Football: An impressive seven area teams make preseason top 10 poll

After a historic 2012 for northeast Georgia football, the state's football writers have taken notice and placed seven area teams in the preseason Associated Press high school rankings.

Defending state champions Gainesville, Buford and Jefferson are amongst their respective classification's top 10, while North Hall, Flowery Branch, North Gwinnett and Mill Creek also made the initial poll.

Gainesville and Buford are preseason No. 1 in Classes AAAAA and AAA, respectively, while Jefferson is fifth in Class AA.

North Hall, which reached the Class AAA semifinals last season, is a preseason No. 7 pick, while Flowery Branch -- which won the Region 8-AAAAA crown in 2012, comes at No. 9 in Class AAAAA.

In Class AAAAAA, North Gwinnett will open the campaign on Saturday against No. 7 Camden County in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, as part of the Corky Kell Classic. Meanwhile, Mill Creek, a state quarterfinalist in 2012, will start the season at 10th.

All teams in the rankings -- aside from North Gwinnett -- will kick off their season on Aug. 30.


Georgia High School Football AP Rankings

The Georgia Sportswriters Association Prep Football Preseason Poll of the 2013 season with first-place votes in parentheses,total points and last year's final rank at right:

Class AAAAAA
1. Norcross (13) 130 1
2. Colquitt County 107 3
3. North Gwinnett 87 6
4. Lovejoy 69 2
5. Lowndes 64 NR
6. McEachern 63 NR
7. Camden County 53 5
8. North Cobb 52 4
9. Walton 19 NR
10. Mill Creek 15 7
(tie) Peachtree Ridge 15 NR
Others receiving votes: Grayson 14, Lassiter 12, Hillgrove 9, Valdosta 4, Brookwood 1, Wheeler 1.

Class AAAAA
1. Gainesville (11) 127 1
2. Northside-Warner Robins (1) 102 3
3. Stephenson 89 7
(tie) Tucker 89 5
5. Thomas County Central 70 NR
6. Kell 57 8
7. MLK Jr. 56 9
8. Ware County 47 2
9. Flowery Branch 33 NR
(tie)Whitewater 33 4
Others receiving votes: Warner Robins 7, Allatoona 2, East Paulding 1, Harris County 1, Union Grove 1.

Class AAAA
1. Sandy Creek (13) 130 1
2. Carrollton 109 8
3. Burke County 104 4
4. Marist 87 3
5. Cairo 77 10
6. Stockbridge 52 6
7. Griffin 50 NR
8. Monroe Area 40 5
9. Statesboro 24 6
10. Ridgeland 19 2
Others receiving votes: Westside-Macon 13, Monroe-Albany 6, Baldwin 2, Riverdale 2.

Class AAA
1. Buford (13) 130 1
2. St. Pius X 99 2
3. Cartersville 84 3
4. Peach County 81 8
5. Carver-Columbus 79 7
6. Thomson 67 5
7. North Hall 58 4
8. Washington County 57 6
9. Blessed Trinity 32 9
10. North Oconee 13 10
Others receiving votes: Woodward Academy 7, Callaway 6, Elbert County 1, Pierce County 1.

Class AA
1. Calhoun (12) 129 2
2. Greater Atlanta Christian 100 5
3. Lamar County (1) 95 3
4. Brooks County 86 6
5. Jefferson 78 1
6. Fitzgerald 76 4
7. Lovett 41 7
8. Cook 27 NR
9. Vidalia 22 9
10. Washington-Wilkes 16 NR
(tie)Westminster 16 NR
Others receiving votes: Heard County 14, Benedictine 7, Early County 6, Dublin 1.

Class A
1. Eagle's Landing Christian (13) 130 1
2. Prince Avenue Christian 107 3
3. Lincoln County 91 6
4. George Walton 74 7
5. Emanuel County Institute 66 NR
6. Wilcox County 65 4
7. Savannah Christian Prep. 36 NR
8. Dooly County 36 5
9. Wilkinson County 34 10
10. Irwin County 27 NR
Others receiving votes: Landmark Christian 12, Darlington 9, Clinch County 7, Calvary Day 5, First Presbyterian Day 5, Miller County 3, Charlton County 2, Seminole County 2, Walker School 1