Marietta, Tucker take lead in Improvement Tracker

Marietta and Tucker moved into the AJC Varsity rankings for the first time this season.

They also moved into first place on the AJC Varsity Improvement Tracker.

Both were middling teams last season.

Marietta was 5-6 but is 2-1, its only loss to NFL Academy in a game played in London. The Blue Devils, under coach Cameron Duke, beat then-No. 4 McEachern last week in a Class 7A game.

Tucker was 6-5 in 2025 but is now 3-0 after a victory over Stephenson, a Top 10 team in Class 4A. Tucker’s coach is Lonnie Jones.

AJC Varsity/Georgia High School Football Daily will rank the top five teams and their head coaches in each classification weekly based on improvement in the computer Maxwell Ratings from previous seasons and beating preseason expectations.

To qualify for the final standings, teams must have a winning record, make the playoffs and improve on their playoff advancement or seeding from 2025. Only teams with winning records are included in the weekly or final rankings.

The Improvement Tracker is based on an objective formula that uses current and historical Maxwell Ratings. Improvement from 2025 counts most, but the formula also considers previous years to discourage rewarding traditionally strong teams that simply bounce back from a down year.

The year-end winners will receive awards, presented by Formetco, at the Georgia Football Coaches Association College Coaches Luncheon in February in Macon.

Class 7A

• +16.02: Marietta (Cameron Duke)
• +15.05: Newton (Josh Skelton)
• +8.34: Brookwood (Chad Nighbert)
• +8.27: Parkview (Adam Clack)
• +8.21: South Forsyth (James Thomson)

Class 6A

• +13.00: Coffee (Mike Coe)
• +12.60: Lassiter (Sean Thom)
• +11.39: Lee County (Dean Fabrizio)
• +9.78: Bradwell Institute (John Adams)
• +9.37: Clarke Central (David Perno)

Class 5A

• +16.20: Tucker (Lonnie Jones)
• +10.79: Dalton (Chris Prewett)
• +10.70: Richmond Academy (Keenan Grissett)
• +6.68: Woodland (Cartersville) (Andy Scott)
• +6.32: Blessed Trinity (Ed Dudley)

Class 4A

• +8.01: Baldwin (Kevin Patterson)
• +6.00: Adairsville (Jon Cudd)
• +5.44: Troup (Tanner Glisson)
• +5.29: Shaw (Johnny Garner)
• +3.18: Woodland (Stockbridge) (Robert Cummings)

Class 3A

• +9.77: Toombs County (Buddy Martin)
• +8.94: Hephzibah (Daniel Dorsey)
• +7.85: Hart County (Biff Parson)
• +6.06: Murray County (Jason Allen)
• +5.77: Kendrick (Emmanuel Brown)

Class 2A

• +13.40: Glenn Hills (Brandon Tull)
• +10.85: Model (Jeff Hunnicutt)
• +10.32: Bremen (Davis Russell)
• +9.20: Jeff Davis (Lance Helton)
• +8.14: Bleckley County (Von Lassiter)