The playoffs are coming, so we don’t have much time left to dissect these rankings before the true No. 1 teams are determined on the football field.
But the latest Georgia Sports Writers Association rankings show that we can expect a hotly contested postseason with some fairly wide open action in several classifications.
Lowndes held on to the top spot in Class AAAAAAA after a classic double overtime, 51-45 thriller-style win over Colquitt County, capturing its first region championship since 2010, while Archer and Griffin remain stable and Nos. 2 and 3 respectively.
Archer still has three first place votes, by virtue of it being undefeated right along with Lowndes, as well as the takedown of former No. 1 Grayson several weeks ago. There's lots of talent in the top 10 of Georgia's largest classification. But there are also some teams hanging out on the fringe who can make some noise as well.
Class AAAAAA is one of those wide open races where, although Tucker keeps the No. 1 spot, teams like Mays, Lee County and Coffee are definitely formidable.
Stockbridge and Rome are jostling for first place votes atop the AAAAA rankings, while, although Cartersville seems cemented at No. 1 in AAAA, the race for who gets to potentially play them in a state title game seems wide open.
Eastside (7-2, 4-1), after its shut out win over an athletic Salem squad, did net four votes in the Class AAAA poll. It will finish its regular season Saturday when it hosts North Clayton on Senior Night. An Eastside win means the Eagles could likely draw a matchup with Baldwin out of Region 3-AAAA in a first round playoff game at Sharp Stadium. A loss to North Clayton could send Eastside on the road to face fifth-ranked Thomson.
Here’s the rest of this week’s high school football poll in its entirety for all classifications.
Class AAAAAAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Lowndes (13) 157 1
2. Archer (3) 144 2
3. Grayson 121 3
4. Tift County 105 4
5. Walton 89 t5
6. South Forsyth 80 t5
7. McEachern 62 7
8. North Gwinnett 53 9
9. Brookwood 34 10
10. Colquitt County 28 8
Others receiving votes: Milton 5, North Paulding 1
Dropped out: None
Class AAAAAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Tucker (13) 153 1
2. Mays (2) 140 2
3. Coffee (1) 108 7
4. Lee County 105 t4
5. Harrison 95 t4
6. Dalton 72 6
7. Northside-Warner Robins 58 7
8. Douglas Co. 54 8
9. Brunswick 26 NR
10. Glynn Acadmey 16 NR
Others receiving votes: Winder Barrow 10, Allatoona 7, Alpharetta 7, Richmond Hill 7, Langston Hughes 4, Stephenson 2, Evans 1
Dropped out: Langston Hughes (9), Richmond Hill (10)
Class AAAAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Rome (14) 158 1
2. Stockbridge (2) 144 2
3. Buford 127 3
4. Warner Robins 113 4
5. Griffin 80 6
6. Carver-Atlanta 64 7
7. Jones County 59 5
8. Starr’s Mill 54 8
9. Flowery Branch 31 9
10. Wayne County 27 10
Others receiving votes: Carrollton 5, Bainbridge 3, Banneker 1, Eagle’s Landing 1
Dropped out: None
Class AAAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Cartersville (16) 160 1
2. Ridgeland 133 3
3. Burke County 125 5
4. Marist 115 4
5. Thomson 80 2
6. Blessed Trinity 69 6
7. Woodward Academy 60 8
8. Jefferson 46 7
9. Cedartown 44 9
10. Heritage-Catoosa 24 10
Others receiving votes: Mary Persons 15, Troup 5, Eastside-Covington 4
Dropped out: None
Class AAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Cedar Grove (16) 160 1
2. Greater Atlanta Christian 135 2
3. Peach County 129 3
4. Jenkins-Savannah 112 4
5. Calhoun 101 5
6. Crisp County 79 7
7. Morgan County 62 8
8. Monroe Area 42 9
9. Bremen 30 6
10. Dawson County 15 NR
Others receiving votes: Westside-Macon 7, Lovett 4, Cook 2, Liberty County 1, Windsor Forest 1
Dropped out: Lovett (10)
Class AA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Benedictine (16) 160 1
2. Screven County 130 2
3. Thomasville 121 3
4. Rabun County 113 5
5. Hapeville Charter 111 4
6. Jefferson County 73 7
7. Heard County 56 8
8. Dodge County 39 t9
9. Brooks County 38 6
10. Callaway 36 t9
Others receiving votes: Toombs County 8, Rockmart 1
Dropped out: None
Class A
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Eagle’s Landing Christian (16) 160 1
2. Prince Avenue Christian 147 2
3. Manchester 122 3
4. Irwin County 100 4
5. Mount Paran Christian 91 5
6. Emanuel County Institute 69 6
7. Clinch County 55 8
8. Macon County 46 7
9. Wesleyan 44 9
10. Stratford Academy 38 10
Others receiving votes: Athens Academy 16, Marion County 1, Mitchell County 1
Dropped out: Tattnall Square (4)
Publications participating: Albany Herald; Augusta Chronicle; Brunswick News; Times-Georgian, Carrollton; Cherokee Tribune, Canton; Columbus Ledger-Enquirer; Covington News; The Daily Citizen, Dalton; Douglas County Sentinel, Douglasville; Forsyth County News, Cumming; Gwinnett Daily Post, Lawrenceville; Macon Telegraph; Marietta Daily Journal; Savannah Morning News; Tifton Gazette; Walker Co. Messenger, LaFayette.
