Georgia: Favors, South Atlanta Finish With Title

The high school basketball season came to a close over the weekend as champions in all classifications were crowned in the Gwinnett Arena in Lawrenceville.

Recapping the championship games; 

AAAAA Boys: Wheeler 73, Milton 53

Wheeler (25-7) claimed its fifth state title in the last 15 years with a 73-53 thrashing of Milton (24-8).

The Wildcats' super senior duo of Ari Stewart (21 points, 14 rebounds) and Richard Howell (20 points, 8 rebounds) dominated the action against Milton. Stewart is headed to Wake Forest next year while Howell will suit up for North Carolina State.

Richard Howell, Wheeler

File Photo By Jim Redman

"They showed why they are going to ACC schools," said a proud Lipscomb in a post-game interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "That's why they're on that level."

Wheeler has won four state titles since 2000.

AAAA Boys: Miller Grove 59, Tucker 31

With all due respect to Tucker, it never really had a chance against Miller Grove. After opening the game with a 20-2 run and holding the Tigers without a field goal in the first and third quarters, the Hawks eased into a 59-31 win for the school's first ever state title in any sport.

“My goal was to win a state championship since the eighth grade,” Miller Grove point guard Mfon Udofia, a Georgia Tech signee, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s the reason I came to Miller Grove. I wanted to build our own legacy.”

The lopsided win is more impressive considering that just a year ago it was the Tigers who brought home the hardware.

Udofia led a balanced Miller Grove attack with 12 points.

AAA Boys: South Atlanta 81, Westover 62

Derrick Favors has received plenty of ink across the state of Georgia for his abilities on the basketball court. The future Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket finally got to add state basketball champion to his resume after his South Atlanta Hornets (29-3) beat Westover (27-8) 81-62 for the AAA title.

Favors finished with 38 points, 14 rebounds, eight blocks and four assists.

South Atlanta head coach Michael Reddick, was pleased to see Favors end his Hornet career on a high.

“We’ve been knocked out in the first round the last three years, and this was a great way for Derrick to go out,” Reddick told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Derrick Favors, South Atlanta

File Photo By Jim Redman

Nick Watkins also added 16 points and seven assists for the Hornets.

AA Boys: Dublin 79, Blessed Trinity 64

Led by four players scoring in double figures, Dublin beat Blessed Trinity 79-64 to claim its second AA championship in four years. The win is especially sweet for the Irish after losing in the semifinals last season.

"We thought we had it last year but we didn't," senior Chris Smith told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We just said we weren't going to lose again."

Smith paced Dublin scorers with 28 points.

The Irish (31-1) finished the season on a 23-game win streak. Tawaski King added 16 points, Sherrard Brantley had 15 and Rashard Smith 12. Blessed Trinity (26-7) was lead by

Ryan LeGates had a team-high 23 points for Blessed Trinity.

A Boys: Whitefield Academy 69, Turner County 53

The Whitefield Academy WolfPack (26-5) upset Turner County, 69-53, for the Class A title in what head coach Tyrone Johnson referred to as one of his worst years as a head coach, leaving some to fathom what a good year might look like.

“[The players] were just so hardheaded early in the year,” Johnson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That sounds bad because we have eight seniors, but it took a while to solidify our roles, and I got frustrated a lot with this team this year.”

Girls Championship Capsules

AAAAA: Redan 64, Marietta 40 (Quortni Fambro, Redan: 18 points)

AAAA: Southwest DeKalb 59, Fayette County

AAA: Carrollton 51, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 31 (Karisma Boykin, Carrollton: 13 points)

AA: Buford 66, Model 35 (Jocelyn Danley, Buford: 21 points)

A: Wesleyan 71, Savannah Country Day 31 (Wesleyan: Fifth state title)