DAVID MUNDEE
For the first time since 2016, the Elba Tigers go into a season as a No. 1 ranked team in the state rankings.
Elba was voted as the top team in Class 1A in the preseason Alabama Sports Writers Association state poll, released Wednesday morning. The Tigers, who went 13-1 and reached the state semifinals last year, earned 12 first-place votes among the 19 voting members.
Elba finished 23 points ahead of the second-place ranked team, Leroy, the defending 1A state champs who received the other seven first-place votes.
Head coach Marc Sieving’s Tigers feature six returning starters on both offense and defense, including two-time Class 1A State Back of the Year winner in running back Alvin Henderson, an Auburn commitment, and quarterback/linebacker Cayden Adkins, a Georgia State commitment.
It’s the sixth time Elba has been No. 1 before a season. They were also preseason No 1 in 1980, 1990, 1993, 2012 and 2016. The last four of those seasons came after a state title the year before.
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Elba is one of five Dothan Eagle coverage teams overall in the opening ASWA rankings – Enterprise and Dothan are in the Class 7A rankings, Houston Academy in the 3A poll and Cottonwood in the Class 2A version.
Enterprise (9-3 last year) is ranked No 3 and Dothan (8-3 last year) at No. 6 in Class 7A, part of four 7A, Region 2 teams in the top six in the poll. Defending region and state champion Central of Phenix City is No. 1 and Auburn is No. 4. Carver of Montgomery, which joins 7A, Region 2 this year, was the second highest team in others receiving votes.
Houston Academy, 10-2 last year, is No. 9 in the Class 3A preseason poll. The Raiders remained in Class 3A, Region 2, but have six new region opponents, including Trinity of Montgomery, which opens the preseason ranked No. 2 in the state.
Cottonwood, which finished 10-2 last year and lost to eventual state runner-up Reeltown in the second round, enters the year at No. 5 in the Class 2A poll. The Bears are the only 2A, Region 2 team that received votes.
Four other Dothan Eagle coverage teams received votes but didn’t reach the top 10. Those four teams are Eufaula and Headland in Class 5A, Opp in Class 4A and Goshen in Class 2A.
STATE RANKINGS
The preseason Alabama Sports Writers Association high school football rankings with first-place votes, last year’s win-loss record and total poll points:
CLASS 7A
2023 champion: Central-Phenix City
Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts
1. Central-Phenix City (12); 13-0; 207
2. Thompson (7); 11-2; 192
3. Enterprise; 9-3; 128
4. Auburn; 9-3; 126
5. Hoover; 5-7; 95
6. Dothan; 8-3; 90
7. Mary Montgomery; 12-1; 77
8. Hewitt-Trussville; 9-4; 66
9. Vestavia Hills; 9-3; 39
10. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa*; 12-1; 33
Others receiving votes: Austin (8-3) 17, Carver-Montgomery* (7-4) 11, James Clemens (7-4) 2.
*—Played in 6A last season.
CLASS 6A
2023 champion: Clay-Chalkville
Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts
1. Saraland (16); 14-1; 219
2. Parker (2); 12-2; 168
3. Clay-Chalkville (1); 14-0; 155
4. Gulf Shores**; 15-0; 118
5. Spain Park*; 7-3; 101
6. Oxford; 9-3; 80
7. Pike Road; 11-3; 74
8. Muscle Shoals; 11-1; 50
9. Gadsden City; 9-4; 36
10. Mountain Brook; 8-4; 31
Others receiving votes: Hartselle (9-3) 16, Helena (9-3) 12, Fort Payne (7-5) 8, Theodore (7-4) 8, Homewood (6-5) 6, Benjamin Russell (10-3) 1.
*—Played in 7A last season. **—Played in 5A last season.
CLASS 5A
2023 champion: Gulf Shores
Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts
1. Ramsay (10); 12-3; 191
2. Moody (7); 10-3; 177
3. Guntersville; 11-2; 149
4. Catholic-Montgomery** (2); 15-0; 133
5. Central-Clay Co.; 10-1; 129
6. Leeds; 9-3; 70
7. Briarwood*; 6-6; 53
8. Center Point*; 7-4; 39
9. Fairview; 9-2; 36
10. Demopolis; 10-3; 30
Others receiving votes: Andalusia** (10-2) 29, Eufaula (10-4) 26, Vigor$ (7-3) 13, Scottsboro (8-3) 4, Headland (10-3) 3, Boaz (6-6) 1.
*—Played in 6A last season. **—Played in 4A last season. $—Record includes one forfeit loss.
CLASS 4A
2023 champion: Catholic-Montgomery
Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts
1. Jackson (11); 11-1; 203
2. Cherokee Co. (6); 13-2; 183
3. Pleasant Grove* (1); 10-2; 152
4. Bibb Co.; 10-2; 108
5. Madison Aca.**; 14-1; 95
6. Mobile Chr.** (1); 15-0; 86
7. Handley; 10-2; 71
8. Dora; 8-3; 46
9. Anniston; 6-4; 43
10. St. James**; 11-3; 34
Others receiving votes: Deshler (8-4) 20, Brooks (8-5) 16, Oak Grove (6-5) 9, West Morgan (12-1) 6, Opp** (4-7) 4, Straughn (10-2) 2, Westminster-Huntsville (11-3) 2, American Chr. (8-3) 1, North Jackson (4-7) 1, St. Michael (6-5) 1.
*—Played in 5A last season. **—Played in 3A last season.
CLASS 3A
2023 champion: Mobile Chr.
Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts
1. Fyffe** (19); 14-1; 228
2. Trinity; 11-2; 131
3. T.R. Miller*; 8-4; 114
4. Gordo; 10-2; 109
5. Mars Hill Bible; 10-2; 85
6. Geraldine; 12-2; 76
7. Piedmont; 5-7; 75
8. Sylvania; 10-3; 70
9. Houston Aca.; 10-2; 55
10. Thomasville; 10-2; 54
Others receiving votes: Southside-Selma (7-4) 18, Bayside Aca.* (8-3) 14, Randolph Co. (10-2) 14, B.B. Comer (13-1) 11, Ohatchee (5-5) 9, Lauderdale Co. (12-1) 7, Walter Wellborn (7-4) 5, Collinsville** (8-3) 4, Westbrook Chr. (5-5) 3, Locust Fork (12-1) 1.
*—Played in 4A last season. **—Played in 2A last season.
CLASS 2A
2023 champion: Fyffe
Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts
1. Pisgah (14); 12-2; 212
2. Coosa Chr.*$ (4); 8-6; 148
3. Highland Home; 10-2; 140
4. Tuscaloosa Aca.; 10-3; 133
5. Cottonwood; 10-2; 114
6. Clarke Co.; 7-6; 95
7. Decatur Heritage*; 9-2; 60
8. Vincent; 6-5; 56
9. Reeltown (1); 13-1; 45
10. Sulligent; 9-3; 44
Others receiving votes: Pleasant Valley (5-6) 30, Goshen (9-3) 3, Cedar Bluff* (5-6) 2, West End-Walnut Grove (5-6) 1.
*—Played in 1A last season. $—Record includes four forfeit losses.
CLASS 1A
2023 champion: Leroy
Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts
1. Elba (12); 13-1; 204
2. Leroy (7); 14-0; 181
3. Wadley; 11-2; 122
4. Sweet Water; 9-2; 121
5. Hackleburg; 11-2; 115
6. Brantley; 8-5; 102
7. Georgiana; 9-3; 58
8. Maplesville; 8-5; 56
9. Spring Garden; 8-3; 42
10. Pickens Co.; 10-4; 40
Others receiving votes: Lynn (10-2) 30, Addison (8-3) 8, Florala (7-4) 4.
AISA (top 5)
Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts
1. Chambers Aca. (17); 12-1; 222
2. Banks Aca. (2); 11-2; 176
3. Bessemer Aca.; 4-7; 148
4. Lowndes Aca.; 13-0; 134
5. Fort Dale Aca.; 9-3; 75
Others receiving votes: Wilcox Aca. (10-4) 18, Edgewood (4-7) 7, Clarke Prep (8-5) 6, Jackson Aca. (9-3) 6, Patrician (8-4) 6.
NOTE: The AISA’s 22 11-man teams are divided into two classifications this season.
VOTING PANEL
Andrew Garner, Atmore Advance
Andrew Simonson, Shelby Co. Reporter
Anna Snyder, Tuscaloosa News
Ben Thomas, AL.com
Caleb Suggs, Decatur Daily
Chris McCarthy, Messenger
David Mundee, Dothan Eagle
Dennis Victory, AL.com
Jake Winfrey, Cullman Times
James Jones, Selma Times-Journal
Jason Bowen, Jackson Co. Sentinel
Joe Medley, EASportstoday
Johnathan Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle
Kyle Parmley, Starnes Media
Maxwell Donaldson, Gadsden Times
Shannon fa*gan, WEIS Radio
Stacy Long, Florence TimesDaily
Thomas Ashworth, AL.com
Tripp Norris, Opp News
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