WEEK 3 SEMOBALL TOP 10: Top two teams surprise in shocking week of action

The second week of local high school football action saw a number of important scorelines. The most impressive among these, however, came from the two teams that returned to the top of the power rankings as the area powerhouses once again proved their mettle against the strong teams from up north.

As we enter week three action, we finally begin to see more local action as some of our teams begin conference play against each other. Statements have been made and teams are beginning to understand their identities as they’ve now logged two games.

This being said, here are the Semoball Area Football Top 10 Rankings ahead of week three.

Jackson junior runningback Zach Crump (No. 21, right-middle) and teammates celebrate after scoring a go-ahead touchdown during a September 1, 2023 game between the Jackson Indians and the Francis Howell Vikings at Jackson High School's "The Pit" in Jackson, Mo. The Indians defeated the Vikings, 42-35.Cole Lee ~ clee@semoball.com

__No. 1: Jackson (1-1, LW No. 1)__

The first win of the tenure of new head coach Ryan Nesbitt surely served as a statement victory for the Jackson Indians, who maintain their position as the top team in the area. Against the fourth-ranked Francis Howell Vikings, who defeated the Indians by 27 points last year, won the Class 5 state championship and returned three first-team All-State players, Jackson took a 42-35 win at “The Pit” and finally solidified their positioning as the top team in the area.

__No. 2: Cape Central (1-1, LW No. 3)__

Semoball Area Football Top 10 logo.Semoball.com

Talk about a quality loss. The Tigers entered their road matchup against the Hillsboro Hawks, one of the top teams in Class 4, as a heavy underdog following a lopsided loss last year at home. Despite all of this, Cape Central battled all the way into a 28-all draw in the fourth quarter before eventually succumbing in a 35-28 loss decided in the final minute of the game. However, any of the doubts from the opening 2-point victory against St. Charles resolved themselves as the Tigers have found their identity. With their conference-opening matchup against Poplar Bluff at home on Friday, the Tigers can pull ahead in the SEMO North Conference battle early with a victory against a tough Mules team.

__No. 3: New Madrid County Central (2-0, LW No. 2)__

There’s nothing that the Eagles can do about the performance that Cape Central put on, but after entering halftime against East Prairie trailing by two points, there’s a little bit of uncertainty on this New Madrid County Central team. While East Prairie is certainly resilient and is looking to put up quite the season itself, just about everybody likely expected New Madrid County Central to dominate the momentum from the start. You can’t fault the Eagles on this, however: a 58-32 final score shows that New Madrid County Central dominated the second half. All of this being said, there’s plenty to be told as the Eagles match up with Dexter on the road on Friday. While New Madrid County Central enters as the favorite, don’t put Dexter out of the rear-view mirror.

__No. 4: Portageville (1-1, LW No. 5)__

Portageville is coming off its second consecutive week handily covering the spread, and with a dominant win on Friday, traveling to Hayti and winning 62-6, the Bulldogs look to be one of the most improved squads of the year so far. The stage remains set for the two powerhouses of New Madrid County Central and Portageville to collide in week nine, but plenty of football is left to play. Entering week three, Portageville faces a matchup against East Prairie at home. While the Eagles have made headlines recently for stringing together a strong campaign, Portageville looks to defend home turf and seems prepared to take on East Prairie.

The Poplar Bluff High School Mules football team embraced senior Kolyn McBride after he landed the first touchdown of the night against the Valley View Blazers.DAR/D'Courtland Christian

__No. 5: Poplar Bluff (0-2, LW No. 4)__

Poplar Bluff slips from down a spot this week after yet another disappointing loss, this time against Valley View of Arkansas. For the second consecutive week, Poplar Bluff entered a matchup as a multi-score underdog and just didn’t really do much to stand out. Up-to-par is about the best that can be said for the Mules as they now stand at 0-2 entering the third week of action, next traveling to Cape Central to take on a Tigers team that is finally beginning to find its stride. With any luck, Cape Central should give the Mules a run for their money. However, nothing is keeping the Mules from finally coming out and making a statement, this time against a SEMO North Conference rival.

__No. 6: Dexter (2-0, LW No. 7)__

In two weeks, the Dexter Bearcats have outperformed all expectations and now stand as one of the strongest teams in the area. Competing against New Madrid County Central and Kennett for a conference championship, the road remains tough for the Bearcats. However, a new-look offense and one of the best defenses in southeast Missouri have put Dexter in firm position to make a run at just about anything it could possibly want to accomplish this season, and after defeating Sikeston on the road by a 22-0 margin, the Bearcats are set to host one of the area’s top teams in New Madrid County Central in week three.

__No. 7: Kennett (2-0, LW No. 6)__

This slippage has little to do with the Indians, who covered the spread against the Doniphan last Friday. However, with the strong play of conference-rival Dexter across the way, Kennett is hard-pressed to generate some momentum entering the back half of the season, in which the competition level increases greatly. With a matchup at Sikeston this week, the Indians have a chance to make a statement against one of the biggest schools in the area in the midst of a down year.

Scott City quarterback Mark Panagos stiff-arms St. Vincent safety Christian Schaaf on Friday, Sept. 1, in Scott City, Missouri.Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

__No. 8: Scott City (1-1, LW No. 8)__

No movement for Scott City, which took care of business against St. Vincent in week two after taking a 16-14 victory. The two teams seemed almost evenly matched, and while home field played a factor in the decision of the contest, the Rams knew going in that they needed the win and finished the job. Entering week three action against Hayti, the Rams have a chance to finally generate some momentum and potentially fit the pieces together as a talented offense looks to complete the schematics.

__No. 9: St. Vincent (0-2, LW No. 9)__

Two times in two weeks, the St. Vincent Indians have traveled into a tough environment in games projected to be decided by one score. In both of these circumstances, the Indians have narrowly lost and, combined, are 0-2 with a net point total of -5 after losing by three points and two points respectively. While certainly a quality loss, the Indians are in desperate need of soul-searching and could find just that in their matchup with crosstown rival Perryville on Friday.

__No. 10: East Prairie (1-1, LW NR)__

In a tough call between East Prairie and the nearby Caruthersville, the Eagles narrowly edged out the top 10 after taking an impressive loss against New Madrid County Central. While on paper losing by 26 points, East Prairie turned some heads after taking a 2-point lead into halftime against the toughest small school in southeast Missouri. With this momentum, the ceiling for East Prairie continues to grow after beginning the season ranked as the No. 16 team in the area. However, a game against Portageville on Friday plays a big role in determining what direction its season is heading in.

The 2023 Week Three Semoball Area Football Top 10, first published on September 4, 2023 by Semoball.com. Notably, Cape Central rises to No. 2 after an impressive showing against Hillsboro, while Portageville leaps Poplar Bluff to take the No. 4 position. Semoball.com