Preseason Flag Football Rankings: McEachern debuts atop newly-minted Division 5

The new-look divisions for the upcoming GHSA Flag Football season not only expand the sport from four divisions to five, but it makes initial rankings a bit difficult to pin down before there is on-field action to analyze.

The season begins on Monday with teams across the state taking the field and you can watch all the flag football action by tuning into the Peachtree Sports Network (Atlanta News First app) to watch the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Flag Football Classic at West Forsyth.

In the preseason rankings, the noteworthy shift is that in the new Division 5 creates new storylines across each the five divisions. In the state’s highest division (Division 5), McEachern – last year’s Division 4 champion – opens at the No. 1 spot with the Division 3 defending champion Pope at No. 2 and Lithia Springs – a Division 3 semifinals last season -- at No. 3.

In Division 4, Milton – which lost to Pope in last year’s Division 3 semifinals, opens at the top of the league ahead of No. 2 Blessed Trinity, No. 3 Langston Hughes, No. 5 Pace Academy and No. 5 Colquitt County.

Southeast Bulloch – which has won four-straight state championships in Division 1 – is the top-ranked team in Division 3 and leads No. 2 North Oconee, No. 3 South Effingham, No. 4 Peach County and No. 5 Richmond Hill.

Top-ranked Greenbrier enters the season ranked atop Division 2 and wanting a third-straight state championship. Chasing the champs are No. 2 Jenkins, No. 3 Evans, No. 4 Lakeside-Evans and No. 5 Seckinger.

Columbus opens atop Division 1 with No. 2 Harris County, No. 3 Dodge County, No. 4 Washington County and No. 5 Metter in the top 5.

Division 5

1. McEachern

2. Pope

3. Lithia Springs

4. Sequoyah

5. Grayson

6. Allatoona

7. Denmark

8. Mill Creek

9. Central Gwinnett

10. Greater Atlanta Christian

Division 4

1. Milton

2. Blessed Trinity

3. Langston Hughes

4. Pace Academy

5. Colquitt County

6. Paulding County

7. Lowndes

8. Thomas County Central

9. Marist

10. St. Pius X

Division 3

1. Southeast Bulloch

2. North Oconee

3. South Effingham

4. Peach County

5. Richmond Hill

6. Southwest DeKalb

7. Oconee County

8. Long County

9. Clarke Central

10. Veterans

Division 2

1. Greenbrier

2. Jenkins

3. Evans

4. Lakeside-Evans

5. Seckinger

6. Trinity Christian

7. Calvary Day

8. Redan

9. New Hampstead

10. Hebron Christian

Division 1

1. Columbus

2. Harris County

3. Dodge County

4. Washington County

5. Metter

6. Shaw

7. Fitzgerald

8. Hephzibah

9. Northside-Columbus

10. Wheeler County

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