After a dominant 49-28 win over #2 Murphysboro and top-ranked Marion suffering a 55-14 loss at Highland last week, the 3-0 Carterville Lions have risen from #3 in the Little Egypt region to #1. They’re just the third team in the history of the Coaches’ Poll to reach the top of the mountain.
Marion only slipped to #2 while other South Seven members Mt. Vernon and Centralia sit at #3 and #4 respectively.
Murphysboro slipped in to a tie for 5th with Nashville; both teams were #2 in the area in the past two weeks before suffering big losses.
There remains two Black Diamond teams in the Top 10 but it’s not who it was last week. Fairfield and Sesser-Valier have fallen out of the Top 10 while Johnston City and Carmi-White County, the teams that beat them, have found their way in to the elite group.
Here’s a look at the Full Rankings:
| Rank | School (First Place Votes) | Points | Rank Last Week |
| 1 | Carterville(8) | 98 | 3 (+2) |
| 2 | Marion (3) | 91 | 1 (-1) |
| 3 | Mt. Vernon | 61 | 5 (+2) |
| 4 | Centralia | 52 | 4 (-) |
| 5 | Nashville | 47 | 6 (+1) |
| – | Murphysboro | 47 | 2 (-3) |
| 7 | Johnston City | 41 | NR |
| 8 | Harrisburg | 32 | 9 (+1) |
| 9 | Carmi-White County | 30 | NR |
| 10 | Carbondale | 25 | 7 (-3) |
Also receiving votes: Herrin 21, Benton 18, Fairfield 11, Sesser-Valier 11, Pinckneyville 7, West Frankfort 5, Du Quoin 5, Massac County 3
Southern Illinois Coaches interested in participating in the Coaches Poll can email mattv@riverradio.net to be included in the weekly poll.
