The Starkville High School football team hasn’t played since Oct. 16, but the Yellow Jackets saw another climb in the new Associated Press Mississippi high school football poll, released Tuesday.
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.
Starkville (7-2) climbed from fifth to third in the overall rankings while maintaining the No. 3 spot in MHSAA Class 6A. Oak Grove and Oxford finished ahead of the Jackets in both categories.
D’Iberville and South Panola rounded out the top five in Class 6A, while Madison-Ridgeland Academy was fourth overall and D’Iberville was fifth.
Starkville forfeited last week’s game against Warren Central because of COVID-19 and will wrap up the regular season Friday at Clinton. If the Jackets lose, they’ll miss out on a spot in the Class 6A playoffs.
In other polls
— West Point (6-3) gained ground but still fell short of the Class 5A rankings. The Green Wave received 17 points, tops among teams outside the top five of Neshoba Central, Lafayette, West Jones, Picayune and Ridgeland. West Point has won two straight games, routing Columbus and New Hope, since losing back-to-back contests against Lake Cormorant and Grenada. Like Starkville, West Point must win Friday’s home game against Center Hill to qualify for the playoffs.
— Heritage Academy (7-2) received only The Dispatch’s fifth-place vote among Mississippi private schools, earning the Patriots six points in the poll. Among teams outside the top five, Presbyterian Christian received 18 points, Cathedral had eight, and Wilkinson County Christian Academy also had six. The same five schools — Madison-Ridgeland Academy, Leake Academy, Jackson Prep, Jackson Academy and Greenville Christian — comprised the top five. Heritage Academy will host Starkville Academy in the MAIS Class 5A quarterfinal round Friday.
— Noxubee County (6-1) remained second behind Magee in the Class 3A poll Tuesday. The Tigers once again received three of nine first-place votes, while Magee earned the other six. West Marion, Columbia and North Panola rounded out the top five. Noxubee County did not play last week after its opponent, Aberdeen, had to forfeit because of COVID-19. The Tigers will host Byhalia in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs on Friday in Macon.
Here’s the ballot Theo DeRosa submitted for The Dispatch:
Overall top 10
1. Oak Grove (8-0)
2. Starkville (7-2)
3. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (10-0)
4. Oxford (8-0)
5. West Jones (8-2)
6. Leake Academy (10-0)
7. D’Iberville (8-0)
8. Lafayette (7-2)
9. Ridgeland (8-2)
10. Neshoba Central (9-1)
Class 1A
1. Nanih Waiya (8-0)
2. Lumberton (7-1)
3. Biggersville (9-0)
4. TCPS (6-2)
5. Simmons (6-1)
Class 2A
1. Taylorsville (9-1)
2. North Side (7-0)
3. Enterprise Clarke (7-1)
4. Scott Central (7-1)
5. Union (7-2)
Class 3A
1. Noxubee County (6-1)
2. West Marion (6-2)
3. Columbia (7-2)
4. Magee (7-0)
5. North Panola (6-1)
Class 4A
1. Louisville (8-1)
2. Newton County (9-0)
3. Pontotoc (8-1)
4. Poplarville (6-3)
5. Corinth (5-3)
Class 5A
1. West Jones (8-2)
2. Lafayette (7-2)
3. Ridgeland (8-2)
4. Neshoba Central (9-1)
5. Picayune (8-1)
Class 6A
1. Oak Grove (8-0)
2. Starkville (7-2)
3. Oxford (8-0)
4. D’Iberville (8-0)
5. South Panola (8-2)
Private schools
1. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (10-0)
2. Leake Academy (10-0)
3. Jackson Prep (8-2)
4. Greenville Christian (8-1)
5. Heritage Academy (7-2)
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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