GAINESVILLE — The Gainesville boys are making up for lost time with another pair of back-to-back games Monday and Tuesday, and the first figures to be one of the premier matchups in the state during the regular season as the Class AAAAA No. 4-ranked Red Elephants travel to take on perennial powerhouse and defending Class AAAAAA champion Wheeler, ranked fourth right now, in Marietta on Monday.
The two games will make it four games in five days for Gainesville, which lost five potential games in December after not being allowed to play in the Lanierland Tournament after being suspended for two games before that.
The Gainesville-Wheeler showdown is just one of several big games on tap for Monday and Tuesday around the area for northeast Georgia boys and girls basketball teams. Another huge game will be the Class A No. 6 Lakeview Academy boys playing host to Hebron Christian in a battle for sole possession of first place between a pair of Region 8-A unbeatens.
There are some outstanding and key region contests set for Tuesday all over the area.
In the boys action:
(The standings for all the northeast Georgia area regions are below.)
In Region 8-AAAAAA, following their monster showdown with Wheeler on Monday, the Red Elephants will play host to Winder-Barrow on Tuesday trying to stay unbeaten in region play. Flowery Branch will go for its third straight region win traveling to Lanier on Tuesday. Heritage, Conyers will play host to arch-rival Salem trying to stay in third place while second place Cedar Shoals will entertain cross-town rival Clarke Central in a battle of Athens.
In Region 8-AAAA, Chestatee, still looking for its first win of the season, will play host to first place Buford. North Hall will travel to rival White County also trying to keep pace for second place. The Warriors and Stephens County, which plays host to Madison County, are just one-half game behind Buford. The Wolves also will take on unbeaten Calhoun, ranked fourth in Class AAA, in tthe BCB Classic at Peachtree Ridge on Monday.
In Region 7-AAA, East Hall will travel to take on No. 10 Banks County in an effort to forge a tie for first place and avenge an earlier loss to the Leopards. West Hall will travel to Carnesville to take on Franklin County in a battle for third place. Lumpkin County will try to hold on to third place playing host to Fannin County.
In Region 8-AAA, No. 1-ranked Morgan County already holds a three-game lead over Jackson County and East Jackson, who are tied for second place. Jefferson will travel to Hartwell to take on Hart County in a battle for fifth place. The rest of the region will play non-region contests on Tuesday before getting back to region play on Friday.
In Region 8-AA, Riverside Military Academy will play host to Rabun County in a battle for first place in the region. Both teams are red-hot with the Eagles, who are the only team in the region with an overall winning record, on a two-game winning streak and Rabun County has won three straight. The rest of the region is playing non-region games on Tuesday to gear up for the stretch drive of region games.
In Region 8-A, no games are bigger than the Lakeview-Hebron showdown but Towns County travels to Tallulah Falls as both teams look to make a move up the standings while Athens Academy plays host to George Walton in a battle for fourth place.
In key girls action on Tuesday:
In Region 8-AAAAAA, Winder-Barrow will try to pull within a game of first place traveling to Gainesville. Flowery Branch will try and keep pace for second place traveling to take on a pesky Lanier squad. Also, Loganville, which is tied with Winder-Barrow for third, will play host to Clarke Central as the Lady Gladiators are just one game back.
In Region 8-AAAA, Chestatee will play host to Class AAAA No. 1 Buford in an effort to try and pull into a first place tie with the Lady Wolves, who are working on a nine-game win streak. North Hall will travel to rival White County also trying to keep pace for second place.
In Region 7-AAA, Dawson County endured a tough weekend losing back-to-back games after coming into Friday's action undefeated on the season. The Lady Tigers will go out of region to take on Union County at home. Meanwhile, East Hall fresh off its big win over Dawson County in Dawsonville on Friday, will travel to take on an improving Banks County team which is locked in a fourth place tie with West Hall. The Lady Spartans will travel to Carnesville to take on Franklin County in an effort to inch closer to third place.
In Region 8-AAA, Jefferson will travel to Hartwell to take on the Lady Bulldogs in a battle for second place. Jackson County will play host to East Jackson looking to hold on to the fourth spot.
In Region 8-AA, the entire region is playing non-region games on Tuesday and will get into region play on Friday.
In Region 8-A, Hebron Christian and Lakeview Academy will meet in Gainesville with the Lady Lions trying to stay one game back of first place Commerce. The Lady Tigers will take on Oconee County in a non-region contest at home.
Area prep basketball standings as of Jan. 18...
GIRLS
Region 8-AAAAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Gainesville..................9-0...........................13-3
Flowery Branch...........7-1...........................17-1
Winder-Barrow............7-2...........................15-2
Loganville....................7-2...........................11-7
Clarke Central.............6-3...........................15-4
Lanier..........................6-4...........................8-12
Cedar Shoals...............4-6...........................6-15
Heritage, Conyers........2-7..........................10-10
Salem...........................1-7............................1-13
Apalachee....................0-8............................3-13
Discovery.....................0-9............................0-19
Region 8-AAAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Buford..........................3-0...........................14-3
Chestatee....................2-1............................9-11
North Hall.....................2-1............................11-8
North Oconee..............1-1.............................13-5
Stephens County.........1-1.............................6-12
Madison County...........1-1.............................5-11
White County...............0-1.............................5-11
Johnson.......................0-1.............................1-14
Monroe Area................0-3.............................7-10
Region 7-AAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Dawson County.............6-1.........................17-2
East Hall........................6-1.........................15-4
Franklin County.............5-2.........................15-5
Banks County................3-4.........................11-8
West Hall.......................3-4..........................10-8
Lumpkin County.............1-6.........................6-14
Fannin County...............0-6..........................4-14
Region 8-AAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Morgan County..............7-0.........................16-3
Hart County...................6-1.........................17-3
Jefferson.......................5-2..........................14-4
Jackson County............3-4...........................9-10
Elbert County................2-4..........................5-13
East Jackson................1-6...........................8-10
Oconee County.............0-7..........................0-16
Region 8-AA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Rabun County..............5-0.........................16-3
Union County...............4-1..........................11-6
Greene County............3-2..........................5-12
Washington-Wilkes......1-4..........................5-10
Oglethorpe Co.............1-4..........................2-15
Social Circle.................1-4............................8-9
Region 8-A
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Commerce...................7-0............................11-4
Lakeview Academy......6-1............................13-6
Athens Christian..........6-1............................10-6
George Walton............3-3..............................6-9
Athens Academy..........3-3..............................8-8
Towns County..............2-3.............................3-10
Providence Christian....2-5.............................5-13
Tallulah Falls................2-5..............................9-7
Prince Avenue..............1-6.............................6-11
Hebron Christian...........0-5.............................1-14
BOYS
Region 8-AAAAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Gainesville..................9-0..........................11-2
Cedar Shoals..............9-1..........................19-2
Heritage, Conyers.......7-2...........................15-4
Apalachee...................6-3...........................14-4
Salem..........................6-3...........................11-7
Discovery....................4-5...........................11-8
Flowery Branch...........3-6...........................12-7
Clarke Central.............3-6...........................6-13
Lanier..........................2-7...........................6-13
Winder-Barrow............1-8...........................1-16
Loganville....................0-8...........................0-15
Region 8-AAAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Buford.........................3-0............................8-10
Stephens County........2-0............................14-4
White County..............2-0............................14-5
North Hall....................2-1............................14-5
Monroe Area...............1-2.............................9-8
Johnson......................1-2............................5-14
Madison County..........1-2............................12-7
North Oconee..............0-2............................3-14
Chestatee....................0-3............................0-17
Region 7-AAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Banks County.................7-0.........................17-2
East Hall.........................6-1.........................13-5
Lumpkin County.............5-2.........................15-5
West Hall........................3-4...........................9-9
Franklin County..............2-2.........................6-13
Dawson County...............1-6.........................9-10
Fannin County.................0-6.........................8-10
Region 8-AAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Morgan County.............7-0..........................15-3
Jackson County.............4-3..........................11-8
East Jackson.................4-3............................9-8
Elbert County................3-4...........................7-10
Jefferson.......................3-5...........................6-12
Hart County...................2-5...........................6-14
Oconee County.............2-5...........................4-1
Region 8-AA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Riverside Military..........4-2..........................8-7
Rabun County..............4-2.........................8-10
Union County...............4-2..........................9-9
Oglethorpe Co..............3-3.........................6-11
Washington-Wilkes.......2-4..........................9-8
Social Circle..................2-4.........................8-10
Greene County.............2-4.........................5-12
Region 8-A
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Lakeview Academy......7-0...........................15-4
Hebron Christian..........6-0...........................14-4
Tallulah Falls...............5-2.............................9-8
Prince Avenue.............4-3.............................9-5
Towns County..............3-3...........................7-10
Athens Christian..........4-3.............................8-7
Providence Christian....3-4...........................5-13
George Walton............1-5............................2-13
Athens Academy.........0-6............................3-13
Commerce...................0-7............................0-14
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