Top 25 Georgia high school football rankings (9/4/2024)

The Top 7 stays in place; North Gwinnett climbs to No. 8; Marist makes a big jump

North Gwinnett has been building towards this moment and the 2024 season. / Colin Hubbard

Week 3 is in the books, and for the first time this season we don’t have any movement in the Top 5. Milton, Carrollton, Douglas County, Langston Hughes and Thomas County Central all remain untouched and rightfully so. 

The first team to advance in this week’s Power 25 is the North Gwinnett Bulldogs, who are up two spots to No. 8 after scoring a big win on the road at Colquitt County last Friday night. They’ll face off against No. 9 Mill Creek on the road in a big non-region game this Friday. 

The biggest riser this week is Marist, who after having two weeks to prepare for Woodward Academy, crushed them 38-0 to improve to 2-0 on the season. 

Below is a look at how the rest of the Power 25 looks as we head into Week 4.

1. Milton (3-0)

Last Week: 1

The Eagles made quick work of cross-town foe Alpharetta last Friday night. They won the game going away, 58-0 to remain unbeaten on the season. The Eagles are off this Friday and will be back in action a week from Friday against Blessed Trinity.

2. Carrollton (3-0)

Last Week: 2

The Trojans found themselves ahead by just one possession heading into the fourth quarter at home against Rome last Friday night, who was making their season debut. But a strong fourth quarter allowed them to pull away and win the game comfortably, 44-22.

3. Douglas County (3-0)

Last Week: 3

The Tigers got off to a slow start last Friday night on the road at Newton. They trailed 15-7 at the end of the first quarter, but got things going from there. They went on to win the game 35-15, outscoring the Rams 28-0 over the final three quarters.

4. Langston Hughes (2-0)

Last Week: 4

We’re about to find out what two weeks of preparation is going to do for the Panthers, who will travel to face Douglas County in a huge Week 4 showdown this Friday night. The Panthers were off last Friday and will now look to score a big win against the Tigers.

5. Thomas County Central (3-0)

Last Week: 5

It’s crazy to see the amount of disrespect that the Yellow Jackets are getting to start the season. For a team that won the Class 6A state title last season with relative ease, the Yellow Jackets have returned several standouts from that team, and have scored in bunches to start the season. They dropped 63 points on Florida State University High School out of Tallahassee, Florida last Friday.

6. Collins Hill (3-0)

Last Week: 6

The Eagles scored another big win last Friday night, this time beating Cedar Grove 44-13. Starting off the season unranked, the Eagles have boasted one of the top defenses in the state and now have wins over Grayson, Woodward Academy and Cedar Grove to start the season.

7. Grayson (2-1)

Last Week: 7

The Rams are starting to wake up, ladies and gentlemen. After getting upset by Collins Hill in Week 1, the Rams have ripped off back-to-back wins against two out-of-state programs in Thompson (Al) and Dorman (Sc) to improve to 2-1. They crushed Dorman 53-0 last Friday.

8. North Gwinnett (2-0)

Last Week: 10

The first movement in the Top 10 this week starts with the Bulldogs jumping up two spots to No. 8 after traveling down to Colquitt County and handing them a 14-3 loss. The Bulldogs held the Packers to just three points, their lowest scoring output since 2016.

9. Mill Creek (3-0)

Last Week: 8

The Hawks are coming off of a 48-14 win against Archer and will now get their first real test of the season this Friday when they play host to North Gwinnett. While it won’t count towards the standings, it will be a great measuring stick for both teams to see where they stack up in Class 6A.

10. Buford (1-1)

Last Week: 9

The Wolves had a much-needed week off last year after a rocky start to the season. And it comes at a great time with a redhot Roswell Hornets squad waiting for them Friday night. A win against the Hornets would go a long way in getting their season back on the right track.

11. Gainesville (3-0)

Last Week: 13

The Red Elephants continue to pass the eye test. They had yet to allow more than one score in a game through their first two, and that continued last Friday night on the road at Westlake. They ran away with a dominant 41-7 win to improve to 3-0 on the season.

12. Valdosta (3-0)

Last Week: 11

The Wildcats improved to 3-0 on the season last Friday night after shutting out Dougherty 43-0. They will now make a long trip south to Jesuit HIgh School in Tampa, a Top 40 program in the state looking to improve to 4-0.

13. Lee County (3-0)

The Trojans scored another impressive win last Friday, this time crushing Tift County 55-7 to improve to 3-0 on the season. They’ll now have two weeks to prepare for Colquitt County, a team they are 0-12 all-time against dating back to 1988.

14. Marist (2-0)

Last Week: 24

The War Eagles make a huge jump in this week’s Power 25 after scoring a dominant 38-0 shutout of Woodward Academy last Friday night. There two most challenging games of the regular season are over, and we’ll now likely see them run the table from here on out. 

15. Camden County (3-0)

Last Week: 16

The Wildcats are 3-0 on the season under first-year head coach Travis Roland after taking down West Broward (Fl) 52-29 last Friday night. They have two more non-region games against teams from the state of Florida before starting off region play against Valdosta.

16. Colquitt County (2-1)

Last Week: 14

The Packers fall back two spots in this week’s rankings after suffering a 14-3 home loss to North Gwinnett last Friday night. As our rankings reflect, the Packers shouldn’t get penalized much at all for that loss. The Bulldogs have been a Top 10 team in the state in all three weeks to start the season.

17. Coffee (3-0)

Last Week: 17

The Trojans remain at No. 17 in this week’s rankings after improving to 3-0 on the season. They beat up on Columbia County (Fl) last Friday night 40-13. They’ll get a week off before returning to the gridiron.

18. Roswell (2-0)

Last Week: 20

The Hornets had two weeks to prepare for a home game against Walton, and that paid dividends in a 42-32 shootout. The Hornets will now have a huge opportunity to shoot up the rankings if they’re able to take down Buford at home this Friday. 

19. Houston County (3-0)

Last Week: 19

The Bears scored a big win on the road last Friday night, beating Perry 31-17. The Panthers had won 15 out of their last 16 games entering the matchup until the Bears handed them just their third loss in two years.

20. Norcross (1-1)

Last Week: 18

The Blue Devils slip back a couple of spots in this week’s rankings after not playing last Friday. They played solid football against a Top 10 team in Mill Creek two weeks ago, and have now had two weeks to prepare for Walton, who is coming off of a loss to Roswell.

21. Rome (0-1)

Last Week: 21

The Wolves started their season later than anyone after an overturned bus caused injuries prior to the start of the season. Back out on the field for the first time last Friday, they hung tough with Carrollton for three quarters, trailing by just eight points before watching the game slip away. They will be back in action Friday at home against Toombs County. 

22. Eastside (3-0)

Last Week: 22

The Eagles are 3-0 to start a season for the first time since 2018 after capturing their in-county championship last Friday with a 54-9 drubbing of Alcovy. They’ll look to improve to 4-0 next Friday when they play host to a reeling Archer squad that hasn’t won a game this season.

23. Cartersville (3-0)

Last Week: 25

There is a lot to like about the Purple Hurricanes. They improved to 3-0 on the season after shutting out Hapeville Charter last Friday. They’ve allowed just six points through three games and will look to improve to 4-0 with a win against Calhoun this Friday.

24. Ware County (2-1)

Last Week: Not ranked

The Gators rolled over Bainbridge 49-7 last Friday night to improve to 2-1 on the season. Their only loss was a 20-16 loss to Coffee two weeks ago. They’ll now get a solid Bartram Trail (Fl) squad this Friday at home looking to improve to 3-1.

25. Perry (2-1)

Last Week: 23

The Panthers got off to a very slow start last Friday at home against Houston County. they trailed 24-7 in the second quarter before out-scoring the Bears 10-7 over the final two quarters and change. With the loss, they’re holding onto the 25th and final spot in this week’s Top 25.