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Missouri Media Rankings, Dec. 9: Final rankings released, five local teams represented
Its the end of a spectacular season for many local squads, including a handful that made some runs into the state playoffs as district champions.
In the final Missouri Media Rankings of the 2024 season, St. Vincent finished the highest among Semoball teams with a No. 3 position in Class 1 following its semifinal exit to eventual state champion Adrian on the road.
The Indians finished their season at 12-1, peaking at the No. 1 position for the final few weeks of the regular season and ranking among the top threats to the state title, falling short 21-0 in the semifinals.
Dexter maintains the second-highest finish, tied for seventh place in the Class 3 field with Strafford after a run to the quarterfinals and an impressive district championship victory against Ste. Genevieve.
Losing to the Hawks, who made a valiant semifinal effort, the Bearcats end their season in the top 8 of Class 3, both rankings-wise and in their quarterfinal finish after peaking at the No. 3 position earlier this season.
After an undefeated regular season, the Bearcats finished the year at 11-1 overall with just a single playoff loss after a long season spent ranking among the areas, and states, best.
Cape Central is the only other southeastern team to be ranked in the final poll, ranking No. 9 in Class 5 after a district final exit to Cardinal Ritter, who spent each week of the regular season ranked No. 1.
The Lions dropped their quarterfinal against Lafayette, with then-No. 2 Platte County stepping up and claiming the state championship over Helias.
The Tigers peaked at the No. 6 position in Class 5, and spent many weeks at the No. 8 position after suffering their lone loss of the regular season to Jackson before finishing the season in ninth.
Other area squads to receive votes include Jackson and Caruthersville, with the Indians claiming a district championship while the Tigers lost to highly-ranked Valle Catholic in the district championship game.
Jackson fell just one vote shy of being ranked in Class 6, narrowly dropping its quarterfinal against the Kirkwood Pioneers while Caruthersville received enough votes to place 12th in Class 2 after spending much of the regular season in ranking status.
Locally, but outside the Semoball area, Valle Catholic finishes in the No. 6 position in Class 2 following a revenge victory from Bowling Green in a matchup that the Warriors claimed in the regular season by a wide margin.
Festus, who dashed the Perryville Pirates state dreams in the district finals, placed No. 3 in Class 4 with a state runner-up finish with a hefty loss to Lutheran North this past weekend in Columbia.
Ste. Genevieve and Crystal City, who dueled with Dexter and St. Vincent in the district championships respectively, finished with a few votes each to place on the final state ranking.
Statewide high school football rankings, as compiled by a 9-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. First-place votes in parenthesis. Panel is made up of Dion Clisso, PrepsKC; Cole Young, PrepsKC; Tom Rackers, Jefferson City News-Tribune; Chris Parker, Ozone Sports; Joe Andrews, Warrensburg Star-Journal; Anthony Crane, KQ2 St. Joseph; J.B. Connoley, NEMOPressbox.com; Cole Lee, semoball.com; Paul Halfacre, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
First-place votes in parenthesis.
CLASS 6
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LR
1. De Smet (9), 12-2, 90, 5
2. Nixa, 13-1, 81, T2
3. Lees Summit North, 10-1, 66, T2
4. Liberty, 9-4, 57, NR
5. Kirkwood, 9-3, 46, NR
6. CBC, 9-2, 41, 1
7. Lees Summit, 8-3, 27, 7
8. Columbia Rock Bridge, 10-2, 26, 8
9. Blue Springs South, 8-3, 22, 4
10. Park Hill, 9-3, 12, 9
Dropped out: No. 6 Seckman, No. 10 Troy Buchanan
Also receiving votes: Jackson (9-3), 11; Seckman (10-1), 9; Liberty North (6-4), 3; Troy Buchanan (10-1), 2; Joplin (7-4), 1; Rockhurst (6-4), 1
CLASS 5
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LR
1. Platte County (9), 14-0, 90, 2
2. Jefferson City Helias, 12-2, 75, 4
3. Lafayette, 12-2, 70, NR
4. Cardinal Ritter, 9-2, 61, 1
5. MICDS, 11-3, 49 NR
6. St. Pius X, 10-2, 45, 3
7. Republic, 10-3, 31, NR
8. Webb City, 6-7, 18, NR
9. Cape Central, 10-2, 14, 8
10. Carthage, 9-2, 12, 6
Dropped out: No. 5 Eureka, No. 7 Branson, No. 9 Ft. Zumwalt North, No. 10 Hazelwood East
Also receiving votes: Hazelwood East (9-2), 7; Branson (10-1), 6; Eureka (9-1), 6; Ft. Zumwalt West (7-6), 6; Ft. Zumwalt North (9-1), 3; Fort Osage (7-4), 1; Lebanon (7-5), 1
CLASS 4
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LR
1. Lutheran North (9), 13-1, 90, 1
2. Kearney, 12-1, 80, 2
3. Festus, 11-3, 64, NR
4. Warrenton, 12-1, 55, 6
5. Parkway North, 9-3, 47, NR
6. Warrensburg, 11-2, 44, 7
7. Savannah, 8-4, 27, 10
8. Pleasant Hill, 8-3, 21, 8
9. West Plains, 8-4, 15, NR
10. Kirksville, 9-1, 14, 3
Dropped out: No. 4 Smithville, No. 5 Hannibal, No. 9 Nevada
Also receiving votes: Hannibal (8-4), 13; Smithville (8-3), 12; Nevada (8-3), 7; Gateway (11-1), 4; Orchard Farm (10-2), 2
CLASS 3
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LR
1. Blair Oaks (9), 13-1, 90, 1
2. Seneca, 13-1, 81, 2
3. Lift for Life, 8-6, 61, NR
4. Maryville, 9-5, 58, 9
5. Mt. Vernon, 9-4, 52, 7
6. Odessa, 7-5, 33, NR
T7. Dexter, 11-1, 30, 3
T7. Strafford, 9-2, 30, 5
9. John Burroughs, 9-3, 23, 8
10. St. Francis Borgia, 9-1, 16, 4
Dropped out: No. 6 Boonville, No. 10 Mountain Grove
Also receiving votes: Boonville (9-3), 9; Cameron (5-7), 8; Oak Grove (7-5), 2; Hallsville (5-8), 1; Ste. Genevieve (7-5), 1
CLASS 2
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LR
1. Lamar (9), 11-4, 90, NR
2. Fair Grove, 14-1, 81, 1
3. Bowling Green, 12-2, 71, 4
4. Warsaw, 10-1, 51, 3
5. Lafayette County, 10-2, 48, 5
6. Valle Catholic, 10-2, 47, 2
7. South Shelby, 11-2, 38, NR
T8. Mid Buchanan, 12-1, 26, 6
T8. Pembroke Hill, 11-1, 26, T9
10. Hermann, 8-3, 4, NR
Dropped out: No. 7 Caruthersville, No. 8 Brookfield, No. T9 Mountain View-Liberty
Also receiving votes: Brookfield (10-1), 3; Caruthersville (10-2), 3; Monroe City (8-4), 3; Mountain View-Liberty (9-3), 3; Centralia (7-4), 1
CLASS 1
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LR
1. Adrian (9), 13-1, 90, 3
2. Marionville, 11-1, 72, 2
T3. Penney, 9-5, 68, NR
T3. St. Vincent, 12-1, 68, 1
5. Tipton, 11-2, 55, 4
6. Ash Grove, 8-3, 40, 5
7. Van-Far, 8-3, 26, 7
8. Salisbury, 8-3, 17, 10
9. Harrisburg, 7-5, 16, NR
10. Pierce City, 7-4, 12, NR
Dropped out: No. 6 Windsor, No. 8 Westran, No. 9 Milan
Also receiving votes: North Platte (3-9), 11; Windsor (7-3), 7; Crystal City (6-6), 4; Westran (8-3), 4; West Platte (5-6), 3; Cass Midway (5-5), 1; Putnam County (6-5), 1