Here's something high school football fans around Savannah need to understand as the regular season winds down. Finishing second, third, or even fourth in your region no longer guarantees a spot in the GHSA state football playoffs, and winning a region championship? That guarantees a playoff berth and a first-round home game, but not necessarily the highest seed from your region.
With two weeks remaining at the time of Prep Sports Report's rankings snapshot, several area teams were in good shape, while others were fighting to stay inside the 32-team playoff field. Under the GHSA's new Post Season Rankings (PSR) system, region standings no longer tell the whole story.
Coaches Question the New System
According to a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution report by Todd Holcomb, Most football coaches want region finish to override PSR, AJC survey shows: that 53.8% of the 195 coaches surveyed favored returning to region-based playoff seeding or giving region standings more weight. The other 46.1% supported computer-based seeding, although some wanted to eliminate the protection given to region champions. returning to region-based playoff seeding or giving region standings more weight.
The GHSA approved the new format in October 2025 by a 67-1 vote. The PSR formula considers a team's winning percentage (35%), its opponents' winning percentage (35%), and its opponents' opponents' winning percentage (30%).
Simply put, winning games matters, but so does the strength of your schedule. Region champions automatically qualify and host a first-round playoff game, while computer rankings determine the remaining playoff spots and seeding.
Effingham County Shows How the System Works
Effingham County is a good example of how things have changed. The Rebels are 6-2 overall and undefeated at 5-0 in Region 1-6A, sitting alone in first place. But in the GHSA postseason rankings, Effingham was No. 16 in Class 6A, three spots behind Bradwell Institute, which was second in the region at 4-1.
GHSA Region 1-6A football standings as posted on MaxPreps as of 9 a.m. EDT on Oct. 25, 2026. Effingham County leads the region at 5-0, followed by Bradwell Institute (4-1) and South Effingham (3-2). (Screenshot courtesy of MaxPreps)
Under the old system, winning the region meant being seeded ahead of the teams finishing behind you. Not anymore. If Effingham wins the region title, the Rebels will host a first-round playoff game, but Bradwell could still receive a higher seed.
Holcomb's AJC report identified Effingham as one of six teams the Maxwell Ratings projected to win a region championship but receive a lower playoff seed than a region opponent.
South Effingham was also in good shape at 6-2 overall, 3-2 in region play, and ranked No. 27.
Benedictine, Calvary Among Area's Highest-Ranked Teams
Benedictine had one of the strongest playoff positions among area schools. The Cadets are 7-1 overall, 5-0 in Region 1-5A, and ranked No. 4 in Class 5A. Maintaining that ranking could give Benedictine an opportunity to play multiple postseason games at home.
Calvary Day was also in excellent position at 6-1 overall, 3-0 in region play, and ranked No. 8 in the GHSA private school rankings. Savannah Christian, also unbeaten in region play at 3-0, was ranked No. 21 with a 4-4 overall record.
Both private school programs were in the projected playoff field, but winning the region still mattered because it would guarantee a first-round home game.
Liberty County, Jenkins Among Teams Feeling the Pressure
Liberty County might have the most interesting situation among area teams. The Panthers are second in Region 3-4A at 4-1 and 5-4 overall, but their No. 30 ranking leaves little room for error.
New Hampstead is fourth in the same region at 2-2 and ranked No. 32, while Windsor Forest is seventh at 1-3 and ranked No. 35.
Holcomb reported that Maxwell projected Liberty County among three teams to miss the playoffs despite finishing ahead of other qualifying teams in their region standings. That projection wasn't a final bracket, but it showed how the new formula could affect teams that once would have qualified automatically.
Jenkins faced a similar challenge in Class 5A. The Warriors are third in Region 1-5A at 3-2, but their 3-5 overall record left them ranked No. 35. Under the old system, third place meant a playoff berth. Now, Jenkins needs to take care of business and win out if they want to play in the postseason.
Richmond Hill Still in the Hunt
Take Richmond Hill, for example. The Wildcats are 5-4 overall and fifth in Region 1-7A with a 0-3 region record, but they are ranked No. 18 in Class 7A.
Under the old system, finishing fifth generally meant no playoffs. The new rankings gave Richmond Hill a chance to qualify despite its region record, provided the Wildcats can maintain a strong enough position. Beating Valdosta would guarantee a playoff seed.
For several other area teams, the climb was much steeper. Beach ranked No. 39 in Class 3A, followed by Islands at No. 52 and Johnson at No. 55. In Class 2A, Bryan County ranked No. 58 and Savannah High No. 61. Groves ranked No. 58 in Class 5A.
Where the 17 PSR Coverage Area Teams Stand
Here are the GHSA postseason rankings from the Prep Sports Report two-weeks-remaining snapshot.
|
TEAM |
OVERALL RECORD |
REGION PLACE |
GHSA PSR |
| Benedictine (5A) | 7-1 | T-1st | No. 4 |
| Calvary Day (Private) | 6-1 | T-1st | No. 8 |
| Bradwell Institute (6A) | 6-2 | 2nd | No. 13 |
| Effingham County (6A) | 6-2 | 1st | No. 16 |
| Richmond Hill (7A) | 5-4 | 5th | No. 18 |
| Savannah Christian (Private) | 4-4 | T-1st | No. 21 |
| South Effingham (6A) | 6-2 | 3rd | No. 27 |
| Liberty County (4A) | 5-4 | 2nd | No. 30 |
| New Hampstead (4A) | 3-5 | 4th | No. 32 |
| Jenkins (5A) | 3-5 | 3rd | No. 35 |
| Windsor Forest (4A) | 4-4 | 7th | No. 35 |
| Beach (3A) | 3-5 | 6th | No. 39 |
| Islands (3A) | 3-5 | 7th | No. 52 |
| Johnson (3A) | 1-7 | 8th | No. 55 |
| Bryan County (2A) | 0-8 | T-5th | No. 58 |
| Groves (5A) | 0-8 | 8th | No. 58 |
| Savannah High (2A) | 0-8 | T-5th | No. 61 |
Rankings are within each classification, not a combined statewide ranking. Records and rankings reflect the supplied snapshot and may have changed following Week 10. A top-32 ranking does not guarantee a playoff berth because region champions receive automatic bids.
The Final Two Weeks Could Change Everything
For Benedictine and Calvary Day, the goal is to maintain their strong rankings. Effingham County chases a region championship, while Liberty County, New Hampstead, Jenkins, and Windsor Forest have plenty riding on the final two weeks.
Years ago, coaches knew where they stood heading into the season's final weeks. Win your region games, finish in the top four, and you were playing in November. Not anymore. Now a team can finish second in its region and still find itself on the outside looking in.
And you can bet plenty of coaches will be checking those computer rankings when the final whistle blows in the next two weeks.
Sources: GHSA Post-Season Rankings; Prep Sports Report area-team rankings snapshot; Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting by Todd Holcomb on the GHSA coaches survey.
Photo credit: Courtesy of visualzbykuntry on Instagram
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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).
