High School Football

Buford, Grayson rise to No. 1 in football rankings

Grayson beat the No. 1 team. Now the Rams get to be the No. 1 team in Class AAAAAAA.

Grayson moved up four places in this week’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll after a 28-14 victory over Marietta on Friday night. Marietta entered the game with a 3-0 record and five top-10 national rankings.

For the first time in the history of the modern AJC poll, which dates to 1982, the top three teams in the highest class lost on the same night. Also losing were No. 2 Colquitt County 50-49 to No. 1 Valdosta of AAAAAA and No. 3 Archer to unranked Mill Creek 10-7. The Archer-Mill Creek game was stopped in the second quarter because of lightning, and Archer declined to finish the non-region contest on another date.

A fourth AAAAAAA team lost last week. Milton, the defending champion, was beaten 17-14 on Saturday by JSerra Catholic, the No. 8 overall team in California according to MaxPreps. Milton was the first Georgia team ever to play a game in California.

Also moving to No. 1 this week is Buford, which defeated Life Christian of Virginia 33-22. Buford, a AAAAA school, has a victory over Milton on its resume.

Bainbridge, the defending champion in AAAAA, fell to No. 2 after a 27-26 victory over No. 7 Brooks County of AA. Bainbridge also had a close call last month against Cairo in a 14-10 win.

Peach County retained its No. 1 ranking in AAA despite a 32-31 overtime loss to Houston County. Peach is 2-1 with victories over Lee County and Northside-Warner Robins, two other ranked AAAAAA schools.

Cedar Grove remained No. 2 after a 29-7 loss to McEachern, the No. 3 team in the highest class.

Class AAAAAAA

  1. (5) Grayson (3-0)
  2. (4) Lowndes (4-0)
  3. (6) McEachern (3-0)
  4. (1) Marietta (3-1)
  5. (2) Colquitt County (2-1)
  6. (7) Hillgrove (3-0)
  7. (8) Milton (1-2)
  8. (9) Parkview (1-1)
  9. (10) North Gwinnett (1-1)
  10. (3) Archer (2-1)

Class AAAAAA

  1. (1) Valdosta (4-0)
  2. (2) Dacula (3-0)
  3. (3) Coffee (4-0)
  4. (4) Harrison (4-0)
  5. (NR) Houston County (4-0)
  6. (6) Lee County (3-1)
  7. (5) Allatoona (2-1)
  8. (8) Lanier (3-0)
  9. (9) Dalton (3-0)
  10. (10) Northside (Warner Robins) (2-2)

Out: No. 7 Stephenson

Class AAAAA

  1. (2) Buford (3-0)
  2. (1) Bainbridge (4-0)
  3. (3) Carrollton (3-0)
  4. (4) Warner Robins (3-0)
  5. (5) Jones County (4-0)
  6. (6) Dutchtown (4-0)
  7. (7) Rome (2-1)
  8. (8) Stockbridge (3-0)
  9. (9) Wayne County (2-0)
  10. (10) Kell (2-1)

Class AAAA

  1. (1) Cartersville (3-0)
  2. (2) Marist (3-0)
  3. (3) Troup (3-0)
  4. (4) Woodward Academy (3-0)
  5. (5) Blessed Trinity (3-1)
  6. (6) Sandy Creek (3-0)
  7. (7) Cairo (2-1)
  8. (8) Flowery Branch (2-0)
  9. (9) Burke County (2-1)
  10. (NR) West Laurens (3-0)

Out: No. 10 Thomson

Class AAA

  1. (1) Peach County (2-1)
  2. (2) Cedar Grove (2-2)
  3. (3) Calhoun (3-0)
  4. (4) Pierce County (3-0)
  5. (5) Greater Atlanta Christian (2-1)
  6. (6) Hart County (4-0)
  7. (9) Appling County (3-0)
  8. (8) Lovett (3-1)
  9. (NR) Crisp County (2-2)
  10. (NR) Liberty County (1-0)

Out: No. 7 Benedictine, No. 10 Westminster

Class AA

  1. (1) Rockmart (3-0)
  2. (2) Hapeville Charter (1-1)
  3. (3) Callaway (2-1)
  4. (4) Dublin (2-0)
  5. (5) Rabun County (3-0)
  6. (6) Washington County (3-0)
  7. (7) Brooks County (1-2)
  8. (8) Swainsboro (2-1)
  9. (9) Fitzgerald (3-1)
  10. (NR) Douglass (3-0)

Out: No. 10 Dodge County

Class A (Public)

  1. (1) Clinch County (3-0)
  2. (2) Irwin County (2-0)
  3. (3) Pelham (3-0)
  4. (4) Marion County (3-0)
  5. (5) Mitchell County (2-1)
  6. (6) Commerce (2-1)
  7. (9) Trion (3-0)
  8. (10) Bowdon (3-0)
  9. (NR) Wilcox County (3-0)
  10. (NR) Johnson County (2-0)

Out: No. 7 Schley County, No. 8 Manchester

Class A (Private)

  1. (1) Eagle's Landing Christian (3-0)
  2. (2) Athens Academy (3-0)
  3. (3) Darlington (3-0)
  4. (4) Wesleyan (3-0)
  5. (5) Prince Avenue Christian (3-1)
  6. (6) Aquinas (3-0)
  7. (7) Fellowship Christian (2-0)
  8. (8) North Cobb Christian (3-0)
  9. (9) Calvary Day (1-0)
  10. (NR) Holy Innocents (3-0)

Out: No. 10 George Walton Academy