Call it a good week for high school football teams around Kennesaw.
Harrison of Class AAAAAA jumped back in the rankings at No. 6 after a 23-17 victory over previous No. 6 Sequoyah while Kennesaw-area neighbor North Cobb Christian of Class A entered the rankings for the first time in program history after a 35-21 victory over No. 9 Darlington.
Harrison, which was ranked as high as No. 3 after a 6-0 start, fell out of the rankings earlier this month after taking a 23-7 loss to Allatoona. Now, the Hoyas can force a three-way tie for first place in Region 6-AAAAAA if they can beat No. 2 Creekview next week in the regular-season finale.
North Cobb Christian, which played its first full varsity schedule in 2009, is 8-1 and assured of its first-ever playoff berth. The Eagles had never beaten a ranked team until this year. Now, they’ve beaten two. They also defeated then-No. 9 (public-school) Trion on Sept. 14. North Cobb Christian’s lone loss was against another top-10 team, Mount Zion.
It was a relatively calm week in the rankings otherwise, except perhaps in AAAAAA, where storms are normal.
Valdosta, despite four losses to higher-ranked teams, is back in the top five after beating previous No. 5 Northside-Warner Robins, which is No. 7 despite five losses, all to ranked teams. Those two play in Region 1, which has dominated the playoffs the past two seasons.
Douglas County (7-2, 6-1) dropped out after a one-point loss to Creekside (6-3, 6-1), which probably will win Region 5-AAAAAA as a result but remain unranked. In are region champions Dacula and Johns Creek.
This week, 14 games will decide region championships outright. Among those are No. 3 Stephenson vs. No. 8 Tucker in 4-AAAAAA and No. 5 Cartersville vs. No. 3 Troup in 5-AAAA.
Ten other games are between first- and second-place teams, meaning one team can clinch the title while the other can force a three-way tie for first. Those include No. 1 Colquitt County vs. Lowndes in 1-AAAAAAA, No. 2 Creekview vs. No. 5 Harrison in 6-AAAAAA, No. 8 Dublin vs. No. 10 Washington County in 2-AA and No. 3 Heard County and No. 5 Bremen in 5-AA.
Class AAAAAAA
1. (1) Colquitt County (9-0)
2. (2) Grayson (7-2)
3. (3) Parkview (9-0)
4. (4) Hillgrove (9-0)
5. (6) Walton (8-1)
6. (7) Roswell (8-1)
7. (8) North Gwinnett (8-2)
8. (10) Milton (7-2)
9. (NR) Archer (7-2)
10. (5) Marietta (4-5)
Out: 9 Tift County
Class AAAAAA
1. (1) Lee County (9-0)
2. (2) Creekview (9-0)
3. (3) Tucker (7-2)
4. (7) Allatoona (7-2)
5. (9) Valdosta (6-4)
6. (NR) Harrison (8-1)
7. (5) Northside-Warner Robins (4-5)
8. (8) Stephenson (8-1)
9. (NR) Dacula (7-2)
10. (NR) Johns Creek (8-1)
Out: No. 4 Douglas County, No. 6 Sequoyah, No. 10 Coffee
Class AAAAA
1. (1) Rome (10-0)
2. (2) Buford (7-2)
3. (3) Warner Robins (8-1)
4. (4) Dutchtown (9-0)
5. (5) Jones County (8-1)
6. (6) Stockbridge (8-1)
7. (7) Ware County (7-2)
8. (8) Wayne County (9-0)
9. (9) Southwest DeKalb (9-0)
10. (10) Kell (7-2)
Class AAAA
1. (1) Blessed Trinity (9-0)
2. (2) Mary Persons (9-0)
3. (3) Troup (9-0)
4. (4) St. Pius (8-1)
5. (5) Cartersville (9-0)
6. (6) Eastside (9-0)
7. (7) Marist (8-2)
8. (8) Pickens (10-0)
9. (9) Flowery Branch (7-2)
10. (10) Ridgeland (6-3)
Class AAA
1. (1) Calhoun (9-0)
2. (2) Cedar Grove (8-1)
3. (3) Monroe Area (9-0)
4. (4) Peach County (7-2)
5. (5) Westminster (6-3)
6. (6) Greater Atlanta Christian (7-2)
7. (7) Benedictine (8-1)
8. (8) Dawson County (8-1)
9. (9) Jefferson (8-2)
10. (10) Pace Academy (6-4)
Class AA
1. (1) Hapeville Charter (7-1)
2. (2) Rockmart (9-0)
3. (3) Heard County (7-2)
4. (4) Callaway (8-2)
5. (5) Bremen (8-1)
6. (6) Rabun County (8-1)
7. (7) Brooks County (7-2)
8. (8) Dublin (8-1)
9. (9) Dodge County (9-1)
10. (10) Washington County (8-1)
Class A (Private)
1. (1) Eagle's Landing Christian (8-1)
2. (2) Athens Academy (9-0)
3. (3) Prince Avenue Christian (8-1)
4. (4) Fellowship Christian (9-0)
5. (6) Savannah Christian (8-1)
6. (5) George Walton Academy (7-2)
7. (7) Mount Paran Christian (7-2)
8. (8) Calvary Day (8-1)
9. (10) Aquinas (8-1)
10. (NR) North Cobb Christian (8-1)
Out: No. 9 Darlington
Class A (Public)
1. (1) Irwin County (9-0)
2. (2) Clinch County (8-1)
3. (4) Pelham (9-0)
4. (5) Marion County (9-0)
5. (7) Mount Zion (8-1)
6. (6) Charlton County (6-3)
7. (8) Schley County (8-1)
8. (9) Mitchell County (8-1)
9. (3) Commerce (8-1)
10. (10) Greene County (7-2)
