By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

After a key, 17-14 win over Thompson on Oct. 6, the Spain Park Jags have reentered the ASWA 7A top 10 at the No. 8 spot after a three-week hiatus from the poll. While Spain Park has moved back into the top 10, Chelsea fell out of the 6A top 10 after a loss to 6A No. 4 Opelika, and Montevallo stayed steady as the No. 3 team in the 3A class after a tight win over Oakman. Chelsea still received points in the 6A poll, while Oak Mountain, Briarwood Christian and Cornerstone Christian received ample points in their polls as well.

The top-ranked team in the county remains Montevallo after the Bulldogs stayed perfect with a tight, 23-21 win over then-3A No. 9 Oakman to move to 7-0. With the game tied in the final minutes, the Bulldogs needed a late safety, which came via a bad snap on a punt, to seal the win and stay undefeated. That win sets up a showdown Montevallo and Gordo, the top two teams in 3A Region 4, and two of the top teams across the state in the classification. Whoever wins that game this Friday will claim the No. 2 spot in the class, barring a loss from Piedmont, the top team in the class.

For the second year in a row, Spain Park escaped with a win against a Thompson team that can’t seem to catch a break. The Jags used a long, 95-yard interception return for a touchdown from senior defensive back Damarius Farmer to seal the win, and now Spain Park will head into its Oct. 14 matchup with Tuscaloosa County as the No. 8 team in the 7A class and with a playoff berth virtually locked up.

Briarwood Christian, which has not lost since the first week of the season, remains firmly planted just outside the 5A top 10 at No. 11 after receiving 27 points in the Week 8 poll. The Lions have won their last six games by an average score of roughly 32-7, and that includes a win over current 5A No. 10 Mortimer Jordan. Briarwood has locked up a playoff berth for the 24^th year in a row, and a win this week at Shelby County guarantees the Lions their first region championship since 2011.

One of the pleasant surprises this season, the Cornerstone Chargers also landed just outside the AISA top 10 in 11^th place with 13 points, trailing No. 10 Abbeville Christian by just 11 points. The Chargers are currently 5-2, with their only losses so far coming against AISA No. 2 Bessemer Academy and ACSC powerhouse Evangel Christian (Alabaster). The Chargers have not eclipsed the five-win plateau since they went 9-2 in 2009, but have won five games in four of the last six seasons.

Both Oak Mountain and Chelsea also received points in the 7A and 6A polls as well. The Eagles came back from a halftime deficit to beat Tuscaloosa County, and now are heading into a crucial region matchup with 7A No. 10 Mountain Brook, while Chelsea is coming off a loss to Opelika and will try to rebound this week with a region game at home against Chilton County.

The ASWA poll in its’ entirety can be found below.

 

Class 7A
1. McGill-Toolen (29) (7-0) <ws>348
2. Hoover (6-1) <ws>251
3. Hewitt-Trussville (8-0) <ws>240
4. Central-Phenix City (6-1) <ws>201
5. Davidson (6-1) <ws>171
6. James Clemens (5-2) <ws>147
7. Enterprise (7-1) <ws>113
8. Lee-Montgomery (6-1) <ws>77
9. Spain Park (5-2) <ws>57
10. Mountain Brook (5-2) <ws>17
Others receiving votes: Vestavia Hills (4-3) 9, Oak Mountain (3-4) 8, Bob Jones (5-3) 7, Auburn (4-3) 6, Gadsden City (3-5) 1.

Class 6A
1. Blount (18) (7-1) <ws>313
2. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (11) (7-0) <ws>293
3. Oxford (8-0) <ws>218
4. Opelika (7-1) <ws>202
5. Minor (7-0) <ws>172
6. Spanish Fort (5-2) <ws>142
7. Park Crossing (7-1) <ws>119
8. Clay-Chalkville (6-2) <ws>89
9. Ramsay (6-1) <ws>28
10. Wetumpka (7-1) <ws>26
Others receiving votes: Hartselle (7-1) 24, Austin (5-2) 14, Decatur (6-1) 6, Chelsea (5-2) 3, Gardendale (5-3) 2, Daphne (5-2) 1, Pinson Valley (5-2) 1.

Class 5A
1. St. Paul’s (29) (6-1) <ws>348
2. Scottsboro (7-0) <ws>235
3. Etowah (7-1) <ws>232
4. Carroll (7-0) <ws>168
5. Central-Clay Co. (6-1)<ws>149
6. Demopolis (6-1) <ws>133
7. Beauregard (5-1) <ws>121
8. Jackson (5-2) <ws>80
9. Vigor (6-2) <ws>64
10. Mortimer Jordan (5-2) <ws>58
Others receiving votes:  Briarwood Chr. (6-1) 27, Russellville (5-2) 18, Brooks (5-2) 9, Sylacauga (6-1) 7, Mae Jemison-Huntsville (4-4) 2, Eufaula (5-2) 1, Hayden (6-1) 1.

Class 4A
1. UMS-Wright (28) (6-1) <ws>345
2. Andalusia (1) (7-1) <ws>260
3. Haleyville (6-1) <ws>215
4. Rogers (8-0) <ws>185
5. Leeds (6-2)  <ws>135
6. Jacksonville (7-0) <ws>130
7. Madison Acad. (5-2) <ws>121
8. North Jackson (5-2) <ws>60
9t. Cordova (6-2) <ws>45
9t. Handley (5-2) <ws>45
Others receiving votes: West Limestone (6-1) 41, Munford (5-2) 24, St. James (7-1) 13, Cherokee Co. (6-2) 11, Madison Co. (4-3) 10, Thomasville (4-2) 7, Fayette Co. (3-4) 4, Winfield (5-2) 2.

Class 3A
1. Piedmont (28) (8-0) <ws>345
2. Gordo (1) (7-0) <ws>263
3. Montevallo (7-0) <ws>222
4. Mobile Chr. (6-1) <ws>197
5. Opp (6-1) <ws>161
6. Colbert Co. (6-1) <ws>140
7. Ohatchee (7-0) <ws>133
8. T.R. Miller (5-2) <ws>79
9. Daleville (6-1) <ws>68
10. Lexington (6-1) <ws>23
Others receiving votes: Bayside Acad. (5-2) 7, Pike Co. (6-1) 6, Oakman (4-3) 5, N. Sand Mountain (6-1) 3, American Chr. (4-3) 1.

Class 2A
1. Fyffe (25) (7-0) <ws>336
2. G.W. Long (2) (6-0) <ws>253
3. Elba (2) (6-1) <ws>237
4. LaFayette (7-0) <ws>212
5. Lanett (7-1) <ws>161
6. Tanner (4-3) <ws>136
7. Aliceville (6-1) <ws>110
8. Sheffield (7-1) <ws>97
9. Goshen (6-1) <ws>42
10. Cleveland (5-2) <ws>16
Others receiving votes: Southern Choctaw (5-1) 15, New Brockton (4-3) 10, Washington Co. (5-2) 10, Red Bay (5-2) 9, Sand Rock (5-2) 6, Lamar Co. (5-2) 3.

Class 1A
1. Maplesville (25) (6-0) <ws>336
2. Linden (4) (7-0) <ws>273
3. Spring Garden (7-0) <ws>223
4. Addison (8-0) <ws>200
5. Georgiana (8-0) <ws>164
6. Wadley (6-0) <ws>146
7. Hubbertville (6-0) <ws>86
8. Cedar Bluff (5-2) <ws>85
9. Sweet Water (4-2) <ws>62
10. Decatur Heritage (5-2) <ws>38
Others receiving votes: Pickens Co. (5-2) 26, Notasulga (5-2) 4, Sumiton Chr. (6-1) 4, Brantley (4-3) 2, McKenzie (6-2) 2, Winterboro (5-2) 2.

AISA
1. Autauga Acad. (29) (7-0) <ws>348
2. Bessemer Acad. (7-1) <ws>254
3. Monroe Acad.  (7-1) <ws>236
4. Marengo Acad. (6-1) <ws>190
5. Chambers Acad.  (7-0) <ws>173
6. Escambia Acad. (5-2) <ws>135
7. S. Choctaw Acad. (6-1) <ws>111
8. Fort Dale Acad. (6-1) <ws>110
9. Glenwood (5-2) <ws>31
10. Abbeville Chr. (5-3) <ws>24
Others receiving votes: Cornerstone Chr. (5-2) 13, Lowndes Acad. (4-2) 13, Pike Liberal (4-3) 6, Patrician (3-4) 5, Morgan Acad. (5-3) 2, Lee-Scott (3-4) 2.