Gross says team must improve from last week as district play starts

~ Central sits in a similar position to last year when it won a title.

When Jackson beat Poplar Bluff by 14 points at home last Friday, it appeared the entire Indians sideline and cheering section was on cloud nine.

Except Jackson coach Carl Gross.

He was upset with his defense, which surrendered three long touchdown runs of 30, 50 and 65 yards, and with his offense, which was shut out in the second half. But he was most upset because he knew if the Indians have those types of breakdowns in districts, which start today, they will not be as fortunate because they face tougher competition and there's more at stake.

"It's one of those deals that if that happened against Poplar Bluff you can just imagine what will happen against Eureka," Gross said.

The state-ranked No. 5 Jackson Indians will play the No. 2 Eureka Wildcats in a Class 5 District 1 showdown tonight in Jackson at 7 p.m. Gross knows that all the high expectations that have been built over the first seven weeks could collapse with a couple mistakes in district play.

He said his team blew a one-point halftime lead to Eureka last year because of botched snaps, fumbles and the big play.

"The way it is set up in Missouri is that you basically have to win the last three games," Gross said. "A lot of it is the luck of the draw and who is in your district and how good they are that year. This year we open up with Eureka, who by the luck of the draw is a real good football team."

Gross said Eureka is talented in every facet.

"They've got a very good defense and have given up very few points all year," he said. "Offensively, they get the ball and they pound it at you with the run and the quarterback they've got has been very good throwing the football, so you can't just line up and just take the run away or just take the pass away.

"And on special teams they've got a kicker who can probably kick a 60-yard field goal, and every time he kicks off he kicks it out of the back of the end zone."

Eureka features a balanced attack. Wildcats quarterback Matt Borzillo has completed 34 of his 66 passes for 478 yards and running back Brad Fitzgerald has carried 149 times for 869 yards, according to stltoday.com.

"I do truly believe this football team [Jackson] is going to go out and give a great effort Friday night," Gross said. "And the one thing I feel confident in is that if Eureka beats us then they're just better than we are. It's not going to be because of a lack of effort on out part."

While the undefeated Indians prepare their game against state-ranked Eureka, the Central Tigers find themselves in an eerily similar position to last year. The Tigers went 2-5 heading into district play before going 2-1 to win their district last season. This year, the Tigers enter district play 1-6, and coach Lawrence Brookins warns against expecting a repeat of last year's turnaround.

"I feel like comparing last year at this time to this year at this time, we started to show a little quicker improvement in just some basic certain elements of the game," Brookins said. "This year that has been a much slower process. Some things we just can't account for. Some kids handle stress and pressure a little different than others."

The Tigers open against Poplar Bluff, a team fighting its own problems. The Mules had one of their running backs, Jarred Osborn, quit the team. Poplar Bluff quarterback Todd Bullington is out with an ankle injury, according to Brian Rosener of the Daily American Republic.

"I enjoy talking to other coaches, to other reporters from outside our community because you find out sometimes you get tunnel vision," Brookins said. "You think we've got it so bad right now. Then you talk to other guys and you say, 'Heck, they've got the same problem.' Or they might have a problem worse than you've got."

The Mules enter at 3-4 and average 25 points a game. But Brookins said his team needs to worry about itself instead of focusing on the opposition.

"Our biggest challenge is can we be consistent enough to do well on three or four plays on offense in a row, instead of one good play followed by three bad ones," he said. "We scored 51 against St. Charles, but come back the very next week and can only muster 14 against what I thought was an average St. Charles West team."

Brookins doesn't want to create unrealistic expectations for his team based on last year's success at the end of the season. But it does offer a glimmer of hope.

"If we both approach it like we should, fighting for our lives, a dogfight, it ought to be a good game Friday," he said. "Everybody in the state is 0-0."