By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

Three Shelby County teams will end the season in the top 10 of their respective classifications rankings after the final ASWA poll was released on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

When the poll was released, Thompson, Briarwood and Helena were all ranked ahead of first-round playoff matchups on Friday, Nov. 8.

The highest ranked of those teams was Thompson, who finished the regular season as the No. 3 team in the 7A classification behind a record of 8-1.

Briarwood, who started the season No. 1 in Class 5A, closed the season as the No. 6 team behind an official 9-1 record after Chelsea had to vacate its season-opening win over the Lions.

In the 6A classification, Helena, who made its first appearance in the poll in school history this season, claimed the No. 7 spot after a special 9-1 season.

For the Huskies, it was an entire season of firsts and special milestones. They won eight in a row to close out the regular season and finish area play undefeated, won their first area title in school history, won their most games in school history and beat rival Pelham for the first time in school history.

Helena’s only loss of the season came to No. 6 Hueytown in the second week by a final score of 32-24. That was a game the Huskies almost came back to tie in the final minute.

Like the Huskies, Briarwood ended the season on a hot streak as winners of eight in a row. The Lions did that during the most difficult stretch of their schedule taking down then No. 2 Ramsay as well as Hueytown in the final few weeks of the season to claim the Class 5A, Region 4 Championship in a three-way tiebreaker.

The Thompson Warriors were the only team that didn’t end the season on a hot streak, but still finished the season as the county’s highest ranked team. It marks the third year in a row that the Warriors closed the season in the top five of the Class 7A standings.

Having spent much of the season at No. 1, the Warriors lost their regular-season finale to Hewitt-Trussville by six points for their only loss of the season to snap an eight-game winning streak.

The Warriors, however, had a bye week after that to fix any mistakes, making them a dangerous team heading into the 2019 postseason.

See the full ASWA rankings below:

CLASS 7A

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

1. McGill-Toolen (18); 10-0; 261
2. Central-Phenix City (5); 9-1; 220
3. Thompson; 8-1; 176
4. James Clemens; 8-2; 151
5. Hoover; 8-2; 150
6. Prattville; 8-2; 100
7. Mountain Brook; 8-2; 96
8. Vestavia Hills; 7-3; 53
9. Theodore; 8-2; 48
10. Auburn; 7-3; 33

Others receiving votes: Sparkman (8-2) 12, Florence (6-4) 6, Hewitt-Trussville (6-4) 4, Austin (7-3) 1.

CLASS 6A

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

1. Saraland (21); 10-0; 270
2. Muscle Shoals (2); 10-0; 213
3. Pinson Valley; 7-2; 177
4. Oxford; 9-1; 144
5. Opelika; 8-1; 143
6. Hueytown; 9-1; 116
7. Helena; 9-1; 94
8. Blount; 8-2; 72
9. Clay-Chalkville; 8-2; 51
10. Gardendale; 7-3; 11

Others receiving votes: Dothan (8-2) 8, Eufaula (8-2) 6, Fort Payne (8-2) 2, St. Paul’s (7-3) 2, Bessemer City (8-2) 1, Stanhope Elmore (8-2) 1.

CLASS 5A

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

1. Jasper (22); 10-0; 273
2. Bibb Co. (1); 10-0; 209
3. Pleasant Grove; 9-1; 157
4. Central-Clay Co.; 8-2; 135
5. Etowah; 9-1; 129
6. Briarwood; 9-1; 109
7. Ramsay; 8-2; 108
8. Faith-Mobile; 10-0; 101
9. Mortimer Jordan; 8-2; 50
10. Madison Co.; 8-2; 21

Others receiving votes: Russellville (8-2) 9, Alexandria (7-2) 4, Sylacauga (8-2) 4, Scottsboro (8-2) 2.

CLASS 4A

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

1. UMS-Wright (23); 9-0; 276
2. Catholic-Montgomery; 10-0; 202
3. American Chr.; 9-1; 169
4. Northside; 9-1; 163
5. Jacksonville; 8-2; 145
6. Andalusia; 7-3; 95
7. Lincoln; 8-2; 75
8. Deshler; 7-3; 65
9. Fayette Co.; 8-2; 52
10. Fairview; 8-2; 28

Others receiving votes: Hillcrest-Evergreen (6-4) 17, Oneonta (7-3) 7, Anniston (6-4) 4, Hokes Bluff (7-3) 4, Good Hope (8-2) 3, Handley (6-4) 2, St. John Paul II (8-2) 2, Williamson (7-3) 2.

CLASS 3A

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

1. Gordo (19); 10-0; 261
2. Pike Co. (4); 10-0; 218
3. Randolph Co.; 9-1; 171
4. Flomaton; 9-1; 148
5. Piedmont; 9-1; 137
6. Walter Wellborn; 9-1; 117
7. Pike Road; 10-0; 108
8. Providence Chr.; 9-1; 63
9. Susan Moore; 10-0; 51
10. St. James; 9-1; 31

Others receiving votes: Fultondale (8-2) 4, Winfield (7-3) 2.

CLASS 2A

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

1. Fyffe (22); 10-0; 273
2. Ohatchee (1); 9-0; 205
3. Collinsville; 9-1; 168
4. Red Bay; 10-0; 148
5. Luverne; 10-0; 143
6. Reeltown; 9-1; 94
7. Ranburne; 9-1; 84
8. Leroy; 8-2; 83
9. Addison; 8-2; 59
10. Aliceville; 8-2; 27

Others receiving votes: Ariton (8-2) 14, Highland Home (3-7*) 8, Cottage Hill (8-2) 2, J.U. Blacksher (8-2) 2, Cedar Bluff (7-3) 1.

*–Record includes six forfeit losses.

CLASS 1A

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

1. Mars Hill Bible (22); 10-0; 272
2. Lanett; 9-0; 198
3. Isabella; 10-0; 170
4. Sweet Water (1); 8-1; 156
5. Spring Garden; 9-1; 125
6. Decatur Heritage; 10-0; 118
7. Brantley; 9-1; 83
8. South Lamar; 9-1; 59
9. Maplesville; 8-2; 50
10. Millry; 9-1; 39

Others receiving votes: Pickens Co. (8-2) 33, Donoho (8-1) 4, Waterloo (8-2) 3, Elba (7-3) 1.

AISA

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

1. Autauga Aca. (17); 6-2; 258
2. Crenshaw Chr. (6); 9-0; 213
3. Bessemer Aca.; 8-3; 174
4. Wilcox Aca.; 9-1; 137
5. Chambers Aca.; 9-1; 133
6. Monroe Aca.; 8-2; 122
7. Tuscaloosa Aca.; 7-3; 99
8. Southern Aca.; 7-1; 67
9. Edgewood; 8-2; 49
10. Glenwood; 7-3; 30

Others receiving votes: Macon-East (7-2) 17, Escambia Aca. (7-3) 12.