Georgia high school girls basketball playoffs: Breaking down the quarterfinal matchups in all classifications

By Michael Hebert | Photo by Ed Turlington

It's down to the elite eight in Georgia high school girls basketball.

Here's a classification-by-classification breakdown of what's on tap this week.

Class A Private

Featured game: Hebron Christian (24-5) at St. Francis (23-5), 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

St. Francis rolled in the second round with an 80-39 win over Brookstone, while Hebron Christian took care of business in a 59-41 win over Savannah Country Day. Both of these teams have been among the best in the classification and state this season but have yet to face off. The path is there for either team, as the winner will face the winner of Tallulah Falls and Galloway, two teams that have talent but not on the same level as St. Francis and Hebron Christian.

To watch:

Mount Paran cruised in the first two rounds with 20-plus-point wins in each, while Holy Innocents' had no issues either, specifically in a 94-14 win over Walker in the first round. Mount Paran, St. Francis and Holy Innocents' have been the top teams this season, but only one can win state, so the stretch of games this week in Class A Private could provide some serious entertainment.

Class A Public

Featured game: Lake Oconee Academy (23-1) at Seminole County (18-11), 6 p.m. Wednesday

Although Class A Private has drawn much more attention this season than Class A Public, Lake Oconee Academy has put together a dominant season. The Titans' only loss came on Dec. 3, a 42-32 defeat to Stratford Academy. Other than that, Lake Oconee Academy has been unbeatable. They’ll get a test from Seminole County, but the Titans can make a statement with a big win.

To watch: Commerce (13-14) is a team that has surprised to this point, knocking off Clinch County 47-33 in an upset to reach the quarterfinals to face Pelham, one of the best teams in Class A Public this season. Do the Tigers have any magic left? It will be tough to navigate in this classification with Lake Oconee Academy and others, but the Tigers have been a surprise story.

Class 2A

Featured game: Fannin County (26-2) at Josey (23-5), 6 p.m. Tuesday

A lot of top seeds were knocked out in the round of 16, but Josey and Fannin County held firm and advanced with blowout wins. Fannin County is on an 18-game winning streak, while Josey is on an 11-game winning streak. These are two of the top teams in Class AA so it should be a great game.

To watch: Keep an eye on the teams that may have finished second in their region, but are playing great basketball at this point in the season, such as Elbert County, Chattooga and Laney. Winning this week for those teams means knocking out even more top teams like Callaway, Rabun County and Northeast, but that has been a theme so far.

Class 3A

Featured game: Lumpkin County (27-1) at Cross Creek (25-1), 6 p.m. Tuesday

There’s no way around it, this is a battle of the best in Class 3A. Both of these teams have been dominant this season, each with one loss on the year. Lumpkin County’s was a 56-39 loss on Nov. 22, while Cross Creek’s came on Dec. 21 in a 43-32 loss to Valdosta. These teams have cruised through the playoffs, and in a perfect scenario they would be playing for a state championship, but the winner will have to take on the winner of Central and Pierce County.

To watch: The private schools have been making some noise in the Class 3A playoffs, specifically Westminster (16-10) and Greater Atlanta Christian (23-6). A lot of the games to this point haven't been particularly close for either team, but it could be a matter of getting hot at the right time.

Class 4A

Featured game: Luella (25-3) at Carver-Columbus (25-3), 6 p.m. Tuesday

While there are plenty of good teams in Class 4A, Luella and Carver have spent most of the year playing a step above the rest of the competition. Luella’s win streak is now 10 games, while Carver’s is at 13. Both of these teams likely welcome the challenge, as the first two games for both weren’t close.

To watch: The top teams have made it to this point in the season as most probably predicted, including Luella and Carver of course, but also teams like Marist and Jefferson. Upsets are fun to watch, but in Class 4A you’ll be watching the best of the best.

Class 5A

Featured game: Maynard Jackson (17-3) at Woodward Academy (26-2), 6 p.m. Tuesday

Who else but Woodward Academy? The War Eagles have run through the competition in Class 5A this season and really only looked beatable in tournaments and showcases. Now is the time for Woodward to make a statement and do the same thing it's done all season in this potential championship stretch run. Maynard Jackson is certainly not a pushover though and has also dominated this season, which sets up a big game.

To watch: Two of the best games in the playoffs came from Class 5A, when New Manchester knocked off Northside 38-36 and Loganville won in similar fashion, a 54-52 win over Griffin. These two teams have been solid this season but not necessarily in the spotlight like Woodward Academy and others. Keep an eye on these two to see if they have any dramatic finishes left.

Class 6A

Featured game: River Ridge (28-1) vs. Lovejoy (25-3), 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

River Ridge has won 21 straight games and is beating teams with ease, even in the playoffs. But Lovejoy has been similar all year. Both of these teams not only have shown they can win in any classification, making this one of the premier games not only this week but throughout the entire playoffs.

To watch: Don’t forget about Kell. Talent-wise, the Longhorns (26-2) are among the best. Yet the Longhorns have seemingly been surpassed by River Ridge as the class of 6A. Kell has to get by Rome to reach the final four but wouldn’t see River Ridge until the final if indeed both teams make it there.

Class 7A

Featured game: Norcross (24-5) at Brookwood (23-4), 7 p.m. Tuesday

Another big battle between heavyweights, but these teams are traditional powerhouses. Brookwood has certainly been one this year, regularly holding the top spot in SBLive's Top 25. Norcross has really turned it on in the second half of the season, staking its claim as one of the best in the state’s largest classification.

To watch: There’s more than just Grayson and Brookwood. While these teams have been in the spotlight often this season, other teams are making plenty of noise. Take Campbell, a good team most of the season that has made a run to the elite eight. The Spartans will have a tough test with Cherokee at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Grayson won’t have an easy time with Harrison either. The Hoyas knocked off Woodstock 55-48 and are playing well at this point of the playoffs.