Georgia HS football rankings: 11-time champion takes over top spot in class

Three-time defending champion Bowdon is out of the top spot in the Class A Division II football rankings after a decisive opening-night loss.

The new No. 1 is Lincoln County, a program looking to restore its glory days.

The other seven preseason No. 1 teams — Grayson (6A), Hughes (5A), North Oconee (4A), Calhoun (3A), Carver-Columbus (2A), Toombs County (A Division I) and Prince Avenue Christian (3A-A Private) — won impressively in the first week of the season.

Three of them defeated other top-10 teams: Grayson (51-3 over No. 5 Collins Hill), North Oconee (41-0 over No. 7 Oconee County of 3A) and Prince Avenue Christian (40-17 over No. 4 Callaway of 2A).

Bowdon lost 26-0 to Class 3A-A Private’s No. 3 team, Fellowship Christian. Bowdon also lost to Fellowship Christian last season, though by one point. Bowdon was ranked No. 1 during only 14 of its 45 games the past three seasons — and lost two of three opening games — but always finished on top.

Lincoln County is No. 1 for the first time since 2012. Lincoln County has won 11 state titles, the most of any Class A school, but none since 2006. The 2025 team returns its leading passer and rusher and nine of 11 defensive starters from an 11-1 team.

Lincoln County opens its season Friday against No. 7 Jenkins County. Lincoln County’s original opener was not played because its opponent, Augusta Christian, pulled out days before.

Class 6A

1. (1) Grayson (1-0) Last week: Beat Collins Hill 51-3. Next: Friday vs. Rabun Gap (0-0)

2. (2) Buford (1-0) Last week: Beat Milton 20-13. Next: Friday at Benedictine (0-1)

3. (3) Douglas County (1-0) Last week: Beat North Gwinnett 21-7. Next: Friday at Jonesboro (1-0)

4. (4) Carrollton (1-0) Last week: Beat Woodward Academy 48-21. Next: Friday vs. Columbia (0-1)

5. (7) Colquitt County (1-0) Last week: Beat Benedictine 27-24. Next: Friday vs. Monroe (0-1)

6. (8) North Cobb (1-0) Last week: Beat Archer 28-14. Next: Friday at McEachern (1-0)

7. (9) Lowndes (1-0) Last week: Beat Jenkins 43-20. Next: Friday vs. Mount Zion-Jonesboro (0-1)

8. (6) North Gwinnett (0-1) Last week: Lost to Douglas County 21-7. Next: Aug. 29 vs. Colquitt County (1-0)

9. (10) Valdosta (1-0) Last week: Beat Tucker 63-19. Next: Friday vs. Mundy’s Mill (0-0)

10. (NR) Mill Creek (1-0) Last week: Beat Lambert 30-16. Next: Friday vs. Norcross (1-0)

Out: No. 5 Collins Hill (0-1)

Class 5A

1. (1) Hughes (1-0) Last week: Beat Westlake 46-21. Next: Friday at Mays (0-1)

2. (2) Gainesville (1-0) Last week: Beat Marietta 26-7. Next: Thursday vs. Moody, Ala. (0-0)

3. (3) Milton (0-1) Last week: Lost to Buford 20-13. Next: Friday at The First Academy, Fla. (0-0)

4. (4) Thomas County Central (1-0) Last week: Beat Monroe 56-7. Next: Friday at Cairo (0-0)

5. (5) Lee County (1-0) Last week: Beat Warner Robins 45-7. Next: Friday vs. Hapeville (0-0)

6. (6) Roswell (1-0) Last week: Beat Peachtree Ridge 45-17. Next: Oct. 31 vs. Coffee (1-0)

7. (7) Sprayberry (1-0) Last week: Beat Alexander 48-6. Next: Friday vs. Etowah (1-0)

8. (8) Coffee (1-0) Last week: Beat Bainbridge 28-14. Next: Friday at Ware County (1-0)

9. (9) Houston County (1-0) Last week: Beat Brookwood 24-31. Next: Friday at Effingham County (0-0)

10. (10) Sequoyah (1-0) Last week: Beat Denmark 24-21. Next: Friday at Cherokee (0-1)

Class 4A

1. (1) North Oconee (1-0) Last week: Beat Oconee County 41-0. Next: Friday vs. Dalton (0-1)

2. (2) Benedictine (0-1) Last week: Lost to Colquitt County 27-24. Next: Friday vs. Buford (1-0)

3. (3) Creekside (1-0) Last week: Beat Rome 48-28. Next: Friday at Seminole, Fla. (0-0)

4. (4) Blessed Trinity (1-0) Last week: Beat Tri-Cities 57-14. Next: Friday vs. Holy Innocents’ (1-0)

5. (5) Cartersville (1-0) Last week: Beat Columbia 44-0. Next: Friday at Rockmart (1-0)

6. (7) Cambridge (1-0) Last week: Beat Pope 45-0. Next: Friday at Johns Creek (0-0)

7. (6) Marist (0-1) Last week: Lost to Jefferson 19-0. Next: Aug. 29 vs. Woodward Academy (0-1)

8. (8) Ware County (1-0) Last week: Beat Appling County 55-7. Next: Friday vs. Coffee (1-0)

9. (10) Kell (1-0) Last week: Beat South Paulding 44-21. Next: Friday vs. Alpharetta (0-0)

10. (NR) Perry (1-0) Last week: Beat Baldwin 46-18. Next: Friday at Peach County (1-0)

Out: No. 9 Warner Robins (0-1)

Class 3A

1. (1) Calhoun (1-0) Last week: Beat Creekview 28-3. Next: Oct. 31 vs. Creekside (1-0)

2. (2) Jefferson (1-0) Last week: Beat Marist 19-0. Next: Friday vs. Jackson County (0-1)

3. (3) Sandy Creek (1-0) Last week: Beat East Coweta 28-21. Next: Friday vs. McIntosh (1-0)

4. (4) LaGrange (1-0) Last week: Beat Cass 27-7. Next: Friday at Early County (0-1)

5. (5) Peach County (1-0) Last week: Beat Northeast 33-14. Next: Friday vs. Perry (1-0)

6. (6) Stephenson (1-0) Last week: Beat Mays 24-0. Next: Thursday at Arabia Mountain (1-0)

7. (8) North Hall (0-0) Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Wesleyan (1-0)

8. (9) Cherokee Bluff (1-0) Last week: Beat Lumpkin County 31-21. Next: Friday vs. Apalachee (1-0)

9. (10) Cairo (0-0) Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Thomas County Central (1-0)

10. (NR) Monroe Area (1-0) Last week: Beat Loganville 44-0. Next: Friday at Cedar Shoals (0-1)

Out: No. 7 Oconee County (0-1)

Class 2A

1. (1) Carver-Columbus (1-0) Last week: Beat Whitewater 51-25. Next: Friday at Spencer (0-0)

2. (5) Rockmart (1-0) Last week: Beat Cedartown 56-7. Next: Friday vs. Cartersville (1-0)

3. (2) Pierce County (0-0) Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Coosa Christian, Ala. (0-0)

4. (3) Burke County (1-0) Last week: Beat Richmond Academy 46-35. Next: Friday at Cross Creek (1-0)

5. (8) Carver (Atlanta) (1-0) Last week: Beat Southwest DeKalb 12-7. Next: Friday at Luella (0-1)

6. (4) Callaway (0-1) Last week: Lost to Prince Avenue Christian 40-17. Next: Aug. 28 vs. Opelika, Ala. (0-0)

7. (7) Morgan County (1-0) Last week: Beat Warren County 56-3. Next: Friday vs. Putnam County (1-0)

8. (9) Thomson (1-0) Last week: Beat Evans 7-0. Next: Friday at North Augusta, S.C. (0-0)

9. (NR) Hapeville Charter (0-0) Last week: Off. Next: at Lee County (1-0)

10. (NR) Hart County (1-0) Last week: Beat Elbert County 51-20. Next: Friday at Madison County (0-0)

Out: No. 6 Appling County (0-1), No. 10 Stephens County (0-1)

Class A Division I

1. (1) Toombs County (1-0) Last week: Beat Dooly County 42-0. Next: Friday at Dougherty (1-0)