The March to Macon is officially upon us. Region tournaments have taken over the state of Georgia and we will be all over the Peach to cover the action. We debated it internally and here are our top five region tournaments in the state.

1. Region 3-AAAAAA
Site: Langston Hughes
Teams: Pebblebrook, Westlake, Douglas County, Campbell, South Cobb, Langston Hughes, Newnan, East Coweta
Key Players: Jared Harper (Auburn), Collin Sexton, Chuma Okeke, Jamie Lewis, Brandon Robinson (North Carolina), Laz Walker, Trey Wade, Derrick Cook, Jannson Williams (Marshall)
Storyline: Who makes the state tournament? There are more deserving teams in this region than there are spots in the AAAAAA big dance. With four teams (Douglas County, Campbell, South Cobb, Langston Hughes) more than likely competing for the last two spots, the first round of this region tournament should have a couple of dog fights.

2. Region 8-AAAAAA
Site: Central Gwinnett
Teams: Berkmar, Shiloh, Dacula, Brookwood, Grayson, Central Gwinnett, Archer, Parkview, South Gwinnett
Key Players: Al Durham (Indiana), Jay Estime, Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech), Kevon Tucker (Wofford), Derek St. Hilaire, Micah Kinsey, Alphonso Willis
Storyline: More of the unknown. Who is the top team in the Region? Who makes the state tournament? The four top teams, Berkmar, Shiloh, Dacula, and Brookwood, have traded wins against one another all season long so it’s tough to say who is the top team. But Grayson, Central Gwinnett, or Archer could have an upset in them if any of those teams don’t bring their best game.

3. Region 8-AAAAA
Site: Winder-Barrow
Teams: Gainesville, Cedar Shoals, Heritage, Apalachee, Salem, Flowery Branch, Lanier, Clarke Central, Discovery, Winder-Barrow, Loganville
Key Players: D’Marcus Simonds (Georgia State), KJ Buffen, Phlan Fleming, Charles Moore, Isaiah Banks, Kamar Baldwin (Butler), Adrian Martin, DJ Young
Storyline: Three teams from this region have made an appearance in the Power Poll at one time or another this season. That could make for an interesting battle for state tournament seeding. Between Gainesville, Cedar Shoals, or Heritage, any three could end up winning this tournament, which could have major implications down the road as they match up with Region 5-AAAAA, which includes Allatoona and South Paulding.

4. Region 6-AA
Site: Pace Academy
Teams: Pace Academy, Lovett, Greater Atlanta Christian, Wesleyan, Holy Innocents, Hapeville Charter, BEST Academy
Key Players: Wendell Carter, Isaiah Kelly, Zack Kaminsky (Penn), Charlie O’Briant, Jacob Hoffman, Christian McLean, Brent Duncan (Tampa), Jules Erving
Storyline: Pace Academy is the clear favorite in this region. However, they have looked somewhat vulnerable at times this season, losing 9 games. They have the best junior in the nation in Wendell Carter, and surely nobody will want to match up with him in the state tournament no matter what seed.

5. Region 4-AAAA
Site: Locust Grove
Teams: Jonesboro, Eagles Landing, Walnut Grove, Eastside, Spalding, Henry County, Mt. Zion, Riverdale, Griffin, Pike County
Key Players: MJ Walker, Eric Lovett, Jamari Smith, Tarrence Evans, Isaiah Miller, Javon Greene, Damion Rosser, TyShaun Crawford
Storyline: Jonesboro is far and away the best team in this region. They didn’t lose a region game all year, and their only in-state loss was to Norcross. The real story is more about the stack of teams behind them. Eagles Landing, Walnut Grove, Eastside, Spalding, & Henry County all have a chance to make the state tournament. However, at least two of them are going to be left out of the picture.