Central Gwinnett tabs coach Banks to snap playoff drought; Camden wrestling grows dynasty with 11th-straight duals title

Central Gwinnett is looking for its first winning record in 2025 since the 2015 seasonthe longest such drought in school history. New head coach Terrence Banks is the seventh different head coach at the school since the 2006 season. Coach Banks led Class As Greene County to a 10-2 and 8-3 finish in his two seasons at the program and has experience previously coaching in Gwinnett County. Banks was Meadowcreeks head coach for the second half of the 2021 season when he stepped in for Jason Carrera and led the program to a first round playoff berth.

The biggest challenge for Central Gwinnett is one shared by all of the schools competing in Georgias highest classification and specifically those situated regions deep with Gwinnett Countys top brass. The Black Knights will be back to contend in a stacked, seven-team Region 8. Central Gwinnett is joined by Buford, Collins Hill and Mill Creekall programs that have won state titles in the past three seasons in addition to Dacula, Mountain View and Discoverywhich have all reached the playoffs at least once since Central Gwinnetts last playoff berth in 2019. Banks also has been head coach at Tri-Cities and Newton. He is a DeKalb County native and Lakeside graduate.

Central Gwinnett graduated first-team All-Region 8-6A receiver Makhi Cunningham on offense in addition to Second-team running back Carmello Jeffery. Class of 2026 wide receiver George Nagbe and rising junior defensive back Corneil Mills and wide receiver Jaren Joseph will also have increased roles after earning playing time in 2024.

Around the classification Boys Alpharetta filled its head coaching vacancy for football this week by hiring Brian Landis to take over the Raiders program. Grovetown, Parkview and South Forsyth are remaining job openings to watch in Class 6A. In wrestling, Camden County rolled through the first three rounds of the Class 6A bracket, advancing past East Coweta, Mill Creek and West Forsyth, before defeating Class 6A host Buford 43-26 in the final for its 11th-straight duals state title. The Wildcats got individual victories in the eight of the 14 weight classes Bradley Patterson (113 pounds), Isaac Santos (120), Cane Smolarsky (126), Hunter Prosen (138), Waylon Rozier (150), Brock Weaver (165), Brian Wright (175) and Ryder Wilder (215) in securing the title. Only Jefferson, which won 18 consecutive duals titles from 2002-19 and 18 straight traditional titles (2001-18), has longer wrestling streaks in GHSA history than Camden County. The Wildcats will be aiming for their 11th straight traditional championship at the state meet next month. There are huge matchups to watch this week surrounding Class 6As top-ranked teams. Region 5 rivals Walton and host Etowah will clash. . No. 5 Walton (16-2, 6-1) won at No. 7 Etowah (15-4, 5-2) 58-53 in December behind Nikolas Avalianis 20 points. Etowahs Alex Young is averaging more than 15 points and 10 rebounds. On Saturday, No. 1 ranked Grayson will take on Class A-3A Private No. 1 Holy Innocents. Grayson (17-2) is unbeaten against Georgia teams. Holy Innocents (14-3) has lost only to Pace Academy in state, and that was a November overtime game top open the season. On Saturday, McEachern and Norcross will square off. This is a non-region game between top-10 teams in Class 6A and a rematch of a 2024 Class 7A quarterfinal that McEachern won. McEachern started 1-2 this season but is 14-1 since, losing only to No. 1 Grayson. McEachern beat Class 4As No. 1 team, Pace Academy, 64-59 last week. Norcross (13-6) has been more up and down but is ranked No. 8 while tied for first in Region 7. In a high-powered inter-class game, No. 2 Wheeler of 6A is home against No. 2 Milton of 5A. Wheelers top player is Tylis Jordan, who has signed with Ole Miss. Miltons Josh Dixon is committed to Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Wheeler (16-3) and Milton (13-5) have lost only one game apiece to in-state opponents, both against No. 1 Grayson of Class 6A.

Around the classification Girls: Grayson and Archer will meet for the second time this season in a major Region 4 showdown and top 10 battle. No. 3 Grayson (19-1, 7-0), the Class 7A champion last season, sits in the top spot, just ahead of sixth-ranked Archer (17-2, 6-1). The difference in their region records is Graysons 67-64 home victory over Archer on Jan. 3. Both teams have a game remaining against third-place Newton, ranked No. 10. No. 1 ranked North Paulding (18-1, 6-0) will try to strengthen its hold on first place in Region 5-6A when its takes on No. 5 Cherokee (17-3, 6-1) for the second time this season. North Paulding handed Cherokee its only region loss with a 65-59 victory at home on Dec. 10. The Wolfpack rolled past Class 3A No. 1 Baldwin 70-45 on Monday. Third-place Etowah (16-4, 5-2) remains alive in the race and will face Cherokee and North Paulding next week. At No. 2, North Forsyth is one of only three remaining unbeaten girls teams in the state (Class 4A Creekside and Warner Robins are the others) and will put its perfect mark on the line when it meets No. 8 Buford in a non-region game. This will be North Forsyths first game against a top-10 opponent since Nov. 14, when it defeated current No. 6 Archer 64-31. Bufords only loss came against Mill Creek 60-51 on Dec. 16 in Region 8 play.

Class 6A Top 10 Upcoming Games

Boys

1. GraysonFriday at Archer, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. Holy Innocents, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Grovetown, 7:30 p.m.

2. WheelerWednesday vs. North Cobb, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. Milton, 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday at Walton, 7:00 p.m.

3. McEachernWednesday at Harrison, 7:30 p.m.; Friday vs. Hillgrove, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. Norcross, 3:30 p.m.

4. WaltonTuesday at North Paulding, 7:30 p.m.; Friday vs. Etowah, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Wheeler, 7:00 p.m.

5. NewtonTuesday vs. South Gwinnett, 7:30 p.m.; Friday at Heritage-Conyers, 7:30 p.m.; Friday Jan. 31 at Archer, 7:30 p.m.

6. EtowahFriday at Walton, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Cherokee, 7:30 p.m.; Friday Jan. 31 at North Paulding, 7:30 p.m.

7. LambertWednesday vs. North Forsyth, 7:30 p.m.; Friday at Alpharetta, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday vs. North Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

8. BufordWednesday vs. Central Gwinnett, 7:30 p.m.; Friday vs. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Mill Creek, 7:30 p.m.

9. NorcrossTuesday at Parkview, 7:00 p.m.; Friday vs. North Gwinnett, 7:00 p.m.; Saturday vs. McEachern, 3:30 p.m.

10. HillgroveTuesday at Campbell, 7:30 p.m.; Friday at McEachern, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday at Harrison, 7:30 p.m.

Girls
1. North ForsythTuesday vs. Walton, 6:00 p.m.; Friday at Cherokee, 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Marietta, 6:00 p.m.

2. North PauldingWednesday at Lambert, 6:00 p.m.; Friday vs. West Forsyth, 6:00 p.m.; Saturday at Buford, 2:00 p.m.

3. GraysonFriday at Archer, 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Grovetown, 6:00 p.m.; Friday Jan. 31 at South Gwinnett, 6:00 p.m.

4. ArcherTuesday at Rockdale County, 6:00 p.m; Friday vs. Grayson, 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday at South Gwinnett, 6:00 p.m.

5. CampbellTuesday vs. Hillgrove, 6:00 p.m.; Friday vs. Harrison, 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday at McEachern, 6:00 p.m.

6. CarrolltonFriday vs. East Coweta, 6:00 p.m.; Saturday vs. Langston Hughes, 3:00 p.m.; Tuesday at Chapel Hill, 6:00 p.m.

7. NewtonTuesday vs. South Gwinnett, 6:00 p.m.; Friday at Heritage-Conyers, 6:00 p.m.; Friday Jan. 31 at Archer, 6:00 p.m.

8. CherokeeWednesday at Marietta, 6:00 p.m.; Friday vs. North Paulding, 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday at Etowah, 6:00 p.m.

9. LowndesFriday vs. Richmond Hill, 4:30 p.m.; Saturday at Valdosta, 6:00 p.m.; Friday Jan. 31 at Colquitt County, 6:00 p.m.

10. BufordWednesday vs. Central Gwinnett, 6:00 p.m.; Friday vs. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. North Forsyth, 2:00 p.m.