Defense never rests

Jackson's football team has jumped out of the gates with two convincing victories, thanks in large part to a stifling defense.

After allowing only one first down and 78 yards of total offense in an opening win over Gosnell, Jackson's defense allowed three points and 158 yards Saturday against Roosevelt.

"Statistically we've done well, we really have," Jackson coach Carl Gross said.

The Indians have been particularly tough against the run. Take away a 71-yard run by Gosnell, and Jackson has allowed only 43 yards rushing on 51 carries. Overall, Jackson opponents are averaging 2.2 yards a carry.

"That's good on any level, no matter who you play," Gross said.

The caliber of competition is about to get a little tougher as Jackson, ranked No. 5 in the state in Class 5, gets into the heart of its schedule. Friday's opponent, Vianney (1-1), runs as many as eight offensive sets and features a solid running back (Dominic Vitale, 234 yards) and quarterback (Steve Callanan, 285 yards). Jackson also should face tall tasks from Jefferson City and district opponents Eureka and Rockwood Summit -- all unbeaten through two weeks.

While the Indians' first two opponents may not match up with some of the teams left on the schedule, Gross said both teams contained plenty of athletes capable of making big plays.

"They could have broken one at any time. We did a nice job of keeping them inside our sites," he said.

The defense is a veteran group with seniors throughout. Andy Glass and Billy Uren provide senior leadership on the line, while senior linebacker Blake Ulrich brings plenty of starting experience. Nathan Leoni is the senior leader in the defensive backfield, and linebacker Eric Poythress also adds senior leadership.

"The key is we play together. The team has molded really well," said Leoni, who returned an interception for a touchdown Saturday. "It's 11 guys that want to be out on the field who play together."

The strong play of the defense has helped the offense break out with 75 points in two games. Running backs Jason Meystedt and Austin Bock have both played well, taking advantage of short fields to eat up yards and put points on the board.

"We usually give them good field position which is key for our offense," Uren said. "We like to run a lot, and the key to running is good field position."

The Indians will try for their first 3-0 start since 2001, when the team made an appearance in the state semifinal round.

The Indians play at Vianney, located near Lindbergh Boulevard and Interstate 44 in southwest St. Louis County, 7 p.m. Friday.

Vianney comes in off a narrow defeat against Chaminade last week.

"They're just a lot to prepare for," Gross said.

Added Leoni: "Vianney does run a lot of different offenses, but we feel we're prepared to defend it."