Gwinnett rivals hold top 7A spots

Defending champion Woodward Academy stays atop Class 5A.

Brookwood and Grayson, two Gwinnett County schools in search of their first state championships in girls basketball, sit at the top of the Class 7A rankings after the first full week of play in 2022.

No. 1 Brookwood, a semifinalist for the first time in 2021, improved to 13-3 with victories over Parkview and No. 8 Archer last week. Second-ranked Grayson is 12-3 after defeating Parkview and No. 4 Norcross.

The Region 4-7A rivals will face each other twice in the final 10 days of the regular season, on Feb. 4 at Grayson and Feb. 10 at Brookwood.

Woodward Academy (11-2) of Class 5A is the only defending state champion ranked No. 1 this week. The War Eagles’ top challenger is No. 2 Forest Park, a region 3-5A rival that will face Woodward on Jan. 21 at Woodward and Jan. 26 at Forest Park. Woodward Academy defeated Forest Park 62-59 in the state final last season.

The other top-ranked teams include Carrollton (Class 6A), Jefferson (4A), Lumpkin County (3A), Elbert County (2A), Holy Innocents’ (A Private) and Lake Oconee Academy (A Public).

AJC 2021 No. 1 Woodward Academy’s Zoe Scott (center) holds on as Forest Park’s Jasmine Stevens (3) and Yasmine Allen try to steal.