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)

About the Author

Featured

CIA Director John Ratcliffe, joined at center by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, testifies as the Senate Intelligence Committee holds its worldwide threats hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Credit: AP