As noted in yesterday’s high school football preview, this week we’re looking at the top high school football teams in each classification. Today, we take a look at who’s who in 5-A and 4-A.
Class 5-A
According to The Alabama Sportswriters Association (ASWA) preseason poll, these are the current Top 10 teams in 5-A going into the season:
- Beauregard
- Briarwood Christian
- St. Paul’s
- Vigor
- Alexandria
- Carroll
- Central – Clay County
- Wenonah
- Eufaula
- Brooks
It’s no surprise that Beauregard sits atop the list, with several starters returning from a decisive 33-13 championship victory against Wenonah. What’s interesting is that despite being last year’s runner-up, Wenonah currently sits at number eight on the list. Briarwood Christian played excellent last season, finishing with a 12-2 record. With their only losses coming at the hands of 6-A rival Chelsea and Wenonah (who they beat early in regular season play) in the semifinals, the Lions hope to capitalize on last year’s success. Unlike some other classifications, the race to the top in 5-A appears to be wide open. All 10 of these teams have a shot to compete for the state title.
Class 4-A
These are the top 10 teams in 4-A according to ASWA:
- Handley
- Andalusia
- Madison Academy
- UMS-Wright
- Rogers
- Leeds
- St. James
- Hokes Bluff
- Cordova
- Fayette County
Handley sits atop the list as the reigning state champs, with Andalusia following closely behind with a 12-2 season that only ended with a loss to Handley in the semifinals. Another team to watch this season is Madison Academy, the runner-up in last season’s championship game. The Mustangs return seven starters on defense and four on offense. However, they did lose some of their star players to graduation last year. Will Handley be able to make a run for another title? Will the Madison Academy Mustangs fight to win their 4th championship in six years? Or will a team such as Leeds or Cordova rise to the occasion? Many questions will be answered as teams begin to compete as August wraps up.
RELATED: Yellowhammer State High School Football Preview: 6-A and 7-A
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