Starkville High School’s 24-21 win over Madison Central on Friday earned the Jackets the No. 1 ranking in the state 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 Yellow Jackets (7-2) have caught fire since a 1-2 start to the season, winning six straight games. Friday’s home upset of the unanimous top-ranked Jaguars (7-1) vaulted Starkville to the top spot in the overall rankings and in Class 6A.
Starkville received four of 15 possible first-place votes in the overall rankings and 13 of 15 in Class 6A. The Yellow Jackets will travel to Jackson to face Murrah (1-7) on Thursday night.
West Point (8-1), which has won seven straight games, actually received more first-place votes (eight) than Starkville’s four in the overall classification, but the Green Wave were second by two points in the rankings. West Point, responsible for one of the Yellow Jackets’ losses this season, received 13 first-place votes to lead the Class 5A standings. The Green Wave will travel to face Columbus (3-5) on Friday.
In other polls
Heritage Academy’s 42-7 win over Starkville Academy last Friday kept the Patriots (10-0) in the top spot among Mississippi private schools. Heritage received 13 first-place votes, with third-place Madison-Ridgeland Academy (8-2) receiving the other two. Greenville St. Joseph (9-0) was second, Jackson Prep (7-2) was fourth, and Pillow Academy (7-2) was fifth.
Noxubee County (5-4) is still receiving votes in Class 3A, though there were five teams between the Tigers and the No. 5 spot in Tuesday’s poll. Noxubee County received a single fourth-place vote. The Tigers will travel to face Choctaw County (6-3) on Friday.
West Lowndes’ loss at No. 2 Noxapater (7-2) on Friday cost the Panthers in the poll, as they are receiving fewer votes than last week. West Lowndes (7-2) received 26 points in the poll, behind Resurrection Catholic (31) among teams outside the top five. Nanih Waiya (7-2), the other team to whom the Panthers have lost this season, was first with 13 first-place votes. West Lowndes will face Okolona (3-5) on the road Friday.
Here’s the ballot The Dispatch’s Theo DeRosa submitted:
Overall
1. West Point (8-1)
2. Starkville (7-2)
3. Madison Central (7-1)
4. Picayune (8-0)
5. South Panola (8-1)
6. Petal (7-1)
7. West Jones (8-0)
8. Lafayette (6-2)
9. Oxford (7-1)
10. Greenwood (8-0)
Class 1A
1. Nanih Waiya (7-2)
2. Noxapater (7-2)
3. Smithville (7-2)
4. Lumberton (7-2)
5. West Lowndes (7-2)
Class 2A
1. Philadelphia (8-1)
2. Taylorsville (8-1)
3. Bay Springs (8-1)
4. Scott Central (7-2)
5. East Webster (7-1)
Class 3A
1. Columbia (8-0)
2. West Marion (8-1)
3. Magee (8-1)
4. Senatobia (6-2)
5. Winona (7-1)
Class 4A
1. Greenwood (8-0)
2. South Pike (9-0)
3. Louisville (7-2)
4. Corinth (7-1)
5. Itawamba AHS (9-0)
Class 5A
1. West Point (8-1)
2. Picayune (8-0)
3. West Jones (8-0)
4. Lafayette (6-2)
5. Grenada (5-3)
Class 6A
1. Starkville (7-2)
2. Madison Central (7-1)
3. South Panola (8-1)
4. Petal (7-1)
5. Oxford (7-1)
Private schools
1. Heritage Academy (10-0)
2. Greenville St. Joseph (9-0)
3. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (8-2)
4. Jackson Prep (7-2)
5. Pillow Academy (7-2)
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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