Here's what to watch for in the Georgia High School Basketball Championships this week

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A Grayson High School basketball player slam dunks. High school basketball championships are back on GPB in 2023.

Credit: GPB / Maya Backman

The Georgia High School Basketball Championships are getting started Wednesday at the Macon Coliseum, and GPB will be broadcasting it live. For a look at the teams who are still in the running, we turn to GPB's Jon Nelson. He's an award-winning television journalist who's been covering high school athletics for GPB as a host, anchor and correspondent. He spoke with GPB's Peter Biello.

Transcript:



Peter Biello: We've got boys and girls competing this week. Let's start with girls' basketball. What teams are left standing at this point on the girls' side?

Jon Nelson: So we're down to the final 16, eight classifications, and winners have made their way all the way through. [There are] some really cool storylines and some that are kind of tied to GPB. In Class A, Division I Girls, the Galloway School: Kiesha Brown, their head coach, she used to be a part of our on-air talent, one of the most storied players in the history of Georgia high school basketball, coaching there. You work your way through Clinch County, making their way through in single-A, D2 Girls, Banks County, the Leopards of Banks County, coming through in Double-A. Triple-A, Hebron Christian and Lumpkin County. Hebron Christian's head coach is Jan Azar. She is a legend and I mean that in all seriousness. She started the Wesleyan School program in suburban Atlanta about 25 years ago. She started it from scratch. The only year that they did not make the postseason was her first. Three years ago, she leaves Wesleyan to go to Hebron Christian and now Hebron Christian is playing in the last game of the year, and they get to go up against Lumpkin County. Lumpkin County, your defending champ, they just launch 3s. I mean, they literally just, it's like, okay, 3-pointer, we're open, go. Baldwin, coming from Milledgeville, they're going to have a bit of a home game. 5A Warner Robins is going to get a bit of a home game. Kell has the chance for the double, boys and girls in 5A. Will Warner Robins? Will the Demons stop that idea in 5A? Lovejoy in River Ridge in 6A. [In] 7A you've got Gwinnett County rivals in Norcross and Brookwood. Norcross? You can pencil them in for deep playoff runs each and every single year. This year is no different. They get the Brookwood Broncos. So pedigree is there on the girls' side across the board.

Peter Biello: And how about the boys? What are you watching there?

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The GHSA Basketball Championships can be viewed live on GPB.

Credit: Georgia Public Broadcasting

Jon Nelson: Interesting story in Class A Division II. Charlton County out of Folkston down in Southeast Georgia, Charlton County hits a shot at the buzzer in the semifinals, knocks off nationally known Green Forest Christian. Charlton County is just running up and down the floor the entire time. Green Forest slows them down but Charlton hits a shot at the buzzer. They make their way to their first-ever final. Like ever, ever final. And they're going up against Wilkinson County. Wilkinson County, under the great coach, Dr. Aaron Jeter, had 10 championships during his tenure in the smaller classifications. One of his ex-players, Xavier Whipple, took over for Dr. Aaron Jeter three years ago and he has got them now to their first final as they're chasing after.

Peter Biello: And the state of Georgia is one of the few that has sanctioned adaptive sports for basketball. I understand you're doing the play-by-play for that.

Jon Nelson: That is championship No. 17 on the weekend at GPB. And that one's going to be fun because in the booth with me is going to be the former executive director of the Georgia High School Association, Dr. Ralph Swearingen. Doc Swearingen has the week named after him. It's the Ralph Swearingen Basketball Championships. But he was instrumental in bringing adaptive sports to the fore in the consciousness as well, so for the wheelchair championships in basketball, it is going to be DeKalb against Houston County, two perennial powers there, and I get to call it with Doc Swearingen. And that's going to be a very, very cool moment as well.

Peter Biello: And Jon, there's also a dunk contest and a 3-pointer contest.

Jon Nelson: Emceeing this for me is going to be very, very cool. It's to see the imagination of the 3-point shooters and the dunkers. It's going to be a fun part there as well. Fantastic four days. So we have 17 championships plus three other activities in a four-day period starting at 1:00 on Wednesday afternoon. So Thursday, Friday, Saturday. So that's 72 plus — 17 championships plus three other activities — 20 activities in 82 hours, Peter! That's what we're doing.

Peter Biello: And I should ask you, Jon, before we go, how can people watch?

Jon Nelson: Well, let's see: If you have a digital tuner, it is on your GPB Knowledge channel in your local area. If you're, say, in the Atlanta area, it would be 8.3. If you're in Chatsworth in the North Georgia mountains, take your GPB affiliate and go to the point three. So it would be 18.3. So wherever it is locally in your digital tuner, go to point three. It's on your cable systems. You're going to have to look for it a little bit. There is some information in the sports section at GPB.org about where to look for it, but it's also going to be on all of our social media platforms: App, web, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch. It's all over the place, trust me. Go to NPR.org and you'll find it .

Peter Biello: GPB Sports.