The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) regular-season Friday night lights switch has been turned off in Week 12 of the GHSA football season. Now comes the waiting game.
Who made the playoffs? Who gets a home game? And which Savannah-area teams will be left on the outside looking in?
As of 6 a.m. Saturday, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Postseason Rankings (PSR) were available on GHSA.net, but the official playoff brackets had not been released. Prep Sports Report took a look at where local teams stand, and there are a few interesting situations worth watching.
Eight Savannah-area teams are currently in playoff position, including six in the public-school classifications and two in the private-school bracket. But until the GHSA releases the official pairings, nothing is final for teams relying on their rankings.
HOW THE GHSA RANKINGS WORK
Under the GHSA's postseason ranking system, the top 32 teams in each public-school classification generally qualify for the state playoffs, with region champions receiving special consideration under the seeding rules. All teams in the separate GHSA private-school classification qualify.
The formula isn't just about wins and losses. A team's winning percentage counts for 35%, its opponents' winning percentage counts for another 35%, and its opponents' opponents' winning percentage makes up the remaining 30%.
In other words, who you played matters almost as much as how many games you win.
Effingham County and Calvary Day have already earned first-round home games by winning their regions. But here's where things get interesting: winning a region doesn't automatically guarantee a No. 1 playoff seed under the new system.
SAVANNAH-AREA GHSA POSTSEASON RANKINGS
Unofficial GHSA rankings as of 6 a.m. Saturday, November 7, 2026. Rankings are within each classification.
| Class | School | PSR Rank | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7A | Richmond Hill | 21 | 5-5 |
| 6A | Bradwell Institute | 12 | 8-2 |
| 6A | Effingham County | 21 | 7-3 |
| 6A | South Effingham | 24 | 7-3 |
| 5A | Benedictine | 12 | 8-2 |
| 5A | Jenkins | 39 | 3-7 |
| 5A | Groves | 55 | 0-10 |
| 4A | New Hampstead | 27 | 5-5 |
| 4A | Liberty County | 34 | 5-5 |
| 4A | Windsor Forest | 35 | 5-5 |
| 3A | Beach | 33 | 5-5 |
| 3A | Islands | 50 | 4-6 |
| 3A | Johnson | 54 | 1-9 |
| 2A | Bryan County | 59 | 1-9 |
| 2A | Savannah High | 61 | 0-10 |
| Private | Calvary Day | 8 | 9-1 |
| Private | Savannah Christian | 21 | 5-5 |
WHO'S IN? EIGHT LOCAL TEAMS IN PLAYOFF POSITION
Richmond Hill, Bradwell Institute, Effingham County, South Effingham, Benedictine and New Hampstead are all inside the Top 32 of their respective classifications. Calvary Day and Savannah Christian are also headed to the postseason through the GHSA private-school bracket.
Calvary Day is the area's highest-ranked team at No. 8 in the GHSA private-school rankings, followed by Bradwell Institute and Benedictine, both at No. 12 in their respective classifications.
Two weeks ago, New Hampstead was 3-5 and sitting at No. 30 in Class 4A. But the Phoenix finished strong, winning their last two games to move up to No. 27 and put themselves unofficialy in the playoffs.
WHO'S ON THE BUBBLE? THREE LOCAL TEAMS WAITING
One spot. That's how close Beach is to the GHSA playoff cutoff.
The Bulldogs sit at No. 33 in Class 3A, while Liberty County (No. 34) and Windsor Forest (No. 35) are just outside the Top 32 in Class 4A.
All three finished the regular season 5-5, but their postseason hopes now depend on how the final field comes together. Will any of them find a way in, or did Week 12 mark the end of their seasons?
That's the question fans are waiting to have answered.
GIAA AND SCISA PLAYOFFS
While GHSA teams await their brackets, two Savannah private-school programs already have their postseason results.
Savannah Country Day's season ended Thursday night with a 42-0 loss to Bulloch Academy in the opening round of the GIAA Class AAA state playoffs.
Bethesda Academy, meanwhile, is moving on. The Blazers defeated their first-round opponent 47-10 Friday night in the SCISA Class AAA playoffs and will host Hilton Head Christian in the second round on Friday, November 13.
For the GHSA teams, the regular season has settled the records. Now the rankings and seeding process will determine the matchups.
Some teams will celebrate. Others will be disappointed. And a few may be surprised when the brackets finally come out.
The games are over. Now it's time to see who's still playing football.
Source: GHSA.net postseason rankings as of 6 a.m., November 7, 2026. Rankings are unofficial and do not represent confirmed playoff berths.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Calvary Day School Athletics Department.
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Optim Orthopedics presents Prep Sports Report's 2026 high school football coverage.
Optim Orthopedics team physicians include Dr. Don Aaron (Bryan County), Dr. David Sedory (Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County), Dr. David Palmer (Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham), and Dr. Thomas Alexander (Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent's Academy).
