Clay-Chalkville chips at Hoover's Class 6A lead 

By PAUL BEAUDRY
For The ASWA 

For the first two polls of the 2012, Hoover was a unanimous pick atop the Alabama Sports Writers Association's Class 6A rankings.

 While a 45-6 over Hueytown was impressive, a 25-16 win by No. 2 Clay-Chalkville at then-No. 5 Oxford was enough to sway one voter to tab the Cougars as the No. 1 team.

 The 2-0 Bucs still have a comfortable 369-281 advantage over the No.2 Cougars. The swing vote also leaves Oneonta as the only unanimous pick among the panel of the state's high school writers.

 No top-ranked teams fell from their perch as Class 5A Hartselle, 3A Leeds, 2A Fultondale, 1A Marion County and AISA's Edgewood Academy all won. But two 23-week streaks ended this week as Class 4A North Jackson and AISA's Bessemer Academy dropped out of the poll. North Jackson was ranked ninth and Bessemer Academy seventh.

North Jackson's 35-14 loss to Madison County gave the Chiefs their first 0-2 start since the school opened in 1988. A 33-7 loss to Lee-Scott also dropped Bessemer Academy out of the AISA top 10. The Rebels have appeared in 106 of the last 109 polls dating back to Oct. 3, 2001; the other two weeks coming in 2008.

 In games among ranked teams this week, the AISA has three games with top 10 teams squaring off as No. 1 Edgewood hosts No. 2 Glenwood, No. 3 Autauga Academy at No. 4 Fort Dale, and No. 9 Clarke Prep at No. 10 Jackson Academy. Also, Class 4A No. 3 Thomasville hosts No. 6 UMS-Wright, Class 3A No. 4 Deshler is at No. 9 Lauderdale County, Class 1A No. 6 Pickens County is at No. 8 Lynn.

Class 6A

1. Hoover (30) (2-0)  369

2. Clay-Chalkville (1) (2-0)  281

3. Auburn (2-0)  243

4. McGill-Toolen (2-0)  212

5. Vestavia Hills (2-0)  170

6. Northridge (2-0)  133

7. Austin (2-0)  80

8. Oxford (1-1)  71

9. Daphne (1-1)  66

10. Cent-Phenix City (2-0)  48

Others receiving votes: Gadsden City (2-0) 34, Carver-Montgomery (1-1) 21, Fairhope (2-0) 12, Huffman (2-0) 6, Davidson (2-0) 5, Mountain Brook (2-0) 5, Northview (1-1) 4, Thompson (1-1) 3, Stanhope Elmore (2-0) 2, Blount (2-0) 1, Bob Jones (1-1) 1..

Class 5A

1. Hartselle (25) (2-0)  350

2. Muscle Shoals (3) (2-0)  275

3. Jackson (2) (2-0)  252

4. Eufaula (2-0)  197

5. Spanish Fort (1) (2-0)  189

6. Pinson Valley (1-1)  124

7. Cullman (2-0)  91

8. St. Paul's (1-1)  87

9t. Fort Payne (2-0)  63

9t. Homewood (1-1)  63

Others receiving votes: Demopolis (2-0) 37, Benjamin Russell (2-0) 17, McAdory (2-0) 9, Vigor (1-1) 6, Talladega (2-0) 4, Sylacauga (2-0) 2, Boaz (2-0) 1.

Class 4A

1. Oneonta (31) (2-0)  372

2. Dadeville (2-0)  265

3. Thomasville (2-0)  230           

4. Central-Clay Co. (2-0)  218

5. Beauregard (2-0)  191

6. UMS-Wright (1-1)  123

7. Anniston (2-0)  113    

8. Handley (1-1)  83

9. Andalusia (2-0)  69

10. Madison Co. (2-0)  30

Others receiving votes: Brooks (2-0) 27, Fairview (2-0) 19, J.O. Johnson (2-0) 9, St. James (2-0) 5, Bibb Co. (1-1) 4, N. Jackson (0-2) 4, Dora (2-0) 3, Charles Henderson (1-1) 1, Rogers (1-1) 1.

Class 3A

1. Leeds (23) (2-0)  345

2. Piedmont (7) (2-0)  296         

3. T.R. Miller (2-0)  231

4. Deshler (1) (1-1)  210

5. Madison Acad. (1-1)  164

6. Hamilton (2-0)  161

7. Gordo (2-0)  106

8. Bayside Acad. (1-1)  100

9. Lauderdale Co. (1-1)  67

10. Abbeville (1-1)  49

Others receiving votes: Midfield (1-1) 10, Vinemont (2-0) 9, Sylvania (2-0) 8, Good Hope (1-1) 4, Opp (1-1) 3, Straughn (1-1) 3, Colbert Co. (2-0) 1.

Class 2A

1. Fultondale (21) (2-0)  340

2. Tanner (9) (2-0)  300

3. Washington Co. (1) (2-0)  244

4. Fyffe (2-0)  189

5. Elba (1-1)  180           

6. Sweet Water (1-1)  155          

7. G.W. Long (2-0)  123

8. Reeltown (1-1)  73

9. Walter Wellborn (2-0)  67      

10. N. Sand Mountain (2-0)  50 

Others receiving votes: Sheffield (1-1) 14, Vincent (1-1) 10, Ider (2-0) 8, Lanett (2-0) 3, Horseshoe Bend (1-1) 2, Providence Chr. (2-0) 2, Sand Rock (2-0) 2, Woodland (1-1) 2, Millry (2-0) 1, Oakman (1-1) 1, Randolph Co. (2-0) 1.

Class 1A

1. Marion Co. (28) (2-0)  363

2. Linden (3) (2-0)  286

3. Maplesville (2-0)  233

4. Ragland (1-0)  200

5. Brantley (2-0)  198     

6. Pickens Co. (2-0)  166                       

7. Cedar Bluff (2-0)  126           

8. Lynn (2-0)  90

9. Collinsville (2-0)  58  

10. R.A. Hubbard (1-1)  17

Others receiving votes: Shoals Chr. (1-1) 9, Hubbertville (2-0) 7, Ellwood Chr. (2-0) 5, Spring Garden (2-0) 3, Keith (2-0) 2, Parrish (1-1) 2, Berry (0-2) 1, Sumiton Chr (2-0) 1.

AISA

1. Edgewood Acad. (30) (4-0)  369

2. Glenwood Acad. (3-0)  263

3. Autauga Acad. (3-0)  232

4. Fort Dale Acad. (3-0)  191

5. Monroe Acad. (1) (3-0)  179

6. Restoration (4-0)  132

7. Tuscaloosa Acad. (3-0)  131

8. Lee-Scott (2-1)  77

9. Clarke Prep (3-0)  44

10. Jackson Acad. (2-1)  42

Others receiving votes: Marengo Acad. (3-0) 34, Morgan Acad. (3-0) 24, Pickens Acad. (3-0) 18, Bessemer Acad. (1-3) 12, Pike Liberal (1-2) 8, Macon-East (2-1) 4, Sumter Acad. (2-1) 4, Patrician (1-2) 2, Meadowview (1-2) 1.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association prep committee members are: Paul Beaudry, Chairman, Alabama Media Group; Andrew Garner, Andalusia Star-News; Jonathan Deal, Athens News Courier; Erich Hilkert, Atmore Advance; Bran Strickland, Anniston Star; Jeff Sentell, Birmingham News; Adam Robinson, Brewton Standard; Rob Rice, Blount Countian; Shannon Fagan, Cherokee Herald; Ross Wood, Clarke Co. Democrat; Rob Ketcham, Cullman Times; Jonathon Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle; Justin Graves, Decatur Daily; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Lee Peacock, Evergreen Courant; Newton Peters, Florala News; Gregg Dewalt, Florence TimesDaily; Lew Gilliland, Fort Payne Times-Journal; Dennis Victory, Freelance (Birmingham); Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; Kim Craft, Gadsden Times; Davis Potter, Hamilton Record; Mike Easterling, Huntsville Times; Josh Bean, Mobile Press-Register; Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser; Robert Carter, North Jefferson News; Jason Galloway, Opelika-Auburn News; Shannon Allen, Sand Mountain Reporter; Jason Bowen, Scottsboro Daily Sentinel; Andrew Carroll, Tuscaloosa News; Griffin Pritchard, Wetumpka Herald.  Not Voting: Lavonte Young, Talladega Daily Home.