Region 3 matchup could foretell state finalist once again

By PAUL BEAUDRY
For The ASWA

Want a pretty good indicator who one of the teams in the Class 3A championship game will be? Look to Leeds.

Since 2006, a team from whichever region Leeds competes in has either won or appeared in the state championship game. Friday night, the two teams with a chance to extend the streak in December meet in Ashland as No. 1 Leeds plays at No. 7 Clay County.

Leeds remained one of two unanimous No. 1's in this week's Alabama Sports Writers Association poll; Class 4A Thomasville also swept the top spot for the third-straight poll.

Most of that streak came from in Region 5 as the Panthers went to the Class 3A title game in 2006 and 2007, losing to Pike County and Cordova, respectively before dropping to Class 2A for two seasons.

Leeds won the title in 2008 and won the region title in 2009, but Region 5 runner-up Piedmont took the state title. In 2010, the Green Wave moved to Region 3, Clay County moved back to 3A, and Leeds came away with the state crown.

The two aren't the only ranked teams in Region 3 as Handley is picked fourth in this week's poll of the state's high school sports writers.

Every team on top of their respective classes last week remained that way in this week's poll - Class 6A Daphne, 5A Briarwood Christian, 2A Elba, 1A Linden and the AISA's Monroe Academy. The only change in the second spot came in the AISA as Bessemer Academy moved up from fifth to replace Pike Liberal.

In other games involving ranked teams this week: No. 8 Oxford is at No. 5 Clay-Chalkville in Class 6A; 5A No. 9 Spanish Fort is at No. 8 St. Paul's; Class 3A No. 5 Washington County is at No. 7 Trinity, No. 9 Fultondale is at No. 5 Tanner and No. 8 Colbert Heights hosts No. 10 Red Bay in Class 2A; and in the AISA, No. 5 Glenwood is at 10 Lee-Scott, No, 6 Pike Liberal hosts No. 1 Monroe, and No. 7 Clarke Prep travels to No. 9 Patrician.

The complete poll, including all schools receiving votes and the panel of voters is listed below, with first-place votes and record in parentheses.

Class 6A

1. Daphne (27) (2-0)360

2. Hoover (4) (2-0) 291

3. Prattville (1-1) 225

4. Davidson (2-0) 212

5. Clay-Chalkville (2-0) 162

6. Mountain Brook (2-0) 141

7. Auburn (2-0) 116

8. Oxford (2-0) 86

9. Spain Park (1-1) 85

10. Central-Phenix City (2-0) 47

Others receiving votes: Bob Jones (2-0) 11, Florence (2-0) 11, Foley (2-0) 6, Wetumpka (2-0) 6, Gadsden City (1-1) 4, McGill-Toolen (2-0) 2, Northridge (2-0) 2.

Class 5A

1. Briarwood Chr. (27) (2-0) 360

2. Hueytown (4) (2-0) 291

3. Hartselle (2-0) 239

4. Eufaula (2-0) 191

5. Chelsea (2-0) 157

6. Muscle Shoals (2-0) 134

7. Vigor (1-1) 130

8. St. Paul's (2-0) 117

9. Spanish Fort (1-1) 67

10. McAdory (2-0) 26

Others receiving votes: Pinson Valley (2-0) 16, Cullman (2-0) 11, Walker (1-1) 11, Etowah (2-0) 5, Russellville (1-1) 5, Fort Payne (1-1) 4, Fairfield (2-0) 2, Albertville (2-0) 1.

Class 4A

1. Thomasville (31) (2-0) 372

2. Jackson (2-0) 259

3. Dadeville (2-0) 237

4. North Jackson (2-0) 212

5. Deshler (2-0) 194

6. Bibb Co. (2-0) 160

7. Andalusia (2-0) 136

8. UMS-Wright (1-1) 62 

9. Fairview (2-0) 36

10. Guntersville (2-0) 35

Others receiving votes: Fayette Co. (2-0) 17, Beauregard (2-0) 16, Alexandria (1-1) 7, Headland (2-0) 5, Anniston (1-1) 4, Sumter Central (2-0) 4, Escambia Co. (1-1) 3, Oneonta (1-1) 3, Central-Florence (2-0) 2, Jemison (2-0) 1, St. James (1-1) 1, Straughn (1-1) 1.

Class 3A

1. Leeds (31) (2-0) 372

2. Piedmont (2-0) 269

3. Hamilton (2-0) 245

4. Handley (2-0) 224
5. Washington Co. (2-0) 185

6. Bayside Acad. (2-0) 150

7t. Clay Co. (2-0) 84

7t. Trinity (2-0) 84

9. T.R. Miller (1-1) 73

10. Glencoe (2-0) 31

Others receiving votes: Gordo (0-2) 17, Sardis (2-0) 11, Slocomb (2-0) 6, Sylvania (2-0) 5, Opp (1-1) 4, Hanceville (2-0) 2, Lauderdale Co. (1-1) 2, Daleville (1-1) 1, Hale Co. (2-0) 1, Rogers (1-1) 1.

Class 2A

1. Elba (28) (2-0) 353

2. Leroy (1) (1-1) 269

3. Fyffe (1) (2-0) 233

4. American Chr. (1) (1-1) 209

5. Tanner (2-0) 191        

6. Reeltown (1-1) 151    

7. Lineville (2-0) 143      

8. Colbert Hts. (2-0) 95

9. Fultondale (2-0) 66     

10. Red Bay (2-0) 21

Others receiving votes: Flomaton (2-0) 19, Sulligent (1-1) 7, Woodland (1-1) 3, Houston Acad. (1-1) 2, Oakman (2-0) 2, Lamar Co. (2-0) 1, Millry (0-2) 1, Southern Choctaw (1-1) 1.

Class 1A

1. Linden (20) (2-0) 333

2. Sweet Water (10) (1-1) 305

3. R.A. Hubbard (1) (2-0) 244

4. Parrish (2-0) 208

5. Lynn (2-0) 166

6. Collinsville (2-0) 131

7. Brantley (2-0) 130      

8. Cedar Bluff (1-1) 89

9. Maplesville (2-0) 71

10. Pickens Co. (2-0) 47

Others receiving votes: Ragland (2-0) 19, Addison (2-0) 16, Appalachian (2-0) 5, Marengo (2-0) 1, St. Jude (2-0) 1, Winterboro (2-0) 1.

AISA

1. Monroe Acad. (21) (2-1) 326

2. Bessemer Acad. (8) (3-0) 279

3. Edgewood Acad. (1) (2-0) 256

4. Springwood (1) (3-0) 192

5. Glenwood (2-1) 157

6. Pike Liberal (1-1) 121

7. Clarke Prep (2-0) 110

8. Fort Dale Acad. (1-1) 90

9. Patrician (2-1) 83

10. Lee-Scott (2-0) 73

Others receiving votes: Macon-East (1-1) 27, Crenshaw Chr. (2-0) 17, Lowndes Acad. (1-2) 13, Lakeside (1-1) 8, Tuscaloosa Acad. (2-0) 7, Autauga Acad. (3-0) 4, Jackson Acad. (2-0) 3, Restoration (1-1) 1.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association prep committee members are: Paul Beaudry, Chairman, Freelance (Birmingham); Josh Bean, Co-Chairman, Mobile Press-Register; Andrew Garner, Andalusia Star-News; Nick Birdsong, Anniston Star; Chandler Myers, Atmore Advance; Robert Ladnier, Baldwin Register; Jeff Sentell, Birmingham News; Adam Robinson, Brewton Standard; Rob Rice, Blount Countian; Shannon Fagan, Cherokee Herald; Ross Wood, Clarke Co. Democrat; Stan Veitch, Cullman Times; Jonathon Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle; Jason Bowen, Daily Sentinel; Cody Whitlock, Decatur Daily; Jeremy Smith, Demopolis Times; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Lee Peacock, Evergreen Courant; Gregg Dewalt, Florence TimesDaily; Lew Gilliland, Fort Payne Times-Journal; Scot Beard, Franklin County Times; Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; Kim Craft, Gadsden Times; Mike Easterling, Huntsville Times; Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser; Robert Carter, North Jefferson News; Jason Galloway, Opelika-Auburn News; Shannon Allen, Sand Mountain Reporter; Lavonte Young, Talladega Daily Home.Alex Scarborough, Tuscaloosa News; Griffin Pritchard, Wetumpka Herald.   Not Voting: Jonathan Deal, Moulton Advertiser.