HIGH SCHOOL: JACKSON MAY FLY FRIENDLY SKIES AGAINST HOWELL

Last week, Francis Howell, unable to stop the pass, gave up 52 points to Poplar Bluff.

You better believe Jackson took notice.

The Indians (8-0), who have passed the ball consistently and effectively in the last few games, may take to the air again tonight when they play host to Howell (3-5) at 7:30.

"We saw them on film and we saw them in person, one game they won and one game was close," said Gross. "Then I hear the Poplar Bluff score and I think holy smokes.

"Poplar Bluff hit a bunch of deep ones. (Poplar Bluff coach Mark) Barousse said it was one of those nights where everything went right. I'm not so sure those guys are used to traveling that far and I think Bluff got up on them and it snowballed."

With the Mules' ability to throw deep and with Jackson's opponents insistent on stopping tailback Mario Whitney, it could be another big night for tight end/wide receiver Ray Goodson, who has posted back-to-back 100-yard games.

"It's one of those things where if people want to put nine or 10 people in the box, we're not going to beat our heads against the wall," Gross said.

In Jackson's 27-0 win over Vianney last week, the Indians pulled out another formation, putting quarterback John Jackson into the shotgun on several occasions.

"It worked out good," Gross said. "It gave our quarterback more time and a bit more vision and we protected him well. We'll be prepared for a little more gun tonight."

Jackson is quietly having a good season at quarterback. The 6-foot-3 senior has completed 35 of 74 attempts for 746 yards. Goodson has caught 20 passes for 446 yards for a whopping average of 22.3 yards per catch.

Whitney now stands at 1,294 yards on 138 carries (9.4 yards per carry). He's scored 27 touchdowns, 25 of them rushing, one receiving and one on a punt return.

The Vikings, meanwhile, are a ball-control team that runs out of the wishbone. They run the ball by committee with five backs having at least 29 carries this year. Chad McGrath, the fullback, gets the ball the most. He has carried the ball 66 times for 456 yards for almost seven yards per carry.

"They like to hand the ball to their big, bruising fullback and they've got a couple of other kids they go to," Gross said. "They don't have the Corvette-style, but they have Hillsboro-type guys who hit the hole hard and spin. They will run the option, the power wishbone, they'll run traps and sweeps and run play-passes off of it. They want to control the football and move the chains."

Howell does not throw the ball well. Quarterback Tony Sargent has completed less than 30 percent of his passes this year. He's completed 30 of 101 passes for 525 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.

One thing Jackson is looking to improve upon this week is cutting down its penalties. The Indians, who had not had any glaring problems with penalties before last week, were called for 10 motion penalties.

"We'd sure like a little consistency and we'd like to eliminate the penalties," said Gross, who added that the confusion was caused when Vianney's players started hollering once Jackson went in motion and Jackson mistook the commotion with the snap cadence. "We had 10 motion penalties and that's embarrassing, but we've worked on that. We want to make sure that we don't beat ourselves."