For the past few years, North Georgia has dominated the football titles and trophies taken away from the Georgia Dome each December. There have been a few exceptions but over the past four years, the football power pendulum has taken a definite swing to the north.

Grayson and Norcross have won the past three titles in the state’s largest classification. The past two years in Class 5-A, Gainesville and Creekside have dominated the championship finals. Since 2010, the only team in the state’s three largest classifications to take home a title other than a team from the northern portion of the state was Burke County from the eastern portion. The smaller classifications have not fared much better either, with single A Marion County, Aquinas, Savannah Christian Prep and Emanuel County Institute having been the only teams outside of the North to win a championship in football. Buford and Sandy Creek have dominated the other two classifications.

After the first few weeks of the 2014 football season, it looks as if there may be a few teams below the gnat line who will be serious contenders to leave the dome very happy this year. Front and center has to be the Colquitt County Packers, who have been very impressive in all of their games thus far and are nationally ranked. Coach Rush Propst thinks he’s got all of the pieces in place and has a stout defense to match his always wide open offense. The 6-A title is there for the taking, if the Packers can survive meetings with Camden County, Lowndes, Valdosta, Tift County and Lee County. The team that comes out of Region 1-AAAAAA as champion will be battle-tested.

In Class 5-A down South, the Ware County Gators of Region 3-AAAAA have served notice that they would like to return to the dome in early December. Gainesville defeated the Gators in the 2012 finals matchup. Region 3-AAAAA is brutal and any of the four teams which qualify for the playoffs could claim the state AAAAA title. Coffee and Brunswick are two former members of Region 1-AAAAAA who are now in this unbelievably tough region. Other than the aforementioned teams, there’s Glynn Academy, Richmond Hill, Effingham County, South Effingham, Bradwell Institute and Statesboro to contend with.

In Class AAAA, Cairo and Thomas County Central both have a shot at the title but all of the teams in this classification will have to play through defending champion Griffin or Sandy Creek and last year’s class AAA champion Buford to claim the crown.

Washington County, the runner up to Buford in AAA a year ago, is loaded with great players again this season and should be in the hunt for a championship trophy, but there are many teams like Peach County, Hart County and Calhoun who could make a serious run this season.

Greater Atlanta Christian is the favorite in Class AA but Benedictine Military, Vidalia, Fitzgerald and Brooks County from the South are all capable teams. In Class A, defending champions Aquinas and Marion County will both be challenged by several teams in each of the private and public divisions at playoff time.

Stay tuned…