By Paul Beaudry for the ASWA

When the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s preseason high school football poll was released three months ago, six of the seven teams ranked No. 1 in their classes were coming off state championships.

As the regular season ends and the first round of the 2013 playoffs start this weekend, most of those six teams are favored to repeat as champions — if the poll is any indication.

Four teams started and ended the season in the top spot in their classes. Three of them — Class 6A Hoover, 3A Madison Academy and the AISA’s Edgewood Academy — led wire to wire. Class 2A Tanner started the season in the top spot, lost to Madison Academy the first week and moved back to No. 1 in Week 9.

As for the other three schools, 1A champion Brantley started the year at No. 1 but ends it at No. 4. Pickens County ends the season as the top team in 1A, up from fourth in the preseason poll. The same position switch happened in 4A, where champ UMS-Wright started at No. 1 and finished at No. 4, flopping with undefeated Charles Henderson, which closed the regular season by completing the fourth-to-first march — the school’s first appearance in the top spot since 1980.

Spanish Fort started the season as No. 2 in 5A behind McAdory, the team it defeated 45-14 in last season’s title game. The Toros moved up to No. 1 at the beginning of October and have owned the spot since, while two losses have dropped McAdory into the 10th spot.

Class 6A
1. Hoover (31) (10-0)    372
2. Auburn (9-1)    270
3. Clay-Chalkville (9-1)    240
4. McGill-Toolen (9-1)    214
5. Bob Jones (9-1)    155
6. Shades Valley (9-1)    141
7. Blount (9-1)    138
8. Vestavia Hills (8-2)    93
9. Oxford (8-2)    40
10. Bessemer City (9-1)    30

Others receiving votes: Daphne (8-2) 23, Carver-Montgomery (8-2) 20, Opelika (7-3) 18, Smiths Station (8-2) 7, Spain Park (8-2) 4, Tuscaloosa Co. (7-3) 2.

Class 5A
1. Spanish Fort (30) (10-0)    369
2. Jackson (1) (10-0)    278
3. Benjamin Russell (9-1)    240
4. Southside-Gadsden (10-0)    191
5. Muscle Shoals (9-1)    188
6. Center Point (9-1)    132
7. Saraland (9-1)    115
8. St. Paul’s (8-2)    80
9. Homewood (8-2)    76
10. McAdory (8-2)    59

Others receiving votes:  Pleasant Grove (9-1) 28, Hartselle (8-2) 5, Briarwood Chr. (8-2) 4, Walker (8-2) 2.

Class 4A
1. Charles Henderson (27) (10-0)    360
2. Oneonta (9-1)    251
3. Calera (1) (9-1)    223
4. UMS-Wright (3) (8-2)    219
5. Dadeville (9-1)    197
6. Bibb Co. (9-1)    140
7. J.O. Johnson (9-1)    126
8. Central-Clay Co. (8-2)    80
9. Munford (9-1)    68
10. Guntersville (9-1)    49

Others receiving votes: Beauregard (8-2) 18, Andalusia (8-2) 15, Haleyville (9-1) 13, Hillcrest-Evergreen (7-3) 3, Central-Florence (8-2) 2, Childersburg (8-2) 1, Madison Co. (8-2) 1, Tallassee (8-2) 1.

Class 3A
1. Madison Acad. (30) (10-0)    369
2. T.R. Miller (1) (10-0)    278
3. Saks (10-0)    245
4. Fayette Co. (9-1)    210
5. Piedmont (9-1)    179
6. Dale Co. (10-0)    156
7. Leeds (8-2)    110
8. Colbert Co. (9-1)    91
9. Trinity (8-2)    56
10. Straughn (7-2)    38

Others receiving votes: Hanceville (9-1) 13, Lauderdale Co. (8-2) 11, Hamilton (8-2) 6, Geraldine (8-2) 2, New Hope (8-2) 2, Deshler (7-3) 1.

Class 2A
1. Tanner (24) (8-1)    346
2. Lanett (6) (9-0)    290
3. Washington Co. (9-1)    237
4. Fyffe (9-1)    215
5. Oakman (9-1)    144
6. Luverne (1) (9-1)    129
7. G.W. Long (9-1)    108
8. Fultondale (9-1)    81
9. Sweet Water (7-3)    75
10. Ranburne  (9-1)    62

Others receiving votes: Lamar Co. (9-1) 36, Montgomery Acad. (9-1) 19, Houston Acad. (8-1) 10, Mobile Chr. (7-3) 10, Red Bay (8-2) 3, Walter Wellborn (7-3) 2.

Class 1A
1. Pickens Co. (27) (10-0)    360
2. Maplesville (4) (10-0)    291
3. Addison (8-1)    215
4. Brantley (8-2)    192
5. Ragland (8-1)    178
6. Falkville (8-1)    140
7. Valley Head (9-1)    102
8. Linden (7-3)    100
9. Loachapoka (8-2)    90
10. McKenzie (8-2)    37

Others receiving votes: Hubbertville (8-2) 28, R.A. Hubbard (7-3) 9, Geneva Co. (8-2) 8, A.L. Johnson (7-2) 7, Autaugaville (7-3) 5, St. Jude (8-2) 5

AISA
1. Edgewood Acad. (27) (11-0)    357
2. Monroe Acad. (4) (10-0)    280
3. Restoration (10-1)    258
4. Marengo Acad. (10-0)    216
5. Bessemer Acad. (10-1)    188
6. Autauga Acad. (8-2)    141
7. Tuscaloosa Acad. (7-3)    86
8. Escambia Acad. (9-2)    82
9. Abbeville Chr. (9-2)    55
10. Patrician Acad. (8-3)    53

Others receiving votes: Wilcox Acad. (7-3) 20, Clarke Prep (6-4) 11, Kingwood Chr. (8-3) 10, Pickens Acad. (7-3) 7, Fort Dale (6-4) 2, Coosa Valley Acad. (6-5) 1