Class 6A will conclude the 2025 GHSA Basketball season at the Macon Centreplex on Saturday, March 8. The biggest storyline heading into the matchups will center around the Newton Rams—who have a rare opportunity to sweep titles this season. The Lady Rams will be taking on defending Class 7A girls state champion Grayson before the grand finale that will pin the Newton boys against Wheeler.
CLASS 6A GIRLS
DID YOU KNOW: This will be the fourth meeting between the Region 4 rivals this season with Grayson holding a 3-0 edge
Grayson Rams Region 4 No. 1 seed
Record: 30-1
Grayson extended its win-streak to 30-straight games on Saturday and avenged its only loss of the year with its 53-48 victory over Cherokee. The Rams—who dropped a 68-62 loss to Cherokee in their season opener—rallied from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to avoid getting swept by the Warriors. Jacksonville-signee Tatum Brown led the way with 21 points, while Zoie Lofton added 11 points and Jayla Bennett finished with eight points to pace the Rams. Grayson’s second-half surge came on the heels of the team’s gritty 57-54 road win over top-seeded Lowndes in the quarterfinals. In that victory, Brown also led the way with 21 points, guard Coco Rudolph came up with 12 points and Lofton netted 12. Rudolph was held to five points in the semifinals as she was dealt with foul trouble. Grayson trailed by seven at the half and that deficit grew to 11 points on a Madison Moody mid-range jumper. From there, Brown heated up and willed the team to victory. The star senior scored 13-straight points for Grayson, including back-to-back three-pointers that tied the game 36-36. Lofton added a layup that put the Rams up 38-36 and that bookended a game-changing 15-2 run. Bri Williams then hit a three-pointer for her only points of the game to put Grayson up 41-39 and the teams were knotted at 41-41 heading into the fourth quarter.
Newton Rams Region 4 No. 2 seed
Record: 24-5
Newton served North Forsyth (30-1) its first loss of the season in the semifinals and denied a Raiders team that has gone 61-2 over the past two season an opportunity to reach consecutive finals. The Rams achieved this milestone by outscoring the talented Raiders 37-21 in the second half and were led by a lights out scoring performance by London Smith. The sophomore heated up in the second half of play and scored 24 of her game-high 28 points after the break. 15 of Smith’s points came in the third quarter and she gave her team a 37-36 lead heading into the fourth after facing a 23-18 halftime deficit. Mya Perry also reached double-figures with 10 points and teammate Zoey Jackson added seven points in the victory. Newton’s playoff run opened with a 59-45 win over Paulding County in the first round. In the second round, the Rams held off visiting Norcross 59-49 and were led in scoring by Smith (13), Desiree Davis (12) and Perry (10). Smith went 10-of-12 at the foul line in the win over Norcross and as a team Newton went 27-of-30 at the charity stripe. Newton matched up with Buford in the quarterfinals and advanced with a 54-45 victory. The Rams’ defense stifled the Wolves—limiting them to just 15 points in the first half action. Now, Newton sits one win away from achieving the program’s first-ever state title.
CLASS 6A BOYS
DID YOU KNOW? Wheeler previously defeated Newton 77-64 when the teams met on Jan. 17
Wheeler Wildcats Region 5 No. 1 seed
Record: 28-3
Wheeler defeated defending Class 7A state champion Grayson 68-53 at the Georgia State Convocation Center to return to the state finals. The win served the nationally-ranked Rams their first in-state loss since Wheeler’s 67-55 victory over the Rams in the 2023 semifinals that came before their championship-clinching victory over Cherokee. Additionally, Wheeler’s semifinal win over Grayson avenged their only in-state loss this season—which was a 77-68 loss to Grayson back on Dec. 7. Wheeler’s other two losses came to out-of-state opponents—a natural consequence to the seven different states that head coach Larry Thompson included on the Wildcats’ national circuit to prepare his team for this run to the finals. Now, the Wildcats sit just one victory away from achieving the program’s 10th all-time state championship. In the semifinals, Wheeler was able to outscore Grayson 39-21 in the second half, including 19-10 in the fourth quarter. Defensively, the Wildcats made the necessary stops to limit the Rams—holding them to just four points over the final 5:35. Four Wheeler players scored in double figures—including an 18-point effort by Mansur McClain. Kevin Savage and Tylis Jordan each netted 14 points and Lamarrion Lewis contributed 13 points off the bench. Outstanding team defense has supplemented a well-rounded offensive attack that has produced wins over Colquitt County (90-38), Chapel Hill (76-56) and Norcross (80-50) in the postseason. Wheeler carries a 20-game win-streak into the finals.
Newton Rams Region 4 No. 2 seed
Record: 21-9
Newton’s thrilling 56-53 win over Pebblebrook in the semifinals came down to the final seconds after the Rams appeared to have a comfortable lead. The Rams took a 14-10 lead after the first quarter on a late basket by Davin Neal and quick scoring from junior Jordan Green and clutch play from Zach Harden. Appalachian State-commit Ted Neal also got involved early and often on both sides of the floor, but was limited later in the game after picking up a fourth foul. Pebblebrook kept the game close to make it 27-25 at the half and eventually tied it up 27-27 early in the third. With Neal dealing with foul trouble, Pebblebrook grabbed its first lead of the game at 41-40 and the teams went into the fourth tied 41-41. Early in the fourth, Harden went to the bench with his fourth foul and would later foul out just before the 2:00 mark. Despite the foul trouble, Newton sparked a 12-2 run that gave them a 53-43 lead with a minute left. Pebblebrook rallied with an 8-0 run to set up a desperation attempt at the buzzer before the Rams could celebrate the victory. Green led Newton with 15 points, Neal finished with 10 and Marcus Smith II finished with 10. The Rams opened the playoffs with a 75-60 win over Hillgrove and defeated Peachtree Ridge (73-51) and Etowah (68-53) before the semifinal win over Pebblebrook.
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