WEEK 6 TOP 10: Cape Central slips, Scott City leaps back in

A lot of teams made waves in Week 5. Some good, some great and some bad. However, many teams stood their ground and proved a lot about themselves.

After five weeks of play, we’ve gotten to know a lot about the teams in the area and we now have a pretty good idea of what the conference standings will look like at the end of the season. With this being said, however, there’s still plenty of time left for these teams to make a statement in 2023.

Here are the Semoball Area Football Top 10 Rankings ahead of Week 6 action.

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

Jackson picked up one of its biggest wins against Cape Central in team history, defeating the Tigers at 50-0 at “The Pit.” The 50-point win is the largest margin of victory for Jackson at home in the rivalry’s 110-year history – and the Indians scored all 50 points in the first half. With the win, Jackson clinched the SEMO North Conference championship for the sixth consecutive season. Jackson has solidified itself as a top team in the state, and continues to showcase why it is the top dog in southeast Missouri.

__No. 2: New Madrid County Central (5-0, LW No. 2)__

A proving week for the Eagles, they took down Caruthersville in dominant fashion. Holding the Tigers scoreless in a 27-0 win, New Madrid County Central took a big win that said a lot more about itself than Caruthersville, being held to just 27 points but locking down a streaking Caruthersville team. Next up is Kennett, a team that has faced a relatively light schedule but has a four-win record so far. Another week, another chance for the Eagles to put their foot down against local talent.

__No. 3: Poplar Bluff (2-3, LW No. 3)__

The Poplar Bluff Mules defended their position in a big way last week, dominating the Sikeston Bulldogs on Homecoming to improve to 2-1 in SEMO North Conference play. Next up on the docket is a down Fox team before finishing conference play against the Farmington Knights, who have only lost to Jackson so far with a record of 4-1. With Jackson clinching the conference after a win against Cape Central, the Mules look primed to contend for second place against the Knights.

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

The Bulldogs have now won four games in a row. After dominating the Charleston Blue Jays, Portageville enters a tie with Kelly for the lead in the SEMO South Conference. This team continues to take big wins, and with the playoffs fast approaching, Portageville looks to continue its momentum going forward. Next against Chaffee, the Bulldogs look to build on their strong season with a big win against an up-and-up Red Devils club.

__No. 5: Dexter (4-1, LW No. 6)__

The Bearcats have put together quite an impressive season to this point. Through five weeks, Dexter has logged just one loss; after coming within two scores of New Madrid County Central, there’s little shame in this. Dexter is dominating conference play and will likely look to contend with Caruthersville and Kennett for second place in the SEMO Central Conference. That being said, next up are the Tigers of Caruthersville, who’ll look to knock off a very hot Dexter team.

__No. 6: Cape Central (2-3, LW No. 4)__

Cape Central continues to slide, this time as far down as sixth in the area. While having put together one of the best teams in the area, the squad continues to chase its preseason expectations. The Tigers fell into a 50-0 hole against Jackson by halftime, where the game stayed for a final 50-point loss. While nothing short of disheartening for a Cape Central team that was in contention for a Class 5 title one year ago, there’s still room to gain as the rest of the Tigers’ schedule is relatively smooth sailing. With a Week 6 matchup upcoming against its toughest remaining opponent in Farmington, however, Cape Central will look to fasten its seatbelts as the end of conference play quickly approaches.

__No. 7: Caruthersville (3-2, LW No. 7)__

There have been more controversial decisions so far this year than keeping Caruthersville in place after a 27-point loss. Very few expected the Tigers to contend with New Madrid County Central, a team that has big postseason expectations and a very talented class to boot. However, Caruthersville held a rampant Eagles offense to just 27 points and, despite going scoreless, faced very tough competition and held its own in one way or another. The Tigers should expect to do big things this season, and a four-score loss to the No. 2 Eagles shouldn’t dwell on anyone’s mind moving forward.

__No. 8: Kennett (4-1, LW No. 9)__

Kennett’s 36-30 victory against East Prairie saw the team take the place of St. Vincent after a week of wacky finishes in the bottom of the top 10. Taking an important SEMO Central Conference win, Kennett’s performance certainly didn’t blow anyone’s socks off, but the Indians took care of business and moved up a spot for it. The road only gets tougher from here, though. Up next are the New Madrid County Central Eagles, who continue to roll through their schedule in search of an undefeated season. It’ll be a very tough task for Kennett, but it could prove a big measuring stick for the rest of its season.

__No. 9: Scott City (3-2, LW NR)__

That didn’t take long. After briefly exiting the rankings following a highly disappointing loss against Portageville, the Rams hopped right back in with a 62-8 rout against Malden to pull back north of .500. Scott City’s schedule from this point forward is light, but a Week 6 test against the Kelly Hawks is certain to prove a lot about both teams. With any luck, Scott City’s high-scoring offense could prove a big problem for the Hawks.

__No. 10: Kelly (5-0, LW No. 10)__

The Hawks continue to win, and there’s no denying that. After another win against Principia, Kelly is 5-0, having marched through its first five games of the season without any bad marks. However, there’s a big roadblock straight ahead. The biggest game of the young season for Kelly looms as the Scott City Rams come to town. With both teams in need of a big win, the Week 6 clash between these two will have big implications for the SEMO South Conference.