Marist dominant, close 2A battle in inaugural AJC Varsity all-sports standings

DeKalb County private school Marist, which has one of the most successful athletic programs in state history, heads into the spring championship season with the all-classification lead in the inaugural AJC Varsity all-sports standings for Georgia High School Association schools.

The War Eagles have won three state championships during the 2025-26 school year and had four other teams with top-four finishes to compile 1,123.7 points. That gives Marist a lead of 163.8 points, the largest in any classification, over second-place North Oconee in the Class 4A standings.

Last month, national player of the year Kate Harpring led the War Eagles to the girls basketball championship. Marist also won state titles in boys and girls swimming in early February.

The AJC Varsity all-sports standings are modeled after similar competitions used by college divisions and other high school associations, but with a twist: Sports are weighted based on NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) and statewide participation numbers and the number of championships awarded by the GHSA. It is also the state’s most inclusive ranking, tracking more schools and more sports than any of its kind in Georgia.

Schools can earn up to 100 points in each of 31 GHSA sports, and those points are multiplied (1.3, 1.2 or 1.1 times, based on the participation and championship numbers) for a total score in each sport. A school’s overall score is made up of its top eight boys finishes, top eight girls finishes, and next-best finish regardless of gender (or coed).

An overall winner will be declared in each classification. The top boys program and top girls program in each class also will be recognized, along with a top school in each region.

Two schools that have won four state championships each during this school year are leading the competition in their classifications.

Creekview of Class 5A has won championships in boys cross country, fast-pitch softball, boys dual wrestling and girls basketball and holds a 10.1-point lead over second-place Milton, a slim margin that was provided when the Grizzlies defeated Milton in the girls basketball championship game in March.

Hebron Christian of Class 3A-A Private has won state titles in boys cross country, football, volleyball and girls basketball to amass 1,000.6 points. The Lions have a 69.6-point lead over second-place Greater Atlanta Christian, which has won championships in gameday cheerleading, boys swimming and girls swimming. Hebron Christian is the only school other than Marist with more than 1,000 points.

Other schools with three state championships in the current school year are Camden County (boys dual wrestling, boys traditional wrestling, girls traditional wrestling), Heritage-Catoosa (cheerleading, fast-pitch softball and girls basketball), Jefferson (volleyball, boys dual wrestling, boys traditional wrestling) and Pope (girls cross country, flag football and volleyball).

The closest race in any classification is in 2A, where Columbus has 838.1 points and holds a 3.8-point lead over Morgan County. Both schools have won two state championships.

Leaders in the other classifications are Buford in Class 6A, Jefferson in 3A, Bremen in A Division I, and Wilcox County in A Division II.

Only 31 of the GHSA’s 457 schools failed to earn any points in the fall and winter playoffs. Of those, 19 are members of Class A Division II, which consists of the state’s smallest public schools. Six of the other 12 are magnet, charter or small private schools that do not play football.

Listed below are the top 10 teams in each classification after the fall and winter championships.

Class 6A

1. Buford — 976.1
2. North Gwinnett — 923.2
3. Richmond Hill — 874.2
4. Carrollton — 848.6
5. Walton — 837.2
6. West Forsyth — 829.9
7. Brookwood — 787.0
8. Hillgrove — 754.9
9. North Forsyth — 729.9
10. Harrison — 685.2

Boys leader: North Gwinnett — 442.4

Girls leader: Richmond Hill — 578.8

Class 5A

1. Creekview — 855.9
2. Milton — 845.8
3. Pope — 800.7
4. Woodward Academy — 794.0
5. Sequoyah — 736.2
6. Jackson County — 692.2
7. Lassiter — 643.1
8. River Ridge — 625.7
9. Greenbrier — 614.9
10. Gainesville — 604.7

Boys leader: Woodward Academy — 326.2

Girls leader: Milton — 601.9

Class 4A

1. Marist — 1,123.7
2. North Oconee — 959.9
3. St. Pius — 835.5
4. Cambridge — 791.1
5. Pace Academy — 783
6. Blessed Trinity — 753.8
7. Harris County — 729.6
8. Cartersville — 728.1
9. Starr’s Mill — 713.7
10. Westminster — 708.7

Boys leader: North Oconee — 408.7

Girls leader: Marist — 720.9

Class 3A

1. Jefferson — 940.8
2. North Hall — 848.4
3. Oconee County — 794.4
4. Heritage-Catoosa — 770.7
5. Cherokee Bluff — 762.3
6. Calhoun — 685.9
7. Whitewater — 647.3
8. Long County — 635.5
9. West Laurens — 629.0
10. Lumpkin County — 616.6

Boys leader: Jefferson — 423.3

Girls leader: Heritage-Catoosa — 529.3

Class 2A

1. Columbus — 838.1
2. Morgan County — 834.3
3. Franklin County — 659.9
4. Pierce County — 645.4
5. Sonoraville — 622.4
6. Rockmart — 617.4
7. Union County — 613.5
8. Hart County — 610.8
9. Pike County — 604.0
10. Coahulla Creek — 581.6

Boys leader: Morgan County — 374.6

Girls leader: Columbus — 501.1

Class A Division I

1. Bremen — 768.5
2. Gordon Lee — 677.2
3. Heard County — 663.2
4. Toombs County — 658.6
5. Fannin County — 615.9
6. Vidalia — 578.6
7. Fitzgerald — 551.0
8. Model — 535.4
9. Elbert County — 494.2
10. Armuchee — 492.7

Boys leader: Toombs County — 336.7

Girls leader: Bremen — 531.9

Class A Division II

1. Wilcox County — 576.0
2. Trion — 503.3
3. Screven County — 499.3
4. Metter — 496.5
5. Bowdon — 486.2
6. Lake Oconee Academy — 469.4
7. Washington-Wilkes — 421.5
8. Schley County — 379.9
9. Wheeler County — 369.3
10. Emanuel County Institute — 368.1

Boys leader: Clinch County — 237.9

Girls leader: Wilcox County — 406.2

Class 3A-A Private

1. Hebron Christian — 1,000.6
2. Greater Atlanta Christian — 931.0
3. Lovett — 885.0
4. Mount Vernon — 832.2
5. Wesleyan — 740.8
6. Holy Innocents’ — 697.1
7. North Cobb Christian — 638.5
8. Whitefield Academy — 633.1
9. Savannah Christian — 588.2
10. Calvary Day — 584.3

Boys leader: Hebron Christian — 399.6