Top 25 Georgia high school football rankings (8/21/2024)

Milton holds its top position after an opening week win over Buford; Collins zooms into our rankings at No. 10; Douglas County and Langston Hughes take leaps forward

After last week's big win over then No. 2 Buford, Luke Nickel and the Milton Eagles remain No. 1 in the first Georgia High School Football Top 25 of the 2024 regular season. / David McGregor, SBLive

Week 1 of the high school football season in Georgia did not disappoint. From high-profile matchups, to upsets galore, there was a ton of movement in this week’s SBLive Power 25 heading into Week 2.

HIghlights of Week 1 included a 13-10 win for No. 1 Milton over then No. 2 Buford, as well as the biggest upset of the week, Collins Hill taking down Grayson, 20-19. 

Check below to how we have the state’s Top 25 teams ranked: 

1. Milton (1-0)

Last Week: 1

Surprise, surprise. The Eagles remain at No. 1 in the state of Georgia after edging out then No. 2 Buford 13-10 in a defensive slugfest. Four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley caught a touchdown and the defense stifled the Wolves all night.

2. Carrollton (1-0)

Last Week: 3

Facing off against a good Woodward Academy squad, the Trojans started off their season with a 24-14 win in which superstar quarterback JuJu Lewis tossed three touchdown passes on just nine completions. 

3. Douglas County (1-0)

Last Week: 6

Albeit coming against the worst team Cedar Grove has fielded in years, Douglas County lived up to the hype in Week 1 after dismantling the Saints 42-7. DJ Bourdeaux tossed three touchdown passes in the win, and rushed for 112 yards to help lead the Tigers to the victory.

4. Buford (0-1)

Last Week: 2

The Wolves were a rare underdog heading into Week 1 against No. 1 ranked Milton, and while it wasn’t their best showing, they still came within three points of the Eagles in a 13-10 loss. The Wolves have a supreme defense and there’s no reason to drop them more than two spots given their 3-point loss to Milton.

5. Langston Hughes (1-0)

Last Week: 11

The Panthers couldn’t have asked for a much better start to their season after hanging 52 points on then Top 10 Westlake. It was a very winnable game for the Panthers going into it, but not many predicted a 52-21 drubbing. The Panthers pummeled the Lions on the ground to the tune of 417 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

6. Thomas County Central (1-0)

Last Week: 5

The Yellow Jackets made quick work of Monroe (Albany) in what was all intents and purposes a warmup game for the defending Class 6A state champs. They won the game going away, 54-7 and got big contributions on the ground to the tune of 280 yards and four touchdowns on just 21 carries.

7. North Gwinnett (1-0)

Last Week: 7

The Bulldogs used a big fourth quarter to pull away for a comfortable 39-17 win over a good McEachern team in Week 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ryan Hall threw three touchdown passes in the win and the defense looked very good.

8. Mill Creek (1-0)

Last Week: 8

The Hawks went on the road and dispatched a good Lambert team 56-26 to start their season on a high note. New starting running back Daniel Smith had a monster game, rushing for 196 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

9. Valdosta (1-0)

Last Week: 12

Tucker stood no chance against the  well-oiled machine that was Valdosta in Week 1. The Wildcats put it on them, winning the game 65-19 behind a monster performance from quarterback Todd Robinson. The senior threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns, and scored fifth touchdown on the ground.

10. Collins Hill (1-0)

Last Week: Not ranked

Maybe we underestimated the Eagles heading into the season. In what was the biggest surprise upset of Week 1, the Eagles took down then No. 4 Grayson 20-19 and move from unranked to 10th in this week’s rankings as a result. The game was won on defense for the Eagles, a unit that recorded 11 sacks and recovered three fumbles.

11. Grayson (0-1)

Last Week: 4

The Rams are no strangers to slow starts. They were blown out in Mercedes-Benz stadium in Week 1 last season by Walton, but that didn’t stop them from advancing to the Class 7A state semifinals. This year, they were upset at home by Collins Hill 20-19 in a game where they turned the ball over way too much. 

12. Houston County (1-0)

Last Week: 15

The Bears got their season started off on the right foot after dismantling Alpharetta 57-10 in Week 1. There’s a lot to like about their experienced offensive led by senior quarterback Antwann Hill.

13. Lee County (1-0)

Last Week: 16

Warner Robins is never an easy opponent for any team they match up against, but the Trojans weren’t fazed by them. They used a big second half after entering the half leading just 10-7 and pulled away for a comfortable 45-28 win.

14. Gainesville (1-0)

Last Week: 18

Marietta hasn’t been good since winning the Class 7A state championship in 2019, and the Red Elephants proved that in Week 1. They made quick work of the Blue Devils, winning the game 41-1 to improve to 1-0 on the season.

15. Woodward Academy (0-1)

Last Week: 14

The War Eagles stood tall against No. 2 Carrollton in Week 1. They found themselves down 21-14 at halftime, and remained down just 10 points heading into the fourth quarter before ultimately losing the game 24-14. They will get  another great test when they play Collins Hill in Week 2, a team that just upset Grayson.

16. Colquitt County (1-0)

Last Week: 19

The Packers faced off against West High School out of Utah and used a big first half to come away with a 45-28 victory to open up the season. Freshman quarterback Cohen Lawson managed the game well and let the Packers rushing attack race for 190 yards and four touchdowns in the win.

17. Norcross (1-0)

Last Week: 17

In a father-son matchup, Norcross head coach Keith Maloof bested his son Tyler Maloff, the head coach at Lanier 31-10 to open up the season. They’ll get a big test in Week 2 when they play host to No. 8 Mill Creek.

18. Camden County (1-0)

Last Week: 13

After falling behind 14-3 to Brunswick after the first quarter, the WIldcats out-scored the Pirates 48-27 from that point on, including a 27-0 advantage in the second quarter to in a shootout to open the season 51-41. It was a game the Wildcats lost last season to open the season.

19. Coffee (1-0)

Last Week: 22

The Trojans made very quick work of Bainbridge in Week 1, defeating them 59-6. They did almost all of their damage on the ground, rushing for 303 yards and five touchdowns as a team. They’ll face off against a hungry Ware County team in Week 2 that they beat 28-5 last season.

20. Roswell (1-0)

Last Week: 23

The Hornets earned an impressive Week 1 win over Peachtree Ridge 21-6. They caught the Lions at great time who are working to fill some big holes created after graduating many starters on offense, but did what they needed to do to earn a solid win to start the season.

21. Rome (0-0)

Last Week: 21

We didn’t get to see the Wolves play in Week 1 after a bus crash left several players and coaches injured following their final preseason scrimmage game. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to those who were injured and hope to see them out on the football field very soon.

22. Perry (1-0)

Last Week: 24

The defending Class 4A state champs opened up their season defeating Baldwin in dominating fashion 37-6. New starting quarterback Cullen McDaniel tossed a pair of touchdowns in the win, and as a team, the Panthers rushed for 224 yards and three scores.

23. Eastside (1-0)

Last Week: Not ranked

Anytime the Eagles beat cross-town rival Newton, it’s a big deal. It had been seven years since they last beat the Rams, and it came in a year in which the Rams opened up the season ranked inside the Top 10. The Eagles won the game 26-15 and stifled the Rams offense all night.

24. Marist (1-0)

Last Week: Not ranked

The War Eagles earned one of the better Week 1 wins across the state of Georgia, defeating a very talented Jeffesron squad 23-7. They led just 3-0 at the half before pulling away in the third quarter.

25. Cass (1-0)

Last Week: Not ranked

The Colonels, who are just one of several teams atop of a talented Class 4A, opened up their season with a nice 42-7 win over Callaway. They crack the Top 25 out of Class 4A, as did the two teams ranked ahead of them in Eastside and Marist.