Noxubee County (4-3) was back in the Class 3A rankings when the new Associated Press Mississippi high school football poll was released Tuesday.
Fifteen 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 ended a three-game losing streak with a 19-12 home win over Houston, which was ranked third last week but dropped from the rankings this week, and are ranked fifth in the class. Noxubee County will travel to face Corinth (6-1), the third-ranked team in Class 4A, on Friday.
Columbia (5-1) received nine first-place votes to take first in Class 3A, and West Marion (7-0) was second.
Madison Central (6-0) again claimed the top spots in Class 6A and in the overall rankings, earning all 15 first-place votes.
In other polls
Heritage Academy received 12 of 15 first-place votes among Mississippi private schools to hold the top spot. Jackson Prep (6-1) was second, and Greenville St. Joseph (7-0) was third. Fourth-place Madison-Ridgeland Academy (6-2) received the other three first-place votes. Starkville Academy (5-2) is no longer receiving votes among private schools after last week’s 35-7 loss at No. 5 Pillow Academy.
West Point (6-1) maintained the No. 1 spot in Class 5A and the No. 2 spot in the overall rankings. The Green Wave routed Saltillo on Friday
Starkville High kept the No. 3 ranking overall after a 27-0 win over Germantown, but the Yellow Jackets (5-2) fell from No. 2 to No. 3 in Class 6A. Brandon (5-2) was ranked ahead of Starkville in the class despite being one spot behind the Jackets in the overall rankings.
West Lowndes is receiving votes again in Class 1A. The only loss for the Panthers (6-1) came against Nanih Waiya (5-2), which took the top spot in the class this week after Friday’s 14-2 win over former No. 1 Noxapater (5-2). West Lowndes, receiving the second-most votes among teams outside the top five after Resurrection Catholic, hosts No. 2 Smithville (6-1) on Friday.
Here’s the ballot The Dispatch’s Theo DeRosa submitted:
Overall
1. Madison Central (6-0)
2. West Point (6-1)
3. Picayune (6-0)
4. Starkville (5-2)
5. South Panola (6-1)
6. Lafayette (4-2)
7. Brandon (5-2)
8. Oxford (5-1)
9. West Jones (6-0)
10. Pearl (4-2)
Class 1A
1. Nanih Waiya (5-2)
2. Smithville (5-1)
3. Noxapater (5-2)
4. Lumberton (5-2)
5. Simmons (4-2)
Class 2A
1. Philadelphia (6-1)
2. Taylorsville (6-1)
3. Bay Springs (6-1)
4. Scott Central (5-2)
5. East Webster (6-1)
Class 3A
1. Columbia (5-1)
2. North Panola (5-1)
3. West Marion (7-0)
4. Houston (5-2)
5. Noxubee County (4-3)
Class 4A
1. Greenwood (7-0)
2. South Pike (7-0)
3. Louisville (5-2)
4. Corinth (5-1)
5. Itawamba AHS (7-0)
Class 5A
1. West Point (6-1)
2. Picayune (6-0)
3. Lafayette (4-2)
4. West Jones (6-0)
5. Laurel (5-1)
Class 6A
1. Madison Central (4-0)
2. Starkville (5-2)
3. South Panola (6-1)
4. Brandon (5-2)
5. Oxford (5-1)
Private schools
1. Heritage Academy (8-0)
2. Jackson Prep (6-1)
3. Greenville St. Joseph (7-0)
4. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (6-2)
5. Pillow Academy (6-1)
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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