Northview girls climb to No. 1 in AAAAAA

Cross Creek, Beach girls also claim top spots in their class.

There are three new No. 1 girls teams in this week’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution high school basketball rankings. All eight No. 1-ranked boys teams remained the same for the first time since Christmas.

Northview’s girls of Johns Creek moved up from No. 2 in Class AAAAAA to replace Harrison, which dropped one spot after a 64-45 loss to Class A private No. 2 St. Francis on Saturday.

Northview is 19-3 a year after finishing 16-13 and losing in the first round of the state tournament in the highest classification. Northview has won seven consecutive games since a 63-38 loss Dec. 30 against T.C. Williams, the No. 7-ranked team in Virginia, and has lost to just one Georgia opponent (45-30 to Class AAAAAAA North Forsyth on Nov. 21) this season.

Cross Creek of Augusta is the new No. 1 team in Class AAAA after previous No. 1 North Oconee lost 56-48 Friday to Jefferson, which entered the rankings at No. 9. Cross Creek had been ranked No. 2 and North Oconee dropped into that spot.

Cross Creek has won 13 consecutive games since a 6-4 start that included three losses to out-of-state teams and an overtime loss to AAAAAA No. 5 Grovetown.

Beach and Johnson of Savannah swapped places at the top in Class AAA, with Beach earning the No. 1 ranking with a 52-49 victory against Johnson on Friday. Beach has won two of the three meetings between the Savannah rivals this season and neither has lost to anyone else.

Class AAAAA No. 1 Griffin, which had been the state’s only remaining unbeaten girls team, suffered its first defeat Saturday when it lost to Columbia 52-48. However, the Bears held on to their ranking after losses by No. 2 Buford and previous No. 3 Flowery Branch.

There are four new girls teams in the top 10s. Colquitt County replaced Westlake in AAAAAAA; Jefferson replaced Sandy Creek in AAAA; Swainsboro replaced Heard County in Class AA; and Taylor County, which fell out of the top 10 last week, moved back in to replace Mitchell County, which lost twice during the weekend.

Six new boys teams are in the rankings: Peachtree Ridge for Lowndes in AAAAAAA, Union Grove for Eagle’s Landing in AAAAA, Cartersville and Eastside for Salem and Perry in AAAA, East Hall for Central-Macon in AAA and Glenn Hills for Early County in AA.