By Erik Harris
CLAY – It’s been three weeks since Clay-Chalkville hoisted the state championship trophy in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, but the recognition keeps pouring in.
The Alabama high school state champions finished their Class 6A climb without a single blemish on their resume and, not surprisingly, it’s garnered national attention.
Head coach Jerry Hood’s team landed at No. 17 in MaxPreps’ Top 25 composite rankings, which is constructed using four different national polls.
All four polls—MaxPreps Xcellent 25 writers’ rankings, the MaxPreps Computer Rankings, PrepNation’s National Prep Poll and USA Today Super 25 Expert Rankings—have been providing rankings for at least five years.
Clay-Chalkville finished No. 8 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, No. 14 in the PrepNation poll, unranked according to the MaxPreps computers and No. 19 in USA Today.
The Cougars are one of only 13 teams in the poll to finish undefeated and the only team in the state to crack the Top 25.