AJC Varsity rankings: Appling County rises to top of Class 3A

Appling County is the No. 1 football team in the AJC Varsity’s Class 3A rankings after beating previous No. 1 Toombs County 11-7 on Friday.

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Lowndes and Jefferson moved up after beating Top 10 opponents, and Lithonia and Calhoun reentered the rankings after big wins.

Appling County (9-0) has spent one other rankings week at No. 1, and the circumstances were similar to this one. In 2024, the Pirates beat No. 1 Pierce County in the next-to-last game of the regular season and rose to No. 1. They lost their next game to Fitzgerald.

Appling County has one more game this season — against No. 3 Pierce County — and needs a win to win Region 3-3A outright.

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The victory over Toombs County was remarkable for Appling’s defense, which held Toombs County to a touchdown. Toombs entered the game averaging 58.0 points per game, the most in any classification.

Lowndes and Valdosta switched places in the Class 7A rankings, with Lowndes going to No. 4 from No. 5 after a 32-31 victory over Valdosta.

Jefferson moved up to No. 6 after beating North Oconee in a Class 5A game. The victory ended North Oconee’s 40-game winning streak in region play.

Lithonia and Calhoun, both 5-4, entered the rankings after Lithonia beat then-No. 4 Tucker in 5A and Calhoun beat then-No. 10 Northwest Whitfield in 4A.

Lithonia, now No. 9, and Calhoun, No. 10, were ranked in preseason but started their seasons 1-4 against difficult schedules.

One week remains in the regular season.

Class 7A

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

Class 6A

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

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Class 5A

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

Out: No. 10 Cass (8-1)

Class 4A

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

Out: No. 10 Northwest Whitfield (7-3)

Class 3A

1. (2) Appling County (9-0)
2. (1) Toombs County (8-1)
3. (3) Pierce County (8-1)
4. (4) Northeast (8-1)
5. (5) Columbia (7-2)
6. (7) Hapeville Charter (6-3)
7. (8) Hart County (9-1)
8. (9) Rockmart (7-2)
9. (6) KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (6-2)
10. (10) Worth County (5-3)

Class 2A

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

Out: No. 8 Social Circle (7-2)