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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

When the latest ASWA football rankings were released on Wednesday morning, Sept. 22, there was little shift in the standings for local teams, but two did move up in the standings.

The Briarwood Lions and Helena Huskies both improved their ranking by one spot, while Thompson remained No. 1 and the Oak Mountain Eagles only fell one spot to No. 10 after last week’s seven-point loss to No. 2 Hoover.

Briarwood remained the second-highest team in the county, moving up to No. 3 in this week’s Class 6A top 10 after taking down Huffman 42-14.

The Lions have now scored 42 points in four consecutive games, just missing out on that total in the opener in a 41-17 win against Madison Academy.

Now 5-0 on the season, the Lions sit just ahead of region foe Mountain Brook at No. 4 with the two teams scheduled for a big showdown on Friday, Oct. 8 at Mountain Brook.

Briarwood also still has matchups left against Homewood and Shades Valley, meaning the team’s final three region games will be against opponents with a combined region record of 6-1.

The Helena Huskies also jumped up one spot in the 6A standings this week thanks to moving from No. 10 to No. 9.

The Huskies received 53 points in the voting, which was one point behind defending state champ Pinson Valley for the eighth spot and six points behind Opelika for the seventh spot.

Both of those teams have two losses on the season, while Helena is now 5-0 following a win against Pelham.

The Huskies, however, have a showdown with No. 6 McAdory, who is also 5-0, on Sept. 24 that will give them an opportunity to shoot up the rankings heading into the second half of region play.

So far, Helena is scoring 34.2 points per game and giving up just 11.6.

The Thompson Warriors have cemented themselves as the unanimous No. 1 team for most of the season, and that was no different during the most recent poll.

With their biggest win of the season against previous No. 4 Hewitt-Trussville, now No. 6, the Warriors improved to 5-0 on the season.

Thompson has scored 42 or more in every game for an average of 51.8 points per game, while the defense has yet to give up double digits in any game and has given up just 12 combined points and only one touchdown for an average of 2.4 points per game.

The Warriors look to be battling Hoover for the region championship this year, a game that will close out region play on Friday, Oct. 22.

Thompson, however, still has a long trek of games against Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Gadsden City and a strong Oak Mountain team before getting to the matchup against the Bucs.

As for the Oak Mountain Eagles, they only fell one spot from No. 9 to No. 10 in this week’s Class 7A standings after a difficult 28-21 loss to No. 2 Hoover.

The Eagles got off to their second 4-0 start in school history and for the second year in a row this season before the loss.

The offense has done most of its damage in the second half of games this season, but has scored 24 or less the last four games in a row for an average of 25.8 this season.

Defensively, however, Oak mountain has given up 48 less points through the first five games that it did last year. The Eagles are giving up an average of 13.6 and have given up 28 or less in every game, and 19 or less outside of the Hoover loss.

Following a bye on Sept. 24, Oak Mountain will have big back-to-back matchups against Spain Park and Tuscaloosa County that should determine the team’s playoff fate ahead of top-10 battles with Thompson and Hewitt-Trussville to close out region play.

See the entire rankings below:

CLASS 7A

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

1. Thompson (22); 5-0; 264
2. Hoover; 5-0; 195
3. Auburn; 5-0; 176
4. Central-Phenix City; 5-0; 154
5. Theodore; 5-0; 127
6. Hewitt-Trussville; 4-1; 103
7. James Clemens; 5-0; 98
8. Fairhope; 4-1; 56
9. Enterprise; 4-1; 32
10. Oak Mountain; 4-1; 29

Others receiving votes: Baker (4-1) 12, Prattville (4-1) 6, Daphne (2-2) 2.

CLASS 6A

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

1. Spanish Fort (19); 5-0; 255
2. Clay-Chalkville (3); 5-0; 207
3. Briarwood; 5-0; 170
4. Mountain Brook; 5-0; 153
5. Hartselle; 5-0; 130
6. McAdory; 5-0; 99
7. Opelika; 3-2; 59
8. Pinson Valley; 3-2; 54
9. Helena; 5-0; 53
10. Jackson-Olin; 4-0; 42

Others receiving votes: Hueytown (4-1) 17, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (3-2) 5, Northridge (5-0) 5, Homewood (4-1) 4, Muscle Shoals (5-0) 1.

CLASS 5A

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

1. Pike Road (20); 5-0; 256
2. *Pleasant Grove (2); 3-1; 197
3. Central-Clay Co.; 5-0; 182
4. Leeds; 5-0; 152
5. Alexandria; 4-0; 128
6. Russellville; 5-0; 106
7. Guntersville; 4-1; 76
8. UMS-Wright; 3-1; 67
9. Greenville; 4-0; 41
10. Faith-Mobile; 3-2; 26

Others receiving votes: Parker (5-0) 15, St. Paul’s (2-3) 6, Andalusia (3-2) 1, Ardmore (4-0) 1.

CLASS 4A

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

1. Handley (20); 3-0; 255
2. Madison Aca. (2); 4-1; 193
3. Vigor; 5-0; 173
4. American Chr.; 4-1; 162
5. Gordo; 4-1; 133
6. Williamson; 3-2; 84
7. Northside; 4-1; 71
8. West Limestone; 3-1; 57
9. Central-Florence; 5-0; 42
10. Bibb Co.; 4-1; 24

Others receiving votes: Brooks (5-0) 15, Etowah (3-1) 15, Cherokee Co. (3-1) 9, St. James (4-1) 8, Jacksonville (3-2) 4, Anniston (3-1) 3, West Blocton (5-0) 3, Cleburne Co. (4-1) 1, Randolph (5-0) 1, St. Michael (3-1) 1.

CLASS 3A

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

1. Fyffe (21); 4-0; 261
2. Piedmont (1); 4-0; 197
3. Catholic-Montgomery; 5-0; 180
4. Flomaton; 4-0; 146
5. Trinity; 5-0; 127
6. Montgomery Aca.; 4-1; 101
7. Opp; 4-1; 63
8. Plainview; 3-1; 47
9. Winfield; 5-0; 45
10. T.R. Miller; 4-1; 27

Others receiving votes: Geraldine (3-1) 19, Lauderdale Co. (5-0) 13, Saks (4-1) 11, Bayside Aca. (3-2) 4, Excel (3-1) 4, Hillcrest-Evergreen (2-3) 4, Slocomb (2-2) 2, Southside-Selma (3-1) 2, Ohatchee (2-3) 1.

CLASS 2A

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

1. Mars Hill Bible (16); 3-1; 246
2. Lanett (6); 4-1; 216
3. Clarke Co.; 3-1; 170
4. Elba; 4-1; 129
5. Ariton; 5-0; 117
6. Falkville; 3-1; 102
7. Spring Garden; 3-1; 77
8. Geneva Co.; 3-1; 59
9. Leroy; 4-0; 47
10. Cleveland; 3-1; 36

Others receiving votes: Southeastern-Blount (4-0) 14, Colbert Co. (4-1) 13, G.W. Long (2-1) 12, Sand Rock (3-1) 7, Luverne (3-0) 5, B.B. Comer (3-2) 2, Midfield (3-1) 1, Tanner (3-2) 1

CLASS 1A

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

1. Brantley (19); 3-0; 252
2. Sweet Water (3); 4-0; 202
3. Pickens Co.; 4-0; 178
4. Maplesville; 5-0; 160
5. Millry; 4-0; 131
6. Keith; 5-0; 91
7. Notasulga; 5-0; 74
8. Decatur Heritage; 3-2; 65
9. Wadley; 5-0; 54
10. Loachapoka; 2-1; 22

Others receiving votes: Marion Co. (4-1) 12, Samson (4-1) 9, Sumiton Chr. (3-1) 3, *Winterboro (2-3) 1.

AISA

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

1. Escambia Aca. (22); 4-0; 264
2. Autauga Aca.; 4-0; 195
3. Pike Liberal Arts; 4-1; 174
4. Chambers Aca.; 5-0; 157
5. Glenwood; 3-2; 115
6. Sparta; 4-0; 92
7. Jackson Aca.; 4-0; 81
8. Morgan Aca.; 3-1; 52
9. Bessemer Aca.; 1-2; 32
10. Patrician; 2-2; 29

Others receiving votes: Crenshaw Chr. (3-1) 28, Tuscaloosa Aca. (2-2) 26, Lee-Scott (2-2) 6, Monroe Aca. (2-2) 3.

*–Record includes a forfeit loss for use of an ineligible player.