No Rapides Parish teams, despite some impressive playoff runs last season, are ranked statewide at the start of this year’s high school football season.
Alexandria Senior High is among those receiving votes but not cracking the top 10 in Class 5A as games kick off this Thursday and Friday.
Area teams Bunkie, Jena, Ferriday and Leesville got mentioned. Bunkie and Jena are both in the top 10 in Class 3A, while Leesville is receiving votes in Class 4A and Ferriday is among the 2A teams getting some votes.
A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel of 12 media members from all regions of the state votes each weekend to rank the top teams in all five LHSAA football classifications.
Here are the preseason poll results:
Class 5A
Team (1st place votes), voting point total
1. Ruston (9) 140
2. Karr (1) 125
3. Acadiana (2) 122
4. Catholic-Baton Rouge 105
5. Destrehan 93
6. Zachary 82
7. John Curtis 72
8. Neville 31
9. Carencro 25
10. St. Augustine 22
Others receiving votes: West Monroe 20, Airline 20, Alexandria 15, Archbishop Rummel 15, Holy Cross 8, Mandeville 8, Central 7, Brother Martin 7, Dutchtown 5, Southside 5, Evangel Christian 4, Terrebonne 1, Walker 1.
Class 4A
Team (1st place votes), voting point total
1. Opelousas (10) 141
2. North DeSoto 119
3. Archbishop Shaw 116
4. St. Thomas More (2) 101
5. Cecilia 95
6. E.D. White 88
7. Westgate 74
8. St. Charles 44
9. Lutcher 42
10. Wossman 37
Others receiving votes: Assumption 27, Teurlings Catholic 20, Franklin Parish 12, Leesville 10, Plaquemine 7, McDonogh 35 2, West Feliciana 1.
Class 3A
Team (1st place votes), voting point total
1. University (12) 144
2. St. James 120
3. Northwest 113
4. Sterlington 104
5. Madison Prep 97
6. Amite 82
7. John F. Kennedy 58
8. Bunkie 54
9. De La Salle 52
10. Jena 40
Others receiving votes: Parkview Baptist 26, Bastrop 22, Lake Charles College Prep 10, Jennings 4, Abbeville 3, Bogalusa 2.
Class 2A
Team (1st place votes), voting point total
1. Calvary Baptist (10) 144
2. Oak Grove (2) 128
3. Lafayette Christian 121
4. Newman 98
5. Union Parish 87
6. Notre Dame 84
7. Dunham 74
8. Ouachita Christian 68
9. Catholic-New Iberia 40
10. Episcopal-Baton Rouge 37
Others receiving votes: Mangham 12, Many 11, Northlake Christian 10, Ferriday 7, Homer 7, Loreauville 7, South Plaquemines 2, Welsh 1.
Class 1A
Team (1st place votes), voting point total
1. Southern Lab (7) 137
2. Vermilion Catholic (3) 127
3. Riverside (2) 120
4. Haynesville 116
5. Kentwood 98
6. Logansport 77
7. St. Martin’s 69
8. Ascension Catholic 60
9. Opelousas Catholic 50
10. White Castle 26
Others receiving votes: Catholic-Pointe Coupee 20, Covenant Christian 18, Central Catholic-Morgan City 15, Jeanerette 2, St. Frederick 1.