Georgia high school girls basketball playoffs: Best potential matchups, star players, predicted winners

By Zach Shugan | Photo by Jamie Spaar

It's about to get real. The regular season is in the rear-view mirror. Region tournaments were played, and dates for the big dance were decided.

With the state playoffs tipping off this week, we break down the bracket for each classification.

Class 7A

Intriguing First Round Games: Grayson vs McEachern, South Forsyth vs Peachtree Ridge, Mountain View vs West Forsyth

Best Potential Matchups: North Forsyth vs Grayson (second round); Brookwood vs Norcross, Cherokee vs West Forsyth or Campbell (quarterfinals)

Star Power: Diana Collins, Nekaya Williams (Brookwood); Zaria Hurston, Jania Akins (Norcross); Bridget Utberg, Casey Miller, Karson Martin (Woodstock); Chloe Sterling (Marietta); Sophie Smith (Denmark); Cayla Cowart (West Forsyth); Anna Gliatta, Haelim Adle; Maddie Erickson (North Forsyth); Catherine Alben, Erin Rodgers, Tatum Brown (Grayson); Nia Bozeman, Sarah Taub, Laila Battle (Campbell); Caelan Ellis, Jada Bates (McEachern); Keimarya Rivera, Toni Warren, Karoline Karl (Cherokee), Ava McGlockton (South Forsyth); Saniya Jones (Duluth); Sanaa Tripp (Newton)

Championship Prediction: Brookwood defeats Grayson in the fourth meeting this season between the Gwinnett County rivals. The Broncos split two games with the Rams during the regular season and defeated them in the region championship, and it always seems to go down to the wire when they face off.

Class 6A

Intriguing First Round Games: Langston Hughes vs Statesboro, Rome vs Cambridge, Bradwell vs Westlake, Buford vs Osborne

Best Potential Matchups: Kell vs Langston Hughes, Brunswick vs Buford, Lovejoy vs Sprayberry (second round); Carrollton vs Buford, River Ridge vs Lovejoy (quarterfinals)

Star Power: Flau’Jae Johnson (Sprayberry); Lazaria Spearman (Dacula); Mataya Gayle, Allie Sweet (River Ridge); Crystal Henderson, Jada Peterson, Amaya Moss (Kell); Kehinde Obasuyi (Carrollton); Bryanna Preston, Layla Hood (Lovejoy); Elle Blatchford, Susanna Rogers (Seqouyah); Keona Curtis (Grovetown); Ava Watson, Tamori Plantin (Buford); Jordynn Dudley (Cambridge); Raven Thompson (Langston Hughes); Alyssa Staten (Statesboro); Jordy Griggs (Osborne); Danielle Carnegie (Rockdale County)

Championship Prediction: River Ridge gets past Kell to claim the first state championship in program history. In a battle between two of the state’s top teams all season, the Knights’ depth and balance give them the edge over the talented Longhorns.

Class 5A

Intriguing First Round Games: Cass vs St. Pius X, Union Grove vs Northside-Columbus, Decatur vs Calhoun

Best Potential Matchups: Union Grove vs New Manchester, Greenbrier vs McIntosh, Warner Robins vs Cass (second round); Woodward Academy vs Maynard Jackson, Griffin vs Forest Park (quarterfinals)

Star Power: Sydney Bowles, Sara Lewis (Woodward); Kharyssa Richardson (New Manchester); Xaviera Dyer (Maynard Jackson); Aaliyah Durhanam, Zakheria Thompson (Griffin); Ananda Mayhew, Jordan Brooks (Union Grove); Jada Morgan, Tasia Agee (Warner Robins); Trinity Barrow, Caitlin Staley (Greenbrier); Claire Davis (Cass)

Championship Prediction: Woodward takes down Forest Park to repeat as the 5A state champion. In the fourth matchup this season between the region foes out of south Atlanta (who are forced to travel to Macon for the game instead of playing somewhere in Atlanta), the War Eagles get it done and send their seniors off with another ring.

Class 4A

Intriguing First Round Games: Chestatee vs Arabia Mountain, Stephenson vs Cedar Shoals, Marist vs North Oconee, Dougherty advancing by default due to no opponent

Best Potential Matchups: Jefferson vs Troup County, Northwest Whitfield vs Bainbridge (second round); Luella vs Carver-Columbus, Jefferson vs Dougherty or Pickens (quarterfinals); Luella vs Baldwin (semifinals)

Star Power: Evelina Davlakou, Ariana Dyson, Trinity Layton, Natalie Martin (Luella); Natalia Bolden, Ellie Kinlaw, Deshona Gaither (Jefferson); Detavia Salter (Bainbridge); Ashlyn Mesidor, Caylee Simpson, Jakalya Geiger (Carver-Columbus); Janaye Walker, Madison Ruff, Kassidy Neal (Baldwin); Malaya Jones, Sierra Burns (Arabia Mountain); Ashley Lester, Deshauna Foote (Cedar Shoals); Veronica Sierzant (Islands); Alexcia Murphy (Troup County)

Championship Prediction: Luella knocks off Jefferson to win the program's first state championship. By defeating the Dragons in the state title game, the Lions close the year on a 13-game win streak, finishing 28-3 overall with their only losses this season coming to Class A Private powers Holy Innocents’, St. Francis and Mount Paran.

Class 3A

Intriguing First Round Games: Lumpkin County vs Redan, East Forsyth vs Cedar Grove, Oconee County vs Sonoraville, Thomson vs Peach County

Best Potential Matchups: East Jackson vs Central-Macon, Johnson-Savannah vs Greater Atlanta Christian, Pierce County vs East Forsyth (second round); Cross Creek vs Lumpkin County (quarterfinals); Westminster vs Lumpkin County (semifinals)

Star Power: Courtney Ogden, Stella Chartrand (Westminster); Kaleigh Addie, Jaci Bolden, Trinity Thomas (GAC); Mary Mullinax, Averie Jones, Lexi Pierce, Kate Jackson (Lumpkin County); Amani Hamilton, Klya Hankerson (Johnson-Savannah); Micheala Bogans, Erin Martin (Cross Creek); Antonia Pittman (East Jackson), Natalie Herrin (Pierce County); Trinity Jackson, Tiffani Goodman (Sumter County)

Championship Prediction: After losing in the state championship game last year, Greater Atlanta Christian reaches the top once again by beating Westminster for the 10th state title in program history. The Spartans get revenge for a one-point loss to the Wolves in the region championship.

Class 2A

Intriguing First Round Games: Early County vs Washington County, Columbia vs Union County

Best Potential Matchups: Callaway vs Dodge County, Swainsboro vs Elbert County, Columbia vs Laney (second round); Northeast-Macon vs Laney, Josey vs Fannin County (quarterfinals); Rabun County vs Northeast-Macon or Laney (semifinals); Josey vs Laney (championship)

Star Power: Jakia Little (Northeast-Macon); Gracie Deetz, Carley Haban, Lucy Hood (Rabun County); Aaniyah Allen, Aniya Moon (Elbert County); Lyric Green, Altierra Gooch (Dodge County); Jazmin Thornton, Lacey Thomas (Callaway); Courtney Davis, Becca Ledford (Fannin County); Ava Hunter (Union County); Gabby Hudson (Pace); Nia Anderson (Columbia); Brianna Pelote, Janiyah Heyward (Woodville-Tompkins); Tamya Blasingame (Lamar County)

Championship Prediction: Northeast-Macon makes a run and wins it all, defeating Elbert County in what is practically a home game. The school and the Macon Coliseum are just a couple of miles apart, much closer than the two-plus-hour trip for the Blue Devils and their fans, and its impact is felt in the biggest game of the year.

Class A Public

Intriguing First Round Games: Claxton vs Pelham, Dublin vs Turner County, ACE Charter vs Central-Talbotton

Best Potential Matchups: Screven County vs Taylor County, Schley County vs Claxton, Lake Oconee Academy vs Charlton County (second round); Clinch County vs Schley County or Claxton (quarterfinals)

Star Power: Jada Williams, Georgia Bosart, Hannah Heinen (Lake Oconee Academy); Marley Bell, Makyla Bell (Montgomery County); Jordan Kierbow, Shaniah Farley, Zoey Holland (Mt. Zion-Carrollton); Aniya Smith (Claxton); Jesstynie Scott (Schley County); Jalexicia Hargrove (Hancock Central); Terrianna Wilburn (Dublin); Makaylah Garard, Jordan Vernon (Charlton County)

Championship Prediction: Montgomery County prevails over Lake Oconee Academy in a battle between two of the classification’s top teams all season long. The Eagles win their fourth state championship and first since 1972.

Class A Private

Intriguing First Round Games: Mount Paran vs Wesleyan, Fellowship Christian vs George Walton, North Cobb Christian vs Galloway

Best Potential Matchups: Mount Paran vs Deerfield-Windsor (second round); Mount Paran vs Trinity Christian, St. Francis vs Hebron Christian (quarterfinals); Holy Innocents’ vs Mount Paran, St. Francis or Hebron Christian vs Galloway (semifinals)

Star Power: Olivia Hutcherson, Zaynah Preston, Hailee Swain, Naja Reeves (Holy Innocents’); Trynce Taylor, Sa’Mya Wyatt, Nya Young (St. Francis); Kara Dunn, Katelyn Dunning, Jessica Fields (Mount Paran); Jessie Parish, Amiya Porter (Hebron Christian); Zsofia Telegdy (Trinity Christian); Tianna Thompson, Kyla Cain (Galloway); Chit-Chat Wright, Eva Garabadian (Wesleyan); Jaila Salley-Barnett (Athens Academy); Brooke Moore (North Cobb Christian)

Championship Prediction: Holy Innocents’ beats St. Francis in Macon for the second time in three years, capping off a dominant season. The Golden Bears finish 29-2 overall with an unbelievably long list of wins over elite teams.