T.R. Miller starts out ranked No.3 in ASWA poll
Published 4:00 am Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Three of the eight teams in class 4A region one were tabbed as the top-three teams in the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) preseason poll Sunday.
UMS-Wright, Jackson, and Thomasville were ranked 1-2-3 in class 4A with the Bulldogs of Mobile taking 25 of the 36 first place votes. Jackson took five, Thomasville took three followed by Deshler, Cherokee County, and Bibb County each having one each.
W.S. Neal received four honorable mentions votes.
Eagle coach Kevin Jordan said the poll is just one of those funny deals that did not surprise him about the top three being region opponents.
“All three of those teams have been in the state championship game the last four years,” Jordan said. “All three should have won it, but UMS did. We have been saying all along that there is no tougher region in the state than ours. We talked to our kids this morning as a motivational thing to tell them, this is what they are going to be playing weekend and week out. That is an opportunity and that is how you have to look at it. We don’t get any breaks. In the history of the polls, that is probably the first time that has happened going into the season. Those three teams deserve to be there and to be ranked where they are ranked. Ten weeks down the line, it does not mean anything, but it shows that we have some good football teams in our region.”
As for T.R. Miller in 3A, they opened the polls ranked No. 3 behind Leeds and Cordova. T.R. Miller, who went 10-2 last season, garnished four first place votes while Leeds had 17, Cordova took 12, Piedmont had two and Handley had one.
Other region opponents for T.R. Miller this season in the poll was Trinity at No. 10, and Washington County with 15 honorable mention votes and Excel with one. Non-region Tiger opponent Andalusia, received 19 votes in 4A.
Here’s a look at the 2010 ASWA preseason football poll that was released statewide on Sunday.
First-place votes and 2009 records are in parentheses with last number being overall total votes:
CLASS 6A
1. Hoover (35) (14-1) 429
2. Prattville (1) (12-3) 319
3. Davidson (10-3) 247
4. Vestavia Hills (9-2) 243
5. Gadsden City (11-3) 216
6. Spain Park (10-3) 170
7. Auburn (13-1) 148
8. Bob Jones (11-2) 73
9. McGill-Toolen (7-4) 64
10. Clay-Chalkville (8-3) 58
Others receiving votes: Florence (9-3) 33, Enterprise (7-4) 31, Daphne (6-7) 7, Homewood (5-5) 6, Fairhope (11-1) 5, Oxford (8-3) 3.
CLASS 5A
1. Russellville (15) (12-3) 350
2. Demopolis (15) (12-3) 333
3. McAdory (4) (11-2) 284
4. Spanish Fort (1) (11-3) 263
5. Hueytown-* (5-5) 182
6. Hartselle (10-3) 166
7. Vigor (1) (8-4) 152
8. Cullman (12-1) 96
9. Briarwood Chr. (9-4) 95
10. Tallassee (8-3) 30
Others receiving votes: LeFlore (9-4) 22, Eufaula (6-5) 21, Muscle Shoals (9-3) 14, Athens (8-4) 12, Pleasant Grove (6-5) 12, Walker (9-3) 12, Greenville (11-1) 4, Fort Payne (8-3) 1, Shelby Co. (9-2) 1, St. Paul’s (6-4) 1, Valley (7-4) 1.
*-Class 6A in 2009
CLASS 4A
1. UMS-Wright (25) (10-3) 377
2. Jackson (5) (13-2) 319
3. Thomasville (3) (10-2) 302
4. Deshler (1) (12-2) 225
5. North Jackson (9-4) 177
6. Cherokee Co. (1) (15-0) 161
7. Straughn-* (9-4) 156
8. Bibb Co. (12-1) (1) 76
9. Anniston (7-5) 66
10. Calera (8-3) 63
Others receiving votes: Fayette Co. (8-4) 53, Midfield (11-2) 33, Andalusia (6-5) 19, Dadeville-* (10-2) 12, Cleburne Co. (3-7) 8, W.S. Neal (2-8) 4, Brooks (8-3) 1.
*-Class 3A in 2009
CLASS 3A
1. Leeds (17) (11-3) 361
2. Cordova (12) (13-2) 304
3. T.R. Miller (4) (10-2) 289
4. Piedmont (2) (13-2) 258
5. Hamilton (11-2) 173
6. Clay Co.-* (13-2) 163
7. Handley-**(1) (13-1) 158
8. Madison Acad. (12-1) 77
9. Luverne (10-4) 59
10. Trinity (11-1) 53
Others receiving votes: Pike Co. (9-1) 50, Plainview-** (6-5) 25, Hokes Bluff-** (5-5) 18, Opp-** (7-5) 17, Washington Co. -* (10-3) 15, Glencoe (9-3) 14, Saks-** (8-4) 10, Pisgah (8-3) 4, Gordo (7-5) 3, Excel-* (6-5) 1.
*-Class 2A in 2009; **-Class 4A in 2009.
CLASS 2A
1. Reeltown (33) (14-1) 423
2. Leroy (3) (10-3) 330
3. Elba (11-1) 242
4. Ider (11-2) 216
5. Cottonwood (6-4) 189
6. Westbrook Chr. (9-3) 161
7. Fyffe (8-3) 151
8. Tanner (10-2) 132
9. Lineville (9-3) 88
10. Lamar Co. (13-1) 56
Others receiving votes: Red Bay (5-6) 47, Wicksburg-* (3-7) 5, American Chr. (4-6) 3, Colbert Hts.-* (7-4) 2, Millry (8-3) 2, Billingsley (4-6) 1, Goshen (8-4) 1, J.U. Blacksher-**(5-5) 1, Lexington (10-2) 1, Sand Rock (6-4) 1.
*-Class 3A in 2009; **-Class 1A in 2009
CLASS 1A
1. Sweet Water (28) (11-2) 408
2. Linden (7) (12-1) 340
3. Brantley (1) (14-1) 268
4. R.A. Hubbard (11-3) 202
5. Maplesville (10-2) 191
6. Addison-* (4-6) 169
7. Pickens Co.-* (12-2) 106
8. Loachapoka (11-2) 93
9. Hackleburg (14-1) 85
10. Cedar Bluff (8-4) 50
Others receiving votes: Winterboro (8-4) 32, Gaston (9-4) 27, McKenzie (10-2) 27, Lynn (9-3) 20, Parrish (7-4) 17, Appalachian (10-3) 12, Gaylesville (6-5) 5.
*-Class 2A in 2009.
AISA
1. Pike Liberal (20) (11-1) 351
2. Fort Dale (6) (9-2) 327
3. Patrician (5) (12-0) 271
4. Edgewood (3) (10-2) 258
5. Bessemer Acad. (2) (10-4) 249
6. Crenshaw Chr. (11-2) 162
7. Southern Acad. (10-2) 109
8. Springwood (7-4) 79
9. Escambia Acad. (7-6) 60
10. Lakeside (1-8) 53
Others receiving votes: Restoration (5-4) 36, Prattville Chr. (7-5) 34, Monroe Acad. (11-2) 29, Morgan Acad. (7-5) 21; Lowndes Acad. (7-4) 12, Cornerstone Chr. (9-2) 1.
• The Alabama Sports Writers Association prep committee members are: Paul Beaudry, Chairman, Freelance (Birmingham); Andrew Garner, Andalusia Star-News; Ashley Hargrove, Athens News-Courier; Nick Birdsong, Anniston Star; Chandler Myers, Atmore Advance; Jeff Sentell, Birmingham News; Adam Robinson, Brewton Standard; Rob Rice, Blount Countian; Shannon Fagan, Cherokee Herald; Ross Wood, Clarke Co. Democrat; Justin Graves, Cullman Times; Jonathon Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle; Jason Bowen, Daily Sentinel; Jeremy Smith, Demopolis Times; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Lee Peacock, Evergreen Courant; Newton Peters, Florala News; Gregg Dewalt, Florence TimesDaily; Lew Gilliland, Fort Payne Times-Journal; Scot Beard, Franklin County Times; Dennis Victory, Freelance (Birmingham); Brooke Johnson, Freelance (Decatur); Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; Kim Craft, Gadsden Times; Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer; Mike Easterling, Huntsville Times; Josh Bean, Mobile Press-Register; Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser; Wesley Lyle, Montgomery Advertiser; Jonathan Deal, Moulton Advertiser; Robert Carter, North Jefferson News; David Morrison, Opelika-Auburn News; Shannon Allen, Sand Mountain Reporter; Heather Baggett, Talladega Daily Home; Aaron Suttles, Tuscaloosa News; Griffin Pritchard, Wetumpka Herald.