The Jackson Indians have nothing left to prove when it comes to the regular season. After rattling off their fourth consecutive perfect one, the defending State Champions are sitting pretty in the Class 5 District 1 playoffs.
The 9-0 Varsity Football team will get their first chance to defend their title in the playoffs on Friday, November 5th, after earning a first round bye, as they take on the 5-5 Panthers of Mehlville. Having won 23 straight games, and 36 consecutive regular season contests, the Indians are sure to bring their A-game to keep the train rolling. And their chances look more than favorable in this one.
In 2021, much like the last three years, Jackson has utterly steamrolled opponents. Their passing game is on point on a weekly basis, their defense is suffocating, their running attack buries the opposition and the kicking game is making history. To put things plainly, there isn’t a weakness on this squad.
This year the Indians have outscored their opponents 408 to 65. For anyone out there who is new… that is insane. Jackson is averaging 45.3 (repeating for you math buffs reading) per game this season and has pitched four shutouts. They are averaging just 7.2 points per game allowed and show no sign of slowing down. The Panthers are surely in for a rude awakening.
Speaking of the Panthers, they’ve had an up and down season. Lose two, win two, lose two, win one, lose one, win one… that tells the story of their regular season. Give them credit though. As the third seed in their district they had to travel to Arnold to play Fox, and dispatched them quite handily. A 38-12 victory likely had them celebrating like it was New Year’s Eve, until they realized their reward was facing the Indians.
Jackson should have the pump primed for this one, as they are easily one of the most prepared programs in the state, and look to be in an incredibly favorable position to move on to the next round.
Brent Eckley‘s boys will defend their title in The Pit on Friday night at 7 pm. All that’s left is to wait for the fireworks.
Good luck Indians!
