HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: ST. VINCENT VS. SANTA FE: 26-0

Their defenses have been as unforgiving as Astroturf.

Their offenses have soared through the roof.

And their special teams have been as steady as the temperatures inside the TransWorld Dome.

What else would one expect from the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the state?

Top-ranked Alma-Santa Fe and No. 2 St. Vincent will play for the Class 1A state football title at noon today at the TWA Dome in St. Louis.

"I think the community is more excited than the kids are," said St. Vincent coach Keith Winkler. "Everybody is happy we're going to the dome, but we still understand this thing's not finished. It will take a lot of hard work and determination because Santa Fe is going over there with the same motivation."

Both teams enter the Show Me Bowl with flawless 13-0 records.

Santa Fe comes in with some eye-popping figures. The Chiefs, except for a 21-19 win over South Harrison last week, have totally destroyed every team in their path.

On average, Santa Fe has outscored its opponents 47-6. The Chiefs have scored at least 50 points in six of their games. They have rushed for 2,300 yards and thrown for 1,300 yards.

But Chiefs coach Bill Fox admitted the I-70 Conference was down a little bit this year, though traditionally it is a tough conference.

St. Vincent has arguably played a tougher schedule, going against several 2A and 3A foes. And though the Indians' statistics may not be as impressive as Santa Fe's, the results have been the same. St. Vincent, save for a 22-16 win over Hayti in the district championship game, has dominated in the playoffs. Last week, the Indians held fourth-ranked Adrian to just 65 yards of total offense en route to a 24-7 victory.

Winkler thinks the two teams will match up pretty evenly in terms of speed. But, like in most games they've played this year, the Indians will play with a size disadvantage.

While St. Vincent's biggest lineman is about 210 pounds, Santa Fe has two linemen who weigh 260 pounds.

"It's one of the smallest lines I've had in several years," said Fox, whose team is making its third final appearance in the last five years, but is still looking for its first state title. "We've got some big farm kids here. They eat a side of beef for breakfast. We have some horses, a fairly large and agile line."

In the trenches, Fox believes, is where the game will be won or lost.

Behind the line is talented running back Bobby Boothe, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior. Boothe has rushed for 1,430 yards and 31 touchdowns.

"And that's Bobby Boothe 12 times a game," Fox said. "He could probably have 3 or 4,000 yards if he would've carried the ball 20 times."

"He's a nice, nice runner," said Winkler. "They run the ball well. They try to bring it at you and say Here it is, now stop it if you can.'"

Fox is equally impressed with St. Vincent's personnel.

"They do everything well," said Fox. "They're very well balanced offensively, quick off the ball, and have good speed. And they're opportunistic. If you make a mistake, you've got a problem. Their quarterback, (Jonathan) Paulus, has good quickness and is a good passer and he's got two good receivers that pose a problem for the secondary."

Santa Fe, likewise, has two big receiving threats in Joe Michael (24 catches, 592 yards) and Steve Boland (26-627). Michael, a junior, has been an all-state receiver since his freshman year.

"He's 6-4 and has great hands," Fox said. "He's a vacuum cleaner."

For St. Vincent, field position is a key.

The Indians, with two-time all-state kicker Derek Kutz, will likely have the advantage there as Kutz has been phenomenal in the punting department as well, averaging nearly 40 yards per punt. All five of Kutz's kickoffs resulted in touchbacks Saturday and Adrian's average start was inside the 20.

Santa Fe punter Michael has averaged 35.9 yards per punt this year, but the Chiefs' kicking has been somewhat suspect. The Chiefs have missed all three of their field-goal attempts.