Former state finalists take over top spots

Tucker and Americus-Sum- ter were state finalists in boys basketball last season, each losing by three points in their championship games in Macon. With two weeks left in this year’s regular season, they’re No. 1.

Tucker, which has won seven consecutive games since back-to-back losses in December, moved ahead of South Cobb (19-2, 12-1) in The Atlanta Journal-Consti- tution’s Class AAAAAA rank-

ings and stands 19-2. South Cobb, also 19-2, held the No. 1 spot for one week but lost a Region 6 game Tuesday to No. 5 Sequoyah (17-4, 10-2).

Tucker is led by Jermontae Hill, an all-state player from the 2019 team that lost to Tri-Cities 46-43 in the cham- pionship game. He’s now joined by another 6-foot-6 senior, Terrence Edwards Jr., who played at a North Carolina prep school last season. Both have Division I offers.

Tri-Cities has spent most of the season ranked No. 1

but has lost twice in 20 days to Hughes, which moved up to No. 3 this week. Hughes (12-6, 9-2) and Tri-Cities (183, 11-2) are rivals in Region 5.

In AAAA, Americus-Sumter (18-0) moved ahead of Woodward Academy after Woodward was stunned Friday by Druid Hills (11-11). It was the first in-state loss for Woodward, a team led by 7-foot center and Duke signee Walker Kessler.

On Saturday, Americus-Sumter avenged its 2019 state finals loss to Carver-Columbus with a 61-52 victory. Americus-Sumter graduated Region 1 player of the year Joshua Lasune, now at Campbell, but brought back allstate guard Traveon Brown.