Before the season, the Press Coverage Power Index (PCPI) rated West Point 1st in Class 5A. Then it lost its first seven games.
West Point has won its last three, beginning Oct. 23, when it beat Caledonia 41–16 at home. A week later it beat New Hope 50–48, also at home. On Nov. 5, West Point won 47–20 at Columbus.
On Friday, West Point opens the Class 5A playoffs at Leake. After Week 11, the PCPI has Leake by 2 at home. That's a 56% chance.
The seven losses
No team in Class 5A has played a harder schedule this season, by the PCPI's measure.
Six of the seven losses came against Mississippi teams with winning records. Tupelo is 11–0. After Week 11, it's 1st in MHSAA, out of 225 teams. Louisville is 9–2 and 3rd. Noxubee County, Pontotoc, Starkville and Lafayette beat West Point too.
The other loss was 29–2 at Ruston (LA) on Oct. 1.
The last of the seven was the closest: Lafayette won 31–30 at home on Oct. 16. West Point hasn't lost since.
Leake
Leake is 7–2 in its first season as one school, and its two losses came in back-to-back weeks. Heidelberg won 47–0 at Leake on Sept. 25. Heidelberg is now 9–1 in Class 2A. A week later, Cleveland Central beat Leake 56–41.
Leake hasn't lost since, either: on Oct. 9, it won 30–27 at Florence. Leake beat West Lauderdale 22–13 on Oct. 16. On Oct. 30, Leake beat Northeast Lauderdale 60–0.
Its best win, by the PCPI, came on Sept. 18, when Leake beat Lanier 35–16. Lanier is now 9–2.
One spot apart
After Week 11, the PCPI rates Leake 51st in MHSAA, out of 225 teams. West Point is 52nd. Leake is 6th in Class 5A, and West Point 7th.
They got there from opposite ends. Before the season, Leake was 80th in MHSAA, and West Point was 3rd. Leake has climbed, and West Point has fallen.
West Point's history needs no introduction. It has won 13 MHSAA state titles, more than any other school, and from 2016 through 2025 it played in ten straight state title games.
Where we think it goes
Leake by 2 is close. The two ratings are almost even, and nearly all of the 2 points is Leake's home field. West Point's 44% chance leaves plenty of room.
Both teams have won three straight. One of those runs ends Friday.
Notes
- How the numbers work: the Press Coverage Power Index (PCPI) rates every Mississippi team from its margins and schedule, and our projection for each game comes from those ratings. Ratings, ranks and records here are after Week 11 and don't move after that. Ranks after Week 11 are among the 225 MHSAA teams.
- Sources: West Point's state titles from MHSAA's list of state champions.