GHSA Tournament of Champions: No. 3 Forest Park vs. No. 6 Americus-Sumter
There are a lot of items on GHSA basketball fans’ wish lists. One that we may never see is a tournament of champions. All eight classification champs grouped together and seeded or even paired at random to set up a…
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Continue ReadingThere are a lot of items on GHSA basketball fans’ wish lists. One that we may never see is a tournament of champions. All eight classification champs grouped together and seeded or even paired at random to set up a bracket to determine the overall champion of the state. With no basketball being played currently, why not breakdown some hypothetical matchups in this new series and let the fan vote determine who will advance to the next round?
We will provide a preview, a thoughtful prediction and let you – the fans – decide the fate of each game.
No. 3 6AForest Park (27-6) vs. No. 6 4AAmericus-Sumter (29-2)
It’s Americus-Sumter’s grit and toughness vs. Forest Park’s size and skill.
In a battle of Panthers, Forest Park turns to Gatorade Player of the Year 6-foot-4 junior Sania Feagin Sania Feagin 6'4" | PF Forest Park | 2021 State #8 Nation GA to be their ace. Feagin averaged 17 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3 steals and 3.6 blocks and will tower over anyone Americus-Sumter deploys. Americus-Sumter uses a six-man rotation while Coach Steven Cole can go much deeper into his bench.
Troy-signee 5-foot-10 Jelissa Reese Jelissa Reese 5'10" | CG Americus-Sumter | 2020 State GA is the heartbeat of Americus-Sumter. Her tenacity on both sides of the ball will keep the smaller Panthers in it. She is a lockdown defender that willing accepts the challenge of guarding opponents’ best players and on offense, she’s an electric playmaker using her elite athleticism to slash into the lane and create for teammates. Reese had 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals in Americus-Sumter’s 66-52 win over Troup County in the Class 4A title game. Reese’s primary running mate is Trinity Jones Trinity Jones 5'5" | PG Americus-Sumter | 2020 State GA . She scored a game-high 21 points against Troup and is a floor spacer that can shoot from deep.
Americus-Sumter takes pride in their physical defense but will be challenged by Forest Park’s constant movement on offense. The Panthers basket cut non-stop and sliced up Glynn Academy in the Class 6A Championship 46-30. Western Carolina-signee Joi Reid is a big guard that led the team in scoring with 11 points. The J-team balances the offense and are opportunistic when it comes to scoring with Jasmine Jacob, Jayda Brown, Janaya Jones, Jasmine Stevens Jasmine Stevens 6'1" | PF Forest Park | 2021 State GA and Jordynn Webster.
Look for Americus-Sumter’s Brianna Pope to draw the assignment of guarding Feagin. She is a big strong physical post that can lean on Feagin when she’s in the paint. Tiffani Goodman and De’Asia Ford will have to provide scoring for Americus-Sumter to keep the game close. If it’s a one-possession game late, the situation might favor Americus.
Line: Forest Park -9
Vote below to decide who advances to the next round of the GHSA Tournament of Champions
Voting ends on 4/11