Region 2-6A has long enjoyed a reputation as the toughest division in Mississippi high school football, and it doesn’t seem likely to relinquish that title any time soon.

Four of the league’s teams, including Warren Central, are ranked among the top five in the first Mississippi Associated Press Class 6A poll of the 2020 season. Nine media outlets voted in the poll, which was released Wednesday.

Warren Central is ranked No. 5 in Class 6A after winning its season opener last week, 17-0 over Vicksburg. It is joined in the poll by Region 2-6A rivals No. 1 Starkville, No. 2 South Panola, and No. 4 Madison Central.

Another Region 2-6A team, Clinton, received the most votes among the unranked teams.

The only team from outside Region 2-6A in the Class 6A poll was No. 3 Oak Grove.

Starkville was a unanimous No. 1 in both the Class 6A poll and the overall Top 10. The Yellow Jackets won their opener last week against West Point, which is ranked No. 4 overall and No. 1 in the Class 5A poll.

The other teams in the overall Top 10 after Starkville were No. 2 South Panola, Oak Grove, West Point, West Jones, Madison Central, Oxford, Picayune, Madison-Ridgeland Academy and Neshoba Central.

Warren Central received eight points in the Overall poll — 10 points are awarded for a first-place vote, through one for a 10th-place vote — and was just outside the top 10.

The top-ranked teams in other classifications were Nanih Waiya in Class 1A; Taylorsville in 2A; Jefferson Davis County in Class 3A; Corinth in 4A; and West Point in 5A. All of those teams won state championships in their respective classifications last season.

Madison-Ridgeland is No. 1 in the MAIS private schools poll.

Mississippi Associated Press Polls
Overall
School W-L Pts
1. Starkville (8) (1-0) 80
2. South Panola (1-0) 60
3. Oak Grove (1-0) 53
4. West Point (0-1) 49
5. West Jones (1-0) 35
6. Madison Central (1-0) 32
7. Oxford (1-0) 21
8. Picayune (1-0) 20
9. Madison-Ridgeland Aca. (3-0) 17
10. Neshoba Central (1-0) 15
Others receiving votes: Corinth 13, Clinton 10, Warren Central 8, Lafayette 8, St. Joseph, Greenville 6, Jackson Prep 6, Jefferson Davis County 4, Grenada 2, Taylorsville 1.

Class 6A
School W-L Pts
1. Starkville (9) (1-0) 90
2. South Panola (1-0) 72
3. Oak Grove (1-0) 59
4. Madison Central (1-0) 57
5. Warren Central (1-0) 32
Others receiving votes: Clinton 20, Oxford 15, D’Iberville 8, Olive Branch 7.

Class 5A
School W-L Pts
1. West Point (6) (0-1) 84
2. West Jones (2) (1-0) 70
3. Picayune (1) (1-0) 67
4. Neshoba Central (1-0) 64
5. Lafayette (1-0) 47
Others receiving votes: Hattiesburg 13, Pascagoula 8, Ridgeland 7.

Class 4A
School W-L Pts
1. Corinth (8) (1-0) 89
2. Louisville (1) (1-0) 82
3. Poplarville (0-1) 60
4. West Lauderdale (1-0) 47
5. Newton County (1-0) 42
Others receiving votes: McComb 8, North Pike 7, Yazoo City 7, Tishomingo County 6, Purvis 6, Leake Central 6.

Class 3A
School W-L Pts
1. Jefferson Davis County (6) (1-0) 77
2. Noxubee County (1) (1-0) 74
3. Columbia (1) (1-0) 54
4. Magee (1) (1-0) 51
5. Houston (1-0) 22
Others receiving votes: West Marion 19, Ruleville 17, Nettleton 14, Choctaw County 12, Choctaw Central 7, Tylertown 7, Port Gibson 6.

Class 2A
School W-L Pts
1. Taylorsville (7) (0-0) 88
2. Scott Central (2) (1-0) 76
3. North Side (0-0) 47
4. Bay Springs (1-0) 44
5. East Webster (1-0) 43
Others receiving votes: Enterprise Clarke 15, Walnut 9, East Union 8, Wesson 6, Calhoun City 6, J.Z. George 6, Union 6, Puckett 6.

Class 1A
School W-L Pts
1. Nanih Waiya (4) (1-0) 81
2. Biggersville (1) (1-0) 67
3. Lumberton (3) (0-1) 61
4. Baldwyn (0-0) 41
5. TCPS (0-1) 24
Others receiving votes: Resurrection Catholic 22, Sebastopol 19, Okolona 15, Noxapater 15, H. W. Byers 9, Mount Olive 6.

Private Schools
School W-L Pts
1. Madison-Ridgeland Aca. (6) (3-0) 78
2. Jackson Prep (1) (2-0) 62
3. St. Joseph, Greenville (1) (3-0) 42
4. Heritage Aca. (2-1) 41
5. Leake Aca. (3-0) 32
Others receiving votes: Greenville Christian 16, Cathedral 13, Jackson Aca. 9, Presbyterian Christian 8, Pillow Aca. 7, Adams Christian 6, Hartfield Academy 6.
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All Associated Press members in Mississippi are eligible to participate in the high school football poll. Those who voted for this week’s poll are: Clarion-Ledger, Jackson; The Commercial Dispatch, Columbus; The Daily Corinthian, Corinth; Delta Democrat-Times, Greenville; Hattiesburg Impact, Hattiesburg; The Natchez Democrat, Natchez; NE Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo; Starkville Daily News, Starkville; The Vicksburg Post, Vicksburg.