Buford went 10–0, finished the regular season atop Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Class 7A poll and will open the state playoffs as the No. 9 seed. The defending state champion gets Marietta at home Friday. Win that game, and the Wolves could be on the road in Round 2. That’s the first thing to know about the 2026 Georgia high school football playoffs.
The Georgia High School Association playoffs open Friday, Nov. 13, across eight brackets. The GHSA’s Post Season Ranking formula weighs a team’s winning percentage (35%), its opponents’ winning percentage (35%) and the winning percentage of its opponents’ opponents (30%). Region champions are seeded first in formula order and guaranteed a first-round home game. That helps explain why the top seed and the top team in GPB’s poll differ in 7A, 4A and Class A.
Class 7A | Valdosta has the top seed. Buford has the tougher road.
No. 1 seed Valdosta hosts No. 32 West Forsyth, while No. 2 Newton draws No. 31 Collins Hill and No. 3 Carrollton welcomes No. 30 North Forsyth. Buford’s opener against No. 24 Marietta is paired with No. 25 Archer at No. 8 North Cobb. If both home teams advance, Buford would visit North Cobb in the second round. If the higher seeds hold elsewhere in that quarter of the bracket, a game at Valdosta could follow in the quarterfinals.
For an opening-round game beyond the top seeds, circle No. 21 Camden County at No. 12 Grayson. The winner is lined up to face either No. 28 South Forsyth or No. 5 Lowndes. nty Central and Creekside share a quarter
Top-seeded Thomas County Central opens against No. 32 Veterans. The unbeaten Yellow Jackets won the 5A championship last season and now have a potential quarterfinal with Creekside, the reigning 4A champion. The Seminoles are No. 2 in GPB’s 6A poll, enter as the No. 8 seed and open at home against No. 25 Shiloh. Both teams have two games to win before that meeting can happen. No. 2 seed Lee County opens against No. 31 Northside (Warner Robins) in the opposite half.
Class 5A | Blessed Trinity and Cartersville start on opposite ends
Unbeaten Blessed Trinity is the No. 1 seed and hosts No. 32 M.L. King. No. 2 Cartersville opens at home against No. 31 Perry. The first-round game to circle is No. 24 Cambridge at No. 9 Marist. Marist is third in GPB’s poll, and its position in Blessed Trinity’s quarter means two of the poll’s top three teams could meet before the semifinals.
Class 4A | Peach County gets the top seed, Sandy Creek brings the title
Peach County opens against No. 32 East Jackson. Sandy Creek, unbeaten and first in GPB’s poll after winning 3A last season, starts from the No. 4 seed and hosts No. 29 Heritage (Ringgold). The two are on the same side of the bracket. If each wins its first three games, they would meet in the semifinals. 4A pairings · GPB rankings
Class 3A | Two 2025 champions get tight opening draws
Unbeaten No. 1 Appling County hosts No. 32 Jackson, and No. 2 Toombs County hosts No. 31 Temple. No. 17 Worth County travels to No. 16 Lamar County after winning last year’s Class A Division I title. Carver (Columbus), last year’s 2A champion, hosts No. 18 Burke County as the No. 15 seed. The winners could face the top two seeds in Round 2.
Class 2A | Heard County leads a field with Dublin and Thomasville in pursuit
Unbeaten No. 1 Heard County opens against No. 32 Bacon County. No. 2 Thomasville hosts No. 31 Utopian Academy, and No. 4 Dublin draws No. 29 Vidalia. Watch No. 20 Screven County at No. 13 Swainsboro. That winner could draw Dublin in Round 2, and Swainsboro already sits in GPB’s top 10 despite being seeded 13th.
Class A | Lincoln County and Johnson County lead the bracket
No. 1 seed Lincoln County hosts No. 32 Irwin County. Johnson County, unbeaten and No. 1 in GPB’s poll, is the No. 2 seed and opens against No. 31 Greene County. No. 5 Bowdon, last year’s Class A Division II champion, hosts No. 28 Manchester. That puts a reigning champion in Lincoln County’s half of the bracket.
Private | Prince Avenue Christian gets a bye, Hebron Christian hits the road
Unbeaten top seed Prince Avenue Christian gets a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 17 Darlington at No. 16 Mt. Bethel Christian. No. 2 Holy Innocents’ also advances directly to the second round, where it will meet the winner of No. 18 Hebron Christian at No. 15 Eagle’s Landing Christian. Hebron won the private-school title last season, so a first-round road win would send the defending champion straight into a game with the No. 2 seed.
2026 GHSA football playoff dates
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| First round | Friday, Nov. 13 |
| Second round | Friday, Nov. 20 |
| Quarterfinals | Friday, Nov. 27 |
| Semifinals | Friday, Dec. 4 |
| State championships | Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 15–16 |
The eight state finals are scheduled for Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Class A, Private, 4A and 6A play Dec. 15. Class 2A, 3A, 5A and 7A play Dec. 16.
Recent Comments