Sep

Weeks 3 MPSS Prep Football Rankings

By AUSTIN BISHOP
& BOBBY GRAY
Mississippi Prep Sport Source

It wasn’t an easy decision, but Madison Central slipped past South Panola as the top-ranked team in the Mississippi Prep Sports Source’s Class 6A rankings.
Despite a 21-19 nationally televised loss to Memphis (Tenn.) University Christian on Friday night, the decision to move the Jaguars past the Tigers didn’t come lightly.
South Panola’s wins have been much more convincing, in particular the 36-0 thrashing of a very good Petal team, while Madison Central’s best victory was the season-opening come-from-behind win over Hattiesburg.
But, in the end, the Jags made the move.
West Jones stayed on top of the Class 5A rankings, closely followed by Wayne County, while West Point jumped two spots to No. 3, followed by Stone County and New Hope, which moved into the top 5.
While Noxubee County held on to the No. 1 ranking in Class 4A, Quitman shook up the rankings a bit by stunning last week’s No. 2, Louisville, 42-25. With the win the Panthers jumped all the way to No. 2, followed by Shannon, Lafayette County and Itawamba AHS, which moved up one spot thanks to a handy win over Tupelo. LHS fell to No. 6, closely followed by an impressive Forrest County AHS squad that climbed five spots to No. 7.
Tylertown, with its rugged non-region schedule, held on to the No. 1 ranking in 3A, while Philadelphia jumped two spots to No. 2 with a 40-14 win over Class 5A crosstown rival Neshoba Central. Forest is No. 3, while Morton is No. 4 and Charleston No. 5.
West Bolivar retains the top spot in 2A — perhaps the toughest classification from top to bottom — followed by Ackerman, Eupora, North Forrest and Bassfield.
Vardaman has a tenuous hold on the No. 1 ranking in Class 1A, followed by Durant, Mount Olive, Ray Brooks and Coffeeville. This may be the most wide-open 1A has been in years.
Despite a few doubters, Jackson Prep once again proved it was king of MAIS, by beating a very good MHSAA squad in St. Stanislaus 21-20. Jackson Academy is No. 2, with Washington School third, Lamar School No. 4 and Pillow Academy No. 5.

The RANKINGS/TOP 15
The Mississippi Prep Sports Source rankings are produced each week by Austin Bishop and Bobby Gray. Bishop has been covering high school sports in Mississippi since 1975, while Gray is a longtime follower of prep football in North Mississippi. The ranking service is received by more than 30 media outlets and is in its second year.

MHSAA 6A
1. Madison Central (3-0) — Beat Provine 24-6
2. South Panola (2-1) — Lost to MUS 21-19
3. Oak Grove (3-0) — Beat Laurel 21-20
4. Meridian (3-0) — Beat Starkville 27-10
5. Olive Branch (2-0) — Open
6. Hattiesburg (2-1) — Beat Warren Central 28-14
7 Clinton (3-0) — Beat Brookhaven 34-0
8. Ocean Springs (2-1) —Beat Moss Point 21-14
9. Petal (0-2) — Open
10. Gulfport (3-0) — Beat West Lauderdale 48-10
11. Southaven (2-0) — Open
12. Brandon (2-1) — Beat Mendenhall 31-7
13. Natchez (3-0) — Beat Ferriday (La.) 12-6
14. George County (2-1) — Beat Greene County 22-20
15. Harrison Central (2-0) — Beat Stone County 26-0
Lurking Around: Warren Central (1-2), Biloxi (2-1), Hancock (2-1), Pascagoula (1-1), DeSoto Central (2-1).

MHSAA 5A
1. West Jones (2-0) — Beat Magee 24-0
2. Wayne County (2-1) — Beat Northeast Jones 28-13
3. West Point (1-1) — Beat Columbus 24-6
4. Stone County (2-1) —Lost to Harrison Central 26-0
5. New Hope (2-0) — Beat Amory 42-7 �
6. Moss Point (1-2) —Lost to Ocean Springs 21-14
7. Gautier (1-1) — Open
8. Hernando (1-0) — Beat Tunica Rosa Fort 42-14
9. Forest Hill (2-0) — Open
10. Callaway (2-1) — Beat Jim Hill 35-28
11 Pearl (1-2) — Beat Northwest Rankin 21-14
12. Picayune (0-2) — Lost to Forrest County AHS 30-23
13. Brookhaven (1-1) — Lost to Clinton 34-0
14. Oxford (1-2) — Lost to Lafayette County 31-21
15. Saltillo (3-0) — Beat Baldwyn 9-0
Lurking Around: Neshoba Central (1-2), Vancleave (1-1), Lanier (3-0), Provine (1-2), Ridgeland (2-1), Indianola Gentry (2-1).

MHSAA 4A
1. Noxubee County (3-0) —Beat Murrah 28-0
2. Quitman (3-0) — Beat Louisville 42-25
3. Shannon (2-0) — Open
4. Lafayette County (3-0) — Beat Oxford 31-21
5. Itawamba AHS (2-0) — Beat Tupelo 35-13
6. Louisville (2-1) —Lost to Quitman 42-25
7. Forrest County AHS (3-0) — Beat Picayune 30-23
8. NE Jones (0-2) — Lost to Wayne County 28-13
9. Lawrence County (1-2) — Lost to Tylertown 22-21
10. St. Stanislaus (2-1) — Lost to Jackson Prep 21-20
11. South Pike (1-1) — Lost to Hazlehurst 19-18
12. Greene County (2-1) — Lost to George County 22-20
13. Magee (1-1) — Lost to West Jones 24-0
14. Pontotoc (2-0) — Beat Aberdeen 24-14
15. Senatobia (3-0) —Beat Independence 38-20
Lurking Around: West Lauderdale (1-2), Columbia (1-2), New Albany (1-2), Cleveland (1-2), Humphreys County (1-0).

MHSAA 3A
1. Tylertown (3-0) — Beat Lawrence County 22-21
2. Philadelphia (3-0) — Beat Neshoba Central 40-14
3. Forest (1-0) — Open
4. Morton (3-0) —Beat Coffeeville 49-7
5. Charleston (3-0) — Beat West Tallahatchie 36-0
6. Perry Central (3-0) —Beat South Jones 28-27
7 Hazlehurst (2-1) — Beat South Pike 19-18
8. Booneville (3-0) — Beat Center Hill 23-13
9. Ripley (1-1) — Beat Lewisburg 70-28
10. Franklin County (1-2) — Beat McComb 35-14
11. Raleigh (3-0) — Beat Bay Springs 31-12
12. Aberdeen (1-2) — Lost to Pontotoc 24-14
13. Corinth ((1-1) —Beat New Albany 35-20
14. Velma Jackson (3-0) — Beat Yazoo County 47-14
15. McLaurin (3-0) — Beat Florence 38-22
Lurking Around: Choctaw Central (3-0), South Delta (2-1), Winona (1-2), St. Andrews (1-2), St. Patrick (1-1), Collins (1-2), Leland (1-1), Belmont (2-0), Ruleville Central (1-1).

MHSAA 2A
1. West Bolivar (3-0) — Beat Ray Brooks 30-8
2 Ackerman (3-0) — Beat Bruce 61-18
3. Eupora (3-0) — Beat Winona 14-0
4. North Forrest (3-0) — Beat Seminary 20-7
5. Bassfield (1-2) — Beat Puckett 27-21
6. Puckett (2-1) — Lost to Bassfield 27-21
7. Loyd Star (3-0) — Beach Richland 35-0
8. Scott Central (2-1) — Beat Sebastopol 27-18
9. Hollandale-Simmons (2-0) — Beat Drew 26-0
10. Taylorsville (2-1) — Beat Collins 33-18
11 Mize (2-1) — Beat Mt. Olive 41-20
12. Lumberton (3-0) — Beat Poplarville 44-13
13. Pisgah (3-0) —Beat Thomastown 56-0
14. Walnut (2-0) — Beat Alcorn Central 35-12
15. East Marion (2-0) — Beat Columbia 6-0
Lurking Around:
Stringer (2-1), Wesson (2-0), Madison St. Joe (2-1), West Lowndes (3-0), Hinds AHS (2-1), Enterprise-Clarke (2-0), Baldwyn (0-2), Calhoun City (1-2), Pelahatchie (2-1), Union (2-1), East Webster (1-2), Bay Springs (1-2).

MHSAA 1A
1. Vardaman (2-0) — Beat East Webster 13-9
2. Durant (2-1) — Beat Williams-Sullivan 41-0
3. Mount Olive (0-2) — Lost to Mize 41-20
4. Ray Brooks (0-2) — Lost to West Bolivar 30-8
5. Coffeeville (2-1) — Lost to Morton 49-7
6. Weir (1-1) — Open
7. Sebastopol (2-1) — Lost to Scott Central 27-18
8. Nanih Waiya (1-1) — Open
9. Bogue Chitto (1-2) — Lost to Wesson, 35-32
10. Smithville (1-0) — Open
11. St. Aloysius (2-1) — Beat Greenville St. Joseph 20-14
12. Greenville St. Joe (2-1) — Lost to St. Aloysius 20-14
13. McAdams (2-0) — Open
14. Okolona (1-1) —Lost to Houston 18-12
15. Shaw (1-1) — Beat Coahoma AHS 62-6
Lurking Around:
Biggersville (2-0), South Leake (1-1), Natchez Cathedral (0-1), Drew (0-2), Ethel (1-1), French Camp (1-0).

MAIS
1. Jackson Prep (3-0) — Beat St. Stanislaus 21-20
2. Jackson Academy (3-0) — Beat Presbyterian Christian 42-6
3. Washington School (2-1) — Beat No. 3 Pillow 24-17
4. Lamar School (3-0) — Beat Central Hinds 55-28
5. Pillow Academy (2-1) — Lost to No. 4 Washington 24-17
6. Magnolia Heights (3-0) — Beat Kirk Academy 35-22
7. MRA (1-1) — Open
8. Oak Forest (2-1) — Beat Bowling Green (La.) 21-20
9. Centreville (2-1) —Beat Huntington (La.) 46-28
10. Parklane (0-2) — Open
11. Leake Academy (2-0) —Beat Hillcrest Christian 42-0
12. DeSoto School (3-0) — Beat Central Holmes Christian School 48-0
13. Heritage (3-0) — Beat Starkville Academy 46-23
14. Simpson County (3-0) — Beat East Rankin 6-3
15. Trinity Episcopal (3-0) —Beat Briarfield (La.) 40-19
Lurking Around: Bowling Green (2-1), North Delta (2-1), Brookhaven (2-0), Clarksdale Lee (2-1), Presbyterian Christian (2-1), Canton (2-1), Central Private (3-0)