Only two of the eight teams ranked No. 1 in the AJC Varsity Composite Rankings will finish as a No. 1 seed, according to the Maxwell Ratings’ latest Post Season Ranking projections.
Maxwell predicts Toombs County in Class 3A and Prince Avenue Christian in Class 4A-2A Private will get No. 1 seeds. The other six composite No. 1 teams will not, Maxwell projects.
After five weeks of the regular season, Toombs and Prince Avenue stand No. 1 in the GHSA’s PSR standings, updated Tuesday, and No. 1 in the AJC Varsity Composite, which comprises seven human and computer polls. Both are predicted to keep their No. 1 seed, which is not the case for the other six PSR No. 1 teams.
In Class 7A, Newton stands No. 1 in PSR, but Maxwell views Valdosta, the No. 6 team in the composite, as the favorite to land the No. 1 seed.
Buford, the composite No. 1 team, is No. 2 in the PSR standings but projected to finish No. 9 despite being favored to go 10-0.
PSR is a weighted formula adding winning percentage plus opponents’ winning percentage plus opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage.
Buford’s opponents’ winning percentage, projected to be .428, will derail the Wolves, according to Maxwell, and put them on track to play road playoff games in the quarterfinals and beyond. Buford has only a 14.1% chance of getting a top-8 seed and a 98% chance of being seeded between 7 and 14, according to Maxwell.
The PSR has Jackson County No. 1 in 6A, but Maxwell projects the Panthers to finish No. 2 behind Lee County. Thomas County Central is the composite No. 1 team.
The composite No. 1 Class 5A team, Blessed Trinity, is No. 1 in the PSR this week but projected to finish No. 2 behind North Oconee, the composite No. 5 team, despite North Oconee already having a loss.
Class 5A is the only class with a composite No. 1 team that differs from the AJC Varsity’s own rankings, which have Cartersville No. 1. Cartersville is No. 12 in the PSR and predicted to finish No. 4.
In Class 4A, Sandy Creek is the unanimous No. 1 composite team but projected to be seeded No. 5. Maxwell predicts Troup will finish No. 1.
The GHSA lists Baldwin as the No. 1 team in PSR in 4A. However, Baldwin’s loss to Howard had not been entered in the GHSA scores late Tuesday. The GHSA said its PSR standings are dependent on score reporting from the home team’s athletic director for each game.
Heard County is No. 1 in the composite rankings for 2A but No. 8 in the PSR and predicted to finish No. 3. Fitzgerald is thePSR No. 1 and is projected to keep the No. 1 seed.
In Class A, Taylor County is No. 1 in the PSR and predicted to finish there. Johnson County, the AJC and consensus No. 1, is expected to remain No. 2.
Along with Buford, the most prominent team that is projected to be seeded No. 9 or lower (meaning a potential road playoff game as early as the quarterfinals) is Calvary Day.
Calvary, a Private school, stands ninth in the PSR and is projected to finish 12th despite being favored in every remaining game. Calvary is the composite and the AJC’s No. 2 team in 4A-2A Private.
The PSR will be used to select and seed the 32 teams in all eight state-playoff classifications this season for the first time. Region finish no longer counts except to guarantee a top 16 seed to region champions.
Below are the GHSA’s PSR standings. They show each team’s PSR standing, projected PSR finish and Maxwell Rating of actual strength. These standings do not include private school teams in classes 4A, 3A and 2A and do not acknowledge ties, making them slightly different than the GHSA’s published standings.
Class 7A
- Newton: 1 → 2 (1)
- Buford: 2 → 9 (3)
- Peachtree Ridge: 3 → 14 (11)
- Valdosta: 4 → 1 (7)
- Brookwood: 5 → 6 (4)
- Westlake: 6 → 10 (6)
- North Cobb: 6 → 13 (9)
- Richmond Hill: 8 → 22 (26)
- Lowndes: 9 → 8 (16)
- Carrollton: 10 → 3 (2)
- Harrison: 11 → 7 (8)
- East Coweta: 12 → 11 (14)
- South Forsyth: 13 → 28 (34)
- North Gwinnett: 14 → 4 (5)
- Parkview: 15 → 24 (20)
- Colquitt County: 16 → 5 (12)
- Kennesaw Mountain: 17 → 40 (39)
- Archer: 18 → 18 (17)
- Lambert: 19 → 16 (19)
- North Forsyth: 20 → 20 (24)
- Etowah: 21 → 34 (28)
- Grayson: 22 → 12 (13)
- North Paulding: 23 → 15 (10)
- McEachern: 24 → 17 (18)
- Douglas County: 25 → 21 (21)
- Dacula: 26 → 29 (30)
- Camden County: 27 → 23 (22)
- Marietta: 28 → 19 (15)
- South Gwinnett: 29 → 27 (23)
- Hillgrove: 30 → 25 (27)
- Paulding County: 31 → 33 (36)
- Rockdale County: 32 → 36 (41)
- Denmark: 33 → 30 (32)
- Walton: 34 → 26 (25)
- Norcross: 35 → 35 (31)
- Pebblebrook: 36 → 38 (38)
- Central Gwinnett: 37 → 42 (44)
- Cherokee: 38 → 43 (42)
- North Atlanta: 39 → 32 (37)
- Campbell: 40 → 37 (40)
- West Forsyth: 41 → 41 (33)
- Mill Creek: 42 → 39 (35)
- Collins Hill: 43 → 31 (29)
- Wheeler: 44 → 46 (45)
- Northgate: 45 → 44 (43)
- Duluth: 46 → 45 (46)
- Forsyth Central: 47 → 48 (47)
- Discovery: 48 → 50 (49)
- Seckinger: 49 → 47 (48)
- Berkmar: 50 → 49 (50)
Class 6A
- Jackson County: 1 → 2 (10)
- East Paulding: 2 → 4 (2)
- Lee County: 3 → 1 (1)
- Coffee: 4 → 5 (5)
- Milton: 5 → 10 (8)
- South Effingham: 6 → 26 (31)
- Roswell: 7 → 11 (6)
- Thomas County Central: 8 → 3 (3)
- Hughes: 9 → 12 (12)
- Kell: 10 → 16 (14)
- Bradwell Institute: 11 → 13 (25)
- Tift County: 12 → 21 (13)
- Woodward Academy: 13 → 17 (15)
- Gainesville: 14 → 19 (7)
- Walnut Grove: 15 → 25 (32)
- Northside (Columbus): 16 → 35 (34)
- Sequoyah: 17 → 6 (4)
- Habersham Central: 18 → 24 (28)
- Clarke Central: 19 → 7 (16)
- Mountain View: 20 → 15 (24)
- Shiloh: 21 → 18 (37)
- Lassiter: 22 → 22 (19)
- Northside (Warner Robins): 23 → 33 (18)
- Houston County: 24 → 20 (11)
- Creekside: 25 → 8 (9)
- Creekview: 26 → 30 (21)
- New Manchester: 27 → 23 (27)
- Veterans: 28 → 40 (30)
- South Cobb: 29 → 55 (50)
- Loganville: 30 → 42 (45)
- Effingham County: 31 → 14 (17)
- Cedar Shoals: 32 → 38 (47)
- Tri-Cities: 33 → 48 (49)
- Pope: 34 → 52 (44)
- McIntosh: 35 → 31 (36)
- Dunwoody: 36 → 27 (41)
- Lovejoy: 37 → 44 (38)
- Lanier: 38 → 36 (22)
- Hiram: 39 → 32 (35)
- Morrow: 40 → 56 (57)
- Woodstock: 41 → 50 (39)
- Chapel Hill: 42 → 34 (42)
- Glynn Academy: 43 → 41 (33)
- Lakeside (Atlanta): 44 → 43 (55)
- Greenbrier: 45 → 47 (43)
- Alcovy: 46 → 37 (53)
- Rome: 47 → 39 (26)
- Brunswick: 48 → 29 (23)
- Johns Creek: 49 → 54 (60)
- Decatur: 50 → 49 (58)
- Alpharetta: 51 → 51 (46)
- Chamblee: 52 → 45 (59)
- Heritage (Conyers): 53 → 9 (29)
- Osborne: 54 → 61 (62)
- Alexander: 55 → 46 (40)
- Apalachee: 56 → 57 (54)
- Newnan: 57 → 28 (20)
- South Paulding: 58 → 53 (51)
- River Ridge: 59 → 63 (52)
- Meadowcreek: 60 → 60 (64)
- Lakeside (Evans): 61 → 62 (56)
- Riverwood: 62 → 64 (63)
- Midtown: 63 → 59 (61)
- Grovetown: 64 → 58 (48)
Class 5A
- Blessed Trinity: 1 → 2 (1)
- Dalton: 2 → 6 (11)
- Cass: 3 → 5 (9)
- Richmond Academy: 4 → 18 (21)
- Tucker: 5 → 3 (4)
- Benedictine: 6 → 7 (6)
- North Oconee: 7 → 1 (7)
- Marist: 8 → 10 (3)
- Whitewater: 9 → 14 (19)
- Mays: 10 → 9 (12)
- Flowery Branch: 11 → 15 (24)
- Cartersville: 12 → 4 (2)
- Statesboro: 13 → 17 (20)
- Central (Carrollton): 14 → 8 (5)
- Warner Robins: 15 → 25 (23)
- Cedartown: 16 → 24 (28)
- East Forsyth: 17 → 27 (30)
- Ola: 18 → 12 (8)
- Stockbridge: 19 → 11 (14)
- Druid Hills: 20 → 49 (49)
- Griffin: 21 → 28 (25)
- M.L. King: 22 → 32 (35)
- Villa Rica: 23 → 19 (26)
- Jones County: 24 → 20 (13)
- Centennial: 25 → 33 (36)
- Ware County: 26 → 23 (22)
- Lithonia: 27 → 31 (16)
- Cambridge: 28 → 26 (29)
- Lithia Springs: 29 → 38 (41)
- LaGrange: 30 → 16 (10)
- Jefferson: 31 → 13 (15)
- Woodland (Cartersville): 32 → 37 (40)
- Chattahoochee: 33 → 46 (51)
- Sprayberry: 34 → 42 (33)
- Jenkins: 35 → 30 (17)
- Dutchtown: 36 → 21 (31)
- Southwest DeKalb: 37 → 22 (18)
- Madison County: 38 → 48 (47)
- Wayne County: 39 → 50 (50)
- Locust Grove: 40 → 40 (34)
- St. Pius X: 41 → 36 (39)
- Allatoona: 42 → 47 (38)
- Jonesboro: 43 → 29 (32)
- Harris County: 44 → 34 (37)
- Perry: 45 → 35 (27)
- Winder-Barrow: 46 → 43 (43)
- Drew: 47 → 41 (54)
- Evans: 48 → 44 (42)
- Union Grove: 49 → 54 (52)
- Banneker: 50 → 51 (48)
- Eastside: 51 → 39 (45)
- Starr’s Mill: 52 → 55 (46)
- Arabia Mountain: 53 → 53 (55)
- Maynard Jackson: 54 → 45 (44)
- Eagle’s Landing: 55 → 58 (53)
- Mundy’s Mill: 56 → 57 (56)
- Groves: 58 → 56 (58)
- Forest Park: 59 → 60 (57)
Class 4A-2A Private
- Prince Avenue Christian: 1 → 1 (2)
- Lovett: 2 → 3 (3)
- Holy Innocents’: 3 → 2 (4)
- Christian Heritage: 4 → 6 (12)
- Mt. Bethel Christian: 5 → 17 (24)
- Aquinas: 6 → 7 (13)
- Mount Vernon: 7 → 9 (15)
- Greater Atlanta Christian: 8 → 8 (6)
- Calvary Day: 9 → 12 (1)
- Providence Christian: 10 → 19 (21)
- North Cobb Christian: 11 → 15 (10)
- Whitefield Academy: 12 → 13 (9)
- Fellowship Christian: 13 → 4 (7)
- King’s Ridge Christian: 14 → 11 (17)
- Wesleyan: 15 → 10 (8)
- Hebron Christian: 16 → 5 (5)
- Eagle’s Landing Christian: 17 → 16 (14)
- Darlington: 18 → 18 (19)
- Walker: 19 → 26 (27)
- Trinity Christian: 20 → 14 (11)
- Mount Paran Christian: 21 → 25 (25)
- Westminster: 22 → 20 (18)
- Mount Pisgah Christian: 23 → 27 (26)
- Pace Academy: 24 → 24 (20)
- Athens Academy: 25 → 21 (22)
- Landmark Christian: 26 → 23 (23)
- Savannah Christian: 27 → 22 (16)
Class 4A
- Baldwin: 1 → 14 (12)
- Monroe Area: 2 → 4 (4)
- Troup: 3 → 1 (2)
- Cairo: 4 → 2 (5)
- Sandy Creek: 5 → 5 (1)
- Westover: 6 → 6 (19)
- Peach County: 7 → 3 (3)
- Stephenson: 8 → 8 (6)
- Spalding: 9 → 7 (11)
- Northwest Whitfield: 10 → 10 (17)
- Mary Persons: 11 → 19 (10)
- Woodland (Stockbridge): 12 → 23 (25)
- White County: 13 → 24 (30)
- Adairsville: 14 → 21 (18)
- Windsor Forest: 15 → 40 (40)
- Gilmer: 16 → 20 (20)
- Dougherty: 17 → 15 (21)
- Heritage (Ringgold): 18 → 28 (29)
- Calhoun: 19 → 9 (8)
- West Laurens: 20 → 17 (13)
- North Hall: 21 → 11 (14)
- Southeast Bulloch: 22 → 26 (27)
- Douglass: 23 → 16 (7)
- McDonough: 24 → 34 (38)
- Spencer: 25 → 25 (26)
- Hampton: 26 → 12 (16)
- Hardaway: 27 → 51 (55)
- Shaw: 28 → 35 (39)
- Oconee County: 29 → 22 (9)
- East Hall: 30 → 41 (44)
- Long County: 31 → 36 (33)
- North Clayton: 32 → 18 (24)
- Pickens: 33 → 39 (35)
- Westside (Macon): 34 → 33 (36)
- Bainbridge: 35 → 29 (31)
- New Hampstead: 36 → 13 (15)
- Southeast Whitfield: 37 → 45 (53)
- Liberty County: 38 → 52 (42)
- Cherokee Bluff: 39 → 30 (23)
- Howard: 40 → 27 (22)
- Luella: 41 → 44 (46)
- Monroe: 42 → 37 (34)
- West Hall: 43 → 49 (51)
- East Jackson: 44 → 38 (37)
- Mount Zion (Jonesboro): 45 → 31 (32)
- Columbus: 46 → 42 (50)
- Harlem: 47 → 32 (28)
- Chestatee: 48 → 54 (54)
- Fayette County: 49 → 50 (48)
- Ridgeland: 50 → 43 (47)
- North Springs: 51 → 47 (41)
- Upson-Lee: 52 → 46 (43)
- Salem: 53 → 55 (52)
- Dawson County: 54 → 48 (45)
- Riverdale: 55 → 53 (49)
Class 3A
- Toombs County: 1 → 1 (1)
- Hart County: 2 → 2 (2)
- Lumpkin County: 3 → 10 (7)
- Franklin County: 4 → 20 (14)
- Murray County: 5 → 31 (38)
- Appling County: 6 → 13 (5)
- Hephzibah: 7 → 19 (17)
- KIPP Atlanta Collegiate: 8 → 8 (15)
- Haralson County: 9 → 22 (29)
- Pierce County: 10 → 3 (4)
- Ringgold: 11 → 5 (20)
- Crisp County: 12 → 9 (10)
- Northeast: 13 → 6 (6)
- Rockmart: 14 → 7 (8)
- Columbia: 15 → 4 (3)
- LaFayette: 16 → 15 (26)
- Lamar County: 17 → 11 (19)
- Thomson: 18 → 16 (12)
- Pike County: 19 → 32 (33)
- South Atlanta: 20 → 35 (40)
- Burke County: 21 → 12 (11)
- Coahulla Creek: 22 → 24 (32)
- Worth County: 23 → 17 (13)
- Washington County: 24 → 39 (31)
- Kendrick: 25 → 46 (51)
- Westside (Augusta): 26 → 25 (25)
- Miller Grove: 27 → 28 (30)
- Temple: 28 → 40 (36)
- Callaway: 29 → 18 (21)
- Morgan County: 30 → 23 (18)
- Hapeville Charter: 31 → 14 (9)
- Brantley County: 32 → 34 (47)
- Elbert County: 33 → 30 (23)
- Stephens County: 34 → 42 (24)
- Islands: 35 → 38 (48)
- Jackson: 36 → 26 (28)
- Rutland: 37 → 43 (42)
- Central (Macon): 38 → 51 (52)
- Tattnall County: 39 → 36 (45)
- Johnson (Savannah): 40 → 52 (49)
- Therrell: 41 → 44 (41)
- Cedar Grove: 42 → 41 (35)
- Sonoraville: 43 → 49 (43)
- McNair: 44 → 48 (46)
- North Murray: 45 → 29 (34)
- Butler: 46 → 50 (53)
- Carver (Columbus): 47 → 33 (16)
- Sumter County: 48 → 37 (27)
- Beach: 49 → 27 (37)
- Carver (Atlanta): 50 → 21 (22)
- Redan: 51 → 54 (50)
- Union County: 52 → 53 (44)
- Southwest: 53 → 47 (39)
- Cross Creek: 54 → 56 (54)
Class 2A
- Fitzgerald: 1 → 1 (3)
- Bremen: 2 → 5 (7)
- Jeff Davis: 3 → 4 (4)
- Bleckley County: 4 → 2 (2)
- Model: 5 → 10 (10)
- Dublin: 6 → 7 (6)
- Social Circle: 7 → 14 (21)
- Heard County: 8 → 3 (1)
- Berrien: 9 → 16 (12)
- Commerce: 10 → 9 (9)
- Screven County: 11 → 15 (18)
- Thomasville: 12 → 8 (5)
- ACE Charter: 13 → 19 (17)
- Laney: 14 → 12 (16)
- Mount Zion (Carrollton): 15 → 22 (27)
- Jasper County: 16 → 6 (14)
- Cook: 17 → 13 (8)
- Dodge County: 18 → 11 (11)
- Pepperell: 19 → 17 (22)
- Putnam County: 20 → 21 (23)
- Vidalia: 21 → 25 (20)
- Utopian Academy: 22 → 36 (34)
- Coosa: 23 → 31 (32)
- Dade County: 24 → 27 (28)
- Swainsboro: 25 → 18 (13)
- Glenn Hills: 26 → 26 (35)
- Bacon County: 27 → 32 (29)
- Rabun County: 28 → 20 (19)
- Gordon Lee: 29 → 24 (26)
- Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe: 30 → 33 (33)
- Fannin County: 31 → 23 (24)
- Brooks County: 32 → 28 (15)
- East Laurens: 33 → 35 (25)
- Bryan County: 34 → 40 (36)
- Chattooga: 35 → 42 (37)
- Oglethorpe County: 36 → 38 (38)
- Armuchee: 37 → 41 (42)
- Metter: 38 → 37 (30)
- Jefferson County: 39 → 34 (39)
- Gordon Central: 40 → 44 (41)
- Josey: 41 → 39 (43)
- Savannah: 42 → 43 (40)
- Washington: 43 → 30 (31)
Class A
- Taylor County: 1 → 1 (4)
- Johnson County: 2 → 2 (2)
- Treutlen: 3 → 3 (8)
- Claxton: 4 → 28 (31)
- Macon County: 5 → 6 (7)
- Lake Oconee Academy: 6 → 30 (32)
- Charlton County: 7 → 13 (6)
- Trion: 8 → 9 (9)
- Montgomery County: 9 → 12 (20)
- McIntosh County Academy: 10 → 14 (16)
- Georgia Military Prep: 11 → 19 (27)
- Mitchell County: 12 → 18 (21)
- Clinch County: 13 → 8 (5)
- Randolph-Clay: 14 → 7 (11)
- Wheeler County: 15 → 15 (14)
- Washington-Wilkes: 16 → 10 (12)
- Bowdon: 17 → 4 (3)
- Lincoln County: 18 → 5 (1)
- Irwin County: 19 → 20 (15)
- Portal: 20 → 25 (22)
- Twiggs County: 21 → 46 (43)
- Chattahoochee County: 22 → 22 (38)
- B.E.S.T. Academy: 23 → 32 (36)
- Schley County: 24 → 16 (19)
- Seminole County: 25 → 31 (33)
- Warren County: 26 → 17 (18)
- Manchester: 27 → 21 (17)
- Miller County: 28 → 26 (23)
- Terrell County: 29 → 40 (46)
- Telfair County: 30 → 35 (30)
- Greene County: 31 → 29 (25)
- Dooly County: 32 → 34 (28)
- Emanuel County Institute: 33 → 11 (10)
- Glascock County: 34 → 37 (37)
- Hawkinsville: 35 → 24 (26)
- Hancock Central: 36 → 50 (42)
- Pelham: 37 → 41 (44)
- Lanier County: 38 → 42 (39)
- Central (Talbotton): 39 → 43 (48)
- Wilcox County: 40 → 49 (34)
- Wilkinson County: 41 → 36 (35)
- Early County: 42 → 27 (13)
- Crawford County: 43 → 45 (45)
- Greenville: 44 → 44 (47)
- Jenkins County: 45 → 23 (24)
- Turner County: 46 → 38 (29)
- Atkinson County: 47 → 51 (40)
- Marion County: 48 → 39 (41)
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