Sequoyah and Rockmart, football programs that began the season unranked, each made large steps to No. 5 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution high school rankings this week. Each defeated a highly ranked program and advanced to their highest position in 10 years or more.
Sequoyah defeated previous No. 5 Dalton 42-14 in a Region 6-AAAAAA game. Sequoyah is now No. 5, up five spots. Sequoyah’s No. 5 ranking matches the program’s highest ever in the AJC pool. The Chiefs had been No. 5 most recently in 2006.
The victory over Dalton was Sequoyah’s first over a ranked opponent since 2014, when the Chiefs beat No. 5 Lanier 24-21 in the first round of the playoffs. It’s only the sixth victory against a ranked team for the Chiefs.
Rockmart moved up three places in AA after beating previous No. 3 Heard County 33-0. That game went only two quarters as Heard conceded amid a lightning delay and weather that threated to make it an even longer night.
Rockmart had not beaten a team ranked so highly since defeated No. 2 Cedartown 13-12 in 1996. Rockmart has not been ranked as high as No. 5 since 1989, when the Yellow Jackets were No. 2 for several weeks.
Class AAAAAAA
1. (1) Colquitt County (4-0)
2. (2) Walton (3-0)
3. (3) Milton (3-0)
4. (5) Grayson (2-1)
5. (4) North Gwinnett (2-1)
6. (6) Parkview (2-0)
7. (8) Archer (2-1)
8. (9) McEachern (3-1)
9. (7) Marietta (1-3)
10. (NR) Lowndes (3-1)
Out: No. 10 Mill Creek
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Class AAAAAA
1. (1) Lee County (4-0)
2. (2) Coffee (4-0)
3. (3) Harrison (4-0)
4. (4) Creekview (4-0)
5. (10) Sequoyah (3-0)
6. (6) Glynn Academy (2-1)
7. (7) Valdosta (2-2)
8. (8) Alpharetta (1-1)
9. (9) Tucker (1-2)
10. (NR) Northside-Warner Robins (2-2)
Out: No. 5 Dalton
Class AAAAA
1. (1) Rome (3-0)
2. (2) Buford (2-1)
3. (3) Warner Robins (3-0)
4. (4) Carrollton (3-0)
5. (5) Stockbridge (3-0)
6. (6) Jones County (4-0)
7. (7) Kell (2-1)
8. (8) Wayne County (3-0)
9. (9) Ware County (3-1)
10. (10) Dutchtown (4-0)
Class AAAA
1. (1) Blessed Trinity (4-0)
2. (2) Marist (3-0)
3. (3) Cartersville (3-0)
4. (4) Mary Persons (4-0)
5. (5) St. Pius (3-1)
6. (7) Troup (3-0)
7. (8) Burke County (1-2)
8. (9) Flowery Branch (3-0)
9. (10) Woodward Academy (1-2)
10. (NR) Eastside (3-0)
Out: No. 6 Thomson
Class AAA
1. (1) Calhoun (3-0)
2. (2) Cedar Grove (3-1)
3. (3) Peach County (2-1)
4. (6) Monroe Area (4-0)
5. (5) Westminster (2-2)
6. (7) Greater Atlanta Christian (1-2)
7. (4) Benedictine (1-1)
8. (8) Pace Academy (2-2)
9. (10) Jefferson (2-1)
10. (NR) Dawson County (3-0)
Out: No. 9 Lovett
Class AA
1. (1) Hapeville Charter (2-0)
2. (2) Callaway (3-0)
3. (4) Thomasville (3-1)
4. (5) Bremen (3-0)
5. (8) Rockmart (3-0)
6. (6) Dodge County (3-0)
7. (7) Rabun County (2-1)
8. (9) Dublin (3-0)
9. (10) Washington County (3-0)
10. (NR) Vidalia (3-0)
Out: No. 3 Heard County
Class A (Pulbic)
1. (1) Clinch County (3-0)
2. (2) Irwin County (3-0)
3. (3) Mount Zion (Carroll) (3-0)
4. (5) Commerce (3-0)
5. (7) Pelham (3-0)
6. (8) Charlton County (2-1)
7. (9) Marion County (3-0)
8. (10) Trion (3-0)
9. (4) Manchester (2-1)
10. (NR) Turner County (2-1)
Out: No. 6 Dooly County
Class A (Private)
1. (1) Eagle's Landing Christian (2-1)
2. (2) Prince Avenue Christian (4-0)
3. (3) Athens Academy (3-0)
4. (4) Darlington (3-0)
5. (5) Calvary Day (2-0)
6. (6) Savannah Country Day (3-0)
7. (7) Aquinas (3-0)
8. (8) Mount Paran Christian (1-1)
9. (9) George Walton Academy (3-0)
10. (10) Fellowship Christian (3-0)
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