Tuesday, September 17, 1996

North Mesquite dominates high school poll voting
By JAIME ARON
Associated Press

DALLAS - The North Mesquite Stallions have some MoJo of their own going.

North Mesquite's 27-0 victory over then-No. 2 Odessa Permian strengthened their status as the best team in Class 5A, earning them 199 of a possible 200 points in The Associated Press high school football poll released Monday.

The Stallions, who before this season had never cracked the top 10, were first on 19 of 20 ballots and second on the other. They have a firmer hold on No. 1 than the leaders in any of the other four classes.

"North Mesquite is one of the best teams I've faced in the last three years," said Permian coach Randy Mayes, whose team's worst whipping since the 1985 state finals dropped them to No. 10.
"They are as good as everyone says."

Abilene High's upset of state-ranked Stephenville caught the eye of the pollsters. The Eagles received seven votes, the first time in years that AHS has been mentioned in the statewide poll.

Stephenville fell out of the top 10 in Class 4A. Sweetwater is ranked sixth.

Ballinger fell to ninth in Class 3A after losing to Big Spring last Friday. Bangs moved into the rankings at No. 10 in Class 2A, and Munday moved up one notch to No. 5 in Class A this week.
Two-time defending 3A champion Sealy continues its march toward the longest winning streak in class history.

The Tigers have won 34 straight, leaving them one away from tying Stamford for No. 2 on the all-time list and 10 shy of tying Cuero's record of 44 in a row.

Sealy entered this season No. 2 behind Atlanta, but a 35-21 loss Friday night by the Jackrabbits allowed the Tigers to reclaim the top spot.

Every ranked team in the 3A poll was on the move somehow, with Rusk jumping from fourth to second, Vernon taking third followed by Coldspring, Columbus and Atlanta.

Daingerfield became seventh, Crockett eighth, a loss dropped Ballinger from third to ninth, and Mexia moved in at No. 10.

Cuero, which had been seventh, fell out of the poll as it opened the year 0-2.

La Marque, the second-strongest No. 1 with 197 points and 18 first-place votes, remained atop 4A.

But the two closest pursuers swapped spots, with Waxahachie becoming second and Grapevine third. Sherman and Sweetwater also traded places, with Sherman becoming fifth and Sweetwater sixth.

Jasper debuted at No. 8 and West Orange-Stark at No. 9, replacing Stephenville (0-1-1) and Southlake Carroll (0-2).

The two lowest classes remained virtually unchanged other than Bangs becoming No. 10 in 2A, supplanting 1-1 West Texas.