The Georgia High School Association has set the structure for its 456 football programs for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
One of the most interesting changes is in 7A where three-time defending state champ Buford will be moving-up from 6A. The Wolves, who own 14 overall state championships, have won a state title in every classification they’ve played in.
Buford will be in Region 8, which also includes defending 7A champ Collins Hill. Last year, Buford finished No. 21 in the High School Football America 100 national rankings, powered by NFL Play Football, and Collins Hill finished No. 26.
Mill Creek, which finished No. 117 in the national rankings, will also be in the six team region.
Also moving-up to 7A will be Carrollton and Westlake.
At the other end of the spectrum, the GHSA has gotten rid of the 1A Private classification, placing all of those schools among public schools. The state had been playing separate 1A Private and Public state championships since 2012.
Speaking of the private schools, Blessed Trinity, Marist, St. Pius and Woodward Academy are all moving-up to 6A.
Under the new alignment, the GHSA split 1A into two divisions.
Below are the regional alignments for all eight classes.
7A
Region 1
Camden County
Colquitt County
Lowndes
Richmond Hill
Valdosta
Region 2
Campbell
Carrollton
East Coweta
Pebblebrook
Westlake
Region 3
Harrison
Hillgrove
Marietta
McEachern
North Paulding
Region 4
Archer
Brookwood
Grayson
Newton
Parkview
South Gwinnett
Region 5
Cherokee
Kennesaw Mountain
North Cobb
Osborne
Walton
Wheeler
Region 6
Denmark
Forsyth Central
Lambert
Milton
South Forsyth
West Forsyth
Region 7
Berkmar
Discovery
Duluth
Meadowcreek
Norcross
North Gwinnett
Peachtree Ridge
Region 8
Buford
Central Gwinnett
Collins Hill
Dacula
Mill Creek
Mountain View
6A
Region 1
Houston County
Lee County
Northside, Warner Robins
Thomas County Central
Tift County
Veterans
Region 2
Brunswick
Effingham County
Evans
Glynn Academy
Grovetown
Lakeside, Evans
South Effingham
Region 3
Alcovy
Forest Park
Jonesboro
Lovejoy
Morrow
Mundy’s Mill
Rockdale County
Woodward Academy
Region 4
Dunwoody
Lakeside, DeKalb
Marist
North Atlanta
Riverwood
South Cobb
St. Pius X
Region 5
Alexander
Douglas County
East Paulding
Hughes
New Manchester
Newnan
Paulding County
South Paulding
Region 6
Allatoona
Creekview
Etowah
River Ridge
Rome
Sequoyah
Woodstock
Region 7
Alpharetta
Blessed Trinity
Innovation Academy*
Johns Creek
Lassiter
Pope
Roswell
Sprayberry
Region 8
Apalachee
Gainesville
Habersham Central
Jackson County
Lanier
North Forsyth
Shiloh
5A
Region 1
Bradwell Institute
Coffee
Greenbrier
Jenkins
Statesboro
Ware County
Region 2
Dutchtown
Eagle’s Landing
Jones County
Locust Grove
Ola
Union Grove
Warner Robins
Region 3
Drew
Harris County
McIntosh
Northgate
Northside, Columbus
Region 4
Arabia Mountain
Chamblee
Cross Keys
Decatur
Lithonia
M. L. King
Tucker
Region 5
Banneker
Chapel Hill
Creekside
Jackson, Atlanta
Lithia Springs
Mays
Midtown
Tri-Cities
Villa Rica
Region 6
Cambridge
Centennial
Chattahoochee
Greater Atlanta Christian
Kell
North Springs
Northview
Region 7
Calhoun
Cartersville
Cass
Dalton
Hiram
Woodland, Cartersville
Region 8
Clarke Central
Eastside
Flowery Branch
Heritage, Conyers
Jefferson
Loganville
Winder-Barrow
4A
Region 1
Bainbridge
Cairo
Hardaway
Shaw
Westover
Region 2
Baldwin
Griffin
Howard
Perry
Spalding
West Laurens
Westside, Macon
Region 3
Benedictine
Burke County
Islands
New Hampstead
Southeast Bulloch
Wayne County
Region 4
Fayette County
LaGrange
North Clayton
Riverdale
Starr’s Mill
Trinity Christian
Troup County
Whitewater
Region 5
Hampton
Lovett
Luella
McDonough
Mt. Zion, Jonesboro
Pace Academy
Stockbridge
Woodland, Stockbridge
Region 6
Clarkston
Druid Hills
Hapeville
Holy Innocents’
Miller Grove
Southwest DeKalb
Stephenson
Stone Mountain
Westminster
Region 7
Cedartown
Central, Carroll
Heritage, Catoosa
Northwest Whitfield
Sonoraville
Southeast Whitfield
Region 8
Cedar Shoals
Cherokee Bluff
Chestatee
East Forsyth
East Hall
Johnson, Gainesville
Madison County
North Hall
North Oconee
Seckinger
Walnut Grove
3A
Region 1
Carver, Columbus
Columbus
Crisp County
Dougherty
Monroe
Thomasville
Region 2
Jackson
Mary Persons
Peach County
Pike County
Upson-Lee
Region 3
Beach
Calvary Day School
Groves
Johnson, Savannah
Liberty County
Long County
Savannah Christian
Savannah Country Day
Region 4
Cross Creek
Harlem
Hephzibah
Morgan County
Richmond Academy
Salem
Region 5
Carver, Atlanta
Cedar Grove
Douglass, Atlanta
Sandy Creek
Region 6
Adairsville
Bremen
Coahulla Creek
Gordon Lee
LaFayette
Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe
Ridgeland
Ringgold
Region 7
Dawson County
Gilmer
Lumpkin County
Pickens
Wesleyan
West Hall
White County
Region 8
Franklin County
Hart County
Hebron Christian Academy
Monroe Area
Oconee County
Stephens County
2A
Region 1
Berrien
Cook
Dodge County
Fitzgerald
Jeff Davis
Sumter County
Worth County
Region 2
ACE Charter
Central, Macon
Jordan
Kendrick
Northeast Rutland
Southwest
Spencer
Region 3
Appling County
Brantley County
Pierce County
Tattnall County
Toombs County
Vidalia
Windsor Forest
Region 4
Butler
Glenn Hills
Josey
Laney
Putnam County
Thomson
Washington County
Westside, Augusta
Region 5
Callaway
Columbia
Eagle’s Landing Christian
Landmark Christian
McNair
Redan
Towers
Region 6
B.E.S.T Academy
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
Mt. Paran Christian
North Cobb Christian
South Atlanta
Therrell
Walker
Washington
Region 7
Fannin County
Gordon Central
Haralson County
Model
Murray County
North Murray
Rockmart
Region 8
Athens Academy
Banks County
East Jackson
Fellowship Christian
Providence Christian
Union County
1A Division 1 Public
Region 1
Bacon County
Brooks County
Irwin County
Pelham
Region 2
Bleckley County
Dublin
East Laurens
Jefferson County
Swainsboro
Region 3
Bryan County
Claxton
Metter
Savannah
Screven County
Region 4
Crawford County
Heard County
Lamar County
Temple
Region 5
Jasper County
Oglethorpe County
Prince Avenue Christian
Social Circle
Region 6
King’s Ridge
Mount Vernon
Mt. Pisgah Christian
St. Francis
Whitefield Academy
Region 7
Armuchee
Chattooga
Coosa
Dade County
Darlington
Pepperell
Trion
Region 8
Athens Christian
Commerce
Elbert County
Rabun County
1A Division 2 Public
Region 1
Baconton
Calhoun County
Early County
Miller County
Mitchell County
Pataula Charter
Randolph-Clay
Seminole County
Stewart County
Terrell County
Region 2
Atkinson County
Charlton County
Clinch County
Lanier County
Turner County
Region 3
Emanuel County Institute
Jenkins County
McIntosh County Academy
Montgomery County
Portal
Region 4
Dooly County
Hawkinsville
Telfair County
Treutlen
Wheeler County
Wilcox County
Region 5
Georgia Military College
Glascock County
Hancock Central
Johnson County
Twiggs County
Wilkinson County
Region 6
Central, Talbotton
Chattahoochee County
Greenville
Macon County
Manchester
Marion County
Schley County
Taylor County
Region 7
Bowdon
Christian Heritage
Mt. Zion, Carroll
Region 8
Aquinas
Greene County
Lake Oconee Academy
Lincoln County
Towns County
Warren County
Washington-Wilkes
