Who won GHSA championships: First-timers, dominant schools and more

This also was the first academic year since 2016-17 in which a public school was among those winning the most. Six of this year’s eight — all but Westminster and Lovett — were public schools. The only previous public schools this century to finish atop the state title count were Buford in 2016-17 and Collins Hill in 2007-08.

GHSA reclassification led to the power shift, as 36 of the member private schools were confined to private-only state playoffs in most sports. Seven others, including perennial powers Westminster and Marist, competed in Class 4A.

Seven public schools won historic championships.

Four won titles for the first time. They were B.E.S.T. Academy (boys basketball), Cherokee Bluff (girls basketball), KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (boys track and field) and Elite Scholars Academy (volleyball). Each opened in the past 20 years.

Carver-Atlanta won its first state title in 56 years when its girls track and field team won Class 2A. Others breaking long title droughts were Cherokee (49 years), Claxton (37), Monroe Area (34), Butler (30), Savannah (27), Troup (24), Early County (21), Hardaway (21) and LaGrange (20).

2024-25 GHSA state championships

By school

Alpharetta: volleyball

Appling County: tennis (girls)

Armuchee: soccer (boys)

Atlanta Classical (2): cross-country (girls), soccer (girls)

Atlanta International (2): soccer (boys), tennis (girls)

B.E.S.T. Academycross country basketball (boys)

Bleckley County (3): cross-country and track and field (boys), cross-country (girls),

Blessed Trinity (2): baseball, soccer (girls)

Bowdon: football

Brantley County (2): tennis (boys), tennis (girls)

Bremen: cheerleading (competition)

Brookwood (2): swimming (boys), swimming (girls)

Buford: track and field (boys)

Butler: basketball (boys)

Calhoun: football

Calvary Day: baseball

Cambridge (2): cross-country (boys), lacrosse (girls)

Camden County (2): wrestling (duals), wrestling (traditional)

Campbell: soccer (boys)

Cartersville (2): cheerleading (competition), golf (boys)

Carver-Atlanta: track and field (girls)

Carver-Columbus: football

Cass (2): wrestling (duals), wrestling (traditional)

Cedartown: cheerleading (game day)

Cherokee: golf (boys)

Cherokee Bluff (2): basketball (girls), cheerleading (competition)

Claxton: track and field (girls)

Columbus (2): cheerleading (game day), golf (boys)

Creekside: basketball (girls)

Creekview (4): golf (boys), softball (fast-pitch), wrestling (duals), wrestling (traditional)

Darlington: golf (boys)

Denmark: cross-country (boys)

Drew Charter: soccer (boys)

Early County: tennis (boys)

East Coweta (2): riflery, softball (fast-pitch)

East Jackson: cross-country (boys)

Elbert County: golf (boys)

Elite Scholars Academy: volleyball

Emanuel County Institute: softball (fast-pitch)

Fannin County: basketball (girls)

Georgia Military College: cross-country (boys)

Gordon Lee (3): baseball, golf (girls), softball (fast-pitch)

Grayson: football

Greater Atlanta Christian (3): swimming (boys), tennis (boys), track and field (girls)

Greenbrier (2): flag football, wrestling (duals)

Haralson County: cheerleading (game day)

Hardaway: basketball (girls)

Harris County: softball (fast-pitch)

Hebron Christian (2): football, volleyball

Heritage-Ringgold (2): dance, softball (fast-pitch)

Holy Innocents’: basketball (boys)

Hughes: track and field (boys)

Jefferson (4): golf (girls), volleyball, wrestling (duals), wrestling (traditional)

Johns Creek (2): golf (girls), swimming (boys)

Johnson-Gainesville: Soccer (boys)

KIPP Atlanta Collegiate: track and field (boys)

LaGrange: tennis (boys)

Lake Oconee Academy (4): cheerleading (competition), golf (boys), golf (girls), Soccer (boys)

Lambert (3): golf (girls), lacrosse (boys), tennis (boys)

Landmark Christian: track and field (boys)

Lanier County: baseball

Lassiter: swimming (girls)

Lovett (4): cross-country (boys), Soccer (girls), swimming (girls), wrestling (traditional)

Lumpkin County (2): wrestling (duals), wrestling (traditional)

Marietta (2): cross-country (girls), track and field (girls)

Marist (3): cross-country (girls), lacrosse (boys), swimming (girls)

Mary Persons: cheerleading (game day)

McEachern: flag football

McIntosh (3): cheerleading (game day), cheerleading (competition), tennis (boys)

Milton (4): cross-country (boys), football, lacrosse (girls), tennis (girls)

Mitchell County: track and field (boys)

Model: Soccer (girls)

Monroe Area: track and field (girls)

Morgan County (2): softball (fast-pitch), volleyball

Mount Paran Christian: cheerleading (competition)

Newnan: baseball

Newton: basketball (girls)

North Forsyth (2): cheerleading (competition), gymnastics

North Gwinnett: cheerleading (game day)

North Hall: cross-country (girls)

North Oconee (4): basketball (boys), football, golf (girls), gymnastics

Northview: swimming (boys)

Oconee County (3): cross-country (boys), Soccer (girls), tennis (girls)

Pace Academy: volleyball

Peachtree Ridge: dance

Pierce County: cheerleading (competition)

Pike County: Soccer (girls)

Pope (4): cross-country (girls), flag football, track and field (girls), volleyball

Richmond Hill: softball (slow-pitch)

River Ridge (2): basketball (girls), Soccer (boys)

Rockmart (2): baseball, wrestling (duals)

Roswell (2): lacrosse (boys), Soccer (girls)

Sandy Creek (2): basketball (boys), track and field (boys)

Savannah: basketball (boys)

Savannah Arts: cross-country (girls)

Social Circle (2): wrestling (duals), wrestling (traditional)

South Forsyth: cheerleading (competition)

Southeast Bulloch: flag football

Starr’s Mill (2): dance, track and field (boys)

Stilwell Arts: dance

Telfair County: tennis (girls)

Toombs County: football

Tri-Cities: basketball (boys)

Troup: baseball

Vidalia: track and field (girls)

Walton (2): baseball, Soccer (girls)

Wesleyan (2): cross-country (girls), softball (fast-pitch)

West Forsyth (2): lacrosse (girls), tennis (girls)

West Laurens: golf (boys)

Westminster (4): Soccer (boys), tennis (boys), tennis (girls), track and field (girls)

Wheeler: basketball (boys)

Wilcox County: basketball (girls)

By sport

Baseball: Walton (6A), Newnan (5A), Blessed Trinity (4A), Troup (3A), Rockmart (2A), Gordon Lee (A Division I), Lanier County (A Division II), Calvary Day (3A-A Private)

basketball (boys): Wheeler (6A), Tri-Cities (5A), North Oconee (4A), Sandy Creek (3A), Butler (2A), B.E.S.T. Academy (A Division I), Savannah (A Division II), Holy Innocents’ (3A-A Private)

Basketball (girls): Newton (6A), River Ridge (5A), Creekside (4A), Cherokee Bluff (3A), Hardaway (2A), Fannin County (A Division I), Wilcox County (A Division II), Holy Innocents’ (3A-A Private)

Cheer (game day): North Gwinnett (6A), McIntosh (5A), Cedartown (4A), Mary Persons (3A), Columbus (2A), Haralson County (A)

Cheerleading (competition): North Forsyth (6A), McIntosh (5A), Cartersville (4A), Cherokee Bluff (3A), Pierce County (2A), Bremen (A Division I), Lake Oconee Academy (A Division II), Mount Paran Christian (3A-A Private), South Forsyth (Coed)

Cross-country (boys): Denmark (6A), Milton (5A), Cambridge (4A), Oconee County (3A), East Jackson (2A), Bleckley County (A Division I), Georgia Military College (A Division II), Lovett (3A-A Private)

Cross-country (girls): Marietta (6A), Pope (5A), Marist (4A), North Hall (3A), Savannah Arts (2A), Bleckley County (A Division I), Atlanta Classical (A Division II), Wesleyan (3A-A Private)

Dance: Peachtree Ridge (6A), Stilwell Arts (A), Starr’s Mill (4A-5A), Heritage-Ringgold (2A-3A)

Flag football: McEachern (Division 4), Pope (Division 3), Greenbrier (Division 2), Southeast Bulloch (Division 1)

Football: Grayson (6A), Milton (5A), North Oconee (4A), Calhoun (3A), Carver-Columbus (2A), Toombs County (A Division I), Bowdon (A Division II), Hebron Christian (3A-A Private)

Golf (boys): Cherokee (6A), Creekview (5A), Cartersville (4A), West Laurens (3A), Columbus (2A), Elbert County (A Division I), Lake Oconee Academy (A Division II), Darlington (3A-A Private)

Golf (girls): Lambert (6A), Johns Creek (5A), North Oconee (4A), Jefferson (3A), Pierce County (2A), Gordon Lee (A Division I), Lake Oconee Academy (A Division II), Holy Innocents’ (3A-A Private)

Gymnastics: North Forsyth (5A-6A), North Oconee (A-4A)

Lacrosse (boys): Marist (Division 1), Roswell (Division 2), Lambert (Division 3)

Riflery: East Coweta (All-class)

Soccer (boys): Campbell (6A), River Ridge (5A), Westminster (4A), Johnson-Gainesville (3A), Drew Charter (2A), Armuchee (A Division I), Lake Oconee Academy (A Division II), Atlanta International (3A-A Private)

Soccer (girls): Walton (6A), Roswell (5A), Blessed Trinity (4A), Oconee County (3A), Pike County (2A), Model (A Division I), Atlanta Classical (A Division II), Lovett (3A-A Private)

Softball (fast-pitch): East Coweta (6A), Creekview (5A), Harris County (4A), Heritage-Ringgold (3A), Morgan County (2A), Gordon Lee (A Division I), Emanuel County Institute (A Division II), Wesleyan (3A-A Private)

Softball (slow-pitch): Richmond Hill (All-class)

Swimming (boys): Brookwood (6A), Johns Creek (5A), Northview (4A), Greater Atlanta Christian (A-3A)

Swimming (girls): Brookwood (6A), Lassiter (5A), Marist (4A), Lovett (A-3A)

Tennis (boys): Lambert (6A), McIntosh (5A), Westminster (4A), LaGrange (3A), Pierce County (2A), Brantley County (A Division I), Early County (A Division II), Greater Atlanta Christian (3A-A Private)

Tennis (girls): West Forsyth (6A), Milton (5A), Westminster (4A), Oconee County (3A), Appling County (2A), Brantley County (A Division I), Telfair County (A Division II), Atlanta International (3A-A Private)

Track and field (boys): Buford (6A), Hughes (5A), Starr’s Mill (4A), Sandy Creek (3A), KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (2A), Bleckley County (A Division I), Mitchell County (A Division II), Landmark Christian (3A-A Private)

Track and field (girls): Marietta (6A), Pope (5A), Westminster (4A), Monroe Area (3A), Carver-Atlanta (2A), Vidalia (A Division I), Claxton (A Division II), Greater Atlanta Christian (3A-A Private)

Volleyball: Alpharetta (6A), Pope (5A), Pace Academy (4A), Jefferson (3A), Morgan County (2A), Elite Scholars Academy (A), Hebron Christian (3A-A Private)

Wrestling (duals): Camden County (6A), Creekview (5A), Cass (4A), Jefferson (3A), Rockmart (2A), Social Circle (A), Lumpkin County (Girls Division 2), Greenbrier (Girls Division 1)

Wrestling (traditional): Camden County (6A), Creekview (5A), Cass (4A), Jefferson (3A), Lovett (2A), Social Circle (A), Lumpkin County (Girls)