Top 25 Georgia high school football rankings (9/26/2023)

The cream is rising to the top as the Georgia high school football season reaches the midway point

We have reached the halfway point of the regular season in the state of Georgia and the cream is starting to rise to the top.

Class 7A, which might be the deepest it has ever been in the state of Georgia, now occupies the first eight spots and nine out of the Top 10.

Three teams took a tumble in this week's rankings, including Langston Hughes, Milton and Ware County, all of which were upset in Week 6. But that has also created opportunities for teams to move up, like Gainesville, which is the lone non-Class 7A team inside the Top 10 at the halfway point.

Here’s the complete breakdown of our SBLive Sports Power 25 high school football rankings for the state of Georgia.

1. Buford

(5-0)

The Wolves have reached the halfway point of their season and there hasn’t been much to complain about. They are 5-0 and have out-scored their opponents 134-38. Their biggest game remaining on the schedule takes place in three weeks against No. 2 Mill Creek, which will in all likelihood be for the Region 8 Championship. 

2. Mill Creek

(5-0)

The Hawks continue their rise and have moved into the No. 2 spot after a hard-fought 30-20 road win at Parkview last Friday night. The Hawks now have three Top 25 wins against Parkview, Cedar Grove and Norcross. Their defense shined against a star-studded Parkview offense, holding them to just seven points in the second half. 

3. Colquitt County

(5-0)

The Packers come in at No. 3 at the halfway point of the season. They’re fresh off a 50-42 win over Cedar Grove, but it was a game that the Packers took their foot off the gas a little too early. All-in-all the Packers have two wins against Top 25 teams (Cedar Grove and Lee County). 

4. Walton

(4-0)

Despite not playing a game last Friday, the Raiders move up to No. 4, their highest ranking of the season. There’s no denying how dominant the Raiders have been to start the season. Their best win was without a doubt their Week 1 win over Grayson in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Would that game play out closer at this point in the season? Probably. But it still stands as one of the more impressive wins of the 2023 season.

5. Carrollton

(5-1)

After crushing Hillgrove, 49-0, last Friday night, the Trojans will finally get a week off after winning their last five games in a row. After dropping a Week 1 shootout to Hughes, the Trojans have looked really good, but haven’t played top-tier teams. They have yet to beat a Top 25 team this season, but are still a threat to win a Class 7A state championship.

6. Parkview

(4-1)

The Panthers dropped their first game of the season last Friday, but they move up one spot in the rankings to No. 6. Why? Their loss came at the hands of No. 2 Mill Creek, and it was a winnable game for the Panthers, who were tied at 13-13 with the Hawks well into the third quarter. The Panthers shouldn’t get penalized in the rankings for losing to the Hawks, a team that has earned the No. 2 ranking in the state of Georgia.

7. Grayson

(4-1)

It’s amazing what one month will do for a team. After starting off the season getting embarrassed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium by Walton, the Rams have been on a rampage, winning four in a row. Of those four wins, three have been shutouts, including last Friday night’s 40-0 domination of Lowndes. The Rams move up to No. 7 in this week’s rankings. 

8. Newton

(5-0)

The Rams are up to No. 8 in this week’s rankings, due in large part to some other teams stumbling in Week 6. What the Rams have done to start the season has been nothing short of incredible. First-year head coach Josh Skelton has helped lead the Rams to a 5-0 record which includes a 27-12 win over Westlake two weeks ago. The Rams will have a chance to prove their worth this Friday when they tangle with No. 4 Grayson in their Region 7 opener.

9. Gainesville

(5-0)

For the first time this season, the Red Elephants have cracked the Top 10 with a couple of teams ahead of them in last week’s poll stumbling. The Red Elephants moved up to 11th last week after their 70-6 drubbing of Apalachee. And while they haven’t played all that tough of a schedule, there’s no reason to diminish what they have done so far this season.

10. Westlake

(5-1)

The Lions have only played one bad game this season, and that came two weeks ago when they lost to Newton, 27-12, on the road. They took out their frustrations on Collins Hill last Friday and beat them 42-7, in what was easily Collins Hill’s worst loss this season. After falling out of the Top 10 last week, the Lions are back in this week at No. 10.

11. Langston Hughes

(3-2)

After losing to Douglas County last Friday night, the Panthers were due to take a tumble in the rankings. Their free-fall will stop at No. 11 for now, and the only thing keeping them from falling further is their win against No. 5 Carrollton, and the fact that Douglas County is now 5-0. Douglas County is a good football team, but it was still a game the Panthers should have won given their track record. 

12. Benedictine

(5-0)

It’s been difficult to rank the Cadets amongst the best teams in the state this season, due in large part to them being in a smaller classification. In Class 4A, the Cadets are the cream of the crop. Their win over Ware County two weeks ago doesn’t look quite as impressive as it did at the time after the Gators lost to Bainbridge last Friday. We’re going to slide the Cadets in at No. 12 in this week’s rankings.

13. Cedar Grove

(2-4)

Despite dropping their fourth game this season, the Saints move up three spots to No. 13 after nearly completing a wild comeback against No. 3 Colquitt County last Friday. The Saints have played the toughest schedule in the state this season. That’s not up for debate. All three of their losses to teams from Georgia came against Top 10 teams, including two Top 5 teams in Mill Creek and Colquitt County. 

14. Norcorss

(4-1)

The Blue Devils are up one spot to No. 14 after knocking South Gwinnett from the list of unbeatens last Friday. The Blue Devils beat the previously undefeated Comets, 27-20, to improve to 4-1 on the season. Their only loss remains against No. 2 Mill Creek.

15. Creekside

(4-1)

The Seminoles are up two spots to No. 15 in this week’s rankings after defeating Chapel Hill, 49-14, out of their bye last Friday night. They haven’t played any Top 25 teams from the state of Georgia yet, and probably won’t due to their regular season schedule. But, there is no denying how talented they are on the field.

16. Milton

(3-2)

The first half of the season for the Eagles hasn’t gone according to plan. After appearing to be back on track and headed in the right direction, the Eagles did not play well at all against a North Cobb squad that beat them handedly, at home, 42-27, last Friday night. As a result, the Eagles tumble down seven spots to No. 16 in this week’s rankings.

17. Lee County

(4-1)

The Trojans are up one spot to No. 17 after starting off the first half of their season 4-1. Their only loss came two weeks ago to No. 3 Colquitt County 37-20. The Trojans will have to earn their ranking this week, however, when they tangle with Houston County on the road in their region opener. 

18. Douglas County

(5-0)

Douglas County makes its debut in the Power 25 after upsetting then No. 4 Langston Hughes last Friday night, 30-27. The upset comes as a surprise to most, but the Tigers entered the match-up undefeated. There is a really good chance that the Tigers could run the table and finish 10-0 in the regular season, which would be their first 10-0 regular season since 2002.

19. Thomas County Central

(5-0)

What’s not to like about the Yellow Jackets? They improved to 5-0 on the season last Friday after blasting Godby (Florida), 55-19, and are now set to open up Region play against Veterans this Friday. The Yellow Jackets are up two spots to No. 19 in this week’s rankings. 

20. Roswell

(4-1)

The Hornets slide back one spot to No. 20 in this week’s rankings after rebounding with a nice 56-0 shutout of Johns Creek last Friday night. Their lone loss three weeks ago to Milton, 34-14, doesn’t look so good now, but with the high-powered offense they are capable of displaying, they are deserving of a Top 20 ranking at this point in the season. 

21. Prince Avenue Christian

(6-0)

The Wolverines have yet to have a bye week and it hasn’t slowed them down one bit. They have raced past all six of their opponents, out-scoring them 295-89 and sit at a perfect 6-0 on the season. They will now play their seventh straight game this Friday against Mary Persons. 

22. Calvary Day

(5-0)

After cruising to a 4-0 record, the Cavaliers got their first real test of the season last Friday against Savannah Chrisitan and they passed it with flying colors. The Cavs won the game, 42-21, to improve to 5-0 on the season and will remain at No. 22 in this week’s rankings.

23. Houston County

(5-0)

The Bears have had a great start to the season, defeating their first five opponents by a combined score of 250-80. The only thing keeping the Bears from being ranked a few spots higher is their narrow 42-35 win over Perry in Week 2. Yes, Perry is a good team, but when ranking teams against the best the state of Georgia has to offer, No. 23 is a fair spot to place the Bears at the halfway point. However, they will have a chance to prove they are worthy of a higher ranking when they face off against No. 17 Lee County at home this Friday night.

24. Ware County

(3-2)

The Gators tumble all the way down to No. 24 after dropping their second straight game. Their first loss against Benedictine wasn’t a bad one, but after getting out-classed by Bainbridge last Friday night, the Gators were due to take a fall. 

25. Marist

(4-1)

The War Eagles will hold onto the 25th and final spot in this week’s Power 25 for the second straight week. At the halfway point, their resume is more than solid. Their only loss was a 12-point loss to No. 9 Gainesville, which is looking better and better with each passing week.