In Week 9, the Festus Tigers barely outscored a losing team, while SPX unexpectedly blew a gasket against Valle Catholic. Hillsboro High lost to Poplar Bluff 14-7, a result for which one faulty online scoreboard had the Varsity Hawks defeating the Mules 14-7 in a cruel low-blow. Seckman fell to 4-5 Parkway North. Does this mean that Mississippi Magazine’s analysis was wrong – the one which said we have not cheered for such an epic collection of championship hopefuls within the Dirty Dozen’s borders, ever?
Ahh … but don’t forget the best thing about JeffCo pigskin. We’ve got our District and State Playoff tycoons atop the rankings, and then we’ve got a colorful set of 4-5 other programs who can knock about anybody’s block off in their weight class. Power Poll #8 Jefferson surprised powerful St. Vincent with a 24-13 victory in the Official-not-Official Quad County Conference title game on Friday, celebrating a tremendous night from WR Ollie Klump, who might’ve broken a JHS record with 191 receiving yards.
It was Jefferson’s fine head coach Matt Atley who said afterward that Klump “might have” broken the team’s old mark, which to state the obvious, is not as definitive as DeSoto and Fox’s ceremonies for recent record-breakers Cannon Kisner and Ryan Joggerst respectively. But we’ll know more in the days to come. The Geek was glad to hear that the Blue Jays’ typically staid and disciplined postgame was extended into a minor victory-party by Dooling Hollow, giving the fans a rare chance to experience something akin to Friday’s afterglow for the players, who get to romp like Van Halen in another spot on campus after a win. JHS gridiron mogul Jeff Whitener told Live Stream STL’s Ray Halbrook in postgame, “It took me after midnight to get out of there.”
Jefferson put up a “dummy” MSHSAA TV archive of the game, which is starting to become a Blue Jays trademark:
… but there’s highlights of Klump’s big night going around on Facebook:
Then there was the scene in Oakville, where the exact wild finish played out that Mississippi Magazine’s late “Fever Dream” preview predicted. The Northwest Lions reached one of the ultimate peaks of Cedar Hill’s revival, lifting Suburban League hardware after another epic comeback victory over the scrappy Varsity Tigers. That’s two season-capping comebacks over OHS since 2024.
How the Varsity Lions scored their 22-21 triumph was a sight to behold. Cohenn Stark made two – count them, two – Mississippi Magazine Play Of The Year-caliber plays in one turn with the clock running out, and Northwest trailing 14-21. First, Stark shook off a sack Preston Brown-fashion and launched an ICBM from his own 30-yard line in the direction of senior classmate Jeremiah Clines. Clines caught the ball in a “crowd” that really wasn’t one, given that NHS’s crafty Iron Man had sneaked himself open along the boundary like Jaromir Jagr at even-strength. Given new life and a Red Zone shot with 1:30 to go, Northwest blocked a Stark quarterback-keeper so thoroughly that No. 5 could have stopped to play with a dog, and still scored the tying touchdown.
Wait – was it the tying TD? Head coach Scott Gerling made a 2PT-conversion call that The Geek did not agree with when it was made, not because teams shouldn’t go for the regulation win when they’re down 20-21, but because there was still time left on the clock. If you go for two and “the win” with over 1:00 left, and you miss, the game is essentially over. If you make it, you still haven’t come close to winning yet. But the risky call set the stage for what may go down as Stark’s greatest-ever moment in a road game.
The sounds of that clip go from Disco to the sweet, sweet background roar of Northwest’s road crowd when the Lions make it.
Gerling made the call for two reasons, in The Geek’s opinion. One was that Oakville was running out of timeouts, which meant that a 22-21 lead would feel as good as gold. Secondly, the officiating was a little suspect, and subject to bad luck, too, making Gerling decide that Northwest ought to try to grab the points and the championship when that opportunity came at the 3-yard line.
Oakville was hurt by the referees on its own comeback try. It’s important for Mississippi Magazine, which has blamed the referees for numerous JeffCo losses over the years, to point out when referees help our teams out a little bit also. TGG made it a point to do it at some time this year, but ran out of chances when the teams that the officials hurt kept winning anyway, or when the penalties balanced themselves out later. Not to pick on Northwest’s beautiful title win – it doesn’t seem like Oakville would’ve come back anyhow, given how well Clines’ defense was performing – but you felt bad for OHS not getting its proper shot at a miracle.
With about :45 to go, an Oakville player hurried his dead-ball toss to the referee, trying to get the Tigers moving at midfield with zero timeouts. The ball bounded away to the far hash while about :17 seconds came off the clock that were never put back on. There was a hard-to-understand penalty called against the Lions on the previous play, which should have had Oakville’s coaches shouting for a Game Clock reset. It’s your fault if you throw the ball away and waste 20 seconds, but if there was a flag on the field, time shouldn’t tick away, or if it does, the Game Clock can be reset and then wound again when the ball is spotted, satisfying both teams’ wishes. That didn’t happen, making the fumbled toss to the ref as much of a disaster for Oakville as a quarterback sack would’ve been.
Oakville’s coaches saved their shouting for the end. You could feel the vinegar bubbling up, though, when the referees were quick, but not too quick, to rule a diving long-bomb catch attempt by senior Lucas Skinner of the Tigers either out-of-bounds or a bobbled football. Much like UConn’s former HC Bob Diaco against Navy in 2016, Oakville’s head coach Mike Genge become too focused on whether a pass was called complete or not. It was 4th Down! Oakville’s field-goal contingent rushed onto the turf without a timeout with which to stop the Play Clock, and then got off a short-and-wide attempt that looked too much like one of The Geek’s 5-irons.
Oakville’s resulting row with the refs had a “Baseball Manager at Home Plate” feel to it.
We’re not sure what set the Tigers’ coaches alight on Oakville’s final snap. It may have appeared like Northwest’s Braydon Jones was “vaulting” at the field-goal kick with the aid of a teammate, which would have been a 15-yard flag against the Lions. However, Jones only tripped over his teammate, and wasn’t doing that. It’s also probable that the Tigers thought the referees could have communicated more clearly on the incomplete pass. It’s understandable to lose focus after that winning TD slips away.
Finally, the voice of the guy yelling “SHUT UP … MICROPHONES!” on Oakville’s live stream made TGG jump out of his seat. For someone around the Press Box to suddenly yell, “Hey – microphones!” when a home team is getting ready to try a field goal makes you think the coaches have something else planned. There were still 7.8 seconds remaining – enough time for one quick toss or even a crazy fake. “OH NO, IT’S A TRICK!” The Geek worried, but then the Tigers kicked for the uprights anyway.
Upon further review, it sounds like a guy was shouting “Shut up, you’ve got microphones, use them!” No idea who he was barking at – maybe an announcer who’d been drowned out by screaming fans – but “shut up and use your mic” is advice that cannot be taken.
Once again, a touted District Semifinal clash of Seckman and Northwest has been saved by a hair at the last moment. We’ve got at least one team guaranteed to reach a District Final already. It’s only a question of whether the Lions or Jaguars will visit The Pit.
Photo Credits: SV Indians Football Facebook (Artist: Holly Hotop), Grady Harris Facebook