There’s a new No. 1 team in Class 5A, where reigning state champion Ware County lost its second game and fell to No. 6. The new No. 1 team is Cartersville, a program that’s familiar with the pressure that comes with being the target. The Purple Hurricanes played for the state championship in 2018 and 2020 and have won four state championships in its long and illustrious history.

The other No. 1 teams remained intact: Buford in 7A, Gainesville in 6A, Benedictine in 4A, Cedar Grove in 3A (despite its fourth loss), Thomson in 2A, Prince Avenue Christian in Class A Division I and Schley County in Class A Division II.

"So, now that we're in Season Two, for the most part, how are we feeling about our favorite teams?” GPB’s Jon Nelson said. “I did the math and I saw five teams still below .500 in the rankings. But that's an immediate by-product of the size of the region that team is in (for example, Brooks County and Cedar Grove) and the competition you want to-slash-have to play because of your region size. If your team is .500 or below, this is when you make your move -- both on the left side of the dash and the weekly rankings. This ‘season’ will be very interesting ... very quickly." 

GPB's Matt Stewart, the play-by-play announcer for Football Fridays in Georgia, continued to be bullish on Douglas County, which jumped from No. 10 to No. 5 in Class 6A after beating defending state champion Hughes.

“I called the Tigers' game in the Great Atlanta Bash back in August and this is a team that is going to be a state championship contender for at least the next two seasons and now it appears here in 2023, as well,” Stewart said. “Coach Johnny White's team is loaded in the junior and sophomore classes led by Aaron Gregory rated as high as the No. 1 wide receiver in the country in the Class of 2026 and defensive end Jordan Carter, who is ranked as high as the No. 4 edge rusher in the nation in the sophomore class. It appears the future has arrived for Douglas County.”

There were three new teams in this week's rankings: Westlake returned to the poll at No 10 in Class 7A; and Commerce and Bleckley County, who are No. 9 and No. 10 in Class A Division I.

Class 7A

  1. Buford
  2. Colquitt County
  3. Carrollton
  4. Mill Creek
  5. Walton
  6. Newton
  7. Grayson
  8. Parkview
  9. Norcross
  10. Westlake

Also receiving votes: North Cobb

Class 6A

  1. Gainesville
  2. Houston County
  3. Thomas County Central
  4. Roswell
  5. Douglas County
  6. Hughes
  7. Lee County
  8. Rome
  9. Marist
  10. Woodward Academy

Also receiving votes: North Atlanta

Class 5A

  1. Cartersville
  2. Creekside
  3. Coffee
  4. Jefferson
  5. Ware County
  6. Calhoun
  7. Hiram
  8. Kell
  9. Greater Atlanta Christian
  10. Warner Robins

Also receiving votes: Clarke Central, Ola

Class 4A

  1. Benedictine
  2. North Oconee
  3. Perry
  4. Spalding
  5. Bainbridge
  6. Holy Innocents’
  7. Burke County
  8. Central Carroll
  9. Wayne County
  10. Troup

Also receiving votes: Westside Macon, Starr’s Mill, Stockbridge, North Hall

Class 3A

  1. Cedar Grove
  2. Calvary Day
  3. Stephens County
  4. Savannah Christian
  5. Mary Persons
  6. Sandy Creek
  7. Morgan County
  8. Lumpkin County
  9. Thomasville
  10. Hebron Christian

Also receiving votes: Carver-Atlanta

Class 2A

  1. Thomson
  2. Appling County
  3. Northeast
  4. Pierce County
  5. Callaway
  6. Fitzgerald
  7. Fellowship Christian
  8. Rockmart
  9. Toombs County
  10. Columbia

Also receiving votes: Athens Academy, Cook

Class A Division I

  1. Prince Avenue Christian
  2. Swainsboro
  3. Trion
  4. Elbert County
  5. Rabun County
  6. Dublin
  7. Lamar County
  8. Brooks County
  9. Commerce
  10. Bleckley County

Also receiving votes: Irwin County, Bryan County

Class A Division II

  1. Schley County
  2. Jenkins County
  3. Bowdon
  4. Clinch County
  5. Manchester
  6. Macon County
  7. Early County
  8. Greene County
  9. Telfair County
  10. Lanier County

Also receiving votes: Johnson County, Aquinas