Gophers reach No. 1 for 1^st time in 90 seasons 

By PAUL BEAUDRY
For The ASWA 

It took 90 years, but Hueytown's football team finally reached the top during the season.

With No. 1 Briarwood Christian's loss to Vestavia Hills on Friday, the Golden Gophers took the step from No. 2 to No. 1 in this week's Alabama Sports Writers Association's high school football poll.

Not only did Hueytown pick up the top spot, but it also garnered 30 of the 31 available first-place votes in this week's poll. Prior to this season, the best the Gophers could manage since its first recorded season in 1921 were two distinct third-place spots in the Birmingham Post-Herald's weekly poll, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society (www.ahsfhs.org). 

Hueytown finished its 1958 10-0 season ranked third in the Post-Herald's poll and third by the paper in Week 5 of the 1963 season.

The Gophers weren't the only unanimous or near-unanimous pick in this week's vote of the state's high school sports writers. Class 6A Daphne, 4A Thomasville and 1A Linden received all available first-place votes in their respective classes. The other three classes remained the same at the top with Class 3A Piedmont, 2A Elba and the AISA's Bessemer Academy.

And Hueytown isn't the only team making a rarified appearance in this week's poll. Off to its best start since 1987, Hanceville is making its first appearance in the ASWA poll since 1995, entering at No. 10 in Class 3A. Northridge is also making the first appearance in the school's short history, debuting at No. 10 for the first time since it began playing football in the 2003 season.

In games among ranked teams this week, Class 5A No. 4 is at No. 9 St. Paul's, Class 4A No. 4 Fairview is at No. 10 Guntersville, and Class 3A No. 6 Bayside Academy hosts No. 4 Washington County.

CLASS 6A

1. Daphne (31) (5-0)   372

2. Hoover (5-0)    277

3. Clay-Chalkville (5-0)    235

4. Mountain Brook (5-0)    206

5. Auburn (5-0)    192

6. Bob Jones (5-0)    145

7. McGill-Toolen (5-0)    90

8. Blount (5-0)    86

9. Prattville (3-2)    66

10. Northridge (5-0)    34

Others receiving votes: Opelika (3-1) 20, Spain Park (3-2) 18, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (5-0) 12, Central-Phenix City (4-1) 4, Fairhope (4-1) 3, Gadsden City (3-2) 3, Dothan (4-1) 2, Oxford (3-2) 2.

CLASS 5A

1. Hueytown (30) (5-0)    369

2. Hartselle (1) (5-0)    275

3. Eufaula (5-0)    240

4. Vigor (4-1)    200

5. Briarwood Chr. (4-1)    189

6. Chelsea (4-1)    149

7. Fairfield (5-0)    119

8. Muscle Shoals (4-1)    89

9. St. Paul's (4-1)    48

10. Fort Payne (4-1)    41

Others receiving votes: McAdory (4-1) 33, Center Point (4-1) 4, Valley (4-1) 3, Cullman (4-1) 2, Demopolis (3-2) 2, Pinson Valley (4-1) 2, Etowah (3-2) 1, Greenville (4-1) 1.

CLASS 4A

1. Thomasville (31) (5-0)    372

2. Jackson (5-0)    264

3. Dadeville (5-0)    239

4. North Jackson (5-0)    216

5. Deshler (5-0)    185

6. Bibb Co. (5-0)    160

7. Andalusia (5-0)    140

8. Fairview (5-0)    84

9. Beauregard (5-0)    66  

10. Guntersville (4-1)    28

Others receiving votes: Dora (4-1) 6, Fayette Co. (4-1) 2, UMS-Wright (3-2) 2, Greene Co. (4-1) 1, Lincoln (3-2) 1, Oneonta (4-1) 1.

CLASS 3A

1. Piedmont (26) (5-0)    353

2. Hamilton (1) (5-0)    272

3. Handley (4) (5-0)    265
4. Washington Co. (5-0)    213

5. Leeds (4-1)    180

6. Bayside Acad. (5-0)    155

7. Clay Co. (4-1)    136

8. Trinity (4-1)    64

9. Sardis (5-0)    40

10. Hanceville (5-0)    26

Others receiving votes: Glencoe (4-1) 20, Slocomb (5-0) 16, Gordo (3-2) 11, T.R. Miller (3-2) 8, Rogers (4-1) 4, Sylvania (5-0) 3, Saks (5-0) 1.

CLASS 2A

1. Elba (29) (5-0)    361

2. Fyffe (1) (5-0)    270

3. Tanner (5-0)    242        

4. American Chr. (1) (4-1)    212

5. Reeltown (4-1)    187    

6. Leroy (3-2)    143

7. Red Bay (5-0)    129

8. Flomaton (5-0)    110    

9. Lineville (4-1)    66        

10. N. Sand Mountain (4-1)    23

Others receiving votes: Oakman (4-1) 17, Westminster Chr. (4-1) 4, Vincent (4-1) 2, Colbert Hts. (3-2) 1.

CLASS 1A

1. Linden (31) (5-0)    372

2. Lynn (5-0)    257

3. Collinsville (5-0)    223

4. Brantley (5-0)    219      

5. Maplesville (5-0)    186

6. Pickens Co. (5-0)    156

7. Addison (5-0)    128

8. Ragland (4-0)    94

9. Sweet Water (2-3)    61

10. Marion Co. (5-0)    29

Others receiving votes: Hackleburg (4-1) 15, R.A. Hubbard (3-2) 12, Winterboro (5-0) 8, Berry (4-1) 5, McIntosh (4-1) 1, Parrish (2-3) 1.

AISA

1. Bessemer Acad. (25) (6-0)    351

2. Edgewood Acad. (3) (5-0)    281

3. Springwood (2) (6-0)    249

4. Patrician (4-1)    201

5. Crenshaw Chr. (5-0)    171

6. Monroe Acad. (1) (4-2)    100

7. Glenwood (4-2)    94

8. Lee-Scott (4-1)    85

9. Pike Liberal (3-2)    84

10. Autauga Acad. (6-0)    76

Others receiving votes: Tuscaloosa Acad. (5-0) 51, Fort Dale Acad. (3-2) 12, Wilcox Acad. (3-2) 5, Jackson Acad. (4-1) 4, Clarke Prep (3-2) 2, Chambers Acad. (3-2) 1.