Jackson rolls to 55-12 victory over Sikeston, wins fourth straight

SIKESTON — Ryan Nesbitt made sure to heap praise about his rapidly improving team following Jackson's blowout win on Friday night.

“Our kids really do enjoy this,” Nesbitt said. “They work at it and we spend a lot of time year-round in preparation. So, it's not hard to get them up and motivated for games. Just blessed with kids that enjoy this process.”

Indeed they do.

Quarterback Drew Parsons threw four touchdown passes, brothers Brock and Blayne Reagan recorded interceptions and the Jackson Indians overpowered Sikeston with points and yards galore in a 55-12 road drubbing on Friday, Oct. 11.

Jackson (5-2), who has defeated Sikeston (2-5) 12 consecutive times dating back to 2013, extended its winning streak to four and continued to build momentum with two games remaining in the regular season.

“Really wanted to keep things clean,” Nesbitt said. “We were really trying to minimize penalties, minimize the turnovers, and I think we took care of the ball tonight. So, we just wanted to play good football and I thought we did. Proud of our guys.”

Parsons, who was fresh off a career performance against Cape Central, dropped back on first-and-10 from Jackson’s 38-yard-line on the second drive of the night and let it rip. It was a 62-yard dart to 6-foot-4 wide receiver Kamden Brockmire, who beat single coverage on a deep post and made a spectacular catch and run to the end zone after evading two defenders. Good night.

“Whenever coach dials it up, I’ve just got to be ready to go,” said Brockmire. “I spend all season preparing for it, so it feels awesome to come here and get my first touchdown.”

Sophomore Brock Reagan had the defensive play of the game when he picked off Sikeston quarterback Pierce Baker’s pass by baiting the route, rallying to the intended target, and returning the ball for a 44-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to make it 28-0.

His brother, Blayne, followed that up with an interception of his own in the second half.

When asked where he would rank that moment in his high school career so far, Brock did not hesitate to admit: “definitely number one.

“He (Blayne) almost took his back too, so it was a really cool and special moment for us.”

Receivers Evan Turley and Kai Crowe hauled in touchdown receptions from 32 and three yards, respectively, in the first quarter. Running back Jaylon Hampton scored on a one-yard plunge late in the first half to make it 35-6 before the break.

Crowe snagged his second touchdown catch of the game on an acrobatic effort in the back corner of the end zone to cap the Indians’ opening drive in the second half, giving them a 42-6 advantage. Jackson padded the cushion with sophomore wide receiver Jory Thoma and freshman quarterback Tyler Fischer touchdown runs from 15-plus yards.

Jackson’s only setback was six penalties in the first half, including three defensive offside calls, but the gulf in talent was so wide that the Indians were able to overcome them with ease.

Baker and Eli Parker short-yardage touchdown runs were the lone scores of the game for Sikeston.

After the game, Nesbitt pointed to the team’s leadership skills, saying that it’s something that has helped elevate them to new heights throughout the season.

“We've got a multitude of leaders,” he said. “It's a diverse group of leaders between skill and linemen positions, from seniors to sophomores, and we work at educating our kids on leadership, and our kids are doing a good job. We've got a lot of guys that control the locker room and feel like our team's pretty well player led.”

Since its last loss against Edwardsville (IL), Jackson has outscored its opponents 203-62 and averaged 50.7 points per game. And with the SEMO North conference title in their back pocket, the Indians are keying in on remaining healthy and gradually improving each week with the postseason on the horizon.

“At the beginning of the year, it's always rough with the seniors leaving and new guys coming in, but we’ve gotten that team chemistry back up,” said Brockmire. “We’re bouncing back. Big win against Cape. Big win tonight. Just need to keep playing off each other, keep matching energy and just keep rolling, baby, just keep rolling.”

Jackson returns to its home field next Saturday, Oct. 19 for a nonconference game against Miller Career Academy with Vashon at 2 p.m. Sikeston will aim to snap its three-game losing streak with a home test against New Madrid County Central on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m.