The high school version of bracketology is finally here, as area prep basketball teams get set for region tournament week.
Call it "February Fever," as northeast Georgia's hardwood heroes battle it out for championships and state tournament berths.
The top four finalists from each region advance to the state tourney -- though Region 8-A's third and fourth place teams will also have to compete in a pre-state tournament due to the amount of Class A regions now at play.
Each area region is doing things differently this year, with some playing at only a couple of venues and some -- like 8-AAA -- playing all over the map, with games at seven different sites during the week.
With that in mind, take a look at the full schedule of the area's tournaments below and check back with Access North Georgia throughout the week to check the progress of each region and each team's quest for a crown.
(Also this week, wrestling's traditional state championships will take place at The Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, Thursday-Saturday. Spring sports are also getting underway, with soccer season kicking off around northeast Georgia.)
-- NOTE: Buford's boys and girls teams will begin play in the Region 6-AA tournament on Thursday at Maynard Jackson High School in Atlanta. The Lady Wolves are the No. 2 seed from 6A-AA after losing a coin toss with Greater Atlanta Christian for the No. 1 seed. Buford's girls will play the winner of the Maynard Jackson/Cross Keys game at 4 p.m. Thursday. Buford's boys also finished second in 6A-AA and will take on the winner of the Blessed Trinity/Cross Keys match-up at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
COMPLETE REGION TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE, Regions 8-AAAA, 8-AAA, 8-AA, 8-A:
Tournaments listed from highest classification to smallest
Region 8-AAAA
Monday -- girls first-round games at Habersham Central -- 5 p.m., (4B) Cedar Shoals vs. (5A) Winder-Barrow; 6:30 p.m., (4A) Habersham Central vs. (5B) Salem; 8 p.m., (3B) Heritage vs. Flowery Branch (6A)
Tuesday -- boys first round games at Winder-Barrow -- 5 p.m., (4B) Salem vs. (5A) Flowery Branch; 6:30 p.m., (4A) Winder-Barrow vs. (5B) Loganville; 8 p.m., (3B) Heritage vs. (6B) Apalachee
Wednesday -- girls quarterfinals at Winder-Barrow -- 4 p.m., (2B) Rockdale County vs. (3A) Apalachee; 5:30 p.m., (1A) Clarke Central vs. Cedar Shoals/Winder winner; 7 p.m., (2A) Madison County vs. Heritage/Flowery Branch winner; 8:30 p.m., (1B) Loganville vs. Habersham Central/Salem winner
Thursday -- boys quarterfinals at Winder-Barrow -- 4 p.m. (2B) Clarke Central vs. Heritage/Apalachee winner; 5:30 p.m., (2B) Cedar Shoals vs. (3A) Habersham Central; 7 p.m., (1A) Madison County vs. Salem/Flowery Branch winner; 8:30 p.m., (1B) Rockdale County vs. Winder/Loganville winner
Friday -- Semifinals at Winder-Barrow
Saturday -- Championship and consolation games at Winder-Barrow
Region 8-AAA
Monday -- girls first round games at Franklin County -- 6 p.m., (4B) Johnson vs. (5A) White County; 7:30 p.m., (3A) Franklin County vs. (6B) Lanier
-- girls first round games at Oconee County -- 6 p.m., (4A) Stephens County vs. (5B) West Hall; 7:30 p.m., (3B) Oconee County vs. (6A) Lumpkin County
Tuesday -- boys first round games at North Hall -- 6 p.m., (4B) Walnut Grove vs. (5A) Lumpkin County; 7:30 p.m., (3A) North Hall vs. (6B) Johnson
-- boys first round games at Monroe Area -- 6 p.m., (4A) Chestatee vs. (5B) Oconee County; 7:30 p.m., (3B) Monroe Area vs. (6A) Stephens County
Wednesday -- girls quarterfinals at Chestatee -- 6 p.m., (2B) Gainesville vs. Franklin/Lanier winner; 7:30 p.m., (1A) Chestatee vs. White/Johnson winner
-- girls quarterfinals at Walnut Grove -- 6 p.m., (2A) North Hall vs. Oconee/Lumpkin winner; 7:30 p.m., (1B) Walnut Grove vs. West Hall/Stephens winner
Thursday -- boys quarterfinals at Franklin County -- 6 p.m., (2B) Gainesville vs. Johnson/North Hall winner; 7:30 p.m., (1A) Franklin County vs. Walnut Grove/Lumpkin winner
-- boys quarterfinals at West Hall -- 6 p.m., (2A) White County vs. Monroe/Stephens winner; 7:30 p.m., (1B) West Hall vs. Chestatee/Oconee winner
Friday -- Semifinals at Chestatee
Saturday -- Championship and consolation games at Chestatee
Region 8-AA
Monday -- girls first round games at Elbert County -- 4 p.m., (4A) Union County vs. (5B) Jackson County; 5:30 p.m., (4B) Hart County vs. (5A) Dawson County; 7 p.m., (3A) East Hall vs. (6B) East Jackson; 8:30 p.m., (3B) Jefferson vs. (6A) Banks County
Tuesday -- boys first round games at Hart County -- 4 p.m., (4A) Dawson County vs. (5B) East Jackson; 5:30 p.m., (4B) Jackson County vs. (5A) Banks County; 7 p.m., (3A) Union County vs. (6B) North Oconee; 8:30 p.m., (3B) Jefferson vs. (6A) Fannin County
Wednesday -- girls quarterfinals at Elbert County -- 4 p.m. (2A) Rabun County vs. Banks/Jefferson winner; 5:30 p.m., (2B) North Oconee vs. East Jackson/East Hall winner; 7 p.m., (1A) Fannin County vs. Dawson/Hart winner; 8:30 p.m., (1B) Elbert County vs. Jackson/Union winner
Thursday -- boys quarterfinals at Hart County -- (2A) Rabun County vs. Fannin/Jefferson winner; 5:30 p.m., (2B) Elbert County vs. North Oconee/Union winner; 7 p.m., (1A) East Hall vs. Banks/Jackson winner; 8:30 p.m., (1B) Hart County vs. East Jackson/Dawson winner
Friday -- Semifinals at Rabun County
Saturday -- Championship and consolation games County
Region 8-A
Monday -- first round games at Commerce -- 4 p.m., (4B) Athens Academy girls vs. (5B) Social Circle; 5:30 p.m., (4B) Social Circle boys vs. (5A) Tallulah Falls; 7 p.m., (4A) Tallulah Falls girls vs. (5B) Athens Christian; 8:30 p.m., (4A) Towns County boys vs. (6B) Prince Avenue Christian
Tuesday -- quarterfinals at Commerce -- 4 p.m., (1B) George Walton girls vs. Tallulah/Athens Christian winner; 5:30 p.m., (1B) George Walton boys vs. Towns/Prince Avenue winner; 7 p.m., (1A) Towns County girls vs. Athens Academy/Social Circle winner; 8:30 p.m. (1A) Commerce boys vs. Social Circle/Tallulah winner
Wednesday -- quarterfinals at Commerce -- 4 p.m. (2B) Hebron Christian girls vs. (3A) Lakeview Academy; 5:30 p.m. (2B) Athens Christian boys vs. (3A) Riverside Military; 7 p.m., (2A) Commerce girls vs. (3B) Prince Avenue; 8:30 p.m., (2A) Lakeview Academy boys vs. Athens Academy
Friday -- Semifinals at Athens Christian
Saturday -- Championship and consolation games at Athens Christian
FINAL REGION STANDINGS:
Region 8-AAAA
Boys
8A-AAAA
1. Madison County
2. Clarke Central
3. Habersham Central
4. Winder-Barrow
5. Flowery Branch
6. Aplachee
8B-AAAA
1. Rockdale County
2. Cedar Shoals
3. Heritage
4. Salem
5. Loganville
Girls
8A-AAAA
1. Clarke Central
2. Madison County
3. Apalachee
4. Habersham Central
5. Winder-Barrow
6. Flowery Branch
8B-AAAA
1. Loganville
2. Rockdale County
3. Heritage
4. Cedar Shoals
5. Salem
Region 8-AAA
Boys
8A-AAA
1. Franklin County
2. White County
3. North Hall
4. Chestatee
5. Lumpkin County
6. Stephens County
8B-AAA
1. West Hall
2. Gainesville
3. Monroe Area
4. Walnut Grove
5. Oconee County
6. Johnson
7. Lanier
Girls
8A-AAA
1. Chestatee
2. North Hall
3. Franklin County
4. Stephens County
5. White County
6. Lumpkin County
8B-AAA
1. Walnut Grove
2. Gainesville
3. Oconee County
4. Johnson
5. West Hall
6. Lanier
7. Monroe Area
Region 8-AA
Boys
8A-AA
1. East Hall
2. Rabun County
3. Union County
4. Dawson County
5. Banks County
6. Fannin County
8B-AA
1. Hart County
2. Elbert County
3. Jefferson
4. Jackson County
5. East Jackson
6. North Oconee
7. Oglethorpe County
Girls
8A-AA
1. Fannin County
2. Rabun County
3. East Hall
4. Union County
5. Dawson County
6. Banks County
8B-AA
1. Elbert County
2. North Oconee
3. Jefferson
4. Hart County
5. Jackson County
6. East Jackson
7. Oglethorpe County
Region 8-A
Boys
8A-A
1. Commerce
2. Lakeview Academy
3. Riverside Military Academy
4. Towns County
5. Tallulah Falls
8B-A
1. George Walton Academy
2. Athens Christian
3. Athens Academy
4. Social Circle
5. Hebron Christian Academy
6. Prince Avenue Christian
Girls
8A-A
1. Towns County
2. Commerce
3. Lakeview Academy
4. Tallulah Falls
8B-A
1. George Walton Academy
2. Hebron Christian Academy
3. Prince Avenue Christian
4. Athens Academy
5. Athens Christian
6. Social Circle
Sunday
September 7th, 2025
6:50PM
