The West Point football team is moving up in the rankings.
The Green Wave (2-1) jumped a spot to third place overall in the state in Tuesday’s new Associated Press Mississippi high school football poll, trailing only Starkville (3-0) and South Panola (3-0).
Nine Mississippi media outlets, including The Commercial Dispatch, were polled on the top five teams in each class and the top 10 overall.
Teams earned 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for a second-place vote, and so on.
West Point earned six of nine first-place votes, including The Dispatch’s vote, in MHSAA Class 5A and held onto its ranking as the top team in the class. West Jones (3-0) earned two first-place votes, and Picayune (3-0) received one. Neshoba Central (3-0) ranked third in Class 5A.
The Green Wave will host Lafayette (2-1), which was ranked fifth in the class, Friday.
In other polls
— Starkville (3-0) remained the top team in the state and in Class 6A, but the vote wasn’t unanimous. Oak Grove (3-0) once again earned a first-place vote in both categories, while the Yellow Jackets garnered the other eight. Oak Grove was fourth in the overall rankings, and West Jones was fifth. In the Class 6A rankings, Warren Central was fourth, and Oxford was fifth. Starkville boasts wins against Louisville (ranked second in Class 4A), West Point and Meridian so far this season. The Yellow Jackets face off with second-ranked South Panola in a huge contest Friday in Batesville.
— Noxubee County (2-1) kept its No. 3 ranking in Class 3A despite its loss at West Point last week. The Tigers are still behind the same two teams, Columbia and Jefferson Davis County, though the order has flipped. Jefferson Davis County was in first place in last week’s poll, but the Jaguars (2-1) lost to Hattiesburg on Friday and fell out of the top spot. The Wildcats (3-0) took over No. 1 with five first-place votes, while the Jags had three. Magee (1-1) and West Marion (2-1) rounded out the top five. Noxubee County received one first-place vote, which came from The Dispatch. The Tigers are off this week before playing at Houston on Oct. 2.
— Heritage Academy (4-1) stayed No. 4 among private schools after a 48-13 home win over Bayou Academy. The Patriots are still behind Madison-Ridgeland Academy (5-0), Jackson Prep (4-0) and Leake Academy (5-0). Greenville Christian (3-1) was fifth. Heritage Academy’s only loss was at Jackson Prep on Aug. 21. The Patriots have a road game at Pillow Academy on Friday in Greenwood.
Here’s the ballot Theo DeRosa submitted for The Dispatch:
Overall top 10
1. Starkville (3-0)
2. West Point (2-1)
3. South Panola (3-0)
4. Oxford (2-0)
5. Oak Grove (2-0)
6. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (5-0)
7. Picayune (3-0)
8. Lafayette (2-1)
9. Warren Central (3-0)
10. Corinth (2-1)
Class 1A
1. Nanih Waiya (3-0)
2. Lumberton (2-1)
3. Biggersville (3-0)
4. TCPS (1-2)
5. Resurrection Catholic (3-0)
Class 2A
1. Taylorsville (2-0)
2. North Side (0-0)
3. Enterprise Clarke (3-0)
4. Walnut (3-0)
5. Scott Central (2-1)
Class 3A
1. Noxubee County (2-1)
2. Columbia (3-0)
3. Jefferson Davis County (2-1)
4. Magee (1-0)
5. Choctaw County (2-1)
Class 4A
1. Corinth (2-1)
2. Louisville (2-1)
3. Newton County (3-0)
4. Pontotoc (2-1)
5. Bay (3-0)
Class 5A
1. West Point (2-1)
2. Neshoba Central (3-0)
3. Picayune (3-0)
4. Lafayette (2-1)
5. West Jones (3-0)
Class 6A
1. Starkville (2-0)
2. South Panola (2-0)
3. Oxford (2-0)
4. Oak Grove (2-0)
5. Madison Central (2-0)
Private schools
1. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (5-0)
2. Jackson Prep (4-0)
3. Leake Academy (5-0)
5. Heritage Academy (4-1)
5. Presbyterian Christian (4-1)
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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