Analysis of GHSA Post Season Rankings, Maxwell’s Extended Standings
In today’s issue, GHSF Daily explores the Georgia High School Association’s Post Season Rankings and an alternative, the Extended Standings, created by rankings expert Loren Maxwell.
Maxwell argues in today’s Four Questions that the Extended Standings are more accurate even though the calculations are more involved. The PSR is popular for its simple formula based on winning percentage and opponent winning percentage.
The choice of model is important because beginning in 2026-27 the GHSA will select and seed playoff teams in all eight classifications using the PSR or another math model. This season, the GHSA is using the PSR in four classifications (3A, 2A, A Division I and 3A-A Private) while guaranteeing playoff berths to top-four finishers in each region and giving preferential seeding to champions and runners-up.
Starting in 2026, region finish will no longer matter. The PSR alone will pick and seed teams 1-32 in all bracket sports with one exception: Region champions will be guaranteed top-16 seeds.
Below are the top 32 football teams in each class using both rankings models.
Here are five examples of differences that favor Extended Standings.
*The PSR ranks Fellowship Christian No. 1 in Class 3A-A Private. The Extended Standings rank Hebron Christian No. 1. Both teams are 8-1, but Hebron beat Fellowship 45-29 and lost to an out-of-state opponent, McCallie of Tennessee.
*The PSR ranks Toombs County No. 6 in Class A Division I. Toombs’ only loss came on the road against Rome, a top-10 Class 5A team. The Extended Standings rank Toombs No. 1.
*The PSR ranks Lowndes No. 2 in Class 6A behind undefeated Buford and ahead of undefeated Grayson, Carrollton and McEachern. Lowndes is 9-1 with a loss to Valdosta. The Extended Standings rank Lowndes No. 6 while placing the four undefeated 6A teams in the top four seeds.
*The PSR ranks Beach No. 29 and Southeast Bulloch No. 32. Southeast Bulloch missed the playoffs this season because fourth-place finishers from other regions got automatic playoff berths. Both teams were 5-4 in region play. Southeast Bulloch beat Beach 48-8, but Beach finished higher in the PSR largely for having a 5-4 overall record to Southeast Bulloch’s 5-5 record with a non-region loss to Class 4A Statesboro. The Extended Standings rank Southeast Bulloch No. 31 and Beach No. 33.
*The PSR ranks Brooks County No. 14 in Class A Division II. Brooks County’s five losses are against four AJC/GHSF Daily top-10 teams from higher classifications and one from its own class, Clinch County. Brooks County has a 21-3 victory over a top-10 team from a higher class, Fitzgerald. The Extended Standings rank Brooks County No. 6, matching the Trojans' ranking in GHSF Daily's composite poll.
The Extended Rankings are not the same as the Maxwell Ratings published on AJC Varsity and frequently cited in GHSF Daily. The Maxwell Ratings are designed to forecast games. The Extended Standings are a retrospective model designed to measure what teams have already accomplished.
These PSR rankings below do not match the current seeds for 3A, 2A, A Division I and 3A-A Private, as the GHSA moves teams up or down based on region finish. These are the PSR's raw rankings, reflecting how the teams would be seeded in 2026.
GHSA Post Season Rankings
Class 6A
1. Buford
2. Lowndes
3. Grayson
4. Carrollton
5. McEachern
6. Colquitt County
7. North Gwinnett
8. Valdosta
9. Harrison
10. Douglas County
11. Brookwood
12. Camden County
13. North Paulding
14. Hillgrove
15. North Cobb
16. West Forsyth
17. Newton
18. Mill Creek
19. Richmond Hill
20. Denmark
21. Archer
22. Peachtree Ridge
23. Collins Hill
24. Marietta
25. Norcross
26. South Gwinnett
27. Walton
28. Westlake
29. Lambert
30. Rockdale County
31. North Forsyth
32. Tift County
Class 5A
1. Hughes
2. Thomas County Central
3. Roswell
4. Houston County
5. Sequoyah
6. Rome
7. Jackson County
8. Gainesville
9. Sprayberry
10. Newnan
11. Lovejoy
12. Lee County
13. Northgate
14. Woodward Academy
15. Milton
16. New Manchester
17. Effingham County
18. River Ridge
19. Brunswick
20. Habersham Central
21. East Paulding
22. Creekview
23. Villa Rica
24. Statesboro
25. Seckinger
26. Shiloh
27. Clarke Central
28. Woodstock
29. Glynn Academy
30. Lanier
31. Coffee
32. Lassiter
Class 4A
1. North Oconee
2. Cartersville
3. Creekside
4. Marist
5. Central (Carrollton)
6. Benedictine
7. Locust Grove
8. Kell
9. Cass
10. Cambridge
11. Southwest DeKalb
12. Ola
13. Stockbridge
14. M.L. King
15. Flowery Branch
16. Ware County
17. Griffin
18. Lithonia
19. Blessed Trinity
20. Hampton
21. Eastside
22. Eagle's Landing
23. Jackson (Atlanta)
24. Jones County
25. Mays
26. Tucker
27. Madison County
28. Jonesboro
29. East Forsyth
30. Warner Robins
31. St. Pius
32. Hiram
Class 3A
1. Jefferson
2. North Hall
3. Sandy Creek
4. West Laurens
5. Jenkins
6. Calhoun
7. Troup
8. Stephenson
9. LaGrange
10. Westside (Augusta)
11. Cairo
12. Heritage (Ringgold)
13. Harlem
14. Douglass
15. North Clayton
16. Peach County
17. Pickens
18. Northwest Whitfield
19. Monroe Area
20. Oconee County
21. Cherokee Bluff
22. Gilmer
23. Long County
24. Westover
25. Liberty County
26. Richmond Academy
27. Lumpkin County
28. Whitewater
29. Beach
30. Cedar Grove
31. Luella
32. Southeast Bulloch
Class 2A
1. Carver (Atlanta)
2. Rockmart
3. Carver (Columbus)
4. North Murray
5. Morgan County
6. Sumter County
7. Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe
8. Appling County
9. Burke County
10. Callaway
11. Hapeville Charter
12. Pierce County
13. Ringgold
14. Thomson
15. Laney
16. Miller Grove
17. Stephens County
18. Spencer
19. Columbus
20. Franklin County
21. Columbia
22. Sonoraville
23. Crisp County
24. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
25. Cook
26. East Jackson
27. Jackson
28. Hart County
29. Pike County
30. Union County
31. Westside (Macon)
32. Coahulla Creek
Class A Division I
1. Heard County
2. Lamar County
3. Swainsboro
4. Worth County
5. Jasper County
6. Toombs County
7. Dublin
8. Northeast
9. Gordon Lee
10. Thomasville
11. Fitzgerald
12. Bleckley County
13. Rabun County
14. Haralson County
15. Social Circle
16. Dodge County
17. Jeff Davis
18. Pepperell
19. Putnam County
20. Bacon County
21. Oglethorpe County
22. Bremen
23. ACE Charter
24. Washington County
25. Gordon Central
26. Towers
27. Fannin County
28. Temple
29. Elbert County
30. McNair
31. Berrien
32. East Laurens
Class A Division II
1. Wheeler County
2. Clinch County
3. Lincoln County
4. Bowdon
5. Screven County
6. Seminole County
7. Johnson County
8. Wilcox County
9. Emanuel County Institute
10. Early County
11. Hawkinsville
12. Taylor County
13. Mount Zion (Carroll)
14. Treutlen
15. Brooks County
16. Warren County
17. Jenkins County
18. Schley County
19. Mitchell County
20. Metter
21. Charlton County
22. Bryan County
23. Wilkinson County
24. Randolph-Clay
25. McIntosh County Academy
26. Trion
27. Macon County
28. Manchester
29. Washington-Wilkes
30. Chattahoochee County
31. GMC Prep
32. Telfair County
Class 3-A Private
1. Fellowship Christian
2. Hebron Christian
3. Calvary Day
4. Whitefield Academy
5. Greater Atlanta Christian
6. Athens Academy
7. Wesleyan
8. Landmark Christian
9. Prince Avenue Christian
10. Savannah Christian
11. Aquinas
12. King's Ridge Christian
13. Christian Heritage
14. Holy Innocents’
15. Lovett
16. Mount Vernon
17. Savannah Country Day
18. Trinity Christian
19. Mount Paran Christian
20. North Cobb Christian
21. Darlington
22. Mount Pisgah Christian
23. Providence Christian
24. Walker
Maxwell Extended Standings
Class 6A
1. Buford
2. Carrollton
3. Grayson
4. McEachern
5. North Gwinnett
6. Lowndes
7. Valdosta
8. Douglas County
9. Harrison
10. Colquitt County
11. Brookwood
12. Newton
13. Hillgrove
14. North Paulding
15. North Cobb
16. Mill Creek
17. West Forsyth
18. Archer
19. Richmond Hill
20. Collins Hill
21. Marietta
22. Peachtree Ridge
23. Denmark
24. Walton
25. Norcross
26. South Gwinnett
27. Camden County
28. Westlake
29. Lambert
30. Parkview
31. North Forsyth
32. North Atlanta
Class 5A
1. Hughes
2. Thomas County Central
3. Roswell
4. Gainesville
5. Rome
6. Houston County
7. Sequoyah
8. Jackson County
9. Milton
10. Sprayberry
11. Woodward Academy
12. Lee County
13. Newnan
14. Lovejoy
15. New Manchester
16. Northgate
17. River Ridge
18. East Paulding
19. Brunswick
20. Effingham County
21. Villa Rica
22. Seckinger
23. Creekview
24. Lanier
25. Habersham Central
26. Shiloh
27. Woodstock
28. Glynn Academy
29. Statesboro
30. Coffee
31. South Paulding
32. Clarke Central
Class 4A
1. Creekside
2. Cartersville
3. North Oconee
4. Central (Carrollton)
5. Marist
6. Kell
7. Benedictine
8. Locust Grove
9. Cambridge
10. Stockbridge
11. Cass
12. Southwest DeKalb
13. Blessed Trinity
14. Ola
15. Eastside
16. Flowery Branch
17. Ware County
18. Lithonia
19. Hampton
20. Jonesboro
21. M.L. King
22. Griffin
23. Jones County
24. Tucker
25. Madison County
26. Hiram
27. Eagle's Landing
28. Warner Robins
29. Mays
30. East Forsyth
31. Perry
32. St. Pius
Class 3A
1. Sandy Creek
2. Jefferson
3. Troup
4. West Laurens
5. North Hall
6. Calhoun
7. Jenkins
8. LaGrange
9. Stephenson
10. Westside (Augusta)
11. Peach County
12. Douglass
13. North Clayton
14. Cairo
15. Harlem
16. Monroe Area
17. Oconee County
18. Heritage (Ringgold)
19. Northwest Whitfield
20. Pickens
21. Cherokee Bluff
22. Westover
23. Whitewater
24. Richmond Academy
25. Mary Persons
26. Lumpkin County
27. Gilmer
28. Upson-Lee
29. Long County
30. Liberty County
31. Southeast Bulloch
32. Mount Zion (Jonesboro)
Class 2A
1. Carver (Atlanta)
2. Morgan County
3. Carver (Columbus)
4. Rockmart
5. Sumter County
6. North Murray
7. Hapeville Charter
8. Thomson
9. Callaway
10. Burke County
11. Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe
12. Appling County
13. Franklin County
14. Pierce County
15. Stephens County
16. Columbia
17. Laney
18. Miller Grove
19. Ringgold
20. Crisp County
21. Hart County
22. East Jackson
23. Sonoraville
24. Spencer
25. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
26. Jackson
27. Cook
28. Columbus
29. Coahulla Creek
30. Union County
31. Westside (Macon)
32. Pike County
Class A Division I
1. Toombs County
2. Worth County
3. Heard County
4. Thomasville
5. Lamar County
6. Swainsboro
7. Northeast
8. Gordon Lee
9. Dublin
10. Jasper County
11. Fitzgerald
12. Bleckley County
13. Rabun County
14. Pepperell
15. Dodge County
16. Haralson County
17. Jeff Davis
18. Social Circle
19. Bremen
20. Oglethorpe County
21. Putnam County
22. Elbert County
23. Washington County
24. ACE Charter
25. Temple
26. Bacon County
27. Fannin County
28. Gordon Central
29. East Laurens
30. Commerce
31. Berrien
32. McNair
Class A Division II
1. Bowdon
2. Clinch County
3. Lincoln County
4. Wheeler County
5. Screven County
6. Johnson County
7. Early County
8. Brooks County
9. Seminole County
10. Emanuel County Institute
11. Wilcox County
12. Hawkinsville
13. Taylor County
14. Mount Zion (Carroll)
15. Manchester
16. Charlton County
17. Treutlen
18. Jenkins County
19. Warren County
20. Trion
21. Schley County
22. Mitchell County
23. Metter
24. Bryan County
25. Macon County
26. McIntosh County Academy
27. Randolph-Clay
28. Wilkinson County
29. Washington-Wilkes
30. Telfair County
31. Turner County
32. Miller County
Class 3-A Private
1. Hebron Christian
2. Fellowship Christian
3. Calvary Day
4. Greater Atlanta Christian
5. Prince Avenue Christian
6. Savannah Christian
7. Holy Innocents’
8. Athens Academy
9. Whitefield Academy
10. Aquinas
11. Wesleyan
12. Landmark Christian
13. Trinity Christian
14. Lovett
15. Christian Heritage
16. North Cobb Christian
17. Mount Vernon
18. Savannah Country Day
19. King's Ridge Christian
20. Mount Paran Christian
21. Darlington
22. Providence Christian
23. Mount Pisgah Christian
24. Walker