The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association poll, the first of the regular season, was released on Tuesday, with the Trenton Lady Bulldogs moving into the Class 3 top 10, tied with Principia at #10. Â Trenton, at 5-0, is facing its toughest opponent of the season to date, as nemesis Chillicothe, a newcomer into Class 4 this year, sits at #5 in the latest poll in Missouri’s next-to-largest class.
Trenton and Chillicothe will play at 6 o’clock inside the gymnasium at CHS on Friday night, with coverage on KGOZ-TV (YouTube.com/KTTNRadio) starting at 5:50. Â The Lady Bulldogs and Lady Hornets meet in the Class 3, District 15 final last March in Lawson, a game dominated by Chillicothe’s seasoned ball club. Â Chillicothe’s nemesis in the Lady Hornets goal of reaching Columbia in March could be Benton, as the Lady Cardinals, the defending state champion in Class 4, sit at #1 in the state this week. Â Grain Valley is ranked sixth in Class 5, while the Kirkwood girls are top ranked in Class 5. Â
In Trenton’s classification, the defending state champions from Strafford are ranked #1. Â Skyline is top-ranked for Class 2 girls, while Walnut Grove sets the pace in Class 1, followed by #2 Jefferson and #3 Mercer. Â Defending state champion Mound City is fifth and Glasgow 8th.
On the boys side, Walnut Grove is ranked #1 in Class 1, followed by the Winston Redbirds. Â Glasgow is 3rd, North Andrew 4tyh, and Worth County 7th, with Jefferson checking in at #9. Â In Class 2, defending state champion Hartville is top-ranked. Â Salisbury is 6th, Mid-Buchanan ninth, and Knox County 10th.
Class 3 boys is led by Cardinal Ritter, with Vashon #1 in Class 4, and Webster Groves topping Class 5.
Here is the complete MBCA state poll.  Area teams are highlighted in bold:
BOYS BASKETBALL:
Class 1
1 – Walnut Grove (5-0)
2 – Winston (4-0)
3 – Glasgow (3-0)
4 – North Andrew (2-0)
5 – Hermitage (4-0)
6 – Scott County Central (3-2)
7 – Worth County (4-1)
8 – Advance (2-1)
9 – Jefferson (1-0)
10 – Eminence (2-0)
Class 2
1 – Hartville (4-0)
2 – Mansville (3-0)
3 – Stanberry (4-0)
4 Â – Crane (4-0)
5 – Thayer (3-1)
6 – Salisbury (2-0)
7 – Ellington (4-1)
8 – Lincoln (3-0)
9 – Mid-Buchanan (2-1)
10- Knox County (3-1)
Class 3
1 – Cardinal Ritter (4-0)
2 – Licking (3-0)
3 – Southern Boone (3-0)
4- Charleston (4-0)
5 – Whitfield (2-1)
6 – Caruthersville (3-0)
7 – Mountain Grove (1-0)
8 – Fair Grove (3-1)
9 – Barstow (1-2)
10 – Lamar (2-0)
Class 4
1 – Vashon (3-0)
2 – Sikeston (1-0)
3 – Helias (2-0)
4 – Parkway West (3-0)
5 – Cape Girardeau Central (3-0)
6 – St. Marys (5-0)
7 – MICDS (3-1)
8 – Moberly (2-1)
9 – Jennings (3-1)
10 – Hillsboro (2-0)
Class 5Â
1 – Webster Groves (0-0)
2 – Chaminade (1-0)
3 – Kickapoo (2-1)
4 – CBC (2-2)
5 – Rock Bridge (2-2)
6 – Nixa (3-0)
7 – Park Hill South (2-0)
8 – Republic (3-0)
9 – Lee’s Summit West (0-0)
10 – Raytown (3-1)
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
Class 1
1 – Walnut Grove (2-1)
2 – Jefferson (4-0)
3 – Mercer (2-0)
4 – Prairie Home (3-0)
5 – Mound City (4-0)
6 – Leeton (3-0)
7 – Community (3-1)
8 – Glasgow (2-2)
9 – Higbee (3-1)
10 – Wheatland (1-0)
Class 2
1 – Skyline (3-0)
2 – Clopton (4-0)
3 – New Franklin (4-0)
4 Â – Norwood (3-0)
5 – Hartville (2-1)
6 – Purdy (4-0)
7 – Thayer (4-0)
8 – Gainesville (3-0)
9 – Scotland County (3-1)
10- Spokane (4-0)
10 – Van Buren (3-1)
Class 3
1 – Strafford (4-0)
2 – Southern Boone (3-0)
3 – St. James (4-0)
4- Saxony Lutheran (3-1)
5 – Hermann (3-1)
6 – Father Tolton (1-1)
7 – Park Hills (3-1)
8 – Whitfield (0-1)
9 – Licking (4-0)
10 – Trenton (4-0)
10 – Principia (4-1)
Class 4
1 – St. Joseph Benton (2-0)
2 – Carl Junction (3-0)
3 – Incarnate Word (3-0)
4 – MICDS (4-0)
5 – Chillicothe (4-0)
6 – Grain Valley (3-0
7 – West Plains (2-1)
8 – Salem (2-0)
9 – Pacific (5-0)
10 – Smithville (2-1)
Class 5Â
1 – Kirkwood (3-0)
2 – Hickman (3-0)
3 – Washington (2-0)
4 – Jefferson Cityh (3-0)
5 – Rock Bridge (2-1)
6 – Webster Groves (2-1)
7 – Blue Springs South (1-0)
8 – Kickapoo (2-2)
9 – Liberty (1-1)
10 – Lee’s Summit West (1-1)
