Rebuild bearing fruit at Woodstock

From a 22-game losing streak to 5-1 in less than two years, Woodstock has made a remarkable turnaround under second-year coach Dan Devine.

The Wolverines of Cherokee County defeated 20-point favorite Creekview 28-21 last week to match their best start since 2000.

“The Creekview game was a huge moment in our current season but also in our football history here at Woodstock ... having never beaten them in our history and this one being such a big region game,” Woodstock Devine said.

Woodstock is GHSF Daily’s Team of the Week. The award, sponsored by BSN Sports and Georgia Construction Careers, will be presented to the team at the school today.

Maxwell's projected playoff pairings

These are the Maxwell Ratings’ projected playoff brackets for classes 3A to A Division I with comments.

Unlike other classes, which are seeded in the traditional format, the GHSA will seed teams in 3A-A Division I using a new points-rating model.

Teams finishing in the top four in region play are guaranteed playoffs berths. Region champions and runners-up are given seeding preference. Teams outside the top four may qualify as at-large teams.

The numbers to the left of the teams are their overall seeds. The numbers in parentheses are their projected finish in region play.

Class 3A

Upson-Lee and Heritage of Ringgold defeated former top-10 teams last week in upsets that earned for them the potential safety net of at-large berths in deep regions in case they don’t finish in the top four. Upson-Lee beat Mary Persons while Heritage toppled Northwest Whitfield. In the GHSA’s traditional seeding format, beating teams that finish ahead in the standings (not saying Mary Persons and Northwest will) becomes useless in tiebreakers. In a points rating system, they continue to count as quality wins.

#32 Monroe (4th) at #1 Jefferson (1st)

#17 Lumpkin County (3rd) at #16 Long County (3rd)

#24 Baldwin (3rd) at #9 LaGrange (2nd)

#25 Adairsville (3rd) at #8 Westover (2nd)

#28 Stephenson (4th) at #5 Douglass (1st)

#21 Southeast Bulloch (4th) at #12 Northwest Whitfield (2nd)

#20 Troup (4th) at #13 North Hall (2nd)

#29 Gilmer (4th) at #4 Peach County (1st)

#30 Heritage-Ringgold (5th) at #3 Harlem (1st)

#19 Mount Zion-Jonesboro (3rd) at #14 Cedar Grove (2nd)

#22 Whitewater (3rd) at #11 Oconee County (2nd)

#27 Upson-Lee (5th) at #6 Calhoun (1st)

#26 Monroe Area (4th) at #7 Westside-Augusta (2nd)

#23 West Laurens (4th) at #10 Jenkins (2nd)

#18 Cairo (3rd) at #15 Cherokee Bluff (3rd)

#31 White County (4th) at #2 Sandy Creek (1st)

Class 2A

Maxwell projects five at-large bids, all fifth-place finishers replacing private teams that exit. The projected ripple effect could give projected third-place finishers Ringgold, Spencer, Westside of Macon and Stephens County home games in the first round, and second-place finishers Callaway and Sumter County could secure home field until the quarterfinals.

#32 Redan (4th) at #1 Morgan County (1st)

#17 Pike County (4th) at #16 Spencer (3rd)

#24 East Jackson (5th) at #9 Appling County (2nd)

#25 Crisp County (3rd) at #8 Callaway (2nd)

#28 Miller Grove (3rd) at #5 Burke County (1st)

#21 Union County (4th) at #12 South Atlanta (2nd)

#20 Laney (3rd) at #13 Ringgold (3rd)

#29 Cook (4th) at #4 Rockmart (1st)

#30 Hardaway (5th) at #3 Carver-Columbus (1st)

#19 Hart County (4th) at #14 Westside-Macon (3rd)

#22 Shaw (4th) at #11 Thomson (2nd)

#27 KIPP Atlanta (5th) at #6 Columbia (1st)

#26 Butler (4th) at #7 Sumter County (2nd)

#23 North Murray (5th) at #10 Hapeville Charter (2nd)

#18 Carver-Atlanta (3rd) at #15 Stephens County (3rd)

#31 Jackson (5th) at #2 Pierce County (1st)

Class A Division I

Interesting to see unranked Temple seeded No. 5 ahead of Toombs County, the unanimous No. 1-ranked team. Coming off a nice victory over Bremen, ending a 17-game losing streak in that series, Temple is now Maxwell’s choice to win Region 6 in a tight race with Darlington and Heard County. Temple has never won a region title. Meanwhile, Toombs, seeded No. 7 here, plays in a region with private-school power Savannah Christian.

#32 Swainsboro (4th) at #1 Fannin County (1st)

#17 ACE Charter (4th) at #16 Worth County (3rd)

#24 Bleckley County (7th) at #9 Rabun County (2nd)

#25 Elbert County (4th) at #8 Fitzgerald (2nd)

#28 Putnam County (4th) at #5 Temple (1st)

#21 Jeff Davis (5th) at #12 Dodge County (3rd)

#20 Vidalia (3rd) at #13 Gordon Lee (3rd)

#29 Armuchee (7th) at #4 Lamar County (1st)

#30 Towers (6th) at #3 Northeast (1st)

#19 Bremen (3rd) at #14 Chattooga (4th)

#22 Washington County (5th) at #11 Heard County (2nd)

#27 Southwest (6th) at #6 Dublin (2nd)

#26 Bacon County (4th) at #7 Toombs County (2nd)

#23 Dade County (5th) at #10 Social Circle (2nd)

#18 Commerce (3rd) at #15 Jasper County (3rd)

#31 Gordon Central (6th) at #2 Thomasville (1st)

Class 3A-A private

There’s so much riding on the Nov. 1 game between second-ranked Hebron Christian (seeded second here) and third-ranked Prince Avenue (seeded 11th). No matter the outcome, a strong title contender is likely to fall to around No. 10 in the seeding. Aquinas and Trinity Christian are better than their dreadful seeds, but their choice to play up in Class 3A makes it tough sledding.

#1 Savannah Christian (1st) - bye

#17 Darlington (4th) at #16 Mount Paran Christian (5th)

#24 Walker (10th) at #9 Whitefield Academy (2nd)

#25 St Francis (11th) at #8 North Cobb Christian (2nd)

#5 Athens Academy (1st) - bye

#21 Providence Christian (5th) at #12 Wesleyan (3rd)

#20 Savannah Country Day (5th) at #13 Landmark Christian (4th)

#4 Fellowship Christian (1st) - bye

#3 Lovett (1st) - bye

#19 Aquinas (6th) at #14 Mount Vernon (6th)

#22 Trinity Christian (8th) at #11 Prince Avenue Christian (2nd)

#6 Calvary Day (1st) - bye

#7 Greater Atlanta Christian (1st) - bye

#23 Mount Pisgah Christian (9th) at #10 Christian Heritage (2nd)

#18 Holy Innocents’ (4th) at #15 King's Ridge Christian (7th)

#2 Hebron Christian (1st) - bye

GHSA adds week to regular season

The GHSA on Tuesday added one week to the football regular season, meaning the playoffs will start Nov. 15-16, one week later.

The decision was expected, as executive director Tim Scott told GHSF Daily on Monday that the GHSA was moving toward that solution for the more than 50 games that were postponed indefinitely or canceled last weekend because of Hurricane Helene.

Many schools remain closed this week, putting teams in the dilemma of playing this week despite being out of class or postponing and playing twice in one week.

The GHSA’s choice was made easier because of an unprecedented bye week in the playoffs this season. The bye was slated for Nov. 29, between the third and fourth rounds. Now, the third round will be played over that Thanksgiving week, as it traditionally is.

The finals, set for Dec. 16-18 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will be played as scheduled. The playoffs will be five rounds in five weeks, as they have been since the GHSA went to 32-team state brackets in 1996.

The GHSA noted that teams that have two games affected by Hurricane Helene still might have to play twice in a week and recommended a Thursday-Tuesday-Saturday sequence across those two weeks. The GHSA must approve all schedules that call for two games in one week.

The GHSA also said that the Nov. 8 final regular-season date would be only for make-up games that could not be played during the regular season due to the storms.

Schools that got their games in last week or had off weeks will complete their seasons as originally scheduled and have byes before the playoffs if they qualify, the GHSA said.

The GHSA did not announce any changes to the schedules of other fall sports, which are flag football, softball, cross country, volleyball and cheerleading.

The GHSA has added weeks to the regular season at least twice previously. It happened in 2001 after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Games scheduled for that week were rescheduled for the added week in November. Then during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the GHSA started the season and playoffs two weeks later than scheduled.

Here's a look at Georgia's teams ranked on a consensus of six polls (AJC – Atlanta Journal-Constitution/GHSF Daily; ITG – ITG Next; SC – Score Atlanta; 680 – 680 The Fan; MW – Maxwell Ratings; and MP – MaxPreps).

Today’s featured inductee is Falcons Ring of Honor inductee and Griffin star Jessie Tuggle. Tuggle will be inducted into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame on Oct. 26 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

Jessie Tuggle

Griffin High School Graduate

Jessie Tuggle was an undersized linebacker who overcame expectations at every level and ended up making the NFL Pro Bowl five times and led the Atlanta Falcons to their first Super Bowl. Tuggle was a first-team all-state player on Griffin’s 11-3 Class AAAA semifinal team in 1982. He started at linebacker and guard and rarely came off the field. At 5 feet, 11 inches and 180 pounds, Tuggle had offers from only Valdosta State and West Georgia. Choosing Valdosta State, just a 2-year-old program at the time, Tuggle became a four-year starter, a three-time all-Gulf South Conference player, the 1986 Gulf South Defensive Player of the Year and a 1986 Division II All-American. He led Valdosta State to its first winning season (9-2) in 1986. The Falcons signed Tuggle as an undrafted free agent, and he broke into the starting lineup as a rookie. Tuggle played 14 NFL seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 1998. Nicknamed “The Hammer,” Tuggle led the NFL in tackles five times and was the defensive leader of the Falcons’ 1998 Super Bowl team. Tuggle is a member of the Falcons Ring of Honor (2004), the College Football Hall of Fame (2007) and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (2007).

GHSF Daily will select 10 games each week for the Predict the Winner contest, presented by Shuma Sports. Predictions must be submitted by 5 p.m. each Friday. Limit on entry per email address. Contest winners will be announced on Mondays at the start of each new contest and will receive an apparel prize from Shuma Sports. Click here to play.

Points scored

Here are the top 10 teams in most points scored per game, by classification:

Class 6A

54.4 - Camden County

45.0 - Valdosta

44.4 - Lowndes

43.2 - Duluth

43.2 - Carrollton

42.8 - Mill Creek

41.3 - Cherokee

41.3 - North Cobb

40.0 - Richmond Hill

37.2 - McEachern

Class 5A

51.7 - Lee County

49.2 - Thomas County Central

45.7 - Houston County

45.6 - Hughes

41.7 - Brunswick

37.8 - Gainesville

37.8 - Milton

37.4 - Effingham County

36.3 - Winder-Barrow

36.0 - Decatur

Class 4A

47.2 - Central (Carrollton)

44.4 - Marist

43.7 - Southwest DeKalb

41.2 - Eastside

39.8 - Cedartown

39.3 - Perry

39.2 - Warner Robins

38.7 - Cartersville

37.8 - Tucker

35.5 - Cambridge

Class 3A

43.5 - Peach County

40.0 - Westover

38.2 - Cherokee Bluff

35.4 - Sandy Creek

35.0 - Jenkins

34.0 - Monroe Area

33.8 - West Hall

33.0 - Cairo

32.8 - Calvary Day

32.7 - East Hall

Class 2A

39.2 - Hebron Christian

37.5 - Morgan County

36.6 - Pierce County

36.0 - Prince Avenue Christian

34.8 - Sumter County

34.8 - Burke County

34.4 - Spencer

32.2 - Lovett

31.8 - Stephens County

31.3 - Ringgold

Class A Division I

53.6 - Dublin

50.8 - Toombs County

41.8 - Athens Academy

40.0 - Heard County

39.3 - Chattooga

39.3 - Fannin County

39.2 - Wesleyan

38.4 - Northeast

37.4 - Savannah Christian

36.4 - Bacon County

Class A Division II

47.4 - Irwin County

43.6 - Hancock Central

43.5 - Bowdon

37.8 - Lincoln County

35.0 - Southwest Georgia STEM

33.0 - Miller County

32.5 - Wheeler County

32.4 - Schley County

32.2 - Mitchell County

31.8 - Metter

GIAA

43.5 - Brentwood

39.8 - Briarwood Academy

38.6 - Edmund Burke Academy

37.7 - Lakeview Academy

36.2 - Valwood

35.9 - Bethlehem Christian

35.7 - Westfield

35.2 - Bulloch Academy

35.0 - Stratford Academy

34.6 - SW Georgia Academy

Williston (Fla.) coach Robby Pruitt got his 400th victory this week. He is nine Florida victories short of becoming the first coach nationally to win 200 games in two states. At what Georgia schools did Pruitt coach compile his 209 wins here? (Answer Thursday)

Answer to Tuesday’s question: SMU’s Kobe Wilson, the ACC’s linebacker of the week, led Parkview to a 12-2 finish in 2019.

Jostens is the largest class ring manufacturer in the world. Order your class rings by clicking here.

Note: The schedule remains fluid as communities around the state recover from Hurricane Helene. We are publishing the most up-to-date information that’s available to us, but there are likely to be errors and omissions. Please contact us with corrections by clicking here.

GHSA

Tuesday’s game

Centennial 15, Chapel Hill 13

Stephenson 38, North Clayton 14

Thursday’s games

Bleckley Co. at Northeast (TH)

Columbia at South Atlanta (L)

Creekside Christian at Cross Keys (A)

Lambert at North Atlanta (HA)

Redan at Miller Grove (GO)

St. Pius at Clarkston (HS)

Walnut Grove at Eastside (SH)

Wheeler Co. at Montgomery Co.

Whitewater at LaGrange (C)

Friday’s games

ACE Charter at Dublin

Allatoona at Woodland, Cartersville

Arabia Mountain at Dunwoody (ND)

Athens Academy at Banks Co.

Atkinson Co. at SW Georgia Academy

Baldwin at Richmond Academy

Banneker at Lovejoy

Beach at Islands (IH)

Benedictine at Warner Robins (MT)

Blessed Trinity at Kell

Bremen at Pepperell

Brunswick at Bradwell Institute

Bryan Co. at Screven Co.

Calhoun at Ridgeland

Callaway at Westside, Macon (ED)

Calvary Day at Long Co.

Carver, Ala. at Greenville

Carver, Columbus at Shaw (K)

Cass at Cartersville

Cedar Shoals at East Forsyth

Cedartown at Hiram

Central, Carrollton at Starr's Mill

Central, Macon at Jefferson Co.

Charlton Co. at Clinch Co.

Chattahoochee Co. at Central, Talbotton

Chattooga at Fannin Co.

Cherokee at Wheeler

Cherokee Bluff at West Hall

Christian Heritage at Gordon Central

Clarke Central at Habersham Central

Coffee at Lee Co.

Collins Hill at Buford

Cook at Pierce Co.

Coosa at Armuchee

Crawford Co. at Marion Co.

Creekside at Pace Academy

Creekview at Sprayberry

Crisp Co. at Tattnall Co.

Cross Creek at Aquinas

Dacula at Mill Creek

Decatur at Shiloh

Denmark at North Forsyth

Discovery at Mountain View

Dodge Co. at Washington Co.

Douglas Co. at East Coweta

Drew at Forest Park (T)

Duluth at Berkmar

Dutchtown at Newnan

Eagle's Land. Christ. at Eagle's Landing

Early Co. at Randolph-Clay

East Jackson at Franklin Co.

East Laurens at Southwest (ED)

Elbert Co. at Providence Christian

Evans at Glynn Academy (GL)

Fellowship Christian at St. Francis

Fitzgerald at Brantley Co.

Forsyth Central at West Forsyth

Glascock Co. at GMC Prep

Glenn Hills at Butler

Gordon Lee at Dade Co.

Griffin at Harris Co.

Groves at Southeast Bulloch

Grovetown at Newton (SH)

Harlem at Hephzibah

Harrison at McEachern

Hebron Christian at Hart Co.

Heritage, Conyers at Grayson

Heritage, Ringgold at Gilmer

Holy Innocents' at Hapeville Charter (B)

Howard at Westside, Augusta

Irwin Co. at Turner Co.

Jackson at Pike Co.

Jackson Co. at Apalachee

Jackson, Atlanta at Mays (L)

Jeff Davis at Berrien

Jefferson at Monroe Area

Jenkins Co. at McIntosh Co. Academy

Johns Creek at Roswell

Johnson, Gaines. at Dawson Co.

Jordan at Kendrick (OS)

Josey at Laney

Kennesaw Mountain at Alexander

King's Ridge at Mount Pisgah Christian

KIPP Atl. Collegiate at Carver, Atlanta (L)

LaFayette at Northwest Whitfield

Lakeside, Evans at Statesboro

Lakeview-Ft. Ogle. at Coahulla Creek

Landmark Christian at B.E.S.T. Acad. (HA)

Lanier Co. at Brooks Co.

Leon, Fla. at Cairo

Liberty Co. at Johnson, Savannah (SV)

Lithia Springs at East Paulding

Lithonia at Southwest DeKalb (HS)

Locust Grove at Woodland, Stockbridge

Lovett at Therrell (L)

Lowndes at Colquitt Co.

Manchester at Bowdon

Mary Persons at Trinity Christian

McDonough at Jones Co.

McIntosh at Hughes

McNair at Jasper Co.

Meadowcreek at Brookwood

Metter at Claxton

Midtown at M.L. King (NC)

Milton at Lanier

Mitchell Co. at Terrell Co.

Model at Haralson Co.

Mount Vernon at Wesleyan

Mt. Bethel Christ. at Copper Basin, Tenn.

Mt. Zion, Carroll at Trion

Murray Co. at North Cobb Christian

New Manchester at South Paulding

Norcross at Parkview

North Clayton at Luella

North Murray at Sonoraville

North Oconee at Madison Co.

North Paulding at Etowah

North Springs at Marist

Northgate at Morrow (SR)

Northside, Col. at Mundy's Mill (TO)

Northside, W.R. at Houston Co. (FF)

Oconee Co. at East Hall

Pataula Charter at Graceville, Fla.

Paulding Co. at Hillgrove

Peach Co. at Dougherty (M)

Peachtree Ridge at North Gwinnett

Pebblebrook at Osborne

Perry at Wayne Co.

Pope at Woodstock

Prince Ave. Christian at Stephens Co.

Putnam Co. at Utopian Academy

Rabun Co. at Commerce

Riverwood at River Ridge

Rockdale Co. at Archer

Rome at Villa Rica

Rutland at Morgan Co.

Sandy Creek at Spalding (GM)

Savannah at Emanuel Co. Institute

Savannah Christian at Sav. Country Day

Seckinger at Gainesville

Seminole Co. at Miller Co.

Sequoyah at Lassiter

South Cobb at Campbell

South Effingham at Greenbrier

South Forsyth at Alpharetta

Spencer at Sumter Co.

Spring Creek at Baconton

Stockbridge at Ola

Stone Mountain at Mt. Zion, Jonesboro

Swainsboro at Toombs Co.

Taylor Co. at Schley Co.

Telfair Co. at Treutlen

Temple at Heard Co.

Thomson at Burke Co.

Tift Co. at Richmond Hill

Towns Co. at Anderson Christian, S.C.

Trion at Mt. Zion, Carroll

Troup at Upson-Lee

Tucker at Druid Hills (A)

Twiggs Co. at Johnson Co.

Union Co. at Ringgold

Union Grove at Hampton

Veterans at Thomas Co. Central

Walker at Mount Paran Christian

Walton at Marietta

Ware Co. at New Hampstead (P)

Warren Co. at Greene Co.

Washington-Wilkes at Lake Oconee Acsd.

Westlake at Carrollton

Westminster at Cambridge

Westover at Bainbridge

Wilcox Co. at Hawkinsville

Wilkinson Co. at Hancock Central

Winder-Barrow at Loganville

Windsor Forest at Jenkins (SM)

Woodward Academy at Tri-Cities

Worth Co. at Thomasville

Saturday’s games

Camden Co. at Valdosta

Lakeside, Atlanta at Chamblee (ND)

Lamar Co. at Towers (NC)

Riverdale at Douglass (L)

Stephenson at Cedar Grove (GO)

GIAA/GAPPS

Thursday’s game

Creekside Christian at Cross Keys (A)

Friday’s games

Atkinson Co. at Southwest Georgia

Augusta Prep at Briarwood Academy

Deerfield-Windsor at Brookwood School

Dominion Christian at Cherokee Christian

Edmund Burke at Brentwood

Harvest Community, Fla. at St. Andrew’s

King’s Academy at Athens Christian

Lakeview Academy at Bethlehem Christ.

Loganville Christian at Riverside Prep

Piedmont at George Walton Academy

Robert Toombs at Frederica Academy

St. Anne-Pacelli at Calvary Christian

Stratford Academy at First Presbyterian

Tattnall Square at Mount de Sales

Terrell Academy at Windsor Academy

Thomas Jefferson at Gatewood

Valwood at Tiftarea Academy

Westfield at Strong Rock Christian

Stadium abbreviations: (A) Adams; (B) Banneker High School; (C) Callaway; (ED) Ed Defore; (FF) Freedom Field; (GL) Glynn County; (GM) Griffin Memorial; (GO) Godfrey; (HA) Henderson, Atlanta; (HS) Hallford; (IH) Islands High School; (K) Kinnett; (L) Lakewood; (MT) McConnell-Talbert; (NC) Napoleon Cobb (formerly Avondale); (ND) North DeKalb; (OS) Odis Spencer; (P) Pooler; (SH) Sharp; (SM) Savannah Memorial; (SR) Steele Road; (SV) Savannah High School; (T) Tara; (TH) Thompson; (TO) Twelve Oaks

When you join the GACA and identify yourself as a football coach, then you are automatically a GFCA member for 2024-2025! To renew your membership, click here.