Starkville High School nearly fell out of the top five in Class 6A when the new Associated Press Mississippi high school football poll was released Tuesday.
Thirteen 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 Yellow Jackets are 1-2 after Friday’s loss at West Point, and they finished just one point ahead of sixth-place Petal.
Starkville still cracked the state overall top 10, finishing ninth. Petal finished seventh in the overall poll.
Madison Central (3-0) was ranked first in Class 6A and first overall in the state, earning all 13 first-place votes in both polls. The Jaguars will host second-place Pearl (3-0) on Friday.
In other polls
West Point (2-1) remained second behind Lafayette (3-0) in the Class 5A rankings despite the win over Starkville. Lafayette received 10 first-place votes and 126 points; West Point got the other three first-place votes and 117 points. Picayune (3-0) was third in Class 5A with 105 points, West Jones was fourth with 94, and Laurel was fifth with 36. The Green Wave finished fifth in the overall poll and will host Class 6A Tupelo (2-1) on Friday.
Noxubee County (3-0) remained in third place in the Class 3A rankings. Columbia garnered 11 first-place votes to hold the top spot, and Seminary remained in second. Houston and Water Valley, who tied for fourth place, each received one of the two remaining first-place votes. Noxubee County will host Philadelphia (2-1), the second-ranked team in Class 2A, on Friday.
Heritage Academy held its spot as the second-ranked team among private schools and picked up two first-place votes. Both the Patriots and top-ranked Madison-Ridgeland Academy (11 first-place votes) are 4-0. Jackson Prep (2-1), Greenville St. Joseph (3-0) and Pillow Academy (3-0) rounded out the top five. Heritage Academy will host Caledonia (2-1) on Friday.
West Lowndes (4-0) is still receiving votes in the Class 1A poll after a comeback win against Kemper Academy. The Panthers got 13 points in the poll, second among schools not in the top five. Fifth-place Lumberton (1-2) had 67 points, and TCPS (3-0) got 38. Smithville (3-0) led the Class 1A rankings with a unanimous first-place selection. The Panthers will host Hamilton (1-2) on Friday.
Here’s the ballot Theo DeRosa submitted for The Dispatch:
Overall top 10
1. Madison Central (3-0)
2. Pearl (3-0)
3. Brandon (2-1)
4. West Point (2-1)
5. Lafayette (3-0)
6. South Panola (3-0)
7. Petal (3-0)
8. Louisville (2-1)
9. Oxford (2-1)
10. Picayune (2-0)
Class 1A
1. Smithville (3-0)
2. Noxapater (2-1)
3. Simmons (1-2)
4. Nanih Waiya (1-2)
5. TCPS (3-0)
Class 2A
Taylorsville (3-0)
Philadelphia (2-1)
Bay Springs (3-0)
Scott Central (3-0)
Charleston (2-1)
Class 3A
1. Columbia (3-0)
2. Seminary (3-0)
3. Noxubee County (3-0)
4. Water Valley (2-0)
5. Houston (3-0)
Class 4A
1. Louisville (2-1)
2. South Pike (3-0)
3. Poplarville (1-2)
4. Greenwood (3-0)
5. Corinth (1-1)
Class 5A
1. West Point (2-1)
2. Lafayette (3-0)
3. Picayune (2-0)
4. West Jones (3-0)
5. Laurel (2-1)
Class 6A
1. Madison Central (3-0)
2. Pearl (3-0)
3. Brandon (2-1)
4. South Panola (3-0)
5. Petal (3-0)
Private schools
1. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (4-0)
2. Heritage Academy (4-0)
3. Greenville St. Joseph (3-0)
4. Jackson Prep (2-1)
5. Pillow Academy (3-0)
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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