Private A matchup is must-see basketball

Private A matchup is must-see basketball

By Robert Alfonso Jr.

The final two weeks of the Georgia High School basketball season is upon us at the start of the February. Teams are positioning themselves for region seeding, despite some regions not having a region tournament this year because of the global pandemic with Covid-19.

St. Anne-Pacelli travels to Trinity Christian where something has to give.

Both teams enter the matchup with impressive winning streaks.

The Vikings (11-3 overall, 1-0 A Private Region 4) are on a seven-game winning streak. They have played a tough schedule, which has challenged them. There have been wins against county rivals (Columbus, Spencer and Hardaway) along with a big road win over Brookwood.

Trinity Christian (14-6, 2-0) has been on its own six-game winning streak. The Lions have knocked off some notable programs themselves with wins over Collins Hill, Greenforest, Landmark Christian, Woodward Academy and Eagles Landing, 

So, while the game will be big for seeding purposes and positioning, neither of these teams will flinch. Both teams will come out prepared to compete as both coaches has watched the other from afar many times this season.

These teams have balanced contributions on the roster.

The Vikings are led by unsigned senior Travis Harper II, who has had a superb season. This 6-foot-6 wing is averaging 21 points and grabbing nearly seven rebounds per game. Vorhees College signee Keyshawn Fleetion is averaging 13 points a game to go along with six rebounds per contest. However, Ian Mathews and Pierre Summers could be the difference. Both guys are averaging nearly 12 points a game and around three assists per game. Mathews, an Auburn football signee, gives the Vikings the added advantage inside with his size and ability to control the paint on either end of the floor. Summers, who is averaging two steals per game, gives head coach Corey Black another relentless defender.

Lions head coach Will De La Cruz has some reliable players of his own. Sami Pissis is averaging 21 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game. This unsigned senior is also a tremendous competitor. Issac Brito, another unsigned senior, is the utility knife of the team. He is averaging 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game. While these two have dominated the headlines for the Lions, Palmer Davis has been a large contributor this season. He is averaging 14 points per game and doing a lot of the other things to contribute to Trinity Christian’s success.

Regardless of what happens today, these two teams will have a rematch on February 8, in Columbus, which could determine who gets the No. 1 seed.