By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

A season low two girls’ basketball teams from Shelby County were ranked in the most recent Alabama Sports Writers Association girls’ basketball rankings.

Spain Park and Montevallo were the only two teams from across the county to receive the honor of being named a top 10 team in their respective classes this week. The Jags and Bulldogs have been a mainstay in the top 10 throughout the season having been ranked now in every single poll. Thompson is another team that was in that same situation, but fell out after a couple of losses over the past week.

The Jags (14-8, 3-0) held steady at the No. 6 spot in Class 7A after going 2-1 since the last rankings were released. They took down Huffman 70-57 and Mountain Brook 62-36, both handedly, but fell at 6A No. 1 Hazel Green 63-41 on Jan. 16. Had they won that game they would’ve been considered for a top five spot in the rankings.

Spain Park was the only 7A team in the top 10, but two others received nominations for a spot.

Oak Mountain (12-6, 2-1) established themselves as the second place favorite in 7A Area 6 behind the Jags after two impressive wins over Mountain Brook, 49-24, and Huffman, 46-40.

Thompson (13-8, 1-2) fell from the rankings for the first time this season after losing back-to-back games to Charles Henderson and Tuscaloosa County. The Warriors are struggling right now, and have tough sledding ahead in area play, but that also means they have plenty of opportunity to show improvement.

Montevallo fell two spots from No. 8 to No. 10, but held steady in the top 10, where they have been the entire season. This is a mistake by someone as the record in the rankings has the Bulldogs at 12-5, while I have them at 14-3 overall and 2-1 in area play. They have won two consecutive games after falling to No. 4 Montgomery Academy, who is 17-3 on the season. Depending on what the correct record for the Bulldogs is, they could easily be a top 5 team. Two of their three losses are to that Montgomery Academy team and Spain Park.

No other team from the county was ranked in this week’s rankings, but there is still plenty of season left and enough time for teams to prove themselves as elite. Area play is all that really matters when it comes to making the postseason.

CLASS 7A

1. Sparkman (21-3)
2. Hoover (19-6)
3. McGill-Toolen (19-5)
4. Central-Phenix City (17-3)
5. Gadsden City (17-4)
6. Spain Park (14-8)
7. Tuscaloosa County (19-4)
8. Auburn (15-6)
9. Lee-Montgomery (12-12)
10. Hewitt-Trussville (12-10)
Others nominated: Murphy (12-8), Oak Mountain (12-6), Thompson (14-9).

CLASS 3A
1. Lauderdale County (21-3)
2. Locust Fork (21-1)
3. Plainview (21-0)
4. Montgomery Academy (17-3)
5. Midfield (17-8)
6. Pisgah (16-5)
7. Lexington (16-6)
8. Hillcrest-Evergreen (12-1)
9. Colbert County (12-5)
10. Montevallo (12-5)
Others nominated: Carbon Hill (17-4), Clarke County (14-5), Daleville (13-6), Geneva (16-3), J.B. Pennington (14-6).