HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: JACKSON, BLUFF HOLD DISTRICT SEQUEL

It was one of the best high school football games in Southeast Missouri last year, featuring 843 yards of offense, 68 points and several huge plays on offense and defense.

It pitted the area's best quarterback against an up-and-coming, electrifying running back who was about to have his breakout game; it ended a debate of which team was the best in Southeast Missouri; it determined the Class 5A, District 1 champion and the SEMO North Conference champ and it was close until the last couple of minutes.

With the same conditions on the line in 2000, Poplar Bluff vs. Jackson The Sequel could be one year better than the original.

Poplar Bluff (6-3) and No. 3 Jackson (9-0) will play for the right to advance to the state playoffs tonight when the Mules play host to the Indians at 7:30 at Morrow Stadium.

But the coaches aren't getting caught up so much in the glitz of the game.

Their focus has been on stopping the opposing team's high-powered offense.

"They run every formation known to man with motion to everybody," said Jackson coach Carl Gross. "They'll get you on your heels and run and they'll get you coming and throw it. They're a nightmare to prepare for."

Poplar Bluff features all-state candidate Stan Revelle at quarterback, who now owns almost every Poplar Bluff passing record. This year, Revelle has completed 137 of his 247 passes for 2,105 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Last year, Revelle completed 25 of 36 passes for 290 yards against Jackson.

"We'll have to mix up our coverages enough to try to confuse him and see what happens," Gross said. "He's experienced enough to change plays. It's just going to be a cat-and-mouse kind of thing."

The Mules have shown the ability to burn teams deep, march down the field with short passes and run the ball.

"I hope (Mark Barousse) has lost as much sleep as I have," Gross said. "There'll be a couple of tired ol' dogs on the sidelines. We've spent hours watching film and trying to put the kids in the best position possible.

"We're not going to keep them out of the end zone, but we have to limit their chances."

While Poplar Bluff is a difficult team to prepare for, so is Jackson. With a plethora of talent at the skill positions, Jackson puts opponents in a pick-your-poison position.

The first player teams focus on is running back Mario Whitney, an all-state candidate in his own right. Whitney, a junior speedster who burned Poplar Bluff for 238 yards on 18 carries as a sophomore, has 1,402 yards this season on just 152 carries for an average of 9.2 yards per carry. His 29 touchdowns lead the area.

"I think (Whitney's) the best we've faced," said Barousse. "He's fast and he's got a good offensive line in front of him. He's dangerous every time he touches the ball. You've got to know where he is on the field and account for him. Anybody who runs that well, you can't make mistakes on or it's six points."

Jackson also features the best all-around receiver in the area, Ray Goodson. Goodson, who runs a 4.54-second 40-yard dash, has caught 23 passes for 564 yards for an area-leading 24.5 yards per catch.

""They've got a good player in tight end Goodson," Barousse said. "It's a real challenge for us defensively."

Ironically, Indian quarterback John Jackson has a higher quarterback rating (100.2) than Revelle (91.6). Jackson has completed 38 of 80 passes for 864 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.

In addition, fullback Brad Berry has shown he is an offensive weapon as well. Coming off a career game (10 carries, 132 yards) against Francis Howell, Berry is averaging 6.7 yards per carry this season.

"They can hurt you in so many ways," Barousse said. "He's got three or four great kids. Stopping Mario has got to be your No. 1 priority. But teams gear up to stop him and Goodson beats you. You stop that and here comes that fullback. Jackson's had some really good fullbacks in the past, but this one's got better speed than some of the others. And the other tight end (Pat McComas) is a good receiver and a great blocker."

Statistically, the two teams are pretty even. Jackson averages 350 yards per game, while Poplar Bluff averages 356.

Jackson has scored more points than the Mules and have a larger margin of victory, but the Mules have played a more difficult schedule. Two of Poplar Bluff's losses were by a combined four points and the other was a 42-21 loss to state-ranked Columbia Hickman, a game which the Mules led at halftime.

Defensively, Jackson seems to have the edge as the Indians have yielded just 8.6 points per game to the Mules' 16.

But the Poplar Bluff defense is probably better than it was last year and is every bit as unpredictable as its offense.

"They run as many different stunts on defense on defense as they have formations on offense," said Gross. "The bottom line is you have to execute and not make mistakes. You have to read your keys and trust yourself."

When Jackson is on defense, look for Goodson -- who has played most of the year at outside linebacker -- to see some time at safety.

"We're going to try to give him some space because he works best in space," Gross said. "He reads things and reacts well and he's a ball hawk. He'll go after the football. But the thing is, you're not going to beat them with one or two players. Everybody has to do their job."

Said Barousse, "I think we need to play almost perfect, but we're the underdog and we've got nothing to lose. We just have to play as hard as we can."