Football preview capsules for Week 9

Central (5-2, 0-1) at Sikeston (7-1, 1-0)

Last week: Farmington 49, Central 34; Sikeston 58, Perryville 0

Last year: Sikeston 21, Central 0

Class 4 District 1: Central, Sikeston, Farmington (7-1, 1-0), Perryville (1-7, 0-1)

Outlook: Central has little hope of making the playoffs for a second consecutive year if it cannot defeat the defending district champion.

Central quarterback Christian Cavaness scrambles against Festus during their game earlier this season. (Laura Simon)

"You can sugarcoat things earlier in the year and talk about it's not do or die, but this is," Central coach Nathan Norman said. "It's a must win. You have to step up to the challenge."

The Tigers' only two losses in a 10-2 season last year came against Sikeston, which has reached the Class 4 semifinals the past two years.

Central is 14-3 in its last 17 regular-season games, but Sikeston has been nearly unbeatable for the last three regular seasons, going 27-1. Sikeston brings in a seven-game winning streak after a season-opening loss to Gateway Tech.

The Tigers have lost their last four meetings with the SEMO Northern Division rival.

Central junior Chris Martin raced for a career-high 195 yards on 13 carries against Farmington last week. Martin vaulted into the team lead with 447 yards rushing but injured an ankle late in the loss.

Scott City's Austin Atchley stretches to pull in a pass against Portageville's Dominique Walker during the second quarter of their game earlier this season. (Kristin Eberts)

"He can play, but I don't know how much we are going to be able to involve him in the offense," Norman said. "He definitely will play, but he will not be able to take more of the load like he did last week."

Sophomore Mikey Jones is Central's second-leading rusher with 386 yards.

Central averages 234 yards rushing per game and 321 yards overall.

Sikeston's defense gives up 207 yards a game, which leads the region.

Central faces one of the region's top running attacks after surrendering 283 yards rushing to Farmington. Sikeston is averaging 300 yards rushing a game and 386 yards overall.

Sikeston senior James Watson is the region's second-leading rusher with 1,249 yards. He averages 156 yards a game and 9.4 yards a carry. He busted loose for 328 yards in Week 3 against Dexter.

Junior running back Kyland Gross is second on the team with 441 yards rushing, averaging 8.3 yards a carry.

"They like to lull you asleep with the run, run, run, run, then they're gone. They'll go deep with a big pass," Norman said. "They've been successful doing that."

Sikeston has an underrated passing game.

Senior quarterback David Foster has completed 62 percent of his passes for 659 yards. He's averaging nearly 11 yards on his 60 attempts. Farmington, which leads the region in passing yards, averages just 10 yards per attempt.

Scott City (4-4, 0-1) at Crystal City (5-3, 1-0)

Last week: Herculaneum 22, Scott City 14; Crystal City 49, St. Pius 13

Last year: Crystal City 49, Scott City 21

Class 2 District 2: Scott City, Crystal City, Herculaneum (4-4, 1-0), St. Pius (0-7, 0-1)

Outlook: The Rams must win tonight to keep their district hopes alive.

Scott City has lost two consecutive, including an eight-point setback in its district opener at home. If the Rams hope to make the postseason they will have to do it with two road victories, the first which must come tonight against what some view as the district favorite.

Crystal City has won three consecutive after losing three in a row. It has defeated its last two opponents, Grandview (1-7) and St. Pius (0-7), by a combined score of 105-20. Two of its three losses have come to state-ranked teams Caruthersville and Valle Catholic.

Crystal City holds a 7-6 advantage against the Rams since they became district foes in 1998.

Both teams own a victory over St. Vincent, their one common opponent before district play.

Scott City has continued to move the ball on the ground after the season-ending injury to junior Travis Phillips in Week 6, but not quite as effectively. Phillips had a pair of 200-yard games before the injury and was averaging 6.2 yards per attempt. Senior Jacob Underwood has 312 yards rushing since being given the bulk of the duties over the last three games. Sophomore Gordy Bradley also has 288 yards. The pair averages 5 yards a carry.

Rams senior Austin Atchley had four catches for 85 yards last week and leads the region with 524 yards receiving on 27 catches. Fellow senior Zach Cotner is not far behind with 24 catches for 342 yards. The pair has pulled in 11 of junior quarterback Jonathan McFall's 14 touchdown passes. McFall has completed about 50 percent of his passes this season.

Crystal City senior quarterback Nic Rothweiler has completed 52 percent of his passes and run for 358 yards, which ranks second on the team. Senior Stacey Thornton leads the ground attack with 558 yards rushing and is the second-leading receiver. Senior receiver Austin Helwig leads Crystal City with 19 catches for 272 yards.

Seckman (2-5, 0-1) at Jackson (1-7, 0-1)

Last week: Rockwood Summit 35, Seckman 0; Poplar Bluff 45, Jackson 27

Last year: Seckman 58, Jackson 35

Class 5 District 1: Seckman, Jackson, Poplar Bluff (2-6, 1-0), Rockwood Summit (5-3, 1-0)

Outlook: The Indians must win tonight to keep alive any realistic district hopes.

A loss tonight would drop the Indians to 0-2 in district play with the prospect of facing district favorite Rockwood Summit in the finale. Summit has just three losses this season and they have come against Kirkwood, Webster Groves and Parkway Central, who combine for a 21-1 record.

Jackson enters the critical game without a pair of important two-way players. Junior quarterback Lowgn Wren (ankle sprain) and junior receiver Brannon Wright (leg injury) also missed last week's district opener. The speedy pair were the starting cornerbacks as well.

Sophomore Ty Selsor again will start at quarterback. Selsor completed 16 of 24 passes for 142 yards but also threw two interceptions against Poplar Bluff. The Indians' running game averaged 3.2 yards per carry against the Mules and has struggled most the season. Jackson averages 93 yards rushing per game and 89 yards passing.

Sophomore Colten Proffer, who had 63 yards on 11 carries last week, leads the Indians with 401 yards rushing. He averages 4.2 yards per carry.

Seckman has had a brutal schedule, also losing to the same three teams as Summit, along with Parkway North and Summit.

The Jaguars' two wins were back-to-back against Parkway West and University City.

"It's a typical Seckman team," Jackson coach Van Hitt said. "They're not a highly talented team. They're a big team and they play hard."

Both Jackson and Seckman are run-oriented teams and prefer to control the ball with long drives.

"We match up with them pretty well," Hitt said. "It just comes down to who has more determination to win."

Senior running back Blake Pepper is Seckman's top rusher with 503 yards but he may be on the shelf with a knee injury. He only had one carry two weeks ago and did not play last week against Seckman. He averages 5.6 yards a carry.

Pepper topped 1,000 yards rushing last season with a monster game against the Indians, rushing for 335 yards and five touchdowns.

Senior Jeff Dattoli, the top rusher against Summit with nine carries for 61 yards last week, and sophomore Devon McCoy have seen time at quarterback but both have completed less than 50 percent of their passes.

"They throw the ball totally out of necessity," Hitt said.

Junior Cody Tolliver leads Seckman with 17 catches for 280 yards.

Valle (7-1, 1-0) at St. Vincent (4-4, 0-1)

Last week: Valle 66, Cleveland NJROTC 12; Chaffee 42, St. Vincent 35

Last year: Valle 57, St. Vincent 8

Class 1 District 2: St. Vincent, Valle, Chaffee (5-3, 1-0), Cleveland NJROTC (5-3, 0-1)

Outlook: St. Vincent must defeat the defending Class 1 champion and hope for a Chaffee loss Saturday to remain alive in the district.

"We definitely have our hands full with Valle," St. Vincent coach Paul Sauer said. "A big key is how we respond and whether we come out and play physical like we did in the first half last week. If we don't come out and play physical, I'm afraid it could get pretty bad early. We've shown the potential that we can play with about anybody if we come ready to play."

Valle has demonstrated the ability to put away opponents early, outscoring the opposition 149-14 in the first quarter and 311-38 in the opening half.

Valle has won the last three meetings in the rivalry by a combined score of 162-22.

Both teams own victories over Herculaneum, St. Pius and Grandview. Valle defeated all three by wider margins and owns a 54-7 win against Crystal City, a team that beat St. Vincent 26-16.

Valle boasts 10 state titles and again has demonstrated its ability to reload after graduating quarterback Alex Stohl and top running back Luke Uding.

The Warriors have won six consecutive games since encountering their only loss to Class 3 rival Ste. Genevieve in Week 2.

"I don't necessarily think they're quite as strong as last year," Sauer said. "I think their line is much better than it was last year. Their skill people may not be quite as good as they were last year, but the two counteract each other. A big, strong, physical line and pretty good at skill positions. They're pretty solid."

The Warriors average 7.5 yards per rush attempt this season.

Valle's offensive and defensive lines feature 6-foot-4 Ryan Hermann at tackle. The all-state senior is one of three returning linemen in addition to 6-5 tight end Jared Bruns.

The five Valle offensive linemen average 222 pounds.

"We may have seen some bigger [offensive lines], but definitely not as athletic and physical as what these five are," Sauer said. "They're a very disciplined group. They don't make many mistakes."

Senior Michael Wehner directs the Warriors' spread attack. He's passed for 1,299 yards and rushed for 455 yards. Senior Cory Kertz leads the team with 668 yards rushing. Senior Alec Greminger and junior Trevor Klump lead the receivers. Greminger has team-high totals of 24 catches and 502 yards, while Klump has 20 catches and 414 yards.

St. Vincent senior quarterback Tim Schumer has completed 59 percent of his passes and leads the region with 1,441 yards. Schumer had a big game in last week's district opener, completing 25 of 36 passes for 301 yards. The Indians average 180 yards passing per game and 113 yards rushing.

Senior running back Derek Joggerst leads the Indians with 443 yards rushing, while Trent Elder leads a group of receivers with 396 yards receiving on 31 catches. Senior Taylor Sauer also has 31 receptions and sophomore Alex Winkler has 29.

Sean Martin, who sustained a concussion in Week 6, will see limited duty as punter and kicker. Martin was among the team's top receivers before the injury and also started in the secondary.

Perryville (1-7, 0-1) at Farmington (7-1, 1-0)

Last week: Sikeston 58, Perryville 0; Farmington 49, Central 34

Last year: Farmington 43, Perryville 7

Class 4 District 1: Farmington, Perryville, Central (5-2, 0-1), Sikeston (7-1, 1-0)

Outlook: Farmington's biggest challenge may be staying focused as a battle with defending district champion Sikeston looms in Week 10.

Farmington avenged one of its two district losses from 2010 when it beat Central last week. The Knights have scored at least 45 points in each of their last three games -- wins against Poplar Bluff, Jackson and Central.

Perryville has been on the other end of the spectrum. The Pirates have been beset by injuries and have been shut out in three of their last four games. Perryville has just six points since popping for 35 in its lone win against Potosi in Week 4.

Pirates quarterback Chris Zahner will miss his second consecutive game due to a concussion. Cody Call will start for the Pirates, who lost their top running back earlier this season.

Beyond the injuries, Perryville is the smallest school in Class 4.

"Like I told the kids, we're in a position we can't worry about Farmington. We can't worry about how good Farmington is. We have to worry about ourselves," Perryville coach Mike Wojtczuk said. "We have to make some strides to do some things right. That's basically the way we feel right now. We want to make some positive things happen for ourselves. We can't worry about what the scoreboard says or any of that other jazz.

"We've got to worry about ourselves and do some things right and start making some strides toward next season, not that we're giving up on this season by any means. But we've got to find some things to build our foundation on."

Senior quarterback Chase Busenbark directs the Farmington spread offense that averages nearly 400 yards a game. He's thrown 17 touchdown passes, completed 64 percent of his throws and tossed just three interceptions. His top receiver is senior Doug Warren, who has 26 catches for 512 yards. Kyle Hartrup and Evan Dunivan both have more than 300 yards receiving, while senior running back Connor Davault has 714 yards rushing. Davault, who averages 6.5 yards a carry, rushed for 176 yards against Central.

"They're loaded for bear," Wojtczuk said. "They're big up front and they're fast at their skill positions."

The Knights have won the last five meetings against Perryville.

SATURDAY

Chaffee (5-3, 1-0) at Cleveland NJROTC (5-3, 0-1)

Last week: Chaffee 42, St. Vincent 35; Valle 66, Cleveland NJROTC 12

Last year: Chaffee 41, Cleveland NJROTC 18

Class 1 District 2: Chaffee, Cleveland NJROTC, St. Vincent (4-4, 0-1), Valle (7-1, 1-0)

Outlook: Chaffee can lock up its second consecutive playoff appearance with a victory Saturday, if state-ranked Valle defeats St. Vincent tonight.

The Red Devils ended a playoff drought last year, making their first postseason appearance since winning the Class 1 title in 1983.

Chaffee can ensure its first winning season since 2007 with a victory. It would be just the second winning campaign for the Red Devils since 1990. Chaffee went 6-4 in both of those seasons.

Chaffee rallied from a 28-7 deficit to win its district opener against St. Vincent in dramatic fashion.

"A win like that may actually help you more than winning going away, although you'd rather win going away," Chaffee coach Charlie Vickery said. "In the long run, it may help you more."

Chaffee enters with a 1,000-yard rusher in senior Tyson Estes, who broke the barrier last week with a 247-yard performance. Estes has 1,203 yards this season and averages 7.6 yards per carry.

Sophomore running back Charlie Montgomery has continued to provide an effective changeup to Estes. Montgomery had 89 yards on 11 carries against St. Vincent, pushing his season rushing total to more than 300 yards and his per-carry average to 8.4 yards. He also leads the team with 24 receptions for 420 yards.

Senior quarterback Jordan Yahn has completed 62 percent of his passes for 986 yards.

Chaffee and Cleveland met for the first time last season after the Commanders dropped to Class 1.

Cleveland lost last year's matchup by 23 points despite piling up more yards than the Red Devils. The Commanders had more than 350 yards, led by then-freshman Michael Wells, who rushed for 149 yards on 11 carries and a team-high 71 yards receiving on two catches.

"They're really a scary type team because they're really athletic," Vickery said. "They run real well and have some good size. And we're going to be in their element. They're at home and they're playing on Saturday afternoon, which is when they play most of their games. They're a very scary team for us."

Cleveland has improved on last year's one-win campaign, but all five of its wins have come against teams with losing records. In fact, no opponent vanquished by the Commanders has more than two wins.

Cleveland had a dangerous freshman quarterback last year in Antonio Burnett, but he been moved to receiver. Senior Brandon Harrell has taken over at quarterback and completed 47 percent of his passes and is the team's second-leading rusher with 240 yards. He averages 6 yards per carry. Senior running back Dominic Ball leads the team with 322 yards rushing and 7.3 yards a carry. Wells has 181 yards and averages 5.5 yards per rush.

Junior Montez Latimore has a team-high 14 catches for 322 yards. Ball is the second-leading receiver with 187 yards, and three of his eight catches have gone for touchdowns.

Chaffee junior offensive guard Sam Howard is doubtful for the game with a knee injury.

-- Jeff Breer