A glance at area football games: Week 4

Sikeston (2-1) at Jackson (3-0)

Last week: Jackson 21, Vianney 7; Dexter 21, Sikeston 0.

Last year's meeting: Jackson 49, Sikeston 0.

Notes: Indians head coach Carl Gross emphasized that defense and special teams are the two areas in which his team has been strongest so far this season and must remain strong to continue its undefeated streak this week against Sikeston. Gross talked about his defense as being relentless. As for the special teams, he said effective kickoffs and punts are what have made the unit strong. He said good hang time on kicks has allowed his players to get down the field and make quick tackles on opponents returning the football and his team has been winning the battle of field position. He said field goal attempts have also been strong. Matt Lang has handled all the kicking duties. Gross said the offense needs to play better when it gets in the red zone. Jackson tailback Adam Zweigart continued his early season success last week, rushing 27 times for 213 yards.

Perryville (3-0)at Parks Hills Central (3-0)

Last week: Perryville 21, St. Genevieve 14; Park Hills Central 35 Cuba 20

Last year's meeting: Perryville 21, Park Hills Central 12;

Notes: After beating Ste. Genevieve last week for the first time in 14 years, Pirates coach Rick Chastain said he has been pleased by the way both tailback Kris Cottner and first-year quarterback Josh Perreault have successfully responded to the new offense, which features the pistol formation. Chastain said that with Perreault in the backfield in addition to Cottner, it has the feel of almost having two tailbacks. Perreault has rushed for more than 100 yards in two of his three starts, including 134 yards on the ground against Ste. Genevieve. Cottner has approximately 425 yards this season and he said he would like to gain 1,500 this season. He had about 1,200 yards last season. Cottner said he likes running out of the pistol because he receives the ball farther in the backfield, which allows him to get a better read on the defense and see the holes opened by the offensive line. Perryville looks to be a team focused on the run, so both Perreault and Cottner will have to have a number of attempts on the ground again tonight against an undefeated Park Hills Central squad.

Fredericktown (3-0) at Scott City (3-0)

Last week: Scott City 37, East Prairie 7; Fredericktown 33, Herculaneum 7.

Last year's meeting: Fredericktown 27, Scott City 14.

Notes: In Week 3, first-year head coach Ronnie Jones and his Scott City Rams will go against another undefeated squad, Fredericktown, which won last year's meeting by 13 points. Jones said the Black Cats are a talented team and a lot like his players across the front, with a steady group of seniors. He said the run game and offensive line are the keys to the Fredericktown offense. He said its line is extremely physical and will be tough to handle as it consistently makes effective blocks on run plays. Jones said that his defense, after being a little reluctant at first, has become more comfortable with the new system he put in place. Jones typically lines six players up front on defense. He said several players are contributing on the offense.

Walnut Ridge (Ark.) (0-3) at Chaffee (1-2)

Last week: Crystal City 35, Chaffee 0;

Last year's meeting: Did not meet

Notes: Chaffee coach Charlie Vickery said his offense, led by quarterback Andrew Hendrix, has been moving the football effectively. However, he said the unit has struggled when it gets in the red zone. Hendrix rushed the ball 13 times for 87 yards last week. Overall, the Red Devils offense primarily focuses on rushing the football. Vickery said one issue with his team last week was stopping big plays and turning over the football. He said two turnovers hurt his team. He also added that defensively his players need to stay intense. But he added that some of the plays that Crystal City broke last week were because of poor tackling, which was an issue that Vickery also mentioned the previous week.

Maplewood (3-0) at St. Vincent (2-1)

Last week: St. Vincent 14, Valle Catholic 7; Maplewood 39, St. Pius X 6.

Last year's meeting: Maplewood 25, St. Vincent 15.

Notes: The St. Vincent offense relied a great deal on its run game the first two weeks. Tailback Eli Hoeckele entered last week's showdown against rival Valle Catholic with 169 yards. Often times he struggled against the Warriors and he finished the game with fewer than 50 yards. The passing game responded in the second half. After completing no passes in the first half, quarterback Justin L'Hote, made some crisp completions after the break. He connected with his cousin Justin Rollet four times for 46 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown pass. The offense will need to come out stronger in the first half tonight. The defense looked strong last week, stopping some crucial fourth-down attempts by the Valle offense.