Tigers will join Indians in Class 5 District 1 for football

~ Increased enrollment bumped Central out of Class 4.

The annual Central vs. Jackson football game could have more at stake in the coming years.

Central learned Friday that the school's increased enrollment has forced its football program to move from Class 4 to Class 5.

The Tigers have been placed in District 1 of that class, along with rival Jackson, which advanced to the Class 5 state semifinals last season.

The other two schools in Class 5 District 1 for the 2008 and 2009 seasons will be Eureka and Rockwood Summit. Both have won Class 5 district titles in recent years.

Chaffee, St. Vincent, Perryville and Scott City remained in the same classes and districts as the last two years.

Central did not enjoy much success in Class 4 this past fall, posting a 2-8 record. Tigers athletic director Mark Ruark said the move is a challenge that the program will welcome.

"It's very difficult when you're in the rebuilding process with your football program, like we are, to have to take a jump in class," Ruark said. "But it is what it is. So we're going to take the positive approach at it and look at it as a monumental challenge to the coaching staff, whoever that happens to be.

"Our athletes ... they are really going to have to understand that they're going to have to crank their preparations up a notch because it's going to be a monumental challenge to be in a district with traditional powerhouses like Eureka and Jackson and Rockwood Summit."

Jackson and Central tentatively are scheduled to play each other in the final week of district play.

"That's the biggest game of the year for Cape and Jackson both, and if we both would be fortunate enough to have the added challenge of playing for a district championship in that last game, what a great atmosphere that would be," Ruark said. "But also if we both would be unfortunately eliminated from the playoff picture, it still gives you something to play for in that last game."

Jackson athletic director John Martin said both schools thought it would be a good idea to have the rivalry game during the last week of the season. But he said the district manager was the one to have the final say on the date.

Overall, Martin thinks the district is competitive.

Like Central, Jackson is also without a coach as Jackson assistant superintendent James Welker confirmed Friday that Carl Gross has decided to step down. Central coach Lawrence Brookins resigned earlier this month.

"I think it's going to be a tough district," Martin said. "We've got Eureka in there and we've been in the same district with them for the past few years. It's been a pretty solid game every time we've played them. And Rockwood Summit is a tough team as well."

Eureka last won a district title in 2005 and Rockwood Summit in 2004.

Ruark said he knew it was likely that Central would move up a class because the school's enrollment numbers put it near the largest schools in Class 4 two years ago when the Missouri State High School Activities Association last reclassified the teams.

Central reported an enrollment of 1,377 to MSHSAA. Class 5 consists of schools with enrollments between 1,325 and 1,793.

New playoff system

Another change that has been made is that two teams from each district will make the playoffs.

In previous years, only one team from each district advanced to the postseason.

Class 5 has 11 districts. Therefore, 22 teams will make the playoffs in the fall of 2008.

The decision to increase the field of teams was based on a recommendation to MSHSAA by the football coaches association.

"The season is actually starting a week earlier and finishing a week earlier, and then you'll cross play your district," Ruark said. "In other words, the second-place team in District 1 will play the first-place team of District 2. And then vice versa, the first-place team of District 1 would play the second-place team in District 2 in a first-round playoff game."

After the first round, the two winners would advance to sectionals.

New competition

Central will add four new teams to its schedule next season, including new district opponents -- Eureka and Rockwood Summit.

The other two teams it will add are Farmington and Seckman.

The teams it will subtract are St. Charles, St. Charles West, Ft. Zumwalt North and West Plains.

Jackson will play six new teams. Four teams from its 2007 non-district schedule opted not to play the Indians this season -- Francis Howell Central, Parkway North, Vianney and Clayton.

Martin thinks that some of those teams decided to drop Jackson because of the Indians' success last season.

"It's to be determined whether we'll be as good as we were last year," Martin said. "That's every year. We've got some quality opponents on our schedule to help us prepare for districts. Some of the teams that played us in the past did not want to play us. And that's why we had to make the few changes that we made."

New teams that Jackson will face this season are Rockwood Summit, Riverview Gardens, Parkway South, Gateway Tech, Hazelwood Central and Farmington.