Hot Starters: Teams on Fire

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Brookwood</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming off a 9-17 season, the Broncos have been formidable early on at 5-1 with their lone loss a 76-74 loss to Dacula. A season-opening 76-66 win over Lanier proves to be a signature victory. The coming-of-age Broncos have seen a multitude of players step up. [player_tooltip player_id='2845057' first='Cameron' last='Knight'] has carried over his strong play from the summer, providing a physical mismatch with positional versatility in the backcourt. He scored 16 points in a 66-43 win over GAC and tossed in 30 points and 7 rebounds against Lanier. The 2027 junior class has been Brookwood's anchor as [player_tooltip player_id='3141066' first='Masai' last='Knight'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3141067' first='Roshan' last='Krishnamurthy'] have consistently scored in double figures. The lone two seniors on the roster have shined. Nasim Saribi netted 17 points and 8 rebounds in a 61-53 win over Discovery while Grant Dehnke added 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>South Paulding</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sitting at 5-0, South Paulding has yet to win a game by less than 11 points. [player_tooltip player_id='2471145' first='Josiah' last='Azu'] has become a D-II target. The lanky shooter with big-time bounce has filled up the stat sheet lately, putting up 20 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists against Hiram followed by 14 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists vs. North Cobb. [player_tooltip player_id='2525226' first='Tanner' last='Pitts'] has found a groove his senior season, already with a 23-point outburst and steady double-digit scoring throughout the season. He's a tough shot maker from the perimeter. The quick playmaking of [player_tooltip player_id='2519023' first='Trey' last='Allen'] leads to points in transition while PJ Rosser is a 2027 to know, a powerful downhill lefty who explodes to the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Lanier</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An 86-70 win over Buford in the Jackson EMC Tip-Off Classic Championship stamped Lanier's legitimacy. At 6-1, the Longhorns now have two wins over ranked opponents, beating Hebron Christian 70-66 in Game 2. [player_tooltip player_id='3141069' first='DJ' last='Bembery'] was named tournament MVP while [player_tooltip player_id='3141076' first='Reshard' last='Slaughter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2523823' first='Cameron' last='Blackman'] were named to the Jackson EMC All-Tournament Team. Bembery had 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists vs. Buford followed by Blackmon's 20 points. Slaughter exploded for 31 points earlier in the season in an 86-75 win over Archer. EJ Hines emerged against Hebron Christian with 16 points, part of a balanced attack which saw five players score eight points or more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Flowery Branch</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Off to their best start in years already at 7-1 after wining just nine games last season, the Falcons have proven they can get it done in crunch time. Their lone loss came at Jefferson 67-63 but the Falcons bounced back at the Jackson EMC Tip-Off by throttling Towers 82-64 and edging Apalachee 56-54. Adam Sanders poured in 26 points against Towers while drawing four charges. [player_tooltip player_id='2877235' first='Jack' last='Huey'] has been a consistent threat from the perimeter this year while Remi Akins and Brayden Lee have been amongst the team's top scorers nightly. A 65-54 win over Paulding County at the Roger Slaton Tip-Off Classic set the tone as Lee scored 21 and Huey had 15.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Lumpkin County</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 5-0 start for Lumpkin County features a pair of wins over Class A D-II Top 10 ranked Towns County but most impressive, a 62-56 win against East Forsyth who was ranked in the Class 4A poll. [player_tooltip player_id='1543493' first='Jordan' last='Richerson'] poured in 20 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists to ignite the win over East Forsyth. His play alongside returning All-Region selections Landon Pierce and [player_tooltip player_id='3141125' first='Jackson' last='Pulley'] should have the Indians contending for a Region 6-3A title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->