High School Sports

39 Georgia high school football teams that beat the odds to reach postseason

Peachtree Ridge Kobe Adeleke-hokes (3) runs the ball for yardage during the first half of the Norcross at Peachtree Ridge GHSA region football game on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Suwanee, GA. (Jim Blackburn for the AJC)
Peachtree Ridge Kobe Adeleke-hokes (3) runs the ball for yardage during the first half of the Norcross at Peachtree Ridge GHSA region football game on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Suwanee, GA. (Jim Blackburn for the AJC)
Nov 11, 2024

Thirty-nine teams made the playoffs this season after the computer Maxwell Ratings gave them less than a 50-50 chance in preseason. Chestatee was the best odds-beater, qualifying despite being given a 1.8% chance. The War Eagles went from 0-10 to 5-5 this year in Stuart Cunningham’s second season as coach and made the playoffs, in Class 3A, for the first time since 2016. Second-best long shot was Gordon Central, which started the season on a 31-game losing streak, finished 4-6 and qualified as an at-large team in Class A Division I. It’s Gordon Central’s first playoff appearance since 2012. Gordon Central also has a second-year coach, Lenny Gregory.

1.8% - Chestatee

3.6% - Gordon Central

5.0% - Woodstock

5.1% - Tri-Cities

7.1% - M.L. King

7.3% - Westside (Augusta)

7.8% - Lakeside (Evans)

9.1% - Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe

10.7% - East Forsyth

12.6% - Hampton

12.9% - Eagle’s Landing

13.5% - Coosa

13.7% - Wheeler

14.0% - New Manchester

21.3% - Westover

22.8% - Pike County

23.4% - Therrell

25.3% - Upson-Lee

28.2% - McNair

33.2% - Villa Rica

33.6% - Dacula

35.4% - Hawkinsville

35.6% - Greenville

36.8% - Peachtree Ridge

38.5% - Hiram

39.1% - Glascock County

39.3% - Bacon County

40.1% - Whitewater

42.0% - Chattooga

41.1% - Southwest

42.2% - Miller County

42.5% - Monroe

42.5% - Wheeler County

43.8% - Gilmer

44.1% - Charlton County

46.8% - Shaw

47.8% - Newnan

48.6% - East Jackson

49.3% - Denmark

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About the Author

Todd Holcomb covers high school sports across the state. He rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025 and has worked with the AJC in varying capacities since 1985. He is a co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.

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