Improvement Tracker: Utopian Academy gets big boost in Week 1
Seven teams that avenged 2024 losses sit atop GHSF Daily’s Improvement Tracker after the first week.
They include Utopian Academy, which beat B.E.S.T. Academy 14-12 after losing 49-0 last season, and Apalachee, which broke a 29-game losing streak with its 29-9 victory over Chattahoochee.
Other avengers were Locust Grove (vs. Pebblebrook), North Clayton (vs. McDonough), Columbus (vs. Miller County), Landmark Christian (vs. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate) and Calvary Christian (vs. Terrell County).
The Improvement Tracker will be updated each Wednesday and culminate in awards presented to nine head coaches in February. To qualify, teams must have a winning record, make the playoffs, finish in the top four of their region and improve on their playoff advancement or seeding from 2024.
The Improvement Tracker is based on an objective formula that uses current and historical computer Maxwell Ratings. Improvement from 2024 counts most, but the formula also considers previous years to discourage rewarding traditionally strong teams that simply bounce back from a down year.
The season is early, and the rankings are fluid, so what looks like a good win now might not in coming weeks.
The 2024 winners were Adam Carter at Lowndes, Steve Hibbitts of Lakeside-Evans, Tyler Jones of Cambridge, Tommy Jones of Cherokee Bluff, Will Rogers of Sumter County, Buddy Martin of Toombs County, Lee Chomskis of Lincoln County, Jonathan Gess of Hebron Christian and Erik Soliday of Tiftarea Academy.
Class 6A
+4.75 - McEachern (Kareem Reid)
+4.01 - Grovetown (D.J. Mayo)
+3.49 - Buford (Bryant Appling)
+3.19 - Rockdale County (Kenderrick Bonner)
+2.77 - Douglas County (Johnny White)
Class 5A
+5.30 - Apalachee (Kevin Saunders)
+3.17 - Lakeside-Atlanta (Morris Starr)
+3.17 - Northgate (Kevin Whitley)
+3.01 - Lee County (Dean Fabrizio)
+3.00 - Habersham Central (Benji Harrison)
Class 4A
+4.58 - Locust Grove (Garry Fisher)
+4.23 - Lithonia (Kevin Barnes)
+3.61 - Woodland-Stockbridge (Robert Cummings)
+3.23 - Eagle's Landing (Johnny Teemer)
+2.76 - Creekside (Maurice Dixon)
Class 3A
+3.92 - North Clayton (Cap Burnett)
+3.88 - LaFayette (Ethan Thomson)
+3.21 - Jefferson (Travis Noland)
+2.76 - Gilmer (Paul Standard)
+2.58 - Sandy Creek (Darius Smiley)
Class 2A
+5.82 - Columbus (Robert Peters)
+4.31 - Murray County (Jason Allen)
+3.85 - Rockmart (Biff Parson)
+3.26 - Kendrick (Emmanuel Brown)
+3.09 - Franklin County (Chuck Holland)
Class A Division I
+22.18 - Utopian Academy (Darius Redman)
+4.00 - Towers (Henry Garrett)
+3.18 - Southwest (Joe Dupree)
+3.12 - Haralson County (Randy Crutchfield)
+2.79 - Banks County (Todd Winter)
Class A Division II
+3.91 - Seminole County (Cedric Stegall)
+3.47 - Screven County (Ron Duncan)
+3.11 - Mount Zion-Carroll (Brad Gordon)
+2.24 - Wheeler County (Thomas Smith)
+2.23 - Mitchell County (Dondrial Pinkins)
Class 3A-A Private
+3.09 - Landmark Christian (Tommy Lewis)
+2.39 - Darlington (Wayne Groves)
+2.11 - Aquinas (James Leonard)
+1.72 - King's Ridge Christian (Zach Slaney)
+1.45 - Fellowship Christian (John Thompson)
GIAA
+11.01 - Calvary Christian (Emmanuel Brunson)
+6.50 - Loganville Christian (Nathan Murphy)
+4.08 - Flint River Academy (Mark Wilson)
+3.74 - Athens Christian (Tony Pierce)
+2.64 - Pinewood Christian (Keith Wasson)