The West Point High School football team’s first home loss since 2015 cost it in the state and MHSAA Class 5A rankings this week when the new Associated Press Mississippi high school football poll was released Tuesday afternoon.
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 (4-2) fell from third to ninth overall and from first to third in Class 5A after its 35-26 loss to Lake Cormorant last Thursday. It snapped a streak of 36 straight Region 1-5A wins for the Green Wave, who have won four straight state championships.
The Green Wave still received three first-place votes in Class 5A, including The Dispatch’s selection. Last week, West Point earned seven of 10 first-place votes in the class. West Jones (six first-place votes) was ranked first in Class 5A on Tuesday, with Neshoba Central in second. Picayune and Lake Cormorant rounded out the top five.
West Point will play at Grenada (3-2) on Friday.
In other polls
— Starkville (6-0) maintained its hold on the top spot overall and in Class 6A. The Yellow Jackets received eight of nine first-place votes in both categories, with Oak Grove earning the other. Oxford, Warren Central and D’Iberville rounded out the top five in the class. Starkville received a win by forfeit against Greenville last week and will play at Madison Central on Friday.
— Heritage Academy (5-2) lost its top-five ranking among private schools after Thursday’s 31-14 loss at Lamar School in Meridian. The Patriots, who were ranked fourth prior to the loss, were replaced in the No. 4 spot by Presbyterian Christian, while Greenville Christian remained fifth. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (all nine first-place votes) was first, Jackson Prep was second, and Leake Academy was third. Heritage Academy trailed only Jackson Academy among teams not in the top five. The Pats will host rival Starkville Academy, which garnered one fifth-place vote, on Friday in Columbus.
— Noxubee County (3-1) remained third in the Class 3A rankings after an off week. The Tigers were scheduled to host Class 4A No. 2 Corinth, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns within the Noxubee County program. Columbia earned all nine first-place votes and the No. 1 ranking, while Magee remained second. West Marion and North Panola rounded out the top five. Noxubee County is slated to play at Hatley on Friday.
Here’s the ballot Theo DeRosa submitted for The Dispatch:
Overall top 10
1. Starkville (5-0)
2. Oak Grove (5-0)
3. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (7-0)
4. West Point (4-2)
5. Oxford (6-0)
6. Neshoba Central (6-0)
7. Warren Central (6-0)
8. West Jones (5-0)
9. Leake Academy (8-0)
10. D’Iberville (5-0)
Class 1A
1. Nanih Waiya (5-0)
2. Lumberton (4-1)
3. Biggersville (6-0)
4. TCPS (3-2)
5. Resurrection Catholic (5-1)
Class 2A
1. Taylorsville (4-1)
2. North Side (2-0)
3. Enterprise Clarke (4-0)
4. Scott Central (5-1)
5. Puckett (6-0)
Class 3A
1. Columbia (6-0)
2. Noxubee County (3-1)
3. Magee (4-0)
4. West Marion (4-2)
5. Jefferson Davis County (3-3)
Class 4A
1. Louisville (5-1)
2. Corinth (3-2)
3. Newton County (6-0)
4. Pontotoc (5-1)
5. Poplarville (3-3)
Class 5A
1. West Point (4-2)
2. Neshoba Central (6-0)
3. West Jones (4-0)
4. Lafayette (4-2)
5. Picayune (6-0)
Class 6A
1. Starkville (6-0)
2. Oak Grove (6-0)
3. Oxford (6-0)
4. Warren Central (6-0)
5. D’Iberville (5-0)
Private schools
1. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (7-0)
2. Leake Academy (8-0)
3. Jackson Prep (6-1)
4. Presbyterian Christian (7-1)
5. Greenville Christian (6-1)
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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