Heritage Academy claimed the top spot among Mississippi private schools when the new Associated Press state 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.
Heritage Academy (6-0) vaulted Madison-Ridgeland Academy, which had held the top spot among private schools since the beginning of the season, thanks to MRA’s loss to Philadelphia on Friday. The Patriots received 10 of 13 first-place votes, MRA got two, and third-placeJackson Prep (4-1) got one. Greenville St. Joseph (5-0) was fourth, and Pillow Academy (5-0) was fifth.
The Patriots will host Pillow on Friday.
Madison Central (4-0) again claimed the top spot in the overall rankings, earning all 13 first-place votes. Pearl (3-1) was second, and South Panola (5-0) was third.
In other polls
West Point (4-1) held the No. 1 ranking in Class 5A with 10 first-place votes and moved up one spot to fourth in the overall rankings. Picayune (4-0) got the other three first-place votes and was ranked second in Class 5A. Lafayette (3-1) was ranked third, West Jones (4-0) was ranked fourth, and Laurel (3-1) was ranked fifth. The Green Wave beat Noxubee County 52-7 last week and will face Lafayette on Friday in Oxford.
Noxubee County (3-2) fell out of the top five in Class 3A by virtue of the blowout loss to West Point. The Tigers have lost two straight games after a 3-0 start, but they were still the school receiving the most votes outside of the top five in the class. Columbia (5-0) held the top spot with 11 first-place votes, and Houston (5-0) was second with the remaining two.
Starkville (3-2) is now ranked fifth overall in the state and fourth in Class 6A. The Yellow Jackets beat Meridian 57-0 last week and have a home showdown with South Panola (5-0), which is third in Class 6A and fourth in the state, on Friday.
West Lowndes is no longer receiving votes in Class 1A following its first loss of the season, a home defeat to third-place Nanih Waiya. Noxapater received 12 first-place votes to hold onto the top spot in the class.
Here’s the ballot Theo DeRosa submitted for The Dispatch:
Overall
1. Madison Central (4-0)
2. Pearl (3-1)
3. West Point (4-1)
4. South Panola (5-0)
5. Picayune (4-0)
6. Lafayette (3-1)
7. Starkville (3-2)
8. Oxford (3-1)
9. West Jones (4-0)
10. Brandon (3-2)
Class 1A
1. Noxapater (4-1)
2. Smithville (3-1)
3. Nanih Waiya (3-2)
4. Lumberton (3-2)
5. Simmons (3-2)
Class 2A
1. Taylorsville (5-0)
2. Philadelphia (4-1)
3. Bay Springs (5-0)
4. Scott Central (4-1)
5. East Webster (5-0)
Class 3A
1. Columbia (5-0)
2. Houston (5-0)
3. Seminary (4-1)
4. Water Valley (3-1)
5. North Panola (5-0)
Class 4A
1. Greenwood (5-0)
2. South Pike (5-0)
3. Louisville (3-2)
4. Corinth (3-1)
5. Itawamba AHS (5-0)
Class 5A
1. West Point (4-1)
2. Picayune (4-0)
3. Lafayette (3-1)
4. West Jones (4-0)
5. Laurel (3-1)
Class 6A
1. Madison Central (4-0)
2. Pearl (3-1)
3. South Panola (5-0)
4. Starkville (3-2)
5. Oxford (3-1)
Private schools
1. Heritage Academy (6-0)
2. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (5-1)
3. Jackson Prep (4-1)
4. Greenville St. Joseph (5-0)
5. Pillow Academy (5-0)
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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