Storylines from the Sweet 16

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're now two rounds into the state playoffs and only 8 teams survive in each classification. This year's postseason has provided a healthy dose of drama including some major upsets on Saturday night. We break down the biggest storylines from the second round and tell you who's got a chance to go the distance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">McEachern survives a scare from Newton</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While many expect McEachern and Grayson to eventually meet in Macon, Newton had different intentions on Saturday and gave McEachern a thriller. Newton led for the majority of the game but McEachern went on a run with two minutes left and pulled out the 67-64 win. [player_tooltip player_id='1122508' first='Ace' last='Bailey'] was fantastic as usual, 33 points and 14 rebounds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Douglas County continues their upset run with overtime win at Pope</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't think many expected Douglas County to make it out of the first round but they know find themselves in the Elite 8 after taking down Shiloh and Pope on the road, both teams that were considered title contenders. Seniors, [player_tooltip player_id='1054796' first='Kory' last='Young'] and Khalid Racine, combined for 31 points and both guys have really stepped up as of late. Douglas County will travel to Woodward on Tuesday night for a spot in the Final 4.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">JR Leonard goes for 51 points</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riverwood may have had their ups and downs throughout the regular season but their first two playoff games have opened some eyes. After [player_tooltip player_id='1145563' first='Karris' last='Bilal'] went for 47 points in their opening round matchup, JR Leonard exploded for 51 against Evans while also grabbing 8 boards. Leonard and Bilal make for a 1-2 punch that's extremely lethal and they've shown that they're not going out easily.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Westminster stuns 4A favorite McDonough</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Westminster pulled off what may be the upset of the year on Saturday night. McDonough was up 7 going into the 4th quarter but Westminster came roaring back at the end and eventually won, 58-50. This Westminster team isn't big or athletic but they're scrappy and shoot the three at a high clip, a known formula for a Cinderella run. [player_tooltip player_id='2774913' first='Nico' last='Searl'], Kyle Coleman, and [player_tooltip player_id='1540716' first='Zade' last='Elshihabi'] will all need to stay hot if Westminster wants to continue this run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Holy Innocents takes down Pace Academy, Hutcherson goes for 27</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holy Innocents took down the reigning champs on Saturday afternoon, a narrow 62-58 win in front of the home fans. The Bears were led by their pair of high-major prospects, [player_tooltip player_id='1383017' first='Caleb' last='Wilson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1696172' first='Devin' last='Hutcherson']. Hutcherson led all scorers with 27 points while Wilson posted 19 points and 21 rebounds. Holy Innocents is undoubtedly the most talented team left in 4A but they'll get everyone's best game from here on out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bleckley County and Mt. Pisgah continue to cruise on the road, set to square off in the Elite 8</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 1A-D1 bracket has provided some headlines so far as we see two lower-seeded teams having success on the road. Bleckley County knocked off Woodville-Tompkins in the first round and followed up with a dominant 20-point win over Temple on Saturday. Meanwhile, Mt. Pisgah has really bloomed in the second half of the year and Montevallo commit O'neill Connolly is once again healthy. Bleckley County and Mt. Pisgah have both made for some great stories late in the year but only one of them will survive past Wednesday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->