Two No. 1 Teams Face Off in Rare Region Championship

Holy Innocents' and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate will play for different state titles despite region title game

Feb. 20, 2026 at 8:35pm

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In a unique championship game, two basketball teams ranked No. 1 in their respective classifications - Holy Innocents' Episcopal and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate - competed for the Region 5-2A title on Thursday. Despite both competing in Class 2A during the regular season, the teams will now advance to play for different state championships due to a seeding anomaly.

Why it matters

This rare matchup between two top-ranked teams highlights the complexities of high school sports classifications and playoff seeding, which can sometimes lead to unexpected outcomes where teams that competed against each other during the regular season end up on different paths to the state championship.

The details

Holy Innocents' Episcopal defeated KIPP Atlanta Collegiate 56-46 in the Region 5-2A championship game played at Therrell High School. Both teams were ranked No. 1 in their respective classifications during the regular season, but due to a quirk in the playoff seeding process, they will now compete for different state championships despite facing off in the regional final.

  • The Region 5-2A championship game was played on Thursday, February 19, 2026.

The players

Holy Innocents' Episcopal

A high school basketball team that competed in the Region 5-2A championship game.

KIPP Atlanta Collegiate

A high school basketball team that competed in the Region 5-2A championship game.

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The takeaway

This unique situation highlights the complexities of high school sports classifications and playoff seeding, which can sometimes lead to unexpected outcomes where teams that competed against each other during the regular season end up on different paths to the state championship.