Several Top 10 teams asserted themselves as playoff teams to be reckoned with after impressive wins last week against other ranked opponents in region-title games.
In Class AAAAAA, No. 1 Tucker beat previous No. 7 Stephenson 38-0 for the Region 4 championship. Tucker, the state runner-up last season, enters the playoffs perhaps as the team to beat. Stephenson fell out of the rankings.
No. 4 Lee County beat previous No. 3 Coffee 23-7 to win Region 1. Lee is up to No. 3, Coffee down to No. 4.
In AAAAA, No. 4 Warner Robins beat previous No. 5 Bainbridge 35-6 in Region 1. No. 2 Buford routed previous No. 9 Flowery Branch 42-7 in Region 8.
Cartersville, the No. 1 team in AAAA, beat No. 10 Troup 52-13 to win Region 7.
Screven County, the No. 3 team in AA, defeated previous No. 6 Jefferson County 44-20 for the Region 4 championship.
Class A had the most action between ranked teams in championship games.
Emanuel County Institute, No. 5 among public schools, beat No. 9 private school Calvary Day 28-21 to win Region 3.
Manchester, the public-school No. 1, edged previous No. 3 Macon County 22-20 to win Region 4.
Private-school No. 3 Mount Paran Christian won Region 6 with a 31-24 victory over public-school No. 9 Mount Zion.
Unranked Aquinas beat previous No. 5 Stratford Academy 30-27 in a Region 7 title game between private schools. Aquinas enters the playoffs ranked No. 6 in the private division.
Athens Academy, the private-school No. 4, beat No. 2 Prince Avenue Christian 32-14 in Region 8.
This week, three first-round playoff games match state-ranked teams.
They are No. 5 Northside-Warner Robins at No. 8 Brunswick in AAAAAA. No. 9 Griffin at No. 5 Jones County and No. 8 Bremen at No. 9 Lovett.
These are the last rankings until after the state championship games.
Class AAAAAAA
1. (1) Lowndes (10-0)
2. (2) Archer (10-0)
3. (3) Walton (10-0)
4. (4) Grayson (9-1)
5. (5) North Gwinnett (9-1)
6. (6) Tift County (9-1)
7. (7) Brookwood (8-2)
8. (8) Colquitt County (7-3)
9. (9) South Forsyth (9-1)
10. (10) Mill Creek (7-3)
Class AAAAAA
1. (1) Tucker (9-1)
2. (2) Mays (9-1)
3. (4) Lee County (9-1)
4. (3) Coffee (6-3)
5. (6) Northside (Warner Robins) (7-3)
6. (8) Douglas County (9-1)
7. (NR) Glynn Academy (6-3)
8. (9) Brunswick (7-2)
9. (NR) Alpharetta (9-1)
10. (5) Harrison (7-3)
Out: No. 7 Stephenson, No. 10 Richmond Hill
Class AAAAA
1. (1) Rome (10-0)
2. (2) Buford (8-1)
3. (3) Stockbridge (10-0)
4. (4) Warner Robins (10-0)
5. (6) Jones County (9-1)
6. (7) Wayne County (8-1)
7. (5) Bainbridge (7-3)
8. (8) Starr's Mill (9-1)
9. (10) Griffin (9-1)
10. (NR) Carrollton (8-2)
Out: No. 9 Flowery Branch
Class AAAA
1. (1) Cartersville (10-0)
2. (2) Marist (10-0)
3. (3) Burke County (10-0)
4. (4) Ridgeland (10-0)
5. (5) Blessed Trinity (8-2)
6. (6) Thomson (8-1)
7. (7) Woodward Academy (9-1)
8. (8) Cedartown (9-1)
9. (9) Mary Persons (8-2)
10. (10) Troup (8-2)
Class AAA
1. (1) Cedar Grove (10-0)
2. (2) Peach County (9-1)
3. (3) Greater Atlanta Christian (9-1)
4. (4) Calhoun (9-1)
5. (5) Jenkins (10-0)
6. (6) Crisp County (8-1)
7. (7) Morgan County (9-1)
8. (8) Bremen (9-1)
9. (9) Lovett (6-4)
10. (10) Westminster (Atlanta) (5-5)
Class AA
1. (1) Benedictine (10-0)
2. (2) Hapeville Charter (9-1)
3. (3) Screven County (9-0)
4. (4) Thomasville (10-0)
5. (5) Rabun County (10-0)
6. (7) Brooks County (8-1)
7. (8) Dodge County (9-0)
8. (9) Heard County (9-1)
9. (10) Callaway (9-1)
10. (6) Jefferson County (9-1)
Class A (public)
1. (1) Manchester (10-0)
2. (2) Irwin County (9-1)
3. (4) Clinch County (8-2)
4. (5) Emanuel County Institute (9-1)
5. (3) Macon County (7-3)
6. (6) Charlton County (7-2)
7. (7) Commerce (8-2)
8. (8) Trion (7-3)
9. (9) Mount Zion (Carroll) (8-2)
10. (NR) Washington-Wilkes (6-4)
Out: No. 10 Marion County
Class A (private)
1. (1) Eagle's Landing Christian (10-0)
2. (4) Athens Academy (10-0)
3. (3) Mount Paran Christian (9-1)
4. (6) Wesleyan (8-2)
5. (2) Prince Avenue Christian (9-1)
6. (NR) Aquinas (7-3)
7. (5) Stratford Academy (9-1)
8. (9) Calvary Day (8-2)
9. (7) Mount Pisgah Christian (8-2)
10. (8) Tattnall Square (7-3)
Out: No. 10 Darlington
