A look at the defending Director’s Cup champions and the best schools so far in 2024-2025
Ever wonder which Georgia high schools have the best overall athletic programs? The results may surprise you.
The Georgia Athletic Directors Association has been ranking the state’s best overall athletic programs since 1999, recognizing the top overall GHSA athletic program in each classification in the state each year with the Director’s Cup.
The GADA uses a points system for all GHSA member schools’ sports teams, awarding points for success in postseason play. Teams that advance to region and state playoff appearances can earn points, with championships counting for the most points. Schools can earn points from 31 varsity sports each school year, although the eight girls and boys sports that have the highest points totals are the ones counted in the final Director’s Cup standings.
Another important fact worth pointing out is that the current points totals come from the sports that have been active so far through the 2024-2025 school year. That represents 15 sports, which means only roughly half of the total 31 sports considered for the Director’s Cup have been scored in the current school athletic season. (As of writing, points from the recently concluded basketball season have not yet been factored into the standings.)
With spring sports still ongoing, the totals that we used to calculate the top athletic programs in Georgia are likely to change, so we’ll check back with an update at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
Eight schools, one from each classification, entered the 2024-2025 school year as defending Director’s Cup champions.
The Wesleyan Wolves were the top overall athletic program in the state last year, regardless of classification, with a total of 1,450 points. Winning the 2023-2024 Director’s Cup for Class 3A marked their seventh straight Director’s Cup and 13th overall.
Wesleyan hit another major milestone by becoming the first school in the history of Georgia high school athletics to win a state championship in every sport. The school’s 20 varsity programs have now each won at least one state championship since they started.
Last year Wesleyan captured nine state titles, also tops among all GHSA schools for the 2023-2024 school year, further proving why the school has one of the benchmark programs in Georgia high school athletics.
A look at the top 10 athletic programs may reveal a bit of a surprise for some. Despite the perception that schools in the larger classifications represent the most successful athletic programs, last year’s ranking of the Top 10 programs, from a points standpoint at least, paints a different picture.
Wesleyan was the overall points leader for 2023-2024 as a Class 3A school. Realignment placed the Wolves in Class 1A-Division I for the 2024-2025 school year.
Westminster, which has now won the Director’s Cup in 23 of the award’s 24 years of existence, was the state’s second-best overall athletic program and the best in Class 4A for 2023-2024.
Top 10 Overall High School Athletic Programs for 2023-2024 School Year
- Wesleyan (Class 3A): 1,450 points
- Westminster (Class 4A): 1,433 points
- North Oconee (Class 4A): 1,367 points
- Marist (Class 6A): 1,341 points
- Walton (Class 7A): 1,289 points
- Mount Vernon (Class 1A-DI): 1,268 points
- Mt. Paran Christian (Class 2A): 1,259 points
- Starr’s Mill (Class 4A): 1,255 points
- Blessed Trinity (Class 6A): 1,220 points
- Oconee County (Class 3A): 1,214 points
Top 5 Overall Athletic Programs in Each Classification for 2023-2024 School Year
Class 7A
- Walton: 1,289 points
- Buford: 1,206 points
- Lambert: 1,196 points
- North Gwinnett: 1,193 points
- Carrollton: 1,189 points
Class 6A
- Marist: 1,341 points
- Blessed Trinity: 1,220 points
- Pope: 1,146 points
- Woodward Academy: 1,086 points
- North Forsyth: 1,029 points
Class 5A
- Jefferson: 1,166 points
- Cambridge: 1,159 points
- Chattahoochee: 1,106 points
- McIntosh: 1,100 points
- Decatur: 995 points
Class 4A
- Westminster: 1,433 points
- North Oconee: 1,367 points
- Starr’s Mill: 1,255 points
- Pace Academy: 1,046 points
- Lovett: 1,035 points
Class 3A
- Wesleyan: 1,450 points
- Oconee County: 1,214 points
- Hebron Christian: 1,123 points
- Mary Persons: 982 points
- Morgan County: 957 points
Class 2A
- Mt Paran Christian: 1,259 points
- Athens Academy: 1,064 points
- Model: 1,061 points
- Pierce County: 1,020 points
- Fellowship Christian: 946 points
Class 1A-Division I
- Mount Vernon: 1,268 points
- Whitefield Academy: 1,032 points
- Prince Avenue Christian: 914 points
- Tallulah Falls: 868 points
- Mt. Pisgah Christian: 817 points
Class 1A- Division II
- Lake Oconee Academy: 967
- Georgia Military College: 815
- Schley County: 762
- Charlton County: 628
- Emanuel County Institute: 623
Current Standings for 2024-2025 School Year
At a little over halfway through the 2024-2025 school year, Pope ranks as the top athletic program in Class 5A and the No. 4 overall athletic program among Georgia high schools with 793 points so far. Pope’s boys teams have contributed 234 points toward that total, but the girls teams have carried the day with 559 points, the highest points total among all girls athletic programs in Georgia regardless of classification.
Last year, Pope finished outside the overall Top 10 and was the third-best school in Class 6A with a total of 1,146 points.
Can the Greyhounds hang on this time and claim the title as Georgia high school’s best overall athletic program this year?
Josh Matthews, Pope High School athletic director, said one look at the upper walls of the school’s gymnasium reminds him that they’ll always be in the mix.
“We have a lot of banners hanging up in here,” Matthews said of the banners that represent the Pope teams that have won region and state championships.
The Greyhounds have claimed state titles in flag football, volleyball, and girls cross country in the 2024-2025 school year. The flag football state title was the Greyhounds’ second straight. The three state title teams also won their region titles. Pope’s boys cross country team also won their region championship.
Matthews, who is in his 13th year as Pope’s athletic director, said all the credit goes to the coaches, who bring out the best in each of their athletes.
“The key to our success here is that the student-athletes have their intellectual curiosity challenged, and our coaches do an exceptional job of bringing that out in them,” Matthews said. “The number one commodity in education-based athletics is having great coaches and dedicated athletes, which we have here at Pope.”
Last year’s top scoring team, Wesleyan, is now a member of Class 1A-Division I and ranked as that classification’s best team with 596 points so far this year. However, they currently do not have enough points to crack the Top 10 overall.
Top 10 Overall High School Athletic Programs for 2024-2025 School Year So Far
- Jefferson: 880 points
- Buford: 821 points
- North Gwinnett: 803 points
- Pope: 793 points
- North Oconee: 772 points
- Lovett: 756 points
- Milton: 743 points
- Carrollton: 735 points
- Mill Creek: 725 points
- West Forsyth: 676 points
Top 5 Overall Athletic Programs in Each Classification for 2024-2025 School Year So Far
Class 6A
- Buford: 821 points
- North Gwinnett: 803 points
- Carrollton: 735 points
- Mill Creek: 725 points
- West Forsyth: 676 points
Buford is the points leader in Class 6A. The Wolves’ boys teams have amassed 324 points, the highest boys total in Class 6A, while the Wolves’ girls teams have collected 497 points, the third-highest in the classification.
The North Gwinnett Bulldogs have the highest girls ranking in Class 6A with 519 points.
Class 5A
- Pope: 793 points
- Milton: 743 points
- McIntosh: 645 points
- Creekview: 622 points
- Greenbrier: 612 points
Pope is the top athletic program in Class 5A, with the boys teams totaling 234 points and the girls teams totaling 559 points.
Class 4A
- North Oconee: 772 points
- Marist: 665 points
- Blessed Trinity: 645 points
- Cambridge: 601 points
- St. Pius X: 559 points
Marist is the No. 2 overall athletic program in Class 4A with 665 total points. The War Eagles’ boys teams have collected 275 points, while the girls teams have 390 points so far.
Mrist is no stranger to the Director’s Cup, having won 23 total Director’s Cups, including the one for Class 6A last year.
“Since the Director’s Cup was created in 2000, we have won it every year except two,” Derek Waugh, Marist athletic director, said.
Waugh said Marist only has 748 students in the high school.
“We are statistically a Class 2A team in terms of enrollment, and we petition to play up (in a higher classification) every year,” he said.
While the school has done well with the three major sports recently, Waugh said the school’s running sports have made the biggest improvements.
“We have won 14 state titles in baseball and three each in football and basketball, but it’s been our track and cross country sports that have made the most strides,” he said. “They are 10 times better now.”
Marist’s success has also been buoyed by the strength of their girls soccer team, which was awarded the mythical MaxPreps National Championship last year.
Class 3A
- Jefferson: 880 points
- Oconee County: 602 points
- Heritage, Catoosa: 593 points
- North Hall: 581 points
- Greater Atlanta Christian: 564 points
Jefferson is currently the top overall athletic program across all classifications. The Dragons are the top program in Class 3A by a wide margin, outscoring second-place Oconee County by 278 points.
Class 2A
- Lovett: 756 points
- Hebron Christian: 638 points
- Columbus: 633 points
- Morgan County: 568 points
- Rockmart: 555 points
Lovett is the highest ranked athletic program in Class 2A with 756 points. State championships in boys cross country, girls swimming and diving, and traditional wrestling, plus strong performances in girls cross country, boys swimming and diving, volleyball, and dance, have buoyed the Lions to top of the classification.
Class 1A-Division I
- Wesleyan: 596 points
- Toombs County: 583 points
- Mount Vernon: 571 points
- Savannah Christian: 553 points
- Vidalia: 485 points
Wesleyan is Georgia’s top athletic program among the smaller school classifications with 596 total points.
Toombs County and Mount Vernon are ranked second and third in the classification, respectively, with only 25 points separating the top three teams.
Savannah Christian’s girls teams have scored 441 points so far, the highest in the class among girls programs. The Raiders are ranked No. 4 overall in Class 1A-Division I.
Class 1A-Division II
- Metter: 412 points
- Lake Oconee Academy: 383 points
- Schley County: 343 points
- Georgia Military College: 334 points
- Elite Scholars Academy: 227 points
Metter currently leads Class 1A-Division II with 412 points.
We’ll publish a follow-up at the end of the current 2024-2025 school year after the Director’s Cups have been awarded.
