It’s not bad, but it’s not the ultimate goal.

That’s the mentality of the Verbena Red Devils baseball team upon finding out it is ranked No. 1 in the latest Alabama Sports Writers Association poll, according to head coach Scott Doss.

Doss said the team is happy to be recognized as the top team in Class 1A, but doesn’t plan to rest on its laurels.

“The boys are excited, and I’m a little excited, but I’m trying to keep it tempered,” Doss said. “Coming from where we’ve been the last few years, it’s a great accomplishment. The first thing I did was (ask) ‘How will you react?'”

The Red Devils have posted a 10-2 record as of press time on April 2, with wins over Class 4A West Blocton and Elmore County.

“I’m interested to see how we react,” Doss said of the team’s ability to handle the recognition of success. “We’ve fought a negative complex the last few years, expecting bad things to happen. The turning point was at the Ron Johnson Tournament at Coosa-Central.”

In the tournament, the Red Devils took on larger opponents, going 3-0—against Elmore County, Coosa-Central and B.B. Comer, respectively—before falling in the title round to Elmore County.

“We got hot with the bats, and it’s contagious,” he said. “No one gave us (a chance).”

Taking on tough opponents has become a staple of Verbena baseball.

Doss said he makes a point to try and schedule tough out-of-area teams in order to make the Red Devils ready for the postseason.

“What I’ve tried to do is schedule tougher competition,” he said. “Being a small 1A school, it’s a no-lose situation.”

The 2015 season started off strong, with an 8-4, extra-inning win over West Blocton. It was in that contest, Doss said, that the Red Devils came into their own.

“I saw a flash at West Blocton,” he said. “They’re a solid 4A program. We played 11 innings and fought tooth-and-nail. It showed me we’ve grown and matured as a team.”

The team was scheduled to square off with county foe—and No. 5 in Class 1A—Maplesville on April 2, and while the game ended too late for a score to be included in this story, Doss said it would be a test to see how well the team handled its newfound fame.

“We’ve got to play Maplesville,” he said. “We can let the pressure get to us, or we can pull our bootstraps up. We’ve got to focus on the process. I’ve got to try to keep them focused.”

Below is the full baseball and softball poll from the ASWA:

BASEBALL
CLASS 7A
1. Mountain Brook (23-3)
2. Vestavia Hills (15-7)
3. Hewitt-Trussville (14-3)
4. Spain Park (16-9)
5. Auburn (18-8)
6. Thompson (19-8)
7. Theodore (23-4)
8. Hoover (20-10)
9. Central-Phenix City (20-6)
10. Grissom (19-5)
Others nominated: Baker (14-7), James Clemens (17-8), Huntsville (14-10), Oak Mountain (13-11).

CLASS 6A
1. Cullman (26-5)
2. Pelham (16-8)
3. Opelika (21-5)
4. Homewood (21-3)
5. Spanish Fort (19-7)
6. Southside-Gadsden (16-7)
7. Saraland (20-9)
8. Hartselle (19-8)
9. Briarwood Christian (16-5)
10. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (16-8)
Others nominated: Dothan (18-13), Gardendale (22-7), Hueytown (19-7), Northridge-Tuscaloosa (16-11), Pinson Valley (17-11), Walker (17-6).

CLASS 5A
1. Charles Henderson (25-2)
2. St. Paul’s (21-2)
3. Alexandria (20-2)
4. Tallassee (22-3)
5. Helena (16-10)
6. Pleasant Grove (19-9)
7. Rehobeth (18-5)
8. Russellville (15-6)
9. Alabama Christian (10-10)
10. Mortimer Jordan (23-9)
Others nominated: Ardmore (13-5), Corner (23-11), Etowah (22-7), Jemison (19-7), Madison County (19-4), Randolph (10-4).

CLASS 4A
1. UMS-Wright (20-3)
2. Oneonta (17-3)
3. Central-Florence (19-3)
4. St. James (17-7)
5. Bibb County (16-10)
6. Trinity (15-5)
7. Brooks (11-7)
8. Haleyville (12-6)
9. Thomasville (14-10)
10. Holtville (21-10-1)
Others nominated: Cherokee County (10-5), Cordova (17-6), Headland (16-8), North Jackson (13-6).

CLASS 3A
1. Hale County (17-2)
2. Madison Academy (14-6)
3. T.R. Miller (17-1)
4. Bayside Academy (22-3)
5. Colbert County (17-4)
6. Hanceville (14-4)
7. Geneva (17-3)
8. Cottage Hill (24-6)
9. Gordo (14-2)
10. Lauderdale County (15-9)
Others nominated: Colbert Heights (14-5), Glencoe (7-5), Piedmont (9-8), Slocomb (14-10).

CLASS 2A
1. Luverne (14-1)
2. Mobile Christian (13-5)
3. G.W. Long (19-8)
4. St. Luke’s (15-5)
5. Houston Academy (15-7)
6. Thorsby (10-4)
7. Cottonwood (10-3)
8. Hatton (11-10)
9. Phil Campbell (12-4)
10. Falkville (16-6)
Others nominated: Ariton (13-4), Collinsville (7-4), Mars Hill Bible (10-10), Leroy (12-14), Washington County (11-6).

CLASS 1A
1. Verbena (10-2)
2. Cedar Bluff (15-8)
3. Billingsley (14-4)
4. Decatur Heritage (6-7)
5. Maplesville (10-4)
6. Athens Bible (7-4)
7. J.U. Blacksher (13-4)
8. Millry (14-9)
9. Hackleburg (11-5)
10. Shoals Christian (7-11)
Others nominated: Fruitdale (10-9), Ragland (7-5), Vina (6-2).

SOFTBALL
CLASS 7A
1. Hewitt-Trussville (24-3)
2. Sparkman (16-5)
3. Spain Park (15-3-2)
4. Baker (24-3-1)
5. Central-Phenix City (23-8-4)
6. Huntsville (14-6)
7. Buckhorn (16-3)
8. Vestavia Hills (14-7-1)
9. Thompson (16-10)
10. James Clemens (11-4-1)
Others nominated: Enterprise (12-11), Hoover (17-13), Fairhope (17-6), Mary Montgomery (14-14-1), Prattville (17-5).

CLASS 6A
1. Southside-Gadsden (20-2)
2. Hartselle (17-3)
3. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (19-6)
4. Daphne (30-6-1)
5. Dothan (25-3-1)
6. Saraland (22-6)
7. Cullman (13-6)
8. Arab (13-5)
9. Wetumpka (21-6-1)
10. Valley (16-9)
Others nominated: Athens (13-6), Chelsea (8-6), Florence (10-2-1), Oxford (15-6-1), Pell City (16-5), Robertsdale (17-13-1).

CLASS 5A
1. Hayden (17-4)
2. Springville (21-5)
3. Rehobeth (23-3-1)
4. Alabama Christian (19-8-2)
5. Corner (11-3)
6. Beauregard (17-6)
7. Marbury (18-7)
8. Alexandria (14-7-1)
9. Lawrence County (13-8)
10. Calera (14-5)
Others nominated: East Limestone (14-7), Etowah (16-6), Eufaula (16-10), Fairview (10-4), Faith Academy (14-10), Russellville (17-10).

CLASS 4A
1. Curry (23-2)
2. Northside (19-4)
3. Westminster Christian (18-4)
4. Cordova (17-8)
5. Headland (19-5)
6. West Blocton (16-11)
7. White Plains (19-5-1)
8. LAMP (21-4)
9. Handley (12-8)
10. Leeds (12-8)
Others nominated: Bibb County (7-6), Clarke County (14-6), Cleburne County (16-5), Danville (8-6), North Jackson (11-6), Oneonta (11-11).

CLASS 3A
1. Hale County (14-7)
2. Oakman (19-4)
3. Pisgah (16-4)
4. Colbert Heights (20-2)
5. West Morgan (13-6)
6. Prattville Christian (16-6)
7. American Christian (13-5)
8. Slocomb (18-4)
9. Pleasant Valley (10-9)
10. Opp (12-7-1)
Others nominated: Brindlee Mountain (8-1), Geneva (17-11-1), Glencoe (12-4-1), Sand Rock (8-5), T.R. Miller (12-4).

CLASS 2A
1. Sumiton Christian (19-6)
2. Hatton (15-2)
3. Leroy (26-1)
4. Mobile Christian (10-15)
5. Ider (18-5)
6. Addison (11-5-1)
7. Collinsville (13-6-1)
8. Section (5-6-1)
9. Fyffe (8-8)
10. Ariton (15-12)
Others nominated: Cold Springs (8-5-2), Fayetteville (12-5), G.W. Long (14-5).

CLASS 1A
1. Ragland (9-4)
2. Brantley (13-9)
3. Athens Bible (7-4-1)
4. South Lamar (12-6)
5. Spring Garden (5-3)
6. Pleasant Home (6-2)
7. Berry (7-6-1)
8. Marion County (13-4)
9. Lynn (9-8)
10. Kinston (8-13)
Others nominated: Cedar Bluff (6-5), Decatur Heritage (4-8), Hubbertville (8-4), Vina (6-8).