AUGUSTA () – Five CSRA high school basketball teams remain in the hunt for a state championship entering the weekend, with three of them having already punched their ticket to the title game itself.

The Butler Bulldogs will play for the school’s first boys basketball championship since 1966 after beating No. 1 Carver 78-73 Friday night in the Georgia High School Association Class-AA Final Four at Georgia Southwestern University in Americus. The Bulldogs (20-8) will face Union County in the championship game next Thursday at 3 p.m. in Macon. Union County (26-5) advanced by beating Tattnall County 54-38 later Friday night.

Joining the Bulldogs for Championship Week at the Macon Coliseum will be the Washington-Wilkes girls. The Tigers (14-8), who lost their first six games of the season, won for the 11th time in their last 12 games beating Macon County 66-55 in the Final Four Friday night at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville.

“It took a lot to get here,” said Washington-Wilkes Head Coach Angel Heard after the game. “This group of girls, they were champions in middle school, so we knew what we were getting. But we didn’t know how good of a team they were going to be.”

“I’m very excited. I’m very happy,” said senior point guard Lanasia Crew. “I don’t know how to feel. I’m lost for words really. I’m just happy I got to this point in my senior year with this team of great people.”

Washington-Wilkes will be playing for its first championship in girls basketball when the Tigers take on Wilcox County (27-1) next Friday at 1 p.m. Wilcox County earned its way into the title game beating Screven County earlier Friday afternoon.

In South Carolina, the Denmark-Olar boys will face Abbeville for the South Carolina High School League Class-A championship Thursday at 4 p.m. in Florence. The Vikings (19-5) defeated Bethune-Bowman 63-49 in the Final Four Thursday night to earn the team’s first Lower State Championship since 2006. They will be playing for their first state title since 1991.

Meanwhile, both the North Augusta boys and girls will play in the SCHSL Class-AAAA Final Four on Monday, March 3rd. The boys will be making their first appearance in the state semifinals in 26 years. The Yellow Jackets (25-1) outlasted Gray Collegiate 64-56 in a wild overtime thriller in the Elite Eight on Tuesday. North Augusta will face Wilson (21-8) Monday with tipoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at The Florence Center.

The North Augusta girls, who have won five state championships in the last eight years, will face Lower Richland (25-1) in the semifinals on Monday. The Yellow Jackets (27-1) return to the Final Four after beating Gray Collegiate 49-20 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” North Augusta head coach Al Young said after the quarterfinal win. “At the beginning of the season, you talk about those things. You try to work hard and try to get there, but it’s something else to be able to get there. I’m really excited, and super happy and proud of our girls.”

“We continue to preach about working hard and trying to make sure that we don’t have any mistakes, and we continue to push forward and we can do what it takes to get to the next step.”

The Yellow Jackets and Lower Richland will meet on Monday at 3 p.m. at The Florence Center.

UP NEXT

• Monday, 3 p.m. – North Augusta vs. Lower Richland (SCHSL Class-AAAA Girls semifinal at Florence Center)
• Monday, 4:30 p.m. – North Augusta vs. Wilson (SCHSL Class-AAAA Boys semifinal at Florence Center)
• Thursday, 3 p.m. – Butler vs. Union County (GHSA Class-AA Boys championship at Macon Coliseum)
• Thursday, 4 p.m. – Denmark-Olar vs. Abbeville (SCHSL Class-A Girls championship at Florence Center)
• Friday, 1 p.m. – Washington-Wilkes vs. Wilcox County (GHSA Class-A Girls championship at Macon Coliseum)