Bayside Academy boys hang on to No. 1; see full Week 1 AHSAA soccer poll – al.com

The champions from the last AHSAA boys’ Class 1A/3A soccer season opened atop the Alabama Soccer Coaches Association preseason poll at No. 1 and Bayside Academy won its first two matches of the year to hang on to the top spot in the Week 1 balloting.
The Admirals started the season by topping Class 7A foes Foley and Fairhope and coach Jamie Ferguson said his team, which also won the 2016 championship, “always has high expectations.”
“We, like everybody else, sadly lost our season last year,” Ferguson said, reflecting on the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown. “We were slated to go to state and have a good run at it.”
Ferguson is counting on seniors Teal Corte (a four-year starter) and Trey Clements (three-year starter) and sophomore Joey Jones (three-year starter) to lead the squad. The coach’s sons – junior Ty and eighth-grader Luke – are also showing leadership for the 2-0 Admirals. “We have three or four seniors who always start for us and we’ve always seemed to have an eighth-grader to start,” Ferguson said. “Thomas Cunningham, a ninth-grader, has had a great start to the season. He embodies what hard work looks like.
“February is not that important. We have to do things so much better in March and April, but I’m pleased with the boys. They seem to be on the right track and are willing to put in the hard work and push through some challenges we may have. We’re thankful to be having a season.”
There was only one change at the top of this week’s polls as Homewood eclipsed Fort Payne at No. 1 in the Class 6A boys’ poll. Fort Payne is second this week. The other No. 1 boys’ teams are Hoover and Indian Springs. The girls’ No. 1 squads are Vestavia Hills (7A), Chelsea (6A), John Carroll (4A/5A) and Westminster-Oak Mountain (1A/3A).
Here are this week’s polls, with season records in parentheses and their preseason rank:
BOYS
CLASS 7A
1. Hoover (4-0) – 1
2. Vestavia Hills (2-0) – 2
3. Spain Park (3-0-1) – 3
4. Thompson (4-0) – 5
5. Huntsville (2-2-1) – 4
6. Enterprise (0-0) – 6
7. Oak Mountain (1-0-2) – 7
8. Grissom (0-1-2) – 13
9. Auburn (0-0) – 8
10. Florence (3-0) – 9
11. Foley (0-1) – 11
12. Bob Jones (0-4) – 10
13. Hewitt-Trussville (3-2) – NR
14. Davidson (0-2-1) – 14
15. James Clemens (2-0-1) – NR
CLASS 6A
1. Homewood (3-0) – 2
2. Fort Payne (3-0) – 1
3. Pelham (3-1) – 3
4. Mountain Brook (1-1) – 4
5. Briarwood (2-0) – 6
6. Chelsea (3-1) – 7
7. Randolph (2-1) – 5
8. Southside-Gadsden (1-1) – 9
9. McGill-Toolen (2-0) – 10
10. St. Paul’s (1-0) – 8
11. Opelika (1-1) – 11
12. Calera (3-1-1) – NR
13. Helena (2-1) – 15
14. Cullman (2-2) – NR
15. Northridge (0-0) – 13
Also receiving votes: Pinson Valley, Stanhope Elmore
CLASS 4A-5A
1. Indian Springs (2-1) – 1
2. John Carroll (3-1) – 2
3. Guntersville (6-0) – 4
4. Montgomery Academy (0-0) – 3
5. Altamont (0-0) – 5
6. Russellville (2-0) – 6
7. Crossville (1-1) – 8
8. St. John Paul II (2-3) – 10
9. Sylacauga (0-2) – 7
10. Madison Academy (1-0) – 11
11. Faith Academy (1-0) – 9
12. St. Michael (0-0) – 15
13. Boaz (4-0) – NR
14. St. James (0-0) – NR
15. West Morgan (0-0) – NR
Also receiving votes: Westminster Christian, Westbrook Christian, Alabama Christian, Pike Road
CLASS 1-3A
1. Bayside Academy (2-0) – 1
2. Westminster-Oak Mountain (0-0) – 2
3. St. Luke’s Episcopal-Mobile (2-0) – 4
4. Susan Moore (1-0) – 3
5. Prattville Christian (0-0) – 7
6. Mars Hill Bible (1-0) – 6
7. Collinsville (1-1) – 9
8. Montgomery Catholic (1-1) – 5
9. Tanner (1-1) – 8
10. St. Bernard (0-0) – 12
11. Cottage Hill Christian (1-0) – 11
12. Saks (0-0) – NR
13. Houston Academy (0-0) – 10
14. Whitesburg Christian (0-0) – 15
15. Holy Spirit (0-0) – 13
Also receiving votes: Donoho, East Lawrence, New Hope, Tarrant, Saks
GIRLS
CLASS 7A
1. Vestavia Hills (4-0) – 1
2. Oak Mountain (2-0) – 2
3. Huntsville (2-1) – 4
4. Bob Jones (2-1-1) – 5
5. Spain Park (0-0) – 3
6. Hoover (1-1) – 7
7. James Clemens (1-1-2) – 9
8. Hewitt-Trussville (0-0-2) – 6
9. Enterprise (0-0) – 8
10. Auburn (0-0) – 10
11. Thompson (1-0-1) – 12
12. Fairhope (1-0) – 14
13. Daphne (1-0-1) – 15
14. Dothan (0-0) – NR
15. Grissom (0-2-1) – 11
Also receiving votes: Smiths Station
CLASS 6A
1. Chelsea (1-0) – 1
2. Homewood (1-1) – 2
3. Mountain Brook (0-0-1) – 3
4. McGill-Toolen (1-0) – 4
5. Northridge (0-1) – 5
6. St. Paul’s (0-0-1) – 7
7. Baldwin County (3-0) – 12
8. Cullman (0-1) – 6
9. Decatur (1-0) – 8
10. Southside-Gadsden (1-0-2) – 11
11. Pelham (0-0) – 9
12. Hazel Green (1-1) – NR
13. Helena (0-0) – 10
14. Pell City (2-0) – NR
15. Fort Payne (0-0-1) – 14
Also receiving votes: Gardendale, Opelika
CLASS 4A-5A
1. John Carroll (1-0) – 1
2. Guntersville (1-0) – 2
3. Montgomery Academy (0-0) – 3
4. Altamont (1-0) – 4
5. St. John Paul II (3-1) – 9
6. Alabama Christian (0-0) – 7
7. Indian Springs (1-0) – 13
8. Madison Academy (0-1) – 11
9. Faith Academy (0-1) – 5
10. St. Michael (1-0) – 15
11. Westminster Academy (1-0) – NR
12. Lincoln (0-2) – 6
13. West Morgan (0-0) – NR
14. Westbrook Christian (0-0) – NR
15. Russellville (1-1) – 10
Also receiving votes: Boaz
CLASS 1A-3A
1. Westminster-Oak Mountain (0-0) – 1
2. Bayside Academy (0-0) – 2
3. Susan Moore (3-0) – 3
4. Mars Hill Bible (1-0) – 4
5. Cottage Hill (0-0) – 6
6. St. Luke’s (2-0) – 5
7. Donoho (0-0) – 7
8. Glencoe (0-0) – 8
9. Prattville Christian (0-0) – 9
10. Sylvania (0-1) – 11
11. Tanner (0-0) – 15
12. Houston Academy (0-0) – 13
13. Montgomery Catholic (0-0) – 10
14. Collinsville (1-0) – NR
15. Providence Christian (0-1) – NR
Also receiving votes: Trinity Presbyterian