Defending state champion Hornets start 2017 ranked #1 in Class 1

The Penney High School Hornets are ready to defend their state title, won nearly nine months ago on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield.  However, as the 2017 high school football season approaches, plenty of contenders to Hamilton’s perch atop Class 1 appear ready to challenge the champs, including KCI Conference contenders Lawson and Lathrop, Lewis and Clark pre-season favorite Marceline, traditional state power Valle Catholic, and the team that the Hornets beat in November’s title tilt, Monroe City.

In the preseason Missouri high school football media poll, released on Wednesday morning, Hamilton has 13 of the possible 15 first-place votes in Class 1, receiving 146 points and the top slot in the state.  Monroe City and Valle Catholic, the 2015 state champion dethroned in last year’s state semifinal by the Hornets, are tied for second, with Marceline fourth.

Other highlights to the first poll of the season are the Westran Hornets, expected to be a strong challenger to Marceline in the Lewis and Clark, ranked 7th, while Plattsburg, looking for a coming-out season in the KCI, “receiving votes”, along with South Shelby, a good Clarence Cannon squad hosting Brookfield in Friday night’s Bulldog head coaching debut of former Trenton High School assistant Scott Stevens.

Here is the complete list for Wednesday, August 16, 2017: (first place votes in parenthesis, local teams in bold):

CLASS 6
Rank, team, 2016 Rec., Pts.
1. Blue Springs (15) 12-2, 150
2. CBC, 11-2, 134
3. Rockhurst, 9-3, 114
4. Kirkwood, 13-1, 111
5. Park Hill, 6-4, 81
6. Eureka, 10-2, 77
7. Hazelwood Central, 11-1, 61
8. Raymore-Peculiar, 6-5, 44
9. Blue Springs South, 4-6, 18
10. Francis Howell, 9-3, 17
Also receiving votes: Jefferson City (6-5) 10; Springfield Kickapoo (9-2), 5; Lee’s Summit West, 9-3, 3

CLASS 5
Rank, team, 2016 Rec., Pts.
1. Vianney (15), 9-5, 150
2. Fort Zumwalt North, 12-2, 128
3. Staley, 10-3, 124
4. Battle, 12-1, 106
5. Liberty, 7-4, 81
6. Chaminade, 8-3, 65
7. Carthage, 10-2, 59
8. Glendale, 11-1, 40
9. Fort Osage, 5-6, 28
10. Park Hill South, 10-2, 15
Also receiving votes: Ozark (8-3), 12; William Chrisman (8-2) 7; Jackson (8-3), 5; Lebanon (7-4), 3; Liberty North (4-7), 2

CLASS 4
Rank, team, 2016 Rec., Pts.
1. Webb City (10), 9-4, 136
2. Ladue (2), 12-2, 117
3. Parkway North, 11-3, 113
4. Carl Junction, 9-3, 108
5. Kearney (2), 14-1, 98
6. Hannibal, 10-3, 66
7. Harrisonville (1), 12-3, 64
8. MICDS, 9-3, 53
9. Camdenton, 6-4, 29
10. Raytown South, 6-5, 17
Also receiving votes: Parkway Central (9-3), 10; Jefferson City Helias (7-5), 6; Platte County (8-4), 6; Grain Valley (8-4), 2

CLASS 3
Rank, team, 2016 Rec., Pts.
1. McCluer South-Berkley (8), 12-1, 133
2. Maryville (6), 14-1, 123
3. Miller Career, 10-3, 113
4. Blair Oaks, 11-1, 94
5. Center, 13-1, 87
6. Owensville, 12-1, 84
7. Park Hills Central, 11-2, 51
8. Reeds Spring, 8-3, 41
9. Monett (1), 14-1, 22
T10. Orchard Farm, 8-3, 20
T10. Southern Boone, 9-3, 20
Also receiving votes: St. Charles West (7-5), 16; Osage (9-2), 13; Eldon (7-5), 5; Oak Grove (5-6), 2; Cassville (8-3), 1

CLASS 2
Rank, team, 2016 Rec., Pts.
1. Lamar (14), 14-0, 149
2. Trinity (1), 12-1, 135
3. Mountain Grove, 10-2, 110
4. Lutheran North, 9-3, 102
5. Ava, 8-3, 72
6. Centralia, 9-4, 66
7. Mtn. View-Liberty, 12-1, 64
8. South Callaway, 10-1, 59
9. Cardinal Ritter, 5-5, 28
10. Brentwood, 11-2, 16
Also receiving votes: Lawson (11-3), 9; Malden (11-1), 7; Macon (11-1), 4; Lexington (10-2), 2; Strafford (3-7), 2

CLASS 1
Rank, team, 2016 Rec., Pts., LW
1. Hamilton-Penney (13), 15-0, 146+
T2. Monroe City (2), 11-4, 125
T2. Valle Catholic, 11-2, 125
4. Marceline, 12-1, 108
5. Thayer, 7-6, 90
6. Lincoln, 13-1, 72
7. Westran, 8-4, 47
8. Cass-Midway, 11-2, 43
9. Pierce City, 5-4, 32
10. Lockwood, 9-3, 14
Also receiving votes: Hayti (10-2), 10; Wellington-Napoleon (10-2), 10; Plattsburg (6-7), 2; South Shelby (6-5), 1