By By Adam Robinson
Sports Editor
T.R. Miller has been ranked as the No. 3 team in class 3A in the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s preseason polls released on Sunday.
The Tigers, who went 13-1 last season and advanced to the semifinals before losing to runner-up Cordova 40-35, are ranked behind last year’s state champion Leeds and Cordova.
The Tigers from Brewton received two first-place votes and 299 total votes, one less than second place Cordova.
Cordova had four first place votes and Leeds had 29 of the 36 total votes. Colbert County received one.
In class 4A, W.S. Neal was ranked in the honorable mention category in class 4A with three total votes.
Two of W.S. Neal’s region opponents were named in the top 10, with UMS-Wright being tabbed No. 1 and Thomasville No. 4.
Jackson, Andalusia and Hillcrest, also region opponents for W.S. Neal, were named in the poll as honorable mention with W.S. Neal.
Of the eight teams in region one, six were named in the poll, with only B.C. Rain and Clarke County left out.
T.R. Miller had no region teams in the top 10, but had three teams make the honorable mention ranks with Bayside Academy, Straughn and Luverne being tabbed. With that, four of the eight teams in class 3A region one were named in the poll.
T.R. Miller and Leeds will square off against each other in a No. 1 versus No. 3 battle in the Champions Challenge in Montgomery on Saturday, Aug. 22.
All six AHSAA champions from 2008 will start the new season ranked No. 1 in their respective classes in the ASWA’s preseason high school football poll.
Class 6A Prattville, 5A Vigor, 4A UMS-Wright, 3A Leeds, 2A Leroy and 1A Sweet Water were state champions at Legion Field in December and will try to defend their title on Dec. 3-4 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
Also, four of their six opponents from the 2008 state championship games will begin the year as the No. 2 team around the state. Class 6A Hoover, 5A Russellville, 4A Cherokee County and 3A Cordova had the runner-up spot in December and in the 2009 poll.
In the two smallest classes, Class 2A runner-up Sulligent was picked ninth in the poll and Class 1A Speake closed after the 2008-09 school year and merged with Class 4A Lawrence County.
Both Leroy and Sweet Water, for the third-straight time and fourth in the last five years, began the season as the No. 1 team in their class.
In the AISA, Class AAA runner-up Fort Dale Academy begins the season as the top-ranked team while Class AA champion Edgewood Academy is second. Bessemer Academy, which had been first in every preseason poll from 2005 to 2008, is third.
The regular season begins the weekend of Aug. 27-29 for all AHSAA and most AISA schools, although a few of the latter institutions begin play on Aug. 21. Playoffs in both associations will start the weekend of Nov. 6.
Listed below are the preseason polls as determined by the ASWA listed as rank, team, first place votes, 2008 record, and total votes:
Class 6A
1. Prattville (35)                    (13-1)   429
2. Hoover (1)                            (13-2)   310
3. Davidson                              (11-3)   244
4. Vestavia Hills                         (7-4)   158
5. Auburn                                 (12-1)   130
6. Opelika                                  (8-3)    102
7. Tuscaloosa Co.                   (11-1)       90
8. Minor                                    (9-3)      75
9. Daphne                                (7-4)        67
tie. Jess Lanier                        (7-3)     67
Others receiving votes: Stanhope Elmore (7-4) 52, McGill-Toolen (9-3) 50, Foley (7-3) 47, Murphy (10-3) 30, Oxford (8-3) 28, Pelham (6-5) 27, Huntsville (10-4) 21, Fairhope (6-5) 20, Bob Jones (7-5) 19, Gadsden City (7-5) 18, Mountain Brook (11-2) 15, Theodore (8-4) 15, Buckhorn (5-5) 10, Wetumpka (9-3) 9, Enterprise (7-4) 7, Oak Mountain (3-7) 7, Clay-Chalkville (5-6) 2, Williamson (6-4) 2, Hueytown (6-5) 1.
Class 5A
1. Vigor (29)                             (15-0)   401
2. Russellville (4)                     (13-2)   306
3. Briarwood Chr. (1)                 (9-3)   265
4. Carver-Montgomery (1)       (13-1)   233
5. Demopolis (1)                        (8-5)   210
6. Spanish Fort                         (11-2)   149
7. Cullman                               (11-3)   128
8. Walker                                  (11-2)  110
9. Shelby Co.                           (11-1)     55
10. Springville                         (  8-3)     54  
Others receiving votes: Boaz (8-4) 31, Athens (6-5) 25, Eufaula (6-5) 24, Valley (10-2) 23, Hartselle (12-1) 20, Wenonah (6-4) 20, Sylacauga (7-4) 5, Greenville (7-4) 3, Fairfield (9-3) 2, Fort Payne (7-4) 2, Tallassee (7-4) 2, Selma (5-5) 1.
Class 4A
1. UMS-Wright (32)                 (13-2)   420
2. Cherokee Co. (3)                  (14-1)   324
3. Deshler (1)                           (10-4)   249
4. Thomasville                          (7-5)    165
5. Oneonta                               (10-3)   153
6. North Jackson                     (10-2)   130
7. Midfield                                 (9-2)  123
8. Brooks                                  (11-2)   96  
9. Handley                                (10-3)   92  
10. Bibb Co.                             (10-2)   73  
Others receiving votes: Guntersville (8-3) 69, Fayette Co. (9-3) 61, Lincoln (11-2) 27, Elmore Co. (11-1) 22, Jackson (9-4) 21, Alexandria (9-3) 10, Fairview (6-5) 9, Calera (7-5) 3, W.S. Neal (2-8) 3, Andalusia (2-8) 1, Hillcrest-Evergreen (3-7) 1.
Class 3A
1. Leeds (29)                            (15-0)   395
2. Cordova (4)                          (11-4)   300
3. T.R. Miller (2)                       (13-1)   299
4. Colbert Co. (1)                     (10-4)   214
6. Gordo                                    (9-4)     120
7. Daleville                               (9-4)       80
8. Montevallo                           (5-5)      76
9. Dadeville                              (11-1)    71
10. Susan Moore                        (9-3)     66
Others receiving votes: Sardis (7-4) 52, Trinity (8-3) 43, Slocomb (9-3) 35, Hamilton (12-1) 24, Bayside Acad. (6-5) 21, West Morgan (10-2) 16, Luverne (8-4) 12, Pike Co. (5-5) 9, Montgomery Acad, (5-6) 5, Straughn (8-3) 2.
Class 2A
1. Leroy (36)                             (15-0)   432
2. Reeltown                              (12-2)    253
3. Tanner                                  (12-1)    185
4. Fyffe                                      (9-4)     182
5. Pickens Co.                          (11-2)    180
6. Clay Co.                               (13-1)    171
tie. Houston Acad.                     (8-3)     171
8. Millry                                   (10-3)     144
9. Sulligent                               (12-3)       69  
10. Winston Co.                         (9-3)       38  
Others receiving votes: Washington Co. (6-6) 36, Cottonwood (6-4) 32, Fultondale (5-6) 27, Lexington (6-5) 27, American Chr. (10-2) 25, Sand Rock (9-2) 24, Lineville (4-8) 15, Barbour Co. (8-3) 11, New Brockton (6-5) 11, St. Jude (7-4) 8, Hatton (6-4) 4, Red Bay (4-7) 3, Lanett (7-4) 2, Elba (7-4) 1, Excel (3-7) 1.
Class 1A
1. Sweet Water (36)                (14-1)    432
2. Gaston                                  (11-3)   272
3. Brantley                                (12-1)   251
4. Loachapoka                           (9-3)    210
5. R.A. Hubbard                       (7-3)     167
6. Cedar Bluff                           (9-3)     154
7. Maplesville                           (6-4)     118            
8. Linden                                  (13-1)     88
9. Ariton                                   (8-3)      79  
10. Talladega Co. Cent.         (10-2)       68  
Others receiving votes: McIntosh (8-3) 43, Appalachian (10-3) 40, J.U. Blacksher (8-4) 39, Spring Garden (9-3) 26, Wadley (9-2) 11, South Lamar (9-4) 10, Ragland (7-4) 5, Victory Chr. (8-3) 5, McKenzie (9-2) 3, Billingsley (9-3) 2, Winterboro (5-6) 2, Lynn (6-5) 1.
AISA
1. Fort Dale (24)                      (10-3)   379
2. Edgewood Acad. (7)           (13-0)   315
3. Bessemer Acad. (2)              (9-3)    272
4. Southern Acad.                   ( 8-3)     202
5. Tuscaloosa Acad.               (11-2)    194
6. Patrician Acad. (1)              (12-0)   159
7. Monroe Acad. (1)                (11-1)   141
8. South Choctaw Acad.         (10-3)   107
9. Pike Liberal (1)                    (12-1)    91
10. Glenwood Acad.                 (8-3)     74
Others receiving votes: Lowndes Acad. (10-4) 48, Morgan Acad. (5-6) 22, Crenshaw Chr. (10-2) 17, Cornerstone Chr. (6-5) 8, Escambia Acad, (0-11) 8, Hooper Acad. (4-7) 7, Restoration Acad. (4-4) 3, Sparta Acad. (5-5) 3, Macon-East (5-5) 1, Lakeside Acad. (2-8) 1.