In the history of high school sports in the state of Georgia, 19 years is a long time. It’s the span of time from birth to graduation and a year or two of college for some student athletes and it’s the length of a career for some coaches. Rarely is there a streak in any sport, let alone a combined effort of numerous sports teams, that spans that many years. To win an award for 19 consecutive years in a high school sports setting with so many moving parts, components, people, teams, plays, wins, losses, upsets, triumphs and everything in between is astounding to say the least.
Marist’s run of 19 straight Director’s Cups is, and now, was an impressive feat and a testament to the school’s athletic prowess over the last two decades. It set the bar that programs can now chase. For the first time in the history of the GADA Director’s Cup, which dates to the 1999-2000 school year, Marist is not on top of its classification at the end of the year and its streak has come to an end.
This year, the AAAA Director’s Cup was awarded to St. Pius X after it won state championships in volleyball, boys cross-country, boys swimming, boys golf and boys track and field and girls soccer.
The Regions Bank Director’s Cup, presented by the Georgia Athletic Directors Association, is awarded to the school in each GHSA classification that has shown quality performances in all sports throughout the school year. The Association considers all 25 GHSA sports when determining their standings. For each gender, each school’s top eight sports are counted toward the Director’s Cup standings.
In the state’s highest classification, Walton dethroned Lambert to capture the top spot in Class AAAAAAA. Lambert was vying for its fifth-straight Director’s Cup. The Longhorns finished second this year with 1180 points behind Walton’s 1225-point performance. Walton won state championships in boy’s lacrosse and volleyball to help carry the Raiders to the top. Walton’s girls teams finished atop the standings with 650 points ahead of Lambert’s 641-point effort. Walton’ boys (575) were second to Hillgrove (584) in the boys standings.
Cambridge was awarded the AAAAAA Director’s Cup after narrowly beating out Harrison by just four points 1119 to 1115. The Bears won state championships in girls cross-country and girls tennis to earn the Director’s Cup. In the girls standings, Cambridge led Harrison by 10 points 618 to 608 and its boys were third (501) behind Pope (567) and Harrison (507). Harrison’s girls fast-pitch softball championship helped it earn the No. 2 spot in the overall standings.
In Class AAAAA, Starr’s Mill has now won four Director’s Cups in five years after taking the Cup in 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18 and this year. The Panthers led the girls side of the Cup by 20 points over McIntosh’s 660-point effort and trailed Buford’s 625 points with for second in the boys overall standings. Starr’s Mill won state titles in boys and girls golf, boys cross-country and girls lacrosse which got the Panthers into the top-spot.
St. Pius earned its AAAA Director’s Cup by leading the boys standings with 659 points and placing second in the girls standings with 613 points. The Golden Lions’ 1272 points set them ahead of No. 2 Blessed Trinity (1231) and No. 3 Marist (1209).
Westminster dominated the Class AAA final standings and didn’t score less than 700 points in either the boys or the girls sides of the year-long competition. In total, the Wildcats amassed 1438 points behind a 738-point effort for the boys and a 700-point total for the girls. The Wildcats captured eight state titles in boys and girls cross-country, boys and girls swimming, boys and girls soccer, boys golf and boys lacrosse.
Bremen took home the AA Director’s Cup with a 1078-point performance ahead of No. 2 Rockmart (965). The Blue Devils led the boys side of the standings with 556 points ahead of Rockmart’s 536-point effort. On the girls side, Bremen placed second with 522 points, just one point behind Bleckley County’s 523-point performance.
Wesleyan cruised to its third-straight Director’s Cup by dominating the competition on both the boys and girls sides. Overall, the Wildcats led with 1318 points ahead of Commerce’s 1085-point effort. On the boys side, Wesleyan led with 644 points. The girls took first with a 674-point total. Wesleyan won state championships in boys cross-country, fast pitch softball, girls track and field and both boys and girls soccer.
See the final GADA Directors Cup Standings below.
AAAAAAA
1. Walton (1225)
2. Lambert (1180)
3. North Gwinnett (1154)
4. Milton (1150)
5. Brookwood (1095)
6. West Forsyth (1089)
7. Mill Creek (1054)
8. South Forsyth (996)
9. Hillgrove (979)
10. Roswell (876)
AAAAAA
1. Cambridge (1119)
2. Harrison (1115)
3. Pope (1086)
4. Creekview (987)
5. Richmond Hill (974)
6. Johns Creek (912)
7. Lakeside-Evans (880)
8. Dacula (838)
9. Valdosta (828)
10. Alexander (799)
AAAAA
1. Starr’s Mill (1286)
2. Buford (1277)
3. McIntosh (1168)
4. Carrollton (1160)
5. Riverwood (931)
6. Loganville (851)
7. Union Grove (840)
8. Whitewater (777)
9. Decatur (777)
10. Rome (761)
AAAA
1. St. Pius X (1272)
2. Blessed Trinity (1231)
3. Marist (1209)
4. Woodward Academy (1208)
5. North Oconee (1160)
6. Columbus (1064)
7. Oconee County (984)
8. Cartersville (957)
9. Northside-Columbus (838)
10. Heritage-Catoosa (784)
AAA
1. Westminster (1438)
2. Jefferson (1249)
3. Lovett (1179)
4. Pace Academy (1105)
5. Calhoun (1053)
6. Greater Atlanta Christian (963)
7. North Hall (940)
8. Pierce County (875)
9. Dawson County (808)
10. Pike County (768)
AA
1. Bremen (1078)
2. Rockmart (965)
3. Jeff Davis (934)
4. Vidalia (910)
5. Bleckley County (864)
6. Elbert County (841)
7. Fitzgerald (681)
8. Union County (657)
9. Thomasville (656)
10. Callaway (649)
A
1. Wesleyan (1318)
2. Commerce (1085)
3. Gordon Lee (1072)
4. Athens Academy (1069)
5. Mount Paran Christian (1054)
6. Holy Innocents’ (1041)
7. Hebron Christian (816)
8. Trion (773)
9. Schley County (745)
10. Telfair County (738)
See the state champions in each sport below.
Football
AAAAAAA – Milton
AAAAAA – Lee County
AAAAA – Bainbridge
AAAA – Blessed Trinity
AAA – Cedar Grove
AA – Heard County
A-Private – Eagle’s Landing Christian
A-Public – Clinch County
Volleyball
AAAAAAA – Walton
AAAAAA – Pope
AAAAA – McIntosh
AAAA – St. Pius X
AAA – Pace Academy
AA-A-Public – Coosa
AA-A-Private – Mount Paran Christian
Girls Cross Country
AAAAAAA – Marietta
AAAAAA – Cambridge
AAAAA – Woodland-Cartersville
AAAA – Marist
AAA – Westminster
AA – Bleckley County
A-Private – Atlanta International
A-Public – Telfair County
Boys Cross Country
AAAAAAA – South Forsyth
AAAAAA – Pope
AAAAA – Starr’s Mill
AAAA – St. Pius X
AAA – Westminster
AA – Union County
A-Private – Wesleyan
A-Public – Georgia Military
Softball (Fast Pitch)
AAAAAAA – East Coweta
AAAAAA – Harrison
AAAAA – Locust Grove
AAAA – Heritage-Catoosa
AAA – Franklin County
AA – Social Circle
A-Private – Wesleyan
A-Public – Gordon Lee
Softball (Slow Pitch)
All Classes – Haralson County
Boys Basketball
AAAAAAA – McEachern
AAAAAA – Tri-Cities
AAAAA – Buford
AAAA – Carver-Columbus
AAA – Morgan County
AA – Therrell
A-Private – St. Francis
A-Public – Calhoun County
Girls Basketball
AAAAAAA – Westlake
AAAAAA – Lanier
AAAAA – Buford
AAAA – Carver-Columbus
AAA – Johnson-Savannah
AA – Douglass
A-Private – Holy Innocents’
A-Public – Marion County
Competition Cheerleading
AAAAAAA – Lambert
AAAAAA – Northgate
AAAAA – Carrollton
AAAA – Carterville
AAA – Pierce County
AA – Armuchee
A-Private – Mount Paran
A-Public – Gordon Lee
Co-ed – Mill Creek
Wrestling (best finish — dual or traditional)
Dual
AAAAAAA – Camden County
AAAAAA — Valdosta
AAAAA – Woodland-Bartow
AAAA – Woodward Academy
AAA – Jefferson
AA – Social Circle
A – Commerce
Traditional
AAAAAAA – Camden County
AAAAAA – Valdosta
AAAAA – Woodland-Bartow
AAAA – Woodward Academy
AAA – Sonoraville
AA – Social Circle
A — Commerce
Riflery
All-Classes – Ware County
Gymnastics
All-Classes – West Forsyth
Boys Swimming
AAAAAAA — Brookwood
AAAAAA – Johns Creek
AAAA-AAAAA – St. Pius X
A-AAA – Westminster
Girls Swimming
AAAAAAA – Brookwood
AAAAAA – Centennial
AAAA-AAAAA – Chamblee
A-AAA — Westminster
Boys Track & Field
AAAAAAA – Shiloh
AAAAAA – Alpharetta
AAAAA – Griffin
AAAA – St. Pius X
AAA – Jefferson
AA – Bleckley County
A-Private – Landmark Christian
A-Public – Commerce
Girls Track & Field
AAAAAAA – Campbell
AAAAAA – Dunwoody
AAAAA – Buford
AAAA – Chapel Hill
AAA – Greater Atlanta Christian
AA – Elbert County
A-Private – Mount Paran Christian
A-Public – Gordon Lee
Boys Golf
AAAAAAA – West Forsyth
AAAAAA – Johns Creek
AAAAA – Ola
AAAA – St. Pius X
AAA – Westminster
AA – Metter
A-Private – Christian Heritage
A-Public – Drew Charter
Girls Golf
AAAAAAA – Lambert
AAAAAA – Johns Creek
AAAAA – Starr’s Mil
AAAA – Woodward Academy
AAA – Pierce County
AA – Bremen
A-Private – Darlington
A-Public – Lake Oconee Academy
Baseball
AAAAAAA – Parkview
AAAAAA – Heritage-Conyers
AAAAA – Loganville
AAAA – Northside-Columbus
AAA – Pike County
AA – Jeff Davis
A-Private – Tattnall Square
A-Public – Gordon Lee
Boys Soccer
AAAAAAA – Lambert
AAAAAA – Dalton
AAAAA – McIntosh
AAAA – Oconee County
AAA – Westminster
AA – Thomasville
A-Private – Wesleyan
A-Public – Georgia Military
Girls Soccer
AAAAAAA – North Gwinnett
AAAAAA – Dacula
AAAAA – McIntosh
AAAA – St. Pius X
AAA – Westminster
AA – St. Vincent’s
A-Private – Wesleyan
A-Public – ACE Charter
Boys Lacrosse
AAAAAA-AAAAAAA – Walton
A-AAAAA — Westminster
Girls Lacrosse
AAAAAA-AAAAAAA – Milton
A-AAAAA – Starr’s Mill
Boys Tennis
AAAAAAA – Brookwood
AAAAAA – Johns Creek
AAAAA – Chamblee
AAAA – North Oconee
AAA – Pace Academy
AA – Rockmart
A-Private – Stratford Academy
A-Public – Telfair County
Girls Tennis
AAAAAAA – Lambert
AAAAAA – Cambridge
AAAAA – Chamblee
AAAA – Marist
AAA – Pace Academy
AA – Bleckley County
A-Private – Brookstone
A-Public – Telfair County
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