The GHSA Riflery Championship will be missing a familiar face this year as teams arrive at the Ware County Shooting Sports Complex in Waycross — host Ware County.
The Ware County Gators failed to reach the finals for the first time since the 2011-2012 season and since then, the Gators have won four championships, the most of any school in that span. In addition, the Gators had Laci Jewell, who set the record for the highest score at the event in 2019 with a 298. Since the sport returned to the GHSA in 1992, the Gators have won the championship five times, tying for the most titles and holding the record for the most since Creekside won five straight in the sport’s first five modern seasons.
Another major storyline is Camden County’s quest for its third straight title. The Wildcats have dominated the past two seasons, including setting the record for the highest score ever recorded at the event with an 1175 in 2023. Their biggest competition for the crown appears to be East Coweta. The Indians have posted elite scores of 1169 and 1170 in the first two rounds of the playoffs, by far the highest scores up to this point. The next highest score belongs to Camden County, which recorded an 1158 in the last round. Both of East Coweta’s scores rank among the highest ever recorded before the championship round and will likely be strong enough to win the title if they can repeat it.
Other top contenders include North Gwinnett, Cherokee, and Brunswick, all of whom scored at least 1140 in the last round of the playoffs. With a strong performance, any of these teams could claim the championship.
Heading into the championship, 11 teams are looking for their first-ever title: North Gwinnett, Upson Lee, Cherokee, Mays, South Paulding, McDonough, Brunswick, Walton, Kennesaw Mountain, Cartersville, and Buford. While they may not be the favorites, each has a chance to take home the crown and make history.
Follow the links to the schedule, past champions and the bracket.
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