By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

By taking down the previous No. 1 team in the 7A classification by 18 points, the Thompson Warriors did enough to jump from fourth in Class 7A to the top spot when the latest ASWA high school football rankings were released on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

The Warriors leaped over the Buccaneers, who are now No. 4, as well as Central-Phenix City at No. 3 and McGill-Toolen at No. 2. Thompson received 285 points, which edged out second-ranked McGill-Toolen by 36 points for the top spot.

Thompson also received 18 first place votes compared to seven for McGill-Toolen and one for Central-Phenix City.

With their 48-30 victory over Hoover, the Warriors have now scored 40 or more points in each of their first three matchups of the 2019 season and have quickly become one of the most dominant teams in the state.

While they lost to Central-Phenix in the state championship 52-7 last year, this is a new year, and the Warriors have established themselves as the team to beat thanks to that win over Hoover, who beat the Red Devils 17-14 in the season opener.

So far this season, the Warriors have used a torrid offensive pace to experience their success, but they’ve also gotten great help from a defense with new faces across the board, as well as an entirely new offensive line.

It was a team that had question marks coming into the season of how an array of new starters would handle the gauntlet of the difficult 7A classification, specifically in region 3.

Through three games, they’ve proven there hasn’t been a drop in production from last year’s team with a 3-0 overall record and a 1-0 region record with that one win coming against the No. 1 Buccaneers.

The Warriors still have a difficult path ahead, and they know their ranking means nothing until they’re the final team standing with a state championship.

Thompson is currently the only team from the county ranked inside the top 10, but Montevallo is garnering more votes, while Briarwood is still just outside the top 10 after back-to-back losses to start the season.

Montevallo has won back-to-back games the last two weeks after its season-opening 48-14 loss to Marbury thanks to victories of 56-50 over Shelby County and 48-20 over Dallas County.

The Bulldogs have shown one of the best offenses in the state the last two weeks with quarterback Malik Inabinette, receivers J.J. Evans and Jamarius Carter, and running backs Deon Gilliland and Orlandis Weeks all putting together remarkable performances in that span.

Briarwood is coming off those two straight losses to start the season, scoring just 14 points in each game with a 17-14 loss to Chelsea and 26-14 loss to Pleasant Grove.

Neither loss is bad with Chelsea being an improved 6A team and Pleasant Grove now the sixth-ranked team in Class 5A. With plenty of time to make noise moving forward, including a matchup with No. 3 Ramsay on Oct. 18, there is still plenty of time for the Lions to turn into a championship-contending team.

Full ASWA rankings:

CLASS 7A

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

1. Thompson (18); 3-0; 285
2. McGill-Toolen (7); 2-0; 249
3. Central-Phenix City (1); 2-1; 205
4. Hoover; 2-1; 180
5. Hewitt-Trussville; 3-0; 169
6. Mountain Brook; 3-0; 118
7. Theodore; 3-0; 97
8. Lee-Montgomery; 3-0; 81
9. Austin; 3-0; 45
10. Auburn; 2-1; 36

Others receiving votes: Prattville (2-0) 9, Vestavia Hills (2-0) 7, James Clemens (1-2) 1.

CLASS 6A

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

1. Saraland (23); 3-0; 302
2. Pinson Valley (2); 2-1; 225
3. Muscle Shoals; 3-0; 208
4. Clay-Chalkville (1); 3-0; 185
5. Hueytown; 3-0; 158
6. Oxford; 3-0; 121
7. Blount; 3-0; 108
8. Opelika; 3-0; 87
9. Wetumpka; 2-1; 45
10. Carver-Montgomery; 3-0; 21

Others receiving votes: Bessemer City (2-0) 5, Fort Payne (3-0) 5, Gardendale (3-0) 5, Dothan (2-1) 3, Jackson-Olin (1-2) 2, Paul Bryant (3-0) 1, Spanish Fort (1-1) 1.

CLASS 5A

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

1. Jasper (22); 2-0; 298
2. Central-Clay Co. (2); 2-0; 230
3. Ramsay (2); 2-1; 192
4. Etowah; 3-0; 183
5. Russellville; 2-0; 126
6. Pleasant Grove; 3-0; 124
7. Demopolis; 2-1; 95
8. Madison Aca.; 2-1; 80
9. Bibb Co.; 3-0; 62
10. Center Point; 2-1; 23

Others receiving votes: Alexandria (1-0) 18, Briarwood (0-2) 13, Sylacauga (3-0) 12, Vigor (1-1) 8, Greenville (2-1) 5, Jackson (2-0) 5, Hamilton (2-0) 3, Brewer (2-0) 2, Citronelle (3-0) 2, Guntersville (2-0) 1.

CLASS 4A

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

1. UMS-Wright (26); 2-0; 312
2. Hokes Bluff; 2-0; 229
3. American Chr.; 2-0; 209
4. Catholic-Montgomery; 3-0; 179
5. Hillcrest-Evergreen; 2-1; 145
6. Headland; 3-0; 127
7. Jacksonville; 2-1; 106
8. Good Hope; 3-0; 73
9. Andalusia; 1-2; 53
10. Brooks; 2-1; 23

Others receiving votes: Williamson (2-0) 8, Montevallo (2-1) 7, Anniston (1-1) 2, Deshler (1-2) 2, Handley (1-1) 2, St. John Paul II (2-1) 2, Escambia Co. (2-0) 1, Fairview (2-1) 1, North Jackson (0-2) 1.

CLASS 3A

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

1. Flomaton (24); 2-0; 306
2. Piedmont (1); 2-0; 225
3. Gordo (1); 3-0; 206
4. Randolph Co.; 2-0; 180
5. Pike Co.; 2-0; 159
6. Providence Chr.; 3-0; 135
7. Midfield; 2-0; 91
8. St. James; 3-0; 73
9. Mobile Chr.; 1-1; 50
10. Geraldine; 2-1; 33

Others receiving votes: Saks (2-1) 7, T.R. Miller (2-0) 7, Walter Wellborn (3-0) 7, Pike Road (3-0) 2, Susan Moore (3-0) 1.

CLASS 2A

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

1. Fyffe (26); 2-0; 312
2. Luverne; 2-0; 226
3. Ohatchee; 2-0; 176
4. Abbeville; 2-0; 156
5. Addison; 2-1; 151
6. Collinsville; 3-0; 140
7. Leroy; 1-1; 95
8. Reeltown; 3-0; 82
9. Colbert Co.; 3-0; 61
10. Aliceville; 1-1; 28

Others receiving votes: Daleville (3-0) 27, Cottage Hill (2-0) 17, Red Bay (3-0) 5, Highland Home (1-1) 4, Cedar Bluff (2-0) 1, Ranburne (2-0) 1.

CLASS 1A

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

1. Mars Hill Bible (20); 2-0; 292
2. Maplesville (6); 2-0; 246
3. Sweet Water; 2-0; 202
4. Brantley; 2-0; 178
5. Lanett; 3-0; 155
6. Pickens Co.; 2-0; 116
7. South Lamar; 2-0; 97
8. Linden; 2-1; 66
9. Spring Garden; 1-1; 50
10. Decatur Heritage; 3-0; 27

Others receiving votes: Millry (2-0) 18, Elba (2-1) 13, R.A. Hubbard (3-0) 12, Marion Co. (3-0) 7, Donoho (2-0) 1, Florala (2-1) 1, Fruitdale (3-0) 1.

AISA

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

1. Glenwood (17); 4-0; 285
2. Autauga Aca. (8); 1-1; 237
3. Wilcox Aca.; 3-0; 211
4. Chambers Aca. (1); 3-0; 200
5. Macon-East; 1-0; 136
6. Edgewood; 3-0; 135
7. Southern Aca.; 3-0; 82
8. Crenshaw Chr.; 2-0; 74
9. Tuscaloosa Aca.; 2-1; 39
10. Bessemer Aca.; 2-2; 37

Others receiving votes: Monroe Aca. (1-2) 16, Escambia Aca. (0-2) 11, Lowndes Aca. (2-0) 8, Jackson Aca. (2-0) 5, Morgan Aca. (1-2) 3, Springwood (2-1) 3.