E.A. Sports Today

Piedmont breaks into poll

Bulldogs, Oxford go into baseball playoffs ranked, JCA faces a No. 1; Oxford falls to No. 3 in the softball poll

By East Alabama Sports Today

Piedmont and Oxford go into their opening-round series of the state baseball playoffs as ranked teams, while five Calhoun County teams play ranked opponents, including one No. 1.

The final statewide high school baseball poll of the season – along with the next-to-last softball poll — was released Wednesday night and Piedmont pulled down a No. 10 ranking in Class 3A, while Oxford was ranked No. 8 in Class 6A.

Piedmont hosts county rival Ohatchee in its playoff-opening doubleheader Friday, while Oxford hosts Briarwood Christian.

“Our guys know Friday starts what we play for all season – playoffs,” Piedmont coach James Blanchard said.

In addition to Ohatchee, other county teams facing ranked opponents are Jacksonville, Pleasant Valley, Jacksonville Christian and Donoho.

JCA visits top-ranked Decatur Heritage and Donoho hosts No. 6 Meek in Class 1A. Jacksonville visits Cherokee County, No. 5 in Class 4A; and Pleasant Valley visits Westbrook Christian, No. 9 in Class 3A.

Alexandria entertains Moody in another playoff series involving a county squad.

In the softball poll, Oxford dropped to No. 3 in Class 6A after losing three games last week, two in the Calhoun County Tournament; county champion Alexandria remained No. 5 in Class 5A; Pleasant Valley fell to No. 9 in Class 3A.

Cleburne County was ranked No. 4 in Class 4A and Spring Garden was No. 2 in Class 1A. Spring Garden and Pleasant Valley are scheduled to play at Jacksonville State Thursday.

Here are the complete polls:

ASWA SOFTBALL RANKINGS
CLASS 7A 


1. James Clemens (40-5)
2. Sparkman (32-12-1)
3. Buckhorn (38-11-1)
4. Baker (30-9)
5. Hoover (35-10-1)
6. Spain Park (26-12)
7. Tuscaloosa County (25-10-1)
8. Oak Mountain (18-9)
9. Hewitt-Trussville (22-10-1)
10. Central-Phenix City (23-15-1)
Others nominated: Huntsville (20-21-1), Mary Montgomery (20-14-1), Prattville (27-11), Vestavia Hills (16-16).

CLASS 6A 

1. Southside-Gadsden (32-5)
2. Chelsea (17-6)
3. Oxford (29-8)
4. Pell City (37-7)
5. Florence (36-6)
6. Athens (23-8-1)
7. Brookwood (32-6)
8. Cullman (24-12)
9. Walker (17-8)
10. Gardendale (27-14-1)
Others nominated: Daphne (21-11-2), Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (17-13-3), Muscle Shoals (29-11), Pinson Valley (23-10-2), Scottsboro (222-15), Wetumpka (26-15-1).

CLASS 5A 

1. Rehobeth (41-3)
2. Springville (25-8-1)
3. Faith Academy (27-5)
4. Hayden (28-6)
5. Alexandria (28-10)
6. Marbury (22-8-1)
7. Alabama Christian (27-14)
8. Beauregard (24-10-1)
9. Etowah (29-10-1)
10. Moody (22-16)
Others nominated: Corner (24-15), Eufaula (15-13-1), Lawrence County (23-16-1), Lincoln (27-12), Russellville (26-13).

CLASS 4A 

1. Curry (30-2)
2. Northside (38-10)
3. LAMP (31-2)
4. Cleburne County (31-5)
5. Westminster Christian (38-13)
6. Clarke County (19-5)
7. Handley (31-11)
8. Wilson (26-8)
9. Carbon Hill (23-13)
10. UMS-Wright (21-10)
Others nominated: Central-Florence (21-14), Good Hope (22-14-1), Headland (19-15), Thomasville (20-11), West Blocton (18-8).

CLASS 3A 

1. Prattville Christian (42-5)
2. Hale County (22-10-1)
3. Pisgah (25-10-1)
4. Lamar County (28-8)
5. Plainview (18-7)
6. West Morgan (29-15)
7. Slocomb (24-5)
8. Gordo (28-10)
9. Pleasant Valley (25-13-1)
10. Geneva (23-10)
Others nominated: Colbert Heights (17-8), Dale County (19-15), Madison Academy (16-11), Piedmont (22-15), Sand Rock (22-9).

CLASS 2A 

1. Sumiton Christian (35-6)
2. Hatton (21-15)
3. Ider (25-11)
4. G.W. Long (25-6)
5. Leroy (31-7)
6. New Brockton (17-7)
7. Mobile Christian (14-7)
8. Ariton (20-15)
9. Mars Hill Bible (20-15)
10. Collinsville (19-10)
Others nominated: Addison (21-11-1), Horseshoe Bend (13-15-3), Sweet Water (16-15), Tharptown (11-9).

CLASS 1A 

1. Brantley (20-8)
2. Spring Garden (27-8)
3. South Lamar (19-14)
4. Marion County (15-5)
5. Ragland (10-13)
6. Skyline (17-15)
7. Pleasant Home (11-8-1)
8. Lynn (18-18)
9. Berry (14-12)
10. Decatur Heritage (10-9)
Others nominated: Appalachian (16-16).

ASWA BASEBALL RANKINGS
CLASS 7A

1. Sparkman (30-7)
2. Vestavia Hills (27-4)
3. Auburn (25-9)
4. Central-Phenix City (22-11)
5. Smiths Station (20-12)
6. Bob Jones (29-12)
7. Hoover (28-16)
8. Theodore (20-12)
9. Hewitt-Trussville (26-10)
10. McGill-Toolen (21-8)
Others nominated: Huntsville (24-17), Oak Mountain (21-10), Spain Park (22-17).

CLASS 6A
1. Cullman (33-10)
2. Hartselle (31-17)
3. Decatur (35-11)
4. Florence (31-15)
5. Southside-Gadsden (25-14)
6. Muscle Shoals (27-7)
7. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (30-9)
8. Oxford (32-8)
9. Opelika (22-11)
10. Robertsdale (25-11)
Others nominated: Hueytown (31-4), Gardendale (24-11), Northview (31-9), Saraland (24-14), Spanish Fort (21-13), Walker (23-12).

CLASS 5A
1. Russellville (36-6)
2. Helena (29-12)
3. Faith Academy (23-4)
4. Rehobeth (24-8)
5. Charles Henderson (25-8)
6. St. Paul’s (19-9)
7. Tallassee (26-7)
8. Etowah (20-14)
9. East Limestone (27-9)
10. Randolph (31-4)
Others nominated: Alabama Christian (19-9), Ardmore (25-14), Beauregard (17-12), Corner (23-18), Madison County (26-12), Marbury (19-7).

CLASS 4A
1. UMS-Wright (23-8)
2. St. James (18-8)
3. Trinity (19-11)
4. Oneonta (21-8)
5. Cherokee County (22-7)
6. Haleyville (23-11)
7. Thomasville (19-6)
8. Hokes Bluff (16-5)
9. Danville (25-13)
10. Wilson (21-17)
Others nominated: Deshler (24-6), Headland (18-12), Holtville (22-13), North Jackson (22-8), Sipsey Valley (20-12), Westminster Christian (20-13).

CLASS 3A
1. Bayside Academy (21-5)
2. Colbert Heights (21-3)
3. Madison Academy (25-15)
4. American Christian (23-5)
5. T.R. Miller (24-7)
6. Winfield (27-11)
7. Pisgah (25-8)
8. New Hope (20-9)
9. Westbrook Christian (20-10)
10. Piedmont (19-10)
Others nominated:
Cottage Hill (21-13), Geneva (14-9), Gordo (23-4), Hanceville (17-9), Lexington (18-13), Opp (16-10), Wicksburg (16-10)

CLASS 2A
1. Mars Hill Bible (25-9)
2. Houston Academy (24-7)
3. St. Luke’s (22-6)
4. G.W. Long (26-6)
5. Mobile Christian (17-11)
6. New Brockton (22-5)
7. Highland Home (16-6)
8. Sweet Water (21-9)
9. Fayetteville (20-6)
10. Providence Christian (20-10)
Others nominated: Elba (15-6), Luverne (13-8), Vincent (14-12).

CLASS 1A
1. Decatur Heritage (19-9)
2. Athens Bible (24-8)
3. Coosa Christian (20-2)
4. Brantley (17-8)
5. Maplesville (18-4)
6. Meek (18-10)
7. Hackleburg (20-12)
8. J.U. Blacksher (16-10)
9. Lynn (12-3)
10. Millry (16-10)
Others nominated: Cedar Bluff (12-16), Covenant Christian (13-7), Fruitdale (12-9), Section (12-12).

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