The 2011 T.R. Miller Tiger football team was tabbed as the No. 7-ranked team in class 3A in the Alabama Sportswriters Association (ASWA) preseason football poll Wednesday morning.
The Tigers, who went 8-4 last season, received 86 total points in the poll. Leeds was named as the No. 1 team in class 3A. Other teams ranked No. 1 were Daphne in class 6A, Briarwood Christian in class 5A, Thomasville in class 4A, Leroy in class 2A, Sweet Water in class 1A and Monroe Academy in the AISA. Leroy was ranked No. 1 despite having less first-place votes than No. 2-ranked American Christian. Class 4A’s Thomasville and 3A’s Leeds were unanimous No. 1 choices for poll voters.
All state champions from last year were named No. 1 except in class 5A where Spanish Fort was ranked No. 3.
T.R. Miller had two of their region opponents ranked in the top-10 (Washington County and Bayside Academy) while Trinity was in the honorable mention category.
For W.S. Neal, the Eagles have four of their region opponents (Thomasville, Jackson, UMS-Wright, and Escambia County) in the top-10 with a fifth receiving honorable mention (Hillcrest-Evergreen).
Counting T.R. Miller in class 3A, of the 10 Eagle opponents for the 2011 season, six are mentioned in the polls (Thomasville, Jackson, UMS-Wright, Escambia County, and Hillcrest). T.R. Miller has five overall opponents ranked (Washington County, Bayside, Trinity, Escambia County and Andalusia).
T.R. Miller was ranked No. 3 in the 2009 and 2010 preseason polls and was preseason No. 4 in 2008. W.S. Neal was last ranked in the preseason poll in 2004 and was ranked No. 7. The last time W.S. Neal was ranked overall in a poll was in the final poll of 2006 when they were No. 10.
Below is each team under their classification, first place votes, final 2010 record, and total poll points:
Class 6A
1. Daphne (24) (15-0) 366
2. Hoover (2) (14-1) 277
3. Prattville (7) (8-4) 250
4. Spain Park (6-6) 228
5. Davidson (12-2) 169
6. Clay-Chalkville (9-4) 136
7. Mountain Brook (11-3) 119
8. Auburn (8-2) 86
9. Oxford (7-5) 75
10. Central-Phenix City (9-2) 31
Others receiving votes: Gadsden City (9-4) 28, Stanhope Elmore (10-3) 27, Tuscaloosa Co. (8-3) 27, Wetumpka (10-2) 17, Foley (8-4) 15, Vestavia Hills (9-3) 13, Decatur (9-2) 7, Florence (4-6) 6, Fairhope (7-5) 2, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (9-2) 2.

Class 5A
1. Briarwood Chr. (17) (13-2) 347
2. Hueytown (13) (11-2) 330
3. Spanish Fort (3) (13-2) 235
4. Hartselle (12-2) 219
5. Vigor (8-5) 173
6. Eufaula (9-3) 124
7. Chelsea (8-3) 107
8. Walker (10-2) 96
9. Muscle Shoals (8-3) 84
10. St. Paul’s (10-2) 65
Others receiving votes: Fort Payne (12-1) 44, Russellville (11-2) 16, Pinson Valley (5-6) 14, McAdory (11-3) 12, Demopolis (8-4) 6, Fairfield (7-4) 3, Etowah (6-5) 2, Greenville (7-4) 2, Tallassee (9-2) 2.

Class 4A
1. Thomasville (33) (15-0) 396
2. Jackson (10-2) 234
3. Dadeville (12-1) 231
4. North Jackson (13-1) 209
5. Deshler (12-3) 182
6. Bibb Co. (12-2) 164
7. Andalusia (9-2) 140
8. UMS-Wright (6-5) 75
9. Anniston (10-3) 69
10. Escambia Co. (9-4) 62

Others receiving votes: Oneonta (8-4) 54, Cleburne Co. (9-3) 20, Straughn (10-2) 19, Fairview (10-2) 9, Guntersville (7-4) 6, Cherokee Co. (5-6) 5, Fayette Co. (10-3) 4, Dora (3-8) 1, Hillcrest-Evergreen (7-4) 1.

Class 3A
1. Leeds (33) (15-0) 396
2. Piedmont (12-2) 274
3. Hamilton (14-1) 256
4. Handley (10-2) 255
5. Gordo (12-2) 193
6. Washington Co. (9-3) 130
7. T.R. Miller (8-4) 86
8. Madison Acad. (10-3) 58
9. Plainview (8-4) 44
10. Bayside Acad. (9-4) 41
Others receiving votes: Daleville (8-3) 40, Lauderdale Co. (10-2) 37, Trinity (11-2) 31, Clay Co. (8-4) 25, Glencoe (10-2) 6, Sardis (4-6) 6, Cordova (10-2) 2, Hanceville (4-6) 1.

Class 2A
1. Leroy (16) (14-1) 340
2. American Chr. (17) (12-2) 339
3. Elba (11-2) 247
4. Reeltown (13-2) 228
5. Millry (5-6) 171
6. Cottonwood (12-1) 134
7. Fyffe (9-2) 132
8. Tanner (11-1) 66
9. Lineville (10-4) 48
10. Sulligent (10-3) 43
Others receiving votes: Houston Acad. (8-3) 40, Colbert Hts. (8-3) 36, Fultondale (4-6) 29, Westminster Chr. (10-2) 8, Red Bay (5-6) 6, Southern Choctaw (9-3) 6, Woodland (9-3) 6, Westbrook Chr. (10-1) 2.

Class 1A
1. Sweet Water (32) (12-3) 393
2. Linden (1) (12-2) 287
3. R.A. Hubbard (13-2) 264
4. Parrish (10-4) 207
5. Cedar Bluff (9-3) 179
6. Lynn (11-2) 162
7. Collinsville (9-2) 119
8. Brantley (8-3) 89
9. Maplesville (12-1) 51
10. Ragland (9-3) 50
Others receiving votes: Addison (10-3) 32, Appalachian (8-3) 30, Hackleburg (8-3) 6, Pickens Co. (7-5) 6, McKenzie (10-1) 2, Winterboro (7-3) 2, Gaston (5-6) 1, St. Jude (11-2) 1.

AISA
1. Monroe Acad. (29) (12-1) 381
2. Pike Liberal (9-3) 276
3. Fort Dale Acad. (2) (10-3) 259
4. Edgewood Acad. (12-2) 238
5. Bessemer Acad. (1) (11-1) 186
6. Glenwood (6-5) 175
7. Patrician (7-3) 116
8. Lowndes Acad. (8-4) 74
9. Springwood (1) (10-3) 57
10. Clarke Prep (10-2) 54
Others receiving votes: Restoration Acad. (8-4) 32, Macon-East (4-6) 17, Coosa Valley Acad. (11-2) 9, Autauga Acad. (7-6) 4, Southern Acad. (4-7) 2, Sumter Acad. (10-3) 1.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association prep committee members are: Paul Beaudry, Chairman, Freelance (Birmingham); Andrew Garner, Andalusia Star-News; Nick Birdsong, Anniston Star; Chandler Myers, Atmore Advance; Robert Ladnier, Baldwin Register; Jeff Sentell, Birmingham News; Adam Robinson, Brewton Standard; Rob Rice, Blount Countian; Shannon Fagan, Cherokee Herald; Ross Wood, Clarke Co. Democrat; Stan Veitch, Cullman Times; Jonathon Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle; Jason Bowen, Daily Sentinel; Cody Whitlock, Decatur Daily; Jeremy Smith, Demopolis Times; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Lee Peacock, Evergreen Courant; Gregg Dewalt, Florence TimesDaily; Lew Gilliland, Fort Payne Times-Journal; Scot Beard, Franklin County Times; Wesley Lyle, Freelance (Montgomery); Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; Kim Craft, Gadsden Times; Mike Easterling, Huntsville Times; Josh Bean, Mobile Press-Register; Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser; Jonathan Deal, Moulton Advertiser; Robert Carter, North Jefferson News; Jason Galloway, Opelika-Auburn News; Shannon Allen, Sand Mountain Reporter; Lavonte Young, Talladega Daily Home; Alex Scarborough, Tuscaloosa News; Griffin Pritchard, Wetumpka Herald.