We’re over halfway through the regular season, and Week 6 has brought us some exciting new matchups to celebrate the rising stakes.

Leading the way, of course, is Jackson’s trip to Cape Central, expected the be the deciding game in the SEMO North along with a capstone matchup in one of the area’s top rivalries.

Scott City’s home duel with Caruthersville has big stakes in the SEMO South as well, with the winner expected to take the reigns with Charleston, Hayti and Portageville all giving chase.

With a cold and clear Friday night bringing some exciting football back to the area, there’s plenty to be excited about as the end of the regular season draws near.

All projections are based on computer data via CalPreps and consulting staff opinion.

Jackson at Cape Central, 7 p.m. Friday

Projection: Cape Central 42, Jackson 31

Is this the Game Of The Year for local football fans? Maybe.

We’ve been waiting six long weeks for this matchup to come around, and Cape Central looks to have every bit of the upper hand in this one.

After Central’s 47-0 dispatching of St. Dominic last week, the Tigers are like a boulder rolling down a hill, only getting faster as they go.

For Jackson, a 57-9 win over Poplar Bluff last weekend feels good, but there’s no telling whether or not that will translate into this matchup.

Having not won this matchup since 2015, Cape Central is out for blood, looking to finally reclaim this series after eight consecutive losses.

The undefeated Tigers are ranked sixth in Class 5, still hot on the trail to show that they’ve got a shot to become a big player, even in a loaded district with Cardinal Ritter.

The key to this matchup is easily the running game for Central, with the grit of KeyShawn Boyd and speed of Zai’Aire Thomas able to create two different looks out of the backfield.

Jackson’s commitment to the run and screen pass down low will create opportunities through the air, however, so the Tigers will have to be able to make plays over the top in order to crack this Indian defense.

Historically, one-sidedness has been the bane of Jackson opponents, and that was the case in last year’s 50-0 loss for Central.

But in 2024, there’s an air of confidence for the Tigers. Drew Parsons and the Indians will have to make plays on offense to hold off their rivals, because Cape Central is for real.

Confluence Prep at Chaffee, 7 p.m. Friday

Projection: Confluence Prep 28, Chaffee 7

In its closest game of the season last week, the Red Devils narrowly dropped a tight affair with Principia at home to keep the winless season afloat.

Moving into Week 6, nearing the two-thirds point of the season, Chaffee’s got another interesting squad coming into town in Confluence Prep.

Those familiar with the program will remember Jackson mowing over the Titans in years past, but this new 3-2 Confluence isn’t as light as you may think.

With a win over Veritas Christian similar in stature to that which Hayti took a few weeks back, Confluence Prep doesn’t look too shabby on the books, making for a big year still over .500.

Chaffee’s aiming for its first win of the season, again, and although Confluence comes in with a strong record and a little bit of momentum, there’s hope yet with a strong Chaffee defense.

After last week’s heartbreak against Principia, there’s a reality in which the Red Devils finally turn up the heat and bring home Win 1 of the year.

Dexter at Kelly, 7 p.m. Friday

Projection: Dexter 49, Kelly 14

It’s been the start of dreams for the Dexter Bearcats, having risen all the way to the No. 3 position in Class 3 with little standing in their way from finishing undefeated in the regular season.

Yet, here is Kelly, back under the .500 mark after a crushing loss to New Madrid County Central facing off against the top team in the SEMO Central at home.

The Benton kids had a lot of hype circling around them going into the season, and for good reason, but it hasn’t exactly panned out as expected with a dismal 2-3 record to date.

Jett Grams of Dexter has proven to be one of the top offensive weapons in all of Southeast Missouri this season, running all over local squads.

Grams has rushed for less than 100 yards in a game just once this season, adding another 110 last week against Southern Boone in a ranked-on-ranked Class 3 battle.

Kelly’s defense has shown signs of life this year, so there’s hope yet to slow Dexter down. But if this one plays out anything like it shows on the books, Dexter will come in as a hefty favorite.

Perryville at Jefferson, 7 p.m. Friday

Projection: Perryville 35, Jefferson 21

It’s a battle of 4-1 Quad County Conference hopefuls this Friday, and after losses in back-to-back seasons against Jefferson, Perryville will enter this year as the favorite.

The Pirates’ season-to-season turnaround has been nothing short of staggering, turning a 4-6 2023 season into a 2024 that may not soon be forgotten.

Jefferson’s been in the conference title mix for a while now, looking to be St. Vincent’s biggest competitor for the conference title at this point, but Perryville’s still got a shot at the gold this year.

Receiver Chase Richardet has emerged as one of the area’s top receivers, mowing right through opposing defenses with the help of Kayd Luckey’s arm.

Not just that, but the Perryville running game isn’t to be taken lightly either, with the running talent of Barrett Wheeler bruising defenses to the tune of more than 500 yards this season.

In the past, Jefferson hasn’t been the best matchup for these Pirates. But this season, there’s a new feel about Perryville, and this game is trending green.

With a win against Jefferson, and if Jefferson were to beat St. Vincent in Week 9, the three teams would enter a three-way tie if they all were to run the table afterward.

That’s Perryville’s best shot at a conference title, so that’s how the Pirates will have to draw it up this Friday.

Caruthersville at Scott City, 7 p.m. Friday

Projection: Caruthersville 28, Scott City 21

This is one of the top SEMO South games of the season, taking place between two of the biggest challengers for the conference crown.

It’s Caruthersville, the preseason favorite, facing off against the Scott City Rams who’ve raised out of the rubble and right back into the race for the conference championship.

Going into the home of the Rams, Caruthersville will have to play its best game of the season in order to put away this Scott City team, judging by how the Tigers performed last week.

Despite how much offensive talent they possess, the Tigers haven’t maintained such an exceptional offensive output this season, and that’ll be challenged at Scott City.

The Rams hold onto one of the top defenses in the area this year, and that’ll undoubtedly be a point of emphasis for Caruthersville going into this one.

Jermonte Alexander has proven to be one of the top two-way players in all of Southeast Missouri.

Alexander ranks as one of the top receivers in the Semoball area while having the highest interception count of any defensive player this season.

The talent is coming into Scott City, and under coach Brian Beaubien, that hasn’t typically been too much of a hassle.

But, like Hayti, Caruthersville can sling the ball, so it’ll be an uphill battle for the Rams this Friday.

Bayless at St. Vincent, 7 p.m. Friday

Projection: St. Vincent 48, Bayless 0

It’s a return to form for St. Vincent, fresh off a second-half breakdown of the Hayti defense, storming back for a 35-point second half to rip off the Band-Aid and take a 35-0 victory.

Coming home to take on Bayless, it’s another lighter QCC matchup for the Indians as they look to build some more momentum moving toward a conference title and the start of the postseason.

The undefeated Indians have rolled over opposing defenses this year, and with Bayless coming into town, it shouldn’t be any different unless another rainstorm happens upon Perryville.

Nick Buchheit is still fighting for the crown of the top passer in Southeast Missouri, battling J.C. Ford of Hayti as they went head-to-head last weekend in Hurricane Helene’s reach.

Buchheit’s building up a résumé to potentially become a first-team All-State quarterback, and that exceptional receiving corps guiding the way has made it so much easier for the senior.

Against Bayless, the Indians are expected to add to that résumé, leading to a lopsided projection going into this one, with St. Vincent looking to take its third routing win of the season.