The Stanberry Bulldogs, receiving two of a possible eight first-place votes and 71 total points, lead a very-balanced top 10 in the first eight-man high school football media poll for the 2021 season.
Stanberry is coming off a 10-2 season in 2020, and opens the 2021 season this Friday night at Appleton City in a non-conference battle. The team expected to be among the most improved hails from King City, where the Wildkats, coming off of a 5-6 campaign a year ago, received a poll high three first-place votes and 65 total points, good for the #2 position behind Stanberry. Drexel, with 58 points, is ranked third, followed by North Shelby in fourth place with 43 points and Orrick, with one first-place vote and 42 points, in the fifth position. Drexel will host Concordia, while Orrick hosts St. Paul Lutheran in the season openers, while North Shelby, returning to 11-man action for one week, travels to Maysville this Friday night.
The North Andrew Cardinals, a recent powerhouse in the eight-man ranks, are coming off of a 13-1 season, and check in with one first-place vote, 41 points, and the #6 position. In the marquee game in the Grand River Conference for the season’s opening week, North Andrew travels to King City for a matchup at Roger Wehrle Field.
East Atchison, opening at Southwest Livingston, is ranked #6, with the Wildcats, based out of Ludlow, Missouri, ranked tenth. Southwest Livingston does have one first-place vote. Worth County, opening at South Holt, is ranked 8th, with Archie, playing at Liberal for Week 1, opening at #9.
