“When I look into the crowd and see my fellow graduates, I see myself standing in front of a sea of young adults who have faced some of the greatest adversity of our modern times and did not give up, who chose to continue fighting, who chose to keep working hard even when it seemed like we weren’t working toward anything anymore.” – Treyven Jamison, Daniel M. Therrell High School 2024 valedictorian.
Atlanta Public Schools continues to celebrate the success of the class of 2024 and is proud to share that our scholars earned a total of $228,947,153 in scholarship offers!
North Atlanta led the charge with more than $40 million in scholarship offers earned, while both Midtown High School and Benjamin E. Mays High School pulled in more than $20 million in scholarship offers each. This year’s senior class surpassed the APS 2023 school year total of $221 million.
“This remarkable achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and talent of our students,” APS interim superintendent Dr. Danielle Battle said. “I want to congratulate each and every one of them for their outstanding accomplishments and wish them continued success in their future endeavors. I would also like to thank our amazing teachers and supportive families for helping our students reach this tremendous milestone. This is truly a proud moment for the APS community.”
Congratulations to the APS class of 2024 for this incredible accomplishment!
| School | Total Scholarships offered (including athletics) |
| Atlanta Classical Academy | $5,824,016 |
| Benjamin E. Mays High School | $20,531,832 |
| B.E.S.T. High School Academy | $3,104,645 |
| Booker T. Washington High School | $20,561,950 |
| Charles R. Drew Charter Jr. Sr. Academy | $14,144,060 |
| D.M. Therrell High School | $16,534,538 |
| Frederick Douglass High School | $6,735,125 |
| G.W. Carver High School Early College | $19,500,000 |
| G.W. Carver High School STEAM | $11,096,140 |
| Midtown High School | $26,115,384 |
| KIPP Atlanta Collegiate Charter School | $17,632,822 |
| Maynard Jackson High School | $10,624,460 |
| North Atlanta High School | $42,793,948 |
| South Atlanta High School | $9,529,339 |
| Total | $228,947,1153 |
APS is ready for baseball season! The APS baseball teams introduced themselves and shared their goals for the upcoming season during the APS Baseball Media Day event at Therrell High School.
This year will be an exciting year for APS teams.
North Atlanta High School will replace two MLB draft picks and several seniors after going 27-7 and finishing 18-0 in region play last season. Still, head coach Ricky Plante spoke highly of this year’s roster, and the team is keeping its own high expectations.
Therrell High School head coach Ryan Christian, who won coach of the year last season, has built the Panther program to improve each season. The Panthers won 10 games last season, 8-8 in region play, and aim to be even better this season.
The Jackson Jaguars didn’t have much to say as far as words go, but head coach Des Stegall has the team focused on one thing. Winning. The Jaguars went 22-8 last season with a 13-3 region record. The team starts the season off with an exciting matchup against Redan.
Best Academy, Carver, Douglass, Drew Charter, KIPP, South Atlanta, Washington, Midtown and Mays also had the opportunity to give their insights on their respective teams and the upcoming season.
BEST Academy baseball 
Carver baseball 
Douglass baseball 
Drew Charter baseball 
Maynard Jackson baseball 
Mays baseball 
Midtown baseball 
North Atlanta baseball 
KIPP baseball 
South Atlanta baseball 
Therrell baseball 
Washington baseball 
Kelli Stewart, cofounder of L.E.A.D. Center for Youth 
APS Middle School Baseball First Team All-Lead 
APS Middle School Baseball First Team All-L.E.A.D.: Mekhi Smith, Crawford Long Middle School 
APS Middle School Baseball First Team All-L.E.A.D. Trevon Wilbourn, John Lewis Invictus Middle SchoolFirst Team All-L.E.A.D. 
APS Middle School Baseball First Team All-L.E.A.D.: Tristian Wilbourn, John Lewis Invictus Middle School 
APS Middle School Baseball First Team All-L.E.A.D.: Jalen Duboise, Crawford Long Middle School 
APS Middle School Baseball First Team All-L.E.A.D.: Tymeco Cameron, John Lewis Invictus Middle School 
APS Middle School Baseball First Team All-L.E.A.D.: Brandon Muldrow, Jean Childs Young Middle School 
APS Middle School Baseball First Team All-L.E.A.D.: Julius Thames, Herman J. Russell West End Academy 
APS Middle School Baseball First Team All-L.E.A.D. 
Minority Baseball Prospects Founder Alex Wyche speaks at APS Baseball Media Day. 
MLB scout Clarence Johns spoke at APS Baseball Media Day.
The future of APS baseball also had a moment to shine as well. The L.E.A.D. Center for Youth, founded by C.J. and Kelli Stewart, recognized its inaugural First Team All L.E.A.D. team comprised of student athletes from the L.E.A.D. APS Middle School Baseball Development League.
First Team All-L.E.A.D. Honors Team
- Mekhi Smith, Crawford Long Middle School
- Jalen Duboise, Crawford Long Middle School
- Trevon Wilbourn, John Lewis Invictus Middle School
- Tristian Wilbourn, John Lewis Invictus Middle School
- Tymeco Cameron, John Lewis Invictus Middle School
- Brandon Muldrow, Jean Childs Young Middle School
- Julius Thames, Herman J. Russell West End Academy
APS also brought two guests with major league experience to speak at media day.
Alex Wyche, founder of Minority Baseball Prospects, gave his insights into how his database serves as a resource to help minority baseball players navigate recruiting and scouting. Clarence Johns, a professional major league scout, shared his journey through Major League Baseball and the professional side of evaluating talent for big league clubs.
Both provided insightful information for the APS student-athletes about their potential in the sport both on and off the field.
Opening Day is just around the corner for the 2024 APS baseball season, and the teams are ready to play ball.
Atlanta Public Schools is all over the GHSA football state playoff brackets with a district record eight teams reaching the postseason.
North Atlanta (9-1), Therrell (9-1) and Mays (6-4) all finished second in their respective regions and earned the right to host their opening round playoff matchups.
North Atlanta continues to build on their historic program run. They not only posted their best regular season record, again, this year, but it will also be the first time the Warriors have ever finished second in the region and hosted a playoff game.
Therrell, South Atlanta (5-5), and Washington (3-7) all clinched a playoff spot from AA-Region 6.
The Douglass Astros (6-4) finished in third place in AAA-Region 5, which was two spots ahead of Carver (2-7).
Last, but not least, Jackson (5-5) finished in fourth place in AAAAA-Region 5, two spots behind Mays.
Here’s the schedule for this weekend’s APS playoff matchups:
Friday, Nov. 10
Mays vs. Loganville, 7:30 p.m. at Lakewood Stadium
North Atlanta vs. Houston County, 7:30 p.m at Henderson Stadium
Carver vs. Stephens County, 7:30 p.m at Stephens County HS
Douglass vs. Oconee County, 7:30 p.m at Oconee County HS
Maynard Jackson vs. Jefferson, 7:30 p.m at Jefferson HS
Saturday, Nov. 11
Therrell vs. Model, 1 p.m. at Lakewood Stadium
South Atlanta vs. North Murray, TBA at North Murray HS
Washington vs. Rockmart, TBA at Rockmart HS
For the full GHSA state football playoff brackets, click here.
High school basketball season tips off this week, and the APS boys and girls basketball teams are ready for another exciting season.
Before hitting the court, APS coaches and players introduced themselves and set their goals and expectations for the 2023-2024 season at the APS Basketball Media Day at Therrell High School.
“We want to give the young ladies and young men the opportunity to show what they predict about the season,” APS director of athletics Corrie Collier said. “We want our young people to represent themselves to the fullest. If they feel good about representing themselves, they’re going to represent their program, their school, and the district well. Anytime they can do well for themselves and their schools, we’re proud.”
Sylvester “Sly the Sports Guy” Williams and Joel Hillsman hosted an entertaining discussion with the teams to get a glimpse of what fans can expect to see this season.
Last season, 12 APS teams advanced to the Georgia High Schools Association state playoffs – seven boys and five girls squads. Some highlights were:
- Maynard Jackson girls finished with a record of 26-2, won the Class 5A-Region 5 championship, and advanced to the state semifinals.
- Midtown girls were 22-9, placed second to Maynard Jackson in the region, and advanced to the state quarterfinals.
- Frederick Douglass boys advanced to the state semifinals after finishing second in Class 3A-Region 5.
- Benjamin E. Mays boys finished 21-9, finished second in Class 5A-Region 5, and advanced to the state quarterfinals.
- South Atlanta boys went 23-9, won the Class 2A-Region 6 title, and advanced to the state quarterfinals.
The players are excited to get the season started, and some didn’t balk at calling out which teams they couldn’t wait to play this season. The South Atlanta Hornets boys basketball team was called out by a couple of teams eager to match up against them, and the Booker T. Washington Bulldogs girls’ team has an early season matchup with the Mays Raiders that they’re looking forward to.
It’s gearing up to be an exciting year for APS basketball.
“I’m looking forward to watching these young ladies and young men just get out here and showcase what they’ve worked hard for and reap the benefits of it,” Collier said. “We have an interim superintendent, Dr. Battle, who loves athletics. I know she and her team will be right there rooting all of them on the entire way.”
The Therrell Panthers came out on top after an exciting day at the second annual APS Flag Football Invitational tournament. Ten APS flag football programs competed in a bracket-style, win and advance tournament over the weekend at Carver High School and Lakewood Stadium. Several of the fast-paced games came down to the final possession. Click through the photos for a peak into Saturday’s exciting action.
The ladies of fall are ready to get back on the gridiron this weekend at the second annual APS Flag Football Invitational.
Several high school programs participating in the invitational got the chance to hype up their program at the first APS flag football media day.
Players and coaches from each team took the stage to talk about their goals and what makes their team special heading into the season.
“I enjoyed media day. Being able to hear from every school and their perspective on the sport made me feel good,” Booker T. Washington senior multi-sport athlete Brooke Shelton said. “Hearing from other coaches, especially from teams that are more successful like North Atlanta or schools that win more than Washington does, it really inspires me to see like ‘Hey, I see what you’re doing.’”
The talking will be over Saturday, and the young ladies will hit the field at Carver High School and Lakewood Stadium for the APS Flag Football Invitational.
“We wanted to get this thing started off right before COVID hit, and COVID kind of put a damper on the numbers,” APS assistant athletic director Corrie Collier said. “But now that we’ve moved on a few years later, the numbers are starting to grow more and more. That’s why we’re having things like the media day and next week the invitational just to make sure that we show our young ladies that we support them, we’re proud of them and we’re going to do whatever we can to showcase them.”
Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Flag Football 
Douglass Flag Football 
Jackson Flag Football 
North Atlanta Flag Football 
Mays Flag Football 
Therrell Flag Football 
Washington Flag Football 
Washington Flag Football letterman patch. 
APS Flag Football 
APS Assistant Director of Athletics Corrie Collier 
Panther Records. 
Therrell Flag Football and APS Flag Football media day host Elise Rankins.
Make sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, October 7, and support these great athletes.
The seeding for the APS Flag Football Invitational tournament bracket was selected at random and split between the two locations. Here is the tournament schedule:
Lakewood Stadium
Mays vs. Therrell, 9 a.m.
South Atlanta vs. KIPP, 10 a.m.
Jackson vs. Mays/ Therrell, 11 a.m.
Semifinal, 1 p.m.
Championship game, 3 p.m.
Carver High School
CSK vs. North Atlanta, 9 a.m.
Washington vs. Douglass, 10 a.m.
Carver vs. CSK/ North Atlanta 11 a.m.
Semifinal, 1 p.m.
Atlanta Public Schools’ top senior baseball players took the field Tuesday afternoon for an exciting matchup versus DeKalb County’s top players for the 2023 APS vs. Dekalb All-Star Classic at Gresham Park.
The DeKalb All-Stars won 14-3, but players from both teams showcased why they were selected to represent their schools in the All-Star game.
“We just wanted an opportunity to highlight our student-athletes and show them that baseball in the metro area is still strong,” APS Assistant Athletic Director Rendell Jackson said. “We want to show our kids that we have a caring culture that is equitable, diverse and presents opportunities where kids can work together to make big things happen.”
This year, student-athletes from seven APS schools made the All-Star team, and Maynard Jackson High School had the most players selected (6). Mays (4), Carver (3), North Atlanta (2), Douglass (2), Drew Charter and KIPP were all represented. Athletes were nominated by their coaches and selected based on stats and region honors.
Therrell High School head coach Ryan Christian, who was named the Region 6-AA Coach of the Year, was the APS All-Star head coach. Maynard Jackson High School head coach Desmond Stegall and Mays High School head coach Jason Anderson rounded out the APS All-Star coaching staff.
“It’s always an honor to be out here as a representative of APS,” Christian said. “The kids played hard. They had a good time. They had some good competition from DeKalb County, so its been a blessing.”
The potential for APS baseball players has continued to improve. Xzavion Curry, who graduated from Mays High School, was the first African American to start as a freshman for Georgia Tech on Opening Day. Termarr Johnson, who was drafted fourth overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, also graduated from Mays High School.
This year’s APS MVP of the All-Star game was Jaylen Woods from Mays. Even though runs were tough to come across, Woods was able to drive one in for the APS team.
“He’s been doing that all year,” Mays head coach Jason Anderson said. “He got a hit and an RBI today, and that pretty much locked it up for him as the MVP. “It’s good to see one of my guys get the MVP today.”
The players from Mays High School wore jerseys honoring former Mays baseball coach Mike “Big Mike” Jennings, who passed away March 30, 2023.
“He’s been a pillar of the community for boys and girls,” Anderson said. “They’re adults now, and they remember all the things Coach Mike did to help them with baseball and softball. Having those jerseys on means a lot to the players.”
The All-Star game drew a supportive crowd to Hank Aaron Field, and the All-Stars put on a thrilling show. Clutch hits, close plays at the plate and a lot of stolen bases kept everyone entertained for all seven innings.
It was a fun evening for the All-Stars and the fans. Hopefully, next year’s APS All-Stars will come out with the win.
“We have a lot of talented people coming up for next year,” Christian said. “We had a lot of talented people this year, so I’m excited to see the future of APS baseball. We’re just letting everybody know baseball is alive in the city.”
2023 APS All-Star Roster
• Anthony Bivens, Mays
• Jerimiah Carroll, Mays
• Jaylen Woods, Mays
• Jerimiah Woody, Mays
• Kaleb Bodeman, Maynard Jackson
• Jay Wilcox, Maynard Jackson
• Zack Kelley, Maynard Jackson
• Dakota Frady, Maynard Jackson
• Eli Mulino, Maynard Jackson
• Gio D’alesio, Maynard Jackson
• Jayden Daniels, Drew Charter
• Keymon Usher, KIPP
• Lamariyea Williams, Carver
• Malik Harris, Carver
• Devin Meadows, Carver
• Antonio Anderson, North Atlanta
• Isaiah Drake, North Atlanta
• Deion Jones, Douglass
• Kaleb Garrett, Douglass
The Douglass girls’ basketball team won the Region 6-AA championship over the weekend and will enter the state playoffs as a No. 1 seed. The Lady Astros will host Spencer of Columbus on Friday.
Atlanta Public Schools will be well represented in the Georgia High Schools Association (GHSA) state basketball playoffs this week, as 10 APS teams have advanced to three-week tournament, four as region champions.
The Douglass girls (16-6) won the Region 6-AA championship with a 59-34 win over KIPP Atlanta Collegiate last Friday night. The Lady Astros will host Spencer (Columbus-Muscogee County) at 6 p.m., Friday, in the first round of the state tournament. The Green Waves, the No. 4 seed from Region 5-AA, have a record of 7-17.
The Maynard Jackson boys (24-2) won the Region 6-AAAAA title with a 69-62 win over Riverwood (Fulton County) last Saturday. The Jaguars are currently ranked No. 10 in the Atlanta Journal Constitution Class AAAAA Top 10 poll. They will host traditional DeKalb County powerhouse Columbia (19-8), Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles are the No. 4 seed from Region 5-AAAAA.
The North Atlanta boys (19-9) enter the tournament ranked No. 9 in the AJC Class AAAAAA Top 10 poll, after defeating Cambridge (Fulton County), 69-62, in the Region 7-AAAAAA title game. As the region champion and No. 1 seed, the Warriors will host Apalachee (Bartow County), the No. 4 seed from Region 8-AAAAAA, Friday at 7 p.m. The Wildcats are 11-14 this season.
The Therrell boys (18-7) defeated rival South Atlanta, 80-73, last Friday to win the Region 6-AA championship. Therrell is ranked No. 5 and South Atlanta is No. 6 in the latest AJC Class AA Top 10 poll. Therrell will host Heard County (7-19), the No. 4 seed from Region 5-AA, Saturday at 7 p.m.
Here are the other APS schools that advanced to the state tournament:
Girls
Maynard Jackson (17-6) is the No. 2 seed from Region 6-AAAAA. The Lady Jaguars will host Miller Grove (DeKalb County), the No. 3 seed from Region 5-AAAAA, Friday at 6 p.m. The Lady Wolverines are 15-11 this season.
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (13-11) is the No. 2 seed from Region 6-AA. The Lady Warriors will host Heard County (9-14), the No. 3 seed from Region 5-AA, Friday at 6 p.m.
South Atlanta (12-11) is the No. 3 seed from Region 6-AA, and will play at Callaway (Troup County), Friday at 6 p.m. The Lady Braves are 8-12 this season.
Therrell (9-12) is the No. 4 seed from Region 6-AA. The Lady Panthers will travel to Lamar County to face the Lady Trojans (20-6), the Region 5-AA champions, Friday at 8 p.m.
Boys
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (10-18) is the No. 3 seed from Region 6-AA. The Warriors will travel to Columbus to face Jordan (12-12), the No. 2 seed from Region 5-AA, Saturday at 5 p.m.
South Atlanta (23-4) is the No. 2 seed from Region 5-AA. The Hornets, last season’s Region 6-AA and Class AA state champions, will host Temple (Carroll County), the No. 3 seed from Region 6-AA. The Tigers are 12-12 this season.
The North Atlanta boys basketball team won the Region 7-AAAAAA championship over the weekend and will enter the state playoffs as a No. 1 seed. The Warriors will host Apalachee of Bartow County on Friday.
North Atlanta quarterback Wiley Hartley helped lead the Warriors to a 14-0 win over Dunwoody last weekend. North Atlanta is now 3-0 for the first time since 2010.
FOOTBALL
North Atlanta led a great weekend of performances by Atlanta Public Schools teams, as nine of the district’s 11 teams won their games. Of the two that did not win, Grady had its game at Ware County cancelled due to Hurricane Irma, and Douglass loss to another APS school, B.E.S.T. Academy.
As for North Atlanta, the Warriors are now 3-0 for the first time since 2010 after the Warriors defeated Dunwoody (DeKalb County), 14-0 (Game summary). North Atlanta, which adopted the motto “The New North” at the beginning of this season, is attempting to turn things around after going 5-15 the last two seasons. The Warriors are now considered as a threat to make the state playoffs for the first time since 1996, the only season in the program’s history that it has advanced to the state playoffs. North Atlanta, which was selected as the WAGA-TV “High 5 Sports Team of the Week” after the first game of the season, was featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s high school sports Class AAAAAA blog. And Friday, North Atlanta’s game against will be one of the AJC’s featured games of the weekend.
Here’s a look at the weekend’s other results:
(Thursday) Washington 13, Lithia Springs (Douglas County) 6
Therrell 8, McNair (DeKalb County) 0
B.E.S.T. Academy 22, Douglass 19
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate 24, Osborne (Cobb County) 6
Maynard Jackson 24, North Clayton (Clayton County) 7
Mays 32, Langston Hughes (Fulton County) 20
North Atlanta 14, Dunwoody (DeKalb County) 0
(Saturday) South Atlanta 34, Clarkston (DeKalb County) 0
Grady at Ware County
Cancelled
SOFTBALL
Maynard Jackson is having its best season ever. The Jaguars are 12-1 after a 12-game winning streak to start the year. They are ranked as the No. 6 team in the AJC’s Class AAAAA Top 10.
VOLLEYBALL
Two APS schools are ranked in the AJC’s Class AA Top 10 this week: Douglass is No. 7 while KIPP Atlanta Collegiate is No. 8.
WATER POLO
APS Knights eighth grade goalie Elise Smith-David (Sutton) and sophomore attack (No. 8) Jaime Matherson (North Atlanta) have helped lead the girls’ team to a No. 2 ranking.
The APS water polo program is establishing itself as one of the best in the state. The APS Knights compete in the Georgia High School Water Polo Association league, a fall club sport season (water polo is not yet recognized as a varsity sport by the Georgia High Schools Association), with 16 other programs, as far north as Whitfield County (Dalton Catamounts) and as far south as Fayette County (Southern Crescent).
The Knights’ girls team is 5-1 and ranked No. 2 in the state, after winning all four of its matches over the weekend – including an overtime victory over the previously unbeaten No. 1 team in the state, Wheeler (Cobb County).
The Knights’ A Team (top co-ed division) is 5-3 and ranked No. 4 in the state, after splitting a pair of games over the weekend – a loss to No. 3 Southern Crescent and a win over No. 5 Norcross.