Marietta retains No. 1 ranking after thrashing of Rome

Marietta validated its first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking in the opening week of the Georgia high school football season. Callaway, also No. 1 in preseason for the first time, slipped up in Alabama while taking on a larger-classification program.

Marietta, the No. 1 team in Class AAAAAAA despite a 5-6 record in 2018, beat Rome, 48-14, in the Corky Kell Classic after quarterback Harrison Bailey, a Tennessee commitment, threw five touchdown passes. Rome was ranked No. 2 in AAAAA and fell to No. 6.

Marietta will play St. Joseph's Prep of Pennsylvania at home this week in a game between teams ranked in the top 25 nationally by USA Today and MaxPreps.

Callaway lost 10-7 to Opelika, a Class 6A school from Alabama. The new No. 1 in Class AA is Rockmart, the 2018 state runner-up. Rockmart beat county rival Cedartown 31-12. Defending AA champion Heard County lost to LaGrange, 24-9, and dropped to No. 9.

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The largest jump was taken by Lovett, which entered the Class AAA rankings at No. 5, after a 30-29 overtime victory against previous No. 6 Greater Atlanta Christian.

Class AAAAAAA

1. (1) Marietta (1-0)
2. (2) Colquitt County (1-0)
3. (3) Parkview (1-0)
4. (4) Archer (1-0)
5. (5) Grayson (0-0)
6. (6) Milton (0-0)
7. (7) Lowndes (1-0)
8. (10) McEachern (1-0)
9. (9) Hillgrove (1-0)
10. (8) North Gwinnett (0-1)

Class AAAAAA

1. (1) Lee County (1-0)
2. (2) Dacula (1-0)
3. (3) Valdosta (1-0)
4. (4) Northside-Warner Robins (1-0)
5. (6) Coffee (1-0)
6. (7) Harrison (1-0)
7. (NR) Creekview (1-0)
8. (5) Allatoona (0-1)
9. (9) Stephenson (1-0)
10. (NR) Lanier (1-0)
Out: No. 8 Glynn Academy, No. 10 Creekside

Class AAAAA

1. (1) Bainbridge (1-0)
2. (3) Buford (0-0)
3. (4) Carrollton (0-0)
4. (5) Warner Robins (1-0)
5. (6) Dutchtown (1-0)
6. (2) Rome (0-1)
7. (7) Stockbridge (0-0)
8. (8) Jones County (1-0)
9. (9) Clarke Central (1-0)
10. (10) Wayne County (0-0)

Class AAAA

1. (1) Blessed Trinity (1-0)
2. (2) Cartersville (1-0)
3. (3) Troup (0-0)
4. (4) Marist (0-0)
5. (5) Sandy Creek (0-0)
6. (6) Cairo (1-0)
7. (10) Woodward Academy (1-0)
8. (NR) Burke County (1-0)
9. (7) Mary Persons (0-1)
10. (8) St. Pius (0-1)
Out: No. 9 Eastside

Class AAA

1. (1) Peach County (0-0)
2. (2) Cedar Grove (1-0)
3. (3) Calhoun (1-0)
4. (8) Pierce County (1-0)
5. (NR) Lovett (1-0)
6. (7) Pace Academy (1-0)
7. (10) Crisp County (1-0)
8. (6) Greater Atlanta Christian (0-1)
9. (5) Benedictine (0-1)
10. (4) Westminster (0-1)
Out: No. 9 Jefferson

Class AA

1. (6) Rockmart (1-0)
2. (2) Hapeville Charter (0-1)
3. (1) Callaway (0-1)
4. (3) Fitzgerald (1-0)
5. (4) Dublin (1-0)
6. (7) Rabun County (1-0)
7. (8) Washington County (1-0)
8. (9) Brooks County (1-0)
9. (5) Heard County (0-1)
10. (10) Swainsboro (0-0)