By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

It has been a remarkable season for the Helena football team, and on Tuesday, Oct. 15, the Huskies set a historic mark when they were ranked for the first time in school history.

With a 6-1 overall record this season and sitting atop the Class 6A, Region 5 standings, the Huskies earned the No. 9 spot in the latest Class 6A top 10 released by the ASWA on Tuesday night.

Winners of five in a row, Helena is off to its best start in program history and can also lock up its first region championship this Friday with a road win against Jackson-Olin.

The Huskies’ previous best start came in their second year as a team back in 2015 when they started the season with a 5-2 record in Class 5A. That year, Helena went on to finish the regular season 8-2 and advanced to the second round of the postseason to finish the season at 9-3.

Helena’s only loss this season is by eight points to No. 4 Hueytown, who is one of just three unbeaten teams in the 6A classification.

Also holding steady in the latest rankings were the Thompson Warriors, who remained No. 1 in the Class 7A poll for the sixth consecutive week after taking down then No. 1 Hoover 48-30 back on Sept. 6.

The Warriors are now a perfect 7-0 on the season and tied atop the Class 7A, Region 3 standings with the Mountain Brook Spartans, who came in at No. 5 in the latest poll.

Those two top five teams are set to battle this Friday at Thompson. With a win, the Warriors would lock up their second region championship in three years, while the Spartans would take over first in the region with a week left to add chaos in the final standings.

To this point in the season, Thompson is averaging 46.6 points per game and has looked like one of the best offenses in the state scoring 35 or more in every game so far this season.

Just behind the Warriors in second is McGill-Toolen, while defending state champion Central-Phenix City is No. 3 in the standings just ahead of Hoover in fourth. Sparkman, Prattville, Theodore, Austin and James Clemens close out the 7A top 10.

The Briarwood Lions area also gaining traction after five consecutive wins has pushed their record to 6-1 this season.

The Lions received 16 points in the voting, while Madison Academy had just four more points and No. 10 Mortimer Jordan just seven more.

With a matchup against No. 2 Ramsay this Friday, the Lions wouldn’t just stay alive for the region championship, but would solidify themselves as a state championship threat and would likely jump back into the top 10 after starting the season at No. 1.

Complete ASWA rankings:

CLASS 7A

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

1. Thompson (19); 7-0; 262
2. McGill-Toolen (3); 7-0; 212
3. Central-Phenix City (1); 7-1; 187
4. Hoover; 6-1; 167
5. Mountain Brook; 7-0; 137
6. Sparkman; 7-0; 114
7. Prattville; 6-1; 78
8. Theodore; 6-1; 62
9. Austin; 6-1; 59
10. James Clemens; 5-2; 16

Others receiving votes: Vestavia Hills (5-2) 12, Auburn (5-2) 4, Lee-Montgomery (6-2) 1.

CLASS 6A

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

1. Saraland (22); 8-0; 273
2. Muscle Shoals (1); 8-0; 207
3. Oxford; 7-0; 182
4. Hueytown; 7-0; 164
5. Pinson Valley; 5-2; 136
6. Blount; 6-1; 106
7. Opelika; 6-1; 92
8. Gardendale; 6-1; 48
9. Helena; 6-1; 29
10. St. Paul’s; 5-2; 24

Others receiving votes: Stanhope Elmore (7-1) 18, Bessemer City (6-1) 12, Fort Payne (6-1) 7, Athens (6-1) 5, Clay-Chalkville (5-2) 5, Dothan (5-2) 3.

CLASS 5A

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

1. Jasper (21); 7-0; 270
2. Ramsay (2); 7-1; 211
3. Bibb Co.; 8-0; 183
4. Pleasant Grove; 6-1; 134
5. Central-Clay Co.; 5-2; 108
6. Alexandria; 6-0; 101
7. Etowah; 7-1; 87
8. Russellville; 6-1; 51
9. Faith-Mobile; 7-0; 47
10. Mortimer Jordan; 6-2; 23

Others receiving votes: Madison Aca. (5-2) 20, Briarwood (6-1) 16, Madison Co. (6-2) 16, Hamilton (6-1) 14, Sylacauga (7-1) 14, Center Point (6-2) 11, Jackson (4-3) 5.

CLASS 4A

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

1. UMS-Wright (23); 7-0; 276
2. American Chr.; 7-0; 207
3. Catholic-Montgomery; 8-0; 184
4. Northside; 7-1; 144
5. Jacksonville; 6-2; 138
6. Deshler; 6-2; 127
7. Good Hope; 6-1; 80
8. Andalusia; 5-3; 53
9. Williamson; 5-2; 27
10. Brooks; 4-3; 21

Others receiving votes: Anniston (4-3) 12, Hokes Bluff (5-2) 12, Lincoln (5-2) 10, Fayette Co. (5-2) 6, Hillcrest-Evergreen (4-4) 5, Priceville (5-2) 4, Fairview (5-2) 2, Oneonta (4-3) 2, Talladega (4-2) 1.

CLASS 3A

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

1. Piedmont (21); 7-0; 267
2. Gordo (2); 7-0; 207
3. Pike Co.; 7-0; 184
4. Randolph Co.; 6-1; 161
5. Flomaton; 6-1; 136
6. Pike Road; 8-0; 116
7. Providence Chr.; 7-1; 75
8. Susan Moore; 8-0; 58
9. Walter Wellborn; 7-1; 53
10. St. James; 6-1; 20

Others receiving votes: Fultondale (6-1) 19, Geraldine (5-2) 8, Lauderdale Co. (7-1) 4, Midfield (4-2) 3.

CLASS 2A

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

1. Fyffe (22); 7-0; 273
2. Ohatchee (1); 6-0; 191
3. Reeltown; 8-0; 182
4. Leroy; 6-1; 150
5. Aliceville; 6-1; 104
6. Collinsville; 6-1; 97
7. Red Bay; 7-0; 84
8. Luverne; 6-1; 69
9. Highland Home; 6-1; 56
10. G.W. Long; 7-0; 53

Others receiving votes: Addison (6-2) 28, Ranburne (7-0) 16, J.U. Blacksher (7-1) 7, Ariton (6-2) 1.

CLASS 1A

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

1. Mars Hill Bible (22); 7-0; 273
2. Sweet Water (1); 6-0; 207
3. Lanett; 7-0; 181
4. Isabella; 7-0; 127
5. Spring Garden; 6-1; 123
6. Decatur Heritage; 8-0; 111
7. Pickens Co.; 6-1; 107
8. Brantley; 6-1; 72
9. South Lamar; 6-1; 46
10. Maplesville; 5-2; 45

Others receiving votes: Millry (6-1) 16, Waterloo (7-1) 2, Donoho (5-1) 1.

AISA

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

1. Wilcox Aca. (17); 7-0; 249

2 (tie). Autauga Aca. (5); 4-2; 202

2 (tie). Chambers Aca. (1); 8-0; 202

4. Glenwood; 6-1; 151
5. Crenshaw Chr.; 7-0; 133
6. Bessemer Aca.; 6-3; 92
7. Edgewood; 6-1; 88
8. Monroe Aca.; 6-2; 80
9. Southern Aca.; 5-1; 59
10. Macon-East; 4-2; 26

Others receiving votes: Tuscaloosa Aca. (5-3) 25, Escambia Aca. (4-3) 4.