Cartersville lost its No. 1 ranking last month after a close victory over an unranked team. Four victories later, the Purple Hurricanes are still undefeated and ranked No. 1 again in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution high school football rankings.
Blessed Trinity precipitated the change at the top by beating previous No. 1 Marist 33-30 in overtime Friday. Blessed The two-time defending champion in Class AAAA, Blessed Trinity (8-1) moved up one spot to No. 3 just ahead of Marist (9-1). The No. 2 team is Woodward Academy (9-0), which dealt Blessed Trinity its only loss in September.
Cartersville has won 57 straight regular-season games, one short of the record of 58 held by Camden County (2001-06). That includes a 16-14 win over a 3-6 Central of Carrollton team on Oct. 4 that proved to be no cause for alarm.
Other classifications were relatively stable at the top. Four No. 1-ranked teams beat other top-10 opponents last week. They were Lowndes over No. 3 Colquitt County in Class AAAAAAA, Dacula over then-No. 5 Lanier in AAAAAA and Athens Academy over then-No. 9 Hebron Christian in Class A private.
This is the final week of the regular season.
Class AAAAAAA
- (1) Lowndes (10-0)
- (2) McEachern (9-0)
- (3) Colquitt County (8-2)
- (4) Grayson (8-1)
- (5) North Gwinnett (9-1)
- (7) Marietta (7-2)
- (8) Parkview (8-1)
- (6) Hillgrove (7-2)
- (9) Archer (6-3)
- (10) Milton (6-3)
Class AAAAAA
- (1) Dacula (9-0)
- (2) Harrison (9-0)
- (3) Lee County (8-1)
- (4) Valdosta (8-2)
- (6) Coffee (7-2)
- (7) Johns Creek (8-1)
- (8) Allatoona (6-2-1)
- (5) Lanier (8-1)
- (9) Mays (8-1)
- (10) Stephenson (8-1)
Class AAAAA
- (1) Buford (9-0)
- (2) Carrollton (9-0)
- (3) Jones County (9-0)
- (4) Warner Robins (8-1)
- (5) Dutchtown (8-1)
- (6) Rome (8-2)
- (7) Wayne County (7-1)
- (8) Veterans (8-1)
- (9) Ware County (6-3)
- (10) Kell (7-2)
Class AAAA
- (2) Cartersville (9-0)
- (3) Woodward Academy (9-0)
- (4) Blessed Trinity (8-1)
- (1) Marist (9-1)
- (5) Sandy Creek (8-1)
- (7) West Laurens (8-1)
- (8) Flowery Branch (7-2)
- (9) Oconee County (8-1)
- (10) Carver-Columbus (8-1)
- (6) North Oconee (9-1)
Class AAA
- (1) Peach County (8-1)
- (2) Cedar Grove (7-2)
- (3) Pierce County (9-0)
- (4) Greater Atlanta Christian (8-1)
- (6) Crisp County (7-3)
- (7) Lovett (7-2)
- (8) Jefferson (8-1)
- (5) Appling County (7-2)
- (9) Jenkins (8-1)
- (10) North Murray (8-1)
Class AA
- (1) Rockmart (9-0)
- (2) Callaway (9-1)
- (3) Dublin (9-0)
- (4) Hapeville Charter (7-1-1)
- (5) Rabun County (9-0)
- (7) Bleckley County (7-2)
- (8) Union County (9-0)
- (10) Thomasville (5-4)
- (NR) Brooks County (5-4)
- (6) Swainsboro (7-2)
Out: No. 9 Washington County
Class A (Private)
- (1) Athens Academy (9-0)
- (2) Holy Innocents' (9-0)
- (3) Eagle's Landing Christian (8-1)
- (4) Darlington (9-0)
- (5) Fellowship Christian (9-0)
- (6) Wesleyan (7-2)
- (7) Prince Avenue Christian (7-2)
- (8) Christian Heritage (8-1)
- (10) Savannah Country Day (9-0)
- (NR) Mount de Sales (9-0)
Out: No. 9 Hebron Christian
Class A (Public)
- (1) Irwin County (8-0)
- (2) Clinch County (8-1)
- (3) Pelham (9-0)
- (4) Wilcox County (7-2)
- (5) Mitchell County (8-1)
- (6) Commerce (7-2)
- (7) Lincoln County (7-2)
- (8) Bowdon (7-2)
- (9) Manchester (7-2)
- (10) Johnson County (8-1)
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