By PAUL BEAUDRY

For The ASWA 

Prattville took home its fifth Class 6A state championship and fourth in six seasons on Friday with a 35-34 win over Hoover.

Today, the Lions came away with another title by claiming the Alabama Sports Writers Association Super 25 postseason poll.

Since the Alabama High School Athletic Association first started sponsoring football playoffs in 1966, the winners have been decided on the field. 

But which team is the best if the six winners don’t meet to decide it? Is a 6A semifinalist better than a 3A champion? Did an unbeaten Class 2A champion have a better season than a five-loss finalist in a higher
division?

Since these questions can’t be answered on the field, the ASWA designed a solution to solve these answers — and create many different questions with its first Super 25 postseason poll.

Voters were asked not only to weigh a team’s final record and their class, but also take into account its body of work within its own class — specifically, if a team did its best against other schools its size, or those larger classes when it had the opportunity.


While five of the top 10 schools come from the largest classification, members placed at least two schools from all six AHSAA classes in the top 25. While no AISA members cracked the top 25, four of them received votes in the final poll.

(First place votes, Class and final record in parentheses. First-place vote was worth 25 points, second 24, third 23 and so on.)

1. Prattville (25) (6A, 12-2) 714

*Won Class 6A Championship

2. Hoover (6A, 13-2) 648

*Class 6A Runner-up

3. Hartselle (1) (5A, 15-0) 629

*Won Class 5A Championship

4. Jackson (3) (4A, 15-0) 537

*Won Class 4A Championship

5. Oxford (6A, 12-2) 475

*Class 6A semifinalist

6. Vigor (5A, 12-3) 474

*Class 5A Runner-up

7. Hueytown (5A, 13-1) 419

*Class 5A semifinalist

8. Handley (3A, 15-0) 394

*Won Class 3A Championship

9. Mountain Brook (6A, 12-1) 389

*Class 6A quarterfinalist

10. Clay-Chalkville (6A, 1-9) 380

*10-0 on field; forfeited 9 games

11. Elba (2A, 15-0) 363

*Won Class 2A Championship

12. Briarwood Chr. (5A, 12-2) 343

*Class 5A semifinalist

13. Central-Phenix City (6A, 11-3) 331

*Class 6A semifinalist

14. Daphne (6A, 10-2) 306

*Class 6A second round

15. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (6A, 12-1) 298

*Class 6A quarterfinalist

16. Marion Co. (1A, 14-1) 293

*Won Class 1A Championship

17. Oneonta (4A, 12-3) 268

*Class 4A Runner-up

18. Madison Acad. (3A, 12-3) 203

*Class 3A Runner-up

19. Tanner (2A, 14-1) 186

*Class 2A Runner-up

20. Linden (1A, 13-2) 185

*Class 1A Runner-up

21. McGill-Toolen (6A, 11-2) 145

*Class 6A quarterfinalist

22. St. Paul’s (5A, 11-2) 109

*Class 5A quarterfinalist

23. UMS-Wright (4A, 9-5) 108

*Class 4A semifinalist

24. Clay Co. (3A, 12-2) 102

*Class 3A semifinalist

25. Fairhope (6A, 10-3) 96

*Class 6A quarterfinalist

Also receiving votes:

Spanish Fort (5A, 9-4) 92; Bob Jones (6A, 10-2) 87; Center Point (5A, 11-2) 74; American Chr. (2A, 12-2) 71; Anniston (4A, 9-5) 64; Thomasville (4A, 10-2) 54; Sweet Water (1A, 10-4) 50; Bibb Co. (4A, 12-1) 49; Pinson Valley (5A, 9-3) 47; Ragland (1A, 12-1) 41; Edgewood Acad. (AISA, 13-0) 39; Blount (6A, 10-2) 34; Piedmont (3A, 12-1) 34; Bessemer Acad. (AISA, 12-1) 33; Muscle Shoals (5A, 11-2) 30; Dadeville (4A, 12-1) 27; Lineville (2A, 10-4) 27; Vestavia Hills (6A, 7-5) 27; Murphy (6A, 7-5) 23; Jackson Acad. (AISA, 12-1) 17; Deshler (4A, 11-2) 15; Rogers (3A, 11-3) 14, Auburn (6A, 8-2) 13; Pickens Co. (1A, 11-2) 12; Wetumpka (6A, 2-7) 10; Leeds (3A, 10-3) 9; Fultondale (2A, 10-3) 7; Monroe Acad. (AISA, 11-2) 7; T.R. Miller (3A, 9-3) 6; Flomaton (2A, 11-2) 5; Hanceville (3A, 10-1) 5; Northridge (6A, 10-2) 5; Collinsville (1A, 11-2) 1; Maplesville (1A, 12-1) 1.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association prep committee voters were: Paul Beaudry, Chairman, Freelance (Birmingham); Josh Bean, Co-Chairman, Mobile Press-Register; Andrew Garner, Andalusia Star-News; Nick Birdsong, Anniston Star; Chandler Myers, Atmore Advance; Robert Ladnier, Baldwin Register; Jeff Sentell, Birmingham News; Adam Robinson, Brewton Standard; Rob Rice, Blount Countian; Shannon Fagan, Cherokee Herald; Ross Wood, Clarke Co. Democrat; Stan Veitch, Cullman Times; Jonathon Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle; Jason Bowen, Daily Sentinel; Cody Whitlock, Decatur Daily; Jeremy Smith, Demopolis Times; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Lee Peacock, Evergreen Courant; Gregg Dewalt, Florence TimesDaily; Lew Gilliland, Fort Payne Times-Journal; Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; Mike Easterling, Huntsville Times; Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser; Jonathan Deal, Moulton Advertiser; Robert Carter, North Jefferson News; Jason Galloway, Opelika-Auburn News; Shannon Allen, Sand Mountain Reporter; Alex Scarborough, Tuscaloosa News; Griffin Pritchard, Wetumpka Herald.