The Fayette Citizen-Sports Page

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Region playoffs now underway

By MONROE ROARK
mroark@TheCitizenNews.com

It’s not March Madness — mainly because it’s not March — but the games in the various high school basketball classifications are suddenly a lot more serious.

Region tournaments are underway this week, with spots in the state playoffs at stake and all schools facing the same choices in the first round: win or go home.

Starr’s Mill is hosting the Region 4-AAAAA playoffs, which began Monday with the Lady Panthers winning 38-33 over McIntosh in girls play, and Newnan prevailing 51-31 over McIntosh in boys play.

The winners of those games faced the top seeds in each bracket — Lovejoy’s boys and Riverdale’s girls — in games last night. Also scheduled for Tuesday (after press time) were a Fayette County-Newnan girls matchup as well as boys games pitting Starr’s Mill against Riverdale and Fayette County against East Coweta.

Semifinal games are scheduled for Thursday. The girls championship is Friday at 7 p.m., followed by the boys title game at 8:30.

The Region 4-AAAA playoffs are at Sandy Creek this week, with both host squads getting favorable seedings in the brackets, which consist of teams from 10 schools.

The Lady Patriots opened play with a 50-31 win over Northgate, earning a second-round game Thursday against Forest Park, who won 54-51 over Alexander Monday. The winner Thursday takes on second-seeded North Clayton Friday at 4 p.m., and the championship game is Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Patriots, seeded third, faced Alexander last night (after press time) with the winner moving on to play tomorrow at 8:30 against the Northgate-Forest Park winner. The winner of that game faces second-seeded Lithia Springs Friday at 5:30, with the championship game set for Saturday at 8:30.

Teams in Region 5-A are battling this week at Heard County. The boys from Landmark, seeded first in the West subregion, played Greenforest last night (after press time), while the Lady War Eagles, seeded fourth in the subregion, took on W.D. Mohammed. The winners of those games play Friday, with the region championship games set for Saturday at 7 and 8:30 p.m.

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