Monroe boys basketball team up to No. 1 in Class AAAA; Dougherty girls ranked 10th

ALBANY — The newest high school basketball poll was released Sunday and the Golden Tornadoes of Monroe High School are now the top-ranked boys team in the state in Class AAAA.

In girls basketball, the Dougherty Lady Trojans have now made it into the poll as the No. 10 team in the state. While the coaches of both teams are pleased with the recognition, both are focused on region championship games this week.

“I tend to focus on rankings,” said Monroe boys coach Michael Hoffpauir. “I only have myself and the team focused on the game up and our ultimate goal as a team. However, it is a good recognition of our consistent hard work and sacrifices. It is a great representation for our school and district.”

Led by three senior starters — Domonik Henderson, Cedric Johnson, and Boss Diallo — Monroe (22-2) has now won 17 straight as it heads into the region championship game Wednesday night against crosstown rival Westover. Westover (20-3) is currently ranked fourth in the state behind Monroe, McDonough (23-2) and Spencer (23-2). McDonough had been ranked first most of the season but lost to Fayette County 68-60 in its region championship game this past weekend. McDonough is the team that knocked Monroe out of the state playoffs in the Elite Eight last year. Fayette County is the team that eliminated Westover last season.

Dougherty’s girls are now 16-7 and headed to the region championship game Tuesday night against Bainbridge (17-9). The Lady Trojans have won six straight, including a 36-27 win over Bainbridge. Bainbridge won the first meeting between the two teams by a 51-37 score and the Lady Bearcats were ranked in the top 10 most of the season. The Lady Trojans are counting on continued senior leadership from point guard Kaylin Thompson and 3-point specialist Shakeria Hallman to take the team deep into the playoffs.

“I think it is awesome to be considered as one of the top teams,” said Dougherty head coach Khadijah Ali. “It definitely shows the girls what we’ve been preaching all season and that is to put God first, put in the work, and they can accomplish anything. We are thankful for the recognition and all the love and support that has been shown to us throughout the season.”

On Tuesday, the Lady Trojans will host Bainbridge at Dougherty High School with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. The girls consolation game will begin at 6 p.m. with Monroe facing Thomas County Central.

On Wednesday, Monroe’s boys will face off against Westover with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. The boys consolation game will start at 6 p.m. with Dougherty going against Cairo.

Joe Whitfield