AJC Varsity

AJC Varsity rankings: Several teams enter Top 10s, new No. 1 team in 3A

Toombs County ascends to the top spot. Newton and Cook enter the rankings after beating highly ranked teams in overtime.
Buford's AJ Granville (right) runs while being defending by Gainesville's JaMarcus Sims during the second half Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in Buford. The Class 7A No. 1 Wolves beat the 6A No. 2 Red Elephants 39-19. (Erik S. Lesser for the AJC)
Buford's AJ Granville (right) runs while being defending by Gainesville's JaMarcus Sims during the second half Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in Buford. The Class 7A No. 1 Wolves beat the 6A No. 2 Red Elephants 39-19. (Erik S. Lesser for the AJC)
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Updated 5 minutes ago

Toombs County is the new No. 1 football team in Class 3A after defeating perennial power Benedictine 57-21 during the first full week of the regular season.

Toombs, the 2025 Class A Division I runner-up and 2024 champion that moved up in class, took the place of two-time reigning champion Carver of Columbus, which lost to Class 4A No. 9 Douglass 28-7 to end the Tigers’ 27-game winning streak. Carver fell to No. 5, and Douglass rose to No. 7.

The other No. 1 teams — Buford, Thomas County Central, Cartersville, Sandy Creek, Heard County, Lincoln County and Calvary Day — won impressively.

Thirteen teams fell out of the rankings and 12 others remained ranked despite losses, usually to other Top 10 teams. That included Benedictine, which is No. 9 in 5A. The Cadets had been No. 2.

Previously unranked Newton and Cook were among the biggest risers, each after winning their openers in overtime.

Newton entered the 7A rankings after a 34-27 OT victory Saturday night over previous No. 4 Douglas County, which fell to No. 7. Cook beat previous No. 2 Swainsboro 36-35 in overtime in a 2A game and entered the rankings at No. 5. Swainsboro is now No. 6.

Buford, the No. 1 Class 7A team, beat 6A’s No. 2 team, Gainesville, 39-19 on Saturday. Thomas County Central of 6A beat 7A’s No. 7 team, Colquitt County, 57-21.

Gainesville fell to No. 7, and Colquitt County became the second prominent 7A program in two weeks to fall out of the rankings after being blown out. Grayson was dispatched last week after losing to North Gwinnett. As did Grayson, Colquitt trailed by 30 points in the third quarter.

Cartersville, No. 1 in 5A, beat Hiram 48-0, and in 4A, No. 1 Sandy Creek gave Grayson another loss, 21-13.

Top-ranked Heard County of 2A beat Central of Carrollton 50-28. Central was ranked No. 5 in 5A but fell out. The victory was Heard’s first in history over a Top 10 team from a higher classification.

No. 1 Lincoln County of Class A beat Grovetown, a Class 6A team, 14-7. Four-time champion Bowdon fell from No. 2 to No. 6 in Class A after losing to Bremen 38-19.

Calvary Day, the 4A-2A Private No. 1, beat a Class 5A team, Glynn Academy, 49-22.

Class 7A

  1. (1) Buford (1-0)
  2. (2) Carrollton (1-0)
  3. (3) North Gwinnett (1-0)
  4. (5) McEachern (1-0)
  5. (6) Valdosta (1-0)
  6. (NR) Newton (1-0)
  7. (4) Douglas County (0-1)
  8. (8) Lowndes (1-0)
  9. (9) Brookwood (1-0)
  10. (10) Harrison (1-0)

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

Class 6A

  1. (1) Thomas County Central (1-0)
  2. (4) Milton (1-0)
  3. (5) Roswell (1-0)
  4. 3) Creekside (0-1)
  5. (6) Hughes (1-0)
  6. (7) Lee County (1-0)
  7. (2) Gainesville (0-1)
  8. (8) Houston County (1-0)
  9. (9) Jackson County (1-0)
  10. (NR) Coffee (1-0)

Out: No. 10 Kell (0-1)

Class 5A

  1. (1) Cartersville (1-0)
  2. (3) Marist (1-0)
  3. (7) Blessed Trinity (1-0)
  4. (8) LaGrange (1-0)
  5. (4) North Oconee (1-0)
  6. (9) Lithonia (1-0)
  7. (10) Warner Robins (1-0)
  8. (6) Jefferson (0-1)
  9. (2) Benedictine (0-1)
  10. (NR) Ware County (1-0)

Out: No. 5 Central (Carrollton) (0-1)

Class 4A

  1. (1) Sandy Creek (1-0)
  2. (2) Cairo (1-0)
  3. (3) Troup (1-0)
  4. (4) Stephenson (1-0)
  5. (5) Peach County (1-0)
  6. (6) Calhoun (1-0)
  7. (9) Douglass (1-0)
  8. (10) Monroe Area (1-0)
  9. (7) North Hall (0-1)
  10. (NR) Mary Persons (1-0)

Out: No. 8 West Laurens (0-1)

Class 3A

  1. (2) Toombs County (1-0)
  2. (3) Worth County (1-0)
  3. (5) Burke County (1-0)
  4. (10) Pierce County (1-0)
  5. (1) Carver (Columbus) (0-1)
  6. (7) Appling County (0-0)
  7. (NR) Northeast (1-0)
  8. (NR) Callaway (1-0)
  9. (NR) Morgan County (1-0)
  10. (6) Rockmart (0-1)

Out: No. 4 Sumter County (0-1), No. 8 Hapeville Charter (0-1), 9. Carver (Atlanta) (0-1)

Class 2A

  1. (1) Heard County (1-0)
  2. (3) Fitzgerald (1-0)
  3. (5) Dublin (1-0)
  4. (6) Bleckley County (1-0)
  5. (NR) Cook (1-0)
  6. (2) Swainsboro (0-1)
  7. (9) Rabun County (0-0)
  8. (10) Dodge County (0-0)
  9. (4) Thomasville (0-1)
  10. (7) Pepperell (1-0)

Out: No. 8 Brooks County (0-1)

Class A

  1. (1) Lincoln County (1-0)
  2. (3) Clinch County (0-1)
  3. (4) Wheeler County (1-0)
  4. (5) Johnson County (1-0)
  5. (6) Early County (0-0)
  6. (2) Bowdon (0-1)
  7. (8) Emanuel County Institute (1-0)
  8. (NR) Trion (1-0)
  9. (NR) Irwin County (1-0)
  10. (NR) Hawkinsville (1-0)

Out: No. 7 Manchester (0-1), No. 9 Wilcox County (0-1), No. 10 Seminole County (0-1)

Class 4A-2A Private

  1. (1) Calvary Day (1-0)
  2. (2) Hebron Christian (1-0)
  3. (3) Greater Atlanta Christian (1-0)
  4. (4) Prince Avenue Christian (1-0)
  5. (5) Savannah Christian (1-0)
  6. (6) Aquinas (1-0)
  7. (8) Holy Innocents’ (1-0)
  8. (9) Whitefield Academy (1-0)
  9. (NR) Fellowship Christian (1-0)
  10. (NR) Lovett (1-0)

Out: No. 7 Athens Academy (0-1), No. 10 Trinity Christian (0-1)