By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The Callaway Cavaliers, after making a run at a state championship, finished third in the final Class AA poll released by Georgia Dugout Preview magazine.

Callaway (27-12) made it to the Class AA semifinals before losing a hard-fought series to Benedictine.

Callaway won the first game but lost the next two, and Benedictine went on to sweep Berrien County to capture the state championship.

Benedictine, which was ranked fifth in the final regular-season poll, finished in the top spot, and it was followed by Berrien County, Callaway, Jeff Davis and Thomasville.

Heard County, which finished second to Callaway in Region 5-AA, finished in the number eight spot after making it to the state quarterfinals.

Callaway beat Douglass-Atlanta, Rabun County and Thomasville before losing to Benedictine.

Thomasville was ranked first at the close of the regular season.

The Troup Tigers, after putting together one of the best seasons in school history, finished in the number nine spot in Class AAAA.

Troup (25-9), which shared the Region 5-AAAA championship with Cartersville, made it to the second round of the state playoffs before losing two close games to homestanding Blessed Trinity.

Troup was ranked fifth in the final regular-season poll.

Jefferson, which beat Cartersville to win the state title, is ranked first, and Cartersville, Blessed Trinity, Heritage-Catoosa and Woodward Academy round out the top 10.

Blessed Trinity was ranked first at the end of the regular season.

The other number one teams, who each won state championships, are Parkview (Class AAAAAAA), Pope (Class AAAAAA), Loganville (Class AAAAA), Lovett (Class AAA), Gordon Lee (Class A public) and Tatnall Square (Class A private).