Sports Editor

After spending four weeks in the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 2A rankings, the Goshen Eagles’ first loss of the season dropped them out of the top ten.

Straughn, who beat Goshen 20-14 on Friday night, taking the lead in Class 2A Region Three, comes in at No. 10 in this week’s ASWA Class 2A poll released on Wednesday.

The Tigers (6-1, 4-0) have region games remaining with Barbour County and Red Level. Goshen (6-1, 3-1) will face region opponent St. Jude this Friday night in Montgomery and next week will be at Highland Home.

The Pike County Bulldogs solidified their lead in Class 3A Region Two with a 48-12 pounding of Calhoun last weekend. After falling out of the Class 3A rankings with a 19-15 loss to Courtland two weeks ago, the Bulldogs (5-2, 4-0) enter this week as No. 10 in the Class 3A poll. Pike County will face regional opponent Alabama Christian on Friday night.

South Montgomery County Academy made a big leap from No. 8 to No. 4 in this week’s Alabama Independent School Association top ten. The Raiders (8-0) will be in Louisville this Thursday night to play Dixie Academy. With their 27-14 win over Pike Liberal Arts School last Friday, the Macon-East Knights jumped to No. 6 in the AISA rankings.

Wilcox-Central, a team which the Charles Henderson Trojans will face in the last game of the year in a key regional game, moved up one spot in the Class 5A poll this week to No. 7. The Tigers are undefeated in Class 5A Region Two and their only loss this season came at the hands of Class 6A No. 3 Sidney Lanier. The Poets defeated Wilcox-Central, 7-0, in the first game of the season for both schools on Aug. 25.

Ranked teams who will play each other this week include: Class 6A – No. 3 Sidney Lanier against No.7 Prattville on Thursday night, No. 8 Hoover vs. ninth-ranked Mountain Brook; Class 5A – No. 9 Athens at No. 10 Russellville; Class 3A – second-ranked Colbert County at No. 3 Sheffield; Class 2A – No. 1 Southern Choctaw at No. 6 Leroy and second-ranked Lineville at No. 7 Ranburne; Class 1A – No.5 Carrollton at No. 9 Linden in a Thursday night contest and in the AISA ranks No. 8 Marengo Academy will play tenth-ranked Mobile Christian.