By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

For the first time in 2016, there are four county teams ranked in the ASWA football poll. Montevallo remained the highest-ranked team in the class following their loss to 3A No. 2 Gordo, dropping from third to sixth in the 3A poll. Spain Park jumped up a spot in the 7A poll to eighth overall in the class, while both Briarwood Christian and Cornerstone Christian made their first appearances this season at No. 9 in the 5A poll and No. 10 in the AISA poll, respectively.

The Cornerstone Christian Chargers, for the first time since 2009, are ranked as one of the 10 best AISA teams in the state. The Chargers (6-2, 4-0), fresh off a 22-19, region-clinching win over Macon-East Academy, pulled in the No. 10 ranking in the AISA classification this week. The Chargers received 33 points in the AISA poll, which was 10 points fewer than No. 9 Fort Dale Academy, but also 15 points more than 11^th-place Glenwood Academy. Cornerstone has locked up the AISA AA Region 2 champs, will host the No. 4 seed out of AISA AA Region 1 in the first round of the AISA playoffs.

Briarwood Christian, the only other region champ in the county this season besides Cornerstone, pulled in 48 points in the Week 9 poll, which was 14 more points than No. 10 ranked Jackson, and was 15 points behind No. 8 Mortimer Jordan, a team Briarwood beat earlier this year on the road. The ranking is Briarwood’s first regular season ranking since the 2011 season, when the Lions made an appearance in the 5A semi-finals. Briarwood will host the first round of the 5A playoffs on Nov. 4, and will likely take on Corner High School out of Jasper.

Montevallo, on the heels of their 56-21 loss to Gordo, received 119 total points in the Week 9 vote, which was three points more than No. 7 T.R. Miller. The Bulldogs have locked up the No. 2 seed out of 3A Region 4, and will host at least one playoff game for the second consecutive season. As the second seed in Region 4, Montevallo will host the No. 3 seed out of Region 3, which could be either Montgomery Academy, Southside Selma or Prattville Christian, depending on what happens in those schools’ respective games this Friday.

Spain Park received 83 total points in the Week 9 poll, which was 25 points more than the Jags received in the previous week. Depending on what happens this Friday, Spain Park could get either the No. 2, 3 or 4 seed out of 7A Region 3.

The ASWA Week 9 poll can be viewed here in its’ entirety.

Class 7A
1. McGill-Toolen (29) (8-0) <ws>348
2. Hoover (7-1) <ws>251
3. Hewitt-Trussville (9-0) <ws>240
4. Central-Phenix City (7-1) <ws>203
5. Davidson (7-1) <ws>169
6. James Clemens (6-2) <ws>140
7. Enterprise (8-1) <ws>118
8. Spain Park (6-2) <ws>83
9. Mountain Brook (6-2) <ws>52
10. Lee-Montgomery (6-2) <ws>33
Others receiving votes: Bob Jones (6-3) 10, Auburn (5-3) 5, Gadsden City (4-5) 1.

Class 6A
1. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (26) (8-0) <ws>338
2. Oxford (9-0) <ws>244
3. Minor (2) (8-0) <ws>216
4. Opelika (8-1) <ws>215
5. Blount (1) (7-2) <ws>164
6. Spanish Fort (6-2) <ws>143
7. Park Crossing (8-1) <ws>123
9. Ramsay (7-1) <ws>78
8. Daphne (6-2) <ws>53
10. Decatur (7-1) <ws>29
Others receiving votes: Wetumpka  (7-2) 16, Austin (6-2) 15, Clay-Chalkville (6-3) 13, Gardendale (6-3) 4, Hartselle (7-2) 2..

Class 5A
1. Scottsboro (22) (8-0) <ws>324
2. Etowah (1) (8-1) <ws>236
3. Carroll (1) (8-0) <ws>215
4. Vigor (3) (7-2) <ws>194
5. St. Paul’s (1) (6-2) <ws>176
6. Central-Clay Co. (1) (7-1)<ws>171
7. Beauregard (6-1) <ws>123
8. Mortimer Jordan (6-2) <ws>63
9. Briarwood Chr. (7-1) <ws>48
10. Jackson (5-3) <ws>34
Others receiving votes:  Demopolis (6-2) 33, Brooks (6-2) 10, Russellville (6-2) 9, Eufaula (6-2) 7, Hayden (7-1) 5, Sylacauga (6-2) 5.

Class 4A
1. Andalusia (26) (8-1) <ws>337
2. Haleyville (1) (7-1) <ws>250
3. Rogers (1) (8-0) <ws>226
4. UMS-Wright (1) (6-2) <ws>177
5. Jacksonville (8-0) <ws>174
6. Madison Acad. (6-2) <ws>144
7. Handley (6-2) <ws>77
8. Thomasville (5-2)  <ws>70
9. Cordova (7-2) <ws>68
10. West Limestone (7-1) <ws>33
Others receiving votes: Leeds (6-3) 30, St. James (8-1) 19, Madison Co. (5-3) 11, Munford (6-2) 11, Cherokee Co. (7-2) 10, North Jackson (5-3) 9, Dadeville (5-4) 4, Hamilton (4-4) 1, Tallassee (6-3) 1, Wilson (7-1) 1.

Class 3A
1. Piedmont (27) (9-0) <ws>342
2. Gordo (2) (8-0) <ws>267
3. Mobile Chr. (7-1) <ws>222
4. Opp (7-1) <ws>197
5. Colbert Co. (7-1) <ws>170
6. Montevallo (7-1) <ws>119
7. T.R. Miller (6-2) <ws>116
8. Daleville (7-1) <ws>98
9. Ohatchee (7-1) <ws>74
10. Pike Co. (7-1) <ws>28
Others receiving votes: Fultondale (7-1) 7, Lexington (6-2) 6, Oakman (5-3) 3, Bayside (5-3) 2, Randolph Co. (6-2) 2.

Class 2A
1. Fyffe (24) (8-0) <ws>333
2. G.W. Long (2) (7-0) <ws>254
3. Elba (3) (7-1) <ws>237
4. LaFayette (8-0) <ws>211
5. Lanett (8-1) <ws>165
6. Tanner (5-3) <ws>150
7. Aliceville (7-1) <ws>120
8. Southern Choctaw (6-1) <ws>50
9. New Brockton (5-3) <ws>35
10. Lamar Co. (6-2) <ws>32
Others receiving votes: Sheffield (7-2) 20, Washington Co. (6-2) 19, Sand Rock (6-2) 12, Goshen (6-2) 8, Red Bay (6-2) 5, Cleveland (5-3) 2.

Class 1A
1. Maplesville (24) (7-0) <ws>333
2. Linden (5) (8-0) <ws>275
3. Spring Garden (8-0) <ws>223
4. Addison (9-0) <ws>202
5. Georgiana (9-0) <ws>170
6. Wadley (7-0) <ws>143
7. Cedar Bluff (6-2) <ws>96
8. Sweet Water (5-2) <ws>80
9. Decatur Heritage (6-2) <ws>52
10. Pickens Co.  (6-2) <ws>50
Others receiving votes: Hubbertville (6-1) 18, Isabella (7-1) 4, McKenzie (7-2) 4, Brantley (5-3) 2, Berry (5-3) 1.

AISA
1. Autauga Acad. (29) (8-0) <ws>348
2. Bessemer Acad. (8-1) <ws>255
3. Monroe Acad.  (8-1) <ws>232
4. Marengo Acad. (7-1) <ws>195
5. Chambers Acad.  (8-0) <ws>179
6. Escambia Acad. (6-2) <ws>146
7. S. Choctaw Acad. (7-1) <ws>115
8. Abbeville Chr. (6-3) <ws>65
9. Fort Dale Acad. (6-2) <ws>43
10. Cornerstone Chr. (6-2) <ws>33
Others receiving votes: Glenwood (5-3) 18, Lowndes Acad. (5-2) 13, Pike Liberal (5-3) 6, Lee-Scott (4-4) 4, Northside Methodist (5-4) 1.