THOMASTON — The first Georgia High School Association power rankings of the 2019 football season were released Monday with several northeast Georgia area teams cracking the top 10 in both Class 3A and Class A.
The power ratings are used by the GHSA to determine 16 teams of the 24-team playoff bracket for both Class A classifications while the ratings in Class 3A are used to determine one at-large bid into the playoffs.
In Class A Private, Riverside Military Academy (2-1) reached its highest-ever rating at 14.67, which is good for fifth place. The Eagles are fresh off a huge win over Class 5A Johnson last week. Two-time Class A Private state runner-up Athens Academy currently sits ninth with a 13.33 rating as the only other Region 8-A team in the top 10.
Riverside coach Nicholas Garrett said it was a big moment for the program.
"It's great to be recognized. The kids were bouncing off the walls; very excited," Garrett said. "It's great for a program that is not expected to win but these kids continue to make history here. It means a lot to us.
"But we also know that we still have a lot of work to do. We only had three returning starters from last year. This is still a young group and really they have a lot of potential they still can reach."
Lakeview Academy is 36th in the Class A Private rankings.
In Class A Public, Commerce (2-1) which knocked off Class 4A West Hall to open the season, is sixth at 12.44. The Tigers fell to Class 3A and undefeated Hart County last week.
Towns County sits 35th in Class A Public in the initial ratings.
In Class 3A, Peach County out of Region 4-3A leads the way with a 16.67 rating. The Trojans have a pair of wins over Class 6A teams Northside-Warner Robins and Lee County. Islands out of Region 3-3A near Savannah is second with a 15.0 while Hart County out of Region 8-3A, which houses Jefferson, Jackson County, and East Jackson, sits third with a 14.88 rating.
Lovett from Region 5-3A is fourth at 14.39 and Fannin County out Region 7-3A in northeast Georgia is fifth at 14.0. Fellow Region 7-3A members Dawson County (13.89) and North Hall (13.78) are sixth and seventh. Surprising East Jackson is ninth with a 13.06 rating.
