The pressures and expectations that come from being ranked atop a classification can be immense but the ending of the GHSA softball season saw programs handle pressure.
Six of the eight programs ranked atop the respective classes ended the season with state championships led by Class 7A No. 1 Buford, which won its 11th title and first since the Wolves won 10-straight from 2007-2016.
Pope won the program’s third title in Class 6A after winning championships in 2014 and 2019. In Class 5A, Northside-Columbus entered the playoffs ranked No. 10 and won it all. The title was the second for Northside after taking the 4A title in 2017.
In Class 4A, West Laurens won the program’s first title after entering the tournament as the fifth-ranked team in the class. Wesleyan entered the 3A playoffs at the top of the class and won it all. The Wolves have four titles – 2017, 2018, 2021 and this year.
In Class 2A, Jeff Davis took the title, the program’s first, after entering the playoffs atop the class. In Class A Division I, Heard County defended its title for the third-straight season and won the program’s fourth-overall championship (2014). In Class A Division II, top-ranked Emanuel County Institute captured the program’s first title after entering the playoffs atop the class.
Class 7A
1. Buford
2. East Coweta
3. North Gwinnett
4. South Forsyth
5. Hillgrove
6. North Paulding
7. Parkview
8. Kennesaw Mountain
9. Lambert
10. Colquitt County
Class 6A
1. Pope
2. Apalachee
3. Lassiter
4. River Ridge
5. South Effingham
6. Effingham County
7. Veterans
8. Houston County
9. Allatoona
10. Sequoyah
Class 5A
1. Northside-Columbus
2. Loganville
3. Harris County
4. Northgate
5. Cambridge
6. Eastside
7. Villa Rica
8. Chamblee
9. Jefferson
10. Flowery Branch
Class 4A
1. Whitewater
2. West Laurens
3. Central-Carroll
4. Islands
5. Walnut Grove
6. East Forsyth
7. Wayne County
8. Heritage-Catoosa
9. Northwest Whitfield
10. North Oconee
Class 3A
1. Wesleyan
2. Jackson
3. Gordon Lee
4. Harlem
5. Bremen
6. Oconee County
7. Pike County
8. Crisp County
9. Monroe Area
10. LaFayette
Class 2A
1. Jeff Davis
2. Mount Paran
3. ACE Charter
4. Pierce County
5. Rockmart
6. Appling County
7. ELCA
8. Union County
9. Dodge County
10. Brantley County
Class A Division I
1. Heard County
2. Social Circle
3. Pepperell
4. Prince Avenue Christian
5. Bacon County
6. Mount Vernon
7. Bryan County
8. Bleckley County
9. Trion
10. Dade County
Class A Division II
1. Emanuel County Institute
2. Lanier County
3. Georgia Military
4. Wilcox County
5. Glascock County
6. Hawkinsville
7. Schley County
8. Bowdon
9. Portal
10. Marion County
About the Author
