Starting Friday, all prep football roads lead to Faurot Field at the University of Missouri in Columbia, site of the state championship games across six classes of 11-man as well as the single-class 8-man format.
Friday kicks off district tournaments, the first steps of the postseason journey.
The 12 high schools in Jefferson County begin the playoffs still in search of the county’s first state championship. Class 6 holds its state title clash on Nov. 26. The 8-man final is Dec. 1, and Classes 1-5 are Dec. 2-3.
In 2020, Jefferson finished second in Class 2. That same COVID-troubled year, Fox lost in the Class 6 semifinals.
Hillsboro enters the Class 4 District 1 tournament at 8-1 and the Hawks hold the only top seed among county teams. That earns them a bye and a home game on Nov. 4 against either No. 4 Farmington (3-6) or fifth-seeded Perryville (3-6).
Hillsboro has won the last two Mississippi Area Football Conference Red Division titles and is 4-0 this year against the other teams in District 1 – No. 2 North County (7-2,), third-seed Festus (4-4), No. 6 Sikeston (1-8) and No. 7 De Soto (1-8).
For the first time in three weeks, senior running back Austin Romaine carried the ball for Hillsboro in the Hawks’ 48-14 home win Friday over Poplar Bluff on Senior Night. With his injured hand heavily wrapped for protection, Romaine rushed seven times for 64 yards (9.1 yards per carry). He also had two tackles for loss at linebacker.
Having Romaine and senior RB/LB Jaxin Patterson healthy this time of year is as important to Hillsboro head coach Bill Sucharski as the game plan. Patterson showed he’s ready, leading the Hawks Friday with 118 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns. His 1-yard TD run and junior kicker Nick Marchetti’s extra point gave Hillsboro a 7-0 lead with 8:30 to play in the first quarter.
After Poplar Bluff scored late touchdowns in both the second and third quarters to pull closer at 35-14, Patterson and Romaine fittingly drove in the final coffin nails with a pair of short-yardage, fourth-quarter TD runs. Hillsboro ran for 328 yards, including junior running back Payton Brown’s 114 yards on 11 carries. Brown had first-half scoring runs of 55 and three yards. His younger brother, sophomore quarterback Preston Brown, ran for a 21-yard touchdown in the first quarter and passed to receiver Canyon Stout for a 35-yard scoring strike in the second.
Having such a deep and talented backfield has paid dividends, Sucharski said.
“With Austin getting banged up and not carrying the ball for three weeks, we saw that depth come through,” he said.
As effective as the Hawks are offensively, the defense has carried the team. It held the Mules to 175 total yards and grabbed four turnovers on interceptions by Stout, Griffin Ray and Dalton Ross, and a fumble recovery. Alex Medina led a relentless pass rush, collecting eight tackles, 5.5 for loss.
“We were able to get after their quarterback and on a couple picks, we hit him when he threw it and the ball hung up there,” Sucharski said. “They couldn’t block Alex. He has an outstanding motor from that spot on the defensive line.”
Even at 8-1, the Hawks still harbor painful memories of a 24-0 loss at home to North County last year in the district championship game.
“We were tied with North County at halftime (this year),” Sucharski said. “Festus has a ton of talent on offense and defense. They’re dangerous. And Farmington runs an unconventional offense, so we have to hold all three phases of their offense. Perryville played St. Pius tough last week. We’re more familiar with Farmington than Perryville because we haven’t played (the Pirates) for a few years.
“This time of year, you can’t turn the ball over. We found that out last year. Every round, the pressure ratchets up.”
Jaguars seeded third despite 8-1 record
Seckman football fans, players and coaches are advised not to think too far ahead.
They can enjoy the rewards of another breakthrough season as the Jaguars (8-1) enter the Class 6 District 1 playoffs on Friday night in Imperial against No. 6 St. Louis University High (3-6). Seckman, led by dynamic quarterback Cole Ruble, has won eight in a row after a season-opening loss at small-school power Valle Catholic.
So before imagining what a district championship game at defending state champion and top-seeded CBC might look like, the Jaguars have to take care of business against SLUH and then contemplate a semifinal contest at No. 2 Marquette (8-1).
Seckman tuned up for the playoffs by pouncing on visiting Webster Groves 48-6 Friday. The Statesmen won their first game in three years the week before against Northwest. Ruble, a senior, continues to rewrite the school single-season and career record books. He galloped 63 yards for a touchdown just 19 seconds into Friday’s game and finished with 225 yards on eight carries for a whopping 28 yards per carry.
For the season, Ruble leads the St. Louis area with 37 touchdowns and 1,983 yards rushing. He’s also completed 38 passes for 738 yards and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 9:1.
Seckman head coach Nick Baer, once a Jaguar player himself, has relished many a long Ruble run up the Seckman sideline on his way to the end zone.
The first-team all-stater has clocked in the mid-4s in the 40-yard dash, but “Friday night was the fastest he’s ever looked,” Baer said. “Somehow it feels like he found a different gear on Friday.”
SLUH was shredded 44-0 by unbeaten Cardinal Ritter (9-0) on Oct. 21. The Lions handed Hillsboro its only loss of the season the week before. SLUH’s offense centers on receiver Ryan Wingo, who has 35 catches for 663 yards and 11 touchdowns. Wingo also scored on a 48-yard punt return against Chaminade and a 51-yard interception return against De Smet. He will challenge an opportunistic Jaguar secondary that has picked off nine passes.
“We know they can move the ball,” Baer said of the Junior Bills. “They’ve played close games against some good teams and they have athletes on the edge we’ll have to contain.”
Seckman won its first two district playoff games first-ever last year, both at home, and can continue that success with a win over SLUH.
“We know beating a private school from the city is another huge step,” Baer said. “We know we have more to prove. It’s one of the toughest districts in the state. We’re 8-1 and a three seed.
“Every week our coaches give our kids a chance to be in the game.”
Fox, Northwest, Windsor start on road
Fox lost to Ladue 28-7 Friday to finish the regular season 2-7. The Warriors are the No. 5 seed in Class 5 District 1 and travel to fourth-seeded Poplar Bluff (4-5) on Friday. The winner visits No. 1 Jackson (6-3) on Nov. 4.
Winless Northwest (0-9) has played better defense of late, losing to Mehlville 13-10 Friday in Cedar Hill. The Lions carried a 10-7 lead into the fourth quarter. Northwest visits Marquette Friday night in the first round of Class 6 District 1.
Windsor closed out its schedule Friday with a 44-6 victory at winless Cuba (0-9) to finish 4-5. That earned the Owls the No. 5 seed in the Class 4 District 2 tournament. They will visit No. 4 Gateway (4-5) in the first round.
Windsor senior running back Jordan Foster leads the Owls with 1,052 yards and has gone over 200 yards twice – 265 against De Soto and 252 against Cuba.
2022 Prep football schedule
*Denotes conference game
Eureka Wildcats (Suburban – Yellow)
2022: 8-1
Eureka 43, Fort Zumwalt West 28
Eureka 35, Hazelwood West 0
*Eureka 31, Kirkwood 30
*Eureka 35, Marquette 28
Eureka 42, Oakville 19
*Eureka 34, Pattonville 7
Lafayette 21, Eureka 7
Eureka 49, Parkway North 21
*Eureka 39, Hazelwood Central 2
Nov. 4 bye
Crystal City Hornets (Independent)
2022: 8-1
Crystal City 43, Chaffee 0
Crystal City 40, Louisiana 20
Crystal City 32, Bayless 14
Crystal City 42, Confluence 0
Crystal City 24, Gateway 22
Russellville 38, Crystal City 36
Crystal City 37, Van-Far 14
Crystal City 13, Missouri Military Academy (forfeit)
Crystal City 32, Herculaneum 14
Oct. 28 Class 1 District 2 Louisiana vs. Crystal City, 7 p.m.
De Soto Dragons (MAFC Red)
2022: 1-8
De Soto 42, Bishop DuBourg 12
Sullivan 38, De Soto 0
*North County 42, De Soto 0
*Festus 56, De Soto 7
*Windsor 27, De Soto 6
Fredericktown 21, De Soto 14
*Hillsboro 79, De Soto 0
Cape Girardeau Central 56, De Soto 7
Orchard Farm 35, De Soto 14
Oct. 28 Class 4 District 1 De Soto vs. North County, 7 p.m.
Hillsboro Hawks (MAFC Red)
2022: 8-1
Hillsboro 49, Sikeston 14
Hillsboro 47, Cape Girardeau Central 7
Hillsboro 49, Fort Zumwalt West 13
*Hillsboro 31, North County 10
*Hillsboro 58, Festus 21
*Hillsboro 67, Windsor 13
*Hillsboro 79, De Soto 0
Cardinal Ritter 26, Hillsboro 13
Hillsboro 48, Poplar Bluff 14
Oct. 28 Bye
Seckman Jaguars (Suburban – Orange)
2022: 8-1
Valle Catholic 61, Seckman 36
Seckman 69, University City 6
*Seckman 64, Northwest 6
*Seckman 58, Mehlville 7
Seckman 49, Fox 14
*Seckman 50, Parkway South 6
Seckman 50, Pattonville 48 (OT)
*Seckman 35, Oakville 14
*Seckman 48, Webster Groves 6
Oct. 28 Class 6 District 1 SLUH vs. Seckman, 7 p.m.
Festus Tigers (MAFC Red)
2022: 4-5
Ste. Genevieve 50, Festus 35
Valle Catholic 48, Festus 20
*Festus 36, Windsor 6
*Festus 56, De Soto 7
*Hillsboro 58, Festus 21
*North County 30, Festus 20
Festus 55, Pacific 24
Festus 41, Farmington 20
Jackson 52, Festus 0
Oct. 28 Class 4 District 1 Sikeston vs. Festus, 7 p.m.
Herculaneum Blackcats (I-55 Conference)
2022: 5-4
Herculaneum 42, Windsor 6
Herculaneum 22, Fredericktown 14
*Herculaneum 16, Jefferson 8
*St. Vincent 19, Herculaneum 16
*St. Pius X 13, Herculaneum 6
*Herculaneum 46, Grandview 0
*Herculaneum 44, Bayless 6
*Perryville 22, Herculaneum 20
Crystal City 32, Herculaneum 14
Oct. 28 Class 3 District 2 Bayless vs. Herculaneum, 7 p.m.
Grandview Eagles (I-55 Conference)
2022: 3-6
Grandview 33, Paris 13
*Grandview 32, Bayless 30
*St. Pius X 35, Grandview 0
St. Dominic 42, Grandview 6
*Perryville 50, Grandview 21
*Herculaneum 46, Grandview 0
*Jefferson 41, Grandview 12
*St. Vincent 49, Grandview 6
Grandview 26, Chaffee 21
Oct. 28 Class 1 District 2 Grandview vs. St. Pius X, 7 p.m.
Jefferson Blue Jays (I-55 Conference)
2022: 5-4
Fredericktown 6, Jefferson 3
Jefferson 35, Cuba 8
*Herculaneum 16, Jefferson 8
*St. Pius X 27, Jefferson 12
*Jefferson 42, Bayless 6
*Jefferson 20, Perryville 7
*Jefferson 41, Grandview 12
Ste. Genevieve 41, Jefferson 34
*Jefferson 46, St. Vincent 28
Oct. 28 Class 2 District 1 John Burroughs vs. Jefferson, 7 p.m.
St. Pius X Lancers (I-55 Conference)
2022: 7-2
Brentwood 26, St. Pius X 16
St. Pius X 47, Bishop DuBourg 0
*St. Pius X 35, Grandview 0
*St. Pius X 27, Jefferson 12
*St. Pius X 13, Herculaneum 6
St. Pius X 58, Cuba 6
*St. Vincent 21, St. Pius X 6
*St. Pius X 42, Bayless 6
*St. Pius 27, Perryville 18
Oct. 28 Class 1 District 2 Grandview vs. St. Pius X, 7 p.m.
Windsor Owls (I-55 Conference)
2022: 4-5
Herculaneum 42, Windsor 6
Windsor 28, Perryville 7
*Festus 36, Windsor 6
Windsor 41, Bishop DuBourg 6
*Windsor 27, De Soto 6
*Hillsboro 67, Windsor 13
*North County 55, Windsor 12
St. Clair 56, Windsor 12
Windsor 44, Cuba 6
Oct. 28 Class 4 District 2 Windsor vs. Gateway, 6 p.m.
Fox Warriors (Suburban – Red)
2022: 2-7
Fox 26, Mehlville 7
*Lafayette 45, Fox 20
*Lindbergh 35, Fox 14
*Ritenour 34, Fox 20
Seckman 49, Fox 14
Poplar Bluff 28, Fox 7
*Fox 56, Hazelwood West 8
Parkway South 30, Fox 20
*Ladue 28, Fox 7
Oct. 28 Class 5 District 1 Fox vs. Poplar Bluff, 7 p.m.
Northwest Lions (Suburban – Orange)
2022: 0-9
Sullivan 34, Northwest 7
*Parkway South 32, Northwest 14
*Seckman 64, Northwest 6
Lafayette 49, Northwest 0
Marquette 41, Northwest 0
*Oakville 62, Northwest 7
Parkway Central 44, Northwest 7
*Webster Groves 27, Northwest 13
*Mehlville 13, Northwest 10
Oct. 28 Class 6 District 1 Northwest vs. Marquette, 7 p.m.