By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

There’s a heavy Region 5-AAAA feel at the top of the Class AAAA rankings in this week’s Georgia Sports Writers Association poll.

Three of the of the region’s teams are ranked in the top four of the poll that is voted on by sports writers across the state and was released on Wednesday.

Defending state-champion Blessed Trinity is ranked first in Class AAAA, and it is followed by Region 5-AAAA teams Cartersville, Troup, and Sandy Creek.

Three of those teams were in the state semifinals last season.

After outlasting Troup 51-35 in the semifinals, Blessed Trinity beat Cartersville 23-9 in the championship game to complete a 15-0 season.

Troup went 12-2 last season and set a school record for wins, and while Sandy Creek was only 7-4 last year, hopes are high with nearly every starter returning.

Troup will play Sandy Creek on Oct. 4 and Cartersville on Nov. 8, and both of those games will be at Callaway Stadium.

That’s good news for the Tigers, who have been nearly unbeatable at Callaway Stadium the past three years.

Troup, which is 22-2 at home since the start of the 2016 season, will spend plenty of time at Callaway Stadium this fall.

“The good thing for us is, we play seven games in Callaway Stadium,” Glisson said. “So we’re tickled to death with being at home, where we play really well.”

Marist is ranked fifth in Class AAAA, and Cairo, Woodward Academy, St. Pius X, Mary Persons and Burke County complete the top 10.

In Class AA, Callaway is ranked third after opening the season with a 10-7 road loss to Opelika (Ala.).

Dublin received seven of the nine first-place votes and is first in Class AA, and Rockmart is second.

Rockmart beat Callaway in the state semifinals last season before losing to Heard County in the championship game.

Fitzgerald is ranked fourth, and 2017 state-champion Hapeville Charter is fifth.

Washington County, Brooks County, Rabun County, Heard County and Thomasville round out the top 10.

Heard County, which was hit heavily by graduation after winning the state title last year, began its season with a 24-9 loss to LaGrange.

In Class AAAAAAA, the state’s largest classification, Colquitt County is ranked first, and it is followed closely by Marietta.

Lee County leads the way in Class AAAAAA, and Carrollton sits atop the Class AAAAA rankings.

Cedar Grove is the top-ranked team in Class AAA, Clinch County is first in the Class A public-school division, and Eagle’s Landing is tops among the Class A private-school teams.

GSWA POLL

CLASS AAAAAAA

1 – Colquitt County

2 – Marietta

3 – Parkview

4 – Grayson

5 – Archer

6 – McEachern

7 – Lowndes

8 – Milton

9 – Hillgrove

10 – North Gwinnett

Class AAAAAA

1 – Lee County

2 – Valdosta

3 – Northside-Warner Robins

4 – Coffee County

5 – Dacula

6 – Harrison

7 – Stephenson

8 – Allatoona

9 – Creekview

9 – Creekside

Class AAAAA

1 – Carrollton

2 – Dutchtown

3 – Buford

4 – Bainbridge

5 – Rome

6 – Warner Robins

7 – Jones County

8 – Wayne County

9 – Stockbridge

10 – Southwest DeKalb

Class AAAA

1 – Blessed Trinity

2 – Cartersville

3 – Troup

4 – Sandy Creek

5 – Marist

6 – Cairo

7 – Woodward Academy

8 – St. Pius X

9 – Mary Persons

10 – Burke County

Class AAA

1 – Cedar Grove

2 – Peach County

3 – Calhoun

4 – Pierce County

5 – Pace Academy

6 – Greater Atlanta Christian

7 – Jenkins

8 – Lovett

9 – Benedictine

10 – Jefferson

Class AA

1 – Dublin

2 – Rockmart

3 – Callaway

4 – Fitzgerald

5 – Hapeville Charter

6 – Washington County

7 – Brooks County

8 – Rabun County

9 – Heard County

10 – Thomasville

Class A public

1 – Clinch County

2 – Irwin County

3 – Marion County

4 – Pelham

5 – Commerce

6 – Charlton County

7 – Schley County

8 – Mitchell County

9 – Greene County

10 – Mount Zion-Carroll

Class A private

1 – Eagle’s Landing

2 – Athens Academy

3 – Prince Avenue Christian

4 – Darlington

5 – Aquinas

6 – Fellowship Christian

7 – Savannah Christian

8 – Wesleyan

9 – Mount Paran Christian

10 – Hebron Christian