Georgia High School Football Top 25 Rankings After Week 1: Carrollton, Sandy Creek Surge

Good thing we did our Georgia high school football preseason rankings in pencil.

Grayson started at No. 2, but has started the season 0-2. Sandy Creek started at No. 19 and just beat them. Thomas County Central hung 57 points on Colquitt County. Carrollton put 55 on Rome. Toombs County apparently saw that we left it out entirely and responded by putting 58 on Benedictine.

I think it's fair to say there have been some changes this week.

High School On SI's national Power 25 now includes three Georgia teams: Buford remains No. 3 nationally, Carrollton moved to No. 14, and Thomas County Central debuted at No. 22. Grayson and Creekside dropped out of the national rankings after beginning the season at Nos. 12 and 17.

Here's where Georgia stands after Week 1.

1. Buford

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 1

Gainesville had us reconsidering No. 1 for about two and a half quarters. Then Buford turned a 13-10 deficit into a 39-19 win, and DJ Hunter ran for two touchdowns.

2. Carrollton

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 3

CJ Cypher threw for 269 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-7 demolition of Rome. We had Carrollton third; apparently, the Trojans saw The Odyssey and had a plan of their own.

3. Thomas County Central

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 5

Aidan McPherson accounted for six touchdowns as Thomas County Central put up 57 points on Colquitt County. Remember when we ranked the undefeated defending champs fifth?

Neither do we.

4. North Gwinnett

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 8

That 37-22 win over Grayson looks even better now, especially after North Gwinnett led 37-0 in the third quarter. Elam Rahman threw three touchdown passes, and we clearly had the Bulldogs too low.

5. Sandy Creek

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 19

Caleb Hill threw for two touchdowns and rushed for 100 yards as Sandy Creek beat Grayson 21-13. Nineteenth was not our finest preseason moment.

6. Langston Hughes

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 7

Prince Amari Aminu completed all 11 of his passes as Hughes handled North Atlanta 56-7. Nothing dramatic here, just a team handling business.

7. Roswell

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 10

Roswell erased a 14-0 deficit and scored 32 straight points to beat Walton. Matt Schletty ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns as the Hornets made their first argument for moving up.

8. Creekside

Record: 0-1
Previous ranking: 4

Creekside turned the ball over four times in a 29-20 loss to Alabama power Clay-Chalkville, but Gary Walker still ran for 90 yards and three scores. One loss against that kind of opponent isn't enough to send the Seminoles off our radar.

9. Milton

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 16

Derrick Baker led an 80-yard game-winning drive and scored the deciding two-point conversion in a 30-29 win over North Cobb. Maybe last year's 8-4 really was just a glitch in the matrix.

10. Gainesville

Record: 0-1
Previous ranking: 6

Gainesville led Buford in the third quarter before special-teams mistakes turned the game. A 39-19 loss hurts, but the Red Elephants showed enough to stay in the Top 10.

11. McEachern

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 17

McEachern forced turnovers and rolled past Kell 40-10, with Casey Barner contributing a 58-yard touchdown run and an interception. Okay, McEachern, you officially have our attention.

12. Valdosta

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 12

Marquis Fennell scored four different ways: twice receiving, once rushing and once on a punt return, in a 52-14 win over Jones County. Some players ease into the season. Fennell decided nobody had time for that.

13. Grayson

Record: 0-2
Previous ranking: 2

North Gwinnett got them first, Sandy Creek followed, and suddenly the Georgia preseason No. 2 team is 0-2. The talent is still there, but the numbers don't lie. We'll be watching closely to see how the Rams respond to this early adversity.

14. Cartersville

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 21

Cartersville led Hiram 48-0 at halftime, then politely stopped scoring. Harris Turner threw three touchdown passes in an opener that required very little second-half analysis.

15. Lowndes

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 11

Lowndes rushed for 456 yards in a 31-6 win over Jenkins, led by Mason Woods' 176 yards. Apparently, passing was optional.

16. Lee County

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 20

Lee County outgained Hapeville Charter 488-70 in a 51-0 win. Jaden Upshaw caught eight passes for 118 yards, which is one way to make us reconsider that preseason No. 20 ranking.

17. Toombs County

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: Not ranked

Toombs County beat Benedictine 58-21 behind Donterrius Mincey's 166 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Leaving the Bulldogs out entirely aged about as well as milk on the front porch in Georgia during August.

18. Newton

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 24

Newton survived Douglas County 34-27 in overtime behind Kevin Hartsfield's 216 rushing yards. Moving up six spots seems like a reasonable reward for finishing the job.

19. Houston County

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 22

Austin Stinson rushed for 311 yards and three touchdowns as Houston County beat West Forsyth 38-14. Those kinds of numbers will make anyone perk up and pay attention.

20. Douglas County

Record: 0-1
Previous ranking: 9

Douglas County was one yard from extending its overtime loss to Newton, so this is a drop rather than an eviction. The Tigers still have plenty of time to make up for the first week.

21. Worth County

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: 25

Kody Crutchfield scored four rushing touchdowns as Worth County beat Brooks County 49-35. Moving up a classification apparently did not require a grace period for Worth County.

22. North Oconee

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: Not ranked

North Oconee turned two interceptions into touchdowns and pulled away from Oconee County 42-21. They say defense wins championships. It can also earn you a spot in the Top 25.

23. Douglass

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: Not ranked

Douglass ended Carver-Columbus' 27-game winning streak with a 28-7 victory, while Zalen Green scored three touchdowns. Douglass didn't politely ask for a seat at the table; they showed up with a plate and said, "Let's eat."

24. Hebron Christian

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: Not ranked

Beau Bennett ran for two touchdowns and led Hebron with 10 tackles in its opening win. The defending private-school champion was just outside our preseason poll and didn't stay there long.

25. Norcross

Record: 1-0
Previous ranking: Not ranked

Norcross turned a 13-13 halftime tie with Mill Creek into a 40-16 win. When the unranked team beats the ranked team by 24, sometimes you just switch chairs.

Dropped Out

Benedictine (previously No. 13)
Rome (No. 14)
Colquitt County (No. 15)
Carver-Columbus (No. 18)
Mill Creek (No. 23)

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