There wasn't a ton of movement in the power rankings this week, but there was certainly enough to keep things interesting. Among the games was a one-point thriller between Oxford and Hernando.
Can't Touch This
Picayune's 42 - 35 win over Gautier last week had a lot to do with the leadership of senior Jortin Raine. Raine earned four touchdowns and 310 yards rushing the ball. That performance landed Raine among the top power-ranked players for the week.
This Week's Big Showdown
One of last week's main attractions was the confrontation between Northwest Rankin and Madison Central, 3rd and 7th in the power rankings, respectively. Northwest Rankin finished ahead of Madison Central by a score of 32 - 28. Senior Jamari Jones was a big part of the win as his strong performance led the charge (he tossed the ball for 315 yards and four TDs).
Movin on Up
Poplarville managed to bank 171 more yards than its opponent Lawrence County last week, and going the extra distance paid off. Poplarville took its contest against Lawrence County by a conclusive 48 - 14 score. Junior Chase Shears deserves a lot of the credit as he ran for 192 yards and also punched in three touchdowns. Poplarville's success was rewarded with a six-spot boost in the power rankings, the biggest improvement of any team.
Next Week's Big Game
The big showdown in the power rankings this week is between Clinton (13th in the power rankings) and Starkville (2nd). The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games. Given their high-scoring efforts against their previous opponents, we'll see how far they can run the score up this week.
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