Briarwood Christian School won’t have very far to climb to the top once football season starts in a little more than three weeks.

The Lions are ranked No. 2 in Class 5A of the Alabama High School Athletic Association behind Homewood and in front of Benjamin Russell.

The pre-season poll was voted on by the Alabama Sportswriters Association, a group of 19 voters from across the state.

Briarwood head coach Fred Yancey said the ranking was an honor, but not necessarily all it seems to be.

&uot;I talked to the kids about that today (Monday) before our first practice,&uot; Yancey said. &uot;I told them it was wonderful and awesome and a compliment to last year’s team. It’s really not a reflection on this year’s team, but on what the seniors and last year’s team accomplished.

&uot;I also told this year’s seniors, however, that it would be a great thing if we could sit here in this room next year at this time and thank them for giving us a high ranking based on this year’s results.&uot;

Homewood, the No. 1 ranked team in 5A this season, handed Briarwood one of its two losses a year ago, 35-25 in the semi-finals. The Lions defeated Homewood 20-17 during the regular season a year ago &045; the Patriots’ lone defeat.

Briarwood’s only other loss from last season came at the hands of Jess Lanier 18-7 in the second game of the season.

Yancey said his team should have a few seniors who will get looks from colleges, including Simeon Castille. Castille will likely be the No. 1 or 2 prospect in the state.

Other seniors Yancey said will get scouted by colleges include quarterback Joe Craddock, lineman T.J. Claude and defensive lineman John Post.

No other team in the county was ranked in the top 10 preseason polls.

Calera High School received 19 votes in the Class 2A poll and Shelby County High School received 14 votes in the Class 4A poll.

Coosa Valley Academy and Shelby Academy received nine and eight votes, respectively, in the AISA poll.

The ASWA pre-season football polls are as follows (last season’s record in parentheses):

Class 1A

1. Clay County (15-0)

2. Autaugaville (12-3)

3. Hazlewood (11-2)

4. Parrish (12-2)

5. Courtland (9-2)

6. Isabella (13-1)

7. McKenzie (12-1)

8. Ragland (10-2)

9. Reeltown (8-4)

10. Addison(8-4)

Class 2A

1. Southern Choctaw (14-0)

2. Lineville (11-4)

3. Pisgah (12-2)

4. Slocomb (12-2)

5. Houston Academy(11-2)

6. Washington County (11-2)

7. Leroy(7-4)

8. Fyffe(10-2)

9. Luverne (8-4)

10. Highland Home (10-2)

Class 3A

1. T.R. Miller (11-3)

2. Pike County (11-2)

3. Colbert County (12-3)

4. Litchfield (12-2)

5. Montgomery Acad. (11-3)

6. Dora (12-1)

7. Tarrant (10-2)

8. Onenonta (11-2)

9. Springville (10-3)

10. West Morgan (11-1)

Class 4A

1. North Jackson (14-1)

2. UMS-Wright (14-1)

3. Trinity (12-1)

4. Cleburne County (13-1)

5. Deshler (11-2)

6. Demopolis (13-1)

7. Thomasville (9-3)

8. Daleville (10-3)

9. East Limestone (1-9)*

10. Cherokee County (6-6)

*East Limestone forfeited 8 wins in 2002.

Class 5A

1. Homewood (14-1)

2. Briarwood (12-2)

3. Benjamin Russell (9-3)

4. Russellville (14-1)

5. Hartselle (10-3)

6. B.C. Rain (12-1)

7. Gardendale (10-1)

8. St. Paul’s (7-5)

9. Cullman (7-5)

10. Eufaula (9-2)

Class 6A

1. Hoover (13-1)

2. Prattville (12-2)

3. Opelika (12-1)

4. Daphne (8-4)

5. Mountain Brook (13-1)

6. Jeff Davis (11-3)

7. Davidson (10-2)

8. Central-Phenix City (11-2)

9. Minor (9-3)

10. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (7-5)

AISA

1. Bessemer Acad. (13-0)

2. Monroe Acad. (10-3)

3. Marengo Acad. (10-3)

4. Edgewood Acad. (11-1)

5. Jackson Acad. (10-3)

6. Macon-East (9-2)

7. Southern Acad. (11-2)

8. Fort Dale Acad. (8-4)

9. Lee-Scott (9-3)

10. Morgan Acad. (7-4