Oxford is No. 2
- Updated: October 18, 2016
Yellow Jackets rise to highest ranking in nearly 25 years, J’ville matches second-highest ranking ever, No. 1 Piedmont and Ohatchee remain in 3A poll
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD – When things were looking bleak for the Oxford football team last year, Yellow Jackets coach Ryan Herring kept telling his young charges better times were coming.
Well, they’re here.
The Yellow Jackets have made one of the biggest turnarounds in the state this season and today they enjoy their highest ranking in the statewide poll in almost a quarter-century.
At 9-0, the Jackets are No. 2 in this week’s Class 6A poll. It’s their highest position since pulling down a No. 2 in 5A on Sept. 23, 1993. They were No. 1 the next week and kept it through winning the state championship.
The Jackets, idle this week, received 244 points from the voters — without receiving any first-place votes. That’s 94 points behind No. 1 Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and 28 points ahead of No. 3 Minor – both 8-0.
“I’m just so happy for the players,” Herring said. “They had to go through a tough year last year as far as wins and losses, but we had a lot of wins that didn’t have anything to do with the scoreboard, that nobody sees, that are invisible to the normal eye. I think a lot of that is (a result of) what they went through last year. I think it sharpened them.”
The Jackets are six games better than they were at this point a year ago with a region schedule that lost 6A Opelika, Valley and Chilton County and were replaced by Cullman, Albertville and Brewer. West Morgan (0-9/6-3), Houston County (0-9/6-3), Isabella (1-7/7-1) and Lynn (1-8/7-2) also have a plus-6 win turnaround at this point in their seasons.
This year, they’ve outscored their opponents 314-118 and already clinched their region championship. Last year they were outscored 270-174 and missed the playoffs for only the fourth time in 30 years.
“When you’re going through it you don’t see many positives, but we saw some kids who kept working, kept a good attitude and we kept telling them better times are coming guys,” Herring said. “You’re not always going to be ninth-graders. We’re going to be repaying some of these people, and it’s kind of come to fruition.
“We had six ninth-graders (playing) in that schedule. They took a beating growing up, but they were growing up instead of giving up football. They decided to tough it ough and it has paid off. You don’t always see results or get what you want, but it’s been neat. We have seen results and a lot of positives sticking it out.”
Oxford isn’t the only Calhoun County team seeing a rise in the polls.
Jacksonville moved up to No. 5 in Class 4A going into its region championship game at Cherokee County. It matches the Golden Eagles’ highest ranking ever, most recently on Sept. 23, 2014. They received their highest ranking ever the next week.
Piedmont and Ohatchee remained in the Class 3A poll. Piedmont remains No. 1, while the Indians fell to No. 9 after losing to the Bulldogs last week.
Here is the complete poll:
ASWA FOOTBALL POLL
(First-place votes and record in parentheses)
Class 7A
1. McGill-Toolen (29) (8-0)
2. Hoover (7-1)
3. Hewitt-Trussville (9-0)
4. Central-Phenix City (7-1)
5. Davidson (7-1)
6. James Clemens (6-2)
7. Enterprise (8-1)
8. Spain Park (6-2)
9. Mountain Brook (6-2)
10. Lee-Montgomery (6-2)
Others receiving votes: Bob Jones (6-3) 10, Auburn (5-3) 5, Gadsden City (4-5) 1.
Class 6A
1. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (26) (8-0)
2. Oxford (9-0)
3. Minor (2) (8-0)
4. Opelika (8-1)
5. Blount (1) (7-2)
6. Spanish Fort (6-2)
7. Park Crossing (8-1)
8. Ramsay (7-1)
9. Daphne (6-2)
10. Decatur (7-1)
Others receiving votes: Wetumpka (7-2) 16, Austin (6-2) 15, Clay-Chalkville (6-3) 13, Gardendale (6-3) 4, Hartselle (7-2) 2.
Class 5A
1. Scottsboro (22) (8-0)
2. Etowah (1) (8-1)
3. Carroll (1) (8-0)
4. Vigor (3) (7-2)
5. St. Paul’s (1) (6-2)
6. Central-Clay Co. (1) (7-1)
7. Beauregard (6-1)
8. Mortimer Jordan (6-2)
9. Briarwood Chr. (7-1)
10. Jackson (5-3)
Others receiving votes: Demopolis (6-2) 33, Brooks (6-2) 10, Russellville (6-2) 9, Eufaula (6-2) 7, Hayden (7-1) 5, Sylacauga (6-2) 5.
Class 4A
1. Andalusia (26) (8-1)
2. Haleyville (1) (7-1)
3. Rogers (1) (8-0)
4. UMS-Wright (1) (6-2)
5. Jacksonville (8-0)
6. Madison Acad. (6-2)
7. Handley (6-2)
8. Thomasville (5-2)
9. Cordova (7-2)
10. West Limestone (7-1)
Others receiving votes: Leeds (6-3) 30, St. James (8-1) 19, Madison Co. (5-3) 11, Munford (6-2) 11, Cherokee Co. (7-2) 10, North Jackson (5-3) 9, Dadeville (5-4) 4, Hamilton (4-4) 1, Tallassee (6-3) 1, Wilson (7-1) 1.
Class 3A
1. Piedmont (27) (9-0)
2. Gordo (2) (8-0)
3. Mobile Chr. (7-1)
4. Opp (7-1)
5. Colbert Co. (7-1)
6. Montevallo (7-1)
7. T.R. Miller (6-2)
8. Daleville (7-1)
9. Ohatchee (7-1)
10. Pike Co. (7-1)
Others receiving votes: Fultondale (7-1) 7, Lexington (6-2) 6, Oakman (5-3) 3, Bayside (5-3) 2, Randolph Co. (6-2) 2.
Class 2A
1. Fyffe (24) (8-0)
2. G.W. Long (2) (7-0)
3. Elba (3) (7-1)
4. LaFayette (8-0)
5. Lanett (8-1)
6. Tanner (5-3)
7. Aliceville (7-1)
8. Southern Choctaw (6-1)
9. New Brockton (5-3)
10. Lamar Co. (6-2)
Others receiving votes: Sheffield (7-2) 20, Washington Co. (6-2) 19, Sand Rock (6-2) 12, Goshen (6-2) 8, Red Bay (6-2) 5, Cleveland (5-3) 2.
Class 1A
1. Maplesville (24) (7-0)
2. Linden (5) (8-0)
3. Spring Garden (8-0)
4. Addison (9-0)
5. Georgiana (9-0)
6. Wadley (7-0)
7. Cedar Bluff (6-2)
8. Sweet Water (5-2)
9. Decatur Heritage (6-2)
10. Pickens Co. (6-2)
Others receiving votes: Hubbertville (6-1) 18, Isabella (7-1) 4, McKenzie (7-2) 4, Brantley (5-3) 2, Berry (5-3) 1.
AISA
1. Autauga Acad. (29) (8-0)
2. Bessemer Acad. (8-1)
3. Monroe Acad. (8-1)
4. Marengo Acad. (7-1)
5. Chambers Acad. (8-0)
6. Escambia Acad. (6-2)
7. S. Choctaw Acad. (7-1)
8. Abbeville Chr. (6-3)
9. Fort Dale Acad. (6-2)
10. Cornerstone Chr. (6-2)
Others receiving votes: Glenwood (5-3) 18, Lowndes Acad. (5-2) 13, Pike Liberal (5-3) 6, Lee-Scott (4-4) 4, Northside Methodist (5-4) 1.
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