High School Sports

It’s just the first of what Gainesville boys coach Charlemagne Gibbons hopes is “three or four meetings” on the season. But when the Class 5A eighth-ranked Red Elephants travel to take on No. 1 Milton on Tuesday in a showdown of Region 7-5A unbeatens, it could be a turning point for a program that has not won a playoff game since 2019. Or not.

With schools back in full time session following the holidays, basketball teams will go on a five-week sprint to the region playoffs and possible state playoff bids beginning this week.

The Buford teams went on the road and took a pair of tough wins to sweep Discovery on Monday in Region 8-6A action.

Sonny Smart fell on New Year’s Eve while walking in New Orleans. He had hip surgery earlier this week but according to the statement had complications during the surgery.

Despite a decent-sized schedule for the first Saturday of the New Year, there's only one region matchup on the docket. However, there are several intriguing non-region games.

Class 3A No. 2-ranked Cherokee Bluff opened Region 8-3A with a solid 65-53 road win over Monroe Area on Friday night.

In a battle between top 10 teams for the Region 6-3A lead, Pickens County used a fourth quarter rally to beat White County 50-46 Friday night at the White County gym.

The holiday tournament season is over. NOW, the real drive for playoff spots will resume, or for at least one region, begin on Friday around northeast Georgia.

Union County successfully defended its Battle of the States title on Monday, holding off Franklin (N.C.) 79-71 in the finals at Towns County High School.

The North Forsyth girls stayed unbeaten and walked away with the championship of the Insfree Christmas at the Beach Basketball Tournament after beating Arlington (Tenn.) 68-42 Monday night.