By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com

With a new high-school football season less than a month away, Georgia Public Broadcasting has released its preseason polls for each of the state’s seven classifications.

The Callaway Cavaliers are ranked third in Class AA, and they’re behind the two teams that played for a state championship last season.

Benedictine, which beat Callaway in the final four on the way to a state championship, is ranked first in Class AA.

Fitzgerald, which lost to Benedictine in the title game, is ranked second, and Callaway, Rabun County and Screven County round out the top five.

Callaway beat Screven County in the quarterfinals last season.

Hapeville, Pepperell, Jefferson County, Vidalia and Chattooga complete the top 10.

In Class AAAA, which includes LaGrange and Troup, Cartersville unsurprisingly leads the way.

Cartersville has won back-to-back state titles, and it rolled to a 15-0 record last year and was never challenged.

Sandy Creek, which is in Region 5-AAAA along with Cartersville, Troup and LaGrange, is ranked ninth.

Troup was ranked for a few weeks last season and returns most of its key players, but it is not in the top 10 in the GPB poll.

Grayson is ranked first in Class AAAAAAA, Valdosta is tops in Class AAAAAA, Rome is number one in Class AAAAA, Cedar Grove leads the way in Class AAA, and Eagle’s Landing Christian is first in Class A.

OF NOTE: For a look at the complete poll, go to gpb.org