Eight Perfect Teams Enter Georgia High School Playoffs
Every No. 1 ranked team in the AJC Varsity rankings finished the 2026 regular season undefeated, a feat not seen since 2015.
By Paula Delgado ·
The 2026 Georgia high school football season concluded with a rare statistical anomaly as all eight top-ranked teams in the AJC Varsity rankings finished their regular seasons without a loss. This marks the first time since 2015 that every No. 1 team entered the postseason with a perfect record. The state’s public rankings, which are updated after the regular season concludes, reflect this widespread success across all eight classification levels.
Seven of the undefeated leaders finished with records of 10-0. Prince Avenue Christian, the top team in the 4A-2A Private classification, finished 9-0. The seven public schools with perfect 10-0 records are Buford in Class 7A, Thomas County Central in Class 6A, Cartersville in Class 5A, Sandy Creek in Class 4A, Appling County in Class 3A, Heard County in Class 2A, and Johnson County in Class A.
Three of these eight teams are No. 1 in their respective classifications for the first time in the history of the AJC rankings. Appling County, Heard County, and Johnson County all hold the top spot in their classes entering the playoffs. Among these three, Appling County has never won a state championship. The other five top teams have previously held the No. 1 ranking.
In Class 7A, Buford leads the field. Carrollton and Newton also finished 10-0 but are ranked second and third, respectively. Valdosta and Lowndes are 9-1, while Colquitt County is 7-3. Brookwood, North Gwinnett, and Westlake are 9-1, 9-1, and 8-2 respectively. Grayson rounds out the top ten with a 6-4 record.
Class 6A is led by Thomas County Central, which is 10-0. Three other teams in this class also finished undefeated: Jackson County and East Paulding are both 10-0, while Creekside, Lee County, and Milton are 9-1. Gainesville is 7-3, Sequoyah is 9-1, Coffee is 8-2, and Hughes is 8-2.
Cartersville heads the Class 5A rankings at 10-0. Blessed Trinity is also 10-0 and ranked second. Mays is 9-1 and ranked fourth. Benedictine, Jefferson, North Oconee, LaGrange, and Ware County are all 8-2. Tucker is 9-1 and ranked tenth. No team is unranked in this classification.
Sandy Creek leads Class 4A with a 10-0 record. Peach County and Monroe Area are also 10-0, ranked second and fourth respectively. Troup, Stephenson, Dougherty, and Cairo are 9-1. Douglass, North Hall, and Calhoun are 8-2, 8-2, and 6-4 respectively.
Appling County tops the Class 3A list at 10-0. Toombs County is 9-1 and ranked second. Northeast is 8-2 and ranked fourth. Columbia, Pierce County, and Rockmart are 8-2. Hapeville Charter and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate are 7-3. Carver (Columbus) is 6-4 and unranked.
Heard County leads Class 2A with a 10-0 record. Six teams are 9-1: Thomasville, Dublin, Jeff Davis, Bleckley County, Commerce, and Bremen. Fitzgerald is 7-3 and ranked eighth. Cook is 4-6 and Swainsboro is 5-5, both unranked.
Johnson County is 10-0 and leads Class A. Randolph-Clay is also 10-0 and ranked third. Lincoln County is 8-2, Taylor County is 9-1, Clinch County is 7-3, Macon County is 9-1, Bowdon is 7-3, Charlton County is 7-2-1, Mitchell County is 8-2, and Schley County is 8-2. In the private classification, Prince Avenue Christian is 9-0. Calvary Day is 9-1, Holy Innocents’ is 10-0, and Greater Atlanta Christian is 7-3.
