AJC Varsity

AJC Varsity rankings: Upset wins put 3 teams in top 10 for first time in years

Lincoln County retakes the No. 1 ranking in Class A.
Tucker players leave the field after warmups before the game against Stephenson on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Hallford Stadium in Clarkston. Tucker beat Class 4A No. 4 Stephenson 21-14. (Erik S. Lesser for the AJC)
Tucker players leave the field after warmups before the game against Stephenson on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Hallford Stadium in Clarkston. Tucker beat Class 4A No. 4 Stephenson 21-14. (Erik S. Lesser for the AJC)
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Marietta, Tucker and Randolph-Clay beat Top 10 teams for the first time in years.

Now, the three are ranked, also for the first time in years.

Marietta defeated then-No. 4 McEachern 21-19 in Class 7A, ending a 17-game losing streak against Top 10 teams that dated back to 2021.

For the first time since that 2021 season, Marietta is in the rankings, coming in at No. 10. Marietta is 2-1, with its only loss to NFL Academy in a game played in England to open the season.

Marietta’s entry pushed McEachern out of the rankings.

Tucker defeated Stephenson, the No. 4 team in Class 4A, 21-14 and entered the rankings at No. 8 in 5A.

Tucker had lost 23 straight against Top 10 teams, dating to 2017, and is in the rankings for the first time since 2019.

In Class A, Randolph-Clay defeated then-No. 7 Mitchell County 30-0, ending a 24-game winless streak against Top 10 teams that dated to 2006, also the last year the Red Devils were ranked.

New No. 7 Randolph-Clay is 3-0 for the first time since 2016.

There is a new No. 1 team in Class A after the previous No. 1 lost for the second week in a row.

Lincoln County, the preseason No. 1, is back on top after a 53-20 victory over Aquinas, a Top 10 team in Class 4A-2A Private. Bowdon, the four-time defending champion, fell to No. 4 after losing to Lamar County, a 3A team, 20-7. Bowdon also has a loss to Bremen, the No. 6 team in 2A.

Hapeville Charter was a big riser, entering the 3A rankings at No. 6 after beating Carver of Columbus 31-15 in a rematch of the 2025 2A final. Hapeville lost to Lee County — now No. 2 in 6A — 51-0 in its opener.

Creekside jumped four places to No. 3 in Class 6A after beating Saint Joseph of New Jersey 49-20. Saint Joseph was ranked No. 46 nationally by MaxPreps.

Jefferson of 5A and Calhoun of 4A are out of the rankings, each for the first time since 2023, after suffering their second losses of the season. Jefferson lost to Peach County, now the No. 3 team in 4A.

Calhoun lost 42-0 to Class 4A No. 2 Troup, the Yellow Jackets’ worst defeat since 2017.

Class 7A

  1. (1) Buford (2-0)
  2. (2) Carrollton (3-0)
  3. (3) North Gwinnett (3-0)
  4. (5) Newton (3-0)
  5. (6) Valdosta (3-0)
  6. (7) Lowndes (3-0)
  7. (8) Brookwood (3-0)
  8. (10) Westlake (3-0)
  9. (9) North Cobb (2-1)
  10. (NR) Marietta (2-1)

Out: No. 4 McEachern (2-1)

Class 6A

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

Class 5A

  1. (1) Cartersville (3-0)
  2. (2) Blessed Trinity (3-0)
  3. (3) Marist (2-0)
  4. (4) North Oconee (3-0)
  5. (8) Benedictine (2-1)
  6. (5) Lithonia (1-1)
  7. (10) Cass (3-0)
  8. (NR) Tucker (3-0)
  9. (NR) Mays (3-0)
  10. (NR) Ola (2-1)

Out: No. 6 Jefferson (1-2), No. 7 LaGrange (1-2), No. 9 Warner Robins (2-1)

Class 4A

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

Out: No. 8 Calhoun (1-2)

Class 3A

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

Out: No. 8 Rockmart (1-2)

Class 2A

  1. (1) Heard County (2-0)
  2. (2) Fitzgerald (2-0)
  3. (4) Bleckley County (3-0)
  4. (3) Dublin (2-1)
  5. (5) Thomasville (1-1)
  6. (6) Bremen (3-0)
  7. (8) Jeff Davis (3-0)
  8. (7) Cook (1-2)
  9. (9) Swainsboro (1-2)
  10. (NR) Commerce (2-0)

Out: No. 10 Dodge County (1-1)

Class A

  1. (2) Lincoln County (2-1)
  2. (3) Johnson County (2-0)
  3. (4) Clinch County (1-2)
  4. (1) Bowdon (1-2)
  5. (9) Taylor County (3-0)
  6. (8) Macon County (2-0)
  7. (NR) Randolph-Clay (3-0)
  8. (NR) Montgomery County (3-0)
  9. (5) Emanuel County Institute (1-2)
  10. (6) Charlton County (1-1-1)

Out: No. 7 Mitchell County (2-1), No. 10 Miller County (2-1)

Class 4A-2A Private

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

Out: No. 9 Fellowship Christian (1-1), No. 10 Mount Vernon (2-1)