Top 10 games to watch in Georgia high school girls basketball: Woodstock faces a loaded schedule

The Wolverines face three Top 25 opponents this week — Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian and Cherokee.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day features the top three matchups of the week, but plenty of other good ones to watch are waiting Tuesday and Friday.

Rankings are based on last week's SBLive Top 25.

(Feature photo by Willie Prince)

TOP 10 GAMES OF THE WEEK

10. No. 16 Maynard Jackson (9-1) vs. Lithia Springs (10-7), 6 p.m. Friday

Maynard Jackson is an interesting case. The Jaguars are one of the best teams in Class 5A and are on an eight-game winning streak, but they’ve played rather sparingly with only 10 games. The Jaguars can only do their part, though, and that's win, starting with an important region game with Lithia Springs on Friday. 

9. No. 15 Lumpkin County (17-1) vs. Dawson County (11-7), 6 p.m. Tuesday

Lumpkin County hasn’t lost since Nov. 22 and is coming off a 62-point win over East Hall on Jan. 7, showing off the Indians’ dominance. The Indians now begin their stretch run into the playoffs, and that starts with winning the region. Lumpkin County can make another statement with a big win over a good Dawson County team on Tuesday. 

8. No. 8 Jefferson (15-2) vs. Cedar Shoals (11-4), 7 p.m. Friday 

Jefferson has won three in a row heading into another important game, this time in the region. This one is interesting because Cedar Shoals is one of two teams that beat Jefferson this season, 50-36 on Dec. 14. Jefferson is hosting this time around, however. 

7. No. 14 Hebron Christian (14-2) vs. Mount Vernon (8-4), 6 p.m. Friday

Sticking with the Class A theme, Mount Vernon has a challenging week. Hebron Christian was on a roll up until a Jan. 11 loss to Grayson, 40-39. The Lions bounced back with a 65-35 win over Cherokee Bluff. Mount Vernon, however, is on a four-game winning streak. 

6. No. 3 St. Francis (11-2) vs. Mount Vernon (7-4), 6 p.m. Friday 

St. Francis, along with Holy Innocents', is one of several elite programs in Class A. The Knights are capable of handling most opponents in their region, but with all of the talent in Class A, St. Francis can’t have any slip-ups. Mount Vernon has had a good season too, so the Knights will need to play well. 

5. No. 7 Carrollton (15-2) vs. Rome (12-3), 6 p.m. Tuesday

We head outside of metro Atlanta for a big matchup for Carrollton, which really hasn’t had much of a challenge this season. The Trojans keep proving themselves each week, and they’ll have another chance to do so with a tough Rome team Tuesday. 

4. No. 21 Woodstock (12-6) vs. No. 22 Cherokee (12-5), 6 p.m. Friday

It’s safe to assume that the Woodstock coaching staff may have circled this week as an important one in preparation. After the gauntlet from the MLK Showcase at Holy Innocents', the Wolverines have a very important region game against Cherokee, with both teams jockeying for position in not only the state rankings, but also Class 7A Region 5.

3. No. 20 Greater Atlanta Christian (9-4) vs. No. 21 Woodstock (12-6), 5 p.m. Monday

Woodstock will have little time to rest following its game with Grayson to set up another ranked matchup and another important game for the Wolverines. Greater Atlanta Christian often has the talent, but the Spartans are where they are at this point in the season due in large part to a tough schedule with losses to Brookwood, Hebron Christian and St. Francis. 

2.No. 13 Grayson (13-3) vs. No. 21 Woodstock (12-6), 11:45 a.m. Monday

Woodstock, which is playing in several big games this week, kicks it off at the same tournament Holy Innocents' is hosting with a big game against Grayson, winners of three in a row. Woodstock bounced back after a 65-60 loss to Alpharetta to win two in a row, but the Wolverines still have work to do if they want to win Region 5 in Class 7A.

1.No.1 Holy Innocents' (15-2) vs. No. 10 Luella (15-2), 1:30 p.m. Monday 

Holy Innocents' is hosting the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Showcase, which features several of the games on this week’s list. None is bigger than this one, with two teams that are at the top of their class in Class 1A and 4A, respectively. Both are on a roll, and both are playing their best basketball to set up a huge game.