~ Both squads displayed new talent after losing players to graduation

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Central came to channel the spirit of a successful 2010 campaign.

Jackson came to distance itself from a second straight losing season.

When the four-team football jamboree at Farmington High School concluded Friday night, both teams managed to stay the course through 72 plays that catered to both optimism and concerns.

In a 24-play scrimmage between the two rivals, both scored a pair of touchdowns in what primarily was an audition for starting jobs.

LEFT: Central's Jacob Campbell runs for a 35-yard touchdown against Farmington at the jamboree. (ABOVE: Central defensive back Chris Martin tackles Jackson quarterback Lowgn Wren during the jamboree Friday in Farmington, Mo.)

"We're still trying to find some starting people and rotated a lot of people in," said Jackson coach Van Hitt, whose squad yielded two touchdowns to Farmington and one to Poplar Bluff. "I think I played probably nine different kids at inside linebacker for those two positions and probably the same for outside linebacker. We'll go back, look at the film and from there we'll pick out a starting group for Monday and go from there."

Central first-year coach Nathan Norman also was using the jamboree as an opportunity to fill the 10 starting spots on defense that were left vacant due to graduation after a memorable 10-2 season last year that followed a forgettable 0-10 campaign.

"You find out who's ready to play and who's not," Norman said. "You find out a lot about your team. It's a great experience for us."

On the positive side, Central displayed multiple weapons on offense with four players accounting for the Tigers' four touchdowns.

Returning senior quarterback Christian Cavaness threw a 15-yard touchdown to newcomer C.J. Todd against Jackson, and junior Chris Martin, the Tigers' lone returning starter on defense, added a 26-yard touchdown run against the Indians.

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com

Martin, who was an all-state triple jumper as a sophomore, is part of what Norman called a "running back by committee," after the graduation of 1,000-yard rusher Keilon Moore and James Poindexter.

"He has great speed and is a threat any time he gets the ball to score," Norman said about Martin.

Martin said he had one play on offense last year but has been a running back in the past.

"I've been waiting for it since freshman year," Martin said about the move into the offensive backfield.

"He's pretty fast and will help us a lot in the running game and the passing game," Cavaness said.

Jackson countered with a new face at quarterback when junior Lowgn Wren debuted behind center. The Indians have scrapped their spread offense and are returning to a power running game, but that didn¹t prevent Wren from hooking up with senior Levi Rutherford for two touchdown passes against Central.

"That's irony for you, isn't it?" Hitt said about the TDs by air.

Rutherford, who has moved from running back to receiver, caught scoring passes of 35 and 23 yards.

"I'm really looking to a fresh start," said Wren, who was the Indians' leading receiver on last year's team that finished 3-7. "I'm ready to bring Jackson football back. We're not used to that losing stuff."

Wren, one of the fastest players on the Indians' roster, also had a 12-yard run against Central.

"He really brings a lot of pressure to the defense," Hitt said. "I don't think you saw the skill that he has running the ball tonight like he's capable of. If he has to, he can really run."

Wren's most notable success Friday night was when he threw to Rutherford, with whom he's been working to develop timing during the offseason and preseason.

"It felt good to get him going and help him out starting off because every quarterback needs that," Rutherford said.

Jackson's offense managed two first downs against Poplar Bluff but barely moved the ball against Farmington, which runs a four-man front.

"In practice we faced Cape's kind of defense, the three front, and to be honest we haven't done a whole lot of practice against the four front," Wren said. "That's something we need to work on, obviously."

Central also got a 35-yard scoring burst by junior Jacob Campbell in the scrimmage against Farmington. Cavaness added a 32-yard scoring strike to junior Garan Evans against the Knights.

Central did not score against Poplar Bluff, but neither did Jackson nor Farmington.

"It is different because of new faces in the huddle," Cavaness said. "It's not that the talent range is so much different, but you're not used to those guys like you were the other guys. But we'll get it together and we'll be just as good as we were last year."

Central's retooled defense yielded six touchdowns, including four to Farmington.

"I'll be honest with you, I'm glad things happened to them tonight the way they did," Norman said. "Because they realized, 'Hey, this is what these coaches have been saying in practice. I've really got to get focused in and listen and read my keys and do what I'm supposed to do,' because they're with the big boys now. It's just not talk. Now they have to get out there and do it."

Central and Jackson both will cross paths with Farmington and Poplar Bluff during the regular season.

The Knights lost quarterback Zach Hibbits to graduation after averaging 44.6 points per game from their spread offense last season, but senior Chase Busenbark looked like a polished veteran while directing a total of six touchdown drives.

Central yielded two touchdown passes in Farmington's first three plays. Busenbark burned the Tigers for three touchdown passes overall.

"We didn't prepare for them one bit, and it was good for our kids to see that team and what they do," Norman said. "We'll be ready for them. We'll do our scouting reports and coach the kids up on it."

Central and Jackson both open the regular season Friday. Central will visit New Madrid County Central, while Jackson will host O'Fallon Christian.