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AJC Varsity

AJC Varsity rankings: All 8 No. 1 teams enter GHSA playoffs undefeated

Appling County, Heard County and Johnson County are No. 1 entering the playoffs for the first time.
Buford's Brady Wagner (left) reacts with Ethan Hauser during the first half of a game against Gainesville in August. Buford is 10-0 and ranked No. 1 entering the Class 7A playoffs. (Erik S. Lesser for the AJC)
Buford's Brady Wagner (left) reacts with Ethan Hauser during the first half of a game against Gainesville in August. Buford is 10-0 and ranked No. 1 entering the Class 7A playoffs. (Erik S. Lesser for the AJC)
Todd Holcomb
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All eight No. 1 teams in the AJC Varsity rankings finished undefeated in the regular season, marking the first time since 2015 that every No. 1 will enter the playoffs with perfect records.

The No. 1 teams are Buford (Class 7A), Thomas County Central (6A), Cartersville (5A), Sandy Creek (4A), Appling County (3A), Heard County (2A) Johnson County (A) and Prince Avenue Christian (4A-2A Private).

All are 10-0 except for Prince Avenue, which is 9-0.

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Appling County, Heard County and Johnson County are No. 1 entering the playoffs for the first time. Appling County has never won a state title.

No. 1 teams have gone on to win state championships 37.3% of the time since 1982 and 41.7% of the time since 2020.

Only 10 teams since 1970 have won state championships as unranked teams. The most recent was Bainbridge in 2018.

AJC Varsity does not publish updated rankings during the playoffs. Our final rankings will be published after the state finals.

Class 6A

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

Class 5A

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

Out: No. 9 Lithonia (6-4)

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Class 4A

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

Class 3A

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

Out: No. 10 Worth County (5-4)

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Class 2A

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

Out: No. 9 Model (8-2)

Class A

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

Class 4A-2A Private

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