JHS FACES BIG CHALLENGE WHEN SUMNER, GRIFFIN VISIT

Jackson demolished Sikeston last week 35-0 in what figured to be a much closer game going in.

With that mission accomplished, Jackson will take on a new objective this week: Operation Stud Stopper. Kickoff is at 7:30 tonight in Jackson.

The defensive game plan is simple enough. Stop Tyrone Griffin and you will most likely stop Sumner.

Here's the catch: Griffin (6-foot-1, 250) will be one of the most heavily recruited football players in the state this year and has earned national interest after rushing for more than 1,800 yards last season.

"He's a stud," Gross said of the Sumner star who rushed for 121 yards on 12 carries last week in Sumner's 13-6 loss to East St. Louis. "He looks like a bunch of different-sized shot puts built together. He can run over you and he can outrun you too. He outran the East St. Louis secondary last week if that tells you anything."

Sumner had to be reeling after last week's loss to East St. Louis. After playing almost the entire game in near-100 degree heat on Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs were defeated on a long pass play with 27 seconds left. Sumner's cornerback fell down on the play.

Jackson, meanwhile, was feeling good about itself after last week's clobbering of conference foe Sikeston.

"We were up (this week)," Gross said. "Tuesday we didn't practice as well as we wanted to. We've been fighting allergy and asthma problems, so we weren't at full strength. But Wednesday was much better."

Mario Whitney, a sophomore running back transfer from Georgia, made his debut last Friday night, running for 139 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries.

He also caught a pass for 31 yards and returned a punt 33 yards.

Whitney and the rest of Jackson's running backs will likely face a tougher defense this week.

"Their middle linebacker, I think made about 75 percent of their tackles," Gross said. "He flies to the football."

Jackson's defense, meanwhile, will have to contain both speed and size.

"Our linemen can't give up gaps," Gross said. "They run a lot of traps and misdirection. They've got a lot of weapons. They'll give it to their big back about 30 times. And then they'll try to outrun you on the misdirection with a couple of Corvettes they have back there. They have a very good scheme."

Sumner manhandled Jackson last year in a bizarre game that, at the time, Gross said was the weirdest game he had been associated with in 24 years of coaching.

Jackson led 14-0 after the first quarter and 14-6 at the half of that game, but Sumner exploded -- and Jackson imploded -- in the third quarter.

Sumner took advantage of three quick turnovers, scoring 24 points in a span of 3:41, to turn the game around and eventually beat Jackson 38-26.