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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

The 2021 regular season has come to a close and with it came the final ASWA football rankings of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 3.

As for much of the season, the final rankings showcased the same four local teams. Three of them finished inside the top 10, two inside the top five and one just one spot outside of the top 10.

The Thompson Warriors were the highlight most of the season, spending the majority of the year atop the Class 7A standings. Despite their loss to Hoover two weeks ago to end the regular season, they only slid one spot in the standings to No. 2.

That’s where the Warriors remained for the final regular-season rankings, as they headed into the postseason looking to kick start a path to three-peating as state champions.

Thompson finished the regular season 9-1 with an average of 46.9 points per game on the offensive side, while the defense gave up just five points per game.

The lone loss came in a 24-21 loss to the No. 1 Buccaneers to close out the regular season with their backup quarterback playing the entire second half. Outside of that game, however, the offense scored 42 or more in every game and the defense gave up nine or less with five shutouts.

In the 6A classification, the Briarwood Lions were able to have similar success and slid back into the top five to close out the regular season.

The Lions came in at No. 5 in the 6A poll thanks to a two-game win streak to end the regular season following their lone loss—a 14-0 battle against No. 3 Mountain Brook.

Briarwood finished the regular season 9-1 overall with an offense that scored 33.6 points per game and a defense that gave up 17.1 points per game.

The Lions gave up 22 points or less in all but a 42-35 win against Chelsea, while that side of the ball gave up 18 or less in the final four games of the season and seven times this year.

Sliding outside of the top five in the 6A standings after several weeks at No. 4 was Helena.

The Huskies still finished off a historic 9-1 regular season ranked No. 8 with their lone loss coming to Class 5A No. 4 UMS-Wright in the final week of the season by a score of 31-21.

Beyond that, Helena won its first nine games of the season, including seven by 13 points or less, showing clutch play late in several games.

The 9-1 record matched Helena’s best regular-season record, tying with the 2019 team.

The Oak Mountain Eagles were also close to finishing inside the top 10 in the 7A standings.

With a record of 6-4, the Eagles received the most votes outside of the top 10 in Class 7A to finish No. 11.

Oak Mountain played one of the state’s most difficult schedules, especially over the final three weeks. All of their losses are to top-10 teams in either Class 7A or 6A, while three of their four losses came to top-two teams in those classifications.

The Eagles fell by seven to current 7A No. 1 Hoover, lost to 7A No. 2 Thompson, lost to 6A No. 1 Clay-Chalkville and lost to 7A No. 8 Hewitt-Trussville.

They also played without their starting quarterback for the final two losses of the season and the second half of the Thompson game.

Oak Mountain finished the regular season giving up 20.2 points per game and scoring 21.8 points per game.

See the full rankings below:

CLASS 7A

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

1. Hoover (19); 10-0; 237
2. Thompson; 9-1; 179
3. Central-Phenix City (1); 10-0; 164
4. Auburn; 8-2; 119
5. James Clemens; 10-0; 118
6. Fairhope; 9-1; 110
7. Theodore; 9-1; 81
8. Hewitt-Trussville; 8-2; 69
9. Prattville; 7-3; 38
10. Baker; 7-3; 18

Others receiving votes: Oak Mountain (6-4) 4, Enterprise (7-3) 3.

CLASS 6A

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

1. Clay-Chalkville (19); 10-0; 237
2. Hartselle (1); 10-0; 180
3. Mountain Brook; 9-1; 161
4. Spanish Fort; 9-1; 128
5. Briarwood; 9-1; 112
6. Saraland; 8-2; 98
7. Hueytown; 9-1; 84
8. Helena; 9-1; 56
9. Pinson Valley; 7-3; 36
10. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa; 8-2; 25

Others receiving votes: Opelika (7-3) 13, Muscle Shoals (9-1) 7, Gardendale (8-2) 3.

CLASS 5A

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

1. Pike Road (16); 9-0; 228
2. Pleasant Grove (3); 8-1; 181
3. Alexandria (1); 10-0; 169
4. UMS-Wright; 9-1; 129
5. Guntersville; 9-1; 123
6. Leeds; 9-1; 87
7. Parker; 9-1; 77
8. Central-Clay Co.; 8-2; 55
9. Russellville; 8-2; 42
10. St. Paul’s; 7-3; 28

Others receiving votes: Fairview (9-1) 11, Tallassee (7-2) 9, Sylacauga (7-3) 1.

CLASS 4A

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

1. Madison Aca. (19); 9-1; 237
2. American Chr. (1); 9-1; 182
3. Vigor; 9-1; 147
4. Northside; 9-1; 130
5. Brooks; 10-0; 115
6. Gordo; 8-2; 97
7. Handley; 7-2; 89
8. St. James; 9-1; 63
9. Jackson; 8-2; 40
10. Anniston; 5-4; 20

Others receiving votes: Bibb Co. (8-2) 7, Priceville (9-1) 7, Oneonta (9-1) 5, Randolph (9-1) 1.

CLASS 3A

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

1. Catholic-Montgomery (19); 10-0; 237
2. Fyffe; 8-1; 166
3. Winfield; 10-0; 152
4. Piedmont (1); 8-2; 143
5. Saks; 9-1; 118
6. T.R. Miller; 8-2; 91
7. Lauderdale Co.; 9-1; 82
8. Opp; 8-2; 43
9. Trinity; 8-2; 39
10. Bayside Aca.; 8-2; 35

Others receiving votes: Geraldine (7-3) 14, Ohatchee (8-2) 12, Montgomery Aca. (7-3) 3, Slocomb (7-3) 3, Hillcrest-Evergreen (5-5) 1, Southside-Selma (9-1) 1.

CLASS 2A

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

1. Lanett (18); 8-2; 234
2. Clarke Co. (2); 8-2; 165
3. Elba; 9-1; 156
4. Mars Hill Bible; 7-3; 134
5. Spring Garden; 10-0; 132
6. Ariton; 9-1; 100
7. Cleveland; 8-2; 80
8. G.W. Long; 8-1; 74
9. B.B. Comer; 8-2; 37
10. Luverne; 8-1; 8

Others receiving votes: Midfield (8-1) 6, Leroy (2-8) 5, Pisgah (7-3) 3, Orange Beach (9-1) 2, Aliceville (7-3) 1, Isabella (7-3) 1, LaFayette (7-3) 1, Tanner (7-3) 1.

CLASS 1A

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

1. Brantley (16); 9-0; 228
2. Sweet Water (4); 9-0; 191
3. Maplesville; 9-1; 143
4. Decatur Heritage; 8-2; 129
5. Pickens Co.; 8-2; 117
6. Notasulga; 8-1; 95
7. Keith; 8-1; 87
8. Wadley; 9-1; 86
9. Hubbertville; 7-2; 33
10. Kinston; 7-3; 11

Others receiving votes: Loachapoka (6-3) 8, Meek (7-3) 3, Winterboro (6-4) 3, Millry (7-3) 2, Ragland (8-2) 2, Cedar Bluff (6-4) 1, R.A. Hubbard (6-4) 1.

AISA

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

1. Autauga Aca. (20); 10-0; 240
2. Escambia Aca.; 9-1; 177
3. Pike Liberal Arts; 9-1; 163
4. Chambers Aca.; 9-1; 140
5. Patrician; 7-2; 114
6. Lee-Scott; 7-2; 95
7. Jackson Aca.; 8-1; 83
8. Sparta; 8-1; 57
9. Lowndes Aca.; 8-3; 36
10. Glenwood; 5-4; 19

Others receiving votes: Macon-East (7-4) 8, Tuscaloosa Aca. (5-4) 7, Crenshaw Chr. (6-3) 1.