Kell, Wheeler, Walker boys advance in state basketball tourney

Three East Cobb boys teams—from Kell, Wheeler and The Walker School—will get to play on in the Georgia High School Association basketball tournament.

They all won their first-round games at home on Friday night.

For Kell, its 84-73 win over Lithia Springs was the first-ever for the Longhorns in state playoff games. As the No. 1 seed from their region, they get to stay at home next week for a second-round Class 5A game against Columbia or Cedar Shoals.

Wheeler pulled away from Hillgrove in the second half to crush their cross-Cobb rivals by an 85-55 score. The Wildcats would have been able to play host to an East Cobb showdown in the second round, but Walton fell 49-35 at Tift County, which will be the hosts as a higher seed next week in the Class 7A bracket.

The Walker School boys, playing in the Private Class A tourney, held off Aquinas 45-36. The Wolverines also have to hit the road next week in the second round, visiting Riverside Military Academy.

In the Class 6A boys playoffs, the season ended for both East Cobb teams. Sprayberry was playing at home but lost to Chattahoochee 78-65. Pope lost at South Cobb 82-71.

Both girls teams from East Cobb that made the state playoffs have been eliminated. Pope lost to Creekview 50-43 in Class 6A, and The Walker School was defeated by Paideia 42-33.

Game times and dates haven’t been announced yet for the Kell, Wheeler and Walker games, nor for the Mt. Bethel Christian Academy boys’ game against Holy Innocents’ in the second round of the Private Class A tourney.

Admission is $7 and season passes are not accepted in the playoffs.

View the brackets here: