Staff Reports

The Alabama Sports Writers Association released the first basketball poll of the season early Thursday morning. Four area girls and three area boys teams are ranked, while three other teams received nominations.

Leading the area girls teams is three-time defending Class 1A state champion Spring Garden. The Lady Panthers begin the 2025-26 season at No. 4 behind top-ranked Ider (2-4), Winterboro (2-1), and Brilliant (1-1). Spring Garden opens this season on Friday against Class 3A Weaver.

The Cherokee County Lady Warriors (2-0) are also ranked fourth in Class 4A. The Lady Warriors are at Class 3A Glencoe this evening.

Class 2A Sand Rock (2-1) enters the season ranked fifth, followed by Cedar Bluff (1-0) at No. 10. Sand Rock hosts West End on Friday. Cedar Bluff is at Class 1A Valley Head this evening.

One other area girls team received a nomination: Class 3A Piedmont (0-1).

In the boys rankings, Sand Rock (2-1) lead the area by coming in at No. 6, followed by Cedar Bluff (1-0) at No. 7. Spring Garden begins the new season at No. 8.

Piedmont (0-0) and Cherokee County (0-0) are among the teams receiving nominations.

The first ASWA high school basketball rankings are listed below, beginning with Class 7A girls.

GIRLS
Class 7A
1. Hoover (1-1)
2. Albertville (5-0)
3. Bob Jones (5-2)
4. Daphne (3-1)
5. Auburn (0-1)
6. Fairhope (6-0)
7. Prattville (3-1)
8. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (1-3)
9. Central-Phenix City (1-1)
10. Foley (5-1)
Others nominated: Alma Bryant (3-1), Hewitt-Trussville (2-5), Huntsville (4-2), James Clemens (3-1), Sparkman (1-2), Thompson (3-3).

Class 6A
1. Park Crossing (5-0)
2. Hazel Green (3-1)
3. Mountain Brook (3-1)
4. Fort Payne (4-0)
5. Clay-Chalkville (4-0)
6. McGill-Toolen (5-1)
7. Northridge (3-0)
8. Stanhope Elmore (3-0)
9. Hartselle (3-1)
10. Buckhorn (5-0)
Others nominated: Benjamin Russell (2-1), Chelsea (2-2), Gardendale (3-1), Gulf Shores (3-2), Homewood (3-1), Jackson-Olin (5-0), Minor (3-0), Murphy (3-0), Oxford (3-0), Parker (3-1), Paul Bryant (3-0), Pelham (2-0), Saraland (3-1), Shades Valley (3-1) Wetumpka (2-1).

Class 5A
1. Scottsboro (2-0)
2. Guntersville (5-0)
3. Wenonah (4-0)
4. Vigor (0-2)
5. Ramsay (0-3)
6. Briarwood (3-1)
7. West Point (4-1)
8. Charles Henderson (3-0)
9. Boaz (4-0)
10. Priceville (2-1)
Others nominated: Arab (0-3), Greenville (5-0), Jacksonville (2-0), Russellville (3-2), Sardis (2-2), UMS-Wright (2-3).

Class 4A
1. Plainview (3-0)
2. Good Hope (4-0)
3. Deshler (0-0)
4. Cherokee Co. (2-0)
5. Trinity (1-2)
6. St. Michael (3-0)
7. Montgomery Catholic (0-0)
8. Anniston (1-0)
9. Geneva (3-0)
10. Wilson (4-0)
Others nominated: East Lawrence (2-1), Fultondale (1-1), Hatton (3-0), Madison Academy (1-3), Opp (3-0), Orange Beach (1-2), St. John Paul II (3-2).

Class 3A
1. St. James (3-0)
2. Mars Hill Bible (2-0)
3. Lauderdale Co. (1-1)
4. Midfield (3-0)
5. T.R. Miller (0-0)
6. Holly Pond (0-0)
7. Sylvania (0-1)
8. Vinemont (0-0)
9. Westbrook Christian (3-1)
10. Whitesburg Christian (2-1)
Others nominated: Glencoe (1-0), Piedmont (0-1).

Class 2A
1. Pisgah (4-0)
2. Cold Springs (3-0)
3. Decatur Heritage (3-1)
4. North Sand Mountain (2-1)
5. Sand Rock (2-1)
6. Sulligent (1-1)
7. Highland Home (1-0)
8. Belgreen (1-1)
9. Abbeville (0-1)
10. Cedar Bluff (1-0)
Others nominated: Tuscaloosa Academy (0-0), Vincent (1-0), Westminster-Oak Mountain (2-3).

Class 1A
1. Ider (2-4)
2. Winterboro (2-1)
3. Brilliant (1-1)
4. Spring Garden (0-0)
5. Kinston (2-0)
6. Marion Co. (0-0)
7. R.C. Hatch (3-0)
8. Athens Bible (2-1)
9. Skyline (2-0)
10. Brantley (0-0)
Others nominated: Hackleburg (1-0).

AISA
1. Springwood (2-0)
2. Lowndes Academy (0-0)
3. Clarke Prep (0-0)
4. North River Christian (8-1)
5. Edgewood (1-2)
Others nominated: Abbeville Christian (2-0), Heritage Christian (0-1).

BOYS
Class 7A
1. Hoover (4-1)
2. Huntsville (4-0)
3. Fairhope (0-0)
4. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (2-0)
5. Hewitt-Trussville (4-1)
6. Austin (1-1)
7. James Clemens (2-1)
8. Sparkman (1-2)
9. Tuscaloosa Co. (4-2)
10. Oak Mountain (2-3)
Others nominated: Bob Jones (2-3), Thompson (1-3).

Class 6A
1. Gadsden City (3-0)
2. Clay-Chalkville (5-0)
3. Oxford (3-0)
4. Jemison-Huntsville (3-0)
5. Mountain Brook (4-0)
6. Hazel Green (2-1)
7. Cullman (4-0)
8. Pinson Valley (2-0)
9. Minor (3-0)
10. Buckhorn (3-0)
Others nominated: Blount (5-0), Calera (3-1), Chelsea (3-1), Gardendale (3-1), Homewood (1-2), Hueytown (2-3), Huffman (1-3), Lee-Huntsville (3-0), McAdory (3-2), Murphy (4-1), Northridge (4-0), Park Crossing (4-1), Pelham (2-0), Saraland (5-0), Shades Valley (3-2), Spain Park (3-2).

Class 5A
1. Wenonah (3-0)
2. Williamson (2-1)
3. Ramsay (0-4)
4. Guntersville (2-0)
5. Leeds (2-0)
6. East Limestone (3-1)
7. Corner (3-0)
8. UMS-Wright (2-2)
9. Briarwood (2-2)
10. Montevallo (2-1)
Others nominated: Russellville (1-0), Vigor (1-3).

Class 4A
1. Jackson (0-0)
2. Plainview (0-0)
3. Anniston (0-0)
4. Fairfield (2-2)
5. Madison Academy (0-0)
6. Randolph (3-1)
7. White Plains (2-0)
8. West Morgan (0-0)
9. Hatton (3-0)
10. Orange Beach (2-1)
Others nominated: Brooks (0-0), Cherokee Co. (0-0), Deshler (0-0), New Hope (3-2), Opp (2-0), Tarrant (3-2), Wilson (3-0).

Class 3A
1. Hale Co. (2-0)
2. Montgomery Academy (0-0)
3. Whitesburg Christian (4-0)
4. Midfield (2-1)
5. Mars Hill Bible (0-0)
6. Glencoe (2-1)
7. Lee-Scott (0-0)
8. Sumter Central (0-0)
9. Fyffe (1-1)
10. Lauderdale Co. (1-0)
Others nominated: Piedmont (0-0).

Class 2A
1. Section (2-1)
2. Pisgah (0-0)
3. North Sand Mountain (1-0)
4. Decatur Heritage (1-1)
5. Red Bay (0-2)
6. Sand Rock (2-1)
7. Cedar Bluff (1-0)
8. Tanner (1-2)
9. Westminster-Oak Mountain (2-4)
10. Tuscaloosa Academy (0-0)
Others nominated: None.

Class 1A
1. Coosa Christian (0-0)
2. Oakwood (3-2)
3. Hubbertville (0-0)
4. R.C. Hatch (0-0)
5. Skyline (0-2)
6. Pleasant Home (1-1)
7. Brantley (0-0)
8. Spring Garden (0-0)
9. Marion Co. (0-0)
10. Florala (1-0)
Others nominated: Hackleburg (1-0).

AISA (top five)
1. Valiant Cross (0-0)
2. Abbeville Christian (0-0)
3. Escambia Academy (0-0)
4. Springwood (3-1)
5. Edgewood (0-0)
Others nominated: Evangel-Montgomery (0-0), Heritage Christian (1-1), Oaks (4-2), Restoration (3-0).

NOMINATIONS RECEIVED FROM:
AL.com
Cullman Times
Decatur Daily
EA Sports Today
Florence TimesDaily
Fort Payne Times-Journal
Gadsden Times
Jackson Co. Sentinel
Montgomery Advertiser
Opp News
Shelby Co. Reporter
Small Town Sports-Greenville
Starnes Media
Tuscaloosa News
WEIS radio