New school tries to break losing skid against old rival 

By PAUL BEAUDRY
For The ASWA

When Lineville and Clay County merged to become Central of Clay County for this school year, the two schools tried to bring the best of the old into the new. 

The new school will attempt to exorcise some of the old in Roanoke on Friday night when Central - ranked No. 2 in Class 4A in this week 's Alabama Sports Writers Association's high school football poll - tries to snap a collective eight-game losing streak against the No. 5 Tigers.  

Handley, the returning Class 3A state champion, owned a three-game winning streak against Clay County  - with two wins last season including a 3A semifinal victory. The Tigers had also won their last five games  and seven of the last 10 against Lineville. According the Alabama High School Football Historical Society (ahsfhs.org), Handley held a collective 53-32-3 advantage over the two schools. 

It 's not the only meeting of top five schools as Class 2A No. 2 Washington County looks to break a three-game losing streak against No. 4 Sweet Water. The host Bulldogs have won eight of the nine meetings in the series, dating back to the 1940s, but the two schools haven 't met since 2003. 

All seven of the top-ranked teams remained the same this week with 6A Hoover, 5A Muscle Shoals, 4A Oneonta, 3A Piedmont, 2A Tanner, 1A Marion County and the AISA's Edgewood Academy. 

Only two other games in the state involve ranked teams playing each other - Class 6A No. 8 Auburn at No. 9 Central-Phenix City and Class 1A No. 9 Spring Garden is at No. 10 Collinsville.

Class 6A

1. Hoover (32) (6-0)  384

2. Clay-Chalkville (6-0)  276

3. McGill-Toolen (6-0)  254

4. Austin (6-0)  206

5. Carver-MGY (5-1)  192

6. Mountain Brook (6-0)  168

7. Vestavia Hills (5-1)  120

8. Auburn (5-1)  101

9. Central-Phenix City (5-1)  42

10. Fairhope (5-1)  29

Others receiving votes: Spain Park (5-1) 11, Tuscaloosa Co. (5-1) 11, Davidson (5-1) 9, Pelham (5-1) 6, Daphne (3-3) 3, Dothan (5-1) 3, Stanhope Elmore (5-1) 3, Oxford (4-2) 2, Pell City (3-3) 2, Gadsden City (4-2) 1, Oak Mountain (5-1) 1.

Class 5A

1. Muscle Shoals (28) (6-0)  371

2. Jackson (4) (6-0)  295

3. St. Pauls (5-1)  244

4. Fort Payne (6-0)  188

5. Demopolis (6-0)  169

6. Homewood (5-1)  144

7. Spanish Fort (5-1)  125

8. Eufaula (5-1)  76

9. Hartselle (4-2)  70

10. Cullman (5-1)  59

Others receiving votes: Benjamin Russell (6-0) 37, Wenonah (6-0) 23, McAdory (6-0) 14, Vigor (5-1) 7, Chilton Co. (5-1) 2.

Class 4A

1. Oneonta (29) (6-0)  374

2. Central-Clay Co. (2) (6-0)  282

3. Dadeville (1) (6-0)  269

4. UMS-Wright (5-1)  223

5. Handley (5-1)  173

6. Beauregard (5-1)  159     

7. Thomasville (4-2)  115     

8. Madison Co. (5-1)  106

9. Tallassee (5-1)  49

10. Dora (5-1)  24

 Others receiving votes: Brooks (5-1) 12, Sardis (5-1) 11, Fairview (5-1) 7, J.O. Johnson (5-1) 6, Jemison (5-1) 6, Calera (5-1) 4, Clarke Co. (4-2) 2, Jacksonville (5-1) 1, Lincoln (4-2) 1.

Class 3A

1. Piedmont (29) (6-0)  375

2. T.R. Miller (3) (6-0)  290

3. Leeds (5-1)  245

4. Hamilton (6-0)  216

5. Lauderdale Co. (5-1)  194

6. Madison Acad. (4-2)  137

7. Daleville (6-0)  114

8. Fayette Co. (5-1)  112

9. Bayside Acad. (3-3)  34

10. Colbert Co. (5-1)  30

Others receiving votes: Sylvania (5-1) 22, Saks (5-1) 20, W.S. Neal (5-1) 15, Geraldine (4-2) 11. Deshler (3-3) 4, Dale Co. (4-2) 2, Winston Co. (5-1) 2, Trinity (4-2) 1.

Class 2A

1. Tanner (30) (6-0)  375

2. Washington Co. (2) (6-0)  289

3. Fyffe (6-0)  256

4. Sweet Water (5-1)  225  

5. Reeltown (5-1)  183

6. Walter Wellborn (5-1)  132           

7. Elba (4-2)  118    

8. Mobile Chr. (6-0)  95       

9. G.W. Long (5-1)  74          

10. N. Sand Mountain (5-1)  23

Others receiving votes: Vincent (5-1) 19, Lanett (5-1) 15, Woodland (4-2) 9, Oakman (5-1) 6, Horseshoe Bend (5-1) 3, Fultondale (4-2) 2.

Class 1A

1. Marion Co. (29) (6-0)  374

2. Linden (2) (6-0)  291

3. Brantley (1) (6-0)  250     

4. Ragland (5-0)  208

5. Pickens Co. (6-0)  201                      

6. Cedar Bluff (6-0)  157      

7. Maplesville (5-1)  139

8. Keith (6-0)  95

9. Spring Garden (6-0)  50

10. Collinsville (5-1)  21        

Others receiving votes: Falkville (6-0) 18, Hackleburg (5-1) 18, Lynn (4-2) 2.

AISA

1. Edgewood Acad. (29) (8-0)  375

2. Monroe Acad. (2) (7-0)  288

3. Tuscaloosa Acad. (1) (7-0)  256

4. Lee-Scott (6-1)  209

5. Pickens Acad. (7-0)  194

6. Autauga Acad. (6-1)  153

7. Restoration (7-1)  126

8. Clarke Prep (6-1)  92

9. Fort Dale Acad. (5-2)  76

10. Patrician (5-2)  28

Others receiving votes: Glenwood (5-2) 19, Macon-East (5-2) 5, Cornerstone (6-2) 1, Escambia Acad. (4-3) 1, Marengo Acad. (4-3) 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 Journal 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; Lavonte Young, Talladega Daily Home; Andrew Carroll, Tuscaloosa News; Griffin Pritchard, Wetumpka Herald.