Week 9 Top 10: East Prairie wins decisively; Poplar Bluff returns

Last week didn’t provide too much opportunity for movement in Southeast Missouri, with many teams defending their status against not-so-great opponents.

The only big movements came at the bottom of the board, with East Prairie and Charleston’s explosive matchup finishing strongly one-sided as the Eagles continue to vault forward.

After a strong showing for the Mules of Poplar Bluff, a third SEMO North team returns to the list after a dreadful start that is slowly being salvaged in the back end of the year.

In light of St. Vincent’s reclamation of the Class 1 No. 1 crown in the media poll, the Indians of St. Vincent along with the Indians of Jackson fame continue to reign top-two in this week’s poll.

Here’s the full block for your Week 9 Semoball Area football power rankings.

No. 1: Jackson (6-2, LW No. 1)

Jackson looked comfortable against Miller Career over the weekend, building a 36-point halftime lead and even getting to flex that depth once again as the second unit outscored the hosts 13-8. That unit even got an interception out of freshman cornerback Memphis Mattox. Jackson’s résumé continues to rise, assumedly right on the brink of receiving Class 6 consideration yet again as a team in the running for respect, but in a district with undefeated Seckman, that’s hard to come by. In a Week 9 game against Festus, Jackson will look to notch one of its top wins of the year against a tough Tigers team in just its third home game of the season.

No. 2: St. Vincent (8-0, LW No. 2)

St. Vincent is a program with a history of success in the state picture, including a 2004 state championship which the Indians are currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of, and it’s never been more evident than this week now that the Indians have reclaimed the No. 1 position in the Class 1 media rankings. The Indians have their eyes fixated on a Quad County Conference title right now, but in just a week’s time it’ll truly shift to the ultimate goal: a state championship. Just six years ago, Hayti accomplished that feat at the Class 1 level, and now St. Vincent is in a position to represent Southeast Missouri at the highest stage once more. For that alone, of course the Indians are a shoo-in for one of the top positions in the area.

No. 3: Cape Central (7-1, LW No. 3)

Fresh off its best victory of the year, Cape Central is… not moving. In fact, the Tigers were really a toss-up with Dexter at the No. 4 spot because the Tigers and Bearcats both defeated opponents of nearly the same caliber, each by roughly the same amount. Cape Central hasn’t faced the most talented schedule this year by any means, but the 7-1 Tigers continue to rank among the state’s top Class 5 schools. Going into the final week of the regular season, there’s still a great air about Cape Central as it prepares to host Kennett for “Pink Out” night at Tigers Stadium.

No. 4: Dexter (8-0, LW No. 4)

It’s hard not to creep Dexter up here, but it just felt like the win against Park Hills Central could’ve been more when you look at other matchups such as St. Dominic and Valle Catholic making much bigger statements against the Rebels. That’s not to take away from Dexter’s win though. This is a major statement win for the program. Dexter is among the top schools in Southeast Missouri, and it should be nothing but a good sign that the Bearcats have entered the “could’ve won by more” category. The big leagues have embraced Dexter, and that’s why it’s ranked among the top Class 3 schools. Who knows, maybe a big postseason run is ahead as the regular season nears its conclusion. There’s certainly potential.

No. 5: Caruthersville (7-1, LW No. 5)

Caruthersville’s rise to become one of the top SEMO South programs has been meteoric, and that includes the climb that shot it up and over the likes of Portageville which was quite evident as the Tigers dispatched the Bulldogs this past weekend in a 55-20 victory. The Tigers are ranked No. 7 in Class 2, and have high hopes of doing damage in the postseason. Their only loss came to a team now receiving first-place votes in Class 2 as the road trip to Valle Catholic turned sour, so the future is quite bright. Though an upset to escape Class 2 District 1 would be quite difficult, anything is possible in the playoffs.

No. 6: Perryville (7-1, LW No. 6)

Perryville beat the spread over the weekend, thrashing Herculaneum to now make it five wins in a row as the Pirates have seemingly jumped out of their shoes compared to last year and have exploded onto the Class 4 scene. I’ve said it time and time again: This squad has potential to compete in Class 4 District 1, no matter what the state rankings say. One last game at Cuba for Week 9 separates the Pirates from entering a prove-it postseason against some of Jefferson County’s finest fighters for a district plaque.

No. 7: East Prairie (6-2, LW No. 8)

East Prairie, if anything, is quite unlucky to only be ranked seventh this week. The Eagles beat the brakes off Charleston last week to claim the Scott-Mississippi Conference title in its inaugural season, and it signaled a much greater change as the Eagles have gone from a three-win squad the year before to a conference-contending threat that might even have a shot at cracking the rankings before too long. Week 9’s home finale against Fredericktown will make for a fun measuring stick, as the Blackcats enter with a competitive 3-5 record. With a win, it’d be the perfect finish to a flattering regular season as East Prairie loads up for a deep, deep Class 2 District 1 scene.

No. 8: Charleston (5-3, LW No. 7)

It’s been a story of highs and lows for Charleston this season, dictated largely by its own expectations. Entering the season with a loss to Kelly that hasn’t aged spectacularly, the Blue Jays haven’t been too marred with wins over Scott City, Portageville and Hayti, but what happened against East Prairie cannot happen in the postseason. That being said, Class 1 District 1 is wide open, and it’s ripe for the taking as the Blue Jays eye, at the very least, a spot in a district final that would effectively be an MSHSAA quarterfinal. They’ll have one last opportunity to right the ship for the postseason in a Week 9 rivalry clash with Sikeston, which should be an exciting competition on both sides of the football now that the Bulldogs are fresh off a walloping of New Madrid County Central.

No. 9: Scott City (5-3, LW No. 9)

Winning streak rekindled, but for how long? Scott City overcame a slow start against Chaffee to get a blowout victory over perhaps its biggest rival. But next on the schedule is the intimidating Dexter High School that’s ranked third in Class 3 and still undefeated, eyeing an undefeated regular season on its own home turf. The deck is stacked against the Rams, but they claim that’s where they play best. Regardless, Scott City’s wishy-washy regular season included some highlight wins in East Prairie and Portageville, but some consistency will be a necessity for the upcoming postseason as a part of such a talented Class 2 District 1.

No. 10: Poplar Bluff (3-5, LW NR)

Unranking Poplar Bluff was a decision that’s hard to justify without specific circumstances, but that’s been the case for the past month or so. Regardless, Poplar Bluff is starting to find its foothold after a blowout victory against Kennett in Week 8, and having won two of its past three games, with the one loss coming to a strong West Plains program in overtime. Not trying to find excuses for these guys, but here’s the deal: When you’re one of the biggest programs in the Bootheel, it’s hard to stay off this list, and for now, it’s a return to form for the Mules.