Columbia and Wheeler County are in the top 10 for the first time this century, and two-time defending Class 5A champion Warner Robins is no longer No. 1 after the first weekend of high school football.
Columbia, a Class 2A school in DeKalb County, defeated Camden County 13-10 on the road Friday night in one of the state’s biggest upsets. The computer Maxwell Ratings had Camden, a Class 7A school, a 34-point favorite.
Columbia had a breakthrough season last year, finishing 8-4, but was never ranked. The Eagles’ last top-10 ranking came in 1997, when they made the Class 3A quarterfinals.
Wheeler County, a Class A Division II school about 90 miles west of Savannah, is ranked for the first time since 1998 after beating previous No. 9 GMC Prep 42-14. The Bulldogs were 5-5 last season after three consecutive 1-9 finishes.
Columbia and Wheeler County each are under third-year head coaches who have made great strides at previously struggling programs. Those are Columbia’s Greg Barnett and Wheeler County’s Thomas Smith.
In Class 5A, Warner Robins is out of the top spot but not likely too concerned. The Demons, who lost to Class 6A No. 2 Lee County 26-10 on Friday, have won six state titles and never been ranked No. 1 from wire to wire.
Cartersville is the new No. 1 team in 6A. Cartersville lost only once last season, to Warner Robins 24-17 in the second round, when Cartersville entered as the No. 1 team. Warner Robins dropped to No. 2.
Gainesville, under new coach Josh Niblett, is ranked for the first time since 2015 after beating previous No. 6 Marist 34-23. It was Gainesville’s first victory over a top-10 team from the same class or higher since 2017 (Winder-Barrow). Gainesville is now No. 7.
Twenty-three top-10 teams lost in the opening week of the season, though 16 were against other top-10 teams or out-of-state opponents.
Class 7A
1. (1) Buford (1-0)
2. (2) Grayson (1-0)
3. (3) Colquitt County (1-0)
4. (4) North Cobb (1-0)
5. (5) Mill Creek (1-0)
6. (6) Collins Hill (1-0)
7. (7) Brookwood (1-0)
8. (9) Walton (0-1)
9. (NR) Carrollton (1-0)
10. (NR) Westlake (0-1)
Out: No. 8 Lowndes, No. 10 Milton
Class 6A
1. (1) Hughes (1-0)
2. (2) Lee County (1-0)
3. (3) Rome (1-0)
4. (4) Roswell (1-0)
5. (5) Woodward Academy (1-0)
6. (10) Blessed Trinity (1-0)
7. (NR) Gainesville (1-0)
8. (6) Marist (0-1)
9. (8) South Paulding (1-0)
10. (9) Douglas County (1-0)
No. 7 Northside-Warner Robins
Class 5A
1. (3) Cartersville (1-0)
2. (1) Warner Robins (0-1)
3. (5) Jones County (1-0)
4. (9) Coffee (1-0)
5. (2) Creekside (0-1)
6. (7) Ware County (0-0)
7. (4) Calhoun (0-1)
8. (8) Clarke Central (1-0)
9. (10) Cambridge (1-0)
10. (NR) Kell (1-0)
Out: No. 6 Jefferson
Class 4A
1. (1) Benedictine (1-0)
2. (2) North Oconee (1-0)
3. (3) Cedartown (1-0)
4. (4) Perry (0-0)
5. (6) Whitewater (1-0)
6. (8) Troup (1-0)
7. (10) Starr’s Mill (1-0)
8. (5) Trinity Christian (0-1)
9. (7) Bainbridge (0-1)
10. (NR) Pace Academy (1-0)
No. 9 Holy Innocents’
Class 3A
1. (1) Cedar Grove (1-0)
2. (2) Crisp County (1-0)
3. (3) Carver-Columbus (1-0)
4. (4) Carver-Atlanta (1-0)
5. (6) Calvary Day (1-0)
6. (7) Sandy Creek (1-0)
7. (8) Peach County (1-0)
8. (5) Oconee County (0-1)
9. (9) Dougherty (1-0)
10. (NR) Wesleyan (1-0)
Out: No. 10 Monroe Area
Class 2A
1. (1) Eagle’s Landing Christian (1-0)
2. (2) Fitzgerald (1-0)
3. (3) Appling County (0-0)
4. (4) Pierce County (0-0)
5. (6) Callaway (0-1)
6. (7) Rockmart (0-1)
7. (8) Putnam County (0-0)
8. (9) South Atlanta (0-0)
9. (NR) Columbia (1-0)
10. (10) Washington County (0-0)
Out: No. 5 Fellowship Christian
Class A Division I
1. (1) Prince Avenue Christian (1-0)
2. (2) Brooks County (1-0)
3. (3) Rabun County (1-0)
4. (6) Swainsboro (1-0)
5. (4) Irwin County (0-1)
6. (7) Bleckley County (1-0)
7. (8) Whitefield Academy (1-0)
8. (10) Lamar County (1-0)
9. (5) Metter (0-1)
10. (9) Darlington (1-0)
Class A Division II
1. (1) Schley County (1-0)
2. (5) Bowdon (1-0)
3. (2) Macon County (0-1)
4. (3) Wilcox County (0-1)
5. (7) Charlton County (1-0)
6. (6) Clinch County (1-0)
7. (8) Lincoln County (1-0)
8. (NR) Wheeler County (1-0)
9. (10) Johnson County (0-0)
10. (NR) Washington-Wilkes (1-0)
Out: No. 4 Turner County, No. 9 GMC Prep
About the Author
