A dominant second-half performance against once-beaten Gallatin on Friday night has moved the 7-0 Princeton Tigers from #10 to #9 in this week’s Missouri Sportscasters and Sportswriters high school football poll, with the first loss of the season suffered by Valle Catholic knocking the Warriors down to #3, highlighting this week’s Class 1 rankings.
Moving from out of the poll to the 10th position is 7-0 Sarcoxie, while the Princeton Tigers move to #9, with 29 points in the weekly poll. The Fayette Falcons, widely viewed at Marceline’s greatest challenge to gaining the Lewis and Clark Conference championship, are 5-1 and ranked #8. Fayette did not play last week after their game with Harrisburg was canceled, the result of Friday’s fatal crash that claimed the life of a Harrisburg teacher and coach.
Penney High of Hamilton, the defending state champions, remain 4th in the poll with 104 points. The Hornets are a potential district opponent for Princeton, with the Tigers and Penney wrestling in the points system for the top spot in District 8, with two weeks remaining in the regular season. With Valle Catholic now ranked third (with two first place votes), Marceline slides up to #2 (with 1 first place vote), while the defending state runner-up Monroe City Panthers, sitting at 7-0 and tied with Centralia on top of the Clarence Cannon Conference, receiving 12 first place votes, 147 points, and the new #1 ranking in Missouri.
Lamar remains top-ranked in Class 2, although non unanimously, as #2 ranked Trinity does have two first-place votes. Unbeaten Lexington and Lafayette County (Higginsville) remain on a collision course for a head-to-head tussle for the Missouri River Valley Conference East title, with the Minutemen ranked 5th and the Huskers 9th this week.
Last week’s loss at Smithville has dropped the Maryville Spoofhounds to #8 in Class 3, with Chillicothe up a spot to #5. The Hornets face a stern test this Friday, traveling to Smithville to take on the unbeaten and MEC-leading Warriors, ranked #8 in Class 4.
Here is the Missouri “media” poll for Week #8 of the 2017 season.
Statewide high school football rankings, as compiled by a 15-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. First-place votes in parenthesis. Panel is made up of Dion Clisso, PrepsKC; Sam McDowell, The Kansas City Star; Dave Kvidahl, STLHighschoolsports.com; Jim Powers, High School Sports Caravan; Cameron Teague, The Columbia Tribune; Tom Rackers, Jefferson City News-Tribune; Mike Scott, Ozone Sports; Harrison Keegan, The Springfield News-Leader; Tim Leible, The Rolla Daily News; Thomas Huitt-Johnson, The St. Joseph News-Press; J.B. Connoley, KRES radio; Chris Pobst, Sikeston Standard-Democrat; Matt King, The Daily Journal; Jason Peake, The Joplin Globe; Josh Mlot, Southeast Missourian.
First-place votes in parenthesis.
CLASS 6
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. CBC (14), 6-1, 148, 1
2. Eureka (1), 7-0, 133, 2
3. Blue Springs, 5-2, 117, 3
4. Lees Summit West, 6-1, 106, 4
5. Kirkwood, 5-1, 88, 5
6. Park Hill, 5-2, 75, 6
7. Lindbergh, 7-0, 59, 7
8. Rockhurst, 5-2, 38, 8
9. Hazelwood Central, 6-1, 28, 9
10. Rock Bridge, 6-1, 24, 10
Also receiving votes: Ritenour (6-1), 6; Francis Howell (5-2), 3
CLASS 5
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Vianney (15), 7-0, 150, 1
2. Staley, 7-0, 130, 2
3. Fort Zumwalt North, 7-0, 125, 3
4. Battle, 5-2, 96, 5
5. Liberty, 6-1, 92, 6
6. Fort Osage, 5-2, 81, 4
7. Poplar Bluff, 7-0, 48, 9
8. Pattonville, 3-3, 47, 7
9. Sedalia Smith-Cotton, 7-0, 30, 10
10. Webster Groves, 3-2, 21, 8
Also receiving votes: Carthage (4-3), 3; Chaminade (3-3), 1; William Chrisman (5-2), 1
CLASS 4
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Webb City (15), 7-0, 150, 1
2. Carl Junction, 6-1, 131, 2
3. Kearney, 6-1, 120, 3
4. Platte County, 6-1, 109, 4
5. Parkway Central, 6-1, 78, 5
6. Ladue, 5-2, 71, 6
7. Parkway North, 4-3, 51, 7
8. Smithville, 7-0, 41, 9
9. Camdenton, 6-1, 37, 8
10. St. Francis Borgia, 7-0, 21, 10
Also receiving votes: MICDS (5-2), 12; St. Marys (6-1), 3; Hannibal (4-3), 1
CLASS 3
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. McCluer South-Berkeley (14), 5-0, 149, 1
2. Blair Oaks (1), 7-0, 135, 2
3. Park Hills Central, 7-0, 121, 3
4. Seneca, 7-0, 98, 4
5. Chillicothe, 6-1, 85, 6
6. Center, 6-1, 76, 7
7. Eldon, 6-1, 60, 9
8. Maryville, 5-2, 40, 5
9. Hogan Prep Academy, 7-0, 36, 10
10. Springfield Catholic, 6-1, 17, NR
Dropped out: No. 8 Mt. Vernon
Also receiving votes: Mexico (5-2), 7; Mt. Vernon (5-2), 1
CLASS 2
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Lamar (13), 6-0, 148, 1
2. Trinity (2), 6-0, 137, 2
3. Lutheran North, 7-0, 119, 3
4. Ava, 7-0, 105, 4
5. Lexington, 7-0, 83, 5
6. Cardinal Ritter, 6-1, 68, 7
7. North Callaway, 6-1, 60, 8
8. Palmyra, 6-1, 32, NR
9. Lafayette County, 7-0, 31, 10
10. South Callaway, 6-1, 30, 9
Dropped out: No. No. 6 Centralia
Also receiving votes: Brentwood (5-1), 4; Malden (6-1), 4; Lathrop (6-1), 3; Centralia (5-2), 1
CLASS 1
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Monroe City (12), 7-0, 147, 2
2. Marceline (1), 7-0, 131, 3
3. Valle Catholic (2), 6-1, 119, 1
4. Hamilton-Penney, 6-1, 104, 4
5. Lincoln, 7-0, 91, 5
6. Pierce City, 7-0, 78, 6
7. Hayti, 6-1, 63, 7
8. Fayette, 5-1, 42, 9
9. Princeton, 7-0, 29, 10
10. Sarcoxie, 7-0, 13, NR
Dropped out: No. 8 Thayer
Also receiving votes: Thayer (5-2), 6; Westran (6-1), 2
