Football rankings: Despite loss, No. 1 team remains atop the poll

Eagle’s Landing Christian’s 37-game winning streak is over. Its time at No. 1 in the Class A private-school rankings is not.

ELCA lost to Pace Academy 17-16 on Friday night, ending the state’s longest winning streak. Pace entered the Class AAA rankings at No. 6.

Week Two of the Georgia high school football season demonstrated the growing strength of the state’s Class AAA and the struggles of Class AAAAAA, and those were reflected in the new rankings.

ELCA’s case for remain at No. 1 is the program’s dominance of Class A the past three seasons. ELCA is the three-time defending champion in the private-school division. No Class A team came within 38 points of beating ELCA last season. ELCA has won 29 straight games against Class A opponents.

Pace became another proud feather in the cap of AAA with its victory.

Cedar Grove, a member of Pace’s Region 5-AAA, and Peach County also had huge wins but couldn’t only stay put in the rankings because of the successes of those around them.

Cedar Grove defeated Hewitt-Trussville 34-30 in an ESPN-televised game on Saturday. Hewitt-Trussville was a nationally ranked team that made the semifinals of Alabama’s highest classification last year.

Peach County defeated then-No. 3 Northside-Warner Robins of Class AAAAAA. Peach had lost to its larger rival eight straight times, last winning in 1997.

Class AAAAAA, meanwhile, is having a tough time. That’s with the exception of defending champion Lee County, which routed Dr. Phillips of Orlando 35-3. Dr. Phillips was Florida’s Class 8A champion last year. Lee County plays Peach County this week.

But Stephenson, Mays, Tucker and Lanier were purged from the rankings. Entering were Dalton, Creekview, Richmond Hill and Glynn Academy.

This week’s schedule has several big games. No. 1 Grayson of Georgia’s highest class will face nationally ranked Bergen Catholic of New Jersey. No. 5 Lowndes plays No. 7 Parkview. In AA, No. 1 Hapeville Charter plays No. 2 Heard County.

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Class AAAAAAA 

1. (1) Grayson (1-0)

2. (2) Colquitt County (2-0)

3. (3) North Gwinnett (1-0)

4. (4) Walton (2-0)

5. (5) Lowndes (2-0)

6. (6) Marietta (0-2)

7. (7) Parkview (1-0)

8. (8) Milton (2-0)

9. (9) Archer (0-1)

10. (10) Norcross (1-0)

Class AAAAAAA

1. (1) Lee County (2-0)

2. (2) Coffee (2-0)

3. (7) Harrison (2-0)

4. (NR) Dalton (1-0)

5. (NR) Creekview (2-0)

6. (NR) Richmond Hill (1-0)

7. (4) Valdosta (1-1)

8. (3) Northside-Warner Robins (1-1)

9. (NR) Glynn Academy (1-1)

10. (9) Alpharetta (0-1)

Class AAAAA 

1. (1) Rome (1-0)

2. (2) Buford (2-0)

3. (3) Warner Robins (2-0)

4. (4) Carrollton (1-0)

5. (5) Stockbridge (1-0)

6. (6) Kell (1-0)

7. (7) Wayne County (1-0)

8. (8) Ware County (2-0)

9. (9) Jones County (2-0)

10. (10) Dutchtown (2-0)

Class AAAA 

1. (1) Blessed Trinity (2-0)

2. (2) Marist (1-0)

3. (3) Cartersville (1-0)

4. (4) Mary Persons (2-0)

5. (5) St. Pius (1-1)

6. (6) Thomson (0-1)

7. (8) Troup (1-0)

8. (7) Burke County (0-2)

9. (9) Flowery Branch (1-0)

10. (10) Woodward Academy (1-1)

Class AAA 

1. (1) Calhoun (1-0)

2. (2) Cedar Grove (2-0)

3. (4) Peach County (1-0)

4. (6) Westminster (2-0)

5. (5) Benedictine (1-0)

6. (NR) Pace Academy (2-0)

7. (3) Greater Atlanta Christian (1-1)

8. (7) Lovett (0-2)

9. (8) Liberty County (1-0)

10. (9) Jefferson (0-1)

Class AA 

1. (1) Hapeville Charter (1-0)

2. (2) Heard County (1-0)

3. (3) Callaway (1-0)

4. (4) Thomasville (2-0)

5. (5) Brooks County (1-0)

6. (6) Bremen (2-0)

7. (7) Dodge County (1-0)

8. (8) Rabun County (1-1)

9. (10) Rockmart (2-0)

10. (NR) Dublin (2-0)

Class A (Private) 

1. (1) Eagle’s Landing Christian (1-1)

2. (2) Prince Avenue Christian (2-0)

3. (3) Athens Academy (1-0)

4. (4) Mount Paran Christian (1-0)

5. (5) Calvary Day (1-0)

6. (6) Darlington (2-0)

7. (8) Savannah Country Day (1-0)

8. (9) Aquinas (2-0)

9. (10) Fellowship Christian (2-0)

10. (7) Stratford Academy (0-1)

Class A (Public) 

1. (1) Clinch County (1-0)

2. (2) Irwin County (2-0)

3. (3) Mount Zion (Carroll) (1-0)

4. (4) Charlton County (2-0)

5. (6) Manchester (1-0)

6. (7) Dooly County (1-0)

7. (8) Commerce (2-0)

8. (10) Pelham (2-0)

9. (5) Washington-Wilkes (0-1)

10. (9) Emanuel County Institute (0-1)

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