Wildcats break into AP poll after 5-0 start
Senior quarterback Derrick Grice is shown picking up good yardage in the Wildcat’s big 20-14 win over Long Beach on Friday.
From Staff Reports
The Greene County Wildcats’ hot start to the 2017 season has started to garner the attention of sports writers from across Mississippi. The Associated Press released its statewide high school poll on Tuesday and for the first time this season, the Wildcats are listed as a Top 5 team in 4A. The Wildcats, who are 5-0 for the first time since 2002, broke into the poll as the No. 5 team in 4A this week, behind Poplarville, East Central, Pontotoc and Louisville. The latest ranking comes on the heels of a big, come-from-behind win on the road at previously unbeaten Long Beach last Friday.
Another area school making waves is Perry Central. The Bulldogs are 5-0 as well and ranked as the No. 4 team in the state’s 3A classification.
| Class Overall | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. West Point (9) | (4-0) | 114 | 1 |
| 2. Pearl (2) | (5-0) | 108 | 2 |
| 3. Tupelo | (4-0) | 97 | 3 |
| 4. Starkville | (4-1) | 68 | 6 |
| 5. Hattiesburg | (4-0) | 63 | 5 |
| 6. Madison Central | (3-1) | 62 | 4 |
| 7. Poplarville | (5-0) | 34 | 9 |
| 8. Warren Central | (3-1) | 33 | 7 |
| 9. Oak Grove | (3-1) | 31 | 8 |
| 10. Olive Branch | (4-0) | 20 | 10 |
Others receiving votes: Cleveland Central (1) 10, East Central 5, Jackson Prep 4, Northwest Rankin 4, Yazoo County 3, Philadelphia 2, Simmons 1, Picayune 1.
| Class 6A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Pearl (10) | (5-0) | 118 | 1 |
| 2. Tupelo (2) | (4-0) | 109 | 2 |
| 3. Starkville | (4-1) | 94 | 4 |
| 4. Madison Central | (3-1) | 82 | 3 |
| 5. Oak Grove | (3-1) | 43 | 5 |
Others receiving votes: Warren Central 21, Oxford 13.
| Class 5A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. West Point (11) | (4-0) | 119 | 1 |
| 2. Hattiesburg | (4-0) | 106 | 2 |
| 3. Olive Branch | (4-0) | 92 | 3 |
| 4. Picayune | (3-1) | 79 | 4 |
| 5. Cleveland Central (1) | (5-0) | 78 | 5 |
Others receiving votes: Stone 6.
| Class 4A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Poplarville (12) | (5-0) | 120 | 1 |
| 2. East Central | (4-0) | 104 | 3 |
| 3. Pontotoc | (4-1) | 91 | 2 |
| 3. Louisville | (4-1) | 91 | 4 |
| 5. Greene County | (5-0) | 44 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Noxubee County 12, Greenwood 6, Leake Central 6, Itawamba AHS 6.
| Class 3A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. North Panola (9) | (4-0) | 116 | 1 |
| 2. Charleston (1) | (4-1) | 101 | 2 |
| 3. Yazoo County (2) | (5-0) | 93 | 4 |
| 4. Jefferson Davis County | (4-1) | 85 | 5 |
| 5. Hazlehurst | (3-2) | 53 | 3 |
Others receiving votes: South Pontotoc 26, Aberdeen 6.
| Class 2A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Philadelphia (12) | (5-0) | 120 | 1 |
| 2. Calhoun City | (4-1) | 92 | 2 |
| 3. Newton | (5-0) | 91 | 3 |
| 4. Perry Central | (5-0) | 86 | 4 |
| 5. East Webster | (4-1) | 55 | 5 |
Others receiving votes: Scott Central 23, Walnut 7, Taylorsville 6.
| Class 1A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Simmons (12) | (4-0) | 120 | 1 |
| 2. Nanih Waiya | (5-0) | 108 | 2 |
| 3. Lumberton | (3-1) | 91 | 3 |
| 4. Smithville | (4-1) | 84 | 4 |
| 5. Noxapater | (3-1) | 62 | 5 |
Others receiving votes: Ray Brooks 8, Resurrection Catholic 7.
| Class Private Schools | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Jackson Prep (12) | (5-0) | 120 | 1 |
| 2. Jackson Aca. | (5-0) | 99 | 2 |
| 3. Parklane Aca. | (6-0) | 91 | 4 |
| 4. Madison-Ridgeland Aca. | (4-1) | 72 | 5 |
| 5. Presbyterian Christian | (4-1) | 37 | 3 |
Others receiving votes: Indianola Aca. 28, Lamar School 13, North Delta 8, Copiah Aca. 6, Oak Forest , La. 6.
| ——— | |
| All Associated Press members in Mississippi are eligible to participate in the high school football poll. Those who voted for this week’s poll are: The Commercial Dispatch, Columbus; Bolivar Commercial, Cleveland; Greene County Herald, Leakesville; The Sun-Herald, Biloxi-Gulfport; The Hattiesburg Post , Hattiesburg; Enterprise-Journal, Mc Comb; The Oxford Eagle, Oxford; Starkville Daily News, Starkville; Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo; The Vicksburg Post, Vicksburg; WCBI-TV, Columbus; WTVA-TV, Tupelo. |
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