Area teams are receiving notice in each of the six football classes in the media's preseason state poll released this morning.
Helias is the highest-ranked among the area schools, holding down the No. 2 spot in Class 4. The Crusaders, who have finished second in Class 4 the past two seasons, received 131 points from the 15 voters located around the state.
Helias opens the season at 3:30 p.m. Sunday against Nixa at Adkins Stadium. Nixa enters the season ranked No. 5 in Class 5.
The Blair Oaks Falcons and California Pintos are Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, in the Class 3 poll.
Blair Oaks, which totaled 114 points, will start the season at 7 p.m. Friday against Moberly at the Falcon Athletic Complex. The Spartans are tied for 10th in the Class 4 rankings.
California, with 97 points, opens at 7 p.m. Friday at home against Boonville.
South Callaway holds down the No. 4 spot in Class 2 with 85 points. The Bulldogs start the season at home against Putnam County at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Camdenton Lakers are tied for ninth with Liberty North in the Class 5 poll with 37 points. Camdenton will open at 7 p.m. Friday at Springfield Hillcrest.
The Jefferson City Jays are receiving votes in the Class 6 rankings. The Jays totaled 23 points, one behind No. 10 C.B.C. Jefferson City will host McCluer North, which is receiving votes in Class 5, to start the season at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Tipton Cardinals are receiving votes in Class 1. The Cardinals, who totaled 10 points, start the season at 7 p.m. Friday at Lexington.
Four teams - Webb City in Class 4, Maryville in Class 3, Lamar in Class 2 and Valle Catholic in Class 1 - received all 15 first-place votes in their respective classes.
Blue Springs got 14-of-15 in Class 65, with Hazelwood Central garnering the other top vote.
Class 5 saw three teams receive first-place votes. Fort Osage and Webster Groves are tied for the No. 1 spot after each received seven first-place votes. Parkway Central also got a first-place vote.
The News Tribune is one of the 15 media outlets that votes in the poll each week. For the complete state poll and our ballot, see page C2.