SILENT INDIANS TUNE IN SOLDAN

The music's over for Jackson.

After a 28-0 loss to Belleville-Althoff last week dropped the Indians to 2-4, Jackson coach Carl Gross moved to make his locker room, his bus -- anywhere his players prepare for a game -- a more reflective place.

"Some things have changed," Gross said. "There won't be any headsets or CD's anymore. They're not going to be spending their time comparing the music they're listening to."

Jackson will take the quiet approach into tonight's 7:30 home game against Soldan.

The Indians are practically an honorary member of St. Louis' Public High League this year. They already have a loss against PHL-leading Sumner and a win over Beaumont.

Soldan is winless, including a 28-14 loss to Beaumont, and is at the bottom of the PHL this year.

"It's not rocket science with them," Gross said. "They have speed. They're not going to have a 14-play drive and take nine minutes off the clock. They might go three downs and out, three downs and out and one time they line it up and take it all the way."

Soldan uses various formations -- split wishbone, power I and shotgun -- and tries to take advantage of its speed. Defensively, they play 5-2 and 6-1 fronts with a cover-two secondary scheme.

The Indians will try to get back to running the football, something they were doing effectively before last week's debacle. Todd Wessel, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards this season, missed the game due to injury, and Ryan Propst played sparingly for the same reason.

In their absence, Chris Freeman, Jackson's quarterback at the start of the season, was the Indians primary ballcarrier and played admirably in stifling conditions.

"It's really hard to run the football when you take two steps and get hit by three people," Gross said.

Tonight, the Indians will play without Wessel and Propst for the second straight week.

Jackson's desire to play will determine whether it blows out Soldan or gets caught in a game. Last week, the Indians suffered a mental letdown.

"It kind of looked like we went up there for a picnic on the grounds," Gross said, "and a football game broke out, and we didn't want to play.

"I hope we get a little pride back. If we're focused, we ought to take it to them. If not, we're going to be in a dogfight."