The 2018-19 high school basketball season officially gets underway tonight around Northeast Georgia, with 13 schools in action.
Fans will have their eyes on Gainesville traveling to Class 7A’s No. 4-ranked Grayson Rams. Last season the Red Elephants lost in overtime.
The landscape looks a little different for Gainesville tonight. The Red Elephants are under the direction of new coach Chuck Graham, and graduation hit the program hard, losing KJ Buffen, Bailey Minor, Jarrel Rosser, and Kajuan Hale off last year’s Class 6A state runner-up. The good news, the Red Elephants have a solid core returning in Brent Kelly, Maurice Hector and Raffy Rubel.
Grayson, on the other hand, reloaded its roster. Coach Geoffrey Pierce will look to Deivon Smith and Reco Hallmon to lead the way tonight. The Rams also hit the move-in jackpot over the summer, including Dekalb County’s leading score Jevon Tatum from Tucker; 6-foot-4 Jr. Josh Smith from Holy Innocents; and 6-foot-4 senior Xavier Ayres from Day, NC. Grayson’s frontcourt features a pair of 6-foot-6 sophomores – Taie Kelly and Ian Schieffelin. It’ll be an interesting battle tonight in Loganville. Gainesville will have its hands full. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
In girls action, Gainesville will face a talented Grayson squad that returns dynamic senior Jazmin Robinson, who averaged 13.6 ppg and 10 rpg last season. Also returning are key defenders Victoria Dames and Nadia Howard. Grayson also added a pair of transfers – Maila Grace and Bison Aberbigbe. Both give the Rams much-needed height.
The Red Elephants, under new coach Alan Griffin, return starters Tia Shelton, Tija Blackwell, Sadie Roach, and Lauren Teasley, but should have a deeper bench to go to this season. Griffin will look to Ariah Jeffers, Jada Rucker, Courtney Hawks and Alexis Austin for playing time off the bench tonight. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
Other games around the area (6 p.m.)
Chestatee at Lumpkin County
Lanier Christian Academy at Cherokee Bluff
West Hall at North Oconee
Commerce at Banks
Jackson at Olgethorpe
East Jackson at George Walton Academy
Towns County at Hiwassee Dam (Murphy, NC)
Riverside Military at Galloway
Monroe Area @ Lakeview
