High School: Buford Finishes No. 1 in Final 2025 NFCA Summer/Fall Top 25 Coaches Poll (November 8, 2025)
By Dave Hines
November 8, 2025
High School: Buford Finishes No. 1 in Final 2025 NFCA Summer/Fall Top 25 Coaches Poll (November 8, 2025)
Georgia State champion Buford finished unbeaten for the 2025 season and ranked No. 1 in the final NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll released on Thursday.
The (36-0) Wolves, who maintained the top spot in the poll for the last nine weeks of the season, scored three ranked victories in the Georgia 6A Elite 8 to capture their third state crown in the past four years and 13th title overall.
Buford blanked then-No. 21 North Cobb, 8-0, and Brookwood, 7-0, last Thursday, then breezed past fourth-ranked East Coweta, 10-0 on Friday, and again, by a 16-1 margin, in Saturday’s final.
East Coweta (31-5) defeated Buford in last year’s 6A final, after the Wolves had bested the Indians for the 7A championship in both 2022 and 2023. It was the sixth straight state final for East Coweta, who lost to North Gwinnett in the 2021 7A championship and beat the Bulldogs for the 2020 7A crown.
Meanwhile, fellow Georgia powerhouse Wesleyan (30-3) wrapped up its fifth consecutive state championship with a 9-1 rout of Hebron Christian on Saturday. The 10th-ranked Wolves won the Private School division crown for the second year, following 3A titles in 2022 and 2023, and a Private A championship in 2021.
No. 14 Raymore-Peculiar earned the Missouri Class 5 state title with a 6-4, nine-inning triumph over No. 25 Rock Bridge last Friday.
The (26-11) Panthers rolled past Lindburgh, 9-1, in Thursday’s semis, while Rock Bridge (26-11) topped then-No. 19 Grain Valley, 8-6, in the other semifinal. Grain Valley (30-8) then lost to Lindburgh later Thursday in the third-place game.
State rankings submitted by the NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll.
Five states play a Fall fastpitch schedule, while Iowa recently completed its summer season:
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- Missouri
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NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – Nov. 6, 2025
Rank | Team | 2025 Record | Previous |
1 | Buford (Ga.) | 36-0 | 1 |
2 | Van Meter (Iowa) | 34-2 | 2 |
3 | Lincoln Southwest (Neb.) | 35-3 | 3 |
4 | East Coweta (Ga.) | 31-5 | 4 |
5 | Northwest (Neb.) | 30-2 | 5 |
6 | Broomfield (Colo.) | 26-2 | 6 |
7 | Mustang (Okla.) | 25-3 | 7 |
8 | Millard North (Neb.) | 35-5 | 8 |
9 | University (Colo.) | 27-2 | 9 |
10 | Wesleyan (Ga.) | 30-3 | 10 |
11 | Dale (Okla.) | 20-3 | 11 |
12 | Choctaw (Okla.) | 31-4 | 12 |
13 | Northwest (Iowa) | 34-4 | 13 |
14 | Raymore-Peculiar (Mo.) | 25-4 | 14 |
15 | Clarksville (Iowa) | 31-4 | 15 |
16 | Elizabeth (Colo.) | 23-3 | 16 |
17 | Lutheran (Colo.) | 23-5 | 17 |
18 | Ft. Zumwalt West (Mo.) | 29-6 | 18 |
19 | Columbine (Colo.) | 21-6 | 20 |
20 | North Cobb (Ga.) | 28-10 | 21 |
21 | Grain Valley (Mo.) | 30-8 | 19 |
22 | Helias Catholic (Mo.) | 23-7 | 22 |
23 | Owasso (Okla.) | 28-9 | 23 |
24 | Gretna (Neb.) | 27-9 | 24 |
25 | Rock Bridge (Mo.) | 26-11 | 25 |
Dropped out: Papillion-LaVista (Neb.)
NFCA High School Steering Committee
The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded coaches polls and All-America awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and National Convention.
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