GHSA Top 25 (1/18 UPDATE)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second half of the season is officially underway but the Christmas tournaments and holiday showcases brought plenty of upsets and intrigue. While our top 3 has been relatively consistent so far, everything below that has been in constant shuffle and we get a lot more movement in this latest update. We break down the biggest risers for you here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pace Academy</strong> cracks the top 5 once again, moving up from #7. The Knights are 5-0 in the new year and most recently blew out Hiram who many consider a contender in 5A. Pace is one of the best defensive teams I've seen this year, able to throw different defenses at you and switch nearly everything. They look like the clear favorite to repeat in 4A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Archer</strong> continues to ascend the rankings, up to #7 now. They're currently 15-2 with credible wins over Newton, Cedar Grove, Osborne, and Milton. Archer's combination of experience and defensive prowess will make them a very tough out come February/March.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tucker</strong> slides up 7 spots from #20 to #13. [player_tooltip player_id='1131776' first='Josiah' last='Lawson'] is proving to be one of the most dominant scorers in the state while his accomplice, [player_tooltip player_id='1458271' first='Khayri' last='Dunn'], offers two-way production and provides a steady backcourt presence. The last time they lost was on Dec. 8th and since then, they've collected wins over Shiloh, Langton Hughes, and Cedar Grove.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Greenforest</strong> continues to ride their hot streak which now sits at 8 games in a row and they're up to #14 in the rankings. The Eagles suffered a few early losses but have since taken down Newton, Mt. Vernon, and Langston Hughes. Mike Robinson has really emerged as a senior while [player_tooltip player_id='1966154' first='Caleb' last='Kawela'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1742138' first='Elijah' last='Lewis'] continue to provide consistent production. Greenforest looks like the frontrunner to win it all in 1A-D2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Thomson</strong> remains one of the last undefeated teams in the state, currently sitting at 15-0. They've faced some of the toughest teams south of Atlanta and come out victorious in every contest, their most impressive win coming early on against Westside-Augusta who they'll face again on the 23rd.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Columbia</strong> and <strong>Westside-Augusta</strong> both re-enter the rankings at #23 and #24. Columbia is currently 17-1 and their next real test won't come until February 3rd against Tucker. Meanwhile, Westside-Augusta is coming off a huge 103-56 win over Laney and their 30-point win over McDonough earlier in the year remains one of the most impressive wins across the board.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->