Comparing GHSA’s Post Season Rankings, Maxwell’s Extended Standings for playoff seeding

The Georgia High School Association uses an in-house ratings model that it calls the Post Season Rankings to help select and seed playoff teams in classes 3A, 2A, A Division I and 3A-A Private. Below are those rankings through seven weeks for the classes that use them.

The top four finishers in each region are guaranteed playoff berths, but lower-finishing teams are eligible for at-large playoff berths. Region champions are seeded first, then region runners-up. The rest are seeded on the Post Season Rankings, which uses a formula that essentially comes down to winning percentage times opponents’ winning percentage times opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage.

The GHSA’s reclassification committee has endorsed using the Post Season Rankings or a similar model to seed 32-team playoff brackets for all classifications beginning in fall 2026. Under that plan, which could be approved Monday at the GHSA’s executive committee meeting, region finish would not guarantee a playoff berth. The bracket would be seeded 1-32 almost entirely using the points ratings. Region champions would be guaranteed top-16 seeds only to ensure they had at least one home playoff game.

The GHSA likes its current ranking model because the formula is easy to understand. It is modeled after the RPI (rating percentage index) that the NCAA has used to help seeding committees.

Some rankings experts are critical of RPI-like models because of their simplicity, believing they do not adequately measure strength of schedule.

Loren Maxwell, founder of the Maxwell Ratings frequently cited in GHSF Daily, has proposed another model that he calls Extended Standings. Unlike his Maxwell Ratings, which are designed to predict future games, the Extended Standings have a different formula designed to identify the most deserving teams, regardless of how they might be predicted to perform going forward.

The GHSA Post Season Rankings and Maxwell’s Extended Rankings are listed below for comparison. Teams marked with an asterisk are playing a non-region schedule and are not eligible for playoffs.

GHSA Post Season Rankings

Class 3A

1. Sandy Creek (5-0)

2. Jefferson (4-1)

3. North Hall (6-0)

4. Westside-Augusta (5-0)

5. Troup (5-0)

6. Pickens (5-1)

7. Jenkins (4-1)

8. Peach County (6-0)

9. Northwest Whitfield (5-1)

10. LaGrange (5-1)

11. West Laurens (6-0)

12. Stephenson (5-1)

13. Heritage (Ringgold) (4-2)

14. Harlem (4-1)

15. Oconee County (4-2)

16. Liberty County (5-1)

17. Cairo (3-2)

18. Gilmer (3-2)

19. North Clayton (5-1)

20. Cherokee Bluff (4-2)

21. Whitewater (3-2)

22. Calhoun (3-2)

23. Monroe Area (5-1)

24. Long County (4-1)

25. Lumpkin County (4-2)

26. Westover (3-2)

27. Douglass (3-2)

28. Mt. Zion (Jonesboro) (2-3)

29. Upson-Lee (4-2)

30. LaFayette (4-2)

31. Luella (3-2)

32. Hephzibah (3-3)

33. Mary Persons (3-2)

34. Chestatee (3-3)

35. Cedar Grove (3-2)

36. Southeast Bulloch (3-3)

37. Baldwin (2-3)

38. Richmond Academy (2-4)

39. Beach (1-3)

40. Adairsville (2-4)

41. East Hall (2-4)

42. Dougherty (2-4)

43. Monroe (2-4)

44. West Hall (2-3)

45. White County (0-6)

46. Johnson (Savannah) (2-3)

47. Dawson County (1-4)

48. Spalding (0-5)

49. Ridgeland (2-4)

50. Howard (1-4)

51. Bainbridge (0-6)

52. Windsor Forest (1-4)

53. Cross Creek (1-5)

54. Islands (1-4)

55. Riverdale (1-5)

56. Groves (0-5)

57. Fayette County (0-5)

58. *Stone Mountain (0-7)

59. Johnson-Gainesville (0-5)

Class 2A

1. North Murray (5-0)

2. Carver-Columbus (5-0)

3. Carver-Atlanta (6-0)

4. Morgan County (6-0)

5. Rockmart (5-1)

6. Sumter County (6-0)

7. Pierce County (5-0)

8. Ringgold (4-2)

9. Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe (3-2)

10. Sonoraville (4-2)

11. Laney (4-2)

12. East Jackson (5-1)

13. Burke County (4-1)

14. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (4-2)

15. Callaway (3-2)

16. Pike County (3-2)

17. Columbus (3-1)

18. Miller Grove (5-1)

19. Appling County (3-3)

20. Cook (4-2)

21. Franklin County (5-1)

22. Stephens County (3-3)

23. Thomson (3-3)

24. Spencer (3-3)

25. Salem (3-2)

26. South Atlanta (2-4)

27. Hart County (1-4)

28. Union County (1-5)

29. Murray County (2-4)

30. Crisp County (1-5)

31. Hapeville Charter (1-4)

32. Jackson (1-4)

33. Coahulla Creek (1-4)

34. Kendrick (3-3)

35. Redan (2-4)

36. Tattnall County (2-4)

37. Westside (Macon) (1-5)

38. Washington (1-5)

39. Columbia (0-6)

40. Therrell (1-4)

41. Shaw (1-4)

42. Butler (0-5)

43. Glenn Hills (0-5)

44. Rutland (0-4)

45. Jordan (0-6)

46. Hardaway (0-5)

47. Josey (1-4)

Class A Division I

1. Swainsboro (6-0)

2. Thomasville (5-1)

3. Heard County (5-0)

4. Jasper County (6-0)

5. Northeast (5-1)

6. Rabun County (6-0)

7. Towers (3-2)

8. Gordon Lee (4-1)

9. Worth County (6-0)

10. Bacon County (4-2)

11. Dodge County (5-1)

12. Lamar County (5-0)

13. Dublin (4-2)

14. Jeff Davis (4-1)

15. Bleckley County (4-1)

16. Toombs County (5-1)

17. Social Circle (4-2)

18. Haralson County (4-2)

19. Fannin County (4-2)

20. Bremen (4-2)

21. ACE Charter (4-2)

22. Putnam County (3-3)

23. Gordon Central (5-1)

24. Pepperell (3-3)

25. Temple (4-2)

26. Fitzgerald (2-3)

27. East Laurens (2-4)

28. Berrien (2-3)

29. Southwest (2-4)

30. Oglethorpe County (2-3)

31. Washington County (1-4)

32. Elbert County (2-4)

33. Model (1-4)

34. McNair (1-5)

35. Vidalia (1-4)

36. Jefferson County (0-5)

37. Chattooga (1-5)

38. Dade County (0-5)

39. Banks County (0-5)

40. Coosa (1-5)

41. Utopian Academy (1-5)

42. Commerce (0-6)

43. Brantley County (0-6)

44. Central (Macon) (0-5)

45. B.E.S.T. Academy (1-5)

46. Armuchee (0-3)

Class 3A-A Private

1. Landmark Christian (5-0)

2. Hebron Christian (4-1)

3. Fellowship Christian (5-1)

4. Aquinas (3-1)

5. King's Ridge Christian (4-1)

6. Whitefield Academy (5-1)

7. *Mount Bethel Christian (5-1)

8. Calvary Day (4-1)

9. Athens Academy (4-1)

10. Greater Atl. Christian (5-1)

11. Holy Innocents’ (5-1)

12. Savannah Christian (3-3)

13. Lovett (4-2)

14. Prince Avenue Christian (4-1)

15. North Cobb Christian (3-2)

16. Christian Heritage (3-3)

17. Trinity Christian (2-4)

18. Wesleyan (4-2)

19. Mount Paran Christian (3-3)

20. Savannah Country Day (2-3)

21. Darlington (2-4)

22. Mount Vernon (2-4)

23. Providence Christian (1-4)

24. Walker (2-4)

25. Mount Pisgah Christian (1-5)

Maxwell’s Extended Standings

Class 3A

1. Sandy Creek (5-0)

2. Jefferson (4-1)

3. North Hall (6-0)

4. Troup (5-0)

5. Peach County (6-0)

6. West Laurens (6-0)

7. LaGrange (5-1)

8. Jenkins (4-1)

9. Westside-Augusta (5-0)

10. Northwest Whitfield (5-1)

11. Pickens (5-1)

12. North Clayton (5-1)

13. Stephenson (5-1)

14. Calhoun (3-2)

15. Oconee County (4-2)

16. Cherokee Bluff (4-2)

17. Harlem (4-1)

18. Monroe Area (5-1)

19. Whitewater (3-2)

20. Heritage (Ringgold) (4-2)

21. Liberty County (5-1)

22. Gilmer (3-2)

23. Lumpkin County (4-2)

24. Douglass (3-2)

25. Upson-Lee (4-2)

26. Cairo (3-2)

27. Mount Zion-Jonesboro (2-3)

28. Westover (3-2)

29. Mary Persons (3-2)

30. Long County (4-1)

31. Chestatee (3-3)

32. Luella (3-2)

33. Southeast Bulloch (3-3)

34. Cedar Grove (3-2)

35. Richmond Academy (2-4)

36. Hephzibah (3-3)

37. Monroe (2-4)

38. Baldwin (2-3)

39. Beach (1-3)

40. LaFayette (4-2)

41. East Hall (2-4)

42. Dawson County (1-4)

43. Dougherty (2-4)

44. Adairsville (2-4)

45. Spalding (0-5)

46. West Hall (2-3)

47. Ridgeland (2-4)

48. White County (0-6)

49. Johnson-Savannah (2-3)

50. Bainbridge (0-6)

51. Windsor Forest (1-4)

52. Howard (1-4)

53. Riverdale (1-5)

54. Cross Creek (1-5)

55. Islands (1-4)

56. Fayette County (0-5)

57. Johnson-Gainesville (0-5)

58. *Stone Mountain (0-7)

59. Groves (0-5)

Class 2A

1. Carver-Columbus (5-0)

2. Morgan County (6-0)

3. North Murray (5-0)

4. Carver-Atlanta (6-0)

5. Sumter County (6-0)

6. Rockmart (5-1)

7. Pierce County (5-0)

8. Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe (3-2)

9. East Jackson (5-1)

10. Ringgold (4-2)

11. Thomson (3-3)

12. Callaway (3-2)

13. Miller Grove (5-1)

14. Burke County (4-1)

15. Laney (4-2)

16. Franklin County (5-1)

17. Sonoraville (4-2)

18. Stephens County (3-3)

19. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (4-2)

20. Appling County (3-3)

21. Columbus (3-1)

22. Hapeville Charter (1-4)

23. Cook (4-2)

24. Hart County (1-4)

25. Pike County (3-2)

26. Salem (3-2)

27. Spencer (3-3)

28. Crisp County (1-5)

29. Union County (1-5)

30. Jackson (1-4)

31. Columbia (0-6)

32. South Atlanta (2-4)

33. Coahulla Creek (1-4)

34. Therrell (1-4)

35. Redan (2-4)

36. Westside-Macon (1-5)

37. Murray County (2-4)

38. Washington (1-5)

39. Tattnall County (2-4)

40. Shaw (1-4)

41. Kendrick (3-3)

42. Rutland (0-4)

43. Butler (0-5)

44. Hardaway (0-5)

45. Glenn Hills (0-5)

46. Josey (1-4)

47. Jordan (0-6)

Class A Division I

1. Thomasville (5-1)

2. Rabun County (6-0)

3. Swainsboro (6-0)

4. Heard County (5-0)

5. Northeast (5-1)

6. Worth County (6-0)

7. Jasper County (6-0)

8. Gordon Lee (4-1)

9. Toombs County (5-1)

10. Bleckley County (4-1)

11. Dodge County (5-1)

12. Dublin (4-2)

13. Lamar County (5-0)

14. Haralson County (4-2)

15. Bremen (4-2)

16. Social Circle (4-2)

17. Jeff Davis (4-1)

18. Pepperell (3-3)

19. Fannin County (4-2)

20. ACE Charter (4-2)

21. Temple (4-2)

22. Putnam County (3-3)

23. Bacon County (4-2)

24. Fitzgerald (2-3)

25. Gordon Central (5-1)

26. East Laurens (2-4)

27. Elbert County (2-4)

28. Washington County (1-4)

29. Southwest (2-4)

30. Towers (3-2)

31. Oglethorpe County (2-3)

32. Berrien (2-3)

33. Vidalia (1-4)

34. Model (1-4)

35. McNair (1-5)

36. Banks County (0-5)

37. Commerce (0-6)

38. Dade County (0-5)

39. Coosa (1-5)

40. Chattooga (1-5)

41. Jefferson County (0-5)

42. Utopian Academy (1-5)

43. B.E.S.T. Academy (1-5)

44. Brantley County (0-6)

45. Central-Macon (0-5)

46. Armuchee (0-3)

Class 3A-A Private

1. Hebron Christian (4-1)

2. Fellowship Christian (5-1)

3. Aquinas (3-1)

4. Landmark Christian (5-0)

5. Holy Innocents (5-1)

6. Calvary Day (4-1)

7. Greater Atlanta Christian (5-1)

8. Savannah Christian (3-3)

9. Whitefield Academy (5-1)

10. Athens Academy (4-1)

11. Prince Avenue Christian (4-1)

12. Lovett (4-2)

13. Wesleyan (4-2)

14. North Cobb Christian (3-2)

15. Trinity Christian (2-4)

16. Christian Heritage (3-3)

17. King's Ridge Christian (4-1)

18. Savannah Country Day (2-3)

19. Mount Paran Christian (3-3)

20. Providence Christian (1-4)

21. Mount Vernon (2-4)

22. Darlington (2-4)

23. *Mount Bethel Christian (5-1)

24. Mount Pisgah Christian (1-5)

25. Walker (2-4)