SBLive Mississippi Top 25 High School Football Rankings (9/16/24)

Big upsets rocked this week's rankings, with Louisville taking the No. 1 spot for the first time this season

Louisville Wildcats' head coach Tyronne Shorter shouts during the MHSAA 4A football state title game against the Columbia Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. / Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Here are the latest Mississippi high school football rankings from SBLive/SI.

SBLive Mississippi Top 25 High School Football Rankings

1. Louisville Wildcats (3-0)

Louisville Wildcats' head coach Tyrone Shorter shouts during the MHSAA 4A football state title game against the Columbia Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. / Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Last week: No. 3

- The Wildcats escaped West Point with a 15-14 win in Week 1. They’ve since looked utterly dominant in the last two outings, beating Neshoba Central and Columbus by comfortable margins of at least three touchdowns. We’ll know a lot more about “Big” Louisville after Friday night’s showdown with No. 4 Starkville. If you don't think a Class 4A team has a case to be the top team in Mississippi, it's because you haven't seen the Wildcats play.

2. Starkville Yellowjackets (3-0)

Last week: No. 6

It's hard to imagine the two-time defending 7A North champs flying under the radar the first couple of weeks of the season, but that exactly what happened. But when the dust settled on the the first quarter of the season Friday night, the Jackets were one of only two Class 7A contenders left without a loss. Not only that, they now hold wins over two top-25 teams (West Point and Noxubee County). The Jackets' hot start makes this week's showdown with No. 1 Louisville even juicier.

3. Tupelo Golden Wave (3-0)

Last week: No. 5

The Golden Wave did what they had to do to beat Whitehaven (TN) in their opener, and they've have looked utterly dominant against Region 1-7A foes Southaven and Hernando the last two weeks. The lack of solid opponents from Mississippi makes deciding Tupelo's spot in the pecking order extremely difficult. We know they are good, but the final three non-region games on the Golden Wave's schedule (at home against Oxford and Houston before a road trip to West Point) will reveal a lot more about Ty Hardin's squad.

4. West Jones Mustangs (3-0)

West Jones Mustangs' linebacker Brayden Nance (40) tackles Grenada Chargers' cornerback Jekerious Williams (1) during the MHSAA class 6A football state title game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. / Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Last week: No. 4

The Mustangs stayed put in the rankings after a somewhat lackluster 28-21 win over cross-county rival South Jones (2-1). The Braves appear to be much improved, but a one-score win over an opponent from a lower classification that won three games last season does not inspire the kind of confidence the Mustangs' previous 16-straight wins produced. They'll soon have several chances to dispel any uncertainty: the final three non-region games represent a brutal stretch, with home games against Wayne County (1-2) and No. 21 Poplarville (3-0) before a trip to Flowood to face No. 15 Jackson Prep (4-0).

5. Brandon Bulldogs (2-1)

Last week: No. 1

We thought the Bulldogs had turned the corner on defense after a 21-7 win over Madison Central in Week 2, so Friday night's 65-62 loss to Clinton came as a real head-scratcher. While they are clearly a top five offense, plenty of questions remain on the other side of the ball. The silver lining for Brandon is the loss doesn't derail their ultimate goals, and coach Sam Williams is hoping it'll serve as a wake-up call for the previously top-ranked Bulldogs, who host a good Warren Central team this weekend.

6. Hattiesburg Tigers (3-0)

Last week: No. 12

"Happy days are here again" in the Hub City. Maybe more impressive than pulling off the 27-21 victory over then-No. 2 Oak Grove on the road was the way the Tigers did it — they bullied the Warriors for three quarters, stuffing the run and otherwise making life miserable for Oak Grove's splendid sophomore quarterback Kellen Hall. But Hattiesburg is more than just a defense — quarterback Deuce Vance and receiver Tristan Keys are a deadly combination, and the Tigers are officially state championship contenders.

7. Oak Grove Warriors (2-1)

Last week: No. 2

Much like their true rival Brandon, the Warriors got a wake-up call last weekend in the form of a 27-21 loss to the cross-town foe Hattiesburg in a game that wasn't as close as the final score suggests. But just like the Bulldogs, everything is still on the table for Oak Grove. They just need to iron out some rough edges in the defensive secondary and find a way to establish the run against good defenses, and we're not betting against coach Drew Causey and one of the best coaching staffs in Mississippi to do just that.

8. Madison Central Jaguars (2-1)

Madison Central's Jaiden Johnson (3) maneuvers around Warren Central's defense in Madison, Miss., Friday, Sept 22, 2023. / Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Last week: No. 7

The Jaguars looked much better on offense in a 31-21 home win over a ranked Gulfport team that will likely compete for the Region 4 title. The running game continues to be Madison Central's calling card on offense, and the Jags established it against the Admirals with three more touchdowns for tailback Glen Singleton. They can continue their upward trajectory by taking care of business at home against Northwest Rankin (2-1) this weekend before another big test at No. 12 Warren Central (2-1) to close out the September slate.

9. Picayune Maroon Tide (2-1)

Last week: No. 9

A 28-19 win over D'Iberville may not look like much on paper, but that's more than a solid win for the Maroon Tide. The Warriors look like a team that can compete for the Region 4-7A title if they can stay healthy, and Picayune handled them without ever getting out of their comfort zone. The slate doesn't get any easier the next couple of weeks, with a big game at Gulfport (2-1) this weekend before road games at Ocean Springs and Petal on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4.

10. Hartfield Academy Hawks (5-0)

Last week: No. 8

The Hawks dropped two spots this week despite a 71-0 win over Presbyterian Christian. That may seem cruel, but it has a lot more to do with the wins the other teams around them picked up rather than anything the Hawks did or didn't do. We still think Hartfield is one of the best teams in the state, and the Hawks will have opportunities to prove it when they face district foes Madison-Ridgeland Academy and Jackson Prep on Oct. 11 and Oct. 18, respectively.

11. Grenada Chargers (2-1)

Last week: No. 10

How good has this Grenada team looked since a 38-24 loss to Oak Grove in the season opener? They whipped defending 3A champ Winona 49-6, then turned around knocked off 7A foe Oxford 41-22 last Friday. The Chargers' demotion from 11th to 10th in this week is not a reflection of their performance, and they can move right back into the Top 10 if they beat Clinton (2-1) on the road Friday night.

12. Clinton Arrows (2-1)

Last week: Unranked

We don't know what to do with the Arrows. They came into the season under new leadership from first-year Clinton coach John Carr, coming off a 1-9 record a year ago and not even an afterthought for a preseason ranking. Flash forward three weeks, and the Arrows hold two wins over Top 15 teams and one respectable loss against a solidly middle-class 7A foe, Northwest Rankin (2-1). As excited as Clinton fans are — and they should be — big questions remain defense. We're excited to see what happens when No. 11 Grenada rolls into town this weekend.

13. Warren Central Vikings (2-1)

Warren Central Vikings' running back Aden Greer (6) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown against the Germantown Mavericks in Madison, Miss., on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. / Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last week: No. 11

The Class 6A Vikings throttled a 7A opponent for the second week in a row, following up a 21-0 win over Pearl with a 56-23 win over Germantown on the road. Coincidentally, Warren Central's season-opening loss to Clinton suddenly looks much more forgiveable following the Arrows' upset of Brandon. The Vikings will get their own shot at the 'Dogs this weekend on the road.

14. South Panola Tigers (2-1)

Last week: No. 13

The Tigers took care of business against Southaven at home Friday night with a 42-20 win and have now hung 83 combined points on Class 7A opponents the last two weeks. The last two non-region games on the schedule are both good ones, with the Tigers set to travel to Clarksdale (2-1) this weekend before hosting No. 12 Clinton (2-1) on Sept. 27.

15. Jackson Prep Patriots (4-0)

Last week: No. 15

The Patriots' 35-10 win over Jackson Academy felt like a foregone conclusion, but a 25-point romp against a rival is always nice when you can get it. Prep will host a good Parklane Academy (4-1) squad this weekend before a trip to Evangelical Christian (2-1) on Sept. 27, with a big showdown with No. 4 West Jones looming on Oct. 4.

16. West Point Green Wave (1-2)

Last week: No. 19

They were bound to win one of these games. After losing their first two contests against top-five opponents Louisville and Starkville by a combined eight points, the Green Wave got over the hump last Friday with a 20-18 win over No. 20 Noxubee County to give coach Brett Morgan his first victory with his new program. A win on the road at Neshoba Central (1-2) this week would be nice, especially with an off week coming up before an Oct. 4 matchup against Tupelo, another Top 5-caliber opponent.

17. Holmes County Central Jaguars (3-0)

Last week: No. 16

It's equally plausible that Holmes County could be too low or too high in these rankings. The Jags proved they belong in the conversation among the best teams in Class 5A with last week's 50-0 blowout win over Florence, but they haven't played a team in this week's SBLive Mississippi Top 25 rankings and only have one such game left on the schedule (at No. 23 Cleveland Central, Nov. 4). Again — we know they are good, we just won't know how good until then.

18. Madison-Ridgeland Academy Patriots (4-1)

Last week: No. 20

A 48-13 win over St. Joe-Madison isn't going to turn many heads, but the Patriots showed just how deep they are in Friday night's romp. Five different MRA players scored offensive touchdowns in the first half alone. They'll probably need a similar offensive outburst to hang with Oak Grove (2-1) when the seventh-ranked Warriors roll into Madison this weekend.

19. Gulfport Admirals (2-1)

Last week: No. 18

It looks like most of the best teams in Class 7A again reside in Regions 2 and 3. But the Admirals' 31-21 road loss to No. 8 Madison Central Friday night was a very respectable result for a Gulfport team that still plans to compete for the Region 4 title. We'll find out where the Admirals rank among the coast's best teams this week, when they travel to Picayune to face another Top 10 foe.

20. Noxubee County Tigers (1-2)

Noxubee County Tigers quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) greets the Starkville high captains before the two teams kicked off the 2024 MHSAA football season on Friday, Aug. 30 in Macon, Miss. / Austin Frayser

Last week: No. 17

It's not time to pull any fire alarms in Macon. The Tigers are going to be just fine, despite Friday's 20-18 loss to West Point dropping them to 1-2 through the first quarter of the season. It was their second loss to a Top-25 opponent from a higher classification (no shame in that), and the Tigers beat Philadelphia like a drum 39-7 in their only other game. They've got Shannon (1-1) at home this weekend before a road trip to No. 1 Louisville on Sept. 27.

21. Poplarville Hornets (3-0)

Last week: No. 23

As we said in our Friday night Top 25 roundup, the Hornets aren't earning many style points in these first three weeks. They've now defeated Jeff Davis County, Stone and Newton County by a combined 10 points, including their 34-31 win over the Cougars last week. But wins are wins, and the Hornets have a chance to run their streak to four at home against Pearl River Central this week, which would set up a big showdown with West Jones in Soso on Sept. 27.

22. Cleveland Central Wolves (3-0)

Last week: Unranked

Cleveland Central makes its Top 25 debut this week after a convincing 40-14 win over Amanda Elzy. The Wolves have been on our radar since they beat Clarkdsale 42-0 in Week 1. We know quarterback Jay Beamon can absolutely cook, but the Wolves are sort of in that category with 17th-ranked Holmes County Central in that they haven't played another Top 25 team.

23. Oxford Chargers (1-2)

Last week: No. 14

It's been a tough road to hoe for the Chargers through the first three weeks. That 45-0 season-opening win over Lafayette feels like a distant memory after back-to-back losses to South Panola and Grenada, and the road doesn't get any easier the next two weeks with matchups against No. 4 Tupelo and No. 2 Starkville. We still think the Chargers are probably the best team in Region 1-7A, but they could easily be 1-4 when they open district play against Horn lake on Oct. 11.

24. Germantown Mavericks (2-1)

Germantown Mavericks' wide receiver KeyShaun Coleman (13) runs the ball during the game against the Warren Central Vikings in Madison, Miss., on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. / Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last week: Unranked

The Mavericks jump into the rankings for the first time this year despite their first loss of the season to Warren Central last week. The Vikings are a bonafide Top 15 team, so the 56-23 loss doesn’t look as bad, and the Mavs’ 46-21 win over Northwest Rankin in Week 1 looks even more impressive considering the Cougars bounced back with wins over Clinton and Ocean Springs.

25. Northwest Rankin Cougars (2-1)

Northwest Rankin's running back Dylan Lewis (2) runs the ball in Flowood, Miss., on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. / Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Last week: Unranked

As humbling as that 25-point loss to Germantown was in Week 1, the Cougars have showed undeniable grit in back-to-back wins over suddenly-relevant Clinton and then-ranked Ocean Springs. The 29-28 road win over the Greyhounds Friday night proves the Cougars belong — at least for the moment — in the upper half of any list of 7A South teams.

Dropped out: George County (2-1), Ocean Springs (0-3), D'Iberville (2-1), Charleston (2-1).