3 County teams in poll

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: August 25, 2015

Saks, Wellborn, Piedmont ranked in ASWA football poll; Saks, Wellborn play each other Friday

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

A football game between Wellborn and Saks always is a hot commodity, but add the element of both teams being ranked in the statewide poll and it being the season opener and the intensity runs past the red line.

The teams meet for the 52nd time Friday night on The Hill at Wellborn and — for the second year in a row — both are ranked in their respective classifications.

In the state poll released Tuesday night, Wellborn is ranked No. 8 in Class 3A and Saks is No. 6 in 4A.

“It wouldn’t matter if both teams were unranked, it’s Wellborn vs. Saks,” Panthers coach Jeff Smith said.

Saks coach Jonathan Miller agreed it’s a “fairly big rivalry” that will draw plenty of eyes locally and abroad.

“When people look around the state and try to find good first-week games to maybe go to or are anxious to see the outcome of certain games, this may be one of them,” Miller said. “People in 3A may want to find out how good Wellborn really is and people in 4A probably want to know how good we are. It’s a good measuring stick for both of us to see where we’re at and where we need to go.”

Last year Saks entered the game No. 6 in 4A and Wellborn was No. 5 in 3A. Saks won 41-20, opening a 34-0 halftime lead and rolling up 532 yards rushing.

Most of the major players from that game from both teams are gone, leaving at least one of the coach to wonder about the validity of their poll position.

“We’re probably not the sixth best team in 4A right now,” Miller said. “We have a lot of seniors, but a lot of them haven’t played before, so we have an old inexperienced team. We’ve got some guys who are physically ready to play, but mentally we’re still a ways away. It’ll be an interesting game.”

Wellborn leads the all-time series 35-16, but Saks has had the better of it lately. The Wildcats have won five of the last six meetings, including the last two, and seven of the last 10.

Piedmont is the the third Calhoun County team in this week’s poll. The Bulldogs are No. 3 in Class 3A and play an emotionally charged game Friday against Cherokee County.

(On the cover: Saks and Wellborn do battle in last year’s game at Saks.)

SAKS at WELLBORN, Friday, 7 p.m.
Overall: Wellborn leads 35-16
LAST 10 MEETINGS
2014 – Saks, 41-20
2013 – Saks, 37-14
2012 – Wellborn, 34-14
2009 – Saks, 31-6
2008 – Saks, 48-7
2007 – Saks, 28-14
2006 – Wellborn, 14-6
2005 – Saks, 20-17
2004 – Wellborn, 20-14
2003 — Saks, 15-8
Source: ahsfhs.org

ASWA PREP FOOTBALL POLL

Class 7A
1. Hoover (27) (1-0) 324
2. Prattville (0-0) 224
3. Central-Phenix City (0-1) 201
4. Baker (1-0) 196
5. Oak Mountain (0-0) 156
6. Bob Jones (0-0) 140 
7. Foley (1-0) 101 
8. Murphy (0-0) 59 
9. Auburn (1-0) 45 
10. James Clemens (0-0) 43
Others receiving votes: Gadsden City (0-1) 27, Fairhope (1-0) 13, Buckhorn (0-0) 4, Smiths Station (1-0) 3, Spain Park (0-1) 2, Theodore (1-0) 1.

Class 6A
1. Clay-Chalkville (25) (1-0) 317
2. Spanish Fort (2) (1-0) 242 
3. Saraland (0-0) 207 
4. Opelika (1-0) 191 
5. McAdory (1-0) 156 
6. Florence (1-0) 132 
7. Muscle Shoals (1-0) 104 
8. Carver-Montgomery (0-0) 81 
9. Homewood (1-0) 53 
10. Gardendale (0-0) 27
Others receiving votes: Benjamin Russell (1-0) 7, Park Crossing (1-0) 6, Southside-Gadsden (0-1) 4, Austin (1-0) 3, Bessemer City (1-0) 3, Hartselle (0-1) 2, Hueytown (0-1) 2, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (0-1) 1, Oxford (1-0) 1.

Class 5A
1. St. Paul’s (27) (1-0) 324 
2. Jackson (0-0) 241 
3. Pleasant Grove (0-0) 190
4. J.O. Johnson (0-0) 167 
5. East Limestone (0-0) 142 
6. Guntersville (0-0) 134 
7. Madison Co. (0-0) 105 
8. Russellville (0-0) 76 
9. Calera (0-0) 49 
10. Etowah (0-1) 33 
Others receiving votes: Tallassee (1-0) 25, Mortimer Jordan (0-0) 15, Vigor (0-0) 8, Charles Henderson (0-0) 6, Demopolis (0-0) 5, Parker (1-0) 4, Talladega (1-0) 4, Beauregard (0-0) 3, Greenville (0-0) 3, Central-Clay Co. (1-0) 2, Shelby Co. (1-0) 2, West Point (0-0) 1.

Class 4A
1. UMS-Wright (13) (0-0) 279 
2. Leeds (12) (0-1) 271 
3. Cordova (2) (1-0) 214 
4. Dadeville (0-0) 188 
5. Fayette Co. (1-0) 153 
6. Saks (0-0) 126 
7. N. Jackson (0-0) 89 
8. Deshler (0-0) 77 
9. Cleburne Co. (0-0) 57 
10. Andalusia (1-0) 26 
Others receiving votes: Straughn (0-0) 24, Oneonta (0-0) 15, West Blocton (1-0) 9, Hamilton (0-1) 3, W.S. Neal (0-0) 3, Brooks (0-0) 2, Thomasville (1-0) 2, West Limestone (0-1) 1.

Class 3A 
1. Madison Acad. (27) (1-0) 324 
2. Gordo (0-0) 241
3. Piedmont (0-0) 210 
4. Opp (1-0) 185 
5. Colbert Co. (0-0) 158 
6. Slocomb (1-0) 123 
7. Pike Co. (0-0) 86 
8. Walter Wellborn (0-0) 67 
9. Oakman (0-0) 57 
10. T.R. Miller (0-1) 29 
Others receiving votes: Lauderdale Co. (0-0) 18, Dale Co. (0-1) 13, Glencoe (0-0) 13, Pisgah (1-0) 8, Montgomery Academy (1-0) 5, Excel (0-0) 1, Fultondale (1-0) 1.

Class 2A 
1. Fyffe (18) (0-0) 290 
2. Elba (4) (0-0) 249 
3. Tanner (5) (1-0) 240 
4. Reeltown (1-0) 186 
5. G.W. Long (0-0) 154 
6. Flomaton (1-0) 131 
7. Ranburne (0-0) 102 
8. Cleveland (0-0) 81 
9. Red Bay (1-0) 39 
10. Pickens Co. (1-0) 31 
Others receiving votes: Washington Co. (0-0) 14, Gaston (0-0) 11, Mobile Chr. (0-0) 5, Cold Springs (1-0) 3, LaFayette (0-0) 3.

Class 1A 
1. Maplesville (27) (0-0) 324 
2. Brantley (0-0) 231 
3. Hubbertville (0-0) 199 
4. Linden (0-0) 195 
5. Spring Garden (0-0) 141 
6. Cedar Bluff (0-0) 136 
7. Billingsley (0-0) 102 
8. Loachapoka (0-0) 72 
9. Notasulga (0-1) 69 
10. Ragland (0-0) 17 
Others receiving votes: Berry (1-0) 15, McKenzie (0-0) 9, Marion Co. (0-1) 8, Hackleburg (0-0) 5, Wadley (0-0) 4, Lynn (0-0) 3, Appalachian (0-0) 2, Donoho (0-0) 2, Georgiana (1-0) 2, Marengo (0-0) 2, J.U. Blacksher (0-0) 1.

AISA 
1. Edgewood Acad. (26) (1-0) 321 
2. Bessemer Acad. (0-0) 236 
3. Monroe Acad. (1) (1-0) 212 
4. Escambia Acad. (0-1) 185 
5. Marengo Acad. (0-0) 166 
6. Tuscaloosa Acad. (0-0) 132 
7. Pike Liberal (0-0) 99 
8. Abbeville Chr. (1-0) 82 
9. Autauga Acad. (0-0) 66 
10. Clarke Prep (0-0) 32 
Others receiving votes: Springwood (0-0) 2, Sparta Acad. (1-0) 2, S. Choctaw Acad. (0-0) 1, Patrician (0-0) 1, Lee-Scott (0-0) 1, Fort Dale (0-0) 1.

This week’s Calhoun County games
Anniston at Handley
Shoals Christian at Donoho
Weaver at Jacksonville
Gadsden City at Oxford
Pleasant Valley at Ranburne
Piedmont at Cherokee County
Saks at Wellborn
Ashville at White Plains

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