Devils, Rams enter rivalry game with one win combined

Scott City and Chaffee are two football programs facing similar dilemmas as they prepare for tonight's SEMO South Division game at Chaffee.

Both teams are forced to use young, inexperienced players across the field. While only one win separates the two teams through four weeks this season, it is Scott City's 8-2 mark last year and the memory of a winning season which truly makes the difference.

While the Rams improved to 1-3 with a win last week, Chaffee is 0-4 for the fourth straight season. The Red Devils' losing streak is now at 28 games.

"It has to make a little difference," Scott City coach Terry Flannigan said. "The biggest part of this game is mindset, believing you can do it. That's the first step. If you believe you can do it, something good will happen."

For a Chaffee squad with only a few players who were part of its 1-9 team in 2002, keeping the confidence and expectations up is a difficult task. So far, the Red Devils have been outscored 158-39.

"I think that makes a huge difference," Chaffee coach Charlie Vickery said of being part of a winning team. "You have to learn to win just like you learn to lose. It becomes an attitude. You don't give up. You don't resign yourself to the fact you're not going to get better. It's all mental. The key is you don't quit."

Scott City's young squad got its first taste of victory as starters in a 26-20 win over Brentwood last week. The Rams used a sophomore-laden attack to rally for the victory. Ethan Watkins made his first varsity start at quarterback and threw for 148 yards. Cody Carlyle rushed for 101 yards and had 61 yards receiving.

"That's the thing with young kids; one week they step in and look like gangbusters and one week they look like sophomores," Flannigan said. "But this sophomore group we have they're real close-knit. They're pulling for each other, wanting the group as a whole to do a good job. That's going to make them a special group as seniors."

Scott City's offense will be even younger this week with senior running back Jonathan Barr out with a leg injury. Barr was the Rams' leading rusher this season, and rushed for more than 100 yards each of the last two weeks.

"Running back-wise we've got some young kids that are going to fill in and hopefully pick up some slack," Flannigan said.

For Chaffee, tonight's game is just one of two home games left on its schedule. The Red Devils have not beaten the Rams since 1985.

"I think our attitude is good," Vickery said. "Our kids haven't quit, that's one thing I can say about them. If they keep that attitude, don't lay down and quit, something good's going to happen."