who can win a state championship

It is hard to believe that the regular season is over and we are moving into the region tournaments but that's what the schedules are showing.
Now I could tell you it's been a long long time since a Macon team won a state basketball championship (not counting GISA) but you probably already know that. I am thinking it has been the old Southwest teams were the last ones, but I am not a historian so I will leave it at that.
In any way shape or form, its been a long time and it's definitely time for someone to break the streak.
I think the same can be said for Middle Georgia, unless we include Upson Lee as a Middle Georgia team.


So I present to you, the area teams (and one that is maybe in the area) that have the best opportunity to win a state championship this year.


The darkhorse


Central's boys team has had a strong 19-5 season and they are certainly capable of beating anyone. They have a great coach in Andre Taylor and two great players in Kylan Hill and Tymir Robinson and I would say with both of them playing, they have an outside shot to win a state championship. Tymir has only played the last 11 games and he has given the Chargers that offensive threat that they need, averaging 20 points a game with 29 3-pointers in those 11 games. Put that with Hill's 18 points and 11 rebounds a game and Central has a nice one two punch.
on a scale of 1 to 10 with a 10 meaning state championship bound, what are the odds of Central winning.
I would say a 3. I think they can make a run to the quarters and then they will have to play their best basketball of the year. REMEMBER THOUGH they have won six straight games.


If only
The Mary Persons boys didn't play in the same class at Upson-Lee.
These guys have only lost three times this year and two of them are to Upson, and both of them were blowouts. This is the Bulldogs best team in years, and they have four guys that can score, led by the amazing Cam Holden who averages 28.3 points per game to go with over 10 rebounds a game. Tre Edge does a little bit of everything and scores 17 points a game, while Dee Morton is a legit 3-point shooter with 55 of them on the year. Desmond Williams gives Mary Persons another threat . Thus us a very good basketball team that I like a lot.
Chances of a state championship?
I cant give them more than a 4 out of 10 mainly because of Upson-Lee.


Maybe with a few good bounces ?
Stratford's girls have won a lot of games against some decent teams, but I am just not sure how far they can go. 21 wins shows that the Eagles are very good but class A-private is loaded with loaded teams and that includes Holy Innocents,Wesleyan, St Francis, Our Lady of Mercy, and Calvary Day, all of which are, well, loaded. When I say loaded you can take that any way you want but they are well, umm, loaded.
Stratford is pretty good too. They have the sophomore guards Nadia Reese and Mary Elaine Mitchell, who are both electric and have the ability to score inside or outside. Most teams they play have one outstanding  defensive player, and one can't stop two players. But the Eagles have other weapons with Carey Woodcock, who can score inside and outside, and along with Drake Miscall, handles all the banging inside. I have seen them do quite well defending bigger teams in the post, but if they meet someone that has real size, Stratford could struggle.
Lets not forget what happens when those quick guards penetrate. One pass back to the corner will leave senior 3-shooter Evans McCook wide open and while I do not know her percentage, I think its about 7 out of 10 when I am watching. This team plays and acts like a complete team and head coach Ed Smith has a chance with this group.
Chances of a state championship ?
Lets give Stratford a 5 out of 10 , which means a 50% chance.


Its time
Those Warner Robins Demons have 10 seniors on the roster and a great head coach in Jamal Garman and I think they can win. Garman told me earlier that their practices are much harder than the games because everyone is battling for playing time. Well maybe not everyone but I get the feeling that the games are the easy part for the Demons.
WRHS has that legit superstar in Nelson Phillips, but he really doesn't have to have the basketball in his hands to be a superstar. He can do a little bit of everything. I mean this kid could go for 30 points a game if needed, but Phillips gets his without being selfish. They have another legitimate star in Jacolbey Owens, who should be on everyones radar, including d1 colleges, but the role players on this team can also get it done. Champ Dawson will play in college and runs the team while Jam'l Dillard and Bobby Kelly are big football players who give the Demons the size they need. I absolutely love this team. And please don't forget Jaydon Norman
Chances of a state championship ?
Lets go 6 out of 10. I believe that Coach Garman can get it done with this team.


Its definitely time
I think the Central girls have a great opportunity to break the bank this year and walk out of the bank with a state championship .
Why ?
They have the inside game, led by Jada Clowers who has learned how to score as she matures as a basketball player, and has always known how to block shots and play defense. Hello folks, she should be getting mid-major offers right now with those 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots a game. Will she ever be a great scorer in college ? Probably not but she brings too many other things to the table not to be a very good college basketball player. She can run the court all day and block shots and rebound. That's all good enough for  me. Oh yeah she is a legit 6'2.
They can score.
Tyleia Williams and Jenya Wilder give the Chargers 26 points per game between them and both of them can do a lot to help a team win. They can score inside and out and when one isn't on the other one is. They are both very athletic girls and can play shut down defense, which always helps in the playoffs.
They now have a 3-shooter
I look up and all of a sudden Renesha Goolsby comes alive with 53 3-pointers this  year in only 110 attempts. That's over 50% if I am reading Centrals stats correctly. That just adds another threat to this Central team.
Seniors and coaches.
Central has 7 seniors on the team who have been together since middle school and made a deep run a year ago. They also have Shelia Toombs, who knows these girls inside and out and can flat out coach. She was there when Central couldn't win and has a lot to do with why Central now expects to win.
Chances of a state championship?
I will give them a 6 out of 10 which isn't bad.


The truth
Upson Lee is not a Middle Georgia team. They are  50 miles away which makes covering them impossible, but to be honest, they are on the fringe. So today I talk just a bit about that winning streak, which I think is 55, and I talk about the best high school player around here in Tye Fagan who can do everything at this level and probably the next level too. Fagan averages 26 points a game, 7 rebounds a game and 5 assists a game and is the leader of this wonderful team. But Upson-Lee has another world class athlete in Travon Walker, a 6'6 250 pound post player who everyone wants as a football player. He scores 12 points a game and goes for 11 rebounds and I am told he could score more if they needed him too. Don't forget double figure scorers Zyrice Scott and Cameron Traylor because they can also burn you from the outside or from getting inside. They are working on their second straight undefeated season.
Chance of a state championship ?
I would say something crazy would have to happen for them not to win.
9 out of 10.