Week 1 is officially in the books, and what a week it was. Upsets, statement wins, and a few humbling losses caused movement in nearly every classification. Here’s how things shook out in our latest power rankings:
Class 6A
North Gwinnett and Valdosta swapped places after the Bulldogs fell to No. 3 Douglas County in the Corky Kell Classic finale. Despite the change, the top eight teams remained intact, signaling early stability at the top of 6A.
Class 5A
The headline came Friday when Rome was stunned by Class 4A Creekside, falling by 20 points. That loss dropped Rome out of the Top 10, opening the door for Houston County, who debuts at No. 9 after a statement win over 6A Brookwood.
– Milton, previously No. 1, slid to No. 4 following a Thursday night loss to Buford (6A).
Class 4A
Perhaps the biggest surprise statewide was Marist getting blanked by Jefferson, 19–0. Marist drops out, while Creekside rockets up to No. 3 after knocking off Rome.
– Kell rises three spots to No. 5 after an impressive win over East Paulding.
– Ware County makes its season debut at No. 10 following a strong performance against Appling County.
Class 3A
Some turbulence at the back of the Top 10:
– Southeast Bulloch and Oconee County fall out.
– Upson-Lee (No. 9) and Monroe Area (No. 10) step in — we’ll see if they have staying power or if the displaced programs claw their way back.
Class 2A
– Appling County tumbles three spots to No. 5 after its loss to Ware County.
– Carver-Columbus holds steady at No. 1.
– Hart County breaks in at No. 9, replacing Stephens County after their setback against Habersham Central.
Class A-D1
The shocker of the week: unranked Swainsboro nips former No. 1 Dublin by a single point.
– Swainsboro vaults to No. 5
– Dublin drops to No. 6
– Thomasville claims the top spot at No. 1.
Class A-D2
Almost everyone took it on the chin in Week 1 — with all but one Top-10 team losing to higher-classification opponents, the rankings remain unchanged for now.
Class A-Private (1-3A)
– Aquinas moves up to No. 7 after knocking off Athens Academy (now No. 9).
– North Cobb Christian makes a splashy debut at No. 8 following a decisive win over Providence Christian.
Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com
Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)
AAAAAA
AAAAA
AAAA
AAA
AA
A – DIVISION I
A – DIVISION II
PRIVATE 1-3A
