Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams - September 23
The Mississippi high school football rankings have seen a massive shakeup after a slew of upsets in week four.
Louisville knocked off top-ranked Starkville, Madison-Ridgeland Academy beat No. 5 Oak Grove and Grenada hammered No. 9 Clinton in an exciting slate of games over the weekend.
Below is the updated Mississippi On3 Massey Ratings top 25, as of Sept. 23.
The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.
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1. Madison Central
Previous Ranking: No. 3 (+2)
Madison Central knocked off a ranked Northwest Rankin last week by a 28-3 score to improve to 3-1 on the season. It has been tough matchup after tough matchup for the Jaguars this year. They entered the season with the state’s projected No. 2 strength of schedule and rose to No. 1 after beating Ocean Springs in week one. Central then fell slightly after losing to Brandon but is back to the top in Mississippi. The Jags will play at No. 14 Warren Central this Friday.
2. Brandon
Previous Ranking: No. 3
Brandon just barely escaped Warren Central itself last week, the ‘Dawgs coming out ahead 29-28. This nailbiter comes one week after Brandon fell to Clinton 65-62 a week prior. Four-star junior cornerback Preston Ashley is the No. 6 junior in the state, per the On3 Industry Ranking, and leads the No. 16 defense in the Magnolia State. Another tough game is on deck for Brandon as it travels to No. 12 Gulfport this week.
3. Tupelo
Previous Ranking: No. 4 (+1)
Tupelo remained perfect on the year with a 34-10 win over Oxford. That game against the Chargers kicked off a tough string of games for the Golden Wave. Houston (Tenn.), No. 17 West Point, No. 1 Madison Central, No. 10 Germantown, No. 16 Clinton and No. 5 Starkville are all waiting in the wings the rest of the way.
4. Louisville
Previous Ranking: No. 6 (+2)
Louisville is 4-0 after sneaking past then-No. 1 Starkville in a 42-41 home thriller. The Wildcats also have a win over No. 17 West Point, making an argument for the best resume in Mississippi thus far. Louisville made history last season by going a perfect 15-0, winning its 12th state championship, tying a state record for the most titles of any school. It will look to continue its title defense this week against Noxubee County.
5. Starkville
Previous Ranking: No. 1 (-4)
Almost immediately after rising to No. 1 in the state, Starkville lost a heartbreaker over the weekend to Louisville by a 42-41 score. The Yellowjackets lost in the state title to Oak Grove last season and are working to get back for another shot at the crown. They will play Oxford this week, which sits just outside of the Mississippi top 25.
6. Grenada
Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+2)
Grenada hammered Clinton 55-22 in a battle of top-10 squads last week, thus moving the Chargers up to No. 6. Grenada has the No. 9 offense and No. 5 defense in the state of Mississippi, and it will put those rankings to the test again this week against Bartlett (Tenn.).
7. Madison-Ridgeland Academy
Previous Ranking: No. 15 (+8)
Madison-Ridgeland bounced back in a big way this week. After the Patriots lost to Pulaski Academy (Ark.), they came out firing against St. Joseph Catholic. That momentum transferred over to this past weekend when Madison-Ridgeland knocked off then-No. 5 Oak Grove by a shocking 51-13 margin. The Pats are now 5-1 on the season and sport the state’s No. 2 offense heading into the bye week.
8. Hartfield Academy
Previous Ranking: No. 10 (+2)
Hartfield Academy is still undefeated after a 58-7 win over Starkville Academy. The Hawks have now won their past four games by a combined 227-7 margin. They will look to continue that run on Oct. 4 against Oak Forest Academy. Junior safety Bralan Womack is a top-30 player in the nation, while defensive linemen London Simmons and Reginald Vaughn are committed to Alabama and Arkansas, respectively.
9. Hattiesburg
Previous Ranking: No. 7 (-2)
Hattiesburg is also still undefeated on the season following a tight 12-7 win over Biloxi. That low-scoring affair backed up the top-10 ranking Hattiesburg’s defense has in the state of Mississippi. Hattiesburg is led by top-50 junior wide receiver Tristen Keys and Arkansas defensive line commit Kevin Oatis. On deck for the Tigers is Sumrall.
10. Jackson Prep
Previous Ranking: No. 14 (+4)
Jackson Prep moved on up in the rankings with a 5-0 record and most recently, a 48-12 win over Parklane Academy. The Patriots rank No. 12 on offense and No. 9 on defense with the likes of Baylor offensive tackle commit Matthew Parker and Duke offensive line commit Cole Allen holding down the trenches. Next up is Evangelical Christian on the road.
Teams 11-25 in latest Mississippi High School Football Rankings
11. Oak Grove (-6)
12. Gulfport (+6)
13. West Jones (-2)
14. Warren Central (-2)
15. South Panola (+2)
16. Clinton (-7)
17. West Point (+2)
18. Northwest Rankin (-2)
19. Germantown (+1)
20. Picayune Memorial (-7)
21. Ocean Springs (+1)
22. Petal (-1)
23. Brookhaven (+1)
24. DeSoto Central (+1)
25. Pearl (NR)
Dropped from rankings: D’Iberville