Five Middle Georgia teams set for GHSA semifinals

BOYS

Class 4A

Upson-Lee vs. Henry County

8 p.m., Saturday, Augusta

Records: Upson-Lee, 30-0, Region 2, first; Henry County 24-5, Region 4, first.

Road to the semifinals: Upson-Lee beat North Clayton 73-50, Stephens County 76-70 and Thomson 70-56; Henry County beat Howard 78-34, LaFayette 82-52 and LaGrange 62-61.

Scouting report: If this one doesn’t go down to the final minute or two, it’ll be a surprise. Henry County’s 18-game winning streak started after losing 78-71 to Eastside-Covington on Dec. 13, and the Warhawks have won 11 games in that stretch by single digits, seven by one possession. They trailed LaGrange by 16 in the fourth quarter of the last round and won with two Damion Rosser’s free throw with two seconds left. The Knights have only five wins by single digits all season, so how they handle a close game on a bigger stage will be interesting.

Next: St. Pius X/Sandy Creek winner, 8 p.m., March 10 at Georgia Tech

Class 2A

Dublin vs. Swainsboro

4 p.m., Saturday, Georgia College

Records: Dublin 26-5, Region 3, second; Swainsboro 20-10, Region 2, first.

Road to the semifinals: Dublin beat Fitzgerald 66-65. Heard County 50-45 and Laney 73-59; Swainsboro beat Westside-Augusta 80-55, Monticello 68-62 and Chattooga 64-61.

Scouting report: Swainsboro has won eight of its past nine, the loss coming 59-54 to Wilkinson County on Feb. 4 at home. The Tigers overcame a nine-point deficit in the final four minutes to get past Chattooga. Swainsboro guard Jaylan McKinney is the region player of the year. Both teams feature quality in the backcourt and inside. Dublin is on a roll, having won two tournament games without standout guard Kameron Pauldo. The Irish now boast a confident team and more weapons on offense.

Next: Josey/South Atlanta winner, 4 p.m., March 11, at Georgia Tech.

Class 1A Public

Wilkinson County vs. Macon County

4 p.m., Saturday, Valdosta State

Records: Wilkinson County 22-7, No. 5 seed; Macon County 20-8, No. 8 seed.

Road to the semifinals: Wilkinson County had a bye, then beat Crawford County 71-43 and Taylor County 63-35; Macon County had a bye, then beat Quitman County 88-64 and Treutlen 67-62.

Scouting report: This is rare air for the Bulldogs, who stunned top seed Treutlen on the road, handing the Vikings their only loss of the season. This is normal air for the Warriors, who are the defending champions. Wilkinson County lost two straight in the Region 7-1A tournament, but have topped two quality programs in the state tournament. In the teams’ meeting back on Dec. 16, not long after Macon County won the state football title, Wilkinson County cruised to a 103-50 win.

Next: Calhoun County/Clinch County winner, 4 p.m., Wednesday, at Georgia.

Girls

Class 2A

Bleckley County vs. Rabun County

Records: Bleckley County 20-11, Region 3, first; Rabun County 28-2, Region 8, first.

Road to the semifinals: Bleckley County beat Thomasville 51-43, Dade County 45-43 and Hapeville Charter 54-45; Rabun County beat Therrell 70-40, Vidalia 79-65 and Fitzgerald 70-54.

Scouting report: The Wildcats’ losses were to Lakeview Academy (67-60 on Nov. 22) and to Banks County (49-45 on Jan. 27), so they’re on an eight-game winning streak. This will be a battle of tempos, since Rabun County – also in its first semifinal - has failed to crack 70 points only 10 times. But Bleckley County is pushing the ball a little bit more lately, making the Royals more balanced. Jahnaria Brown is an athletic forward for Bleckley County, which has improved on defense in the postseason and displayed a little more depth. Rabun County has a three-hour drive, to a little more than an hour for Bleckley County, so the Royals should have a quality crowd.

Next: Laney/Model winner, 2 p.m., March 11, at Georgia Tech.

This story was originally published March 3, 2017 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Five Middle Georgia teams set for GHSA semifinals."