Noxubee County (4-4) dropped from the Class 3A rankings again when the new Associated Press Mississippi high school football poll was released Tuesday.
Twelve Mississippi media outlets, including The Commercial Dispatch and WCBI, were polled on the top five teams in each class and the top 10 overall.
The Tigers lost 51-14 Thursday at Corinth after snapping a three-game losing streak with a 19-12 home win over Houston the week prior.
Columbia (7-0) received 11 first-place votes to take first in Class 3A, and West Marion (8-0) was second with the other first-place selection.
Madison Central (7-0) again claimed the top spots in Class 6A and in the overall rankings, earning all 12 first-place votes.
In other polls
Heritage Academy received 9 of 12 first-place votes among Mississippi private schools to hold the top spot. Jackson Prep (7-1) received a first-place vote and was second, and Greenville St. Joseph (8-0) was third. Fourth-place Madison-Ridgeland Academy (6-2) received two first-place votes. Starkville Academy (5-2) is receiving votes among private schools again, earning one fifth-place vote this week. The Vols will host the top-ranked Patriots on Friday.
West Point (7-1) maintained the No. 1 spot in Class 5A and the No. 2 spot in the overall rankings after a 27-14 win at Lake Cormorant. The Green Wave will host Grenada (5-2) on Friday.
Starkville High kept the No. 2 ranking in Class 6A and the No. 3 ranking overall after a 49-26 win at Greenville. The Yellow Jackets will host Madison Central in a massive Class 6A matchup on Friday.
After Friday’s win against then-No. 2 Smithville, West Lowndes (7-1) came a single point short of cracking the top five in Class 1A. The Panthers, whose only loss is to No. 1 Nanih Waiya (6-2), came up just behind Smithville (6-2) for the No. 5 spot. West Lowndes travels to face No. 2 Noxapater (6-2) on Friday.
Here’s the ballot The Dispatch’s Theo DeRosa submitted:
Overall
1. Madison Central (7-0)
2. West Point (7-1)
3. Picayune (7-0)
4. Starkville (6-2)
5. South Panola (7-1)
6. Lafayette (5-2)
7. Oxford (5-1)
8. Petal (6-1)
9. West Jones (7-0)
10. Pearl (5-2)
Class 1A
1. Nanih Waiya (6-2)
2. Noxapater (6-2)
3. Smithville (6-2)
4. Lumberton (6-2)
5. West Lowndes (7-1)
Class 2A
1. Philadelphia (7-1)
2. Taylorsville (7-1)
3. Bay Springs (7-1)
4. Scott Central (6-2)
5. East Webster (7-1)
Class 3A
1. Columbia (7-0)
2. North Panola (6-1)
3. West Marion (8-0)
4. Senatobia (6-2)
5. Magee (6-1)
Class 4A
1. Greenwood (8-0)
2. South Pike (8-0)
3. Louisville (6-2)
4. Corinth (6-1)
5. Itawamba AHS (8-0)
Class 5A
1. West Point (7-1)
2. Picayune (7-0)
3. Lafayette (5-2)
4. West Jones (7-0)
5. Laurel (6-1)
Class 6A
1. Madison Central (7-0)
2. Starkville (6-2)
3. South Panola (7-1)
4. Oxford (6-1)
5. Petal (6-1)
Private schools
1. Heritage Academy (9-0)
2. Jackson Prep (7-1)
3. Greenville St. Joseph (8-0)
4. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (7-2)
5. Pillow Academy (6-2)
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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