It’s the time of the year that so many have waited on. It’s FOOTBALL season! Georgia is a state that takes its high school football seriously. The state has ranked in the top four states for four- and five-star recruits in the nation. The class of 2020 in Georgia ranks third in the country, beating states much larger like California.
It is something of a religion in the state, especially in Gwinnett County which is a hotbed for talent within Georgia. According to ESPN, Gwinnett County ranks fourth for the top recruits in the entire nation. We know good football around here and we wait with anticipation for this time of year.
Gwinnett’s first-ever state championship title came in 1978 when Buford High School defeated Charlton County. Gwinnett would not see another state title until 1996 when Brookwood brought home the title. In the years since Brookwood’s 1996 win, Gwinnett has 21 state championship titles as listed below.
- Buford: 1978, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014
- Brookwood: 1996 and 2010
- Grayson: 2011 and 2016
- Norcross: 2012 and 2013
- North Gwinnett: 2017
- Parkview: 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2002
- Peachtree Ridge: 2006
According to MaxPreps Sports’ August 18, 2019 state rankings, Gwinnett County has four high schools in the top twenty rankings with Parkview as the highest in the 4th spot followed by North Gwinnett at 7th, Archer at 10th, and Grayson at 11th. Dacula ranks 30th, Buford comes in at number 31, Mill Creek at 43rd, and Lanier rounds out the schools in this area at number 56.
— By Alicia Couch Payne
