WEEK 5 TOP 10: Scott City shakeup causes movement among three-way conference tie

The fourth week of the local high school football season presented some opportunities for notable movement locally, with many teams righting the ship after less exciting weeks prior.

For Cape Central, repeating as the top team, it meant a 42-6 halftime lead over Poplar Bluff that led to a major win on the road.

For Jackson, it meant finally getting right with a conference victory against Farmington with a 49-point outburst.

For St. Vincent and Dexter, it meant rolling over conference foes to prove that they belonged ranked among their respective classes’ best.

Here’s how some big moves have shaken up the rankings over the past week.

No. 1: Cape Central (4-0, LW No. 1)

Cape Central was already a big favorite when it rallied the buses and headed down to Poplar Bluff, but the way that it took out the Mules was unprecedented. Leading by a whopping 36 points at halftime, the Tigers never left a single shred of doubt on that field, taking their largest victory against Poplar Bluff since the Nathan Norman rookie campaign in 2010, a 46-point victory compared to Week 4’s 43-point, 49-6 victory in the Mule Barn. This is the best that the Tigers have looked in a long time, and for that, they have the respect and admiration of just about every Bootheel football fan, and they continue to reign at the top once again for that.

No. 2: St. Vincent (4-0, LW No. 4)

St. Vincent: Undefeated through four weeks, an undisputed state championship contender, now 1-0 in conference play. Facing off against a winless Herculaneum squad, the stakes weren’t exactly high for the Indians, but a 40-0 halftime lead feeding into an easy 47-7 victory at home made getting that first I-55 Conference victory look like a breeze. St. Vincent will continue to do that the rest of the way, with many I-55 foes looking up to the Indians in the standings. Until Week 9’s duel with Jefferson, likely the Indians’ biggest threat for a conference crown, a Week 5 clash at Hayti should be the toughest matchup for this squad left on the schedule.

No. 3: Jackson (2-2, LW No. 2)

Getting back on the right track in the home opener, re-entering the win column with a 49-point performance against the Farmington Knights, Jackson’s without a doubt one of the better squads in the area. The problem with that is with so many teams still without a loss, and with the defense continuing to present question marks with a 35-point outburst from the visitors, it’s hard to say outright that Jackson should maintain its status as the best team in the area. Even with the uphill schedule that Jackson presented itself, some signs are quite telling. Until Week 6’s duel at Cape Central, perhaps expected to be the best local game of the year, those questions will remain unanswered. Against Poplar Bluff in Week 5, though, we might just get a hint.

No. 4: Dexter (4-0, LW No. 3)

Dexter slips a spot with the rise of St. Vincent this week, but there’s still a lot to take pride in through four weeks for the Bearcats. One of just four remaining undefeateds in our coverage area, the Bearcats smoked the upstart East Prairie Eagles in Week 4, winning 36-0 to get a step closer to a conference crown. There’s a lot of hype surrounding what the Bearcats could potentially do this season, with many Class 3 rivals slipping last week, potentially leading to a rise for Dexter. As for their rank among local teams, though, the Bearcats continue to rank among the very best going into the midpoint of the regular season.

No. 5: Caruthersville (4-0, LW No. 5)

It’s always nice to be right, and if you bet on Caruthersville, you typically get that satisfaction. Facing off against Charleston in one of its first big tests of the season, the Tigers looked outstanding as they marched on by the Blue Jays, winning 34-6 against a phenomenal Charleston offense en route to a 4-0 start, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since the 2011 season in which the Tigers went an outstanding 11-2, losing to Maplewood-Richmond Heights in the Class 2 quarterfinals, a team that gave eventual-champion Lamar a serious fight in the semifinals. Does that bode well for these Tigers? Maybe so.

No. 6: Perryville (3-1, LW No. 8)

With a couple losses in front of it, plus a hefty win at Bayless to open up I-55 Conference play, Perryville becomes one of our biggest climbers entering Week 5, out to a 3-1 start with its only loss coming in a thriller against No. 2 St. Vincent. The Pirates have done nothing to show they don’t deserve to be among the very best this season, making big strides every time they’re shown even a shred of doubt. As Perryville continues to climb, so too does the schedule appear to die down in front of it. With any luck, that climb could continue as the Pirates countinue to pick up steam moving toward the postseason.

No. 7: Portageville (3-1, LW No. 6)

It’s not a big drop for Portageville after losing in Week 4 to Scott City, largely because it wasn’t a big loss. Hosting Scott City as heavy favorites, Portageville slipped down the stretch and took a 28-24 loss, but I’m not exactly sold that this says as much about Portageville as it does the Rams. Though it’s a tough one, hard to shake no doubt, the Bulldogs are still in control of their own destiny, with a chance to still claim a conference title in a loaded division with both Caruthersville and Hayti chasing, not to mention Scott City right back in the mix. Assisted by their whopping 34-6 win against Hayti, the Bulldogs retain a great spot in this week’s rankings ahead of a date at Charleston on Friday, which could spell out a lot for us in the midseason.

No. 8: Scott City (3-1, LW No. NR)

It was a knee-jerk reaction to unrank the Rams after losing at home to Hayti, but one that felt necessary after entering as such heavy favorites and seemingly falling apart. That being said, what the Rams did in Week 4 was mind-numbing. Going into Portageville and winning? That hasn’t been done since Oct. 20, 2022. Portageville seemed to have a big chip on its shoulder. For the Rams, though, that appears to be at where they play their best. Moving into a Week 5 clash at Malden, the Rams will again enter as heavy favorites, perhaps entering a place of too much comfort. The newly re-minted top-10 Rams, at their best, should have a clear shot at 4-1 entering the second half of the regular season.

No. 9: Hayti (2-2, LW No. 10)

Entering last week at the rear of the field, the Indians took an impressive win at Veritas Christian over the weekend, dropping 58 on the road to jump back into a .500 position. Hayti has brought a reputation wherever it goes this season, that being a team that’s able to air it out virtually whenever it wants. Quarterback J.C. Ford ranks among the top passers in all of the SEMO Conferences, and ahead of a Week 5 home matchup with St. Vincent, the visiting Indians should be on high alert for an air-raid threat. One of the top matchups, an all-out Class 1 brawl should present a unique opportunity for either of these teams to prove themselves.

No. 10: Kelly (2-2, LW NR)

Kelly has been starved for a victory. After beginning the season 1-0 with a victory over a better-than-imagined Charleston team that’s proved to be one of the best up-and-coming teams in the area, it took crushing losses at Scott City and at Rolla in the next two weeks. Alas, when it came time to return to Benton for a duel with Kennett, the Hawks never faltered as they crushed the visitors in a 34-18 victory that was projected to be far closer, Kelly’s first-ever game in the SEMO Central proving to be a hefty victory over a heralded Indians program. Ahead of a Week 5 clash at New Madrid County Central, it could be one more opportunity for the Hawks to get some wind under the wings entering the second half of the schedule.