The Starkville High School football team held off West Point again to keep the No. 1 spot in Mississippi’s overall rankings when the new Associated Press high school football poll was released Tuesday.
Eleven Mississippi media outlets, including The Commercial Dispatch, were polled on the top five teams in each class and the top 10 overall.
The Yellow Jackets (8-2) received six of the 11 first-place votes in the overall standings, edging the Green Wave (9-1), which got three. West Point hosts New Hope (3-7) on Friday.
South Panola (9-1) and Picayune (9-0) received one first-place vote apiece in the overall poll.
Starkville got 10 first-place votes in Class 6A, and the other went to South Panola. Both the Jackets and the Tigers recently pulled off wins over former No. 1 Madison Central, which fell to No. 5 in Class 6A and No. 6 overall.
Starkville travels to face Warren Central on Friday in Vicksburg.
In other polls
— Heritage Academy (11-0) kept the No. 1 among Mississippi private schools, though the vote was still not unanimous. The Patriots received 10 first-place votes, and No. 3 Madison-Ridgeland Academy (9-2) got the other.
— The Patriots are off this week before hosting a second-round playoff matchup on Nov. 8.
West Lowndes (8-2) received the most points of any Class 1A team outside the top five, but the Panthers remain on the outside. They’ll have a bye week before closing out the season on Nov. 8 at Tupelo Christian Prep (6-3).
— Noxubee County (5-5) is no longer receiving votes in Class 3A after Thursday’s loss at Choctaw County (7-3). But the Tigers are locked in as the No. 2 team in Region 4, and Friday’s game at Aberdeen (1-9) can’t affect their playoff seeding.
Here’s the ballot The Dispatch’s Theo DeRosa submitted:
Overall
1. West Point (9-1)
2. Starkville (8-2)
3. South Panola (9-1)
4. Picayune (9-0)
5. Madison Central (7-2)
6. Petal (8-1)
7. West Jones (9-0)
8. Lafayette (7-2)
9. Oxford (8-1)
10. Greenwood (9-0)
Class 1A
1. Nanih Waiya (8-2)
2. Noxapater (8-2)
3. Smithville (7-2)
4. Lumberton (8-2)
5. West Lowndes (8-2)
Class 2A
1. Philadelphia (9-1)
2. Taylorsville (9-1)
3. East Webster (8-1)
4. Bay Springs (8-1)
5. Scott Central (7-2)
Class 3A
1. Columbia (9-0)
2. West Marion (9-1)
3. Senatobia (7-2)
4. Magee (8-2)
5. Winona (7-2)
Class 4A
1. Greenwood (9-0)
2. South Pike (10-0)
3. Louisville (8-2)
4. Corinth (8-1)
5. Itawamba AHS (10-0)
Class 5A
1. West Point (9-1)
2. Picayune (9-0)
3. West Jones (9-0)
4. Lafayette (7-2)
5. Laurel (7-2)
Class 6A
1. Starkville (8-2)
2. South Panola (9-1)
3. Madison Central (7-2)
4. Petal (8-1)
5. Oxford (8-1)
Private schools
1. Heritage Academy (11-0)
2. Greenville St. Joseph (10-0)
3. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (9-2)
4. Jackson Prep (8-2)
5. Pillow Academy (8-2)
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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