The 2025 Georgia high school football playoffs begin November 14 and will end with the state championships December 15-17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons.
All eyes will be on reigning 6A champ Grayson, which not only is looking to defending that title, but also win the High School Football America national championship. On Sunday, the Rams ascended to the top of the HSFA 300 national rankings, powered by NFL Play Football. They’re trying to become the first HSFA national champ from Georgia since Colquitt County won the crown in 2015.
16 of the 32 teams in the 6A bracket are ranked in the HSFA 300.
Buford is also in the national championship conversation. The Wolves are currently ranked No. 8 in our national rankings created with our proprietary algorithm.
For those of you wondering, the only way Grayson and Buford would meet would be in the state championship game.
Below are the first round 6A pairings, plus the full bracket from Georgia Public Broadcasting. GPB does an outstanding job of covering high school football throughout the state.
Class 6A 1st Round Pairings
(R1 #3) Colquitt County at (R8 #2) Mill Creek
(R7 #4) Norcross at (R4 #1) Grayson
(R5 #3) Marietta at (R3 #2) Harrison
(R6 #4) North Forsyth at (R2 #1) Carrollton
(R8 #3) Collins Hill at (R1 #2) Lowndes
(R4 #4) South Gwinnett at (R7 #1) North Gwinnett
(R3 #3) Hillgrove at (R5 #2) North Paulding
(R2 #4) Westlake at (R6 #1) West Forsyth
(R2 #3) East Coweta at (R6 #2) Denmark
(R5 #4) Walton at (R3 #1) McEachern
(R4 #3) Archer at (R7 #2) Brookwood
(R8 #4) Dacula at (R1 #1) Valdosta
(R6 #3) Lambert at (R2 #2) Douglas County
(R3 #4) Paulding County at (R5 #1) North Cobb
(R7 #3) Peachtree Ridge at (R4 #2) Newton
(R1 #4) Richmond Hill at (R8 #1) Buford
Milton, winners of the 7A title in 2023 and the 5A title last year, is looking for a three-peat. The Eagles, who are currently ranked No. 61 in the nation after a 7-3 regular season. All three of the team’s losses were against nationally-ranked teams — Buford (No. 8), Roswell (No. 52) and Gainesville (No. 63).
Roswell is on the other side of the bracket and would only meet Milton in the state final. An Eagles/Gainesville rematch would occur in the state quarterfinals.
Class 5A 1st Round Pairings
(R1 #3) Statesboro at (R8 #2) Habersham Central
(R7 #4) Seckinger at (R4 #1) Woodward Academy
(R5 #3) Villa Rica at (R3 #2) Northgate
(R6 #4) Woodstock at (R2 #1) Thomas County Central
(R8 #3) Clarke Central at (R1 #2) Effingham County
(R4 #4) Chamblee at (R7 #1) Roswell
(R3 #3) Newnan at (R5 #2) New Manchester
(R2 #4) Coffee at (R6 #1) Sequoyah
(R2 #3) Lee County at (R6 #2) Sprayberry
(R5 #4) East Paulding at (R3 #1) Hughes
(R4 #3) Dunwoody at (R7 #2) Gainesville
(R8 #4) Winder-Barrow at (R1 #1) Brunswick
(R6 #3) Creekview at (R2 #2) Houston County
(R3 #4) Lovejoy at (R5 #1) Rome
(R7 #3) Milton at (R4 #2) Shiloh
(R1 #4) Glynn Academy at (R8 #1) Jackson County
The 4A bracket has six nationally-ranked teams led by Creekside at No. 46. The Seminoles are the only team in the classification with wins over HSFA 300 teams — No. 124 DeSoto (Texas) and No. 229 Seminole (Sanford, Florida).
On the opposite side of the bracket from the Tribe is reigning 4A champ North Oconee, ranked No. 191.
Class 4A 1st Round Pairings
(R1 #3) Ware County at (R8 #2) Flowery Branch
(R7 #4) Dalton at (R4 #1) Creekside
(R5 #3) Lithonia at (R3 #2) Griffin
(R6 #4) Centennial at (R2 #1) Locust Grove
(R8 #3) Eastside at (R1 #2) Warner Robins
(R4 #4) Jackson-Atlanta at (R7 #1) Cartersville
(R3 #3) Jonesboro at (R5 #2) Southwest DeKalb
(R2 #4) Hampton at (R6 #1) Kell
(R2 #3) Ola at (R6 #2) Cambridge
(R5 #4) Tucker at (R3 #1) Central-Carrollton
(R4 #3) Mays at (R7 #2) Cass
(R8 #4) East Forsyth at (R1 #1) Benedictine
(R6 #3) Blessed Trinity at (R2 #2) Stockbridge
(R3 #4) Starr’s Mill at (R5 #1) Marist
(R7 #3) Hiram at (R4 #2) M.L. King
(R1 #4) Perry at (R8 #1) North Oconee
Calhoun is back to defend its 3A title. The Yellow Jackets, who finished 8-2 during the regular season, are the sixth seed and opens against Lumpkin County.
On the other side of the bracket is Jefferson, the team Calhoun beat for the state title last year. The Dragon are a No. 1 seed and will open against Dougherty (Albany).
Class 3A 1st Round Pairings
#32 Dougherty at #1 Jefferson
#17 Harlem at #16 Heritage-Ringgold
#24 Westover at #9 Troup
#25 Liberty County at #8 Cairo
#28 Whitewater at #5 Jenkins
#21 Cherokee Bluff at #12 Peach County
#20 Oconee County at #13 Northwest Whitfield
#29 Beach at #4 West Laurens
#30 Cedar Grove at #3 Sandy Creek
#19 Pickens at #14 Monroe Area
#22 Gilmer at #11 Douglass
#27 Lumpkin County at #6 Calhoun
#26 Richmond Academy at #7 Stephenson
#23 Long County at #10 Westside-Augusta
#18 North Clayton at #15 LaGrange
#31 Mount Zion-Jonesboro at #2 North Hall
In 2A, defending champ Carver (Columbus) gets the No. 3 seed after a 10-0 regular season. Carver (Atlanta) gets the No. 1 seed.
Class 2A 1st Round Pairings
#32 Butler at #1 Carver-Atlanta
#17 Ringgold at #16 Pierce County
#24 KIPP Atlanta Collegiate at #9 Sumter County
#25 Cook at #8 North Murray
#28 Hart County at #5 Appling County
#21 Columbus at #12 Hapeville Charter
#20 Spencer at #13 Miller Grove
#29 Westside-Macon at #4 Morgan County
#30 Redan at #3 Carver-Columbus
#19 Stephens County at #14 Crisp County
#22 Franklin County at #11 Callaway
#27 Jackson at #6 Thomson
#26 East Jackson at #7 Columbia
#23 Sonoraville at #10 Burke County
#18 Laney at #15 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
#31 South Atlanta at #2 Rockmart
Reigning Class A Division I champ Toombs County is the No. 4 seed. The top seed is Heard County.
Class A Division I 1st Round Pairings
#32 East Laurens at #1 Heard County
#17 Social Circle at #16 Haralson County
#24 ACE Charter at #9 Fitzgerald
#25 Washington County at #8 Dublin
#28 Fannin County at #5 Northeast
#21 Bacon County at #12 Swainsboro
#20 Putnam County at #13 Thomasville
#29 Temple at #4 Toombs County
#30 McNair at #3 Worth County
#19 Jeff Davis at #14 Bleckley County
#22 Oglethorpe County at #11 Elbert County
#27 Towers at #6 Gordon Lee
#26 Gordon Central at #7 Jasper County
#23 Bremen at #10 Pepperell
#18 Dodge County at #15 Rabun County
#31 Berrien at #2 Lamar County
Bowdon will be going after a four-peat in Class A Division III. The Red Devils finished 8-2 during the regular season.
Class A Division II 1st Round Pairings
(R1 #3) Mitchell County at (R8 #2) Warren County
(R7 #4) Manchester at (R4 #1) Wheeler County
(R5 #3) GMC Prep at (R3 #2) Emanuel County Institute
(R6 #4) Chattahoochee County at (R2 #1) Clinch County
(R8 #3) Washington-Wilkes at (R1 #2) Seminole County
(R4 #4) Wilcox County at (R7 #1) Bowdon
(R3 #3) Jenkins County at (R5 #2) Wilkinson County
(R2 #4) Lanier County at (R6 #1) Schley County
(R2 #3) Charlton County at (R6 #2) Macon County
(R5 #4) Glascock County at (R3 #1) Screven County
(R4 #3) Treutlen at (R7 #2) at Mount Zion-Carroll
(R8 #4) Greene County at (R1 #1) Early County
(R6 #3) Taylor County at (R2 #2) Brooks County
(R3 #4) McIntosh County Academy at (R5 #1) Johnson County
(R7 #3) Trion at (R4 #2) Hawkinsville
(R1 #4) Randolph-Clay at (R8 #1) Lincoln County
The Class 3A-A Private classification is a smaller one. Defending state champ Hebron Christian is back. The Lions only loss during the regular season was to Tennessee’s McCallie School, currently ranked No. 24 in the HSFA 300.
Class 3A-A Private 1st Round Pairings
#1 Fellowship Christian bye
#17 Savannah Country Day at #16 Mount Vernon
#9 Christian Heritage bye
#8 Savannah Christian bye
#5 Whitefield Academy bye
#21 Darlington at #12 Aquinas
#20 North Cobb Christian at #13 King’s Ridge Christian
#4 Calvary Day bye
#3 Athens Academy bye
#19 Mount Paran Christian at #14 Holy Innocents’
#22 Mount Pisgah Christian at #11 Landmark Christian
#6 Greater Atlanta Christian bye
#7 Prince Avenue Christian bye
#23 Providence Christian at #10 Wesleyan
#18 Trinity Christian at #15 Lovett
#2 Hebron Christian bye
The above pairings are from our friends at Georgia High School Football Daily