Lassiter is the most unexpectedly good team in the highest class, according to the Maxwell Ratings and probably most anybody watching it closely. The Trojans were 5-5 last season and 1-9 the year before. Currently, they are 5-0 and ranked No. 6.

Below are the 48 teams in Class 7A ranked based on how much better (if any) they are than projected by the Maxwell Ratings in preseason.

In parentheses are the teams’ original and current rankings within their classifications. For example, Lassiter is ranked No. 8 in the highest class after a preseason projection of No. 30 and is 18.73 points better than expected, according to Maxwell.

1. Lassiter +18.73 (8/30)

2. Roswell +17.04 (1/7)

3. North Forsyth +16.5 (37/42)

4. Lakeside +14.24 (41/48)

5. South Gwinnett +12.04 (14/27)

6. North Paulding +11.17 (17/31)

7. Mountain View +10.5 (28/37)

8. Norcross +10.2 (5/10)

9. Brookwood +8.17 (13/22)

10. West Forsyth +8.13 (20/28)

11. South Forsyth +7.22 (18/24)

12. East Coweta +6.92 (21/25)

13. Pebblebrook +6.58 (40/41)

14. Parkview +6.32 (10/19)

15. Woodstock +6.29 (29/36)

16. North Cobb +5.90 (11/18)

17. Mill Creek +5.27 (2/3)

18. Cherokee +3.66 (32/35)

19. Grayson +3.53 (3/2)

20. Rockdale County +3.44 (43/44)

21. Forsyth Central +1.81 (42/39)

22. Tift County +1.54 (22/21)

23. Kennesaw Mountain +1.44 (39/38)

24. Etowah +1.09 (15/13)

25. McEachern +0.61 (6/5)

26. Discovery +0.60 (45/45)

27. North Gwinnett -0.42 (12/11)

28. Lowndes -0.58 (7/9)

29. Newnan -0.92 (30/26)

30. Newton -0.98 (24/20)

31. Walton -1.69 (19/15)

32. Marietta -1.94 (36/34)

33. Milton -2.04 (27/23)

34. Lambert -2.11 (33/32)

35. Westlake -2.38 (23/17)

36. Campbell -2.59 (46/46)

37. Wheeler -3.99 (34/33)

38. Duluth -5.16 (44/40)

39. Shiloh -5.19 (35/29)

40. Hillgrove -5.66 (25/16)

41. Meadowcreek -10.05 (48/47)

42. Peachtree Ridge -10.77 (16/8)

43. Central Gwinnett -12.04 (31/14)

44. Archer -12.15 (9/4)

45. Berkmar -15.05 (47/43)

46. Colquitt County -15.96 (4/1)

47. Camden County -19.95 (26/6)

48. Collins Hill -20.66 (38/12)

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