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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

After a strong start to the season in their return to Class 6A, the Chelsea Hornets have earned a spot among the classification’s best in the first media rankings of the season.

Chelsea checked in at No. 3 in the first girls basketball media rankings of the 2024-25 season when the Alabama Sports Writers Association released its top 10 for each classification on Thursday, Dec. 19. The Hornets were the lone team from Shelby County named to the top 10.

Chelsea was 9-4 as of the poll’s release after their most recent win over Parker by 53 points at the Fran Braasch Invitational at Vestavia Hills High School on Saturday, Dec. 14.

The Hornets have notable wins over county foes Thompson, Oak Mountain and Calera as well as victories over Homewood, Hueytown, Dora and Childersburg. They have played in two neutral site tournaments, going 3-0 at the Thompson Thanksgiving Invitational and 1-1 at the Fran Braasch Invitational.

Of the Hornets’ four losses, three are to the top three teams in Class 7A, and two of those were at neutral sites.

Chelsea lost by 11 to No. 1 Hoover at a showcase at Priceville High School and 10 points to No. 3 Vestavia Hills at home. Their most recent loss was to undefeated No. 2 Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa in the Fran Braasch Invitational, and their other defeat was to 6A No. 6 Mountain Brook.

The Hornets will have a chance to improve its resume and pass 6A No. 1 Park Crossing and No. 2 Hazel Green in a pair of tournaments over Christmas break.

They will first participate in the Big Orange Classic at Hoover High School from Dec. 19-21 and will face Homewood, Bob Jones and Clay-Chalkville. Then, they will take on No. 5 Hartselle and Oxford at the Athens Border Wars on Dec. 27 and 28 at Athens High School.

The Christmas break schedule will wrap with a trip to Northridge on Monday, Dec. 30 before the area opener against Helena on Friday, Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. at Chelsea High School.

Chelsea finished the 2023-24 season as the No. 8 ranked team in Class 7A and went on to reach the Elite Eight where they would fall to the eventual state runner-up Hewitt-Trussville Huskies.

To see the full rankings for each classification, read more below:

HIGH SCHOOL STATE RANKINGS

The Alabama Sports Writers Association high school basketball rankings, the first of the season. The next rankings will appear Jan. 9.

GIRLS

CLASS 7A

1. Hoover (11-2)
2. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (16-0)
3. Vestavia Hills (12-1)
4. Auburn (13-2)
5. Foley (14-0)
6. Bob Jones (10-4)
7. Hewitt-Trussville (11-3)
8. Daphne (9-4)
9. Albertville (13-2)
10. Central-Phenix City (10-1)

Others nominated: Davidson (9-6), Dothan (9-4), Enterprise (6-6), Fairhope (7-4), Huntsville (8-6), James Clemens (8-8), Prattville (12-3), Sparkman (7-7).

 

CLASS 6A

1. Park Crossing (15-0)
2. Hazel Green (11-4)
3. Chelsea (9-4)
4. Mortimer Jordan (9-4)
5. Hartselle (13-2)
6. Mountain Brook (11-4)
7. Buckhorn (9-6)
8. Fort Payne (12-2)
9. McGill-Toolen (8-5)
10. Gardendale (8-4)

Others nominated: Benjamin Russell (12-4), Blount (10-5), Central-Tuscaloosa (10-5), Cullman (9-7), Helena (7-6), Northridge (11-3).

 

CLASS 5A

1. Scottsboro (11-1)
2. Ramsay (11-3)
3. Moody (5-2)
4. Guntersville (8-5)
5. Wenonah (16-3)
6. West Point (12-2)
7. Sardis (13-2)
8. St. Paul’s (13-1)
9. Selma (6-1)
10. Priceville (8-5)

Others nominated: Andalusia (6-1), Briarwood (7-7), Carroll (8-3), Jacksonville (11-3), UMS-Wright (11-3).

 

CLASS 4A

1. Good Hope (10-2)
2. Trinity (9-3)
3. Pleasant Grove (14-3)
4. Plainview (14-3)
5. Deshler (8-4)
6. Madison Academy (14-1)
7. Prattville Christian (9-4)
8. Jackson (4-2)
9. Geneva (10-4)
10. Danville (12-2)

Others nominated: Cherokee Co. (8-1), Dora (10-5), East Lawrence (9-3), Madison Co. (9-4), Opp (5-3), Wilson (13-2).

 

CLASS 3A

1. Lauderdale Co. (11-0)
2. St. James (13-1)
3. Hale Co. (11-5)
4. Mars Hill Bible (7-3)
5. Glencoe (10-3)
6. Midfield (11-2)
7. Holly Pond (11-4)
8. Locust Fork (7-2)
9. Vinemont (9-3)
10. Wicksburg (11-2)

Others nominated: Colbert Co. (7-2), Collinsville (5-3), Clements (5-7), T.R. Miller (4-0).

 

CLASS 2A

1. Decatur Heritage (12-3)
2. Winston Co. (11-0)
3. Lexington (9-2)
4. Cold Springs (7-5)
5. Sand Rock (11-2)
6. Belgreen (12-2)
7. Lanett (6-4)
8. Abbeville (10-0)
9. Sulligent (7-3)
10. Pisgah (7-3)

Others nominated: Cedar Bluff (9-4), Luverne (10-5), North Sand Mountain (9-5), Providence Christian (7-3), Vincent (6-2), Washington Co. (7-2), Westminster-Oak Mountain (5-5).

 

CLASS 1A

1. Spring Garden (10-0)
2. Ider (13-1)
3. Winterboro (10-1)
4. Kinston (13-0)
5. Marion Co. (9-4)
6. Keith (10-2)
7. Elba (2-0)
8. R.C. Hatch (9-2)
9. Brilliant (8-3)
10. McIntosh (7-2)

Others nominated: Georgiana (5-5), Hackleburg (8-4).

 

AISA

1. Springwood (8-0)
2. Fort Dale Academy (5-1)
3. Macon East (6-3)
4. Hooper (8-3)
5. Ezekiel Academy (11-2)
6. Evangel-Montgomery (7-3)
7. Edgewood Academy (6-5)
8. North River (9-2)
9. Lowndes Academy (NA)
10. Chambers Academy (6-4)

Others nominated: None.

 

 

BOYS

CLASS 7A

1. Hoover (13-0)
2. Huntsville (14-0)
3. Central-Phenix City (11-3)
4. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (12-2)
5. James Clemens (11-5)
6. Austin (10-3)
7. Baker (11-3)
8. Dothan (13-1)
9. Auburn (13-3)
10. Enterprise (8-1)

Others nominated: Bob Jones (8-7), Fairhope (9-2), Florence (9-3), Hewitt-Trussville (10-3), Oak Mountain (13-2), Vestavia Hills (8-3).

 

CLASS 6A

1. Clay-Chalkville (10-5)
2. Huffman (13-3)
3. Cullman (12-1)
4. Oxford (10-4)
5. Mountain Brook (11-3)
6. Buckhorn (8-4)
7. Pinson Valley (10-4)
8. Hazel Green (9-4)
9. Jemison-Huntsville (10-4)
10. Northridge (10-4)

Others nominated: Athens (10-2), Fort Payne (8-3), Hartselle (8-5), Helena (8-4), Jasper (8-4), McAdory (8-6), McGill-Toolen (7-5), Minor (9-3), Murphy (9-3), Paul Bryant (9-5), Pelham (9-7), Saraland (11-2).

 

CLASS 5A

1. Ramsay (10-5)
2. Wenonah (10-5)
3. Williamson (9-2)
4. Guntersville (8-3)
5. Selma (7-0)
6. LeFlore (7-4)
7. Carroll-Ozark (9-3)
8. Leeds (10-3)
9. Andalusia (5-2)
10. Brewer (11-1)

Others nominated: Briarwood (8-5), Charles Henderson (8-5), East Limestone (9-4), Russellville (4-2), UMS-Wright (7-4).

 

CLASS 4A

1. Fairfield (13-1)
2. Madison Academy (8-4)
3. Plainview (10-4)
4. Good Hope (11-1)
5. Jackson (1-1)
6. BTW-Tuskegee (12-1)
7. Alexandria (7-1)
8. Hokes Bluff (9-2)
9. New Hope (8-4)
10. Cherokee Co. (2-2)

Others nominated: Central-Florence (8-1), Deshler (7-4), Escambia Co. (6-4), Randolph (9-4), Tarrant (9-4), Wilson (11-3).

 

CLASS 3A

1. Midfield (8-4)
2. Montgomery Academy (9-1)
3. Hale Co. (9-5)
4. Hillcrest-Evergreen (10-4)
5. Mars Hill Bible (8-1)
6. Lee-Scott (13-1)
7. Southside-Selma (6-1)
8. Sumter Central (6-3)
9. Glencoe (12-3)
10. Wilcox Central (9-4)

Others nominated: Carbon Hill (10-1), Colbert Co. (7-3), Collinsville (7-3), Geraldine (8-4), Houston Academy (1-1), Lauderdale Co. (7-4), Piedmont (4-2), Whitesburg Christian (6-6).

 

CLASS 2A

1. Section (9-2)
2. Pisgah (5-1)
3. Providence Christian (9-1)
4. Abbeville (10-1)
5. Decatur Heritage (5-5)
6. Red Bay (10-4)
7. Tuscaloosa Academy (4-0)
8. Sand Rock (8-5)
9. North Sand Mountain (4-7)
10. G.W. Long (10-3)

Others nominated: Vincent (5-4), Westminster-Oak Mountain (4-5).

 

CLASS 1A

1. Skyline (10-2)
2. Oakwood (10-4)
3. Georgiana (7-2)
4. Spring Garden (8-0)
5. Pleasant Home (9-0)
6. Florala (7-1)
7. R.C. Hatch (6-2)
8. McKenzie (5-1)
9. Coosa Christian (6-1)
10. Sumiton Christian (9-1)

Others nominated: Hackleburg (6-3).

 

AISA

1. Valiant Cross (9-0)
2. Hooper (10-0)
3. Evangel-Montgomery (8-1)
4. Bessemer Academy (6-0)
5. Edgewood (9-3)
6. Wilcox Academy (3-1)
7. Escambia Academy (10-2)
8. Abbeville Christian (5-4)
9. Hope-Oxford (9-2)
10. Springwood (2-3)

Others nominated: Fort Dale Academy (2-3), Patrician (4-0), Sparta (3-3).