2024 TOP 10: St. Vincent ends season in semifinal, Jackson goes out on top

Jackson's Tyson Ford (low) upends the runner during a Friday, November 8, 2024 MSHSAA Class 6 district semifinal game between the Jackson Indians and the Lindbergh Flyers at "The Pit" in Jackson, Mo. Jackson defeated Lindbergh, 31-14.

Cole Lee ~ clee@semoball.com

It all came down to St. Vincent as a state-contending force in Class 1, but with the Indians’ Week 14 loss at Adrian in the state semifinals, the 2024 season of Semoball football has come to a close.

With so many outstanding players in Southeast Missouri, picking out the very best this season has been a challenge, but that’ll guide us through our end-of-season rankings of Southeast Missouri’s 10 greatest teams.

Leading the charge is Jackson at No. 1 overall, finishing its season as a top-8 team in Class 6 while St. Vincent’s semifinal berth helps it to finish as the top small school in the Semoball coverage area.

There isn’t much movement this week, but we’ll recap an exciting season of Southeast Missouri football for the final edition of the 2024 Semoball Area Football Power Rankings.

No. 1: Jackson (9-3, LW No. 1)

The Indians of Jackson High finish 2024 as the No. 1 team in Southeast Missouri once again, fueled by a push that led them to eight consecutive victories and another bid in the Class 6 quarterfinals after beginning the season below the .500 mark after three weeks. There’s a lot to build off of for this young Jackson team, and the Indians are far and away expected to be the favorite within their conference and district again next season. The Indians’ Most Valuable Player for the 2024 season is a toss-up, but for now we’re giving the nod to senior safety Tyson Ford, who anchored the young Jackson secondary as the team’s top tackler while leading the squad in interceptions as well.

No. 2: St. Vincent (12-1, LW No. 2)

St. Vincent doesn’t drop in ranking going into state championship week, but the gap between Jackson and St. Vincent was identified over the weekend as the Indians’ season came to an earlier-than-preferred close for fans as they fell 21-0 to Adrian. Unideal weather conditions were the bane of St. Vincent’s season, and it was no more apparent than in a yucky suburban Kansas City semifinal that saw piercing winds, icy weather and even some early snow that derailed their offense efforts. They finish their season at No. 2 in the Semoball area, and their Most Valuable Player for the 2024 season goes to senior wide receiver-slash-defensive back John Schwartz, one of the top receivers and secondary talents in the region.

No. 3: Cape Central (10-2, LW No. 3)

Cape Central was idle after a defeat to Cardinal Ritter in the district championship week, but the Tigers keep the No. 3 position at the end of the season after a one-loss regular season propelled them to the forefront of local interest and another runner-up finish in the SEMO North. The Tigers put together another fantastic year, led by one of the top offenses in the area before running into a juggernaut in Cardinal Ritter. The Most Valuable Player for the Tigers could be debated, but Zai’Aire Thomas stood out above the rest as the senior running back rushed for over 1,000 yards while leading the Tigers in receiving yards.

No. 4: Dexter (11-1, LW No. 4)

The Dexter Bearcats put together a season for the ages, stringing together their first undefeated season since 1986 and driving forward all the way into the quarterfinal stage. There was a time that the Bearcats clawed to potentially become the top team in the area, but with such a loaded field this season, it was hard to find a time in which they truly looked to be the best of the bunch, fitting in nicely as the SEMO Central champion with some major wins as the season progressed. The 2024 season Most Valuable Player for the Bearcats goes to defensive standout Nolan Alford, a senior edge who led the Southeast Missouri region in sacks to anchor one of the region’s top defenses.

No. 5: Caruthersville (10-2, LW No. 5)

Like many this season, Caruthersville had a heck of a year that helped it finish with just one loss in the regular season, repeating that loss with a second against Valle Catholic in the district championship game. There were many teams in the same boat, but with victories against the likes of East Prairie, Charleston, Portageville and Hayti, there was no doubt that Caruthersville was the best team coming out of the Bootheel this fall. There are many Most Valuable Player candidates for the Caruthersville Tigers. Still, senior Jermonte Alexander’s talent as a wide receiver and in the secondary held him as perhaps the very best player in all of Southeast Missouri, and that two-way talent makes him a shoo-in for the top player on the Tigers.

No. 6: Perryville (10-2, LW No. 6)

After such an outstanding regular season, the Pirates finished as district runner-ups to a Festus squad that’s headed to the state championship game against Lutheran North this weekend. Defeating Hillsboro in the district semifinals, the Hawks fresh off a state title appearance themselves, the signs of progress for Perryville were more than apparent this season as the Pirates made a serious name for themselves within the district and even the state picture as a top-16 finisher. The Most Valuable Player for the Pirates this season: Barrett Wheeler, a junior running back who scored 22 touchdowns on the ground in 2024 as the anchoring piece of a dominant Perryville offense.

No. 7: Poplar Bluff (5-5, LW No. 7)

Poplar Bluff’s season was hard to strictly define, as the lows and highs were so vastly different that the Mules finished the season in a totally different spot than they began it. After starting the year 2-5, the Mules finished 5-6 with a narrow loss to No. 3 Cape Central on the road ending their season after getting walloped by the Tigers earlier in the season. New coach Jeff Mannon has a plan for Poplar Bluff, and the late-season climb has placed the Mules in a position to contend among Southeast Missouri’s greatest next year. Most Valuable Player for the Mules goes to quarterback Jay Edmundson, the first passer on the list. Edmundson led the SEMO North in passing yardage this year as the senior leader of a Mules team in search of direction, and he leaves the program in a much better spot than he entered Year 4 in.

No. 8: East Prairie (8-3, LW No. 8)

In the first year under head coach Ian Penrod, the East Prairie Eagles made rapid strides to the top of the SEMO Central, losing to Dexter but dominating the rest of the field to claim the No. 2 position behind an undefeated Bearcats squad while winning the inaugural Scott-Mississippi Conference title with a Week 8 win over Charleston. Led by Most Valuable Player Tavion Ware, the junior who led the SEMO Central in rushing yardage, the Eagles are expected to be back and even better next season with a chance at taking the SEMO Central as well.

No. 9: Charleston (7-4, LW No. 9)

Charleston’s season was a fun one, as the Blue Jays rode a two-win 2023 season all the way to seven victories in the 2024 season and a spot in the district semifinals, barely missing out on a district championship bid after a semifinal loss on the road in overtime. Though the expectations weren’t high, Charleston thrived to become one of the SEMO South and Scott-Mississippi’s top stories this year. Senior running back Trez Clark led the team with over 1,000 rushing yards, earning him the team’s Most Valuable Player rights despite a couple of big defensive names helping to hold down the back end this year.

No. 10: Scott City (5-5, LW No. 10)

It’s been over a month since the Rams last played, but that’s not necessarily the worst possible outcome. Part of a loaded Class 2 District 1 that pitted it against a big-time East Prairie team in the district quarterfinals, Scott City’s season came to an end earlier than it would have liked but for such a young squad with a bright future ahead under first-year coach Brian Beaubien, the 2024 season had some highs that the Rams could easily ride to a strong 2025. The Rams’ Most Valuable Player for the season was sophomore Jackson Gloth, who not only passed for 1,000 yards this year but also led the Scott City defense with five interceptions for the season.