DeSoto County Football Rankings 2026: Where All 8 Teams Land on MississippiFootballRankings.com
The Week 3 computer rankings are out at MississippiFootballRankings.com, and for DeSoto County the message is blunt: eight teams, eight spots inside the top 100 — and not one of them in the statewide top 25.
The Mississippi Football Power Index (MFPI) validated its latest run Monday, Sept. 15, grading all 225 MHSAA teams on scores, opponent-adjusted margin, schedule strength and recent form. Here is where every DeSoto County School District program landed — and who moved the furthest in either direction.
DeSoto County Football Rankings: All 8 Teams, Week 3
| State Rank | Team | Class (Class Rank) | Record | MFPI | Week 3 Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | DeSoto Central | 7A (No. 14) | 1-1 | 75.5 | ▼1 |
| 32 | Hernando | 7A (No. 15) | 2-1 | 74.3 | ▲20 |
| 41 | Lake Cormorant | 6A (No. 8) | 3-0 | 71.4 | ▼21 |
| 47 | Center Hill | 6A (No. 10) | 3-0 | 69.7 | ▼7 |
| 51 | Olive Branch | 6A (No. 12) | 2-1 | 68.8 | ▲14 |
| 55 | Southaven | 7A (No. 19) | 1-1 | 67.8 | ▼7 |
| 80 | Lewisburg | 7A (No. 22) | 2-1 | 60.9 | ▲43 |
| 96 | Horn Lake | 7A (No. 25) | 0-3 | 56.5 | ▼30 |
Lewisburg Is the County’s Biggest Riser — Up 43 Spots
No team in DeSoto County moved like the Lewisburg Patriots. A 43-place climb to No. 80 statewide was the largest one-week jump by any school in the county, and it pulled Lewisburg out of the bottom half of the 225-team field for the first time this season.
At 2-1 with a 60.9 MFPI, Lewisburg still ranks 22nd among the state’s 25 7A programs — but the trajectory is the point. MFPI weights recent form and opponent-adjusted margin heavily, and a 43-spot correction means the model materially revalued what the Patriots have done. The MFPI methodology page spells out why: runaway scores get compressed by a diminishing-return curve, so climbs like this come from beating teams that matter, not from running up a number.
Lake Cormorant Is the Biggest Faller — Despite Being 3-0
Here is the line that will start arguments in Nesbit: Lake Cormorant is undefeated and dropped 21 spots.
The Gators sit at No. 41 overall and No. 8 in 6A at 71.4 — still the top-ranked unbeaten in DeSoto County, but a full 21 places below where they opened the week. Center Hill, also 3-0, slid seven spots to No. 47. Neither team lost. Both fell.
That is MFPI working as designed. The index is not a won-loss poll. When the results across the state connect and the model gets a better read on who your opponents actually are, a 3-0 record built on a soft early slate loses value automatically. Lake Cormorant and Center Hill did not play worse — their schedules did.
Horn Lake took the county’s other hard hit, falling 30 spots to No. 96 at 0-3. The Eagles are the lowest-rated DeSoto County team and the last-ranked 7A program in Mississippi at 56.5.
DeSoto Central Still Leads the County
For the third straight week, the highest-rated team in DeSoto County has a .500 record. DeSoto Central is 1-1 and ranked No. 30 statewide at 75.5, slipping just one spot and holding off Hernando by 1.2 points.
Hernando made the county’s second-biggest move, climbing 20 places to No. 32 at 2-1, and is now within striking distance of the top spot in the county. The Tigers and Jaguars are separated by one place in the 7A class rankings — Nos. 14 and 15 — which sets up the most consequential head-to-head number in DeSoto County football.
Olive Branch quietly added 14 spots to reach No. 51 and No. 12 in 6A, while Southaven fell seven to No. 55 at 1-1.
The 7A Region 1 Problem
Five of DeSoto County’s eight schools — DeSoto Central, Hernando, Southaven, Lewisburg and Horn Lake — play in 7A Region 1. The sixth team in that region is Tupelo.
Tupelo is ranked No. 1 in Mississippi at 93.1, holding the top spot on the statewide MFPI board ahead of Diberville (92.6) and Starkville (92.3). The gap between Tupelo and the best DeSoto County team is 17.6 MFPI points — larger than the gap between DeSoto Central and Horn Lake.
Region play is where that math gets settled. Every DeSoto County 7A school has the No. 1 team in the state on its schedule.
Where the County Stands Statewide
- Highest-ranked DeSoto County team: DeSoto Central, No. 30 of 225
- Biggest riser: Lewisburg, up 43
- Biggest faller: Lake Cormorant, down 21
- Unbeaten teams: Lake Cormorant (3-0), Center Hill (3-0)
- Average county MFPI: 68.1
- Teams in the statewide top 25: none
All eight DeSoto County programs rank in the top 100 of 225 MHSAA teams, which puts the county’s floor higher than most of Mississippi. The ceiling is the issue. Statewide, the top 25 is dominated by the Gulf Coast and the Golden Triangle: Tupelo, Diberville, Starkville, Warren Central and Oak Grove make up the top five, and DeSoto County’s best team sits five spots outside the cut.
How MFPI Works
The Mississippi Football Power Index is an explainable weekly ranking of every MHSAA team. Scores, opponent-adjusted margin, schedule strength and recent form drive the number, with Media Rank and Strength of Schedule contributing 20% combined. Blowout margins are compressed so running up the score does not inflate a rating, and a team on a confirmed bye retains 90% of its previous score.
Rankings are recalculated weekly with a Wednesday 1 p.m. CT cutoff. You can read the full formula on the MFPI methodology page, browse every MHSAA program on the team directory, or see the complete 225-team board and class-by-class rankings at MississippiFootballRankings.com.
DeSoto County News will update these rankings every week through the MHSAA playoffs.
