Hoover lost its first game of the season last week when the Bucs fell to nationally second-ranked St. Mary’s of Stockton, Calif., in the girls T-Mobile Tournament championship at Samford University.

The loss didn’t hurt the Class 6A top-ranked Bucs in the Alabama Sports Writers Association high school basketball poll released today. Hoover has been atop the poll all season and remained No. 1.

Few teams have tested the Bucs, ranked No. 15 nationally, during in-state play. Only second-ranked Bob Jones and Area 10 foe Pelham have managed to escape with anything less than a double-digit loss. Hoover averages beating opponents by almost 30 points a game.

There were no changes among the girls top-ranked teams with Class 5A Faith Academy, Class 4A Ramsay, Class 3A Madison Academy, Class 2A Cold Springs, Class 1A J.F. Shields and AISA Lee-Scott Academy all holding firm at No. 1.

Jess Lanier closed operations with the new Bessemer City High School opening its doors this week. Athletic teams will still be the Tigers, but the girls basketball team, ranked No. 5 in Class 6A, will continue to wear uniforms designating the team as Jess Lanier. The Tigers play their first home game on Tuesday against Minor.

In the boys poll, only Class 2A Pickens County is new at No. 1, replacing Section, when both suffered their first losses over the holidays. Pickens County lost by five at Class 6A top-ranked Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and Section lost by 13 to Class 3A ninth-ranked Sylvania.

On Friday, there’s potential for another change when Class 3A No. 1 Sumter County hosts No. 2 Greene County. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday, but was moved to avoid a conflict with the college football national championship game between Alabama and Texas.

ASWA high school basketball poll

GIRLS

CLASS 6A

1. Hoover (18-1)

2. Bob Jones (19-1)

3. Davidson (17-3)

4. Sparkman (15-5)

5. Bessemer City (13-1)

6. Gadsden City (13-3)

7. Sidney Lanier (15-0)

8. Dothan (14-0)

9. Buckhorn (12-6)

10. Decatur (12-6)

CLASS 5A

1. Faith Academy (21-0)

2. Brewer (15-1)

3. LeFlore (14-3)

4. Fort Payne (16-2)

5. Russellville (12-1)

6. Selma (15-5)

7. Hayden (18-1)

8. Erwin (10-6)

9. Fairfield (14-8)

10. Athens (14-7)

CLASS 4A

1. Ramsay (11-5)

2. UMS-Wright (17-2)

3. Deshler (13-3)

4. Guntersville (14-1)

5. Midfield (9-7)

6. Brooks (12-4)

7. Plainview (9-7)

8. Ashville (16-1)

9. St. James (12-5)

10. Andalusia (11-4)

CLASS 3A

1. Madison Academy (21-2)

2. Danville (15-4)

3. West Morgan (16-3)

4. Lauderdale Co. (16-5)

5. Holly Pond (17-4)

6. Greene Co. (14-4)

7. Sumter Co. (15-2)

8. Glencoe (11-5)

9. Winfield (11-4)

10. T.R. Miller (11-2)

CLASS 2A

1. Cold Springs (15-4)

2. Clements (18-2)

3. Woodland (17-1)

4. Barbour Co. (8-3)

5. Ider (9-6)

6. Section (11-4)

7. North Sand Mountain (15-4)

8. R.C. Hatch (12-3)

9. Lexington (13-7)

10. Sulligent (13-2)

CLASS 1A

1. J.F. Shields (11-0)

2. Belgreen (14-3)

3. Providence Christian (12-2)

4. Holy Spirit (14-5)

5. McIntosh (8-2)

6. Gaston (11-3)

7. Sunshine (11-1)

8. Spring Garden (9-5)

9. Athens Bible (10-5)

10. Covenant Christian (10-5)

AISA

1. Lee-Scott (12-3)

2. Pike Liberal Arts (8-3)

3. Lakeside (11-4)

4. Fort Dale Academy (9-2)

5. Glenwood (8-5)

6. Wilcox Academy (12-2)

7. East Memorial (12-1)

8. Sparta Academy (8-4)

9. Escambia Academy (8-1)

10. Patrician Academy (7-1)

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BOYS

CLASS 6A

1. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (16-2)

2. Blount (20-0)

3. Gadsden City (16-1)

4. Homewood (16-3)

5. Mountain Brook (17-3)

6. Pinson Valley (15-5)

7. Opelika (14-3)

8. Minor (16-3)

9. Baldwin Co. (15-3)

10. Decatur (14-4)

CLASS 5A

1. Butler (11-5)

2. Lee-Huntsville (14-7)

3. Pleasant Grove (17-2)

4. Muscle Shoals (15-2)

5. Wenonah (16-3)

6. LeFlore (17-4)

7. Talladega (15-3)

8. Boaz (17-2)

9. Faith-Mobile (16-4)

10. Sylacauga (14-5)

CLASS 4A

1. Brewbaker Tech (13-3)

2. Dora (14-2)

3. Andalusia (14-2)

4. Columbia (12-8)

5. Anniston (13-8)

6. Childersburg (12-4)

7. UMS-Wright (15-5)

8. Ramsay (11-5)

9. Jacksonville (11-5)

10. Oneonta (13-4)

CLASS 3A

1. Sumter Co. (13-3)

2. Greene Co. (11-3)

3. Madison Academy (9-7)

4. Winfield (13-3)

5. West Morgan (15-3)

6. Pisgah (12-6)

7. Piedmont (9-5)

8. Headland (19-4)

9. Sylvania (12-6)

10. Montgomery Academy (12-2)

CLASS 2A

1. Pickens Co. (10-1)

2. Section (12-1)

3. Shades Mountain Christian (16-2)

4. Sand Rock (16-2)

5. Mars Hill Bible (16-2)

6. Fyffe (13-3)

7. Cold Springs (16-4)

8. Barbour Co. (11-4)

9. R.C. Hatch (8-6)

10. Reeltown (8-2)

CLASS 1A

1. Holy Spirit (15-3)

2. Cedar Bluff (13-1)

3. Brantley (11-1)

4. J.F. Shields (13-3)

5. R.A. Hubbard (14-2)

6. Edward Bell (12-0)

7. Meek (17-2)

8. McIntosh (10-3)

9. Loachapoka (6-2)

10. Skyline (12-5)

AISA

1. Prattville Christian (17-2)

2. Restoration (12-1)

3. Lee-Scott (10-3)

4. Cornerstone (11-0)

5. Crenshaw Christian (14-2)

6. Tuscaloosa Academy (9-4)

7. Evangel Christian (11-4)

8. Fort Dale Academy (8-3)

9. Edgewood (8-4)

10. Southern Academy (9-4)