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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

One of the best starts to the season in recent history for the Chelsea Hornets has been rewarded with a spot in the top 10 as the Hornets join three other county teams in the Week 7 media rankings.

In the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s poll results that were released on Wednesday, Oct. 9, Chelsea earned a top 10 berth alongside the Thompson Warriors, Spain Park Jaguars and Vincent Yellow Jackets.

Movement was the theme of the week as the Hornets entered the poll, the Warriors rose and the Jags and Jackets both fell down the top 10 going into Week 8 of the regular season.

Chelsea received 22 votes in the Week 7 poll to earn the No. 10 spot in Class 6A, beat out Mountain Brook by just one vote to get in the rankings. This was after the Hornets earned the most votes of any team outside of the Class 6A top 10 for two straight weeks prior to Week 7.

As a result, Chelsea is now ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 2016, when it was ranked No. 10 in Weeks 6 and 7 before dropping out.

The Hornets improved to 6-0 with a 35-6 win over the Chilton County Tigers on Oct. 4. It is the team’s best start to the season since 2005 when it began the year 6-0 in Class 4A before advancing to the third round of the playoffs.

Chelsea is joined by another county rival in the top 10 of Class 6A in Spain Park, which slipped to No. 4 in the Week 7 rankings. The Jags received 135 votes, which was just one less than Parker in the No. 3 spot.

Spain Park remained undefeated after a 42-7 win over the Pelham Panthers on Oct. 4, a win that took the team to 6-0 on the season.

This week’s movement sets up a top 10 showdown of 6-0 teams as the Jags and Hornets clash on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. at Spain Park High School.

Thompson moved up to No. 3 in Class 7A after receiving 138 votes in this week’s poll. The Warriors are now 5-2 after winning 15-10 over the former No. 5 Hewitt-Trussville Huskies, which dropped to No. 9.

It was a wild week overall in Class 7A after Auburn defeated Central-Phenix City to move into the No. 1 spot, Enterprise upset former No. 3 Carver-Montgomery to move up to No. 5 and Mary G. Montgomery surged up to No. 4.

Thompson will look to win its second straight game as it hits the road on Oct. 11 to face the Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa Patriots, which received one vote in this week’s rankings.

Vincent took the biggest tumble in the Class 2A rankings as the Jackets fell from No. 6 to No. 9, two votes behind No. 8 Decatur Heritage with 46 votes.

They were the lone team in the Class 2A top 10 to lose last week as they took their first loss of the season in a 35-21 defeat to No. 4 Tuscaloosa Academy.

The Jackets are now 5-1 on the season and will look to bounce back when they travel to the Aliceville Yellow Jackets on Oct. 11.

After receiving votes in last week’s poll, the Shelby County Wildcats did not earn any votes after taking their second-straight loss in a 35-8 defeat to Demopolis.

Around the state, Auburn High School was the lone new No. 1 after its victory over former Class 7A No. 1 Central-Phenix City on Oct. 4.

To see the full rankings, read more below:

STATE RANKINGS

The Alabama Sports Writers Association high school football rankings with first-place votes, win-loss record and total poll points:

CLASS 7A

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

1. Auburn (18); 6-0; 216
2. Central-Phenix City; 5-1; 151
3. Thompson; 5-2; 138
4. Mary Montgomery; 6-1; 101
5. Enterprise; 4-2; 90
6. Hoover; 5-2; 79
7. Carver-Montgomery; 5-1; 74
8. Austin; 6-0; 68
9. Hewitt-Trussville; 5-2; 63
10. Baker; 5-1; 20

Others receiving votes: Opelika (6-1) 15, James Clemens (5-1) 9, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (4-3) 1, Vestavia Hills (2-4) 1.

 

CLASS 6A

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

1. Saraland (14); 6-0; 203
2. Clay-Chalkville (3); 6-0; 166
3. Parker (1); 6-1; 136
4. Spain Park; 6-0; 135
5. Oxford; 7-0; 112
6. Muscle Shoals; 5-1; 72
7. Gadsden City; 5-1; 67
8. Homewood; 6-1; 39
9. Hartselle; 5-1; 36
10. Chelsea; 6-0; 22

Others receiving votes: Mountain Brook (4-3) 21, St. Paul’s (6-0) 12, Russell Co. (6-1) 4, Spanish Fort (6-1) 1.

 

CLASS 5A

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

1. Catholic-Montgomery (13); 6-0; 201
2. Guntersville (3); 6-0; 162
3. Central-Clay Co. (2); 7-0; 156
4. Vigor; 6-0; 119
5. Fairview; 5-0; 102
6. Moody; 4-2; 95
7. Leeds; 6-1; 59
8. Williamson; 7-0; 57
9. Scottsboro; 6-1; 47
10. Corner; 5-1; 15

Others receiving votes: Russellville (4-2) 5, Demopolis (4-2) 3, Arab (5-2) 2, Carver-Birmingham (3-1) 2, Wenonah (5-1) 1.

 

CLASS 4A

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

1. Jackson (18); 6-1; 216
2. Pleasant Grove; 5-1; 151
3. Cherokee Co.; 6-1; 139
4. Bibb Co.; 6-1; 122
5. West Morgan; 6-0; 119
6. Good Hope; 6-0; 58
7. St. Michael; 5-1; 56
8. North Jackson; 5-1; 46
9. Oak Grove; 5-1; 25
10. Handley; 5-2; 21

Others receiving votes: Opp (5-1) 20, Hokes Bluff (5-1) 17, Dale Co. (5-2) 10, Alexandria (4-2) 9, BTW-Tuskegee (4-2) 4, Deshler (4-2) 4, Fairfield (5-1) 3, St. James (4-3) 3, Central-Florence (5-1) 2, Randolph (5-2) 1.

 

CLASS 3A

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

1. T.R. Miller (11); 7-0; 193
2. Mars Hill Bible (5); 6-0; 171
3. Piedmont (2); 6-0; 145
4. Thomasville; 6-0; 122
5. Fyffe; 4-2; 107
6. Gordo; 6-1; 86
7. Glenwood; 6-0; 74
8. Geraldine; 5-1; 43
9. Winfield; 6-1; 35
10. Trinity; 5-2; 14

Others receiving votes: Montgomery Aca. (6-1) 12, Houston Aca. (5-1) 7, Walter Wellborn (5-0) 6, Bayside Aca. (5-1) 4, Randolph Co. (5-1) 4, Sylvania (4-2) 2, Southside-Selma (4-2) 1.

 

CLASS 2A

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

1. Pisgah (16); 6-0; 207
2. Highland Home (1); 7-0; 158
3. Coosa Chr. (1); 6-1; 139
4. Tuscaloosa Aca.; 6-0; 133
5. Cottonwood; 7-0; 112
6. Reeltown; 6-1; 87
7. Winston Co.; 7-0; 66
8. Decatur Heritage; 4-1; 48
9. Vincent; 5-1; 46
10. Clarke Co.; 4-2; 13

Others receiving votes: Pike Liberal Arts (6-1) 7, Providence Chr. (5-1) 6, Goshen (4-2) 4.

 

CLASS 1A

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

1. Wadley (17); 6-0; 213
2. Leroy (1); 6-1; 162
3. Hackleburg; 6-0; 138
4. Spring Garden; 7-0; 113
5. Elba; 5-2; 110
6. Sweet Water; 4-2; 82
7. Maplesville; 5-1; 70
8. Lynn; 6-1; 47
9. Brantley; 4-2; 37
10. Verbena; 6-0; 17

Others receiving votes: McKenzie (6-1) 10, Georgiana (4-3) 8, Linden (5-2) 8, Autauga Aca. (5-1) 6, Southern Choctaw (5-1) 4, University Charter (5-1) 1.

 

AISA

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

1. Chambers Aca. (16); 6-1; 208
2. Lowndes Aca. (1); 5-0; 164
3. South Choctaw Aca. (1); 6-0; 146
4. Fort Dale Aca.; 5-2; 89
5. Patrician; 5-1; 74

Others receiving votes: Monroe Aca. (6-0) 69, Wilcox Aca. (3-2) 6.