WEEK 9 TOP 10: Portageville takes conference crown, Perryville makes debut

Portageville officially cemented its place as the SEMO South champion in Week 8, defeating Kelly handily and rounding out the three SEMO Conference champions before the slate of regular-season finales begins.

With the biggest area game of the year on the horizon, with two conference champions doing battle in New Madrid, there are some big games on the schedule for Week 9.

Here are the Semoball Area Football Top 10 Rankings ahead of the final week of the regular season.

__No. 1: Jackson (7-1, LW No. 1)__

Pound for pound, Jackson may have taken its biggest win of the season in Week 8 with a dominant 48-20 victory against the Holt Indians. After losing to the same team last year, Jackson brought Holt into “The Pit” and emerged with a signature win. Far and away the most battle-tested and battle-proven team in the area, Jackson’s final test of the regular season comes on the road as the Indians travel north to take on Festus, one of the top teams in its respective area. Still trailing Seckman for the top district seed, there’s little Jackson can control except how it compares to a tough Tigers team.

__No. 2: New Madrid County Central (8-0, LW No. 2)__

New Madrid County Central fended off Sikeston in one of its closest matchups of the season, which is rather telling considering the Eagles won 53-29. After taking down a SEMO North opponent, the Eagles now move on to their biggest test of the season coming from the SEMO South. Portageville’s seven consecutive wins continue to bat heads as one of the season’s most anticipated matchups is on the horizon. Week 9’s battle between the Eagles and the Bulldogs is perhaps the most exciting area matchup of the year, with the SEMO Central and SEMO South champions duking it out for little more than bragging rights in both teams’ final matchups before postseason play.

__No. 3: Portageville (7-1, LW No. 3)__

Portageville might just be the area’s darling team. As the Bulldogs continue to roll through their schedule, a conference championship is officially locked after a big win against Kelly in Week 8. The Bulldogs are favored to make a deep run in the Class 1 State Tournament, but there’s still business to take care of first. Facing off against the undefeated New Madrid County Central Eagles on the road, Portageville has a shot at knocking off the top small school in southeast Missouri.

__No. 4: Poplar Bluff (5-3, LW No. 4)__

The Poplar Bluff Mules continue to roll through the back half of their schedule, taking down the Kennett Indians for the Mules’ annual “Pink Out” night. With a 42-7 win over one of the bootheel’s premier teams, Poplar Bluff continues to roll. However, because of MSHAA seeding formulas, Poplar Bluff currently holds the second seed in Class 5 District 1 to a familiar foe in Cape Central. What could change this, you might ask? A win against the 7-1 Hillsboro Hawks at home in Week 9 could do the trick.

__No. 5: Cape Central (5-3, LW No. 5)__

The Tigers made the trip up to DeSoto in Week 8, mounting a big lead early and holding on for a 51-21 victory. Cape Central chalks up its third consecutive win and is heavily favored in Week 9 against a 3-5 Potosi team for the Tigers’ senior night. The Tigers continue to build momentum heading into the postseason, which is a familiar motif for those who followed the team as it rolled into the playoffs last season. The difference for 2023 is that the Tigers have taken over the top seed in their district before the last week of regular season play because of some strong regular season results.

__No. 6: Scott City (7-2, LW No. 7)__

Scott City’s matchup with Charleston didn’t exceed expectations by any means, but a 55-20 final proves that the Rams are everything they’re made out to be. Jumping a spot after a big Dexter loss in Week 8, the Rams’ regular season draws to a close as they’ll be bye in Week 9 because of Doniphan’s forfeiture. Moving toward the future, the Rams are currently projected to finish third in Class 2 District 1 seeding, which would set up a postseason matchup with East Prairie.

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

Dexter became the latest area team to fall to Park Hills Central, losing 44-10 on the road to the Rebels who, after losing three straight games through the middle stretch of the season, have since rebounded with two big wins against Fredericktown and now Dexter. The loss is just the second of the season for the Bearcats and the first since a Week 3 marker against New Madrid County Central. However, Dexter has a chance to regain its footing in Week 9 on a senior night date with the 0-8 Malden Green Wave.

__No. 8: St. Vincent (5-3, LW No. 8)__

St. Vincent’s 23-point win against Grandview made it three consecutive wins for the Indians, who continue to climb the ladder after a tough start to the season. Beginning the year at 0-2, then 2-3 and now well over the .500 mark, the final test of the regular season is a big one as the Indians play host to Jefferson, who comes into the matchup at 7-1. The Blue Jays defeated Perryville 28-26 in Week 6, and lost their undefeated season in Week 8 with a 49-7 loss to Ste. Genevieve. St. Vincent looks to unseat the Blue Jays in Week 9 to give them their second straight loss.

__No. 9: Caruthersville (5-3, LW No. 9)__

Caruthersville’s big 53-20 win against East Prairie solidifies all belief about the Tigers for 2023. Despite not being the top team in the region, Caruthersville has taken care of business when necessary, having only lost big games to Park Hills Central, New Madrid County Central and Dexter so far, some of the area’s top talents. They’ll round the regular season out with Hayti at home when the Tigers look to go into the playoffs on a high note and a three-game winning streak.

__No. 10: Perryville (4-4, LW NR)__

Perryville makes its season debut in the rankings, defeating Herculaneum 50-0 last week to climb back to .500 on the season. While the Pirates have certainly lost their fair share of games, a tough season schedule has seen them compete in a number of close losses. Perryville has been teetering on the edge of the rankings for a few weeks now, but a decent showing against New Madrid County Central and a big win against Herculaneum pushed the Pirates into the top 10. Next up is a home matchup with St. Pius X to end the regular season.