Demopolis climbs to No. 6 in 5A poll

By PAUL BEAUDRY
For The ASWA

With three weeks left in the regular season, there are 28 undefeated high school football teams left in the state – with six in Class 1A.

After this weekend, that number will drop two showdowns featuring unbeaten teams in de facto region championship games — sure to shake up next week’s Alabama Sports Writers Association high school football poll.

The winner between No. 4 Ragland and No. 5 Donoho – both 7-0 overall and 5-0 in Region 5 — will hold down the No 1 seed come playoff time. Further south, it’s the same situation with No.6 McKenzie and No. 1 Brantley. McKenzie (7-0, 5-0) holds a half-game lead in Region 2 over No. 1 Brantley (7-0, 4-0).

As for the other 24 unbeaten teams, Class 4A No. 10 West Blocton became the last undefeated team to move into the top 10 thanks to a 48-14 win over Northside. Six of the eight No. 1 ranked teams are unbeaten – Class 6A Spanish Fort, 5A St. Paul’s, 4A UMS-Wright which moved into the top spot after Leeds lost to Dadeville, 2A Fyffe and AISA’s Edgewood Academy.

Two-loss Hoover holds down the No. 1 spot in 7A just ahead of unbeaten Fairhope, and one-loss Madison Academy has a comfortable lead over three Class 3A unbeatens – Dale County, Glencoe and Gordo.

In action this week involving ranked teams, Class 4A No. 2 Saks at No. 9 Cleburne County, Class 1A No. 1 Brantley at No. 6 McKenzie, No. 4 Ragland hosting No. 5 Donoho, and AISA No. 6 Wilcox Academy at No. 4 Marengo Academy

Class 7A
1. Hoover (22) (5-2) 336
2. Fairhope (7) (7-0) 289
3. Prattville (6-1) 209
4. Gadsden City (7-1) 192
5. Central-Phenix City (1) (7-1) 183
6. Oak Mountain (6-1) 165
7. Baker (7-1) 123
8. Bob Jones (5-2) 85
9. Foley (6-2) 76
10. Murphy (5-2) 12
Others receiving votes: James Clemens (5-2) 9, Spain Park (4-3) 8, Theodore (5-2) 8, Mountain Brook (3-4) 7, Smiths Station (5-3) 4, Hewitt-Trussville (4-3) 3, Jeff Davis (5-3) 1.

Class 6A
1. Spanish Fort (24) (7-0) 340
2. Clay-Chalkville (6) (7-0) 288
3. Opelika (6-1) 236
4. Saraland (6-1) 179
5. Shades Valley (6-1) 178
6. Florence (5-2) 146
7. Blount (5-2) 119
8. McAdory (7-0) 108
9. Benjamin Russell (7-1) 58
10. Carver-Montgomery (5-2) 18
Others receiving votes: Fort Payne (6-1) 12, Muscle Shoals (5-2) 8, Daphne (4-3) 7, Decatur (5-2) 5, Homewood (5-2) 4, Southside-Gadsden (6-2) 3, Park Crossing (5-2) 1.

Class 5A
1. St. Paul’s (30) (7-0) 360
2. Guntersville (7-0) 264
3. Parker (7-0) 231
4. East Limestone (7-0) 214
5. Jackson (5-2) 156
6. Demopolis (6-1) 150
7. Russellville (6-1) 104
8. Mortimer Jordan (6-1) 92
9. Ramsay (6-1) 74
10. Calera (6-1)38
Others receiving votes:  Lincoln (5-2) 11, Sylacauga (6-1) 5, Greenville (5-2) 4, Tallassee (5-2) 3, Vigor (3-3) 3, Beauregard (4-2) 1.

Class 4A
1. UMS-Wright (29) (7-0) 348
2. Saks (1) (7-0) 269
3. Straughn (6-1) 220
4. Leeds (7-1) 210
5. Oneonta (6-1) 180
6. Fayette Co. (5-2) 130
7. Deshler (6-1) 94
8. Jacksonville (7-1) 86
9. Cleburne Co. (6-1) 32
10. West Blocton (7-0) 29
Others receiving votes: St. James (6-1) 26, Dadeville (4-3) 25, Haleyville (6-2) 23, W.S. Neal (4-2) 10, Wilson (6-1) 10, Locust Fork (6-1) 7, Clarke Co. (5-2) 5, Thomasville (5-3) 4, Hamilton (5-2) 1, North Jackson (5-2) 1.

Class 3A
1. Madison Acad. (29) (6-1) 356
2. Dale Co. (8-0) 269
3. Glencoe (1) (7-0) 239
4. Gordo (7-0) 212
5. T.R. Miller (7-1) 159
6. Montgomery Acad. (7-0) 145
7. Pike Co. (5-1) 99
8. Piedmont (5-2) 80
9. Lauderdale Co. (6-2) 79
10. Opp (5-2) 24
Others receiving votes: Aliceville (7-1) 15, Geraldine (6-1) 10, Plainview (6-1) 10, Sylvania (3-4) 6, Oakman (6-1) 4, Colbert Co. (4-3) 1, Lamar Co. (6-1) 1, New Hope (3-4) 1.

Class 2A
1. Fyffe (24) (7-0) 342
2. Washington Co. (6) (7-0) 279
3. G.W. Long (7-0) 235
4. Tanner (6-2) 198
5. Ranburne (7-0) 185
6. Elba (7-0) 119
7. Sweet Water (5-2) 118
8. Reeltown (6-1) 101
9. Pickens Co. (5-2) 66
10. Red Bay (7-1) 30
Others receiving votes: Addison (5-2) 12, Leroy (4-3) 9, Cleveland (6-1) 8, Randolph Co. (6-1) 6, Geneva Co. (4-2) 2.

Class 1A
1. Brantley (16) (7-0) 317
2. Maplesville (14) (6-0) 311
3. Hubbertville (6-0) 235
4. Ragland (7-0) 205
5. Donoho (7-0) 179
6. McKenzie (7-0) 150
7. Linden (3-3) 125
8. Millry (6-1) 73
9. Berry (5-2) 56
10. Hackleburg (6-1) 23
Others receiving votes: A.L. Johnson (5-2) 13, Phillips (7-1) 10, Billingsley (5-2) 4, J.U. Blacksher (6-1) 4, R.A. Hubbard (5-2) 3, Isabella (5-1) 2.

AISA
1. Edgewood Acad. (30) (7-0) 360
2. Bessemer Acad. (7-0) 270
3. Escambia Acad. (6-0) 237
4. Marengo Acad. (5-1) 196
5. Monroe Acad. (7-1) 185
6. Wilcox Acad. (5-1) 142
7. Restoration (4-2) 123
8. S. Choctaw Acad. (6-1) 88
9. Autauga Acad. (5-2) 57
10. Tuscaloosa Acad. (5-2) 35
Others receiving votes: Sparta Acad. (6-1) 12, Clarke Prep (3-3) 3, Abbeville Chr. (6-2) 1, Lakeside (5-2) 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; Brandon Miller, Anniston Star; Jonathan Deal, Athens News Courier; 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; 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; Daniel Evans, Selma Times-Journal; Lavonte Young, Talladega Daily Home; Joey Chandler, Tuscaloosa News; Cory Diaz, Wetumpka Herald. Not voting: Jason Bowen, Scottsboro Daily Sentinel; Griffin Pritchard, Tallassee Tribune.