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Southeast Missourian Gridiron Guide: Power-on-power matchups headline Week 3 schedule
Entering Week 3 action this weekend, there’s a lot on the line for our local schools as we quickly enter conference play and wrap up the out-of-conference slate.
After last week, with St. Vincent knocking off Valle Catholic, Cape Central continuing to dominate defensively and Scott City making a major statement against Kelly, the tone has changed for some of these squads.
This week brings us some fun new matchups, including one of the area’s top rivalries in a Mayor’s Cup matchup between the Perryville Pirates and the St. Vincent Indians.
Jackson takes on the Edwardsville Tigers in the Indians’ home opener, a matchup that Jackson has lost in each of the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, Cape Central kicks off the SEMO Conference season with a rivalry matchup against a Sikeston team on the rise.
Here’s the outlook for the new week, marking a third of the way through our regular season.
All projections are based on computer data via CalPreps and consulting staff opinion.
Sikeston at Cape Central, 7 p.m. Friday
Projection: Cape Central 42, Sikeston 7
This was once billed as one of the top rivalries in all of Southeast Missouri, and for good reason.
Sikeston, a “sleeping giant” of sorts, has let this series sleep away in the past few seasons, but new management and some tough athletes could always turn this one around.
Regardless of hypotheticals, Cape Central is the real deal, and there’s no disproving that. Back-to-back shutouts have the Tigers at 2-0 after two weeks, and a favorable schedule should see that stat only improve.
On top of entering the season with an elite offense, the defense has been everything the Tigers could have hoped for and even more.
Under coach Jim May, Sikeston could bring some juice into this game that could be a little bit offputting after a breezy first two weeks for Central, but the Tigers still enter as a big favorite.
In fact, if the Bulldogs aren’t careful, they could fall victim to Cape’s third consecutive shutout to open up the season.
Chaffee at East Prairie, 7 p.m. Friday
Projection: East Prairie 35, Chaffee 7
It’s been a rough go at it for Chaffee the past two weeks, facing two teams that were well within its wheelhouse last season but both resulting in unfavorable losses.
Now, entering its third matchup against the East Prairie Eagles who got back to .500 with a win over New Madrid County Central last week, it’s another uphill battle for the Red Devils.
Against Charleston last week, Chaffee again couldn’t muster up an offensive point, making it now two weeks with just one defensive score, a safety against Grandview in Week 1.
Ian Penrod’s Eagles are anything but a slouch, now averaging just 24-and-a-half points against while facing some of the Bootheel’s better small schools over the past two weeks.
For Chaffee, this is an important measuring stick above all else. East Prairie shares a wealth in common with the Devils, including membership in the newly-formed Scott-Mississippi Conference.
While Chaffee enters as a major dog in this game, coach Jack Altermatt’s guys are still looking for a chance to make a name for this year’s squad, and this could be the moment.
Edwardsville at Jackson, 7 p.m. Friday
Projection: Jackson 27, Edwardsville 14
This has been the measuring stick in each of the past three seasons for Jackson, and these two will play each other again next year just for good measure.
Last season, Jackson went into Edwardsville and lost on the Tigers’ final drive to break a 21-all game wide open in the final minute.
The year before, the Tigers ended a six-year winning streak at home for the Indians in a 42-35 overtime victory to punch a hole through the hearts of Jackson fans after the Indians built a big lead earlier in the game.
Now, with Edwardsville entering this matchup without quarterback Jake Curry, now a Southern Illinois Saluki, the common ideology is that this is a totally different Tiger team.
One of the biggest storylines will be the return on senior edge Iose Epenesa, who’s been a major disruptor for a while now. He’s committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes, a fitting place for someone of his talent.
Against Cahokia last week, the Indians had a tough time holding onto the ball in the second half, which kept them from scoring any offensive points in the second half.
If they can catch some of that first-half magic in a bottle, which helped them score 42 points en route to a 49-26 victory over the Comanches, this one should pan out well for Jackson.
Expect an electric atmosphere from “The Pit” on opening night, but just know that Edwardsville knows that feeling better than most teams that the Indians will face this season.
St. Vincent at Perryville, 7 p.m. Friday
Projection: St. Vincent 35, Perryville 7
Let’s keep it simple: St. Vincent marched into Ste. Genevieve, essentially smacked the Valle Catholic Warriors in the face in a 24-7 victory and are now one of the top teams in Class 1.
Perryville’s had a heck of a season so far, and it’ll only continue to get better with a schedule that doesn’t really show much of a sign for losses the rest of the way.
But in a battle between two rivals that Perryville hasn’t won since 2017, the current vibe is that this trend will continue as St. Vincent snowballs through its schedule.
Quarterback Nick Buchheit picked up right where Christian Schaaf left off, slinging the ball at an elite level for the Indians as they steamrolled right by Valle last weekend.
With a speedy receiving corps that will keep you on your toes all game long, St. Vincent is a serious threat not only locally but as a potential Class 1 state champion.
The good news for Perryville is that it brings a strong defense into this matchup that could help to slow the Indians down, and the offense is on an uptick after a strong showing versus DeSoto in Week 2.
It’ll take an effort unlike any other for Perryville to pull off the win here, and for that, the Indians enter this one as clear heavy favorites.
Hayti at Scott City, 7 p.m. Friday
Projection: Scott City 42, Hayti 0
There’s nothing quite like breaking out your weapons against a team that you’re able to experiment against and get a good idea of your team dynamic.
Scott City’s faced tough, tough defenses in the first two weeks in East Prairie and Kelly, showing clear signs of improvement but still looking for a breakout.
Against Hayti, a team with just three wins since the 2021 season, there’s a wide-open opportunity to turn some heads at home.
Quarterback Jackson Gloth has shown that he’s up to the task so far, but with just 57 passing yards through two weeks as running back Rustyn Underwood has taken over on the ground, he’s yet to truly air it out.
Moving into this matchup, it’s a chance to open up that passing game, with a plethora of receiving options that could make their mark this week.
That, or perhaps Underwood could just take over the game himself and have one of those nights we’ll never forget.
Whatever the plan is for Scott City, this is one that isn't exactly projected to be pretty. In Year 1 under coach Brian Beaubien, he’s got a chance to go 3-0 this week, and his Rams should take full advantage.
Kelly at Rolla, 11 a.m. Saturday
Projection: Rolla 28, Kelly 14
After their crushing loss at Scott City last weekend, falling apart in the second half after a 1-point halftime deficit turned sour, the Hawks are looking for redemption.
Against the Rolla Bulldogs in a Saturday morning matchup up north, Kelly provides itself an opportunity to get back on equal footing against a team in a similar boat.
The 1-1 Bulldogs took a gritty loss to Festus in Week 1 before winning at Hillcrest last week, and Rolla’s home opener brings in a Bootheel team still looking to make its statement win this year.
The Kelly offense that received so much preseason hype has still yet to have its moment in the sun, and going into Rolla, this is a major chance to do some proving.
As a two-score underdog at Rolla, the Hawks aren’t projected to have that kind of day just yet.
Then again, neither was St. Vincent until it went on the road and punched a major state power in the mouth to put itself on the map. For Kelly, the formula could be similar.