The 6A classification has been around since 2013 and has seen just a few teams make their way to the title. Archer dominated from 2013-2016 (when 6A was the largest class in Georgia). The Tigers did it in both duals and traditional - earning a total of 8 state titles over the 4 years. Since that domination - 6A has become the wild west of the classes in Georgia. Buford and South Effingham each have won 2 dual titles with Richmond Hill, Valdosta, and Pope also claiming dual titles. over the last 8 years. On the traditional side we see similar programs claiming titles - Buford collected two in 2021 and 2022 and Alexander, Richmond Hill joined Valosta, Creekview, and Woodward Academy in hoisting the 6A title in Macon. Before we get to the Fan’s Guide for 2024 … let’s take a quick peek back at the most recent boys state champions for each of the current 6A programs. 11 current 6A programs have never crowned a State Champion … will 2024 be the first year we see a program like Lanier or Houston County get a champ? The 6A programs have a ton of history and below we take a quick look at just a few of the names you see below. Keep in mind that the individuals were not necessarily individual 6A State Champions … this is a look at the current 6A programs and their last champion.

Let’s take a closer look at just a few of these names (no time to delve into all of them):

Brock Hacker earned Johns Creek’s first ever state title with a win over Collin Kelley of North Forsyth in last year’s 190 lb. final. Hacker is now a 2x State Placer and will look to make a return trip in his final trip to Macon this year. Hacker is Johns Creek’s 3rd ever State Placer (Scean Major was 2nd at 132 in 2018 and Nima Rezaei was 4th in 2020).

Constantine Gavalas was a State Runner-up for Mt Vernon in 2015 before heading to Dunwoody. Gavalas downed Raji Brown of South Paulding in the 2017 6A 195 lb. weight class to claim Dunwoody 7th individual state title and their first since Andy Allen claimed the 4A 112 lb. title in 1992. 25 long years between champs for Dunwoody … DeKalb Schools Article.

Thomas County Central is one of many schools throughout Georgia to have had just one GHSA wrestling State Champion in their long history. Robin Hurst won the 4A 275 lb. State Title over Ray Robinson of Gordon Central in 2003. Hurst, at the time, was Thomas County Central’s second ever state medalist (Dondell Green was 2nd and 4th in the early 1990’s).

Cesar Payton is the only high school wrestling State Champ to ever walk the halls at Newnan. Newnan has had multiple State Placers throughout the years including David Hall who was 4th at 105 and 3rd at 112 in the late 1970’s. But none that have claimed an individual title and Cesar Payton has 2. Payton claimed his first title in the 4A 132 lb. bracket by downing Pat Campbell of McEachern in 1932. He followed that up by defending that title a year later with a win over Matt Huber of Redan in 1984. Click the picture below for an article by the Newnan Times-Herald about Payton’s accomplishments.

Photo Credit: Newnan Times-Herald

The 4A classification takes us all the way back to 1979 and your first-ever 4A State Champions the Chamblee Bulldogs. 4A, which was the largest classification in the state from 1979 to 2000, was dominated by one program - McEachern. McEachern won 8 traditional state titles (there was no dual state championship back then) and 7 in a row from 1989 to 1995. Redan, Sequoyah, and LaGrange each won multiple titles as well, but they were either before of after McEachern’s domination of the class. In recent years we have seen Ringgold win 3 traditional titles (2004-2006), Pope go back-to-back in 2011 and 2012 and Gilmer win 4 in a row from 2013 to 2016. Jefferson and Woodward Academy dominated in recent years, but are now in larger classifications. Lovett and Central Carroll are your two most recent champions with Lovett winning traditional last year and Central Carroll winning the duals in both 2023 and 2024. Below are the most recent state champions of the current 4A programs (keep in mind that the individuals were not necessarily individual 4A State Champions … this is a look at the current 4A programs and their last champion).

Let’s take a closer look at just a few of these names (no time to delve into all of them):

Let’s begin as far back as any state champion still on one of these graphics to 1967 (just 6 years after wrestling was sanctioned in the state). Bill Glass is still the last State Champion for Druid Hills High School. Druid Hills has had 46 State Placers in its long history (the last being Joseph Ray who finished 3rd at 215 in 2017), but no champions since 1967. In the 1960’s Druid Hills was one of the powerhouse programs in the state (crowning 8 different State Champions from 1961 to 1967) and Bill Glass was (and is) their only 3x State Champion.

Fayette County has produced 10 individual state champions (with Drake McCoy claiming two in 2004 and 2005). The last State Champ for Fayette County was Patrick Blankenbeker. Blankenbeker had come up just short in two previous trips to the state tournament - taking second at 189 in both 2007 and 2008 before breaking through and claiming the 4A 215 lb. title in 2009. Blankenbreker dominated on his way to the title with 2 falls, a 5-1 decision before a 13-0 major decision in the finals over Michael Carlisle.

Cedartown has crowned just 3 men’s state champions in their history with Jordan Watkins and Leo Cordero each claiming the first title in Cedartown history back in 2012. Adam Payton will look to join an exclusive club this weekend in Macon and become a 3x State Champion. Payton won his first title in 2022 and followed it up with another in 2023. No wrestler in Cedartown history has been on the podium more than twice - much less on the top step. It is a storyline to watch if you are in Macon this weekend.

Dwayne Jones won a state title for Riverdale in 1993 and by doing so accomplished a few things: first, Jones became Rivrdale’s only 2x State Placer (and still the only 2x placer in their history) and second, he became not only their first state champion, but also their last. That’s right … Riverdale has only had one champion in their history … Dwayne Jones. Riverdale has had State Placers since, but none has claimed the top spot since Jones.

5A has a long history in Georgia … going back to 2001 when Starr’s Mill claimed the first Traditional title. McEachern would win the duals title the following and Collins Hill to the traditional title. From that point we’ve seen a number of different programs take home the crown … few of those early champions are still 5A in 2023-2024 and have been replaced in recent years by dominating runs from Cass, Woodland, and Jefferson. The most dominating run in 5A still belongs to Collins Hill who won 4 consecutive duals titles from 2008-2011 (and 5 consecutive traditional titles from 2008-2012). Because of the dominance of some programs in recent years … we see quite a few recent dates below (2020’s and then much older dates taking us back to before the turn of the century). Below are the most recent state champions of the current 5A programs (keep in mind that the individuals were not necessarily individual 5A State Champions … this is a look at the current 5A programs and their last champion).

Let’s take a closer look at just a few of these names (no time to delve into all of them):

Brian St James became Centennial’s 3rd State Champion and their only 2x Champion in 2010. St James finished as a 3x finalist, losing in the 5A 112 lb. final before winning his first title in 5A 112 over Adam Wilson of Roswell in 2009 and again in 5A 119 lb. title over Wilson. St James finished his high school career with 109 consecutive wins.

Northgate high school had quite a run in the early 2000’s. Brad Dettmerring won their first title in 2001 followed by Justin Jordan in 2022 and then their first 2x State Champion in Paul Sanford in 2005 and 2007, but none matched the last Northgate champ - Tyler Askey. Askey is one of 48 4x State Champions in Georgia History and one of very few to finish his high school unbeaten (194-0). Askey won his first State title in 2010 as a 140 lb. freshman over Robbie Collum of South Effingham. Askey would go onto compete at the University of Virginia from 2013-2017.

Askey isn’t the only 4x State Champion on the list above … he is joined by Union Grove’s Justin Ruffin. Union Grove has had 14 State Champions in their history with 3 2xers, but Ruffin is the only one to have 4 titles - winning his first in 2015 and his last in 2018 (and based on the graphic … the last one at Union Grove). He finished his high school career with a perfect 53-0 record and was 188-4 over 4 years at Union Grove. Ruffin went onto compete at SIUE and was a 3x NCAA Qualifier.

Roman Belardo, Chaz McDonald, Davis Dollar, Creed Thomas, Luke Cochran, Dallas Russell, and Sammy Brown each earned a state title for Jefferson in 2023. Seven individual champs in a single season is a rare feat and Jefferson need each one of them to hold off a strong run from Runner-up Cass. I haven’t looked it up yet, but 7 champs from a single school in 5A might be a state record. For a peek behind the scenes of the Jefferson program as well as Coach Baird’s discussion of winning 7 individual titles last year … watch the video below: