Jefferson will try to finish the regular season with a winning record for the eighth straight season when it hosts St. Vincent this Friday night.
The Blue Jays have had a roller coaster of a season, evidenced by their 4-4 record.
After a 1-3 start in which they averaged just 14.5 ppg, the Jays have won three of their last four and the offense has stepped up to average 34.3 ppg.
The offensive turnaround is due in no small part to the emergence of running back Sean Usery. The Senior’s rushing statistics mirror the team’s improvement in the second half of the regular season.
Usery averaged 65.8 yards per game in the 1-3 start, but has gained 157.8 rushing yards on average during the current 3-1 stretch. He’s also just 106 yards from reaching the 1,000-yard mark on the season and has 12 touchdowns. Also on offense, Nate Breeze has proven to be a big-play threat in the passing game.
The defense has been a strength all season and enters this regular season finale allowing just 15.4 ppg, even after Ste. Genevieve put up 41 points in last week’s game. Sam Stokes is the leading tackler with Usery not far behind and Breeze lead the team in takeaways.
St. Vincent provides Jefferson with a chance to earn a signature win over a state-ranked Class 1 squad entering district play.
The 7-1 Indians have had their best regular season since the school’s 2004 Class 1 State Championship campaign. They can clinch the outright I-55 Conference title with a win.
Even though St. Vincent averages 32.5 ppg it has really been the defense that has led this year’s team to new heights under head coach Tim Schumer.
The Indians allow 17.9 ppg, and that includes Valle Catholic’s 67-point outburst in week five. Drake Robinson is a tackling machine. Clayton Gremaud and Cruz Reitzel provide plenty of support as well. Kaden Kassel leads the team in interceptions.
St. Vincent has allowed just six points in each of the last three contests. It’ll be an interesting match-up against the Blue Jays improved offense.
On the other hand, Jefferson’s defense figures to have its hands full with Indians quarterback Christian Schaaf, who has been one of the top passers in the area this season. Kassel and Trevor Moonier are his top targets.
Jefferson has won four of the last five between these two schools, but as we mentioned earlier, this has been a special season thus far for St. Vincent. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday.
The Blue Jays appear to be on track for a district showdown next week with John Burroughs, a school with nine State Championships and alumni that feature current Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.
