JACKSON STRIVES TO REPEAT LAST WEEK'S INTENSITY

The Jackson Indians looked like a team on a mission in their 43-14 home win over Dyersburg (Tenn.) last week.

The Indians played well in all facets of the game and elevated their intensity to a new level as they physically dominated a talented Tennessee squad.

Now that Jackson has shown its fans what it can do, it's time to show St. Louis.

The fifth-ranked Indians will take on a tough Parkway North (3-1) squad tonight in St. Louis. The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Vikings are coming off a 33-29 loss to Eureka, the sixth-ranked team in Class 4A. Before that, they beat University City 40-14, Seckman 38-0 and Northwest House Springs 22-13.

"They're pretty athletic," said Jackson coach Carl Gross. "They've got a big fullback/tailback they play who's tough. Their quarterback has some good juice and they run a lot of different formations and looks."

The key for Jackson, said Gross, is to play like it did last week every week.

"The big thing is that if we play our 'A' game, we're a pretty good football team," he said. "(Friday) night was the first time we saw that. The first three games were OK, about a C or C-plus."

"They're going to be extremely tough to beat," said Parkway North coach Bob Bunton, who at one time lived in Cape Girardeau. "They look very solid in every phase. They've got an excellent defense, a sound kicking game and we're looking to stop maybe the quickest kid in the state in (Mario) Whitney. We've got our hands full."

Jackson has shown the ability to beat teams with the run -- like last week when it had 377 yards on the ground -- and the ability to beat teams with the pass -- like when it threw the ball for more than 200 yards against Perryville.

"When you look at Jackson, you have to start with Whitney and slow him down," Bunton said of Jackson's running back who has rushed for 588 yards and 14 touchdowns in 61 carries this season. "He's going to get some yards, but we can't allow him to do against us what he did against Dyersburg and that is break off three or four long runs. We have to make him cut back which is easier said than done. We've got to shut him down and contain him. And then you hope you can control the ball and keep their offense off the field.

"You look at them on tape and there's no glaring weaknesses. Whitney's speed can't be matched anywhere. His speed compares to what we see up here. Their size is great and they should compete up here with what they have this year."

The Viking offense has shown the ability to put points on the board as it has scored at least 22 points in all of its games.

Parkway North is led by 6-foot-1, 220-pound fullback Kennan Miller, who has been moved to tailback after the Vikings' starting tailback was injured in the second week of the season. Miller has rushed for 500 yards on 53 carries this season for 9.4 yards per carry. Jermiah Reese (5-8, 155), meanwhile, has rushed for 304 yards on 46 carries.

The Vikings are playing without Steve Simms, who was one of St. Louis' leading rushers last year. Before his injury, he had rushed for 170 yards on 13 carries (13.1 yards per carry).

"That's a big blow to us," Bunton said. "We're not complaining, but any time you lose one of your good backs it hurts. He was also a kick returner, a punt returner and a corner."