INDIANS AX KIRKWOOD; JACKSON WINS 5A BATTLE OF UNBEATENS 34-7

JACKSON -- R-E-S-P-E-C-T

That's what the seventh-ranked Jackson Indian football team was playing for Wednesday night in their Class 5A Sectional playoff game against No. 6 Kirkwood.

The Indians' 34-7 pounding of the previously undefeated Pioneers (9-1) should certainly get the attention of football fans around the state. The victory was the first for a southeast Missouri 5A football team since Poplar Bluff beat Kirkwood 21-0 in 1993.

The Indians (11-0) now advance to the quarterfinals where they will play on the road Monday night against Parkway Central. The Colts (9-2) beat Northwest 42-14 in another sectional contest.

But the most important aspect of this victory for the Indians was the measure of redemption they got by beating a team from St. Louis in the 5A playoffs. Last year's loss to Mehlville, and a few negative words from a St. Louis Post Dispatch writer, were still very much in the front of the Indians' memories.

"I saved that article and put it up in the locker room this week and reminded our kids we haven't gotten a lot of respect in St. Louis," said Jackson coach Carl Gross. "Kirkwood was undefeated, they had played a bunch of St. Louis football teams and we beat them pretty good."

"We were thinking about (last year's game) all week," said halfback Justin Gladish. "We wanted to come out and pay our style of football. We were pretty excited about it."

Jackson halfback Devree Flint scored twice and ran for 168 yards to supply most of the offense while Jackson's defense held the Pioneers' wishbone to just 145 yards on the ground.

Chaz Baker, Kirkwood's 1,000-yard runner entering the game, was held to just three yards in the first half before finishing with a team-high 63 yards on 11 carries. Kirkwood, which had thrown only 23 passes all season, had only 48 yards rushing in the first half as the Indians opened a 21-0 halftime lead.

"Ain't none of us real smart, but we kind of figured if we could take the run away from them and they had to beat us throwing the football we had a real good opportunity to win," Gross said with a grin. "We just loaded up (the line of scrimmage) and stopped them."

On the other hand, the Indians' offense was unstoppable. Jackson took the opening kickoff 70 yards on 12 plays with Flint ending the drive with a 6-yard run. Keen's kick failed, but the Indians led 6-0 less than seven minutes into the game.

Todd Wessel, returning to action for the first time since the Cape Central game three week's ago due to a hip injury, sparked Jackson's second scoring drive. Wessel scored on a nine-yard run, breaking free of a tackler at the 5-yard-line for the Indians second TD. Wessel also scored the two-point conversion to make the score 14-0 early in the second quarter.

"It was fun to get out there after sitting out for two games, it was fun to get out there," Wessel said. "I can't play the entire game, but (the injury) is getting better."

Justin Keen scored on a short run to make the score 21-0 with just 56 seconds left in the half. Keen's score was set up by a diving 18-yard catch by Gladish to the 1-yard-line. Gladish caught the ball over his shoulder as he dove near the goal-line.

"It was a great throw by Keen," Gladish said. "He put it right on the money to where it was me or nobody."

In the second half, Kirkwood put together its only scoring drive of the night. Baker ended a three play drive with a 32-yard score that closed the margin to 21-7 at the 10:51 mark of the third quarter.

Jackson answered that score on its next drive with a four-yard run by Flint to make the score 28-7.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Indians iced the game with a fourth-down touchdown pass from Keen to Travis Wilson for 29 yards.

"Our goal this year is not just to win the conference and the district," said Gross. "Our goal is to make noise."