GA Power 25: March 4
March 4, 2019
Our second GA Power 25 update is live and it’s loaded with teams bouncing up and down the board. After a pretty stagnant week of action in Week 2, the GHSA’s third week of play featured upsets all over the state, allowing for some shifting throughout the rankings.
Here are the top headlines coming out of last week’s action, from Feb. 25 to March 4.
TOP DOGS
+ No. 1 Pope (9-1): The Greyhounds withstand a blemish on their record after an extra-inning loss to the streaking Etowah Eagles to maintain their No. 1 rank on the state’s GA Power 25. Wins against Kelly and Grayson help keep them atop the rankings and they’re back in action against Johns Creek tonight.
+ No. 2 Parkview (6-1): The Panthers, like Pope, also suffered their first loss of the spring last week, this time to No. 3 Blessed Trinity. A credible loss like that won’t harm Parkview much this week, especially after they were able to push past one of the nation’s perennial powerhouses, California’s JSerra, in the middle of the week.
+ No. 3 Blessed Trinity (8-2): Blessed Trinity might have had a case to leap Parkview in the rankings after beating them last week, but a Saturday loss to Loganville, their second loss of the spring, prevents them from doing so. Still, BT is carrying one of the state’s best rosters and won four games last week in total.
CLIMBING
+ No. 5 Cartersville (7-1): The Canes are one of the highest risers on the GA Power 25 this week, climbing 12 spots up the charts after a 5-0 week, featuring convincing wins over Villa Rica, Sprayberry, Kennesaw Mountain, Pepperrell, and Cedartown. They are 7-1 this spring and outscored their opponents 48-9 last week, en route to a Toyo Tires Battle for Bartow title.
.@CHSHurricaneBSB wins the Toyo Tires Battle for Bartow by a score of 9-4 over Cedartown. @LakePointSports pic.twitter.com/1q6naLsVSN
— PBR Georgia (@PBRGeorgia) March 3, 2019
+ No. 7 Milton (6-0): They’ve earned a 12-spot climb on the GA Power 25 following their undefeated start and will put their new and shiny ranking on the line almost immediately with their game against Etowah tonight.
+ No. 13 Mill Creek (6-2): The Hawks rise eight spots with wins over Allatoona and upstart Greenbrier last week. Huge series with Collins Hill beginning as we speak. They'll settle right under the Wolves, a team they lost to in the first week of action.
+ No. 15 Redan (6-2): The top ranked 3A team on our board won two of three last week, including a 1-0 win over South Gwinnett and a 17-0 victory at Arabia Mountain. They're rewarded for playing one of the most competitive schedules in the state for a 3A program. Redan also has a legit roster, with roughly six Division-I-caliber players.
WELCOME...
+ No. 16 Etowah (7-2): Etowah has a chance to do the near-unthinkable tonight, if they beat Milton. Their last six opponents have been GA Power 25 opponents, and the Eagles won their last four, including three last week over South Forsyth, Pope, and Grayson. Their seventh straight ranked opponent meets them at LakePoint tonight. The Eagles debut at a robust No. 16 and deserve it.
Down goes # 1... @EtowahBaseball just knocked off our “Power 25” top ranked Pope Greyhounds 10-9 in extra innings. @ryan15lobus with a bases loaded walk-off suicide squeeze in the bottom of the 9th. #GAboys pic.twitter.com/JI973e8Rtu
— Blake Davis (@PBRGABlakeDavis) February 28, 2019
+ No. 22 Hillgrove (6-2): The Hawks are 6-2 this spring and won three big games over the weekend: Allatoona, Walton, and North Gwinnett. Tuesday's loss to Carrollton prevents them from an even higher GA Power 25 debut, but they're off to a strong start and could make an even larger dent on the board after their three games this week.
+ No. 23 Greenbrier (6-1): These guys can really pitch. The Wolfpack have three starters to note, in Avery Boyd, Chase Dollander, and Bryce Mealer and it has taken them to a 6-1 mark to start the spring – including notable wins over Marist, Westside, and Burke County last week. A narrow 1-0 loss to Mill Creek halts an even higher debut, though, but they’re one of the more exciting teams watch grow in the early going this spring.
ON THE BUBBLE
+ Decatur (4-2): 5A’s Decatur Bulldogs were in the hunt for the final spot on the GA Power 25 but fell just short. They can make some early gains on a spot on the rankings in next week’s update, if they’re able to get past ranked Grayson tonight. Jordan Walker, a Duke commit, has helped Decatur get off to a strong start offensively this spring.
+ Bremen (8-3): One of the top 2A schools in the state has already played 11 games this spring and has won eight of them. A 4-1 week last week has helped them land on the bubble as they prepare for conference play to start.
+ Glynn Academy (5-3): The Red Terrors won both its games against Brantley County last week and look like they know how to pitch. They closest thing they’ve suffered to a blowout was an 11-6 loss to Milton last month and they’ve gone 4-1 since that game.
+ Ringgold (7-2): With just two losses so far this spring – a narrow loss to Ridgeland and to debutants Greenbrier – have the Tigers on the bubble of the GA Power 25. Ringgold was 4-1 last week and won both its games against Northwest Whitfield over the weekend.