Jason Bowen

The Pisgah football team will carry a lofty ranking with it into the 2024 high school football season.

Pisgah topped in the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 2A preseason prep football poll. It’s the first No. 1 ranking for the Eagles since the ASWA began releasing rankings in 1980, according to the ASWA’s A. Stacy Long.

The ASWA released its 2024 preseason rankings for all AHSAA 1A-7A classifications as well as the Alabama Independent School Association this morning.

Pisgah, with 18 players with starting experience returning, is coming off of back-to-back state semifinal appearances. The Eagles lost in the semifinals both seasons to Fyffe, which after winning two consecutive Class 2A state titles moved up to Class 3A and is 3A’s preseason No. 1-ranked team. Pisgah hosts Fyffe on Thursday, Aug. 29 in the fifth meeting between the teams in less than two years.

Pisgah received 14 of 19 first-place votes in the Class 2A poll. No. 2-ranked Coosa Christian, which moved up to Class 2A after finishing as the 1A state runner-up last season, received four first-place votes while No. 9 Reeltown, the 2023 2A runner-up, received one first-place vote.

Two other Jackson County teams garnered votes in the ASWA preseason polls. Scottsboro picked up four voting points in Class 5A while North Jackson earned one point in Class 4A.

Here is the preseason Alabama Sports Writers Association high school football rankings with first-place votes, last year’s win-loss record and total poll points:

CLASS 1A

2023 champion: Leroy

Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts

1. Elba (12); 13-1; 204

2. Leroy (7); 14-0; 181

3. Wadley; 11-2; 122

4. Sweet Water; 9-2; 121

5. Hackleburg; 11-2; 115

6. Brantley; 8-5; 102

7. Georgiana; 9-3; 58

8. Maplesville; 8-5; 56

9. Spring Garden; 8-3; 42

10. Pickens County; 10-4; 40

Others receiving votes: Lynn (10-2) 30, Addison (8-3) 8, Florala (7-4) 4

CLASS 2A

2023 champion: Fyffe

Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts

1. Pisgah (14); 12-2; 212

2. Coosa Christian*$ (4); 8-6; 148

3. Highland Home; 10-2; 140

4. Tuscaloosa Academy.; 10-3; 133

5. Cottonwood; 10-2; 114

6. Clarke County; 7-6; 95

7. Decatur Heritage*; 9-2; 60

8. Vincent; 6-5; 56

9. Reeltown (1); 13-1; 45

10. Sulligent; 9-3; 44

Others receiving votes: Pleasant Valley (5-6) 30, Goshen (9-3) 3, Cedar Bluff* (5-6) 2, West End (5-6) 1

*—Played in 1A last season

$—Record includes four forfeit losses

CLASS 3A

2023 champion: Mobile Christian

Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts

1. Fyffe** (19); 14-1; 228

2. Trinity; 11-2; 131

3. T.R. Miller*; 8-4; 114

4. Gordo; 10-2; 109

5. Mars Hill Bible; 10-2; 85

6. Geraldine; 12-2; 76

7. Piedmont; 5-7; 75

8. Sylvania; 10-3; 70

9. Houston Academy; 10-2; 55

10. Thomasville; 10-2; 54

Others receiving votes: Southside-Selma (7-4) 18, Bayside Academy* (8-3) 14, Randolph County (10-2) 14, B.B. Comer (13-1) 11, Ohatchee (5-5) 9, Lauderdale County (12-1) 7, Walter Wellborn (7-4) 5, Collinsville** (8-3) 4, Westbrook Christian (5-5) 3, Locust Fork (12-1) 1

*—Played in 4A last season 

**—Played in 2A last season

CLASS 4A

2023 champion: Catholic-Montgomery

Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts

1. Jackson (11); 11-1; 203

2. Cherokee County (6); 13-2; 183

3. Pleasant Grove* (1); 10-2; 152

4. Bibb County; 10-2; 108

5. Madison Academy**; 14-1; 95

6. Mobile Christian** (1); 15-0; 86

7. Handley; 10-2; 71

8. Dora; 8-3; 46

9. Anniston; 6-4; 43

10. St. James**; 11-3; 34

Others receiving votes: Deshler (8-4) 20, Brooks (8-5) 16, Oak Grove (6-5) 9, West Morgan (12-1) 6, Opp** (4-7) 4, Straughn (10-2) 2, Westminster-Huntsville (11-3) 2, American Christian (8-3) 1, North Jackson (4-7) 1, St. Michael (6-5) 1

*—Played in 5A last season

**—Played in 3A last season

CLASS 5A

2023 champion: Gulf Shores

Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts

1. Ramsay (10); 12-3; 191

2. Moody (7); 10-3; 177

3. Guntersville; 11-2; 149

4. Catholic-Montgomery** (2); 15-0; 133

5. Central-Clay County; 10-1; 129

6. Leeds; 9-3; 70

7. Briarwood*; 6-6; 53

8. Center Point*; 7-4; 39

9. Fairview; 9-2; 36

10. Demopolis; 10-3; 30

Others receiving votes: Andalusia** (10-2) 29, Eufaula (10-4) 26, Vigor$ (7-3) 13, Scottsboro (8-3) 4, Headland (10-3) 3, Boaz (6-6) 1

*—Played in 6A last season

**—Played in 4A last season

$—Record includes one forfeit loss

CLASS 6A

2023 champion: Clay-Chalkville

Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts

1. Saraland (16); 14-1; 219

2. Parker (2); 12-2; 168

3. Clay-Chalkville (1); 14-0; 155

4. Gulf Shores**; 15-0; 118

5. Spain Park*; 7-3; 101

6. Oxford; 9-3; 80

7. Pike Road; 11-3; 74

8. Muscle Shoals; 11-1; 50

9. Gadsden City; 9-4; 36

10. Mountain Brook; 8-4; 31

Others receiving votes: Hartselle (9-3) 16, Helena (9-3) 12, Fort Payne (7-5) 8, Theodore (7-4) 8, Homewood (6-5) 6, Benjamin Russell (10-3) 1

*—Played in 7A last season

**—Played in 5A last season

CLASS 7A

2023 champion: Central-Phenix City

Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts

1. Central-Phenix City (12); 13-0; 207

2. Thompson (7); 11-2; 192

3. Enterprise; 9-3; 128

4. Auburn; 9-3; 126

5. Hoover; 5-7; 95

6. Dothan; 8-3; 90

7. Mary Montgomery; 12-1; 77

8. Hewitt-Trussville; 9-4; 66

9. Vestavia Hills; 9-3; 39

10. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa*; 12-1; 33

Others receiving votes: Austin (8-3) 17, Carver-Montgomery* (7-4) 11, James Clemens (7-4) 2

*—Played in 6A last season

AISA (Top-5)

2023 champions: Lee-Scott (AAA), Chambers Academy (AA), Lowndes Academy (A)

Team (first-place); 2023 W-L; Pts

1. Chambers Academy (17); 12-1; 222

2. Banks Academy (2); 11-2; 176

3. Bessemer Academy; 4-7; 148

4. Lowndes Academy; 13-0; 134

5. Fort Dale Academy; 9-3; 75

Others receiving votes: Wilcox Academy (10-4) 18, Edgewood (4-7) 7, Clarke Prep (8-5) 6, Jackson Academy (9-3) 6, Patrician (8-4) 6

NOTE: The AISA’s 22 11-man teams are divided into two classifications this season.