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WEEK 14 TOP 10: Field cut to one; semifinal outlook for Southeast Missouri
It’s Week 14 of the high school football season, and we’re down to the last team standing in the Southeast Missouri area after a field of three got chopped down over the weekend.
For St. Vincent, it did everything asked in its impressive 42-0 victory over Crystal City, allowing it to enter a second consecutive semifinal this upcoming Saturday at Adrian.
For Jackson, it’s the end of another long season that nearly lasted one more week but eventually came to a close as Kirkwood rallied late to drown out the Indians’ fierce second-half attack.
For Dexter, the longest run in many moons comes to a close after a loss to Lift For Life that felt a lot closer than it ended up being as the Bearcats couldn’t answer the Hawks late.
The field’s thinned all the way down to one, but as always, we’ll give you the updates every week until there aren’t any left to give.
Here are the Week 14 updates to the Semoball Area Football Power Rankings going into the semifinal phase.
No. 1: Jackson (9-3, LW No. 1)
Jackson entered as the underdog at Kirkwood by most sources, and it looked that way for the majority of the game. Against some eccentric playmaking talent with the Pioneers, Jackson stunted at times and wasn’t able to anchor itself defensively as it has many times this year. Losing 45-35, a 10-point spread, isn’t the worst way to go out, but it’s still sure to sting with Indians fans after having led the game 28-24 in the third quarter before it all fell apart down the stretch. Nevertheless, until St. Vincent can make its stand as the top team in Class 1, there isn’t enough reason to dethrone the Jackson Indians just yet, but a victory at Adrian could change things for St. Vincent.
No. 2: St. Vincent (12-0, LW No. 2)
Had it not been for a couple of scares this season, St. Vincent might have been No. 1 right now. Nevertheless, the Indians are undefeated at 12-0 and are sprinting into the state semifinal game on Saturday against an Adrian squad that not many expected to see. Anticipating Marionville was a common belief, but against Adrian, formerly of Class 2, the Comets were blindsided and the Indians could be subject to that same treatment this weekend. Traveling over four hours to the outskirts of Kansas City, the Indians will face the best remaining team in Class 1 by most metrics, and either team is sure to be tested heading into state championship week.
No. 3: Cape Central (10-2, LW No. 4)
Cape Central was idle after a defeat to Cardinal Ritter in the district championship week, but the Tigers rise to the No. 3 position after a hefty loss suffered by Dexter to Lift For Life in the Class 3 state quarterfinals over the weekend. The Tigers put together another fantastic year, led by one of the top offenses in the area and a standout defense that helped it go 8-1 in the regular season before running into a juggernaut in Cardinal Ritter. The Lions that Cape Central lost to suffered the same fate against Lafayette over the weekend, however, as the Lancers dethroned the top-ranked team in Class 5.
No. 4: Dexter (11-1, LW No. 3)
With a very important common opponent, Dexter finishes its season ranked a spot below the Cape Central Tigers after its 50-12 loss to the Lift For Life Hawks in a road quarterfinal. The Tigers defeated the Hawks in Week 8 action by two scores, and after the Bearcats entered the halftime interval trailing by a touchdown, the Hawks took over in force and put Dexter away by 38 points, seemingly unreflective of how competitive the game was supposed to be but still indicative of Lift For Life’s late dominance. After its first perfect regular season since 1986, Dexter finishes its proud season in the quarterfinals.
No. 5: Caruthersville (10-2, LW No. 5)
Caruthersville was idle during quarterfinal action, but it wasn’t without stakes for the Tigers. Finishing their season at 10-2, the Tigers saw both losses come at the hands of Valle Catholic as the Warriors seemingly had them figured out each time. Over the weekend, Valle Catholic saw its own season come to a close as in a battle of two of the top-ranked teams in Class 2, the Warriors were unable to overcome Bowling Green as the Bobcats avenged a 22-point loss to the Warriors with an 8-point victory to advance to the state semifinals.
No. 6: Perryville (10-2, LW No. 6)
Perryville was idle for quarterfinal weekend after losing to Festus in the district championship, finishing its season at 10-2 with both losses coming to teams that are still active and competing for state championships. Most recently, the Pirates’ loss to Festus continues to reflect well as the Tigers defeated Gateway STEM 48-14 in the quarterfinals to advance to the state semifinals, with the Pirates’ other loss in St. Vincent also getting a blowout quarterfinal victory and maintaining a status as the team to beat in Class 1.
No. 7: Poplar Bluff (5-5, LW No. 7)
Poplar Bluff maintains the No. 7 position this week. The Mules were bye after a district semifinal loss against Cape Central. The winner of Poplar Bluff’s district, Cardinal Ritter, was defeated by a one-loss Lafayette squad over the weekend, marking the end of the season for the top-ranked team in Class 5 and wildly shaking up the state tournament picture. Though graduating quarterback Jay Edmunson, who guided them through a rough skid, the Mules are still expected to be a competitive team in their conference next season under new head coach Jeff Mannon.
No. 8: East Prairie (8-3, LW No. 8)
East Prairie was bye after a crushing district semifinal loss against Caruthersville, with the victor of their district, Valle Catholic, losing to Bowling Green in Class 2 quarterfinal action in a battle of two of the class’s top teams. The Eagles are clearly a work-in-progress that the people of East Prairie should take pride in, a perfect embodiment of the process idealized by coach Ian Penrod and the East Prairie staff, looking to shape the Eagles back into a powerhouse squadron.
No. 9: Charleston (7-4, LW No. 9)
Charleston was bye for quarterfinal weekend, taking a backseat to Crystal City who was upended by St. Vincent on Friday night for the Class 1 District 1 championship. Though the season ended earlier than they would have liked, the Blue Jays made a heck of a run at a district title after having won just two games the year prior. Though there’ll be some change on the roster, the new cast at Charleston left it a lot better than they found it, and the Jays are still expected to have a dog in the fight in an always-competitive SEMO South Conference and the newly-founded Scott-Mississippi Conference.
No. 10: Scott City (5-5, LW No. NR)
The Rams were bye for quarterfinal week following a district quarterfinal loss against East Prairie. Maintaining the No. 10 position after a competitive season, Scott City is still trying to find its place as a young team with pieces that are able to compete. Going into next season under Brian Beaubien in Year No. 2, the Rams are expected to turn heads with eyes back on the conference crown after a down year transitioning into a new system.