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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

With two weeks left in the regular season, the same four teams that have been firmly inside the top 10 of the ASWA high school football rankings remained there on Wednesday, Oct. 20.

There was some slight change, but when the latest rankings were released, Thompson, Helena, Briarwood and Oak Mountain all remained in either the Class 7A or Class 6A top 10.

The only change came in the 7A classification for the Oak Mountain Eagles, who slid down from No. 7 to No. 10 in the latest rankings following a 48-0 loss to No. 1 Thompson.

Oak Mountain (6-2) will finish the season against Class 7A No. 8 Hewitt-Trussville and Class 6A No. Clay-Chalkville, so the Eagles will have plenty of opportunity to climb the rankings heading into the postseason.

But once again, the Thompson Warriors remained the highlight.

In this week’s rankings, the Warriors were the only unanimous No. 1 team in the standings, receiving all 20 votes in Class 7A.

Sitting at 9-0 heading into their top-two battle with No. 2 Hoover, Thompson has outscored opponents by at least 33 points in every game.

The Warriors have five shutouts on defense and have yet to give up more than nine points in a game with three combined touchdowns allowed all season, while the offense has scored 41 or more in every game of the season.

As one of the top teams in the country, Thompson will have a bye week following the battle with Hoover, as the Warriors gear up to chase down a third championship in a row.

In the 6A classification, the Helena Huskies and Briarwood Lions both remained firmly inside the top 10.

After finishing region play undefeated, the Huskies moved to 9-0 ahead of a bye week before they finish out the season against Class 5A No. 7 UMS-Wright.

Helena sits at No. 4 just behind Mountain Brook, who has one loss to Thompson this season.

The Huskies have been battle tested the last several weeks, but they have found a way to win in five consecutive games, taking each by 10 points or less.

Along that stretch, the Huskies won the region championship for the second time in three years and finished region play undefeated.

They’re now scoring 34.8 points per game and giving up 18.8 points per game. After the defense gave up 34 or more three weeks in a row, they have now given up 21 and 15 in back-to-back weeks.

The Briarwood Lions lost their last outing of the season, but that loss came to No. 3 Mountain Brook.

With that being the Lions’ only loss, they remained No. 6 in the standings following their bye week.

Briarwood’s final two games of the season include a battle with region foe Homewood for home-field advantage in the opening round of the playoffs and a road matchup against Corner.

Defensively, the Lions have now given up 22 or less points in all but one game this season, while they had given up 14 and seven in their two games before the bye week.

CLASS 7A

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

1. Thompson (20); 9-0; 240
2. Hoover; 9-0; 179
3. Central-Phenix City; 9-0; 161
4. Auburn; 7-1; 131
5. James Clemens; 9-0; 110
6. Fairhope; 7-1; 106
7. Theodore; 7-1; 76
8. Hewitt-Trussville; 7-2; 72
9. Enterprise; 7-2; 31
10. Oak Mountain; 6-2; 24

Others receiving votes: Daphne (5-2) 6, Prattville (5-3) 3, Baker (5-3) 1.

CLASS 6A

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

1. Clay-Chalkville (19); 8-0; 237
2. Hartselle (1); 9-0; 181
3. Mountain Brook; 7-1; 155
4. Helena; 9-0; 125
5. Spanish Fort; 7-1; 114
6. Briarwood; 7-1; 101
7. Saraland; 7-2; 82
8. Hueytown; 7-1; 76
9. Pinson Valley; 5-3; 20
10. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa; 6-2; 17

Others receiving votes: Opelika (6-3) 16, Muscle Shoals (7-1) 5, Jackson-Olin (6-2) 4, Gardendale (6-2) 3, Fort Payne (5-3) 1, McGill-Toolen (6-2) 1, Oxford (5-3) 1, Sidney Lanier (8-1) 1.

CLASS 5A

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

1. Pike Road (17); 7-0; 230
2. Pleasant Grove (3); 7-1; 187
3. Leeds; 9-0; 156
4. Alexandria; 8-0; 143
5. Guntersville; 7-1; 104
6. Central-Clay Co.; 7-1; 101
7. UMS-Wright; 7-1; 92
8. Russellville; 7-1; 58
9. Greenville; 7-1; 31
10. Parker; 7-1; 27

Others receiving votes: St. Paul’s (5-3) 6, Fairview (7-1) 3, Sylacauga (6-2) 2.

CLASS 4A

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

1. Madison Aca. (16); 7-1; 227
2. Vigor (3); 8-0; 181
3. American Chr. (1); 7-1; 161
4. Handley; 6-1; 130
5. Northside; 7-1; 118
6. Brooks; 8-0; 99
7. Gordo; 6-2; 91
8. St. James; 7-1; 56
9. Jackson; 7-2; 31
10. Anniston; 6-2; 23

Others receiving votes: Oneonta (8-1) 7, Priceville (7-1) 5, Bibb Co. (7-2) 4, Cherokee Co. (6-2) 2, West Limestone (5-3) 2, West Morgan (5-4) 2, Good Hope (7-2) 1.

CLASS 3A

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

1. Catholic-Montgomery (19); 9-0; 237
2. Piedmont (1); 7-1; 166
3. Fyffe; 6-1; 152
4. Winfield; 9-0; 145
5. Lauderdale Co.; 9-0; 111
6. Saks; 8-1; 97
7. Trinity; 7-1; 75
8. T.R. Miller; 6-2; 64
9. Opp; 7-2; 28
10. Bayside Aca.; 7-2; 26

Others receiving votes: Montgomery Aca. (6-2) 15, Geraldine (5-3) 12, Ohatchee (5-3) 7, Flomaton (5-2) 2, Hillcrest-Evergreen (4-5) 2, Southside-Selma (7-1) 1.

CLASS 2A

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

1. Clarke Co. (14); 7-1; 219
2. Lanett (6); 7-2; 196
3. Mars Hill Bible; 6-2; 163
4. Elba; 8-1; 142
5. Spring Garden; 8-0; 110
6. 6 (tie). Ariton; 8-1; 77
7. 6 (tie). Cleveland; 6-2; 77
8. G.W. Long; 6-1; 69
9. Luverne; 7-0; 49
10. Leroy; 6-2; 19

Others receiving votes: B.B. Comer (7-2) 9, Tanner (6-2) 5, Midfield (7-1) 3, Lexington (7-2) 2.

CLASS 1A

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

1. Brantley (16); 7-0; 227
2. Sweet Water (4); 8-0; 191
3. Maplesville; 8-0; 162
4. Pickens Co.; 7-1; 137
5. Decatur Heritage; 7-2; 108
6. Wadley; 9-0; 106
7. Notasulga; 7-1; 78
8. Keith; 6-1; 58
9. Sumiton Chr.; 7-1; 37
10. Loachapoka; 5-2; 16

Others receiving votes: Cedar Bluff (5-3) 5, Millry (5-3) 4, Samson (7-2) 4, Hackleburg (6-2) 3, Hubbertville (6-2) 3, Winterboro (4-4) 1.

AISA

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

1. Autauga Aca. (19); 8-0; 237
2. Escambia Aca.; 7-1; 177
3. Pike Liberal Arts (1); 7-1; 165
4. Chambers Aca.; 7-1; 137
5. Glenwood; 5-2; 116
6. Sparta; 7-0; 101
7. Patrician; 6-2; 80
8. Lee-Scott; 6-2; 62
9. Jackson Aca.; 7-1; 38
10. Lowndes Aca.; 6-3; 11

Others receiving votes: Macon-East (5-4) 7, Crenshaw Chr. (5-2) 5, Tuscaloosa Aca. (4-4) 4.