Final NFCA Fall 2022 Top 25 High School Coaches Poll

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Buford defeated two perennial powers en route to its 11th Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state championship last weekend, earning the right to be ranked first in the school’s final 25 Coaches Poll of the NFCA Summer/Fall season.

The Wolves (32-1) defeated newly ranked, three-time 7A state title East Coweta (30-8) twice in three days — including 9-1 in Saturday’s state final — and then No. 23 North Gwinnett (29-8) for the second time this season in Friday’s semifinals to win their first crown in their current classification. Buford allowed a total of three runs over the three wins.

Fellow Georgia school Pope (35-1) also won three straight at states, defeating River Ridge once and Apalachee twice to capture the GHSA 6A title and stay behind Buford, Columbine and Westfield School in four the first unchanged.

Blue Springs South (33-2) once again rounds out the top five after reaching its third Missouri state title in the last five years. The Jaguars beat Marquette, 11-2, in last Thursday’s Class 5 semifinals, then cruised past Francis Howell, 10-2, in Friday’s championship to avenge a loss to the Vikings in the state semifinals last year. passed. Blue Springs South won back-to-back Class 4 state crowns in 2018 and 2019 before moving to Class 5 when Missouri expanded from four to five classifications in 2020.

Elsewhere, No. 12 Fatima (33-3) moved up two spots after wrapping up Missouri’s Class 3 state crown, while Kearney (26-8) joins the rankings at No. 17 after its ranked win over Helias Catholic ( 28-7 ) in the Class 4 championship game.

North Gwinnett (29-8) fell one spot to No. 24 after losses to No. 1 Buford and East Coweta in the double-elimination GHSA 7A Elite Eight.

State rankings presented by 2022 NFCA High School Steering Committee were used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall Top 25 High School Coaches Poll. Teams are selected based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule and active NFCA membership.

Final NFCA Fall Top 25 High School Coaches Poll: 2022 Season

1. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 32-1 | PR: 1

2. Colombia (col.)

Record: 28-1 | PR: 2

3. Westfield School (Ga.)

Record: 28-0 | PR: 3

4. Pope (Ga.)

Record: 35-1 | PR: 4

5. Blue Springs South (Mo.)

Record: 33-2 | PR: 5

6. Marian (Neb.)

Record: 33-2 | PR: 6

7. Lutheran (color.)

Record: 28-1 | PR: 7

8. Gretna (Neb.)

Record: 37-2 | PR: 8

9. Rock Bridge (Mo.)

Record: 37-2 | PR: 9

10. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 38-3 | PR: 10

11. Piedmont (Okla.)

Record: 40-3 | PR: 11

12. Fatima (Mo.)

Record: 33-3 | PR: 14

13. Pocola (Okla.)

Record: 40-3 | PR: 13

14. Douglas County (Colo.)

Record: 26-3 | PR: 15

15. Mount Vernon (Iowa)

Record: 36-4 | PR: 16

16. Legend (Colo.)

Record: 22-6 | PR: 18

17. Kearney (Mo.)

Record: 26-8 | PR: NO

18. Tattnall Square Academy (Ga.)

Record: 29-7 | PR: 19

19. Winterset (Iowa)

Record: 37-4 | PR: 20

20. Twin Cedars (Iowa)

Record: 29-3 | PR: 21

21. Holy Family (Colo.)

Record: 24-5 | PR: 22

22. East Coweta (Ga.)

Record: 30-8 | PR: NO

23. Helias Catholic (Mo.)

Record: 28-7 | PR: 17

24. North Gwinnett (Ga.)

Record: 29-8 | PR: 23

25. Papillion-LaVista (Neb.)

Record: 25-10 | PR: 25

Abandoned: Eureka (Mo.) and Washington (Mo.).