Top 25 Georgia high school football rankings (10/18/2023)

Mill Creek takes over the top spot from Buford

There was a shakeup in the SBLive Sports Georgia Power 25 this week, and it starts with the Mill Creek Hawks overtaking Buford for the No. 1 spot after beating them 31-24 last Friday night.

Newton, Grayson, Gainesville and Norcross all move up one spot as well with Parkview taking a tumble out of the Top 10 for the first time this season.

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

1. Mill Creek

(7-0)

There is a new No. 1 team in this week’s Power 25 and it should come as no surprise. After beating Buford 31-24, who had previously held the No. 1 ranking every week since the start of the season, the Mill Creek Hawks have overtaken the Wolves. It’s more than well-earned for the defending Class 7A state champs. 

2. Buford

(6-1)

Buford’s fall after losing to new No. 1 Mill Creek is minimal, as expected. The loss was certainly a game the Wolves would like to have back. They made their fair share of mistakes, and the Hawks made more plays than they did. The Wolves are still a legit Class 7A state championship contender and slot in at No. 2 in this week’s rankings.

3. Colquitt County

(7-0)

The Packers remain at No. 3 in this week’s rankings after another impressive win, this time defeating Camden County 37-16. It’s arguably their most impressive win of the season given how solid Camden County has been so far this season. 

4. Walton

(7-0)

The Raiders slot in at No. 4 in this week’s rankings after beating a bad Kennesaw Mountain team 49-0. There are only a handful of teams that are legit contenders to win a Class 7A state championship and the Raiders are definitely one of them. 

5. Carrollton

(7-1)

The Trojans ran their win streak to seven in a row last week after beating down Pebblebrook 64-8. Their last five games have been a cakewalk, but Friday night’s showdown with Westlake will be anything but. 

6. Newton

(7-0)

The Rams are up to No. 6 in this week’s rankings after beating down a bad Brookwood team 44-17. It’s been a tremendous run so far this season for the Rams, and it can get even better with a win at home against Parkview this Friday. A win against the Panthers would put the Rams as the heavy favorites to win the Region 4-7A title. 

7. Grayson

(6-2)

The Rams had two weeks to prepare for South Gwinnett after losing a heartbreaker to Newton, and they took their frustrations out on the Comets, beating them 28-6. The Rams are still a deadly team and will be a tough out come playoff time. But right now, they’re not in a position to win a region title thanks to their loss to Newton.

8. Gainesville

(7-0)

The Red Elephants are up one spot to No. 8 after a dominant 49-7 win over Habersham Central last Friday. At this point, it would take a major, major upset to keep them from going a perfect 10-0 in the regular season for a second year in a row. 

9. Westlake

(6-1)

Many continue to write off the Lions, and we’re not exactly sure why. Their only loss was against No. 6 Newton, and it was a game that was closer than the final score shows. The Lions have a showdown with No. 5 Carrollton this Friday and will have a chance to prove their worth as a Top 10 team, and even move up with a win.

10. Norcross

(6-1)

The Blue Devils are back in the Top 10 for the first time in awhile after a 41-0 shutout of Berkmar last Friday night. Next week will be an easy one against Meadowcreek, and they will finish the season with two tough games against Peachtree Ridge and North Gwinnett. 

11. Lee County

(6-1)

The Trojans are up one spot to No. 11 despite not playing a game last week. They will take on Northside Warner-Robins this Friday.

12. Thomas County Central

(7-0)

The Yellow Jackets are up one spot to No. 12 despite not playing a game last week. They will take on Houston County this Friday in what will be the start of back-to-back massive games. They take on Lee County the following week.

13. Parkview

(5-2)

The Panthers are leaking oil and it’s sad to see. After losing star running back Khair Spain to a season-ending injury in Week 1, the Panthers are now down another star running back in Trelain Maddox. Without those two, the Panthers were upset by Archer 28-27 last week and now have to face Newton on the road this Friday.

14. Douglas County

(7-0)

The Tigers remain at No. 14 in this week’s rankings after being off last week. They return to action this Friday against East Paulding. 

15. Langston Hughes

(5-2)

The Panthers reached a much-needed bye last week after an up-and-down start to the season. They will be back in action this Friday against Newnan.

16. Houston County

(6-1)

The Bears remain at No. 16 in this week’s rankings after being off last week. They're back in action this Friday against Thomas County Central in what will be one of the biggest games in the state. 

17. Calvary Day

(7-0)

The Cavaliers remain at No. 17 after being off last week. They’re back in action this week against Savannah Country Day. 

18. Cedar Grove

(3-5)

The Saints’ three-game losing streak is officially over. They beat Douglass 41-0 to inch closer to .500 on the season. They clock in at No. 18 in this week’s rankings.

19. Benedictine

(8-0)

The Cadets are one of the first teams in the state to reach eight wins, and they did so by defeating Southeast Bulloch 28-7 last Friday. They remain at No. 19. 

20. Rome

(6-1)

The Wolves remain at No. 20 after being off last week. They are back in action this Friday night against River Ridge.

21. Marist

(6-1)

The War Eagles are up one spot to No. 22 in this week’s rankings after beating South Cobb 49-0. The War Eagles will look to run their winning streak to seven in a row this week against North Atlanta.

22. Milton

(5-2)

The Eagles scored their second straight 31-0 victory over a Region 6-7A opponent last Friday, this time defeating Forsyth Central. They face off against West Forsyth on Thursday night this week.

23. Roswell

(7-1)

You’re supposed to take care of business against bad teams, and the Hornets are doing that, and then some. After obliterating Lassier 84-6 two weeks ago, they followed that up with a 70-14 drubbing of Pope to improve to 7-1 on the season.

24. North Oconee

(7-0)

The Titans improved to 7-0 on the season last Friday after beating East Forsyth 44-19. They’re back in action this week against Walnut Grove.

25. Peachtree Ridge

(7-0)

The Lions earned their biggest win of the season last Friday, defeating North Gwinnett for the first time since 2016. But their real test will come in two weeks when they face off against No. 10 Norcross, their first-ranked opponent of the season.