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GA Power 25: March 18

March 18, 2019
By Andy Sroka
Staff Writer

The fourth edition of the the GA Power 25 update is live.

This past week featured plenty of top-end teams dropping games, while the teams on back-end of the rankings began to gain some real momentum. This made for just one team bumped from the top 25 and one team welcomed aboard.

Let’s break it down.

TOP DOGS

Once again, it’s the same trio atop the rankings. However, for the first time this season, there’s a new No. 1 on top of the GA Power 25. And, while this group has solidified themselves as the top three teams in the state, Pope’s stumble down the rankings has them closer to No. 4 than to where they had resided for the entire season up until this point, at No. 1.

+ No. 1 Blessed Trinity (11-3): The Titans took care of business in their two-game series with Denmark last week – though, not without a fight against the Danes. Wednesday's win required a five-run comeback in innings six and seven. Pinch-hitter Jack Stephans' two-out single to center scored the tying and walk-off runs in the seventh, dodging the mid-week upset. When the two teams met again on Friday, Blessed Trinity's pitching had to fend off Denmark from completing the comeback from its 3-0 deficit. A two-run sixth threatened to become more until Jake Smith came in to pitch, shutting the door in the sixth and pitching over a walk in the seventh to secure the win.

Given Pope's losses last week and BT's narrow victories, there's no such thing as an easy win in this state. Since the Titans secured wins in both their chances, they are our new No. 1 on the GA Power 25.

+ No. 2 Parkview (10-2): The Panthers used this past week to rest up from their trip to Alabama in the week prior, and the "bye" week was well-timed, given the four-game slate they have on the calendar this week. They have a two-game series with Norcross, beginning this evening, a game with Berkmar, and a vist from former hosts Hoover sandwiched in between. Despite the rest, they've built a strong enough resume to benefit from Pope's slip-ups last week.

+ No. 3 Pope (12-4): The preseason's No. 1-ranked team has finally been unseated, five weeks into the spring. The Greyhounds suffered not one, but two losses last week – one to a skilled North Atlanta team and another to Dunwoody, a Wildcats team that went 1-3 last week, with their lone win coming against the state's top-ranked squad. Pope has won just one of its last four games, and things don't get any easier with Centennial on the schedule this evening, followed by Cambridge on Friday. Pope just hasn't been scoring runs with the ease they've shown in recent years, and there's plenty of time for things to get back on track for the 6A powerhouse, but they're hit with a two-spot drop from the top spot in this week's update.

5A REGION 8 RIVALS

+ No. 5 Loganville (11-3) and No. 6 Buford (8-4): The Red Devils met rivals Buford for two games last week and split the series, and each team won its home game in narrow contests. The series was a rematch of the 2018 5A state title game and lived up to the hype. In the first game on Wednesday, Loganville's Daniel Braswell's two-run double in the third got the Red Devils on the board first, but the Wolves quickly evened the score with a solo homer from Brandon Joliff to lead off the bottom of the frame, followed by an RBI groundout later in the inning. The 2-2 tie stuck all the way until the bottom of the seventh when Joseph Salvo beat out a double play with one out and the bases loaded, forcing the walk-off run across the plate.

In Friday's game, the score was again decided by just one stubborn run. The two traded runs in the fourth – Buford's came on an RBI single by lead-off man Austin Turner, while Loganville scored on a balk with a runner on third. The Red Devils scored again in the fifth to take a 2-1, which stood for good, when Jacob Boyd singled home Brocker Way after his two-out double sparked the team to take the lead. Connor Bruce's strong start coupled with Dawson Hammonds' near-perfect two innings from the pen keep Loganville and Buford nestled next to one another on the GA Power 25.

ON THE RISE

+ No. 7 North Gwinnett (11-3): The Bulldogs are another top-10-ranked GA Power 25 team that took care of its business last week, going 4-0, winning its three games over Discovery and one over Lovett by a combined score of 50-6. Their three-game series with a talented Peachtree Ridge begins today, a team that is also 8-4 with wins over Buford, Winder-Barrow, and Collins Hill on its resume.

+ No. 10 Milton (10-2): The Eagles are headed north up the board after a bounceback 3-0 week, featuring two wins over West Forsyth and another over North Forsyth. Outside of a small bump in the road last week, Milton has been near-perfect this spring and could capitalize on a jump up the board with a win over heavyweights South Forsyth this evening and in a rematch on Wednesday.

+ No. 14 North Paulding (9-2): The Wolfpack handled Marietta in a three-game sweep last week, winning the series by a combined 31-13 mark. Mickey Maguire and Peyton Moseley starred from the batter's box during their 3-0 week. They have a huge three-game test with a sound Kennesaw Mountain team, and it could go a long way to North Paulding earning a spot within the top 10, if everything goes according to plan.

+ No. 17 Greenbrier (12-2): Greenbrier swept a Grovetown team that was 5-1 headed into the week, in three games. They're riding a five-game win streak and their strong 12-2 start has a lot to do with how well the Wolfpack pitching has been. Greenbrier has four games on the schedule this week, including three against a talented Alcovy team. That series should go a ways in determining how serious this program's chances are of competing for a 6A title.

+ No. 18 Mountain View (11-3): That's nine straight wins for the Bears, a team that, two weeks ago, was in desperate need for a run like this. Mountain View came into the season as the No. 13-ranked team on our board, and they're beginning to reassert their preseason ranking. They won four games last week – three against Duluth and began the week with a win over Newnan. Tomorrow's test against Brookwood will be an excellent measuring stick to determine how far Mountain View has come since their slow start.

+ No. 20 Grayson (8-5): The Grayson Rams snared two solid wins against South Gwinnett this past week. They outscored the Comets 22-3 in their two games and were set to play a third game on Friday but it was postponed due to inclement weather. Their three-game series with Newton begins today.

+ No. 21 Brookwood (9-5): Brookwood compiled three wins last week and kicked things off with a huge win over ranked Mill Creek, 6-4, to set the tone. They played a scuffling Central Gwinnett team twice to conclude the week on won both games by a combined score of 38-0. The Broncos have owned among the harder schedules among the teams on this board, so they're 9-5 record to this point is certainly a respectable one. They have Meadowcreek on the calendar today and meet Mountain View tomorrow, which is an important game for two teams residing near the back-end of the GA Power 25.

No. 22 Decatur (11-3): The Bulldogs did nothing to harm their top-25 status this past week, earning three lopsided wins over Lithia Springs (twice) and North Springs. In their last 10 games, Decatur is 9-1 and owns some huge, one-sided wins over that span.

WELCOME…

+ No. 25 North Cobb (12-1): There aren’t many teams in the state that can say they’re on the kind of streak North Cobb is enjoying. The Warriors have won nine straight and have allowed just five runs in seven March games. They just comfortably swept McEachern in three games and most recently defeated Dunwoody, 2-0, with the Wildcats just off a victory coming off the former top-ranked Pope. Their lone loss of the spring came way back on Feb. 18, to a talented Allatoona squad. They also own a win over ranked Woodstock during this win streak and have a three-game series with Marietta, starting as we speak, with ranked North Paulding on deck next week.

ON THE BUBBLE

+ Allatoona (10-5): The Buccaneers went 3-0 in their first week outside of the GA Power 25 and have a compelling case to earn a spot back onto the rankings soon, especially if they can take care of business against Sprayberry and Harrison.

+ Flowery Branch (7-4-1): The preseason’s No. 24-ranked team is looking increasingly like a ranked team once again, especially after defeating Marist, 1-0, in their only game last week. The next two weeks of action is critical for Flowery Branch, with West Hall and Denmark on the calendar next and new No. 1 Blessed Trinity set to meet the Falcons the following week.

+ Houston County (8-6): Another former ranked squad, Houston County has been picking up the pieces after a slow start to the spring. The Bears are 8-6 now and just put together a huge 3-0 week, with wins over Starr’s Mill, Warner Robins, and ranked Valdosta. A three-game slate with Coffee is next up.

+ Mill Creek (8-6): The Hawks bounced back from a four-game losing streak with a 12-0 win over Dacula, but it isn’t enough to keep them on the GA Power 25. The 12-1 Warriors from North Cobb couldn’t be kept off the rankings for another week. The back of the top 25 is cutthroat, and something like a recent four-game losing streak is enough to fall off the rankings, unfortunately for Mill Creek.

+ Pike County (14-1): The Pike Pirate’s win streak is up to 10 and counting, with three more games on the calendar this week: Whitewater and two against Kendrick. At 14-1, Pike just dismantled Westside and glided past both Sandy Creek and Spalding.

+ Tattnall Square Academy (15-0): The 1A Trojans have won all 15 of their games this spring, including 11 in March. Tattnall Square has yet to allow more than three runs in a game this season and they’re averaging just a tick under 10 runs a game.

+ Thomas County Central (12-1): Thomas County Central suffered its first and only loss of the season on March, to Harris County, and they bounced back last week to earn a win over East Coweta, 2-1. Outside of their one loss, the Yellowjackets look really strong this spring and have a chance to make a strong case for the GA Power 25 with games against Lowndes and Warner Robins up next.

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