The preseason GPB rankings look very similar to the way they finished last year.

Seven of the eight defending champions from 2024 were voted No. 1 by the GPB Sports panel – Class 6A Grayson, Class 5A Milton, Class 4A North Oconee, Class 3A Calhoun, Class 2A Carver Columbus, Class A Division A Toombs County and Class A Division II Bowdon.

The exception was in the Private category, where Prince Avenue Christian finished ahead of Hebron Christian, the defending state champion, in the first rankings. Hebron beat Prince Avenue in the title game and both have new coaches – former ELCA coach Jonathan Gess at Hebron and Jon Richt at Prince Avenue.

“I’m really looking forward to another season,” GPB’s Jon Nelson said. “There are so many good teams all over the state. Each classification has several teams that have the potential to win it all. The next few months should be very interesting.”

Here is who the No. 1 teams play in their season openers (games are Friday, unless noted):

Class 6A: Grayson at Collins Hill

Class 5A: Milton at Buford (Thursday)

Class 4A: North Oconee vs. Oconee County

Class 3A: Calhoun vs. Creekview

Class 2A: Carver at Whitewater

Class A Division I: Toombs County vs. Dooly County

Class A Division II: Bowdon at Fellowship Christian

Private: Prince Avenue Christian vs. Callaway at Kell High School (Wednesday)

Class 6A

  1. Grayson
  2. Buford
  3. Douglas County
  4. Carrollton
  5. North Cobb
  6. North Gwinnett
  7. Collins Hill
  8. Walton
  9. Colquitt County
  10. Valdosta

Class 5A

  1. Milton
  2. Thomas County Central
  3. Hughes
  4. Gainesville
  5. Lee County
  6. Coffee
  7. Houston County
  8. Sprayberry
  9. Brunswick
  10. Roswell

Class 4A

  1. North Oconee
  2. Cartersville
  3. Creekside
  4. Benedictine
  5. Marist
  6. Blessed Trinity
  7. Ware County
  8. Warner Robins
  9. Kell
  10. Jones County

Class 3A

  1. Calhoun
  2. Sandy Creek
  3. Peach County
  4. LaGrange
  5. Jeferson
  6. Stephenson
  7. North Hall
  8. Calvary Day
  9. Cherokee Bluff
  10. Westover

Class 2A

  1. Carver-Columbus
  2. Appling County
  3. Prince Avenue Christian
  4. Callaway
  5. Pierce County
  6. Rockmart
  7. Hebron Christian
  8. Morgan County
  9. Burke County
  10. Thomson

Class A-Division 1

  1. Toombs County
  2. Thomasville
  3. Savannah Christian
  4. Northeast
  5. Lamar Count
  6. Worth County
  7. Heard County
  8. Fannin County
  9. Fellowship Christian
  10. Dublin

Class A-Division II

  1. Bowdon
  2. Brooks County
  3. Metter
  4. Lincoln County
  5. Clinch County
  6. Irwin County
  7. Manchester
  8. Wilcox County
  9. ECI
  10. Johnson County

Class 3-1A Private

  1. Prince Avenue Christian
  2. Hebron Christian
  3. Savannah Christian
  4. Calvary Day
  5. Fellowship Christian
  6. Lovett
  7. Athens Academy
  8. Wesleyan
  9. Aquinas
  10. Holy Innocents'