The GHSA’s recent reclassification and abolishment of Class 7A has led to several interesting regions and matchups across the state for 2024. While it seems obvious that Georgia’s now-largest class, 6A, will be the most exciting, that may not hold true for this upcoming season. Class 4A can easily challenge for the crown as the “One to Watch” for the 2024 Georgia high school football season.
To start, defending Class 4A state champion Perry and runner-up Stockbridge return to the classification along with Benedictine, the Class 4A titleholder in both 2021 and 2022. North Oconee and Central (Carroll), who combined for 24 wins last season, also stay in the same classification. So does Cedartown. These teams have become household names in Class 4A, and only a few powers (Bainbridge and Jefferson) were sent down a class.
As fallout from the disintegration of Class 7A, many of the smaller schools in Class 5A fell squarely into the classification below. This list includes Warner Robins, Ware County, Creekside, and Cartersville, all programs with a rich history of talent and success. In fact, all four squads have reached the Class 5A state championship game at least once since 2020.
It’s not only the powerhouses, though, that have made the transition down. Upstarts in Kell, Harris County, Cass, Hiram, and Dalton will all spend the next two years in Class 4A after impressive campaigns in 2023.
Even Marist and Blessed Trinity, two private Class 6A squads, find themselves amongst the gauntlet of teams set to compete in this classification. The War Eagles and Titans will still have to compete in the same playoff bracket as all other Class 4A teams since the “separate private playoff” only applies to schools in Class 3A or smaller.
As evident by the long list of championship-caliber programs, no region in Class 4A will prove to be a cakewalk. However, one region stands out above all others for its difficulty: Region 1.
The southernmost region in the class features Benedictine, Ware County, Warner Robins, Wayne County, Perry, and New Hampstead. These teams combined for six state championships in the past four seasons alone and provide a stark contrast between high-powered offenses (Benedictine, New Hampstead, and Perry) and stifling defenses (Warner Robins, Wayne County, and Ware County). No region in the state may be as thrilling to watch as Region 1.
Several other teams could wreak havoc with upsets throughout the year. Don’t forget about Jones County, Starr’s Mill, and Mays; all three squads have reached the quarterfinals within the past two years. There’s also ELCA, Tucker, and Allatoona, who are searching for a return to glory after storied pasts. Then, of course, is the chaos-filled Region 8 with Flowery Branch, Madison County, Eastside, and others.
Overall, it appears that Class 4A is set to bring more excitement to the 2024 Georgia high school football season than any other classification has to its respective season in the past decade. With a host of both legendary programs and on-the-rise stars, this class could rank among the nation’s best in terms of watchability. Let the hype begin!
