It’s safe to say that Norcross ruled the state of Georgia in basketball in 2022. The boys basketball program clinched its sixth state championship, while the girls team won its fourth ever. Titles appear to come in pairs for the Blue Devils, as the girls’ and boys’ last three state championships came in the same years (2011, 2013, and 2022).
Last season, the boys squad began the year somewhat shakily with a 6-3 record and back-to-back losses to Westlake and rival Berkmar. With the leadership of four-star guard London Johnson, however, the Blue Devils quickly righted the ship, losing only twice the rest of the regular season.
In the region tournament, Norcross faced off against 2021 state runner-up Berkmar, but fell to the Patriots for the third time in the season. Despite a respectable record, the Blue Devils had hardly proven that they were capable of defeating tougher competition.
Opposite to the Norcross boys basketball team, the Lady Blue Devils started off strong, winning 11 of their first 12 games. However, as the season progressed, cracks in a seemingly strong foundation began to show.
Norcross fell by 1 at home to Grayson and were blown out by Hoover’s (AL) elite basketball team shortly after. One week after escaping an upset to Galloway, the Lady Blue Devils were beaten by both Lovejoy and Mount Paran Christian. Norcross relied on future Player of the Year Zaria Hurston heavily, but failed to finish in close games, much like the boys team.
While the Blue Devils cruised through the first two playoff rounds, the Lady Blue Devils struggled, fending off Roswell and Tift County to avoid upsets.
The road rapidly became much tougher for the boys team, but London Johnson’s clutch free throw shooting on the road at North Gwinnett and against Newton (whom Norcross had lost to by 16 earlier in the season) closed out two 58-55 victories.
The Lady Blue Devils rolled in the quarterfinals but were tested against underdog Campbell, finally escaping with another 3-point win.
In their respective state championships, the boys team would rematch Berkmar, and the girls team would face 27-3 Harrison.
On championship day, March 12, the girls took the court first, with the boys immediately following. In a defensive showdown, the Lady Blue Devils suffocated the Hoyas, winning 41-37 on a late-game fast break layup by Hurston.
Minutes later, the boys team took the floor looking for their first win in four attempts against region rival Berkmar. After a close, low-scoring first half, Norcross extended the lead to seven by the end of the third quarter. Despite several Patriot challenges, the Blue Devils maintained the lead for the rest of the game, clinching the 7A state title with a 58-45 win.
Throughout the season, both the boys’ and girls’ teams struggled in close contests against tougher opponents. However, their determination and grit in the playoffs erased any doubts and secured the elusive sweep for Norcross basketball in 2022.
