 19 points and battled with a very big St. Frances front line, totaling close to 20 rebounds.

Shiloh is a team that is slept on

Nobody really knew what to expect from Region 8-AAAAAA as the region appeared to be wide open. Shiloh came out on Friday to make a statement. They employ a very aggressive style on defense, trapping every chance they get. They also have two very high motor guys in the backcourt that can flat out get after it on defense in Kareem Brewton and Josh Okogie. Watch for them to try and separate themselves from the rest of the teams in that region.

The growth of Chris Lewis is very apparent

Chris Lewis was very impressive in Milton’s loss to Jonesboro. Sure, it might be obvious to notice the 19 points that he scored or the touch on his shot, but the little things he does for Milton have a big impact. He is very vocal on defense, runs the floor well, and provides a pressure release both in press breaks and in the half court at the high post. He also is one of the best passing post players in the state and has a knack for finding teammates cutting and around the perimeter. He is a much-improved player. Alabama was on hand to see him play.