Central, Jackson football teams vying for trip to final four

It didn't come easy, but the Jackson Indians and Central Tigers are two games away from a trip to the Edward Jones Dome after each team won its district in impressive fashion last week.

Jackson put together an improbable rally and came back from a 32-point halftime deficit to defeat Vianney 39-35 for the Class 5 District 1 title, while Central survived a back-and-forth affair against Hillsboro and claimed a 42-35 victory in the Class 4 District 1 championship.

Jackson quarterback Dante Vandeven struggled in the first half last week but bounced back with five touchdown passes in the second half, including a game-winning 34-yard pass to Xominique Davis inside the final minute of the game.

"I was real proud of him," Jackson coach Brent Eckley said about his senior signal caller. "There's not too many quarterbacks who can go through the roller coaster that he had Friday night and still be able to make plays at the end to put us in a position to win."

The road to a state title doesn't get any easier for Jackson (10-1), which will take on Class 5 District 2 champion Ladue Horton Watkins (11-1) in a quarterfinal at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Louis University High School.

Jackson quarterback Dante Vandeven takes to the air over Vianney's Nick Hebenstreit during the fourth quarter of the Class 5 District 1 title game Friday, Nov. 7, 2014 in Jackson. (Fred Lynch)

The Rams showed fight comparable to the Indians in last week's district title game against Webster Groves. Ladue trailed 28-6 at halftime but rattled off 28 unanswered points in the second half to come away with a 34-28 win.

"Defensively, they've got some guys that can really run to the ball," Eckley said. "Offensively, their quarterback's outstanding, and he's also their kicker and punter. He's a really good high school football player."

Ladue senior quarterback Jack Fox kicked a pair of field goals from 26 and 43 yards out last week and also scored on a 37-yard touchdown run to give Ladue the lead with 36 seconds left in the game.

At 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, junior running back Daylen Edwards also contributed a pair of second-half touchdown runs in the Rams' come-from-behind victory over Webster Groves.

"They've got three or four other athletes that are really quick, and we'll have to play a really good game," Eckley said. "We'll have to take care of the football on offense. We'll have to do a great job of tackling in space."

The Indians should get a boost on both sides of the ball with the return of sophomore running back/linebacker Gabriel Dudley, who missed two games after suffering a knee injury against Miller Career Academy and has yet to appear in a playoff game this season.

Meanwhile, Central (10-2) will take on Class 4 District 1 champion Affton (12-0) in a quarterfinal at 7 p.m. today in St. Louis.

Despite giving up 404 rushing yards last week, Central coach Nathan Norman said he anticipated Hillsboro would give his team plenty of matchup problems.

"You never like giving up 400 yards of rushing, but when you look at the big picture of things, I felt good with the way our kids handled that and really responded. We really didn't play that bad on defense. They were just able to convert on fourth downs and move the chains," Norman said. "We've got to get better obviously, and that's what we emphasize every week. We obviously had a point of emphasis on better technique on the offensive and defensive lines, playing lower and being more aggressive."

The Tigers manufactured a chunk of their offense from the stellar play of senior quarterback Peyton Montgomery, who finished 3 of 4 passing for 154 yards and one touchdown. Junior Al Young hauled in all three of Montgomery's completions and also returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.

Central's two losses this season have come on the road against St. Louis schools Ladue and Chaminade, but Norman believes his team will be prepared for the challenge of playing for a spot in the final four.

"We're in a quarterfinal game. You've got a shot to win and advance to the semifinals and then to the state championship game," Norman said. "If someone's got to give you a pep talk now, we're in the wrong business."

The Cougars are led by a pair of juniors in quarterback DeVontae Burse and running back Jordan Siegel, who combined for 180 of Affton's 240 rushing yards in last week's 29-6 win over Gateway in the Class 4 District 2 title game, according to stltoday.com.

"They're all very talented. I would say their overall team speed is going to be as good as anybody that we've seen this year," Norman said. "What makes them good is they're successful in all three phases. They've got a quarterback that can scramble, and they can throw the ball good enough to beat you and run the ball good enough to beat you. They're very similar to us on offense."

Norman said injuries shouldn't be an issue in tonight's game.

"We're full strength," he said. "We'll be ready to roll, and hopefully we stay that way."