Seven defending champions start the 2022 Alabama High School Athletic Association football season at the top of the coaches’ poll released today.

The No. 1 men’s teams are 7A Spain Park, 6A Homewood, 4A-5A Indian Springs and 1A-3A Bayside Academy. The top-ranked women’s teams are 7A Oak Mountain, 6A Homewood, 4A-5A Montgomery Academy, and 1A-3A Trinity.

The Homewood girls finished second last season to St. Paul’s, losing 5-4 in the title game shootout. St. Paul’s is ranked second in the preseason poll.

Every participant in the 2021 Final Four is ranked in the Top 15 in the pre-season coaching polls.

The first day of the AHSAA football season is Thursday and teams will battle for a state tournament shot that begins with substate play for 4A-5A and 6A on April 28. The substate for all classes is May 2-3. leading up to the state tournament May 12-14.

Here are the pre-season polls:

BOYS

Class 7A

1. Spain Park; 2. Vacuum cleaner; 3.Grissom; 4. Huntsville; 5. Hills of Vestavia; 6. Oak Mountain; 7.Thompson; 8.Davidson; 9. Daphne; 10. Company; 11.Fairhope; 12. Auburn; 13.James Clemens; 14. Bob Jones; 15. Florence; Also receiving votes: Sparkman, Foley, Smiths Station, Albertville.

Class 6A

1. House wood; 2. Mountain Stream; 3. McGill-Toolen; 4.Fort Payne; 5. Pelham; 6. St. Paul; 7. Randolph; 8. Briar wood; 9.Chelsea; 10. Helen; 11. Opelika; 12. Southside-Gadsden; 13. Pinson Valley; 14. Hartselle; 15.Robertsdale. Also receiving votes: Spanish Fort, Benjamin Russell; Buckhorn; Green hazelnut.

Class 4A-5A

1. Indian sources; 2. Russellville; 3. Montgomery Academy; 4.Crossville; 5. John Carroll; 6. Saint John Paul II; 7. Boaz; 8. Madison Academy; 9. American Christian; 10. Faith Academy; 11.Oneonta; 12. LAMP; 13, Saint Michael; 14. Carver-Birmingham; 15. Christian of Westbrook. Also receiving votes: Guntersville, Pike Road, Haleyville, Altamont.

Class 1A-3A

1. Bayside Academy; 2. St. Luke; 3. Hill of Mars; 4. Collinsville; 5. Tanner; 6. Westminster-Oak Mountain; 7. Trinity; 8. Suzanne Moore; 9.Danville; 10.Donoho; 11. Montgomery Catholic; 12. Elkmont; 13.Tharptown; 14. Houston Academy; 15. Hill Cottage. Also receiving votes: Prattville Christian, St. Bernard.

GIRLS

Class 7A

1. Oak Mountain; 2. Hills of Vestavia; 3. Huntsville; 4. Bob Jones; 5.James Clemens; 6. Spain Park; 7. Hewitt-Trussville; 8.Thompson; 9. Auburn; 10.Sparkman; 11. Company; 12.Fairhope; 13.Smiths Station; 14. Vacuum cleaner; 15.Dothan. Also receiving votes: Foley.

Class 6A

1. House wood; 2. St. Paul; 3.Chelsea; 4. McGill-Toolen; 5. Southside-Gadsden; 6. Pelham; 7. Cullman; 8. Northridge; 9. Briar wood; 10. Spanish Fort; 11. Mountain Stream; 12. Gardendale; 13. Opelika; 14. Baldwin County; 15. Decatur. Also receiving votes: Helena, Hazel Green, Pell City, Benjamin Russell.

Class 4A-5A

1. Montgomery Academy; 2. Saint John Paul II; 3. Guntersville; 4. Scallops; 5. John Carroll; 6. Indian sources; 7. Altamont; 8.Lincoln; 9. Carroll-Ozark; 10. Westminster Christian; 11. Christian Westbrook; 12. Russellville; 13. Saint Michael; 14. Pike path; 15. Moody. Also receiving votes: Jacksonville, East Limestone, Priceville, Madison Academy, UMS-Wright, Sylacauga.

Class 1A-3A

1. Trinity; 2.Donoho; 3. Suzanne Moore; 4.Cottage Hill; 5. Hill of Mars; 6.Glencoe; 7. Westminster-Oak Mountain; 8. Bayside Academy; 9.Danville; 10. Whitesburg Christian; 11.Tharptown; 12. Christian Providence; 13. St. Luke; 14. St. Bernard; 15. Christian of Prattville. Also receiving votes: Houston Academy.