4H4A4273 3 Scaled E1786033983579 — Which teams will be raising the blue map state championship trophies in 2026? (The Bama Buzz)

The high school football season is just weeks away as teams will start the road to the new state championship event in Mobile.

This season will feature new classifications and a new championship format but it is still the usual suspects at the top of the preseason rankings.

This week, MaxPreps released its full statewide rankings while the Alabama Sports Writers Association released its preseason rankings. USA Today has also recently released a top 10 for flag football.

Keep reading to see where your local schools sit in each ranking system.

MaxPreps features four Alabama teams in national top 100

Img 8729 Scaled E1727369552172 — Clay-Chalkville will have a new football stadium in 2026. (The Bama Buzz)

MaxPreps ranked every program in the state in the same rankings, not accounting for public vs. private or classification size.

Four teams made the national top 100 including:

No. 25 Thompson
No. 53 Clay-Chalkville
No. 65 Central-Phenix City
No. 90 Saraland

MaxPreps said its preseason rankings comes from editorial input, informed by the prior season’s performance and returning student-athletes.

Once enough games have been played, the preseason ranking is no longer a factor. The rating is then driven entirely by the team’s own results for that season and the strength of its schedule.

Here is the MaxPreps preseason top 25 for our state:

Thompson
Clay-Chalkville
Central-Phenix City
Saraland
Auburn
Vestavia Hills
Hoover
Hewitt-Trussville
Jackson
Opelika
Mars Hill
Carver-Montgomery
Dothan
Enterprise
Parker
Hillcrest Tuscaloosa
Prattville
Baker
Pike Road
Mountain Brook
Muscle Shoals
Moody
Benjamin Russell
Mary G. Montgomery
Spain Park

Thompson was also just ranked in the top 10 nationally in USA Today’s preseason poll.

Central-Phenix City remains atop USA Today flag football rankings

4H4A3381 — The Central flag football team celebrates its second straight state title. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)

Central-Phenix City has finished at the top of the national high school flag football rankings the last two seasons so it’s no surprise to see the Red Devils at the top of the preseason state rankings.

The team is currently riding a 57-game winnings streak but the competition continues to close the gap as the sport grows across the state.

Here’s USA Today’s Top 10 flag football teams ahead of the 2026 season:

Central-Phenix City
Vestavia Hills
Moody
Smiths Station
Boaz
Montgomery Catholic
Spain Park
Auburn
Prattville
Hewitt-Trussville

Alabama Sports Writers Association releases preseason rankings

4H4A4514 Scaled E1738177318383 — AHSAA Super 7 will be back at Protective Stadium in 2025. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)

The new AHSAA classifications have brought a change to the weekly ASWA rankings.

The poll will now include a top 10 for each of the six public school classifications and a top five for the two private school classifications. There will also be a top five for the AISA programs.

These rankings are voted on by 20 local sports writers across the state.

Here are the full preseason rankings: