Campbell Girls, Patch High School Basketball Challenge Go Down to the Wire

And then there was one. Well, actually four, as in the number of teams remaining in each bracket of the Georgia High School Association's state basketball tournament.

And in the state's highest classification, AAAAA, the girls are poised to cut down the nets after reaching the state semifinals for the first time since the since the school opened in 1990 as a merger of the old Campbell and Wills high school.

But first things first for the sixth-ranked Lady Spartans, who have won 18 of their last 20 games after knocking off region rival North Cobb on Saturday. Next up for Campbell is a Thursday afternoon date againnst defending state champion Norcross, which ended the Lady Spartans' season a year ago in the state quarterfinals.

Tip time is set for 4 p.m. at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.

And while there are four teams remaining in each of bracket of the state playoffs, we’re down to one round of our inaugural Patch Georgia High School Basketball Challenge, which means you have one more chance to win some Patch gear before the Georgia High School Association crowns its 2011 AAAA and AAAAA hoops champions Friday.

The cream of Georgia’s basketball teams has risen to the top to reach the semifinals, so we’re looking for true excellence in prognostication for the finale of our contest. We’ll award a Patch T-shirt or a Patch baseball cap to anyone who achieves perfection and picks all eight semifinal winners and all four champions correctly. (If more than 10 of you go 12-0, we’ll have to hold a drawing to decide who gets the goods, but all of you will share in the glory.)

The deadline to enter the final round of our contest is 4 p.m. Wednesday, tipoff time for the first AAAA girls semifinal, Douglas County against Forest Park. Here’s the entry form.

If you win, you’ll join the victors of Round 3: SherriSmith of Roswell Patch and RC of Duluth Patch. Each of them correctly picked 12 of 16 quarterfinal games, seven in AAAA and five in AAAAA, to earn a Patch prize pack, including a Patch polo shirt.

You need not have entered the earlier rounds to play now. Just jump right in; it’s free. And a few Patch users have more at stake than a T-shirt.

We have a new leader in the chase for the AAAAA championship and a Patch hoodie. Getting five of eight AAAAA games correct Saturday for a total of 42 winners propelled balling22, representing East Cobb and Kennesaw Patches, into a one-game lead over previous leader Dan Matthews of Oconee Patch and windhamkn of South Cobb Patch. Still in the hunt are Mark Blumen of Lawrenceville Patch with 40 winners and kthellsn of Dallas-Hiram Patch with 39 winners, just three behind balling22.

The AAAA race is even tighter, with windhamkn and Holly Springs-Hickory Flat Patch’s Kyle tied for first at 43 correct picks in the competition for a Patch hoodie. Hanging on with six AAAA games left to pick are kthellsn at 41, Trey of Cartersville Patch at 40 and eorlingas of Cartersville Patch at 39.

As for the overall grand championship combining all AAAA and AAAAA picks, we’re down to two serious contenders: windhamkn, who has 84 total winners, and kthellsn, who has 80.

The official rules for the contest . Remember, the deadline to enter is 4 p.m. Wednesday. Good luck.