The latest edition of the Hard In The Paint Classic tipped off Friday at Maynard Jackson High School, giving Atlanta’s hoops crowd a full day of early-season statement games from some of Georgia’s most talked-about programs.
Jackson Outlasts Central Gwinnett
The host Maynard Jackson Jaguars got their first big moment of the weekend, grinding out a 59–55 win over Central Gwinnett in Hard In The Paint Classic play.
It was a season-high scoring output for Jackson, and it came at the right time: the Jaguars had taken a few early lumps against a tough schedule and needed to prove they could close a tight one at home.
Central Gwinnett didn’t go quietly, trading blows all night before Jackson made just enough plays in the fourth to protect the lead.
Jonesboro Spoils Westlake’s Push, 74–67
One of the marquee boys’ matchups saw Jonesboro and Westlake square off in a neutral-site game at Maynard Jackson that felt anything but neutral. Jonesboro jumped Westlake early, racing out to a 25–12 first-quarter lead and never really letting go of control in a 74–67 win.
Westlake chipped away behind a better second half, but every time the Lions threatened, Jonesboro had an answer whether it was a key bucket out of a timeout or timely free throws late. Quarter-by-quarter numbers tell the story: Jonesboro won the first and third periods and held on through Westlake’s late push in the fourth.
McEachern Rolls, But AJ Williams Owns the Headlines
The nightcap between McEachern and Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (ELCA) had as much buzz as any game on the Friday slate and it lived up to it. McEachern stayed scorching hot to open the season, blowing things open after the first quarter and running away 83–58 in Hard In The Paint action at Maynard Jackson.
McEachern is sitting at 4–0 and averaging roughly mid-80s per game after the win, with another big date against Wheeler on Saturday night.
Aside from another dominating win by the Indians and the stellar play of 2027 CG Chase Lumpkin, the story was AJ Williams. The 2028 5-star wing dropped 25 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks against McEachern, a monster line that underlines why he’s widely regarded as the No. 1 player in the 2028 class.
Williams’ combination of size, fluidity and shot-making has been well-documented and doing it on a stage like Hard In The Paint against a top-five in-state power only adds to the growing buzz around his name.
McEachern, meanwhile, did what elite programs do: absorbed an individual explosion from a star and still methodically pulled away with depth, pressure and balanced scoring across four quarters. The early season hot start continued for Lumpkin who led the Indians with 24 points and nine rebounds. Lumpkin has had numerous 30pt games to start the year.