Buford, Hughes, Cedar Grove and Prince Avenue Christian have maintained their top rankings since preseason, and Ware County, Cedartown, Fitzgerald and Bowdon will join them as No. 1 teams entering the playoffs this week.
It’s about to get dangerous, though. In 2021, only three No. 1 teams from the end of the regular season went on to win state championships, and that’s typical attrition across five playoff rounds.
The rankings didn’t change much this week after only a handful of upsets involving ranked teams. LaGrange, a team facing a must-win situation Friday just to make the playoffs, reentered the Class 4A rankings after beating previously unbeaten Troup 38-34.
These are the final rankings until after the playoffs, which begin Friday in classes 6A, 4A, 2A and A. Playoffs in 7A, 5A and 3A will be Saturday. The championship games will be Dec. 8-10 at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.
Class 7A
1. (1) Buford (10-0)
2. (2) Colquitt County (10-0)
3. (3) Mill Creek (9-1)
4. (4) Carrollton (10-0)
5. (5) North Cobb (8-2)
6. (6) Walton (8-2)
7. (9) Milton (7-3)
8. (10) Valdosta (8-2)
9. (7) Lambert (9-1)
10. (NR) Westlake (7-3)
Out: No. 8 Grayson
Class 6A
1. (1) Hughes (10-0)
2. (2) Thomas County Central (10-0)
3. (3) Roswell (9-1)
4. (4) Gainesville (10-0)
5. (5) Woodward Academy (9-1)
6. (6) Rome (9-1)
7. (7) Marist (8-2)
8. (8) Brunswick (10-0)
9. (9) Lee County (7-3)
10. (10) Houston County (8-2)
Class 5A
1. (1) Ware County (9-0)
2. (2) Creekside (8-2)
3. (3) Cartersville (9-1)
4. (6) Jefferson (8-2)
5. (5) Cambridge (8-2)
6. (4) Coffee (8-2)
7. (7) Dutchtown (9-1)
8. (8) Warner Robins (6-4)
9. (9) Calhoun (7-3)
10. (10) Loganville (9-1)
Class 4A
1. (1) Cedartown (10-0)
2. (2) North Oconee (10-0)
3. (3) Perry (9-1)
4. (5) Benedictine (8-2)
5. (4) Troup (9-1)
6. (7) Bainbridge (6-4)
7. (9) Wayne County (8-2)
8. (6) Burke County (8-2)
9. (10) Whitewater (8-2)
10. (NR) LaGrange (7-2)
Out: No. 8 Starr’s Mill
Class 3A
1. (1) Cedar Grove (7-2)
2. (2) Calvary Day (9-0)
3. (3) Sandy Creek (8-2)
4. (4) Carver (Atlanta) (6-3)
5. (5) Peach County (7-3)
6. (6) Thomasville (7-3)
7. (7) Stephens County (8-2)
8. (8) Carver (Columbus) (7-2)
9. (9) Oconee County (6-4)
10. (10) Adairsville (9-1)
Class 2A
1. (1) Fitzgerald (10-0)
2. (2) South Atlanta (9-0)
3. (3) Appling County (8-1)
4. (4) Thomson (9-1)
5. (5) Callaway (7-3)
6. (6) Pierce County (9-1)
7. (7) Rockmart (8-2)
8. (9) Eagle’s Landing Christian (6-4)
9. (NR) Cook (7-3)
10. (10) North Cobb Christian (9-1)
Out: No. 8 Worth County
Class A Division I
1. (1) Prince Avenue Christian (9-0)
2. (2) Swainsboro (9-0)
3. (3) Rabun County (10-0)
4. (4) Irwin County (8-1)
5. (5) Brooks County (7-2)
6. (6) Darlington (10-0)
7. (7) Elbert County (9-1)
8. (8) St. Francis (7-3)
9. (9) Metter (7-3)
10. (NR) Bleckley County (8-2)
Out: No. 10 Whitefield Academy
Class A Division II
1. (1) Bowdon (8-1)
2. (2) Johnson County (10-0)
3. (3) Early County (7-3)
4. (4) Charlton County (7-2)
5. (5) Schley County (8-2)
6. (6) Clinch County (8-2)
7. (7) McIntosh County Academy (9-1)
8. (9) Lincoln County (8-2)
9. (8) Manchester (6-3)
10. (10) Wilcox County (7-3)
