CHULA — By the skin of their teeth, Tiftarea Academy’s basketball teams will play in the GIAA state tournament.
Sunday night, the league announced the Panthers made it in as No. 12, with the Lady Panther as No. 11. The GIAA tournaments feature 12-team brackets. The first round of state is Tuesday for girls teams and Wednesday for boys. Both teams, of course, will travel.
The Lady Panthers go to Westminster of Augusta to play the No. 6 seed. The winner will take on John Milledge Academy.
Tiftarea’s Panthers also head east, to Frederica Academy, where the Knights are No. 5. Winner of that contest will play Brookwood.
Five District 3-AAA boys teams are among the 12 in state. There are also five girls teams.
Lakeview Academy of Gainesville is the No. 1 girls team, with Deerfield-Windsor No. 2. Terrell Academy is No. 5 with Brookwood at No. 8 and Southland Academy 12th. The game group of teams is in the boys bracket, Brookwood fourth, Deerfield eighth, Southland ninth and Terrell 11th. No. 1 is Heritage of Newnan.
The Lady Panthers finished third in District 3-AAA and the Panthers were fourth.
The Panthers enter state 9-15, a year after they won but a single game. Elijah Smith and Ben Smith are the top two scorers, with Thomas Coogle, J.R. Walker, Andrew Connell all big contributors.
Amelia Mercer is the leading scorer for the Lady Panthers, who are 10-16. Lexi Connell, Kate Coogle, Isabel Fernandez, Elaine Mercer and Hannah Grace Murphy figure into the scoring each game as well.