Central, Jackson bring seasoned QBs to rivalry

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Jackson has won the last two meetings. Central won the 2011 meeting.

Like the teams they play for, it's become a rivalry brimming with pride, tradition and history.

When the two senior quarterbacks -- Jackson's Dante Vandeven and Central's Peyton Montgomery -- meet tonight at Tiger Stadium, it won't be the first time they compete against each other.

The all-time series between the two quarterbacks dates back to their little league days on the gridiron.

"He was on the Packers, and I was on the Chiefs," Montgomery said. "I think we played twice against each other. I think they actually won the first one, and we won the second one."

The rubber match begins at 7 p.m. today in the 108th meeting between the two SEMO North Conference rivals.

While the two schools have been going at each other fiercely over the years, there's hardly a trace of animosity between the two standout quarterbacks.

"We were like best friends," Vandeven said. "It's crazy to think now how we're on different sides."

The two began playing against each other in the fourth grade and eventually became teammates on the Jackson traveling Indians football team.

Central quarterback Peyton Montgomery runs on a keeper ahead of Poplar Bluff's Tim Jones during the first quarter Friday, Sept. 12, 2014 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

Their style of play at the quarterback position is surprisingly similar, and neither could resist drawing comparisons to the two most recent Heisman Trophy winners -- Vandeven to Jameis Winston and Montgomery to Johnny Manziel.

"That's exactly what it is," Vandeven said. "He's doing a great job. He has great vision. When he's scrambling, he can look and find the open receiver. ... That's great because you want the quarterback to be able to find someone you can trust. If he was on my team, I would want him as a quarterback."

Montgomery has 365 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Through the air, he's completed 59 percent of his passes for 356 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions, while leading Central to a 4-1 record to begin the season.

Even more impressive are Vandeven's numbers. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound quarterback has led Jackson to a 5-0 start and leads the team in rushing with 68 carries for 403 yards and 10 scores. He's 52 of 92 passing for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

"He knows all the reads, and he does really well with his progression. He's an athlete, and he has athletes around him," Montgomery said about Vandeven. "You put his athleticism and his brains on top of all that, and he's a hard player to stop."

Both share a mutual admiration for each other but can't downplay the desire to win.

"Respect comes from off the field. We're cool, and we're chill," Vandeven said. "When it comes to on the field, we still respect each other, but we want to compete and work hard."

The Tigers lead the series 58-42-7 but have lost the last two meetings, including a 56-27 drubbing last season.

"People on the outside that aren't within the program or don't play or coach are more involved with the rivalry hype. With us, we just got done talking to the guys about making sure we stay even keel," Jackson coach Brent Eckley said. "This is not a peak game for us. We don't want to tail off after it. We want to continue to improve, so we're putting emphasis on it just like any week."

Both teams are 2-0 in conference play, but Central is coming off its only loss of the season last week, when the Tigers held a 16-point lead at halftime but were shut out in the second half of a 32-22 loss to host Ladue Horton Watkins.

Central coach Nathan Norman has been pleased with his team's practice this week but wants to see real results tonight.

"Last week, we had a great week of practice. It definitely makes you feel better as a coach, and we started off well [Tuesday] with a good week of practice," Norman said. "It makes you sleep better during the week, but just because you have good practices during the week doesn't mean you're going to play well on Friday night, unfortunately."

The game also pits a pair of ranked teams against each other, as the Indians are ranked No. 2 in Class 5 and the Tigers are ranked No. 10 in Class 4. Jackson has been dominant in its last two games, defeating conference foes Farmington and Poplar Bluff by a combined score of 97-7.

In order to keep his team from becoming complacent, Eckley said he's emphasizing routine.

"You're always nervous about that," Eckley said about complacency. "Every week during the season, we always talk about the offseason and how we want to work to be perfect. We want to work to be great. We're not playing against any specific opponent. We're playing against our best. That's tough to get teenagers to grasp, but our kids seem to be buying into it. They're working hard. It's another good week of practice for us."

Jackson is averaging 405 yards of offense per game. Senior Ben Maudie has 390 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns, while senior wide receiver Xominique Davis has a team-high 17 receptions for 367 yards and two touchdowns.

But that's just the beginning of what the Indians' high-powered offense is capable of producing, as 12 players have gotten touches in the running game and 11 receiving.

"They're well-coached, and their kids are coachable. What I mean by that is their kids listen to their coach, and they do what they're coached to do," Norman said. "They'll have 11 people doing the correct thing on 98-99 percent of their plays. That's why they're successful."

Central also has no shortage of playmakers on offense. Junior Al Young has racked up 516 yards from scrimmage and a team-high 12 scores to lead the Tigers, while senior running back Braion Owens leads Central in carries (60) and has a team-high 408 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Owens is averaging 6.8 yards per carry.

"They've got three or four guys that can really take it the distance on you in open field," Eckley said. "We have to do a great job of reading our keys, being sound and running to the football. We have to do a great job of pursuit because we can't give them a seam. If we give them a seam, it could be a touchdown."

Defensively, Jackson is led by seniors Preston Hobeck and Josh Stone, who have combined for 70 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and six sacks.

"They're very talented at some key spots. Their defensive line is very talented," Norman said about the Indians' defense. "They have good, solid linebackers, and their secondary is smart."

Senior safety Jalen Reddin leads the Tigers on defense with a team-high 39 tackles, while senior Andre Statam has 22 tackles and a team-high three sacks.

"They're very fast on defense, too," Eckley said about Central. "Their defensive line has good size. Their linebackers are very fast. Their secondary is very fast."

The stadium could have upward of 7,000 people in attendance for tonight's game.

"A lot of people around here take it for granted. It's a very special high school atmosphere that doesn't happen many places," said Norman, who experienced the rivalry first-hand when he starred for Jackson. "The rivalry's good for the communities and the school districts.

"The teams need to try to put that on the back burner and worry about the game."