By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

Now through two weeks of the region schedule and close to midway through the 2018 football season, we are starting to get a good feel for each of our teams across Shelby County, and it is being reflected in the ASWA football poll each week.

Over the last two weeks, there has been a lot of shakeup among top 10 teams in each classification with several ranked teams falling, and that was no different in the most recent poll released on Wednesday, Sept. 19.

Of course there was no change at the top of the 5A poll with the Briarwood Christian Lions getting better and better each week, as they held the No. 1 sport for the fifth consecutive week dating back to the preseason.

Coming off a 46-0 thumping of Woodlawn, the Lions are now giving up just four points per game after giving up six to Chelsea and six to Pleasant Grove to start the season. That’s 12 combined points through three games, and they’re also coming off a game where they forced seven turnovers.

Now, Briarwood is set to take on Wenonah in what has become an intense rivalry dating back to the 2016 regular season. The Dragons, however, are coming off a 26-0 loss, which doesn’t bode well against this tough Lions’ defense.

As a team, Briarwood has now won 22 consecutive regular season games dating back to the first week of the 2016 season.

They are the clear No. 1 team in the classification until somebody upsets them, but offensive production is still something that has to improve moving forward.

The other big storyline from across the rankings was in the 7A classification with half of the top 10 being made up of Class 7A, Region 3.

Hewitt-Trussville (2), Thompson (3), Hoover (5), Mountain Brook (7) and Vestavia Hills (8), were all found in the 7A top 10 showing just how difficult that region really is.

That doesn’t even include Spain Park, who started the season inside the top 10, and Oak Mountain, who almost upset Hewitt and Thompson each of the last two weeks.

At No. 3, Thompson was actually the only other team from the county ranked in the most recent poll.

In an interesting decision, however, a lot of the sports writers across the state chose the Warriors to leap frog Hoover for the second time this year, despite the Bucs beating Thompson two weeks ago by double digits.

Hewitt, Hoover and Thompson are all neck-and-neck this season, as each team would probably have a chance to split a two-game series with the other, but just from a credibility standpoint, it was an interesting decision to make that justification.

With that being said, Central-Phenix City took over the No. 1 spot, and the top 3 teams in the state are probably Hewitt, Hoover and Thompson.

In reality, this poll means nothing, but it is fun to see where each team fits in, and does give us a good feel for the best teams in the state, just maybe not in the correct order. Right now, anybody inside the top 6 could realistically be in the state championship game at the end of the year.

Outside of the 7A and 5A standings, Montevallo and Kingwood were the two other county highlights.

In the 4A classification, the undefeated Bulldogs came in at No. 12 in the standings thanks to their 4-0 start this season.

Montevallo’s offense has been unbelievable early in the season, but now has a matchup with No. 8 American Christian, who has yet to give up a point through three games.

The Kingwood Lions are off to an impressive 4-1 start this season with their only loss coming to No. 1 Tuscaloosa Academy.

Because of that one loss, the Lions are just outside of the top 10, but come in at No. 11.

Sitting at 1-1 in region play, Kingwood has three region games left with two of those three games coming against top 10 teams. It will definitely be a tough path for the Lions the rest of the way, but progress has definitely been made under second-year head coach Todd Bradford.

CLASS 7A

Team (first-place); W-L; Pts

1. Central-Phenix City (24); 4-0; 339
2. Hewitt-Trussville (6); 3-1; 276
3. Thompson; 3-1; 218
4. Auburn; 4-0; 214
5. Hoover; 2-2; 195
6. McGill-Toolen; 3-1; 162
7. Mountain Brook; 4-0; 111
8. Vestavia Hills; 3-0; 80
9. Lee-Montgomery; 3-1; 53
10. Austin; 3-1; 28

Others receiving votes: Sparkman (3-0) 15, Theodore (3-1) 8, Bob Jones (2-2) 4, James Clemens (2-2) 4, Prattville (2-1) 2, Spain Park (1-3) 1.

CLASS 6A

Team (first-place); W-L; Pts

1. Wetumpka (22); 4-0; 329
2. Oxford (5); 4-0; 271
3. Pinson Valley (3); 3-1; 259
4. Spanish Fort; 3-1; 192
5. Saraland; 4-0; 176
6. Clay-Chalkville; 3-1; 145
7. Hartselle; 4-0; 141
8. Homewood; 3-1; 86
9. Jackson-Olin; 4-0; 66
10. St. Paul’s; 3-1; 13

Others receiving votes: Hueytown (2-1) 6, McAdory (4-0) 6, Muscle Shoals (2-2) 5, Carver-Montgomery (4-0) 3, Opelika (1-3) 3, Carver-Birmingham (3-0) 2, Paul Bryant (4-0) 2, Stanhope Elmore (3-1) 2, Athens (2-1) 1, Gardendale (3-1) 1, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (2-2) 1.

CLASS 5A

Team (first-place); W-L; Pts

1. Briarwood (28); 3-0; 354
2. Etowah (2); 4-0; 272
3. Vigor; 3-0; 243
4. Jackson; 3-0; 197
5. Demopolis; 3-1; 150
6. Sylacauga; 4-0; 142
7. Tallassee; 3-1; 124
8. Carroll-Ozark; 2-1; 70
9. Madison Aca.; 3-1; 62
10. Greenville; 3-1; 29

Others receiving votes: Boaz (4-0) 24, Wenonah (1-1) 17, Ramsay (3-1) 8, Russellville (3-0) 8, Citronelle (3-0) 5, Faith-Mobile (2-1) 2, Mortimer Jordan (3-1) 2, Madison Co. (1-3) 1.

CLASS 4A

Team (first-place); W-L; Pts

1. UMS-Wright (29); 4-0; 357
2. Hokes Bluff (1); 3-0; 265
3. Hillcrest-Evergreen; 3-1; 220
4. Fayette Co.; 3-1; 183
5. Catholic-Montgomery; 3-1; 162
6. Brooks; 3-1; 139
7. Jacksonville; 4-0; 129
8. American Chr.; 3-0; 105
9. Andalusia; 2-2; 63
10. North Jackson; 3-0; 34

Others receiving votes: Headland (4-0) 17, Montevallo (4-0) 12, Good Hope (4-0) 10, Dale Co. (2-2) 5, Clarke Co. (1-2) 3, St. John Paul II (4-0) 3, Williamson (2-1) 2, Anniston (2-1) 1.

CLASS 3A

Team (first-place); W-L; Pts

1. Saks (17); 4-0; 309
2. Piedmont (11); 3-0; 301
3. Thomasville (2); 3-0; 208
4. Randolph Co.; 2-1; 203
5. Mobile Chr.; 2-1; 196
6. Winfield; 4-0; 149
7. Fultondale; 2-1; 103
8. T.R. Miller; 3-0; 91
9. Gordo; 2-2; 47
10. Providence Chr.; 4-0; 29

Others receiving votes: Westminster-Huntsville (4-0) 27, Beulah (4-0) 11, Midfield (3-0) 6, Pike Road (4-0) 6, Flomaton (3-0) 5, St. James (3-1) 5, Weaver (3-0) 5, Wicksburg (1-2) 4, Susan Moore (4-0) 3, Oakman (1-2) 2.

CLASS 2A

Team (first-place); W-L; Pts

1. Fyffe (29); 3-0; 357
2. Luverne; 3-0; 257
3. Reeltown; 4-0; 230
4. Ohatchee (1); 3-0; 214
5. Thorsby; 4-0; 165
6. Leroy; 2-1; 164
7. Cedar Bluff; 3-0; 109
8. Goshen; 2-1; 73
9. LaFayette; 1-2; 31
10. Abbeville; 3-0; 30

Others receiving votes: Addison (3-1) 19, Ranburne (3-0) 16, Cold Springs (4-0) 12, Cottage Hill (3-0) 9, Collinsville (3-1) 8, Ariton (2-2) 5, Colbert Co. (3-1) 4, Aliceville (2-1) 3, Tharptown (1-2) 3, Geneva Co. (2-2) 1.

CLASS 1A

Team (first-place); W-L; Pts

1. Lanett (23); 3-1; 336
2. Linden (6); 3-0; 279
3. Marengo; 4-0; 215
4. Brantley (1); 3-0; 179
5. Maplesville; 2-1; 154
6. South Lamar; 3-0; 143
7. Elba; 3-0; 123
8. St. Luke’s; 3-1; 75
9. Pickens Co.; 2-1; 72
10. Sweet Water; 1-2; 40

Others receiving votes: Georgiana (3-1) 29, Falkville (4-0) 22, Isabella (3-0) 14, R.A. Hubbard (4-0) 13, Mars Hill Bible (3-0) 11, Wadley (2-1) 2, Donoho (3-1) 1, Marion Co. (4-0) 1, Spring Garden (2-1) 1.

AISA

Team (first-place); W-L; Pts

1. Tuscaloosa Aca. (26); 4-0; 348
2. Autauga Aca. (3); 3-1; 269
3. Monroe Aca. (1); 5-0; 248
4. Chambers Aca.; 5-0; 200
5. Escambia Aca.; 3-1; 183
6. Pike Liberal Arts; 5-0; 154
7. Lakeside; 3-1; 86
8. Morgan Aca.; 4-1; 84
9. Bessemer Aca.; 2-3; 62
10. Wilcox Aca.; 4-0; 37

Others receiving votes: Kingwood (4-1) 10, Patrician (3-2) 9, Edgewood (4-1) 8, Macon-East (3-1) 8, Glenwood (1-4) 2, Crenshaw Chr. (4-1) 1, Springwood (2-2) 1.