CAPE CENTRAL DROPS TO 0-2 IN DISTRICT

Most people get all wrapped up in the outcome of high school football games, but sometimes those things pale in comparison to what really matters.

Such was the case Friday night, when Vianney visited Cape Girardeau Central in a Class 5A, District 1 matchup at Houck Stadium.

Vianney came through with a spirited 20-0 victory. But it was hard for coach Gene Gladstone and his players to truly celebrate the win.

That's because, last Saturday, Vianney starting defensive end Darrick Sabada, a junior, inexplicably died of what doctors said was a heart arrhythmia."He was just a wonderful part of our family," said Gladstone. "It was just a devastating week for our kids."Gladstone had nothing but praise for the way Central officials handled the tragedy. Prior to the game, there was a moment of silence for Sabada."What Cape did, and (athletic director) Terry Kitchen, was very generous, allowing us to recognize Darrick and his family," said Gladstone.

Central coach Lawrence Brookins said the Golden Griffins should be commended for their poise in a tough situation."I tip my hat to Vianney," said Brookins. "They had a tough week. This really puts things in perspective. We get upset when we lose a game, but a young man losing his life is such a different situation."On the field, the Tigers also faced some adversity. According to Brookins, "about six or eight of our players broke curfew (Thursday night). They violated team guidelines."So all of those players who violated the team rules did not start Friday. They did not come into the game until "about five or six minutes left in the first half," said Brookins.

By that time, Vianney had a 14-0 lead. And the game was never really a contest."Sure, it makes a difference," said Brookins. "A lot of kids find out right before kickoff that they're going to start. There were a lot of sophomores in that group. But I thought a lot of them did a good job."Vianney improved to 3-6 overall and 1-1 in district play while Central fell to 1-8 overall and 0-2 in the district.

Despite the victory, Vianney was eliminated from district title contention by Jackson's win over Poplar Bluff, which clinched the district crown for the Indians.

Central never seriously threatened the Vianney end zone until the closing moments of the game, when the Tigers reached inside the Griffins' 15-yard line. Before then, Central had only one penetration past midfield, that coming in the closing seconds of the first half.

Vianney gained 310 yards to 103 for Central. Vianney's Chris Netsch who split time between running back and quarterback rushed for 142 yards on 18 carries, including 110 yards in the first half.

Netsch scored on runs of 6 and 17 yards in the first half and impressive kicker Charles Franz booted field goals of 20 and 45 yards later in the second quarter to put the Griffins up 20-0 at the break. The second half was uneventful.

The Tigers will close out their season Thursday night against arch-rival Jackson at Houck Stadium.