After three weeks of play, most local teams continue to make strides in the Missouri Media football rankings, including a handful of climbers.

Once again at the top, St. Vincent continues to receive three first-place votes this week, maintaining that 3-point deficit against Marionville at the top of Class 1.

The Indians narrowly defeated rival Perryville, winning 25-19 in a wild and wet Friday night clash that truly tested what could be a major contender in Class 1.

The battle for first with the Comets wages on, while the Indians are comfortably 12 points clear of third-ranked Adrian.

Dexter holds strong at No. 6 in Class 3 after a monstrous 40-0 victory of New Madrid County Central (that was the halftime score too), among the best in the class and continuing to climb.

The Bearcats face East Prairie in Week 4 before taking on the Class 3 No. 5 Southern Boone Eagles in Week 5, an excellent measuring stick of how the Bearcats could fare in this year’s postseason.

Class 5 brings Cape Central an excellent ranking, placing eighth among a tough field that continues, and will continue, to include district foe Cardinal Ritter at the No. 1 spot barring a ridiculous result.

Class 2 Caruthersville drops a spot, from eight to nine, while Portageville continues to receive votes with four points. These two will battle for conference, district and the rankings this fall.

Jackson fails to receive votes after its Week 3 loss to Edwardsville, having battled for respect in the rankings for the past two weeks but now officially dropping off the ballots.

Regionally, Valle Catholic and Hillsboro each climbed a spot, with the Warriors rising from No. 5 to No. 4 now two weeks removed from their loss to the St. Vincent Indians while Hillsboro crushed Washington in Week 3.

Park Hills Central narrowly escaped Frericktown in a 42-34, double-overtime victory last Thursday, good enough to spot the Rebels at No. 4 in Class 3, two spots in front of district rival Dexter.

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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.

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CLASS 6

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Rockhurst (5), 3-0, 83, 1

2. De Smet (2), 3-0, 74, 2

3. Lee’s Summit North (1), 3-0, 71, 3

4. Nixa (1), 3-0, 65, 5

5. CBC, 2-1, 62, 4

6. Liberty North, 2-1, 44, 6

7. Liberty, 2-1, 38, 8

8. Blue Springs South, 2-1, 24, 10

T9. Lee’s Summit, 2-1, 11, 7

T9. Seckman, 3-0, 11, NR

Dropped out: No. 9 Joplin

Also receiving votes: Joplin (2-1), 5; Columbia Rock Bridge (2-1), 3; Kirkwood (2-1), 2; Park Hill (2-1), 2

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CLASS 5

Rank, team, Rec., Pts.

1. Cardinal Ritter (9), 3-0, 90, 1

2. Platte County, 3-0, 79, 3

3. Jefferson City Helias, 3-0, 68, 3

4. Carthage, 3-0, 64, 4

5. St. Pius X, 2-1, 54, 5

6. Capital City, 3-0, 38, 7

7. Eureka, 3-0, 34, 8

8. Cape Central, 3-0, 26, 9

9. Branson, 3-0, 13, 10

10. Hazelwood East, 3-0, 9, NR

Dropped out: No. 6 Webb City

Also receiving votes: Grain Valley (2-1) 6; Webb City (1-2), 5; Camdenton (2-1), 4; Fort Osage (1-2), 3; Republic (2-1), 2

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CLASS 4

Rank, team, Rec., Pts.

1. Lutheran North (7), 2-1 88, 1

2. Kearney (2), 3-0, 83, 2

3. Smithville, 2-1, 68, 3

4. Hannibal, 1-2, 61, 4

5. Warrensburg, 3-0, 54, 5

6. Kirksville, 3-0, 45, 6

7. Warrenton, 3-0, 26, NR

8. Nevada, 2-1, 21, 7

9. Hillsboro, 1-2, 15, 10

10. Savannah, 1-2, 10, 9

Dropped out: No. 8 Pleasant Hill

Also receiving votes: School of the Osage (2-1), 7; Carl Junction (2-1), 5; Parkway North (2-1), 5; Pleasant Hill (1-2), 5; Ft. Zumwalt South (3-0), 1; West Plains (2-1), 1

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CLASS 3

Rank, team, Rec., Pts.

1. Blair Oaks (5), 2-1, 86, 1

2. Seneca (4), 3-0, 85, 2

3. Maryville, 2-1, 68, 3

4. Park Hills Central, 3-0, 56, T4

5. Southern Boone, 3-0, 54, T4

6. Dexter, 3-0, 42, 6

T7. Mt. Vernon, 2-1, 34, 7

T7. St. Francis Borgia, 3-0, 34, 9

9. Strafford, 3-0, 16, NR

10. Lift for Life, 1-2, 13, 8

Dropped out: No. 10 Chillicothe

Also receiving votes: Forsyth (2-1), 5; Knob Noster (2-1), 1; Oak Grove (2-1), 1

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CLASS 2

Rank, team, Rec., Pts.

1. Lamar (9), 3-0, 90, 1

2. Fair Grove, 3-0, 77, 2

3. Bowling Green, 3-0, 68, 3

4. Valle Catholic, 2-1, 58, 5

5. Ava, 3-0, 53, 6

6. Warsaw, 3-0, 44, 9

7. South Shelby, 3-0, 32, 7

8. Lafayette County, 2-1, 30, 4

9. Caruthersville, 3-0, 23, 8

10. Mid Buchanan, 3-0, 11, NR

Dropped out: No. 10 East Buchanan

Also receiving votes: East Buchanan (2-1), 5; Portageville (3-0), 4

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CLASS 1

Rank, team, Rec., Pts.

1. Marionville (6), 3-0, 87, 1

2. St. Vincent (3), 3-0, 84, 2

3. Adrian, 2-1, 72, 3

4. Windsor, 3-0, 50, 6

T5. Marceline, 2-1, 47, 5

T5. Milan, 2-1, 47, 7

T5. Tipton, 2-1, 47, 4

8. Van-Far, 3-0, 30, 8

9. Salisbury, 3-0, 18, 10

10. Scotland County, 3-0, 11, NR

Dropped out: No. 9 Ash Grove

Also receiving votes: Ash Grove (2-1), 1; Pierce City (2-1), 1