Ron Seibel: Nothing simple about GHSA Region 7A-A hoops races

Just two games into GHSA Region 7A-A boys and girls basketball play, things are already getting interesting.

Early results show that the road to first place in the subregion won't be a straight shot. Nor will the races be solely two-team affairs.

A pair of games Tuesday demonstrated the potential for competitive multi-team races in Region 7A-A. A couple of favorites fell at home, reminding fans, players and coaches that nothing can be taken for granted in the subregion that includes the four major Macon private schools and perennial Class A public school boys basketball title contender Wilkinson County.

Let's start with the Warriors, who are second in this week's Score Atlanta Class A public rankings. They claimed an important road win Saturday to open subregion play, rallying to defeat Stratford 57-54 in Macon. But Wilkinson County (8-4, 1-1 subregion) was tripped up at home Tuesday, falling 53-49 to Tattnall Square.

Ranked ninth in Class A private by Score Atlanta, Tattnall (11-2, 1-0) has lost only to Paideia and Wesleyan. The Trojans beat fifth-ranked Pacelli in overtime in Columbus last month, and they travel to Stratford (9-3, 1-1) on Friday looking for a repeat of their first meeting last year, when Tattnall edged the Eagles 49-48.

While postseason berths will be determined by power ratings, the quest for a strong region tournament seed is important in order to avoid an early region tournament game against a strong crossover opponent. Hancock Central and Lincoln County are ranked in the top 10 in the Class A public school rankings, while Aquinas ended Tattnall's season last year when the Irish defeated the Trojans in back-to-back games.

Things also became a bit more interesting for the girls in Region 7A-A on Tuesday, when FPD won 38-32 at Stratford.

The host Eagles had a shot at sole possession of first place in the subregion had they been able to beat FPD on Tuesday and knock off unbeaten Tattnall on Friday. But a strong fourth-quarter start by FPD demonstrated how the Vikings have become a more veteran team, one that matches its city rivals step for step.

Without a doubt, Friday's showdown between the Trojans and Eagles at Stratford's gym is still big. Tattnall (13-0, 1-0) is ranked third in Class A private by Score Atlanta, while fifth-ranked Stratford (12-2, 1-1) knocked off the Trojans 45-31 in last year's Class A private school quarterfinals.

FPD (8-5, 2-0) gets its first shot at Tattnall on Tuesday at FPD.

The season is still young. All of these teams will face each other a second time before region tournament time next month. But this week is about putting that first step forward, finding out which team will take the upper hand in the first round of subregion play.

We'll find out a little more about both races Friday night at Stratford. The girls tip at 6:30 p.m., with the boys to follow.

Contact Ron Seibel at 744-4222 or rseibel@macon.com

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 8:44 PM with the headline "Ron Seibel: Nothing simple about GHSA Region 7A-A hoops races ."