Poll talk: Tucker, Clinch County retain No. 1 rankings despite losses

In the cases of Tucker and Clinch, there wasn’t a team with a resume quite strong enough to take their places.

In AAAAAA, five of the Top 10 have lost to lower-classification teams – No. 4 Harrison to Rome, No. 5 Mays and No. 8 Lovejoy to Stockbridge, No. 7 Northside-Warner Robins to Warner Robins and No. 10 Northgate to Starr’s Mill. None constitutes a bad loss, but it demonstrates the uncertainty in the classification.

Also note that defending champion Valdosta was ousted from the rankings this week for losing to a lower-classification team, Wayne County. Taking advantage of the opportunity was Winder-Barrow (3-0), which entered the rankings for the first time since 1994.

Ranked No. 2 and No. 3 are Lee County and Coffee, both members of strong Region 1. Each is 3-0. Harrison is still No. 4 despite a 1-2 record.

Clinch County remained No. 1 because its loss to Brooks County is not unusual or unexpected. Brooks has beaten Clinch five of the past six seasons. Defending Class A public champion Macon County, ranked No. 2, would’ve taken the top spot but lost to fellow-Class A member Irwin County. Manchester, which lost only to Macon County last year, was not overly impressive in a 20-16 victory over Southwest, a team that Manchester handled 35-6 a year ago.

Class AAAAAAA

1. (1) Grayson (2-0)

2. (2) Colquitt County (3-0)

3. (3) Lowndes (3-0)

4. (4) Mill Creek (3-0)

5. (6) North Cobb (3-0)

6. (7) Archer (2-0)

7. (8) Norcross (1-1)

8. (10) Walton (3-0)

9. (NR) South Forsyth (3-0)

10. (9) McEachern (0-2)

Out: No. 5 Parkview

Class AAAAAA

1. (1) Tucker (2-1)

2. (2) Lee County (3-0)

4. (4) Coffee (3-0)

4. (3) Harrison (1-2)

5. (5) Mays (1-1)

6. (9) Hughes (2-0)

7. (10) Northside-Warner Robins (2-1)

8. (7) Lovejoy (2-1)

9. (NR) Winder-Barrow (3-0)

10. (6) Northgate (1-1)

Out: No. 8 Valdosta

Class AAAAA

1. (1) Rome (2-0)

2. (2) Buford (2-0)

3. (3) Stockbridge (2-0)

4. (4) Carrollton (2-0)

5. (6) Warner Robins (3-0)

6. (7) Griffin (2-0)

7. (8) Jones County (2-0)

8. (9) Starr's Mill (2-0)

9. (5) Kell (0-2)

10. (NR) Wayne County (2-0)

Out: No. 10 Carver (Atlanta)

Class AAAA

1. (1) Cartersville (3-0)

2. (3) Thomson (3-0)

3. (4) Sandy Creek (2-0)

4. (2) Blessed Trinity (2-1)

5. (7) Marist (2-0)

6. (5) Woodward Academy (2-0)

7. (6) Jefferson (2-1)

8. (9) Ridgeland (3-0)

9. (10) Burke County (3-0)

10. (8) Mary Persons (2-1)

Class AAA

1. (2) Greater Atlanta Christian (2-0)

2. (3) Cedar Grove (2-0)

3. (1) Peach County (1-1)

4. (5) Crisp County (3-0)

5. (6) Dawson County (2-0)

6. (4) Calhoun (2-1)

7. (8) Jenkins (2-0)

8. (10) Bremen (2-0)

9. (9) Sonoraville (2-0)

10. (NR) Lovett (1-2)

Out: No. 7 Pace Academy

Class AA

1. (1) Benedictine (2-0)

2. (2) Hapeville Charter (2-1)

3. (4) Screven County (2-0)

4. (3) Fitzgerald (1-2)

5. (5) Rabun County (2-0)

6. (6) Callaway (2-0)

7. (7) Thomasville (3-0)

8. (8) Brooks County (2-0)

9. (9) Jefferson County (2-0)

10. (10) Dodge County (2-0)

Class A (private)

1. (1) Eagle's Landing Christian (3-0)

2. (2) Prince Avenue Christian (3-0)

3. (3) Wesleyan (3-0)

4. (4) Mount Paran Christian (2-1)

5. (6) Tattnall Square (1-0)

6. (7) Calvary Day (2-0)

7. (8) Fellowship Christian (1-1)

8. (5) Darlington (1-1)

9. (9) Athens Academy (2-0)

10. (10) Stratford Academy (2-0)

Class A (public)

1. (1) Clinch County (2-1)

2. (3) Manchester (3-0)

3. (4) Taylor County (2-0)

4. (5) Commerce (2-0)

5. (8) Irwin County (2-1)

6. (2) Macon County (1-1)

7. (9) Mount Zion (2-0)

8. (6) Turner County (2-1)

9. (7) Lincoln County (1-1)

10. (10) Emanuel County Institute (2-1)