Union County is in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s high school football rankings for the first time in 30 years after a week of calm among the Top 10.
Ranked teams went 43-3 when not playing each other. They were 31-0 in the four highest classifications.
Class AA suffered two upsets, both in southwest Georgia’s Region 3-AA. Jefferson County beat previous No. 9 Screven County 44-20 and took Screven’s No. 9 spot in Class AA. Dublin lost to unranked Metter 17-14 and fell out of the rankings.
In Dublin’s place came Union County (5-0) at No. 10. More known for mountains and fall colors than football, Union County has spent a few weeks ranked in other polls in 2013 and 2014 but not in an AJC poll since Oct. 29, 1985, when the team finished 8-2.
The team also was 5-0 last season en route to a 9-2 finish that represented the school’s best season since 2001, when current coach Brian Allison ended his first tenure at his alma mater. He returned in 2008, and the Panthers’ fortunes have begun to rise again. Union County has never won a state-playoff game.
The only other new team in the rankings is Turner County, a Class A team that stunned previous No. 7 Charlton County 44-0.
The biggest jump in the rankings came from Wesleyan, which moved up four places to No. 4 in AA after an 18-9 victory over previous No. 4 Pace Academy in a game between unbeaten Region 6-AA opponents.
This week, four games match ranked opponents. They are No. 3 Roswell at No. 6 Walton in AAAAAA, No. 3 Jefferson at No. 4 Elbert County in AAA, No. 1 Calhoun at No. 9 Adairsville in AAA and No. 8 Model at No. 6 Darlington in AA.
Class AAAAAA
- (1) Colquitt County (5-0)
- (2) Grayson (5-0)
- (3) Roswell (4-0)
- (4) Archer (3-1)
- (6) Mill Creek (5-0)
- (5) Walton (5-0)
- (7) McEachern (3-1)
- (8) Lee County (5-0)
- (9) Camden County (5-0)
- (10) Norcross (5-0)
Class AAAAA
- (1) Northside, Warner Robins (5-0)
- (2) Houston County (5-0)
- (3) Stockbridge (4-0)
- (4) Mays (5-0)
- (5) Ware County (5-0)
- (6) Lanier (5-0)
- (7) Stephenson (3-1)
- (8) Jones County (4-1)
- (9) Coffee (4-1)
- (10) Allatoona (4-1)
Class AAAA
- (1) Cartersville (4-0)
- (2) Buford (3-1)
- (3) Woodward Academy (5-0)
- (4) Mary Persons (5-0)
- (5) Thomson (4-0)
- (6) Bainbridge (5-0)
- (7) Marist (4-1)
- (8) St. Pius (2-2)
- (9) Spalding (5-0)
- (10) Sandy Creek (5-1)
Class AAA
- (1) Calhoun (5-0)
- (2) Blessed Trinity (5-0)
- (3) Jefferson (5-0)
- (4) Elbert County (5-0)
- (5) Cedar Grove (4-1)
- (6) Peach County (4-1)
- (7) Westside, Macon (5-0)
- (8) Central, Carrollton (5-0)
- (9) Adairsville (4-0)
- (10) Dodge County (5-0)
Class AA
- (1) Benedictine (4-0)
- (2) Fitzgerald (5-0)
- (3) Greater Atlanta Christian (4-1)
- (8) Wesleyan (5-0)
- (5) Rabun County (4-1)
- (6) Darlington (5-0)
- (4) Pace Academy (5-1)
- (10) Model (5-0)
- (NR) Jefferson County (3-2)
- (NR) Union County (5-0)
Class A
- (1) Mount Paran Christian (5-0)
- (2) Prince Avenue Christian (5-0)
- (3) Eagle's Landing Christian (3-3)
- (4) Irwin County (3-1-1)
- (5) Marion County (3-1)
- (8) Calvary Day (4-0)
- (NR) Turner County (5-0)
- (9) Aquinas (4-1)
- (10) Lincoln County (5-0)
- (6) Landmark Christian (3-2)
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