Rivalry games tend to bring out the best in sports.

And tonight’s Region 7-5A semifinal between Gwinnett County neighbors North Gwinnett and Peachtree Ridge was no exception. After nine lead changes and a blur of late fouls in a game webcasted on GPB.org, the No. 2 Lions defeated the No. 7 Bulldogs 57-53 at Mill Creek. Read more >

As the clock on the high school basketball regular season ticks down to double-zero, the top boys teams are gaining momentum. Milton, the AJC’s top-ranked team in Class 5A, won twice last week in region games by a gaudy average of 51 points.

Most of the ranked teams have completed playing in national tournaments and “showcases” against out-of-state powerhouses. Because the big boys were back to playing cross-town rivals and region bottom dwellers, the AJC’s newest rankings were relatively flat. All of the No. 1’s in every classification remained on top. Read more >

The craziness in Georgia girls basketball is settling down, just as region and state tournaments are about to commence. Last week, we saw three new teams ascend to the top spot of the AJC’s weekly poll. This week, all five of the No. 1’s remain in the pole position.

Three of the top teams are local schools. Norcross is tops in Class 5A, Chamblee is tops in Class 4A and Wesleyan is still the team to beat in Class A. Chamblee is undefeated this winter, while Norcross and Wesleyan have just two losses apiece. Read more >

As the top boys basketball teams in the state make their playoff pushes, teams from the metro area continue to dominate in the AJC’s weekly polls, especially in the larger classifications. Every No. 1 ranked team (with the exception of Class A) is inside or within shouting distance of I-285.

Milton remains in Class 5A’s top spot after beating No. 3 Wheeler 77-59 on Saturday night. With the emergence of Walton to the ninth spot, every Class 5A team is from metro Atlanta.

Seven ranked teams in Class 4A are locals. Miller Grove has only one loss this season, to Florida’s Dr. Krop, and remains No. 1.

Columbia lost, but was still able keep the top spot in Class 3A. Their loss came against highly regarded (but unranked) Tucker from Class 4A, 62-54. Read more >

If local fans of girls prep basketball were hungry last week, surely they enjoyed a few sweet pieces of upside-down cake. In just one week, three local girls teams fell from the top spot in the AJC’s rankings.

In Class 5A, Hillgrove tumbled to 10th after losing three times to other ranked Cobb County rivals: Campbell, McEachern, and North Cobb. Read more >