Manchester, a Class A school off to a 4-0 start, is ranked No. 1 for the first time since 1997, the year of its only state championship.
The Blue Devils have taken over the top spot in the Class A public division rankings after Clinch County (2-2) lost for the second straight week. The first loss came to Brooks County, a top-10 Class AA school. The latest came to Irwin County, a Class A rival.
Irwin, which also has a win over defending champion Macon County, is now No. 2. Clinch fell to No. 5.
Manchester has not played a ranked team and is largely untested. But its only losses last season were to Macon County. Manchester is coached by Evan Hochstetler, son of 345-game winning coach Dwight Hochstetler. Dwight won his first state title in his third season, 1980, at Greenville, Manchester’s Meriwether County rival. Evan is in his third season at Manchester.
The other classification that saw a shakeup in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution rankings was AAAAAAA. Previous No. 2 Colquitt County was beaten by unranked Brookwood 42-25.
Brookwood (2-2) re-entered the rankings at No. 8, one behind Colquitt (3-1), which has three quality wins. Tift County (5-0) also entered the rankings after a 50-37 victory at Parkview.
Class AAAAAAA
1. (1) Grayson (3-0)
2. (3) Lowndes (4-0)
3. (4) Archer (4-0)
4. (7) Walton (4-0)
5. (6) Mill Creek (3-1)
6. (8) North Gwinnett (3-1)
7. (2) Colquitt County (4-1)
8. (NR) Brookwood (2-2)
9. (10) McEachern (2-2)
10. (NR) Tift County (5-0)
Out: No. 5 North Cobb, No. 9 South Forsyth (4-0)
Class AAAAAA
1. (1) Tucker (3-1)
2. (2) Lee County (5-0)
3. (3) Coffee (3-0)
4. (4) Mays (3-1)
5. (5) Harrison (2-2)
6. (6) Northside (Warner Robins) (3-1)
7. (7) Hughes (3-1)
8. (9) Douglas County (4-0)
9. (8) Winder-Barrow (4-0)
10. (10) Allatoona (2-2)
Class AAAAA
1. (1) Rome (3-0)
2. (2) Buford (2-1)
3. (3) Stockbridge (4-0)
4. (4) Carrollton (3-0)
5. (5) Warner Robins (4-0)
6. (7) Jones County (4-0)
7. (8) Starr's Mill (4-0)
8. (6) Griffin (4-0)
9. (9) Kell (1-3)
10. (10) Wayne County (3-0)
Class AAAA
1. (1) Cartersville (4-0)
2. (2) Thomson (3-0)
3. (5) Marist (4-0)
4. (4) Blessed Trinity (4-1)
5. (6) Jefferson (3-1)
6. (8) Ridgeland (4-0)
7. (9) Burke County (4-0)
8. (3) Sandy Creek (3-1)
9. (7) Woodward Academy (3-1)
10. (NR) Cedartown (4-0)
Out: No. 10 Mary Persons (3-2)
Class AAA
1. (1) Cedar Grove (4-0)
2. (2) Peach County (3-1)
3. (3) Greater Atlanta Christian (3-1)
4. (4) Crisp County (4-0)
5. (6) Calhoun (3-1)
6. (7) Jenkins (3-0)
7. (8) Bremen (4-0)
8. (10) Monroe Area (4-0)
9. (NR) Westminster (1-3)
10. (9) Lovett (1-3)
Out: No. 5 Dawson County
Class AA
1. (1) Benedictine (4-0)
2. (2) Hapeville Charter (3-1)
3. (3) Screven County (3-0)
4. (4) Rabun County (3-0)
5. (5) Callaway (4-0)
6. (6) Thomasville (4-0)
7. (7) Brooks County (3-0)
8. (8) Jefferson County (4-0)
9. (9) Dodge County (3-0)
10. (10) Fitzgerald (1-3)
Class A (private)
1. (1) Eagle's Landing Christian (5-0)
2. (2) Prince Avenue Christian (4-0)
3. (3) Wesleyan (4-1)
4. (4) Mount Paran Christian (3-1)
5. (5) Tattnall Square (3-0)
6. (6) Calvary Day (3-0)
7. (7) Athens Academy (3-0)
8. (8) Fellowship Christian (3-1)
9. (9) Stratford Academy (3-0)
10. (NR) Mount Pisgah Christian (3-1)
Out: No. 10 Aquinas
Class A (public)
1. (2) Manchester (4-0)
2. (5) Irwin County (3-1)
3. (3) Taylor County (3-0)
4. (6) Macon County (2-1)
5. (1) Clinch County (2-2)
6. (4) Commerce (3-0)
7. (7) Mount Zion (4-0)
8. (8) Turner County (3-1)
9. (9) Emanuel County Institute (3-1)
10. (10) Charlton County (3-0)
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