North Gwinnett proves AAAAA ranking

By Todd Holcomb

For the AJC

North Gwinnett validated its No. 3 ranking in Class AAAAA on Saturday with a 34-14 victory over Lassiter in a Georgia Dome game between 2009 region champions.

Next, the Bulldogs will represent Georgia against one of Alabama’s top teams, Bob Jones of Huntsville. Both teams made their state’s quarterfinals in the highest classification in 2009.

Scheduling elite out-of-state opponents is becoming a trend for top Georgia teams, and North Gwinnett is taking a lead role.

The Bob Jones game is part of a Saturday double-header called the Progressive Football Challenge at North Gwinnett.

In the first game, Grayson will play playing another top Alabama team, Spain Park of Hoover. The games will be televised by CSS.

Next week, North Gwinnett will play at home against Crenshaw, a nationally ranked team from Los Angeles, and Camden County, Georgia’s No. 1 team in AAAAA, is playing at home against Miami Central, one of Florida’s traditional powers.

There are other inter-state battles around the state this week.

Eagle’s Landing Christian of McDonough, Georgia’s No. 9 Class A school, is traveling to Tallahassee to state champion North Florida Christian.

Lincoln County, a traditional Georgia power in A, is playing Abbeville, a top South Carolina team.

Class AAAAA

1. Camden County (0-0)

2. Lowndes (1-0)

3. North Gwinnett (1-0)

4. Peachtree Ridge (1-0)

5. Newnan (1-0)

6. Stephenson (0-0)

7. McEachern (0-1)

8. Roswell (0-0)

9. Valdosta (0-0)

10. Brookwood (1-0)

Class AAAA

1. Northside-Warner Robins (0-0)

2. Griffin (0-0)

3. Clarke Central (0-0)

4. Tucker (0-0)

5. Thomas County Central (0-0)

6. Warner Robins (0-0)

7. Hiram (0-0)

8. Marist (0-0)

9. Apalachee (0-0)

10. Kell (1-0)

Class AAA

1. Sandy Creek (0-0)

2. Peach County (0-0)

3. Cairo (0-0)

4. St. Pius (0-0)

5. Washington County (0-0)

6. Westside-Macon (0-0)

7. Baldwin (0-0)

8. North Hall (0-0)

9. Eastside (0-0)

10. Gainesville (0-0)

Class AA

1. Buford (0-0)

2. Carver-Columbus (0-0)

3. Calhoun (0-0)

4. Fitzgerald (1-0)

5. Dublin (0-0)

6. Westminster (0-0)

7. Cook (1-0)

8. Thomasville (1-0)

9. Hart County (0-0)

10. Lovett (0-1)

Class A

1. Charlton County (0-0)

2. Wilcox County (0-0)

3. Wesleyan (0-0)

4. Clinch County (0-0)

5. Lincoln County (0-0)

6. Emanuel County Institute (0-0)

7. Savannah Christian (0-0)

8. Bowdon (0-0)

9. Eagle's Landing Christian (0-0)

10. Greenville (0-0)