“I’m going to Jackson, I’m gonna mess around
Yeah, I’m going to Jackson
Look out Jackson town” – Johnny Cash
Busloads of Fox students and fans will head to southeast Missouri for Friday’s Class 5 District 1 championship in Jackson.
Organizers of the Fox football pep club are paying the entry fee for any student who rides a bus to the game against the Indians. Free pizza will be served to them on the way home. As of Thursday afternoon, Fox head coach Brent Tinker said 105 students have signed up for the hour-and-half drive down I-55.
A Twitter account for the Fox football team has been tweeting this week with a #getonthebus campaign. It seems to be working.
“We’re committed to making this a special night for Fox football,” Tinker said.
There isn’t a track separating the sidelines of the football field with the stands at Jackson’s stadium, making the setting rather intimate for the opposition.
Reserved seating is only for the Indians’ most ardent supporters on one side. Jackson fans also fill the seats on the other side of the field, leaving visiting spectators without much room to support their teams in a place locals refer to as "The Pit."
This can also impact visiting players, who at times are overwhelmed by the atmosphere and start to take on the deer-in-the-headlight look before kickoff.
“It is the best experience that a high school football player will have,” said Jackson head coach Brent Eckley, who’s led the Indians to 10-0 and a berth in the championship against visiting Fox (9-1). “It’s a wonderful environment. It’s a football-only facility. The bleachers are tight on both sides. You’re so close to the action, it’s like a basketball game."
The Indians are 9-0 at home the past two seasons.
“We would like to think we have a home-field advantage,” said Eckley, who has coached the Indians the past seven seasons and has compiled a record of 48-17. “I didn’t start this. The community and school supports the program so well. We generally don’t allocate a lot of space for the visitors.”
Of course, once the teams kick off, the real competition is played between the white lines.
Both the Indians and Warriors have plenty of firepower. The Fox offense is led by seniors Gavin McGinness, Cole Elwood and Bob Neibert, the school’s career rushing leader. Jackson senior wide receiver Jordan Kent is one of the most dynamic players in the state and has caught 153 passes for 2,714 yards and 50 touchdowns the last two seasons.
“When you talk about Jackson, you talk about offense,” Tinker said. “They are a fast- paced team that doesn’t give defenses time to adjust. Their quarterback (sophomore Cael Welker) reminds me of (Seckman QB Seth Lounsbury) from an athletic standpoint. They spread the ball around. They love to throw the ball, but they use the pass to set up the run.”
Welker has completed 166 of 249 passes for 2,747 yards and 37 touchdowns against just six interceptions this season. Welker was given the reins to the offense this season after three-year starter, Cooper Callis, graduated.
“He had big shoes to fill,” Eckley said. “Cooper was a very mature young man. It showed the younger guys what they need to do. Cael has taken care of the ball and has extended plays with his feet.”
That’s something that McGinness excels at. McGinness scored six rushing touchdowns – the last covering 77 yards – in the Warriors’ 62-35 district semifinal win over Seckman last week. He leads Fox with 1,139 yards on 107 carries (10.6 yards per carry). Neibert (159-1,098) went over the 1,000-yard barrier against the Jaguars when he rumbled for 250 yards. Elwood could give Fox three 1,000-yard rushers in the same season if he gains 85 yards against Jackson.
“We know they’re big and physical up front,” Eckley said. “Their offensive line is better than anyone we’ve seen. Their guards pop on film being big and athletic. They do a good job of blocking the perimeter. They can run right or left, to the tight end side, or the open side. It’s going to be difficult to slow them down. We’ll have to be disciplined on defense.”
After throwing the ball 423 times in 2017, the Indians have passed 256 times this year. That’s more palatable to Eckley, who coached some of the best passing offenses in the state when he was at Warrensburg, Montgomery County and Union.
“It’s going to be an all-night chess match,” Tinker said. “I think the biggest difference will be who wins the (line of scrimmage).”
Fox’s defense has forced 27 turnovers (17 fumbles, 10 interceptions) this season. Junior middle linebacker Carson Elwood, Cole’s younger brother, leads the Warriors with five sacks and four fumble recoveries. Senior defensive lineman Chase Waters has four sacks and a fumble recovery. Cole Elwood has four interceptions this fall and 13 the past two years.
The Warriors will have to be wary of Jackson trying to onside kick. The Indians use the low-percentage play to gain extra possessions.
“A year ago we did it maybe 30 times; this year not so much,” Eckley said. "We kick some deep. It depends on how the other team’s return is set up. We’re trying to be aggressive. Possessions are going to be crucial.”
Tinker said when the Indians don’t cover the onside kick, they dial up the pressure having to defend a short field.
“They blitz like the blitzkrieg,” Tinker said. “Their starters have played in one second half this year. They want to take you out of the game – now. They know our style of offense isn’t quick-hitting with the thinking, if they get up on us a little, we’ll quit.
“If they give us the ball at the 50-yard line every time that’s an advantage for us. It is entirely up to our kids to win. There will be a time in this game when a ball goes to one of our kids, and if we bobble it, it could be the difference in the game.”
Tinker said he’s certain his experienced team won’t wilt in the face of Jackson’s traditions or being surrounded on all sides.
“We embrace it. This is Week 12. We are among the elite,” he said. “We’re thrilled to go down there. They’re going to have that place packed. That’s a spectacular place to play football. We talk about how cramped we’ll be on the bench.”