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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

After a break for the holidays, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s basketball rankings are back, and multiple county teams earned their way into the top 10.

In the poll released on Thursday, Jan. 11, the Helena Huskies boys basketball team surged ahead to No. 3, the Chelsea Hornets girls basketball team is No. 8, the Thompson Warriors boys basketball team dropped to No. 10 and the Montevallo Bulldogs boys basketball team is ranked No. 9.

Highlighting this week’s batch is Helena’s move to No. 3 in the Class 6A boys basketball rankings. The Huskies were sixth in the previous poll and have caught fire as of late and are 17-4 on the season.

Helena has lost just twice since Dec. 13 and notably defeated Blount and Florida’s Choctawhatchee in its Christmas break tournament. The Huskies are coming off a 14-point win over Briarwood Christian in their area play opener on Tuesday, Jan. 9 and are back to full strength with the return of senior guard Josh Williams to the lineup.

The Chelsea Hornets checked in at No. 8 in the Class 7A girls basketball rankings. In the previous poll, the Hornets were undefeated on the year, but they have since lost three games, including to Daphne and Hartselle over Christmas break without one of their top scorers in Caroline Brown and to No. 4 Hewitt-Trussville by six points.

Despite the losses, Chelsea has picked up impressive wins over Mountain Brook, Cullman, Oxford and East Limestone, with its most recent victory being a 30-point win over Spain Park in area play.

Thompson moved down to No. 10 in the Class 7A boys basketball rankings. The Warriors have had a difficult schedule to this point and sit at 15-6, falling to fellow top 10 teams Hoover and Central-Phenix City and one the top teams in Tennessee in Lipscomb Academy.

However, Thompson has picked up key wins over Tennesee’s Stone Mountain and Florida’s Durant in the Marlin Christmas Classic as well as county wins over Oak Mountain and Helena.

The Warriors won in area play against Tuscaloosa County on Tuesday and have a chance to earn a top-10 win over No. 3 Vestavia Hills on Friday, Jan. 12.

Montevallo was rewarded for its strong start to the season with the No. 9 ranking in the Class 4A boys basketball rankings. The Bulldogs are 12-5 overall with tournament wins over Brookwood and Northside since the last rankings came out.

In addition, Montevallo is 2-1 in area play after defeating West Blocton and Holt in the last seven days. The Bulldogs can improve on that with a trip to West Blocton on Friday, Jan. 12.

To see the full rankings, read more below:

GIRLS

CLASS 7A

1. Bob Jones (19-3)
2. Sparkman (14-7)
3. Vestavia Hills (20-3)
4. Hewitt-Trussville (18-5)
5. Hoover (14-6)
6. Davidson (17-5)
7. Daphne (16-3)
8. Chelsea (20-3)
9. Auburn (15-4)
10. Foley (11-5)

Others nominated: Dothan (9-6), Enterprise (17-3), Fairhope (12-9), Prattville (12-5), Tuscaloosa Co. (13-7).

 

CLASS 6A

1. Hazel Green (20-4)
2. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (17-5)
3. Mortimer Jordan (17-2)
4. Clay-Chalkville (18-2)
5. Park Crossing (17-1)
6. Parker (14-4)
7. Huffman (16-5)
8. Pike Road (17-2)
9. Hartselle (13-5)
10. McGill-Toolen (14-7)

Others nominated: Briarwood (12-7), Fort Payne (14-8), Homewood (17-4), Lee-Huntsville (14-8), Minor (14-8), Mountain Brook (14-7), Pelham (13-9), Pell City (14-9).

 

CLASS 5A

1. Pleasant Grove (14-7)
2. Jasper (14-4)
3. Southside-Gadsden (16-4)
4. Gulf Shores (18-5)
5. Scottsboro (16-5)
6. Selma (15-0)
7. West Point (16-3)
8. Arab (14-5)
9. St. Paul’s (14-4)
10. Moody (17-2)

Others nominated: Carroll (11-5), East Limestone (11-7), Sardis (15-7).

 

CLASS 4A

1. Prattville Christian (16-4)
2. Good Hope (19-2)
3. Deshler (17-4)
4. Jackson (18-2)
5. Priceville (13-7)
6. Handley (16-4)
7. Anniston (18-3)
8. Hale Co. (15-5)
9. Geneva (10-5)
10. UMS-Wright (16-6)

Others nominated: Ashville (10-2), Cherokee Co. (17-3), Dora (13-4), Hamilton (13-5), Madison Co. (11-7), St. Michael (14-2), T.R. Miller (13-4), Talladega (13-6).

 

CLASS 3A

1. Lauderdale Co. (19-0)
2. Plainview (18-4)
3. Clements (13-7)
4. Trinity (15-4)
5. St. James (16-4)
6. Susan Moore (17-4)
7. Southside-Selma (11-3)
8. Midfield (8-9)
9. Ashford (7-5)
10. Glencoe (12-7)

Others nominated: Providence Christian (14-4).

 

CLASS 2A

1. Mars Hill Bible (11-5)
2. Cold Springs (18-3)
3. Decatur Heritage (17-3)
4. Locust Fork (14-3)
5. Lanett (10-4)
6. Sulligent (10-1)
7. Ider (12-7)
8. Sand Rock (15-6)
9. Abbeville (14-2)
10. Horseshoe Bend (13-3)

Others nominated: Cottonwood (9-4), North Sand Mountain (13-6), Pisgah (11-8), Samson (10-3).

 

CLASS 1A

1. Spring Garden (18-1)
2. Skyline (11-6)
3. Marion Co. (11-8)
4. Belgreen (16-5)
5. Elba (11-4)
6. A.L. Johnson (6-1)
7. Shoals Christian (14-6)
8. Brilliant (16-6)
9. Keith (7-7)
10. Cedar Bluff (13-7)

Others nominated: Athens Bible (10-5), Georgiana (7-6), Kinston (14-5), Waterloo (14-8).

 

AISA

1. Glenwood (17-5)
2. Edgewood (20-3)
3. Sparta (17-2)
4. Hooper (12-4)
5. Lee-Scott (11-6)
6. Southern Academy (10-2)
7. Lakeside (7-10)
8. Springwood (12-3)
9. Fort Dale Academy (NA)
10. Lowndes Academy (NA)

Others nominated: Escambia Academy (9-3).

 

BOYS

CLASS 7A

1. Huntsville (22-1)
2. Hoover (19-2)
3. Austin (19-4)
4. Mary Montgomery (18-2)
5. Vestavia Hills (16-4)
6. Auburn (19-3)
7. Central-Phenix City (17-5)
8. JAG (18-1)
9. Albertville (18-4)
10. Thompson (15-6)

Others nominated: Baker (15-6), Dothan (13-7), Enterprise (14-4), Florence (13-7), Hewitt-Trussville (16-6), James Clemens (14-7), Tuscaloosa Co. (13-9).

 

CLASS 6A

1. Buckhorn (17-5)
2. Paul Bryant (17-3)
3. Helena (17-4)
4. Mountain Brook (15-6)
5. Northridge (19-2)
6. Clay-Chalkville (16-7)
7. Pinson Valley (13-8)
8. McGill-Toolen (15-5)
9. Cullman (14-8)
10. Fort Payne (19-2)

Others nominated: Athens (12-6), Benjamin Russell (7-3), Central-Tuscaloosa (11-9), Hartselle (11-11), Hazel Green (14-10), Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (12-8), Homewood (17-5), Minor (15-5), Mortimer Jordan (15-6), Muscle Shoals (10-5), Pelham (19-5).

 

CLASS 5A

1. Fairfield (17-2)
2. Valley (11-1)
3. Madison Academy (18-4)
4. East Limestone (16-3)
5. Williamson (15-5)
6. Sardis (17-2)
7. Vigor (16-5)
8. Jasper (14-4)
9. Ramsay (13-7)
10. Scottsboro (10-7)

Others nominated: Alexandria (14-5), Carroll-Ozark (13-3), Charles Henderson (9-10), Eufaula (16-5), Guntersville (10-6), Lawrence Co. (12-9), Russellville (10-5), Selma (10-3), Springville (15-7), West Point (13-8).

 

CLASS 4A

1. Hale Co. (11-6)
2. Jacksonville (14-5)
3. White Plains (14-7)
4. Fultondale (10-6)
5. Escambia Co. (8-5)
6. Anniston (11-5)
7. Jackson (14-2)
8. Geneva (14-6)
9. Montevallo (12-5)
10. Wilcox Central (11-5)

Others nominated: American Christian (14-5), Andalusia (9-7), Brooks (14-4), Etowah (13-6), Good Hope (13-8), Hamilton (12-7), T.R. Miller (6-9).

 

CLASS 3A

1. Sumter Central (14-3)
2. Plainview (16-4)
3. Midfield (11-7)
4. Houston Academy (16-3)
5. Providence Christian (13-4)
6. Cottage Hill (13-7)
7. Geraldine (13-4)
8. Northside Methodist (12-6)
9. Lauderdale Co. (12-6)
10. Oakman (9-1)

Others nominated: Carbon Hill (14-5), Danville (14-6), Glencoe (10-6), Montgomery Academy (14-6), Piedmont (10-7).

 

CLASS 2A

1. Collinsville (13-6)
2. LaFayette (11-5)
3. Red Bay (14-5)
4. Zion Chapel (14-5)
5. Mars Hill Bible (13-2)
6. North Sand Mountain (11-8)
7. Pisgah (7-6)
8. B.B. Comer (9-3)
9. Decatur Heritage (9-8)
10. Tanner (8-6)

Others nominated: Ariton (10-5), Chickasaw (13-5), Gaston (14-5), Reeltown (2-1), Tuscaloosa Academy (9-3).

 

CLASS 1A

1. Covenant Christian (15-8)
2. Georgiana (13-2)
3. Marion Co. (15-5)
4. Spring Garden (13-3)
5. Red Level (8-5)
6. Florala (13-4)
7. Pleasant Home (12-7)
8. Woodville (18-4)
9. Skyline (13-4)
10. Addison (14-2)

Others nominated: Belgreen (11-5), Holy Spirit (9-6), Keith (9-8).

 

AISA

1. Lee-Scott (17-1)
2. Bessemer Academy (12-1)
3. Springwood (13-4)
4. Glenwood (17-5)
5. Escambia Academy (10-2)
6. Abbeville Christian (12-9)
7. Wilcox Academy (11-0)
8. Patrician (12-1)
9. Valiant Cross (13-4)
10. Evangel Christian (8-7)

Others nominated: Banks Academy (7-6), Fort Dale Academy (9-5), Lowndes Academy (12-3).