2025 GHSA Boys and Girls State Title Games Preview: Grayson seeking second straight title win
The Georgia High School Association boys and girls basketball state championship games are all set as several teams will look to have historic wins, while several others will battle familiar foes and one things is for sure, the Macon Coliseum will be filled with hours of exciting moments beginning on Wednesday.
Trying to keep it in the family:
In Class 6A and Private, both the Newton Rams and Holy Innocents Golden Bears boys and girls teams will compete in their respective championship games and it could be the third consecutive year one school brings home both state titles.
In the Boys 6A championship game, the Rams are seeking to end a 60 year championship drought as their first only came back in 1964 and their last title game appearance was in 1970. On Saturday, the Rams will face off against a Wheeler Wildcats team, looking to bring home their fourth championship in six years, last winning it in 2023.
For the Lady Rams, a chance to win their first title in program history will be on the line, however they will face defending champions, the Grayson Rams, who won the 7A title last season and last lost to Newton in 2020, having won the last 13 meetings between the two teams. And while momentum appears to be on the side of Grayson, who won each of the first two matchups between the two teams this season by 24 and 25 points respectively, their last meeting in the region championship would result in Grayson having to fend off Newton for the 50-44 win.
We meet again:
For the Holy Innocents girls team, their showdown with defending champions, the Hebron Christian Lions, in addition to getting a sure to be instant classic, fans will be treated to great coaching matchup as Holy Innocents' Nichole Dixon will face Hebron Christian's Jan Azar, who Dixon was an assistant for when the two were at Wesleyan. Saturday will mark the fourth time the two coaches have met in the state title game, with Azar leading the title game series 2-1.
In the boy's Class 5A title game, region foes, the Woodward Academy War Eagles and the Tri-Cities Bulldogs will meet up for the fourth time this season after splitting the regular season series, however the Bulldogs besting the War Eagles in the 5A Region 4 championship game. Meanwhile in girls' Class 4A, defending champs, the Maynard Jackson Jaguars, are playing their best basketball at the right time and are riding a five game winning streak into their showdown with an 31-0 Creekside Seminoles team, who defeated the Jaguars twice during the regular season.
In a rivalry renewed of sorts matchup in boys Class 3A, the Cedar Grove Saints will face off against two time defending champions the Sandy Creek Patriots, who were once region opponents of the Saints up until this season. The two teams clashed in the 2022-23 championship game with the Patriots winning convincingly 66-37 Cedar Grove and at the time, Saints standout, Emmanuel Green, was a freshman. Now, ranked the fifth player in Georgia in the Class of 2026, with junior center Javonte Floyd along his side, a matured Saints team will look to dethrone the Patriots.
Let's keep making history:
The B.E.S.T. Academy Eagles boys basketball team is having one of the best seasons in school history which includes their best record (27-4) in program history, most wins in a season, three 1,000 career points scorers and their first trip past the second round of the playoffs. Quite the turnaround in year one under head coach, Brian Wheedon, after finishing 2-21 a year ago. On Saturday, the Eagles will look to cap their season with another history making moment when they face the Southwest Patriots (27-2) who have won 13 in a row, in the 1A Division I title game
In Girls' Class 5A, the Langston Hughes Panthers are making their first state championship game appearance and have a program best, 29-2 record heading into Friday's showdown with River Ridge, who won the 2023 Class 6A championship and head into the the championship game at 30-1 and have won 27 games in a row. It's also worth noting, the Panthers have been had to be without senior and Georgia Tech signee, McKayla Taylor, who was shut down earlier in the season due to injury.
And finally, in Boys' Private, the North Cobb Christian Eagles hope to soar to their first GHSA state title win in program history after they reached the championship game for the first time since becoming a member of GHSA. And while the Eagles are familiar with winning state titles, having won back to back in 2007 and 2008 when they were a member of the Georgia Independent School Association, they will take on an Holy Innocents team, led by standout, Caleb Wilson, determined to accomplish what they fell short of last season, falling to North Oconee in the 4A championship game
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