One week after making history with their first-ever appearance in the Alabama Sportswriters Association football rankings, the Spring Garden Panthers (6-0) moved up a spot to No. 9 in this week’s Class 1A poll. The latest poll was released on Wednesday.

The Panthers put their unbeaten record on the line Friday at No. 10 Collinsville (5-1). Collinsville fell last week at No. 6 Cedar Bluff 26-14.

Speaking of Cedar Bluff, the Tigers (6-0) maintained their No. 6 ranking following their victory over Collinsville. They will host Region 7 foe Donoho (4-2) on Friday.

The Piedmont Bulldogs (6-0) remain atop the Class 3A rankings following their 34-0 victory at Region 5 rival White Plains. The Bulldogs earned 29 first-place votes and a total of 375 points in this week’s poll.

T.R. Miller (6-0) remained No. 2, earning 290 points and the remaining three first-place votes.

Piedmont travels to Blountsville to face Susan Moore (3-3) on Friday.

In other statewide happenings, when Lineville and Clay County merged to become Central of Clay County for this school year, the two schools tried to bring the best of the old into the new.

The new school will attempt to exorcise some of the old in Roanoke on Friday night when Central – ranked No. 2 in Class 4A in this week’s ASWA high school football poll – tries to snap a collective eight-game losing streak against the No. 5 Tigers.

Handley, the returning Class 3A state champion, owned a three-game winning streak against Clay County – with two wins last season including a 3A semifinal victory. The Tigers had also won their last five games and seven of the last 10 against Lineville. According the Alabama High School Football Historical Society (ahsfhs.org), Handley held a collective 53-32-3 advantage over the two schools.

It’s not the only meeting of top five schools as Class 2A, No. 2 Washington County looks to break a three-game losing streak against No. 4 Sweet Water. The host Bulldogs have won eight of the nine meetings in the series, dating back to the 1940s, but the two schools haven’t met since 2003.

All seven of the top-ranked teams remained the same this week with 6A Hoover, 5A Muscle Shoals, 4A Oneonta, 3A Piedmont, 2A Tanner, 1A Marion County and the AISA’s Edgewood Academy.

In addition to Spring Garden at Collinsville, only one other game in the state involves ranked teams playing each other – Class 6A, No. 8 Auburn at No. 9 Central-Phenix City.

This week’s complete rankings, with first-place votes and record in parenthesis, are listed below.

Class 6A

1. Hoover (32) (6-0) 384

2. Clay-Chalkville (6-0) 276

3. McGill-Toolen (6-0) 254

4. Austin (6-0) 206

5. Carver-MGY (5-1) 192

6. Mountain Brook (6-0) 168

7. Vestavia Hills (5-1) 120

8. Auburn (5-1) 101

9. Central-Phenix City (5-1) 42

10. Fairhope (5-1) 29

Others receiving votes: Spain Park (5-1) 11, Tuscaloosa Co. (5-1) 11, Davidson (5-1) 9, Pelham (5-1) 6, Daphne (3-3) 3, Dothan (5-1) 3, Stanhope Elmore (5-1) 3, Oxford (4-2) 2, Pell City (3-3) 2, Gadsden City (4-2) 1, Oak Mountain (5-1) 1.

Class 5A

1. Muscle Shoals (28) (6-0) 371

2. Jackson (4) (6-0) 295

3. St. Paul’s (5-1) 244

4. Fort Payne (6-0) 188

5. Demopolis (6-0) 169

6. Homewood (5-1) 144

7. Spanish Fort (5-1) 125

8. Eufaula (5-1) 76

9. Hartselle (4-2) 70

10. Cullman (5-1) 59

Others receiving votes: Benjamin Russell (6-0) 37, Wenonah (6-0) 23, McAdory (6-0) 14, Vigor (5-1) 7, Chilton Co. (5-1) 2.



Class 4A

1. Oneonta (29) (6-0) 374

2. Central-Clay Co. (2) (6-0) 282

3. Dadeville (1) (6-0) 269

4. UMS-Wright (5-1) 223

5. Handley (5-1) 173

6. Beauregard (5-1) 159

7. Thomasville (4-2) 115

8. Madison Co. (5-1) 106

9. Tallassee (5-1) 49

10. Dora (5-1) 24

Others receiving votes: Brooks (5-1) 12, Sardis (5-1) 11, Fairview (5-1) 7, J.O. Johnson (5-1) 6, Jemison (5-1) 6, Calera (5-1) 4, Clarke Co. (4-2) 2, Jacksonville (5-1) 1, Lincoln (4-2) 1.



Class 3A

1. Piedmont (29) (6-0) 375

2. T.R. Miller (3) (6-0) 290

3. Leeds (5-1) 245

4. Hamilton (6-0) 216

5. Lauderdale Co. (5-1) 194

6. Madison Acad. (4-2) 137

7. Daleville (6-0) 114

8. Fayette Co. (5-1) 112

9. Bayside Acad. (3-3) 34

10. Colbert Co. (5-1) 30

Others receiving votes: Sylvania (5-1) 22, Saks (5-1) 20, W.S. Neal (5-1) 15, Geraldine (4-2) 11. Deshler (3-3) 4, Dale Co. (4-2) 2, Winston Co. (5-1) 2, Trinity (4-2) 1.



Class 2A

1. Tanner (30) (6-0) 375

2. Washington Co. (2) (6-0) 289

3. Fyffe (6-0) 256

4. Sweet Water (5-1) 225

5. Reeltown (5-1) 183

6. Walter Wellborn (5-1) 132

7. Elba (4-2) 118

8. Mobile Chr. (6-0) 95

9. G.W. Long (5-1) 74

10. N. Sand Mountain (5-1) 23

Others receiving votes: Vincent (5-1) 19, Lanett (5-1) 15, Woodland (4-2) 9, Oakman (5-1) 6, Horseshoe Bend (5-1) 3, Fultondale (4-2) 2.



Class 1A

1. Marion Co. (29) (6-0) 374

2. Linden (2) (6-0) 291

3. Brantley (1) (6-0) 250

4. Ragland (5-0) 208

5. Pickens Co. (6-0) 201

6. Cedar Bluff (6-0) 157

7. Maplesville (5-1) 139

8. Keith (6-0) 95

9. Spring Garden (6-0) 50

10. Collinsville (5-1) 21

Others receiving votes: Falkville (6-0) 18, Hackleburg (5-1) 18, Lynn (4-2) 2.



AISA

1. Edgewood Acad. (29) (8-0) 375

2. Monroe Acad. (2) (7-0) 288

3. Tuscaloosa Acad. (1) (7-0) 256

4. Lee-Scott (6-1) 209

5. Pickens Acad. (7-0) 194

6. Autauga Acad. (6-1) 153

7. Restoration (7-1) 126

8. Clarke Prep (6-1) 92

9. Fort Dale Acad. (5-2) 76

10. Patrician (5-2) 28

Others receiving votes: Glenwood (5-2) 19, Macon-East (5-2) 5, Cornerstone (6-2) 1, Escambia Acad. (4-3) 1, Marengo Acad. (4-3) 1.



The Alabama Sports Writers Association prep committee members are: Paul Beaudry, Chairman, Alabama Media Group; Andrew Garner, Andalusia Star-News; Jonathan Deal, Athens News Courier; Erich Hilkert, Atmore Advance; Bran Strickland, Anniston Star; Jeff Sentell, Birmingham News; Adam Robinson, Brewton Standard; Rob Rice, Blount Countian; Shannon Fagan, Cherokee Herald; Ross Wood, Clarke Co. Democrat; Rob Ketcham, Cullman Times; Johnathon Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle; Justin Graves,Decatur Daily; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Lee Peacock, Evergreen Courant; Newton Peters, Florala News; Gregg Dewalt, Florence TimesDaily; Lew Gilliland, Fort Payne Times-Journal; Dennis Victory, Freelance (Birmingham); Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; Kim Craft, Gadsden Times; Davis Potter, Hamilton Journal Record; Daniel Boyette, Huntsville Times; Josh Bean, Mobile Press-Register; Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser; Robert Carter, North Jefferson News; Jason Galloway, Opelika-Auburn News; Shannon Allen, Sand Mountain Reporter; Jason Bowen, Scottsboro Daily Sentinel; Lavonte Young, Talladega Daily Home; Andrew Carroll, Tuscaloosa News; Griffin Pritchard, Wetumpka Herald.