ASWA football rankings
Published 6:00 am Wednesday, September 3, 2008
BIRMINGHAM – Before the season, two teams were unanimous selections at No. 1 in their respective classes. After the first week of play, two teams — one different — are unanimous picks in the Alabama Sports Writers Association football poll — thanks to the little guys playing over their class.
Both Class 2A Leroy and 1A Sweet Water were perfect in the eyes of the 33 voters in this week’s high school football poll thanks to wins over Class 4A schools. Sweet Water, which had been the sole choice at the top in Class 1A, stayed that way with a 30-14 win over Thomasville, while Leroy — a 36-9 winner over Clarke County — picked up every first-place vote in Class 2A.
Cordova, which had been a unanimous choice in Class 3A, stayed on top but lost some first place votes to Colbert County, which topped Class 5A Muscle Shoals and coached by former Cordova mentor Scott Basden.
The lone change at the top came in Class 4A as North Jackson moved from No. 3 to 1, thanks to a 25-6 win over Scottsboro and losses by No. 1 Deshler to Russellville (26-14) and No. 2 Thomasville.
Despite a 15-10 loss to Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier on Saturday, Prattville held on to the top spot in Class 6A, but Hoover and Tuscaloosa County have tightened the gap considerably. Prattville had 316 points and 13 first-place votes to 308 and 11 for Hoover, with 306 and eight for the Wildcats.
The top five teams in Class 5A remained the same, led by Eufaula with 21 of the 33 votes with Briarwood Christian earning nine, while the same goes for AISA, where Bessemer Academy held onto 29 of the 33 top votes with Fort Dale and Southern Academy picked up two each.
The complete poll, including all schools receiving votes and the panel of voters is listed below, with first-place votes and last year’s record in parentheses.
Class 6A
1. Prattville (13) (0-1) 316
2. Hoover (11) (1-0) 308
3. Tuscaloosa Co. (8) (1-0) 306
4. McGill-Toolen (1-0) 241
5. Oxford (1-0) 196
6. Florence (1) (1-0) 140
7. Opelika (1-0) 63
8. Gadsden City (0-1) 56
9. Pelham (1-0) 56
10. Vestavia Hills (0-1) 30
Others receiving votes: Decatur (1-0) 26, Central-Phenix City (1-0) 24, Daphne (0-1) 24, Davidson (1-0) 18, Spain Park (1-0) 16, Hueytown (0-1) 12, Wetumpka (1-0) 8, Huntsville (1-0) 6, Jess Lanier (1-0) 5, Mountain Brook (1-0) 11, Shades Valley (1-0) 5, Enterprise (1-0) 4, Auburn (1-0) 3, Northridge (1-0) 3, Fairhope (1-0) 3, Stanhope Elmore (1-0) 2, Buckhorn (1-0) 2.
Class 5A
1. Eufaula (21) (1-0) 357
2. Briarwood Chr. (9) (1-0) 319
3. Cullman (1-0) 239
4. Russellville (1) (1-0) 235
5. McAdory (1-0) 200
6. Henderson-Troy (1-0) 137
7. Wenonah (1-0) 132
8. Cen.-Tuscaloosa (1) (1-0) 108
9. Vigor (1-0) 37
10. Hartselle (1-0) 26
Others receiving votes: St. Paul’s (0-1) 24, Carver-Montgomery (1-0) 18, Erwin (1) (0-1)14, Demopolis (0-1) 10, J.O. Johnson (0-1) 7, Pleasant Grove (1-0) 6, Shelby Co. (1-0) 3, Madison Co. (1-0) 2, Boaz (1-0) 2, Fort Payne (1-0) 2, Chelsea (0-1) 1, Tallassee (1-0) 1, Walker (1-0) 1, Sylacauga (1-0) 1, Carroll-Ozark (1-0) 1.
Class 4A
1. North Jackson (25) (1-0) 368
2. Brooks (1) (1-0) 274
3. Deshler (7) (0-1) 266
4. Handley (1-0) 201
5. Lincoln (1-0) 195
6. Thomasville (0-1) 147
7. UMS-Wright (0-1) 29
8. Fayette Co. (1-0) 94
9. Fairview (1-0) 51
10. Clarke Co. (0-1) 40
Others receiving votes: Cleburne Co. (1-0) 38; Bibb Co. (1-0) 18, Elmore Co. (0-1) 16, Guntersville (0-1) 10, Hillcrest-Evergreen (1-0) 8, Cherokee Co. (1-0) 7, Jackson (1-0) 7, Oneonta (1-0) 5, Oak Grove (0-1) 4, St. Clair Co. (1-0) 4, Andalusia (0-1) 3, Alexandria (1-0) 3, Corner (1-0) 2.
Class 3A
1. Cordova (30) (1-0) 386
2. Colbert Co. (3) (1-0) 305
3. Trinity (1-0) 243
4. T.R. Miller (1-0) 219
5. West Morgan (1-0) 199
6. Leeds (1-0) 170
7. Sardis (1-0) 130
8. Pike Co. (0-1) 59
9. Geneva (1-0) 57
10. Straughn (1-0) 40
Others receiving votes: Elkmont (1-0) 19, Wicksburg (1-0) 16, Good Hope (0-1) 11, Montevallo (1-0) 8, Madison Acad. (1-0) 6, Colbert Heights (1-0) 6, Hamilton (1-0) 6, Winfield (0-1) 5, Slocomb (0-1) 4.
Class 2A
1. Leroy (33) (1-0) 396
2. Clay Co. (1-0) 291
3. Fyffe (1-0) 242
4. Houston Acad. (1-0) 187
5. American Chr. (1-0) 181
6. Fultondale (1-0) 177
7. West End-Walnut Grove (1-0) 112
8. Red Bay (0-1) 111
9. Addison (0-1) 58
10. Tanner (1-0) 26
Others receiving votes: Cottonwood (1-0) 25, Houston Co. (0-1) 11, Lanett (1-0) 11, Elba (1-0) 9, New Brocton (1-0) 8, Southern Choctaw (1-0) 8, Flomaton (1-0) 6, Sand Rock (1-0) 6, Oakman (1-0) 4, Geraldine (1-0) 3, Westbrook Chr. (1-0) 2, Falkville (1-0) 1, Winston Co. (1-0) 1, Section (1-0) 1, Pickens Co. (0-1) 1.
Class 1A
1. Sweet Water (33) (1-0) 396
2. Talladega Co.-Central (1-0) 287
3. Brantley (1-0) 263
4. Hazlewood (1-0) 226
5. Ariton (1-0) 178
6. Wadley (1-0) 137
7. Loachapoka (1-0) 128
8. Maplesville (1-0) 109
9. Gaston (0-1) 82
10. Providence Chr. (0-1) 35
Others receiving votes: Speake (1-0) 24, Linden (1-0) 7, Lynn (1-0) 3, J.U. Blacksher (1-0) 2, Ragland (0-1) 2, Shoals Chr. (0-1) 2, McKenzie (1-0) 1, Cedar Bluff (0-1) 1.
AISA
1. Bessemer Acad. (29) (1-0) 382
2. Fort Dale Acad. (2) (1-0) 296
3. Southern Acad. (2) (1-0) 269
4. Macon-East Acad. (1-0) 220
5. Edgewood Acad. (1-0) 180
6. Pike Liberal Arts (1-0) 160
7. South Choctaw Acad. (1-1) 140
8. Glenwood School (1-0) 95
9. Morgan Acad. (0-1) 75
10. Shelby Acad. (1-0) 18
Others receiving votes: Crenshaw Chr. (0-1) 18, Patrician Acad. (2-0) 4, Lowndes Acad. (2-0) 4, Sparta Acad. (2-0) 3, Meadowview Chr. (1-0) 3, Lakeside School (1-0) 2, Lee-Scott Acad. (0-1) 2, Tuscaloosa Acad. (1-0) 1, Monroe Acad. (1-0) 1, Marengo Acad. (0-2) 1.
ASWA state rankings committee: Ross Wood, Chairman, The Clarke Co. Democrat; Paul Beaudry, Co-Chairman, Freelance (Birmingham); Nick Birdsong, Anniston Star; Jeff Sentell, Birmingham News; Adam Robinson, Brewton Standard; Rob Rice, Blount Countian; Shannon Fagan, Cherokee Herald; Justin Graves, Cullman Times; George Jones, Selma Times-Journal, Jason Bowen, Daily Sentinel; Jonathon Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle; Brooke Milam, Decatur Daily; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Lee Peacock, Evergreen Courant; Gregg Dewalt, Florence Times-Daily; Lew Gilliland, Fort Payne Times-Journal; Scot Beard, Franklin Co. Times; Dennis Victory, Freelance (Birmingham); Newton Peters, Florala News; Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; Kim Craft, Gadsden Times; Mike Easterling, Huntsville Times; Josh Bean, Mobile Register; Stacy Long. Montgomery Advertiser; Wesley Lyle, Montgomery Advertiser; Charles Prince, North Jefferson News; Tom Peavy, Opelika-Auburn News; Shannon Allen, Sand Mountain Reporter; Will Heath, Talladega Daily-Home; Mike Pruitt, Sports Preview; Matt Nascone, Troy Messenger; Aaron Suttles, Tuscaloosa News; Peggy Blackburn, Wetumpka Herald.