Warner Robins new No. 1 in AAAAA

Two No. 1-ranked boys basketball teams, both defending champions, were beaten last week.

Langston Hughes remained No. 1, but Buford did not, giving way to Warner Robins.

Hughes (15-4, 10-1) was upset by Alexander 70-66 in a Region 5-AAAAAA game Tuesday, then bounced back to beat current No. 6-ranked Tri-Cities 69-58 on Friday. Region 5 is also home to No. 5 Douglas County, making it the state’s toughest at the top. Alexander (9-6, 7-2) remains unranked despite its second-place standing in the region.

Buford (15-3, 6-1) lost to Cedar Shoals 65-64 in a Region 8-AAAAA game Friday. That was a rematch of the 2017 championship game, won by Buford. Cedar Shoals (8-10, 6-1) remains unranked but moved into a tie for first in the region.

The new No. 1 team in AAAAA is Warner Robins (15-2), which has lost only to AAAA No. 1 Upson-Lee and AAAAAA No. 4 Gainesville. Warner Robins has emerged as a factor in basketball the past five seasons. The Demons reached the quarterfinals last season, the semifinals in 2015 and the finals in 2014 but have never won a state championship in boys basketball.

Two other No. 1 teams had good weeks that are worth noting.

Upson-Lee of AAAA extended its winning streak to 50 with a 74-34 victory against Howard. Upson-Lee’s next game is Friday at home against No. 5 Mary Persons (17-1). Mary Persons’ only loss was against Upson-Lee on Dec. 5.

Manchester, the No. 1 Class A public-school team, had two quality wins in recent days. The Blue Devils defeated current No. 6 Central-Talbotton 56-44 on Friday in a game between unbeaten teams. On Saturday, Manchester beat current No. 4 Macon County 74-73.