Despite finishing with the same number of wins and routing Beach High, 48-8, in the regular season, the Georgia High School Association power poll that determines state playoff seeding ranked the Bulldogs ahead of SEB, giving Beach a playoff berth over the Yellow Jackets.
The Southeast Bulloch football team finished as the No. 5 seed in their region with a region mark of 5-4 and an overall record of 5-5 with the lone non-region loss coming to Statesboro High. The Beach Bulldogs were the No. 6 seed in the region, having lost to SEB 48-8 in the regular season finale.
In Class AAA, two private schools were pulled out to play in the private school GHSA championships. This left two at-large spots for teams that did not finish in the top four in their region. In a strange power ranking twist, Beach was actually selected ahead of Southeast Bulloch.
The Bulldogs finished 5-4 and were not required to make up a game that was halted after an altercation on the field, which prompted both school’s principals to decide to stop the game. If the Bulldogs had either won or lost the game to Savannah High, their power poll position would have dipped below that of Southeast Bulloch, giving the Jackets a spot in the state playoffs.
The GHSA did not require the two teams to play a makeup game even though they had added an extra week to the football schedule if a game needed to be made up.
When asked by the Atlanta Journal Constitution about the decision, GHSA associate director Don Corr defended the GHSA position by saying “The region followed their procedures to provide the GHSA office with their results and the GHSA followed the PSR (power poll) rules as approved by the GHSA state executive committee.”
Last month, the GHSA executive branch voted 66-1 to extend the PSR to all classifications beginning in 2026. The move makes region placing basically irrelevant. Starting in the 2026 season, the only automatic playoff qualifiers will be region champions.
Joint statement from Bulloch County Schools and Southeast Bulloch High School's administrators and athletic directors concerning the GHSA decision.
"Bulloch County Schools and Southeast Bulloch High School share the deep disappointment and frustration felt by our student-athletes, coaches, and dedicated fans regarding the recent Georgia High School Association’s football playoff qualification outcomes. We wholeheartedly understand the emotional toll this takes, especially on our seniors who poured their hearts into their final season. Our primary focus right now is to support our student-athletes through this challenging time.
"We want to assure the community that Bulloch County Schools and SEBHS leadership have been in direct communication with the GHSA regarding the power ranking calculations stemming from the earlier Beach/Savannah game ruling. From this we can confirm that GHSA believes it has adhered to its established protocols and by-laws.
"While we may wish for different outcomes, the circumstances that led to the final rankings—including decisions made under GHSA guidelines and our team’s record—are now fixed. We must respect the established due process. We encourage everyone—athletes, coaches, and supporters—to channel their strong feelings into resilience and positive action.
"All concerns regarding GHSA policy or rankings have been and will continue to be communicated through the proper administrative channels by our athletic directors and district leadership, in alignment with GHSA grievance procedures.
"We are incredibly proud of the commitment shown by Southeast Bulloch High School’s athletes and coaches this year, and we urge our community to rally around these deserving young men as they focus on finishing the school year with strength and character."
