INDIANS LOOK FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

Anyone who is a backer of Jackson football this season has Oct. 29 marked on their little wallet-sized schedules.

One week from tonight is when quite arguably the two best teams in Southeast Missouri, Jackson and Poplar Bluff, hook up in what figures to be the large-school Game of the Year in these parts.

But first things first.

For Jackson, the Game of the Year may not have playoff implications if it doesn't handle Vianney tonight (7:30 kickoff at Vianney) in the first of three Class 5A, District 1 contests.

Vianney comes into tonight's game as an underdog with just a 2-5 record against the 6-1 Indians. But this underdog has vicious teeth.

Last week, the Golden Griffins took a chunk out of the second-ranked team in Class 3A, falling just 17-16 to St. Francis-Borgia."They, to be real honest, are quite a bit better than what I thought they would be and what I heard," Jackson coach Carl Gross said after seeing the team on film. "On defense they line up in three different formations so you have to be ready for all of those."On offense, they run a lot of option and then misdirection. And then they do their scoring by throwing the football. They have a lot to defend."They may have a lot to defend, but offense doesn't appear to be Vianney's strength this season.

The Golden Griffins haven't scored more than 17 points in a game this year. Needless to say, the two games they have won -- a 17-14 victory over Lindbergh and a 6-0 win over Chaminade -- have been low-scoring affairs.

None of Vianney's skill players have put up eye-popping numbers and any one of three or four backs could carry the ball.

Vianney plays a brutal schedule which includes Catholic-Metro League foes Christian Brothers College and St. Louis University High, two of the best teams in St. Louis and two of the best teams in the state. They were blown out in each of those two games.

Jackson, meanwhile, has played two of the worst teams from St. Louis, Beaumont and Soldan, in the last three weeks.

That said, Jackson could be in for its toughest test since falling to a tough Dyersburg, Tenn., team 26-14 in Week 4.

But with three straight wins with at least a 15-point margin of victory, Jackson is as healthy and prepared as it has been all season.

Last week, Gross, knowing the Indians would blow out Soldan, had his team practice at a two-a-day level in preparation of these last three district games."We're going to add a wrinkle or two," said Gross. "Nothing major, but we've done some things in practice to keep the kids sharp and to give them some more things to work on."Aside from fullback Jason Schuller's nagging arch injury, the Indians are at full strength.

Jackson sophomore phenom Mario Whitney will return for this game after missing last Friday night with a cut near his eye that he suffered over the previous weekend.