TANNER — Tanner is ready to prove it has what it takes to stay on top. In the north at least, where the Rattlers rolled through the playoffs last year to the school’s first state championship appearance.

When Tanner begins its season against Madison Academy on Aug. 3, it will do so as the No. 3 team in Class 2A, according to the ASWA preseason poll released today.

“I won’t say nothing about it (to the players),” Tanner coach Laron White said. “We usually don’t worry about rankings. It will probably motivate a few of them. We’re always somewhere in the top five, so if we are consistently up there, that means we are winning football games.”

Tanner won a school-record 14 games in 2011 and received enough recognition from pollsters to garner a top-five ranking, ahead of perennial Class 1A power Sweet Water, which moves up from Class 1A.

Elba, the team that beat Tanner in the state championship game last season, received 22 of the 31 first-place votes to begin the season at No. 1, followed by Fultondale, which moves out of Tanner’s region this season. Tanner beat Fultondale in each of the past two seasons.

Another ranked team, Sheffield, which is moving down from Class 3A, moves into Class 2A Region 8 and is ranked No. 9. Other ranked teams on Tanner’s schedule include Madison Academy, Class 3A No. 4, and R.A. Hubbard, which is ranked No. 7 in Class 1A.

The poll revealed that Athens and East Limestone have one of the toughest regions in the state with Hartselle and Muscle Shoals ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively in Class 5A to begin the season. East will also play Class 6A No. 3 Auburn the final game of the season.

Other local teams with ranked teams on the slate this year include Ardmore, which moved into a region with Class 4A No. 5 North Jackson. Elkmont and Clements will have to deal with Class 3A No. 2 Deshler, which moved down a classification for the first time in school history.

Four teams that won state championships last year — Class 5A Hartselle, Class 2A Elba, Class 1A Marion County and AISA 2A champ Edgewood Academy — will start the season ranked No. 1 in their respective classes.

Alabama Sports Writers Association's preseason high school football rankings with first-place votes, 2011 records in parentheses:

Class 6A

1. Hoover (31) (13-2) 372

2. Clay-Chalkville-(asterisk) (1-9) 247

3. Auburn (8-2) 189

4. McGill-Toolen (11-2) 181

5. Spain Park (5-6) 155

6. Daphne (10-2) 102

7. Oxford (12-2) 82

8. Carver-Montgomery (7-4) 80

9t. Vestavia Hills (7-5) 77

9t. Northridge (10-2) 77

Others receiving votes: Prattville (12-2) 47, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (12-1) 41, Gadsden City (6-5) 33, Hueytown-(asterisk) (13-1) 24, Mountain Brook (12-1) 21, Austin (7-4) 15, Fairhope (10-3) 8, Bob Jones (10-2) 7, Davidson (7-4) 4, Central-Phenix City (11-3) 2, Huntsville (8-4) 2, Florence (7-3) 1.

(asterisk)-Class 5A in 2011; Forfeited nine games in 2011 due to an ineligible player.

Class 5A

1. Hartselle (19) (15-0) 316

2. Muscle Shoals (5) (11-2) 262

3. Pinson Valley (3) (9-3) 245

4. St. Paul's (2) (11-2) 217

5. Homewood-(asterisk) (1) (5-5) 194

6. Jackson-(asterisk)(asterisk) (15-0) 188

7. Vigor (1) (12-3) 70

8. Eufaula (10-2) 60

9. Briarwood Chr. (12-2) 46

10. Center Point (11-2) 44

Others receiving votes: Cullman (8-4) 34, Spanish Fort (9-4) 24, Fort Payne (10-2) 24, Demopolis (6-5) 16, Etowah (10-2) 9, Valley (9-3) 7, Athens (4-7) 6, Walker (6-5) 3, Greenville (11-1) 1, Russellville (5-6) 1.

(asterisk)-Class 6A in 2011; (asterisk)(asterisk)-Class 4A in 2011

Class 4A

1. Oneonta (20) (12-3) 327

2. Handley-(asterisk)(asterisk) (5) (15-0) 250

3. Dadeville (2) (12-1) 234

4. UMS-Wright (1) (9-5) 184

5. N. Jackson (1) (11-1) 174

6. Thomasville (2) (10-2) 173

7. Bibb Co. (12-1) 84

8. Central-Clay Co.-(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)74

9. Anniston (9-5) 73

10. Beauregard (10-2) 42

Others receiving votes: Andalusia (10-1) 33, Sardis-(asterisk)(asterisk) (9-2) 24, Brooks (8-3) 20, Rogers-(asterisk)(asterisk) (11-3) 16, Fairview (7-4) 10, Madison Co.-(asterisk) (4-6) 10, Charles Henderson-(asterisk) (6-6) 9, Calera (4-6) 8, Tallassee-(asterisk) (4-7) 6, Guntersville (8-3) 5, J.O. Johnson-&(asterisk) (0-10) 5, Hillcrest-Evergreen (5-5) 4, St. James (8-3) 2.

(asterisk)-Class 5A in 2011; (asterisk)(asterisk)-Class 3A in 2011; (asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)-New school; &-forfeited five games in 2011 due to ineligible player.

Class 3A

1. Leeds-& (11) (0-13) 297

2. Deshler-(asterisk) (13) (11-2) 293

3. Piedmont (1) (12-1) 242

4. Madison Acad. (6) (12-3) 233

5. Bayside Acad. (11-1) 129

6. Abbeville (9-2) 121

7. Midfield-(asterisk) (6-5) 112

8. Lauderdale Co. (11-2) 105

9. T.R. Miller (9-3) 78

10. Hamilton (8-3) 37

Others receiving votes: Fayette Co.-(asterisk) (9-4) 25, Gordo (9-3) 25, Hanceville (10-1) 23, American Chr.-(asterisk)(asterisk) (12-2) 16, Elkmont (7-5) 8, Straughn-(asterisk) (6-5) 7, Trinity (6-5) 5, Excel (3-7) 3, Greene Co.-(asterisk) (7-4) 3, Geraldine (5-6) 2, Montevallo (4-6) 2, Opp (6-5) 1.

(asterisk)-Class 4A in 2011; (asterisk)(asterisk)-Class 2A in 2011; &-Forfeited 10 wins after the 2011 season due to ineligible player. ql

Class 2A

1. Elba (22) (15-0) 339

2. Fultondale (4) (10-3) 272

3. Tanner (1) (14-1) 252

4. Sweet Water(asterisk)(asterisk)- (2) (10-4) 196

5. Washington Co.-(asterisk) (2) (9-3) 188

6. Reeltown (8-4) 123

7. Fyffe (11-1) 105

8. Vincent (9-3) 56

9. Sheffield-(asterisk) (9-3) 55

10. G.W. Long (9-2) 48

Others receiving votes: Oakman (8-4) 39, N. Sand Mountain (9-2) 32, Flomaton (11-2) 18, Woodland (8-5) 13, Walter Wellborn-(asterisk) (9-3) 9, LaFayette (7-4) 6, Sand Rock (6-5) 6, Leroy (8-5) 4, Montgomery Acad.-(asterisk) (3-7) 3, Southern Choctaw (8-3) 2, Luverne-(asterisk) (7-4) 1.

(asterisk)-Class 3A in 2011; (asterisk)(asterisk)-Class 1A in 2011.

Class 1A

1. Marion Co. (19) (14-1) 297

2. Linden (6) (13-2) 285

3. Maplesville (2) (12-1) 219

4. Ragland (1) (13-1) 213

5. Brantley (1) (10-2) 192

6. Pickens Co. (11-2) 179

7. R.A. Hubbard (2) (7-4) 121

8. Cedar Bluff (6-6) 106

9. Lynn (9-3) 38

10. Berry (10-2) 28

Others receiving votes: Addison (9-2) 27, Collinsville (11-2) 17, Geneva Co. (6-6) 15, St. Jude (9-2) 7, Pleasant Home (8-4) 6, Winterboro (10-2) 6, Parrish (4-6) 5, Hackleburg (7-4) 3, McKenzie (6-4) 3.

AISA

1. Edgewood Acad. (24) (13-0) 351

2. Bessemer Acad. (6) (12-1) 249

3. Glenwood Acad. (8-6) 194

4. Autauga Acad. (12-2) 165

5. Jackson Acad. (12-1) 142

6. Fort Dale Acad. (4-7) 127

7. Pike Liberal (6-4) 105

8. Monroe Acad. (1) (11-2) 102

9. Lee-Scott (7-4) 98

10. Sumter Acad. (9-4) 73

Others receiving votes: Tuscaloosa Acad. (9-2) 59, Springwood (9-2) 29, Clarke Prep (7-4) 19, Restoration (3-7) 16, Crenshaw Chr. (11-1) 15, Coosa Valley (3-7) 8, Patrician Acad. (10-3) 7, Sparta Acad. (4-7) 5, Escambia Acad. (8-5) 2, Morgan Acad. (8-4) 1.