Jackson finds areas that need attention

~ Farmington scores two touchdowns on the Indians

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Farmington's high-powered offensive attack exposed some weaknesses in Jackson's new defense.

The Black Knights scored a pair of touchdowns through the air against the Indians during the last session of Friday's jamboree.

"We've got a little bit of a new defense this year, and we wanted to see how it held up against their fast offense," senior linebacker Cole Rodgers said. "We got a pretty good look tonight. We still have a lot to work on. We still have some weeks until we play them again."

Jackson's defense started with a bang against Farmington when it recovered a fumble on the first play. But Farmington recovered to gain 63 yards on eight carries.

Jackson defenders Cole Rodgers, left, and Mitchell Montgomery sack the Seckman quarterback Friday during the jamboree in Farmington, Mo. (Kit Doyle)

"It's not going to be perfect once you get out here," Jackson senior defensive lineman Henrie Williams said. "They're a great team and they give you a good look. The team we play next week is very athletic, and this gives you a good look where you're at."

Jackson's offense also struggled against Farmington. The lone bright spot was a pass from quarterback Tommy Selsor to Trent Sizemore that went 35 yards for a touchdown.

"Farmington is the best team we scrimmaged against tonight," Jackson coach Van Hitt said. "We made some mistakes offensively and defensively. All of our mistakes are easily corrected. They're just coaching things. We will address those this week. We were a little hesitant."

The Indians didn't worry that Friday's performance against Farmington would taint their effort against the Black Knights during the regular season when the teams meet Oct. 2 in Farmington.

"We play a lot of football between then and now," Hitt said.

Jackson looked much sharper against its two other opponents, Seckman and Union. The Indians' defense recorded a pair of sacks and an interception against Seckman.

"We were getting pressure on the quarterback and covering up the receivers pretty good," Rodgers said.

Hitt was pleased with his team's ability to pressure the quarterback because the Indians didn't do anything special to create a pass rush.

"Our pressure came from our four down people," he said. "We didn't do any stunting. We didn't bring any linebackers. ... We went with just our base defense tonight."

Jackson's offense moved the ball with consistency against Seckman and Union despite playing without starting quarterback Bobby Clark.

"I've played quarterback before so I knew what I had to do," Selsor said. "I was nervous coming out here, the first night with the new offense and trying to get everything rolling. I settled down and felt pretty comfortable."

The Indians managed to gain yards both through the air and on the ground in their first two sessions.

"The linemen were just getting their job done," Selsor said. "When we ran the ball, they were getting to the right places and making their key blocks. We'll get better as the season goes on. We'll be there."

Hitt expects another week of practice will help his team come out ready when it opens the season Friday at home against Riverview Gardens.

"This is just a practice," he said of the jamboree. "That's how we approached it. We didn't approach it like it was the Super Bowl and wanted to come out and show we're the greatest football team."