Union County is in the AJC rankings for the first time since Oct. 29, 1985, after a 5-0 start. The Panthers have spent a few weeks the past two seasons in other polls, but not in the AJC’s. Though it had been nearly a 30-year drought between AJC rankings, that wasn’t nearly the longest current streak of not being ranked. Here are schools that still have not been ranked since 1985. The year included is the last season in which the school was ranked, or, if never ranked (marked by asterisk), the year that the school first played varsity football in the GHSA. In 2014, two of the state’s longest rankings droughts were ended by Harris County (1962) and Pickens (1971).
1963 – Jackson County
1964 – Gilmer
1965 – Jordan
*1966 – Beach
1967 – Albany
1967 – Hephzibah
1967 – Lumpkin County
*1968 – Windsor Forest
*1969 – Hancock Central
1970 – Jenkins
1971 – Brantley County
1971 – Liberty County
1972 – Berkmar
1972 – Osborne
1972 – White County
1973 – Mount Zion (Carroll)
1975 – Columbus
1975 – Groves
1976 – Haralson County
*1976 – Lithia Springs
*1976 – Towns County
*1978 – Glascock County
1980 – Richmond Academy
1981 – Butler
1981 – Harlem
*1982 – McIntosh
1983 – Glenn Hills
1984 – Cass
1985 – Banks County
1985 – Southeast Whitfield
1985 – Sprayberry
*1985 – Southside/Jackson (Atlanta)
QB Joseph Mancuso passed for 300 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Sam Gilbert had four receptions for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Union County is ranked by the AJC for the first time since 1985. Next: Friday vs. Oglethorpe County (0-5). Union County (5-0) comes in at number 10 in the AJC.