IMPROVED CHAFFEE TEAM RUNS INTO STATE RUNNER-UP IN DISTRICT OPENER

Ask any football player from Scott City. Ask any football player from Malden.

They'll tell you: Chaffee isn't a walkover anymore.

But the relentless Red Devils (3-4) -- who have played surprisingly well this season, especially when considered an underdog -- will be against huge odds again this week as it takes on St. Vincent in the first of three games in the Class 1A, District 1.

The Indians (6-1) are currently ranked No. 2 in Class 1A and advanced all the way to the state finals last year.

Chaffee, meanwhile, is perhaps the most improved team in the area over last year and seems to get more and more dangerous as the weeks go by."We like the fact that many people don't give us much of a chance and we like proving them wrong in the end," said Chaffee coach Allan Horrell. "But as the season goes along, I think people are saying `hey, we've better give these guys a chance.'"The Red Devils, who went 1-9 last season, played Malden -- the only team to beat Scott City this season -- down to the wire last week in a 19-12 loss. Chaffee also played Scott City tough. The Red Devils were down just 7-0 at halftime before the Rams wore them down 28-0."They're much improved in terms of their record and what we've seen on film," St. Vincent coach Paul Sauer said. "I think they've got a pretty solid running game and can throw the ball a little bit. They've got good balance and some good speed. We're just going to concentrate and try to pick up where we left off last week. We need to get our offense going early and play good, solid defense."But St. Vincent boasts a defense as tough as any Chaffee has seen this year, holding opponents to 53 points in seven games."They don't do a lot of different stuff, they're just very good at what they do," Horrell said. "The key to them is scoring on their defense. Defensively, they've pretty much shut everybody out. They're probably one of the most fundamentally sound teams that I've seen."And the Indians' offense has recently erupted. Last week, St. Vincent scored its most points in 20 years when it knocked off Grandview 61-13. In its last three games, St. Vincent has averaged 39 points per game.

Chaffee ripped Grandview 33-14 in the season opener.

Scott City at GrandviewAt this point in the season, Scott City is on cruise control.

And the Rams will likely leave Grandview in the dust tonight in the Class 2A, District 1 opener."We think we're in overdrive right now," Scott City coach Roy Williams said. "Every part of our game appears to be where we want it."The Rams have shut out three of their last six opponents, outscoring them 228-19.

On the flip side, Grandview (2-5) is coming off a 61-13 loss to St. Vincent.

Fredericktown at DexterOf all the districts in the area, the Class 3A, District 1 is the only one with four winning teams.

All four teams seem to have a chance to win it, including Fredericktown, whose three losses have all come to state-ranked teams.

The Black Cats (4-3) are coming off a 42-21 loss to North County, the No. 2 Class 4A team in the state. Dexter is 6-1, but has played a much easier schedule than Fredericktown and won one game by forfeit. The Bearcats defeated Caruthersville 42-13 last week.

Perryville at WindsorIt has been a long year for Perryville, but despite its 2-5 record the Pirates have a legitimate shot at winning their district.

Perryville begins its playoff quest tonight when it hosts Windsor (3-4).The Pirates and the Owls have one common opponent. The Pirates defeated Festus 42-6 and Windsor beat Festus 24-21.

Perryville suffered a 20-7 loss to John Burroughs last week, while Windsor lost 13-6 to Lutheran South.

Charleston at Crystal CityA pair of one-win teams will do battle tonight in the Class 2A, District 2 opener.

Crystal City is 1-6 and is coming off a 55-0 drubbing to Herculaneum.

Charleston (1-5) had an off week last week. Two weeks ago, it lost 6-0 to Dexter.