Jeff Hart

Winning the Lanierland Tournament for the first time was nice. So was winning a Thanksgiving tournament at East Jackson to open the season. But for West Hall boys basketball coach Warren Sellers and the Spartans, there was really only one goal all season: making the state tournament.

Despite two lopsided wins over Athens Academy during the regular season, the Lakeview Academy girls basketball had to rally from six points down in the fourth quarter before eventually taking a 38-34 win at the Lakeview gym to move into the Class A state tournament for the sixth consecutive season.

Devaris Finch poured in 25 points to lead Johnson to an 80-74 upset win over Creekview in the first round of the Region 7-AAA boys basketball tournament at the Lumpkin County gym.

Freshman Cara Chilton waited until the biggest game of the season to have perhaps her finest moment Monday night in the opening round of the Region 7-AAA tournament. Chilton scored seven of her nine points and grabbed three key rebounds in the second overtime to help propel Flowery Branch to a 67-62 double overtime win over Lumpkin County at the Chestatee gym.

Jayla Moon said she was not ready for her high school career to come to an end Monday night in the opening round of the Region 7-AAA girls basketball tournament. And the West Hall senior proved it putting her teammates on her back and carrying the Lady Spartans to a 47-39 upset of Creekview at the Chestatee gym.

The Class AAA fifth-ranked Gilmer girls basketball team clinched the Region 7A-AAA subregion with a thrilling 51-46 win over Chestatee Tuesday night at the Chestatee gym.

After the first quarter with his team leading Gilmer by eight points, Chestatee boys basketball coach Russ Triaga wanted to make sure there would be no late-game letdowns like ones against Pickens and Lumpkin County in the past two weeks.

Coming into this season, Gilmer wrestling coach Sam Snyder was wondering how his young team with no seniors and having to replace 10 starters from last year’s team would fare in the always rugged Area 7-AAA. Snyder has no doubts now after his Bobcats claimed their fifth straight Area 7-AAA traditional wrestling title Saturday holding off West Forsyth 197-172.5 at the Creekview gym.

Lumpkin County clinched second place in Region 7A-AAA Friday night with a 51-36 win over White County in boys basketball action.

Dawson County held Union County to single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters en route to a 46-32 Region 8-AA win Friday night.