Week Nine ASWA Poll 

By PAUL BEAUDRY
For The ASWA 

For the first time in school history, Clay-Chalkville has the No. 1 ranked football team during the season. For the first time this season, so does Jackson.

The Cougars took over the top spot in this week's Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 6A poll as the top two teams - defending champion Daphne and runner-up and No. 2 Hoover - were upset on Friday.

Clay-Chalkville received 15 first-place votes and 314 points, while Mountain Brook - now ranked No. 2 after beating Hoover - picked up 11 firsts and 308 points. McGill-Toolen, which stopped Daphne, received four firsts and Bob Jones picked up one.

The Cougars only other appearance at No. 1 came in the preseason poll of the 2000 season after its 1999 Class 6A championship. Mountain Brook made its first appearance in the top two since the 2000 season when it was ranked No. 1 after a 2-0 start. This week's poll is also a first for McGill-Toolen; while the Yellow Jackets have been ranked as high as third as recently as 2008, the four first-place votes are believed to be a program high in the ASWA poll.

Class 4A also saw a change as Jackson's 28-9 Region 1 win over then-No. 1 Thomasville vaulted the Aggies - which spent eight weeks at No. 1 in 2010 - from second into the No. 1 spot by a comfortable margin with now runner-up Dadeville. After Class 1A No. 1 Lynn lost to Marion County on Friday, Linden returned to the top spot in that class it gave up in Week Seven with a loss to Class 5A Gulf Shores.

The six-point difference in Class 6A wasn't the only narrow race as teams head into the final week of the regular season. Buoyed by a convincing 46-0 win over then No. 4 Leeds, Handley moved from third to second in Class 3A and closed the gap on No. 1 Piedmont to 328-321. Piedmont held on to 17 first-place votes while Handley picked up 14.

The other leaders in this week's poll held fast with Class 5A Hueytown, 2A Elba, and AISA's Edgewood Academy.

The matchup between Linden and No. 2 Brantley in Demopolis highlights this weekend's matchup between ranked teams. Class 6A No. 4 Bob Jones is at No. 7 Hoover, Class 5A No. 7 Vigor is at Class 6A No. 5 Blount, Class 5A No. 5 Muscle Shoals hosts Class 4A No. 4 Deshler, Class 4A No. 1 Jackson hosts No. 10 Greene County, Class 3A No. 2 Handley is at Class 2A No. 9 Lineville, Class 1A No. 7 Pickens County is at Class 3A No. 8 Gordo, Class 2A No. 5 Red Bay hosts Class 1A No. 10 Marion County, Class 2A No. 8 Leroy is at Class 1A No. 6 Sweet Water, and Class 1A No. 3 Collinsville hosts No. 5 Ragland.

CLASS 6A

1. Clay-Chalkville (15) (9-0) 314

2. Mountain Brook (11) (9-0)  308

3. McGill-Toolen (4) (9-0)  257

4. Bob Jones (1) (9-0)  218

5. Blount (9-0)  157

6. Daphne (8-1)  153

7. Hoover (8-1)  130

8. Prattville (7-2)  70

9. Central-Phenix City (8-1)  65

10. Hillcrest Tuscaloosa (9-0)  62

CLASS 5A

1. Hueytown (29) (9-0)  366

2. Hartselle (2) (9-0)  277

3. Briarwood Chr. (8-1)  249

4. St. Paul's (8-1)  218

5. Muscle Shoals (8-1)  168

6. Fort Payne (8-1)  131

7. Vigor (7-2)  109

8. Fairfield (8-1)  77

9. Eufaula (8-1)  67

10. Valley (8-1)  58

CLASS 4A

1. Jackson  (29) (9-0)  364

2. Dadeville (1) (9-0)  266

3. North Jackson (1) (9-0)  236

4. Deshler (9-0)  210

5. Thomasville (8-1)  177

6. Bibb Co. (9-0)  171

7. Andalusia (9-0)  151

8. Guntersville (8-1)  94  

9. Beauregard (8-1)  53

10. Greene County (7-2)  25

CLASS 3A

1. Piedmont (17) (9-0)  328

2. Handley (14) (9-0)  321

3. Bayside Acad. (9-0)  230

4. Hanceville (9-0)  203

5. Clay Co. (8-1)  198

6. Sardis (9-0)  140

7. Hamilton (8-1)  115

8. Gordo (7-2)  77

9. Leeds (7-2)  69

10. T.R. Miller (7-2)  54

CLASS 2A

1. Elba (29) (9-0)  363

2. Fyffe (1) (9-0)  269

3. Tanner (9-0)  249        

4. American Chr. (1) (8-1)  231

5. Red Bay (9-0)  186

6. N. Sand Mountain (8-1)  141

7. Flomaton (8-1)  113

8. Leroy (6-3)  88      

9. Lineville (7-2)  54

10. G.W. Long (8-1)  36    

CLASS 1A

1. Linden (25) (8-1)  351

2. Brantley (2) (8-0)  266

3. Collinsville (3) (9-0)  249

4. Maplesville (1) (9-0)  225

5. Ragland (1) (8-0)  117

6. Sweet Water (6-3)  112

7. Pickens Co. (8-1)  92

8. Lynn (8-1)  81

9. Winterboro (9-0)  81

10. Marion County (8-1)  79

AISA

1. Edgewood Acad. (24) (9-0)  351

2. Tuscaloosa Acad. (6) (9-0)  286

3. Bessemer Acad. (1) (9-1)  241

4. Crenshaw Chr. (9-0)  211

5. Monroe Acad. (9-1)  185

6. Springwood (8-1)  170

7. Jackson Acad. (8-1)  122

8t. Autauga Acad.(9-1)  86

8t. Patrician Acad. (7-2)  79

10. Evangel Christian (7-2)  23

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; Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; Kim Craft, Gadsden Times; Mike Easterling, Huntsville Times; Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser; Jonathan Deal, Moulton 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.