Battle of No. 1's highlights final week of regular season

By PAUL BEAUDRY
For The ASWA

      St. Paul's Episcopal has been a unanimous pick at No. 1 in Class 5A since the second poll of the season. UMS-Wright has received every first-place vote in Class 4A for the last two weeks.

     Something is going to give on Friday as the two No. 1 teams meet in Mobile as the highlight to the final week of the regular season. The Saints hold an 18-17 series edge since they began playing in 1978 (skipping the 1985 season) and while both teams are perennial contenders for a state championship, it's the first time they've met with both schools ranked No. 1

     This week's Alabama Sports Writers Association poll also has another first, thanks to the panel of 31 voters.

     For the first time since the ASWA began tallying votes in 2001, this week's poll marks the first time that voters had just one team in the "others receiving votes" category. The 31 voters select 10 teams each in every class, but in Class 2A, the same 10 teams were named on 309 in a possible 310 spots. The lone honorable mention? Addison, which picked up a seventh from one voter.

     In games involving ranked teams this week, Class 6A No. 3 Saraland hosting No. 7 Blount, Class 5A No. 1 St. Paul's hosting Class 4A No. 1 UMS-Wright, Class 5A No. 8 Mortimer Jordan at Class 4A No. 6 Fayette County, Class 3A No. 4 Gordo at Class 2A No. 9 Pickens County, Class 4A No. 5 Cleburne County at Class  3A No. 5 Glencoe, Class 3A No. 9 Opp hosting Class 2A No. 6 Elba, Class 3A No. 10 Plainview hosting Class 2A No. 1 Fyffe, Class 2A No. 7 Sweet Water at Class 1A No. 2 Maplesville,  AISA No. 2 Bessemer Academy at No. 3 Escambia Academy, and No. 10 Tuscaloosa Academy hosting No. 10 South Choctaw Academy.  

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     AHSFHS.org Notes: These teams are ranked the highest in their respective polls that they have ever been; Baker, Oak Mountain and Florence.

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Class 7A
1. Hoover (23) (7-2)     348
2. Fairhope (7) (9-0)     297
3. Central-Phenix City (1) (9-1)     250
4. Oak Mountain (8-1)     213
5. Baker (8-1)     181
6. Bob Jones (7-2)     131
7. Foley (7-2)     120
8. Gadsden City (8-2)     106
9. Prattville (7-2)     75
10. Murphy (6-3)     18
Others receiving votes: Buckhorn (6-3) 10, Hewitt-Trussville (5-4) 6, Spain Park (5-4) 5, Tuscaloosa Co. (5-4) 5, Auburn (4-5) 2.

Class 6A
1. Clay-Chalkville (31) (9-0)     372
2. Opelika (7-1)     277
3. Saraland (8-1)     230
4. Spanish Fort (8-1)     220
5. Florence (7-2)     175
6. McAdory (9-0)     139
7. Blount (7-2)     132
8. Benjamin Russell (9-1)     90
9. Shades Valley (7-2)     65
10. Daphne (6-3)     47
Others receiving votes: Homewood (7-2) 5, Muscle Shoals (6-2) 5, Southside-Gadsden (8-2) 5, Carver-Montgomery (7-2) 4, Decatur (6-3) 1.

Class 5A
1. St. Paul's (31) (9-0)     372
2. Guntersville (9-0)     272
3. East Limestone (9-0)     250
4. Demopolis (8-1)     207
5. Jackson (7-2)     172
6. Russellville (8-1)     145
7. Parker (8-1)     104
8. Mortimer Jordan (8-1)     99
9. Ramsay (8-1)     80
10. Calera (8-1)    54
Others receiving votes:  Greenville (7-2) 9, Charles Henderson (7-2) 1, Pleasant Grove (7-2) 1, Vigor (4-4)1.

Class 4A
1. UMS-Wright (31) (9-0)     372
2. Straughn (8-1)     265
3. Leeds (9-1)     249
4. Deshler (8-1)     205
5. Cleburne Co. (8-1)     169
6. Fayette Co. (7-2)     162
7. Saks (8-1)     137
8. West Blocton (9-0)     88
9. Wilson (8-1)     30
10. Jacksonville (8-2)     24
Others receiving votes: Oneonta (7-2) 19, Locust Fork (8-1) 14, Clarke Co. (7-2) 11, North Jackson (7-2) 11, Dadeville (5-4) 4, Haleyville (7-2) 2, Elkmont (7-2) 1, Munford (6-3) 1, St. James (7-2) 1, Trinity (5-5) 1, W.S. Neal (6-2) 1.

Class 3A
1. Madison Acad. (29) (8-1)     365
2. Dale Co. (1) (10-0)     281
3. Glencoe (1) (9-0)     250
4. Gordo (9-0)     217
5. T.R. Miller (8-1)     179
6. Montgomery Acad. (9-0)     154
7. Piedmont (7-2)     122
8. Lauderdale Co. (8-2)     90
9. Opp (7-2)     51
10. Plainview (8-1)     25
Others receiving votes: Pike Co. (6-2) 18, Oakman (8-1) 8, Aliceville (9-1) 4, Colbert Co. (6-3) 3.

Class 2A
1. Fyffe (24) (9-0)     351
2. Washington Co. (7) (9-0)     299
3. G.W. Long (9-0)     243
4. Tanner (8-2)     208
5. Ranburne (8-0)     187
6. Elba (9-0)     146
7. Sweet Water (7-2)     111
8. Reeltown (8-1)     107
9. Pickens Co. (7-2)     71
10. Red Bay (8-1)     40
Others receiving votes: Addison (6-3) 4.

Class 1A
1. Brantley (19) (9-0)     336
2. Maplesville (12) (8-0)     314
3. Hubbertville (8-0)     243
4. Donoho (9-0)     220
5. Linden (5-3)     180
6. Berry (7-2)     132
7. Ragland (8-1)     130
8. Hackleburg (8-1)     94
9. McKenzie (8-1)     71
10. Phillips (9-1)     33
Others receiving votes: Fruitdale (7-2) 7, Billingsley (6-2) 4, A.L. Johnson (5-4) 2, Millry (6-3) 1.

AISA
1. Edgewood Acad. (31) (9-0)     372
2. Bessemer Acad. (9-0)     279
3. Escambia Acad. (8-0)     245
4. Marengo Acad. (7-1)     204
5. Monroe Acad. (9-1)     189
6. Restoration (7-2)     155
7. S. Choctaw Acad. (8-1)     119
8. Autauga Acad. (7-2)     85
9. Wilcox Acad. (6-2)     61
10. Tuscaloosa Acad. (7-2)     45
Others receiving votes: Lakeside (7-2) 4, Southern Acad. (3-6) 4, Clarke Prep (4-4) 3, Abbeville Chr. (6-4) 1, Crenshaw Chr. (6-3) 1.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association prep committee members are: Paul Beaudry (Chairman), Alabama Media Group; Ed Bailey, Alexander City Outlook; Andrew Garner, Andalusia Star-News; Jonathan Deal, Athens News Courier; Brandon Miller, 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; Johnathan Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle; Justin Graves, Decatur Daily; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Lee Peacock, Evergreen Courant; Newton Peters, Florala News; Gregg Dewalt, Florence TimesDaily; Jeremy Smith, Freelance (Demopolis); Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; J.J. Hicks, Gadsden Times; Brent Maze, Hartselle Enquirer; Daniel Boyette, Huntsville Times; Ben Thomas, Mobile Press-Register; Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser; Robert Carter, North Jefferson News; Tom Green, Opelika-Auburn News; Shannon Allen, Sand Mountain Reporter; Jason Bowen, Scottsboro Daily Sentinel; Daniel Evans, Selma Times-Journal; Griffin Pritchard, Tallassee Tribune; Joey Chandler, Tuscaloosa News.  Not voting: Lavonte Young, Talladega Daily Home; Cory Diaz, Wetumpka Herald.

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