Daleville back in football rankings

After a four-year absence, the Daleville Warhawks are back among the state elite’s.

The Warhawks moved into the latest Alabama Sports Writers Association state rankings today, climbing into the No. 10 spot in Class 4A.
They earned the ranking after improving to 4-1 last week with a 37-21 win over Slocomb.

It’s the first ranking for Daleville since moving into the state poll on Sept. 7, 2004. That was a short-lived appearance as the Warhawks fell out the following week.

Daleville also had brief ranking appearances in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001 and 2003, lasting only one or two weeks each year. The Warhawks were a regular in state polls from 1990-94, being ranked 44 weeks in the five-year period.

Daleville is one of four Wiregrass teams in the latest ASWA poll. Straughn, Houston Academy and Pike Liberal Arts are also in this week’s poll. All three were ranked last week.

Straughn crept up a spot in Class 3A to No. 4,  while Houston Academy remained No. 8 in Class 2A.

Pike Liberal Arts inched up to No. 3 in the AISA ranks, moving up after previous No. 1 Bessemer Academy dropped out of the top spot for the first time since September 2006. Bessemer had been No. 1 for 24 straight polls.

Both Straughn and Pike Liberal Arts received first-place votes in their classification. Straughn received one and PLAS four.

Two other Wiregrass teams received votes this week, but were ranked. Those teams were Opp in Class 4A and Dale County in 3A.

CLASS 6A
1. Prattville (5-1) (25) 389
2. Tuscaloosa Co. (6-0) (10) 344
3. Mountain Brook (6-0) 261
4. Davidson (6-0) 208
5. Hoover (5-1)  203
6. Murphy (6-0)  155
7. McGill-Toolen (5-1)  143
8. Auburn (6-0)  97
9. Opelika (5-1)  76
10. Oxford (5-1)  58
Also receiving votes: Minor (6-0) 50, Vestavia Hills (4-2) 5, Florence (4-2) 2, Huntsville (4-2) 2.

CLASS 5A
1. Central-Tuscaloosa (5-0) (19) 365
2. Hartselle (6-0) (13) 334
3. Vigor (6-0) (3) 291
4. Shelby Co. (6-0) 206
5. Russellville (5-1) 204
6. Carver-Montgomery (6-0) 144
7. Briarwood Chr. (5-1) 139
8. Cullman (5-1) 126
9. Spanish Fort (6-0) 81
10. Madison Co. (6-0) 35
Also receiving votes: Tallassee (5-1) 19, Fort Payne (5-1) 18, Walker (5-1) 18, Valley (5-1) 10, Fairfield (5-1) 3, Erwin (4-2) 2.

CLASS 4A
1. Deshler (5-1) (25) 372
2. Lincoln (6-0) (7) 327
3. Brooks (6-0) (3) 293
4. North Jackson (5-1) 219
5. Fairview (6-0) 195
6. Handley (4-1) 157
7. Midfield (6-0) 146
8. Cherokee Co. (6-0) 117
9. Thomasville (4-2) 62
10. Jackson (5-1) 45
Also receiving votes: UMS-Wright (4-2) 24, Fayette Co. (5-1) 12, Alexandria (5-1) 12, Elmore Co. (5-1) 8, Bibb Co. (5-1) 2, Guntersville (5-1) 2, Opp (4-2) 2.

CLASS 3A
1. T.R. Miller (6-0) (22) 376
2. Leeds (6-0) (4) 313
3. Cordova (5-1) (7) 297
4. Straughn (6-0) (1) 225
5. West Morgan (5-1) 190
6. Hamilton (6-0) (1) 179
7. Dadeville (6-0) 145
8. Colbert Co. (4-2) 126
9. Elkmont (5-1) 65
10. Daleville (5-1) 19
Also receiving votes: Sheffield (5-1) 18, Piedmont (5-1) 16, Sardis (5-1) 15, Susan Moore (5-1) 4, Mongtomery Academy (4-2) 4, Dale Co. (5-1) 1, Good Hope (4-2) 1, Gordo (4-2) 1.

CLASS 2A
1. Leroy (6-0) (33) 413
2. Clay County (6-0) 313
3. American Chr. (6-0) (2) 284
4. Tanner (6-0) 237
5. Fyffe (5-1) 193
6. Sand Rock (6-0) 188
7. Winston Co. (6-0) 140
8. Houston Acad. (5-1) 95
9. Red Bay (4-2) 56
10. Geraldine (5-1) 30
Also receiving votes: Reeltown (5-1) 15, Lanett (4-2) 11, Flomaton (5-1) 6, Keith (5-1) 4, Pickens Co. (5-1) 4, Fultondale (4-2) 3, Vincent (5-1) 1, Sulligent (4-2) 1, St. Jude (5-1) 1.

CLASS 1A
1. Sweet Water (6-0) (35) 420
2. Brantley (6-0) 303
3. Hazlewood (6-0) 281
4. Linden (6-0) 243
5. Talladega Co.-Central (5-1) 189
6. McKenzie (6-0) 153
7. Wadley (5-1) 143
8. Loachapoka (5-1) 80
9. Maplesville (4-1) 70
10. R.A. Hubbard (5-1) 31
Also receiving votes: Berry (6-0) 26, Cedar Bluff (5-1) 18, Lynn (5-1) 13, J.U. Blacksher (5-1) 7, Appalachian (5-1) 6, Hackleburg (5-1) 5, Speake (4-1) 3, Spring Garden (5-1) 2, Gaston (4-2) 1, Billingsley (4-2) 1.

AISA
1. Southern Acad. (6-0) (22) 379
2. Edgewood Acad. (6-0) (1) 296
3. Pike Liberal Arts (6-0) (4) 282
4. Monroe Acad. (6-0) (8) 273
5. S. Choctaw Acad. (6-1) 210
6. Bessemer Acad. (5-1)  175
7. Patrician Acad. (5-0)  126
8. Glenwood School (4-2) 86
9. Lee-Scott Acad. (5-1)  76
10.  Tuscaloosa Acad. (6-1) 41
Also receiving votes: Fort Dale Acad. (4-2) 38, Lowndes Acad. (5-2) 7, Crenshaw Chr. (5-1) 7.