The 2023 Georgia High School Football season came to a close in December after it crowned eight state champions inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. With that business complete, we have put together our final Georgia Football Power 25 of the season, and it has a ton of shakeups.
A big congrats to all of state champions and all of the teams that made the final rankings of the season.
1. Milton (13-2)
If you’re not affiliated with the Milton football program, raise your hand if you saw the Eagles winning the Class 7A state championship and finishing the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the state of Georgia. When the games mattered the most, the Eagles soared, beating Colquitt County, Grayson and Walton to win their second Class 7A state title.
2. Thomas County Central (15-0)
The Yellow Jackets won the Class 6A state championship, and did so in dominating fashion against Woodward Academy. They were one of only two teams in the state to finish with a perfect 15-0 record and will finish as the No. 2 ranked team in the state of Georgia for 2023.
3. Walton (14-1)
The Raiders entered the state playoffs as one of the favorites to win the Class 7A state championship, and their goal fell one game short. They were out-classed by Milton in the second half of the state championship game and finished the season as the state runner-ups.
4. Coffee (15-0)
The Trojans are your Class 5A state champs after they dominated Creekside 31-14 in the state championship game. They join Thomas County Central as one of just two teams to complete a perfect 15-0 campaign in 2023 and are more than deserving to finish the season ranked as the No. 4 team in the state of Georgia.
5. Colquitt County (12-1)
The Packers had a disappointing end to their 2023 campaign after losing to Milton on the road in the Class 7A state quarterfinals. They entered the matchup undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the state, but will finish ranked No. 5 after their early exit.
6. Grayson (11-3)
The Rams were a couple of big plays away from beating MIlton in the Class 7A state semifinals, but it wasn’t quite in the cards. It was still an impressive season for the Rams, who under the direction of first-year head coach Santavious Bryant, took down Buford in the quarterfinals. They come in at No. 6 to end the season.
7. Mill Creek (12-1)
The Hawks were stunned in the Class 7A quarterfinals at home against Camden County, a result nobody outside of Kingsland, Ga saw coming. It snapped a long winning streak for the Hawks dating back to their 2022 state championship victory and was without a doubt the biggest upset of the Class 7A state playoffs this season.
8. Carrollton (11-2)
The Trojans couldn’t quite find the same juice it had in 2022 when it played for a Class 7A state championship. They were put out in the Class 7A state quarterfinals against Walton, one year after beating Walton in the same round. The Trojans entered the playoffs ranked No. 5 and will finish the season ranked No. 8.
9. Rome (11-2)
One could argue that the Thomas County Central-Rome matchup was the real state championship game. The Wolves lost a heart-breaker to the Yellow Jackets in the semifinals, 19-16, but showed everyone in the state just how good their team was in 2023. They finish the season ranked No. 9 in the state.
10. Buford (11-2)
The Wolves weren’t playing their best ball at the end of the season and it showed. They were eventually put out by a red-hot Grayson Rams squad in the Class 7A state quarterfinals and finished the season ranked No. 10 in the state.
11. Camden County (10-4)
Huge credit to the WIldcats for getting as far as they did in the Class 7A state playoffs. They entered the playoffs as a massive underdog playing as a No. 3 seed and that didn’t stop them from winning three games, including a huge upset of then No. 1 Mill Creek. They come in at No. 11 in the state after being unranked to start the playoffs.
12. Marist (12-2)
The War Eagles gave Thomas County Central everything it could handle in the Class 6A state semifinals. They lost the game 13-7, but it was a great season nonetheless for the War Eagles, who come in ranked No. 12 to end the year.
13. Woodward Academy (12-3)
Not many gave the War Eagles much of a chance to reach the Class 6A state championship game, but that didn’t stop them from doing just that. They knocked off the tournament favorite Gainesville in the quarterfinals, and followed that up with a win over undefeated Douglas County in the semifinals before getting out-classed by Thomas County Central in the state finals.
14. Douglas County (13-1)
The Tigers’ storybook season ended with heartbreak in the Class 6A state semifinals with a slim 24-21 loss to Woodward Academy. It was a season to remember for the Tigers and one that program should be extremely proud of. They come in ranked No. 14 to end the season.
15. Gainesville (12-1)
It was a very disappointing end to the season for the Red Elephants, who entered the playoffs as the favorite to win the Class 6A state title. The injury bug didn’t do them any favors in a slim 20-17 loss to Woodward Academy in the quarterfinals and they’ll finish ranked No. 15 to end the year as a result.
16. Creekside (13-2)
The Seminoles were out-classed in the Class 5A state title game against Coffee, but it was a terrific season overall. The Seminoles lost to just one team from the state of Georgia in 2023 and beat two really good teams in Warner Robins and Jefferson to reach the state finals.
17. Cedar Grove (10-5)
The Saints lost five games in 2023 and still were able to win a Class 3A state championship. That’s just how dominant they have been in their own classification for the past few years and 2023 was no different. They beat their biggest threat in the semifinals, Calvary Day to reach the finals before dominating Savannah Christian to win the title.
18. Perry (13-2)
The Panthers put together a storybook season that ended with a Class 4A state championship after they beat Stockbridge 38-27 in the state finals. It wasn’t the toughest of roads for the Panthers, but it was a well-earned state championship nonetheless. They come in at No. 18 to finish the year.
19. Calvary Day (13-1)
The Cavaliers had their shot to dethrone Cedar Grove in the Class 3A semifinals, but fell just short in a 49-42 shootout. The Cavaliers would have been heavy favorites in the state finals after defeating Savannah Christian in the regular season. It was a terrific season for the Cavaliers that ends with a 13-1 record.
20. Norcross (9-3)
The Blue Devils put together a solid season overall. They very nearly beat Buford in the Class 7A Sweet 16, but lost by three points 28-25. They come in at No. 20 in the final rankings of the year.
21. Lee County (10-3)
The Trojans finished the year 10-3 after losing to Douglas County in the Class 6A state quarterfinals. Their other two losses came against Colquitt County and Thomas County Central. They come in ranked No. 21 in the state.
22. Prince Avenue (14-1)
The Wolverines won their second straight Class A D-1 state championship after beating Swainsboro in the finals 49-32. It was a great sendoff for quarterback Aaron Philo, who set the Georgia high school passing record in the win.
23. Pierce County (14-1)
The Bears won the Class 2A state championship in dramatic fashion, defeating Rockmart 48-45 in triple overtime. It completed a 14-1 season for the Bears, who come in ranked No. 23 to end the season.
24. Rockmart (12-3)
The Yellow Jackets very nearly won the Class 2A state championship. They lost in heartbreaking fashion to Pierce County in triple overtime, but it was a great season nonetheless. They finish the season ranked No. 24.
25. Bowdon (13-2)
For the second straight year, the Red Devils are Class A D-2 State Champions after they defeated Manchester by one point in the finals. After starting off the season 0-2, the Red Devils won their last 13 to win the title.
