Three Mobile-Baldwin County area high school football teams will enter the 2026 season as the teams to beat in their classifications, according to the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s preseason poll released Wednesday.
Williamson tops the Class 4A rankings, McGill-Toolen is No. 1 in Private Class AA, and Bayside Academy leads the Private Class A poll. Three more area programs open the season ranked No. 2: Saraland in Class 5A, Vigor in Class 4A and St. Michael Catholic in Private Class AA.
In all, 17 area teams appear in the ASWA’s preseason poll, which this year reflects the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s new classification structure separating public and private schools into their own championship brackets. Public schools are split into six classifications, while private schools and Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) schools compete in smaller groupings. The ASWA ranks a top 10 in each public school classification and a top five in the smaller private school and AISA groupings.
Local teams across the classifications
No area teams cracked the top 10 in Class 6A, though Baker, Daphne and Mary G. Montgomery each received votes. In Class 5A, Saraland sits at No. 2 and Theodore received votes. Williamson and Vigor are the only two area teams noted in the Class 4A poll. No local teams were ranked or received votes in Classes 1A, 2A or 3A.
Among private schools, McGill-Toolen is No. 1 and St. Michael Catholic is No. 2 in Class AA, with St. Paul’s and UMS-Wright also receiving votes. In Class A, Bayside Academy leads the way at No. 1, followed by Cottage Hill Christian at No. 4 and Mobile Christian at No. 5; Bayshore Christian received a vote.
Outside the local area, Thompson opens at No. 1 in Class 6A, Clay-Chalkville tops Class 5A, Plainview leads Class 3A, Piedmont is No. 1 in Class 2A, Maplesville tops Class 1A and Chambers Academy is the preseason No. 1 in the AISA poll.
Alabama high school football teams begin the 2026 regular season the week of Aug. 20-22.