After an exciting high school football season culminated with two drama-filled weeks of state championship football, the final Georgia Sports Writers Association high school football poll reflects the results, perhaps with a couple of exceptions.
Six of the eight classifications' (the poll split up Class A into public and private school rankings) state champions were crowned as unanimous No. 1 teams in the final poll, with the exception of Peach County which received one first place vote despite its controversial loss to Calhoun in the Class AAA state championship game, as did Rabun County, which fell to Hapeville Charter in the Class AA title game.
Only two of the state finals were played as scheduled in downtown Atlanta's new Mercedes Benz Stadium, due to a snow storm that hit the area and caused cancellations to the other six games. Those six games were played the following week at high school stadiums.
Two Newton County area teams, Newton and Eastside, received votes in the final poll. Eastside suffered a narrow first-round defeat at the hands of Baldwin in the Class AAAA state playoffs, while Newton fell in overtime on the road at Parkview in the Class AAAAAAA playoffs.
Newton almost pulled off the win, despite starting a sophomore quarterback in place of the injured Myron Middlebrooks, as well as several other backups who had to see extensive playing time due to injuries.
Here's the rest of the final GSWA Georgia High School Football Poll.
Class AAAAAAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. North Gwinnett (13) 130 7
2. Colquitt County 114 9
3. McEachern 87 NR
4. Brookwood 85 8
5. Archer 81 2
6. Tift County 60 t4
7. Parkview 37 NR
8. Lowndes 33 1
9. Marietta 31 NR
10. Grayson 30 3
Others receiving votes: Mill Creek 6, Milton 4, Hillgrove 2, Newton 1, Woodstock 1
Dropped out: South Forsyth (6), Walton (t4), Milton (10)
Class AAAAAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Lee County (13) 130 3
2. Coffee 117 6
3. Tucker 98 1
4. Glynn Academy 94 9
5. Mays 70 2
6. Alpharetta 54 NR
7. Allatoona 50 10
8. Harrison 48 8
9. Douglas Co. 20 t4
10. Northside-Warner Robins 18 t4
Others receiving votes: Dacula 9, Centennial 3, Brunswick 2, Evans 2, Richmond Hill 1
Dropped out: Brunswick (7)
Class AAAAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Rome (13) 130 1
2. Warner Robins 110 4
3. Buford 107 3
4. Stockbridge 87 2
5. Carver-Atlanta 83 6
6. Jones County 59 7
7. Carrollton 48 10
8. Starr’s Mill 41 8
9. Wayne County 22 9
10. Ware County 10 NR
Others receiving votes: Griffin 4, Eagle’s Landing 3, Flowery Branch 3, Arabia Mountain 2, Bainbridge 2
Dropped out: Griffin (5)
Class AAAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Blessed Trinity (13) 130 7
2. Marist 117 4
3. Mary Persons 89 NR
4. St. Pius X 82 NR
5. Cartersville 64 1
t6. Burke County 58 3
6. Woodward Academy 58 6
8. Jefferson 49 9
9. Thomson 43 5
10. Cedartown 9 8
Others receiving votes: Ridgeland 8, Troup 5, Americus-Sumter 2, Eastside-Covington 1
Dropped out: Ridgeland (2), Heritage-Catoosa (10)
Class AAA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Calhoun (12) 129 5
2. Peach County (1) 118 3
3. Cedar Grove 99 1
4. Greater Atlanta Christian 95 2
5. Jenkins-Savannah 66 4
t6. Liberty County 51 NR
t6. Westminster 51 NR
8. Pike County 46 NR
9. Monroe Area 21 8
10. Crisp County 16 6
Others receiving votes: Lovett 8, East Hall 6, Westside-Macon 3, Bremen 2, Cook 2, Pierce County 2
Dropped out: Morgan County (7), Bremen (9), Lovett (10)
Class AA
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Hapeville Charter (12) 129 4
2. Rabun County (1) 117 5
3. Heard County 98 6
4. Brooks County 87 8
5. Benedictine 78 1
6. Thomasville 68 3
7. Screven County 55 2
8. Callaway 38 9
9. Dodge County 15 7
10. Jefferson County 10 10
Others receiving votes: Toombs County 9, Rockmart 8, Pepperell 2
Dropped out: None
Class A (Public)
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Clinch County (13) 130 8
2. Irwin County 117 4
t3. Emanuel County Institute 97 5
t3. Mt. Zion-Carroll 97 NR
5. Manchester 76 2
6. Macon County 61 10
7. Charlton County 57 NR
8. Mitchell County 31 NR
t9. Marion County 12 NR
t9. Schley County 12 NR
Others receiving votes: Lincoln County 10, Pelham 8, Dooly County 5, Washington-Wilkes 3, Commerce 1
Dropped out: None
Class A (Private)
School Points Last Week
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Eagle’s Landing Christian (13) 130 1
2. Athens Academy 117 6
3. Mount Paran Christian 95 3
4. Prince Avenue Christian 85 7
5. Stratford Academy 69 NR
6. Calvary Day 50 NR
7. Darlington 37 NR
8. Savannah Country Day 36 NR
9. Wesleyan 19 9
10. Aquinas 11 NR
Others receiving votes: Mt. Pisgah 4, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 3, Whitefield Academy 3,
Dropped out: None
Publications participating: Albany Herald; Augusta Chronicle; Times-Georgian, Carrollton; Cherokee Tribune, Canton; The Covington News; The Daily Citizen, Dalton; Douglas County Sentinel, Douglasville; Forsyth County News, Cumming; Gwinnett Daily Post, Lawrenceville; Marietta Daily Journal; Savannah Morning News; Tifton Gazette; Walker Co. Messenger, LaFayette.
