In Class AAAAAAA, defending state champion North Gwinnett opens the season at No. 1, and there is plenty of talent and championship experience returning to the roster for head coach Bill Stewart’s second year at the school. Runner-up Colquitt County is back at No. 2, and like North Gwinnett, the Packers are replacing their quarterback, but have a roster filled with experience, depth and championship talent. Archer, Walton and Grayson round out the top 5 and McEachern comes in at No. 6 after making a run to last year’s semis. Marietta is coming in at No. 7, despite having four players ruled in eligible this offseason. Milton debuts at No. 8 and will have Georgia Tech commit Jordan Yates leading this year’s offense. Region 1′s Lowndes and Tift County round out the top 10.
Lee County’s Dean Fabrizio enters his tenth season at the helm of the Trojans. Fabrizio’s tenure ranks tied as the third longest in the class behind Ron Gartrell (23 seasons, Stephenson) and Gary Varner (11 seasons Allatoona). The top-ranked Trojans are on the rise after taking the 2017 Class AAAAAA title at home over No. 2 Coffee after being down early in the game. It marked the first-ever state title for Lee County. However, the Trojans will have to prove their worth following the graduation of star quarterback Jase Orndorff and a large part of the offensive production. Second-ranked Coffee and third-ranked Tucker have returning experience to allow another final four showing. Last year’ Coffee team defeated Tucker 14-3 in the semifinals. Glynn Academy, who met Lee County in the semifinals, debuts as the fourth-ranked team in the class.
In Class AAAAA, two-time defending champion Rome debuts at No. 1 with Buford, Carrollton, Warner Robins and Wayne County rounding out the top 5. Wayne County won its first region title since 2014 last season under first-year head coach Ken Cribb and will have an ultra-talented roster returning for an encore this season. Stockbridge comes in at No. 6 while Whitewater, Kell, Griffin and Villa Rica, backend the final four slots in the poll; the returning experience of these four schools edged programs like Jones County, Starr’s Mill, Eagle’s Landing and Carver-Atlanta out, despite all four of those programs finishing last season ranked in the top 10.
Defending Class AAAA state champion Blessed Trinity debuts at No. 1 and returns the core its roster from last year’s title run. Woodward Academy, led by defending classification player of the year Tahj Gary comes in at No. 2, while Mary Persons, Cartersville and Cairo round out the top 5. Ridgeland and first-year head coach Cortney Braswell open up at No. 6 and Marist, Cedartown, Flowery Branch and Eastside round out the top 10.
Defending-champion Calhoun takes the No. 1 ranking as the summer practices turn toward the first games. Calhoun will face its first test as it takes of Ridgeland in the Corky Kell Classic on Thursday Aug. 16 at Rome’s Barron Stadium. State runner-up, Peach County, enters 2018 as the No. 2 ranked team in the state. Third-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian features a returning quarterback who knows how to make it to the semifinals and an experienced team ready to make a deeper run. Cedar Grove, a perennial postseason power, takes the No. 4 spot after a record-setting season ended in the semifinals against Calhoun last year. Fifth-ranked Monroe Area showed promise at the Corky Kell Classic 7-on-7, knocking out perennial power Grayson with force. New additions to Class AAA, former AA power Benedictine and former AAAA power Jefferson, come in at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively. In Class AA, Defending-champion Hapeville Charter is the team to beat in Class AA with state runner-up Rabun County holding the No. 2 spot. There’s a new landscape in Class AA following Benedictine’s departure to Class AAA and Bremen’s transition from AAA to AA. The Blue Devils enter the classification with a No. 8 ranking. Heard County, a semifinalist last year, is ranked No. 3 ahead of Thomasville. The Bulldogs fell to Heard County in the quarterfinals last year. Fifth-ranked Brooks County advanced to the semifinals last year before falling to Rabun County.
To say Eagle’s Landing Christian was not challenged during last year’s title run is almost an understatement. Following a first-round bye, ELCA beat Savannah Christian 54-0, Calvary Day 55-0 and Prince Avenue Christian 55-0 before defeating Athens Academy 41-3 in the A-Private title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Athens Academy debuts as the No. 2 team in the class followed by Prince Avenue Christian, Mt. Paran Christian and Stratford Academy which round out the top-5.
In Class A-Public, three teams from Region 2, including top-ranked Clinch County, hold the top three slots in the poll. Emanuel County Institute comes in at No. 4 after a 12-2 finish last year and No. 5 Manchester is back with a strong roster after producing an 11-1 record last season.
Class AAAAAAA
1. North Gwinnett
2. Colquitt County
3. Archer
4. Walton
5. Grayson
6. McEachern
7. Marietta
8. Milton
9. Lowndes
10. Tift County
Class AAAAAA
1. Lee County
2. Coffee
3. Tucker
4. Glynn Academy
5. Northside-Warner Robins
6. Mays
7. Alpharetta
8. Allatoona
9. Douglas County
10. Harrison
Class AAAAA
1. Rome
2. Buford
3. Carrollton
4. Warner Robins
5. Wayne County
6. Stockbridge
7. Whitewater
8. Kell
9. Griffin
10. Villa Rica
Class AAAA
1. Blessed Trinity
2. Woodward Academy
3. Mary Persons
4. Cartersville
5. Cairo
6. Ridgeland
7. Marist
8. Cedartown
9. Flowery Branch
10. Eastside
Class AAA
1. Calhoun
2. Peach County
3. Greater Atlanta Christian
4. Cedar Grove
5. Monroe Area
6. Westminster
7. Jenkins
8. Benedictine
9. Jefferson
10. Westside-Macon
Class AA
1. Hapeville Charter
2. Rabun County
3. Heard County
4. Thomasville
5. Brooks County
6. Toombs County
7. Dodge County
8. Bremen
9. Callaway
10. Dublin
Class A-Private
1. Eagle’s Landing Christian
2. Athens Academy
3. Prince Avenue
4. Mount Paran Christian
5. Stratford Academy
6. Wesleyan
7. Calvary Day
8. Savannah Country Day
9. Whitefield Academy
10. Mount Pisgah Christian
Class A-Public
1. Clinch County
2. Irwin County
3. Charlton County
4. Emanuel County Institute
5. Manchester
6. Mt. Zion-Carroll
7. Macon County
8. Lincoln County
9. Marion County
10. Pelham
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