High school football week 6: Jackson, Sikeston meet for title

Sikeston (5-0) at Jackson (4-1)

Last week: Sikeston 22, Poplar Bluff 21; Jackson 56, Central 27

Last year: Sikeston 26, Jackson 17

Outlook: For the second straight year this game likely will decide the SEMO North Conference champion.

Both teams entered with 5-0 marks last year, and the Bulldogs handed the Indians their first loss under coach Brent Eckley.

"It was a big game, and I don't think we played our best," Eckley said. "I think a lot of it had to do with how well they played and how their defense handled us. I don't know if revenge is something we're necessarily looking for -- we just want to play well."

Sikeston (2-0 in conference) is again unbeaten, but the Bulldogs have not been nearly as dominating. The Bulldogs, who have been dealing with injuries, have won their last two games by a combined eight points, struggling to put away both Farmington (1-4) and Poplar Bluff (2-3), who they nipped by just one point. Sikeston beat Farmington by seven points.

Jackson (3-0 in conference) also owns wins over both Farmington and Poplar Bluff but did so by a combined 51-point margin.

Sikeston has maintained its winning ways primarily through its defense, which has given up just 8.2 points per game. The Bulldogs allowed just six points over the first three weeks, shutting out New Madrid and Dexter. The offense is averaging 26 points.

Jackson's offense has been picking up steam and proved virtually unstoppable in last week's rivalry win over Central when the Indians matched last season's high of 56 points and battered the Tigers for more than 700 yards of total offense.

The momentum has coincided with the healthy return of senior running back Colten Proffer, who has scored six touchdowns in two games since returning from a sprained ankle. Proffer had 159 yards rushing and 84 yards receiving last week. He has 225 yards rushing on the season, which ranks third on the team. Second-leading rusher Garrett Miller (351) has been moved primarily to defense since Proffer's return.

Proffer was just one part of the big offensive numbers last week. Junior quarterback Dante Vandeven had a season-high 383 yards passing to boost his season total to 942 yards. Vandeven also had 99 yards rushing and leads the team with 485 yards. The Indians are averaging 465 yards offense per game, including 278 on the ground.

Jackson averages 38.8 points per game on offense, while its defense has yielded 21 per contest. The points-allowed total is just 13.2 in the Indians' four wins.

Senior quarterback Reese Porter leads Sikeston with 532 yards rushing (5.1 avg.) in a heavily run-oriented attack. The Bulldogs have rushed for more than 1,300 yards this season, while Reese, 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, has completed just 37 percent of his pass attempts for 236 yards. Senior Chris Word (5-10, 200) is second with 395 yards rushing (5.4), while sophomore Earnest Fobbs has 239 yards (6.5). Senior linebacker Clay Porter leads the Sikeston defense with 43 tackles.

"Their quarterback runs hard physically and the Word kid runs hard physically," Eckley said.

Eckley said Sikeston has been missing several key defensive players this season due to injury, but they are returning to health. Word, who also plays linebacker, was injured in the opener and missed the next two game and played sparingly the following two weeks, and defensive lineman Peyton Boyd (6-0, 240) has missed the last three games but is expected to play tonight.

"They've really done a good job defensively considering the kids that have been out," Eckley said. "Needless to say we're impressed with them, and we're expecting those kids all to play, and play well, so we'll have our hands full for sure."

Class 5 District 1: 1. Vianney (3-2, 41.86), 2. Jackson (4-1, 40.3), 3. Poplar Bluff (2-3, 29.3), 4. Fox (2-3, 28.1), 5. Rockwood Summit (1-4, 22.6), 6. Seckman (0-5, 13.7)

Chaffee (5-0) at East Prairie (1-4)

Last week: Chaffee 51, Scott City 16; Malden 44, East Prairie 7

Last year: Chaffee 35, East Prairie 8

Outlook: The state-ranked Red Devils are looking to match their best start in 44 years when it visits a struggling Eagles squad.

Yes, that's state-ranked Devils, as in No. 10 in Class 1. Chaffee holds that distinction for the first time since the 1980s.

"I think it's nice to get recognition," Chaffee coach Charlie Vickery said. "They understand what got them there, I think. That's what we've been talking about all week. We've just got to do the same things we need to do and take care of business."

Chaffee's spread offense continued to churn out points in its rivalry game against Scott City, topping 50 for the second time this season. The Red Devils are averaging 45 points per game.

The games between Chaffee and East Prairie over the past four years reflect the trend of the programs.

East Prairie won the three games from 2009 to 2011 by a combined 143-8 score. The Red Devils turned the tables last year with a 27-point win, part of an 0-10 season for the Eagles. East Prairie halted a 19-game losing streak in Week 2 of this season with a win over Grandview, but has lost three straight since.

"They've probably got more speed than we've seen probably since Hayti," Vickery said about the Eagles.

Vickery took note of East Prairie's loss to Scott City earlier this year. The Eagles led late in regulation before losing in overtime.

"They're capable," Vickery said. "They haven't played for four quarters against some of the other teams, but they've played some halves. I think they're very dangerous to be honest with you."

Chaffee junior quarterback Peyton Montgomery has rushed for 308 yards (7.7 ypc) and passed for 703. Senior Jimmy Golden has 445 yards rushing (6.2 avg.), while senior Charlie Montgomery has 173 (6.7 avg.). Seniors Devon Yahn and Layton Tenkhoff both have 14 catches and more than 200 yards receiving. Charlie Montgomery has a team-high 16 receptions for 187 yards.

Chaffee senior linebacker Austin Shaffer will miss this week's game with a knee injury.

Class 1 District 1: Valle Catholic (5-0, 54), 2. Chaffee (5-0, 53), 3. Thayer (3-2, 46.12), 4. St. Vincent (3-2, 44.02), 5. Portageville (2-3, 33.5), 6. Crystal City (1-4, 31.7), 7. Cabool (0-5, 25.3), 8. Hayti (1-4, 24.75)

Portageville (2-3) at Scott City (1-4)

Last week: Portageville 18, Hayti 12; Chaffee 51, Scott City 16

Last year: Portageville 46, Scott City 13

Outlook: Portageville has won this meeting the last three years after the Rams won the previous three.

Both teams have been dealt losses by Chaffee and Malden, and both have struggled for points most of the season.

Portageville, which ended a three-game losing streak last week against Hayti, scored a season-best 39 points in its season-opening win against St. Pius. The Bulldogs have totaled 50 points since. Scott City scored 33 points in its lone win over East Prairie but has totaled 37 points in its four losses.

"They're a better team than their record suggests," Scott City coach Jim May said about Portageville.

Scott City senior lineman Taylor Raines will not be available due to injury.

Class 2 District 1: 1. Caruthersville (4-1, 45.3), 2. Malden (4-1, 42.35), 3. Jefferson (4-1, 41.05), 4. St. Pius (3-2, 33.35), 5. Charleston (2-3, 32.9), 6. East Prairie (1-4, 23.5), 7. Grandview (1-4, 20.53), 8. Scott City (1-4, 18.45)

Farmington (1-4) at Central (1-4)

Last week: North County 56, Farmington 29; Jackson 56, Central 27

Last year: Farmington 39, Central 36

Outlook: It's gut-check time for the Tigers, who have lost their last two games in decisive fashion.

A week after yielding touchdowns on all six of Fort Zumwalt East's first-half possessions, Central was burned by more than 700 yards of offense by rival Jackson.

"Our backs are against the wall and we have to get out of this slump and we need to play well," Central coach Nathan Norman said.

The Tigers have yielded 103 points over the two games, which came on the heels of their lone win, a 34-13 victory over Poplar Bluff.

"We're not very good at tackling and we're not very aggressive on defense," Norman said. "We need to get better at that. ... We've been giving up a lot of points all year, and it's just something we need to get better at."

Farmington is no stranger to inflated numbers. Only two years removed from having a prolific offense of their own, the Knights are having trouble on offense and getting torched on defense. Festus rang up 70 points on the Knights in Week 1, and North County struck for 56 in Week 5. Farmington's lone win is a 33-7 win over Trinity Catholic in Week 2, but the Knights did wage a surprisingly close contest with Sikeston in Week 4 before losing 21-14.

Central senior running back Mikey Jones and sophomore receiver Al Young were bright spots in last week's loss. Jones ran for 235 yards to boost his season total to 561 (5.8 avg.), while Young had 70 of Central's 112 receiving yards on three receptions. Young has 13 catches for 352 yards and has scored six TDs.

Senior Justin Boehm, who led the Knights to a three-point win over Central last year, remains at quarterback for Farmington.

Central currently sits fifth in its district, one spot ahead of Farmington and one position out of the fourth-place spot that would keep the Tigers at home in the first round of the district tournament.

"We have to finish strong," Norman said. "We've had a tough schedule. Our opponents have been good and they've won. If we can get some wins, that will help us, and that's what we're going to shoot for."

Class 4 District 1: 1. Sikeston (5-0, 45.4), 2. Festus (4-1, 40.3), 3. Hillsboro (3-2, 37.1), 4. North County (3-2, 36.6), 5. Central (1-4, 30.4), 6. Farmington (1-4, 24.4), 7. Perryville (2-3, 23.65), 8. De Soto (1-4, 20)

St. Vincent (3-2) at Crystal City (1-4)

Last week: St. Vincent 35, Lift For Life 16; Jefferson 54, Crystal City 27

Last year: St. Vincent 28, Crystal City 14

Outlook: The Indians are looking for their third straight victory, while the Hornets look to avoid a third consecutive loss.

St. Vincent senior running back Alex Winkler has had big games the past two weeks. Winkler followed a 166-yard effort against Herculaneum by gouging Lift For Life for 211 yards and five TDs. He has 708 yards on the season, averaging better than 5 yards per carry.

St. Vincent scored a season-high 35 points last week in compiling 401 yards of offense.

"We're going to have to establish our running game and hopefully it will allow us to throw a little bit," St. Vincent coach Paul Sauer said.

Crystal City's lone win was a 35-18 triumph over Lift For Life in Week 3. The Hornets have yielded at least 41 points in each of their four losses.

Senior Dan Pulliam and sophomore Logan Groves split time at quarterback for the Hornets, and junior Keion Prater is a weapon in the running game.

Defense has kept St. Vincent in all its games with the exception of a 48-0 thumping to top-ranked Valle Catholic in Week 3. The Indians have surrendered an average of 14 points in their other four games. Senior linebacker Kevin Mattingly leads the defense with 42 tackles. Junior defensive back Cole Steinbecker has three interceptions.

Class 1 District 1: Valle Catholic (5-0, 54), 2. Chaffee (5-0, 53), 3. Thayer (3-2, 46.12), 4. St. Vincent (3-2, 44.02), 5. Portageville (2-3, 33.5), 6. Crystal City (1-4, 31.7), 7. Cabool (0-5, 25.3), 8. Hayti (1-4, 24.75)

Perryville (2-3) at Ste. Genevieve (3-2)

Last week: Maplewood 34, Perryville 12; Park Hills 17, Ste. Genevieve 14

Last year: Ste. Genevieve 48, Perryville 7

Outlook: Perryville has lost its last three games after opening the season with wins over East Prairie and Lift For Life, and a tough chore lies ahead in the Dragons.

Ste. Genevieve's two losses are to unbeaten and state-ranked squads. Crosstown rival Valle Catholic, No. 1 in Class 1, turned back the Dragons 36-28 in Week 2, while Park Hills, No. 10 in Class 3, prevailed 17-14 in Week 5.

Senior Matt Drury directs the Dragons' offense, completing 62 percent of his passes for 582 yards. Senior running back Brendan Dallas leads the team with 542 yards rushing (6.2 avg.) and nine touchdowns. Anthony Roe and Clayton Naeger both average more than 10 yards per reception.

The Pirates have netted just 12 points in its three-game skid.

Class 3 District 3: 1. Park Hills (5-0, 49), 2. Ste. Genevieve (3-2, 38.1), 3. Potosi (3-2, 35.3), 4. New Madrid County Central (2-3, 30.1), 5. Fredericktown (2-3, 29.7), 6. Dexter (1-4, 25.5), 7. Kennett (1-4, 20.23), 8. Lift For Life (0-5, 15)

-- Jeff Breer