Ohatchee enters poll
- Updated: March 16, 2016
Indians grab a spot in the Class 3A baseball poll, one of four county baseball teams in rankings; Oxford leads three in softball poll
By East Alabama Sports Today
The Ohatchee Indians have been on a track all year to break into the club of elite baseball programs in Calhoun County.
It started with a top-five seed in the Calhoun County Tournament and then a spot in the tournament semifinals. Now, they’ve taken the next step.
The Indians (9-5) have landed a spot in the statewide baseball rankings, pulling down a No. 6 ranking in Class 3A in the first poll of the season. As best as third-year varsity coach Blake Jennings can recall, it’s the first time they’ve been ranked since one week they were “ninth or tenth” in 2013, when he was the junior high coach.
“Being ranked for Ohatchee is great for the community and the school,” Jennings said. “For our boys, it means we have created an opportunity for ourselves and our commitment to be noticed by others.
“We might be a good team now, but to be great we have to continue to give great effort on the field every day. We don’t want to just be good; we want to be great. Good is the enemy of great. … It’s going to take a lot to get to the ‘great’ point and that starts Tuesday (when they open area play at Ashville).”
The Indians, who haven’t made the playoffs since 1996, are one of four Calhoun County teams in the baseball poll.
Oxford, which is coming off a doubleheader sweep of 7A No. 6 Huntsville and is 6-0 in the new Choccolocco Park, is No. 10 in 6A. Alexandria is No. 9 in 5A and Jacksonville is No. 7 in 4A.
Oxford leads three county teams in the softball poll. The Lady Jackets are No. 4 in 6A. Alexandria is No. 5 in 5A. Pleasant Valley is No. 6 in 3A.
Cleburne County is No. 5 in 4A and Spring Garden is No. 2 in 1A.
Here is the complete poll:
ASWA BASEBALL RANKINGS
CLASS 7A
1. Sparkman (13-3)
2. Vestavia Hills (15-1)
3. Auburn (14-3)
4. Hoover (11-8)
5. Bob Jones (17-6)
6. Huntsville (8-8)
7. McGill-Toolen (11-2)
8. Mountain Brook (9-3)
9. Central-Phenix City (12-7)
10. Smiths Station (12-7)
Others nominated: Baker (6-6), Fairhope (6-4), Theodore (8-9).
CLASS 6A
1. Florence (17-4)
2. Hartselle (15-7)
3. Decatur (19-4)
4. Cullman (15-4)
5. Muscle Shoals (13-1)
6. Spanish Fort (9-5)
7. Opelika (11-9)
8. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (12-4)
9. Northview (15-4)
10. Oxford (12-3)
Others nominated: Brookwood (6-0), Benjamin Russell (11-3), Chilton County (9-5), Gardendale (10-6), Hueytown (10-3), Northridge (8-6), Pell City (8-4), Russell County (12-9), Saraland (7-8), Scottsboro (13-7).
CLASS 5A
1. Russellville (14-1)
2. Charles Henderson (15-1)
3. Helena (12-6)
4. Faith Academy (13-3)
5. St. Paul’s (9-1)
6. Tallassee (12-4)
7. Rehobeth (14-3)
8. Guntersville (13-2)
9. Alexandria (6-4)
10. Alabama Christian (11-5)
Others nominated: East Limestone (10-4), Etowah (10-6), Jemison (14-5), Madison County (10-5), Randolph (17-1).
CLASS 4A
1. UMS-Wright (9-5)
2. St. James (9-3)
3. Deshler (10-2)
4. Trinity (8-6)
5. Brooks (4-7)
6. Oneonta (7-4)
7. Jacksonville (8-2)
8. Headland (9-6)
9. Hokes Bluff (10-2)
10. Haleyville (7-4)
Others nominated: Holtville (10-5), North Jackson (7-5), Sardis (11-5), Sipsey Valley (4-3).
CLASS 3A
1. American Christian (9-2)
2. Bayside Academy (10-1)
3. Geneva (7-5)
4. Colbert Heights (11-0)
5. Madison Academy (11-5)
6. Ohatchee (6-3)
7. Winston County (5-2)
8. New Hope (7-4)
9. Pisgah (7-1)
10. T.R. Miller (6-2)
Others nominated: Colbert County (5-3), Hale County (5-3), Hanceville (6-6), Opp (7-4), Piedmont (6-4), Westbrook Christian (6-6), Wicksburg (8-5)
CLASS 2A
1. Mobile Christian (8-3)
2. Fayetteville (16-2)
3. Houston Academy (15-5)
4. Mars Hill Bible (6-4)
5. G.W. Long (12-5)
6. Sweet Water (10-4)
7. St. Luke’s (7-4)
8. Fyffe (6-4)
9. Providence Christian (14-5)
10. Highland Home (9-2)
Others nominated: Cleveland (4-5), Collinsville (6-5), Red Bay (8-5), Thorsby (8-7)
CLASS 1A
1. Decatur Heritage (7-2)
2. Athens Bible (10-2)
3. Shoals Christian (2-8)
4. Brantley (11-2)
5. Coosa Christian (13-1)
6. Maplesville (10-2)
7. Lynn (7-1)
8. J.U. Blacksher (7-7)
9. Vina (8-1)
10. Cedar Bluff (5-8)
Others nominated: Covenant Christian (3-0), Gaylesville (7-6), Hackleburg (7-5), Isabella (4-4-1).
AISA
1. Glenwood (16-0)
2. Edgewood (18-3)
3. Autauga Academy (16-5)
4. Monroe Academy (16-4)
5. Marengo Academy (9-1)
6. Abbeville Christian (19-7)
7. Northside Methodist (16-6)
8. Tuscaloosa Academy (8-10)
9. Clarke Prep (7-4-1)
10. Macon-East (14-6)
Others nominated: Cornerstone Christian (10-5), Jackson Academy (11-8), Pickens Academy (6-1).
ASWA SOFTBALL RANKINGS
CLASS 7A
1. Baker (12-2)
2. Hoover (17-3)
3. Sparkman (18-6-1)
4. James Clemens (18-4)
5. Spain Park (13-6)
6. Tuscaloosa County (13-6-1)
7. Buckhorn (18-7-1)
8. Oak Mountain (11-4)
9. Hewitt-Trussville (13-5-1)
10. Thompson (13-8)
Others nominated: Central-Phenix City (8-8-1), Huntsville (11-9-1), Mary Montgomery (10-9), Vestavia Hills (7-8).
CLASS 6A
1. Southside-Gadsden (7-3)
2. Gardendale (19-3-1)
3. Chelsea (13-3)
4. Oxford (10-3)
5. Pell City (18-3)
6. Florence (9-1)
7. Athens (8-5-1)
8. Daphne (7-5)
9. Hartselle (5-6)
10. Arab (8-6)
Others nominated: Cullman (5-6), Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (6-9-1), Hueytown (7-10), Scottsboro (9-7), Walker (8-5), Wetumpka (13-12).
CLASS 5A
1. Rehobeth (23-1)
2. Springville (12-4-1)
3. Hayden (6-3)
4. Faith Academy (6-1)
5. Alexandria (9-2)
6. Marbury (14-4-1)
7. Alabama Christian (12-8)
8. Beauregard (18-4)
9. Etowah (10-7)
10. Moody (7-5)
Others nominated: Corner (9-6), Demopolis (10-3), East Limestone (7-6), Eufaula (10-7), Helena (7-6), Lawrence County (10-9-1), Lincoln (16-6).
CLASS 4A
1. Curry (11-0)
2. Westminster Christian (19-4)
3. Northside (21-2)
4. LAMP (18-2)
5. Cleburne County (15-2)
6. Clarke County (6-3)
7. Handley (16-8)
8. Cordova (7-3)
9. West Blocton (10-6)
10. Headland (10-10)
Others nominated: Elmore County (7-9), Holtville (8-9), North Jackson (9-9), Oneonta (5-4), Rogers (10-4), Thomasville (9-7), UMS-Wright (12-6).
CLASS 3A
1. Hale County (9-4-1)
2. Prattville Christian (26-3)
3. Pisgah (9-4)
4. Colbert Heights (5-0)
5. West Morgan (12-7)
6. Pleasant Valley (14-3)
7. Gordo (14-4-1)
8. Plainview (8-2)
9. Slocomb (15-3)
10. American Christian (8-7-1)
Others nominated: Dale County (10-5), Madison Academy (6-5), Oakman (8-8), Opp (4-2), Piedmont (11-5), Sand Rock (9-4).
CLASS 2A
1. Sumiton Christian (10-1)
2. Hatton (10-7)
3. Ider (9-3)
4. Leroy (18-4)
5. Mobile Christian (5-4)
6. G.W. Long (9-3)
7. Collinsville (13-6)
8. Sweet Water (10-7)
9. Tharptown (8-3)
10. New Brockton (7-3)
Others nominated: Cold Springs (7-2), Fyffe (4-6), Goshen (6-4).
CLASS 1A
1. Brantley (11-3)
2. Spring Garden (4-3)
3. Coosa Christian (9-5)
4. Marion County (9-2)
5. Skyline (8-9)
6. Pleasant Home (7-5)
7. Kinston (6-9)
8. Decatur Heritage (2-4)
9. Appalachian (11-8)
10. Lynn (7-7)
Others nominated: Berry (6-4), Jefferson Christian (3-1), Ragland (6-6).
AISA
1. Glenwood (22-3)
2. Macon-East (20-4)
3. Edgewood (14-6)
4. Pickens Academy (9-1)
5. Patrician Academy (9-3)
6. Clarke Prep (8-3)
7. Marengo Academy (7-3)
8. Pike Liberal Arts NA
9. Abbeville Christian (17-11)
10. Bessemer Academy (10-8)
Others nominated: Lee-Scott (7-10-1).
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