The Clarke Central High Schools boys and girls varsity basketball teams will play against Cedar Shoals High School on Dec. 2 in the Aikns Ford Arena. Previous Classic City Championships have all been held at either CCHS or CSHS and the long-held crosstown rivalry only adds to the excitement. “I think the kids will be excited and nervous. It will be a great experience to play in front of a large crowd in the (Akins Ford) Arena. The players are going to want to perform at their best.” CSHS head girls varsity basketball coach Takesha Wall said. Illustration by Kimberly Sanabria-Amaya
The CCHS boys and girls varsity basketball teams will play against Cedar Shoals High School in the Aikns Ford Arena on Dec. 20.
Game preview: CCHS girls varsity basketball vs. Cedar Shoals High School
Clarke Central High School girls varsity basketball shooting guard Alexandra Ozuna, a junior, shoots over the outstretched arms of a Cedar Shoals High School varsity basketball defender in the 2023-24 Classic City Championship in the Clarke Central High School Competition Gym on Jan. 20. Historically, the boys and girls varsity basketball Classic City Championship are played at either team’s home court, but this year’s game will be played at the Akins Ford Arena. “I think it’s going to be a very exciting game. We get an opportunity for the inaugural game being held at Akins Ford Arena,” head girls varsity basketball coach Carla Johnson said. “I think it’s going to be a lot of excitement, a lot of buzz. The Clarke-Cedar game is always competitive, especially being crosstown rivals.” Photo by Aza Khan
The CCHS girls varsity basketball team is preparing to play Cedar Shoals High School on Friday, Dec. 20 in the Akins Ford Arena.
The Clarke Central High School girls varsity basketball team will play Cedar Shoals High School for the 2024-25 girls varsity basketball Classic City Championship in the Akins Ford Arena on Friday, Dec. 20.
Traditionally, games are played at either CSHS or CCHS, which will place this year’s competitors in a new situation: an entirely different environment at Akins Ford Arena, a mixed-use facility that opened Dec. 13.
Clarke Central High School head girls varsity basketball coach Carla Johnson instructs players during a game stoppage in the 2023-24 Classic City Championship in the CCHS Competition Gym on Jan. 20. The 2023-24 Girls Varsity Basketball team defeated the Jaguars 43-39, which Johnson said was a positive for her team. “You always want to beat your crosstown rivals, so I think (the game will) be a good confidence boost. We beat them twice last year, which was a really big boost for our girls,” Johnson said. “We’ll play them again in January, but to get that first win in December always feels good.” Photo by Aza Khan
“I think the kids will be excited and nervous. It will be a great experience to play in front of a large crowd in the (Akins Ford) Arena. The players are going to want to perform at their best.” CSHS girls varsity basketball head coach Takesha Wall said.
In the 2023-24 girls varsity basketball Classic City Championship, the Gladiators beat CSHS by four points on Jan. 20 in the CCHS Competition Gym with a final score of 43-39. CCHS Girls varsity basketball head coach Carla Johnson expects a similar outcome for the 2024-25 game.
“My expectation is that we will win, and I hope that the girls will play well, play hard (and) play together,” Johnson said. “Those are my expectations for the game, per usual, but especially against your crosstown rival.”
However, the competition only fuels the crowd as the game won’t affect region standings since the two teams are no longer in the same region, with CSHS in Georgia High School Association Region 8-AAAA and CCHS in GHSA Region 8-AAAAA.
“I think it’s going to be a very exciting game. We get an opportunity for the inaugural game being held at Akins Ford Arena,” Johnson said. “I think it’s going to be a lot of excitement, a lot of buzz. The Clarke-Cedar game is always competitive, especially being crosstown rivals.”
“My expectation is that we will win, and I hope that the girls will play well, play hard (and) play together,”
— Carla Johnson,
CCHS head girls varsity basketball coach
Currently, CCHS has a record of 2-5 with CSHS at 3-8. Like Johnson, Wall has high expectations for the game.
“I’m expecting an exciting game. This is a long rivalry and I just want to see both teams compete,” Wall said. “When we step on the court with any opponent the expectation is to win. I believe in my team to come out on top.”
By the Numbers: CCHS girls varsity basketball vs. Cedar Shaols High School
Cedar Shoals High School head girls varsity basketball coach Takesha Wall instructs players during a game stoppage in the 2023 Classic City Championship in the CCHS Competition Gym on Jan. 20, 2023. While the Gladiators defeated the Jaguars 43-39 in 2023, Wall has high expectations for her team in this year’s rivalry match up on Dec. 20 at Akins Ford Arena. “I’m expecting an exciting game. This is a long rivalry and I just want to see both teams compete,” Wall said. “When we step on the court with any opponent the expectation is to win. I believe in my team to come out on top.” Photo by Lucas Donnelly
Going into the Gladiators’ ninth game of the season, the girls varsity basketball team is hoping to beat Cedar Shoals High School in the Classic City Championship on Dec. 20.
CCHS girls
(2-5): Record for the Gladiators.
(0-2): Region 8-AAAAA record for the girls CCHS varsity basketball team.
(1-4): Home record for the Gladiators.
(1-0): Away record for the Gladiators.
(0-1): Neutral record for the Gladiators.
(31-39): Score in the previous game the team played against Jackson County High School on Dec. 13.
277: Total points scored by the girls CCHS varsity basketball team.
301: Total points scored against the girls CCHS varsity basketball team.
6: Region 8-AAAAA ranking for the Gladiators.
335: Georgia state ranking for CCHS as provided by MaxPreps Computer Rankings.
CSHS girls
(3-8): Record for the Jaguars.
(0-3): Region 8-AAAAA record for the boys CSHS varsity basketball team.
(2-3): Home record for the Jaguars.
(0-3): Away record for the Jaguars.
(1-2): Neutral record for the Jaguars.
(31-54): Score in the previous game played against Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School on Dec. 13.
408: Total points scored by the boys CSHS varsity basketball team.
540: Total points scored against the boys CSHS varsity basketball team.
6: Region 8-AAAAA ranking for the Jaguars.
359: Georgia state ranking for CSHS as provided by MaxPreps Computer Rankings.
All stats by maxpreps.com
Game preview: CCHS varsity boys basketball vs. Cedar Shoals High School
A Cedar Shoals High School boys varsity basketball player chases after a Clarke Central High School boys varsity basketball player during the 2022-23 boys varsity Classic City Championship on Jan. 21, 2023 in the CCHS Competition Gym. As a CCHS Class of 1991 alumnus, CCHS head boys varsity basketball coach Dr. Stefan Smith has been associated with the rivalry between CCHS and CSHS for much of his life. “I played in the rivalry back in 1990-1991 and I’ve been a part of the rivalry since I came from college (to coach),” Smith said. “So, I’ve been around the rivalry basically all my life, as a coach and as a player.” Photo by Lucas Donnelly
The CCHS boys varsity basketball team is preparing to play Cedar Shoals High School on Friday, Dec. 20 in Akins Ford Arena.
The Clarke Central High School boys varsity basketball team will play Cedar Shoals High School for the 2024-25 Classic City Championship in the Akins Ford Arena on Friday, Dec. 20, the first time the game has been held at neither CCHS nor CSHS.
In the two teams’ last match up on Jan. 20 in the CCHS Competition Gym, the Gladiators beat CSHS by six points with a final score of 66-60. Going into this week’s game, CCHS head boys varsity basketball coach Dr. Stefan Smith is optimistic about the game and looking for a win.
“I’m hoping to win, but I’m hoping we play well (and) hope we put on a good performance. I’m just hoping my kids don’t get nervous. I want them to be ready to compete. As long as we compete, I think we’ll be fine,” Smith said.
“(We are competing for) bragging rights, you never want to lose the city, you always want to beat your rival,”
— Dr. Stefan Smith,
CCHS head boys varsity basketball coach
The game’s outcome will not affect Georgia High School Association region standings, as CSHS and CCHS are in different regions, CSHS being in GHSA Region 8-AAAA and CCHS in GHSA Region 8-AAAAA, but the game’s significance lies in the crosstown rivalry.
Clarke Central High School head boys varsity basketball coach Dr. Stefan Smith monitors the in-game action during the 2023-24 Classic City Championship between the Gladiators and the Cedar Shoals High School Jaguars in the Clarke Central High School Competition Gym on Jan. 20. While the teams do not compete in the same Georgia High School Association region, bragging rights are important to Smith. “(We are more competing for) bragging rights, you never want to lose the city, you always want to beat your rival,” Smith said. Photo by Aza Khan
“(We are competing for) bragging rights, you never want to lose the city, you always want to beat your rival,” Smith said.
Though the teams are historically bitter foes, Smith and CSHS boys varsity basketball head coach L’Dreco Thomas share a friendship.
“Me and (Thomas) are good friends, but as far as the kids go, we want them to enjoy the game,” Smith said. “I understand that it’s a friendly rivalry. We call each other frenemies. We also have another saying that we’re ‘363 friends,’ which is 363 days. We’re brothers, but there’s two days (out of the year when) we’re not brothers.”
In addition to the existing rivalry, a new element has been added to this match up. The game will be held in the Akins Ford Arena, an 8,500 seat mixed-use facility, which opened on Dec. 13, but Thomas claims the location won’t affect the game.
“I don’t think it matters where the game is played. I just think that’s going to be big for the crowd, the fans. Our kids will be excited to be in a new venue,” Thomas said. “They’ll take it all in. But once the ball tips up, it’s basketball, and you can throw the arena out. It’s just going to be basketball.”
CSHS currently holds a 7-5 overall record with CCHS at 0-10. According to Thomas, the team is still experiencing growing pains as they look to Friday’s game.
“It’s still early in the season, we’re still trying to figure things out, trying to figure out what kind of team we are, looking at our personnel and seeing what our strengths and weaknesses are,” Thomas said. “Right now, it’s just hard to say (who will win). We’re just gonna take it game by game and hope to get better every game and learn from every game, and hopefully, we’re playing pretty good at that time.”
By the Numbers: CCHS boys varsity basketball vs. Cedar Shoals High School
Cedar Shoals High School head boys varsity coach L’Dreco Thomas follows the action during the 2022-23 Classic City Championship at Clarke Central High School’s Competition Gym on Jan. 21, 2023. While the Gladiators defeated the Jaguars in that home game with a final score of 56-53, this year’s game will be held in the Akins Ford Arena. “I don’t think it matters where the game is played. I just think that’s going to be big for the crowd, the fans. Our kids will be excited to be in a new venue,” Thomas said. Photo by Lucas Donnelly
Going into the Gladiators’ 12th game of the season, the girls varsity basketball team is hoping to beat Cedar Shoals High School in the Classic City Championship on Dec. 20.
CCHS boys
(0-10): Record for the Gladiators.
(0-2): Region 8-AAAAA record for the boys CCHS varsity basketball team.
(0-6): Home record for the Gladiators.
(0-1): Away record for the Gladiators.
(0-3): Neutral record for the Gladiators.
(54-73): Score in the previous game the team played against Greater Atlanta Christian High School on Dec. 14.
473: Total points scored by the boys CCHS varsity basketball team.
678: Total points scored against the boys CCHS varsity basketball team.
7: Region 8-AAAAA ranking for the Gladiators.
447: Georgia state ranking for CCHS as provided by MaxPreps Computer Rankings.
CSHS boys
(7-5): Record for the Jaguars.
(2-1): Region 8-AAAAA record for the boys CSHS varsity basketball team.
(4-1): Home record for the Jaguars.
(1-2): Away record for the Jaguars.
(2-2): Neutral record for the Jaguars.
(69-72): Score in the previous game played against Meridian High School on Dec. 14.
749: Total points scored by the boys CSHS varsity basketball team.
701: Total points scored against the boys CSHS varsity basketball team.
3: Region 8-AAAAA ranking for the Jaguars.
134: Georgia state ranking for CSHS as provided by MaxPreps Computer Rankings.
All stats by maxpreps.com
