With Ware County's ascension to No. 1 in the Class AAAAA rankings, Ware head coach Franklin Stephens has now led three No. 1-ranked teams at three different schools in four seasons. His 2013 Lamar County team was No. 1 entering the Class AA championship game, which it lost to Lovett. Stephens won state titles while at Tucker in 2008 and 2011. Here are the coaches that have taken two or more different schools to No. 1 rankings in Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Journal or Atlanta Constitution polls.
Four schools
*Mike Hodges (Miller County, West Rome, Thomasville, Cairo)
Three schools
*Charlie Winslette (Greene County, Fayette County, West Rome)
*Tom "'T" McFerrin (Lithonia, Elbert County, Jefferson)
*Franklin Stephens (Tucker, Lamar County, Ware County)
Two schools
*Charlie Brake (Morgan County, Westminster)
*Gene Brodie (Central Macon, Tift County)
*Hale Burnette (Warren County, Washington-Wilkes)
*Howard "Buzz" Busby (Kendrick, Statesboro)
*Mike Castronis (Hogansville, Athens Academy)
*Joe Compton (Fitzgerald, Thomson)
*Wayman Creel (Northside of Atlanta, Lakeside of Atlanta)
*Robert Davis (Warner Robins, Westside of Macon)
*Donald Denning (Douglas County, Dublin)
*Lee Forehand (Manchester, Thomasville)
*Larry Freeman (Southeast Bulloch, Warren County)
*Charlie Greene (Thomas County Central, Valdosta)
*Billy Henderson (Clarke Central, Willingham)
*Jeff Herron (Oconee County, Camden County)
*Graham Hixon (Gainesville, Woodward Academy)
*Dwight Hochstetler (Greenville, Bowdon)
*Jim Hughes (Thomasville, Colquitt County)
*Nick Hyder (West Rome, Valdosta)
*French Johnson (Marietta, Chamblee)
*Jack Johnson (Cairo, Mitchell-Baker)
*Ralph Jones (Bainbridge, Cairo)
*Ray Lamb (Warren County, Commerce)
*Milt Miller (Worth County, Lowndes)
*Steve Pennington (Louisville, Statesboro)
*Tommy Perdue (R.E. Lee, Upson-Lee)
*Ed Pilcher (Thomas County Central, Early County)
*Ralph Pyburn (Savannah, Columbus)
*Jack Reynolds (Campbell of Smyrna, Richmond Academy)
*Weyman Sellers (Athens, Clarke Central)
*Jerry Sharp (East Rome, Darlington)
*Erik Soliday (Turner County, Americus)
*Rayvan Teague (Swainsboro, Carrollton)
*Bud Theodocion (Dykes, Morrow)
*Milan Turner (Emanuel County Institute, Thomson)
*Frank Vohun (Villa Rica, Washington-Wilkes)
*Rodney Walker (Stephens County, West Rome)
Sources: GHSFHA.com and Loren Maxwell
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
About the Author