These are the 31 teams that made the second round that were given a less than 50-50 chance of getting there on Sept. 30, when Loren Maxwell did his first playoff projections. Some teams, such as Decatur, hadn’t started their seasons. Others with good tradition, such as Harrison, were off to rough starts. The number to the left of each team is the projected number of rounds the team was projected to advance. A rating of 1.00 means the team was expected to make the first round but not the second. A rating of 0.10 means team had only a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs.

0.11 - Central (Macon)

0.12 - Denmark

0.26 - Carver (Atlanta)

0.27 - Cambridge

0.54 - Decatur

0.55 - Harrison

0.71 - Cherokee Bluff

0.72 - Northeast

0.90 - River Ridge

0.94 - Model

0.97 - Upson-Lee

0.99 - LaGrange

1.00 - Walton

1.01 - Hughes

1.15 - South Atlanta

1.19 - Bremen

1.20 - Fannin County

1.20 - Islands

1.21 - Stratford Academy

1.26 - North Hall

1.26 - North Oconee

1.26 - Richmond Academy

1.30 - New Manchester

1.31 - Perry

1.35 - Jeff Davis

1.38 - Early County

1.39 - George Walton Academy

1.40 - East Coweta

1.40 - Pacelli

1.44 - Evans

1.46 - First Presbyterian

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez