By Paul Beaudry | Alabama Sports Writers Association

Since the Alabama High School Athletic Association started sponsoring football playoffs in 1966, the winners have been decided on the field.

But which team is the best of the bunch if the six winners don’t meet to decide it? Is a 6A semifinalist better than a 3A champion? Did an unbeaten Class 2A champion have a better season than a five-loss finalist in a higher division?

The Alabama Sports Writers Association designed a solution to answer those questions with the creation of its first Super 25 postseason poll.

Voters were asked not only to weigh a team’s final record and classification, but to take into account its body of work within its own class — specifically, if a team did its best against other schools its size, or against schools in larger classes when it had the opportunity.

Local team Maplesville received one vote in the poll.

The poll follows, with number of first-place votes, classification, final record and points:

Super 25 poll

1. Prattville (25) (6A, 12-2) 714

2. Hoover (6A, 13-2) 648

3. Hartselle (1) (5A, 15-0) 629

4. Jackson (3) (4A, 15-0) 537

5. Oxford (6A, 12-2) 475

6. Vigor (5A, 12-3) 474

7. Hueytown (5A, 13-1) 419

8. Handley (3A, 15-0) 394

9. Mountain Brook (6A, 12-1) 389

10. Clay-Chalkville (6A, 1-9) 380

11. Elba (2A, 15-0) 363

12. Briarwood Chr. (5A, 12-2)343

13. Central-Phenix City (6A, 11-3) 331

14. Daphne (6A, 10-2) 306

15. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (6A, 12-1) 298

16. Marion Co. (1A, 14-1) 293

17. Oneonta (4A, 12-3) 268

18. Madison Acad. (3A, 12-3) 203

19. Tanner (2A, 14-1) 186

20. Linden (1A, 13-2) 185

21. McGill-Toolen (6A, 11-2) 145

22. St. Paul’s (5A, 11-2) 109

23. UMS-Wright (4A, 9-5) 108

24. Clay Co. (3A, 12-2) 102

25. Fairhope (6A, 10-3) 96

Also receiving votes:

Spanish Fort (5A, 9-4) 92; Bob Jones (6A, 10-2) 87; Center Point (5A, 11-2) 74; American Chr. (2A, 12-2) 71; Anniston (4A, 9-5) 64; Thomasville (4A, 10-2) 54; Sweet Water (1A, 10-4) 50; Bibb Co. (4A, 12-1) 49; Pinson Valley (5A, 9-3) 47; Ragland (1A, 12-1) 41; Edgewood Acad. (AISA, 13-0) 39; Blount (6A, 10-2) 34; Piedmont (3A, 12-1) 34; Bessemer Acad. (AISA, 12-1) 33; Muscle Shoals (5A, 11-2) 30; Dadeville (4A, 12-1) 27; Lineville (2A, 10-4) 27; Vestavia Hills (6A, 7-5) 27; Murphy (6A, 7-5) 23; Jackson Acad. (AISA, 12-1) 17; Deshler (4A, 11-2) 15; Rogers (3A, 11-3) 14, Auburn (6A, 8-2) 13; Pickens Co. (1A, 11-2) 12; Wetumpka (6A, 2-7) 10; Leeds (3A, 10-3) 9; Fultondale (2A, 10-3) 7; Monroe Acad. (AISA, 11-2) 7; T.R. Miller (3A, 9-3) 6; Flomaton (2A, 11-2) 5; Hanceville (3A, 10-1) 5; Northridge (6A, 10-2) 5; Collinsville (1A, 11-2) 1; Maplesville (1A, 12-1) 1.