Festus 21, Hannibal 12
The front line (front-seven?) story goes up front. The real-life, honest-to-goodness Festus Tigers defense of 2026 showed up again on Friday, leading the Black & Gold to its third critical win in three games. The Tigers have now beaten 2023 and 2025’s Class 4 Show-Me Bowl runners-up by decisive scores in the span of 15 days. The scary part is that Festus didn’t beat Hillsboro-lite or Hannibal-with-a-stupid-new-system this midseason. Hillsboro has another potent ensemble cast of playmakers, and Hannibal retains the imposing and intimidating brand of defense which has taken the Varsity Pirates cruising through more than one postseason bracket. Hannibal’s loss makes the potential state-playoff path of C4D1’s champion look brighter than ever.
Wouldn’t you know, senior Antonio Pinkston broke through for mauling tackles-for-loss on Hannibal’s first series, just as the All-Star EDGE set Week 5’s physical tone inside and outside the hash marks on Hillsboro’s opening snaps. Hannibal wasn’t going anywhere fast, giving QB Quinnten O’ Brien exactly the kind of relaxed game that you would want a new starter to have against a Final Four powerhouse. O’Brien expertly worked the Tigers into position for Kamden Yates’ lovely cut-back TD from the 5-yard line, giving FHS a seven-point lead that the boys would not relinquish, except that the margin went from tight to lopsided and returned to being a tight score. Junior Aiden Schirmer’s LB corps kept Hannibal’s rushers so quiet, the Pirates barely sailed for any explosive plays at all. Senior DB Liam O’ Brien looped in for a QB sack with :59 left in the second frame, stopping Hannibal’s only turn in about 10:00. Hannibal quarterback Wyeth Dorsey’s lone long-bomb attempt was picked off by Kamden Yates and returned up the sideline.
Senior Iron Man star Braydon Wilkes extended a 7-6 Tigers lead to 14-6 in Quarter 3 on a cannily designed Shovel Pass that Wilkes rushed to the pylon. Funny that No. 8 gently waves off a teammate before the snap, as if to say, “Do not draw attention to me now.”
The Gridiron Geek can’t help but point out one letdown from the Festus-Hannibal contest, which was that it wasn’t an especially well managed game by either side. It was a very well coached game, repping some of the finest coaches in Missouri, but some of its big-picture decision making was questionable. For instance, Hannibal has mostly put away its St. Pius-y strategy of going from Wishbone-style running to Spread offense passing, bringing a game plan to Tiger Stadium like Sullivan might have used, conservatively running from tight formations on almost every series. Why run into the teeth of the Tigers’ strong front?
FHS coach A.J. Ofodile’s staff should not forget that the eye in the sky is nigh compared to what you can spy with your eyes, in live action during a game. Sophomore kicker Bennett Spraul – whose name suggests that he has the pedigree – finally began booming XPs down the middle by the second half, booting the bean 40+ yards instead of just dinking it over the crossbar. When the Tigers had a 4th-and-goal from the 7-yard line later in Quarter 3, Festus ran a play and turned the football over instead of letting Spraul attempt a “virtual XP” field goal from the 15-yard line. Then it happened again – FHS needed an extra-point-length field goal to expand its Quarter 4 lead to 17+ points, but went for it and missed on 4th-and-goal. If Ofodile had just ordered two field-goal attempts, and Spraul had simply made one of them, the Tigers would’ve been ahead 24-6 with all of the bout’s momentum.
Hannibal can say that its injuries are the reason for its limited playbook. FHS has no such easy explanation for why Spraul wasn’t given a chance to mint a three-score lead from close range, except that summer’s kicking woes are stuck in the coaches’ heads.
Coach O would be happy to tear The Geek’s field-goal debate to shreds, except that he may be way too busy giving MSHSAA a piece of his mind. The weird District 1 seeding accident that Ofodile worried about in Week 5’s postgame has come to pass – the Tigers are somehow behind the 5-2 Sikeston Bulldogs after going 5-2 versus seven Large Schools to the Bulldogs’ four, even following the big win over Hannibal. We like Sikeston this season, but they didn’t beat Hillsboro and Hannibal in 15 days.
At least Midmeadow Lane’s schedule is turning easier in kind. Black & Gold faces the struggling Poplar Bluff Mules in Week 8, then takes another road trip to meet 2-5 Kirksville. To be fair, it’ll be hard to conquer the KHS Tigers on their Senior Night, no matter what the records may say going in. But if the R-6 defense intends to consistently fare this well, it won’t take 10 TDs to beat those teams.
Hillsboro 56, DeSoto 13
We promise not to nickname any Hillsboro Hawks “Jake” or “Elwood,” but the Blue & White has been busy Putting The Band Back Together. Preston Ross is healthy enough to have grabbed an INT on DeSoto’s second possession, setting up another returning rusher and Utility standout, Trey Zimmerly, to score the Hawks’ first touchdown from just outside the 20. That’s teamwork from players who were collectively missing against Festus High, robbing HHS of its potent mix of playmakers at every dang spot.
Aiden Fleming hit WR Alec Fleming on a deceptive long-bomb touchdown to stake Hillsboro to a Quarter 2 lead that it never looked back from, though the middle of the scrum remained tense. Cannon Kisner scored for the host Dragons on a clutch 4th-and-goal keeper to tighten the scoreboard to 14-13, but Hillsboro High blocked the XP attempt. Fleming (Alec) furthered his breakout performance moments later, leaping over single coverage to catch a 32-yard touchdown pass. Leon Hall got the meeting’s decisive TD when the exceptional Damien Pogue was stripped on a catch-and-run effort. Preston’s brother Auston scampered down the sideline, approximately 68 yards from the looks of it, for paydirt and a 33-13 lead. HHS ran away with the game after that.
RB/FB Nathan Bulback’s scoring performance in garbage-time is evidence that Hillsboro has the band back together, at least insofar as (Aiden) Fleming’s starting Skeleton crew goes. Bulback was playing the role of a key backfield starter not long ago, now he may find it more difficult to start for a bolstered team! Don’t worry, the fact that the Hawks are fully loaded and engaged again should help everybody have fun in the end. RB Jadyn Rice also had a fantastic night, rushing for at least three TDs (four by Live Stream STL’s count) while also serving as a speedy receiver. Live Stream STL’s audio stream went missing except for sound-effects on one of the tailback’s nicest TDs through traffic, interrupting the weird silence of Rice’s touchdown with a studio “BOOM! Chi-Chi-Chi-Chi-Chi!” worthy of a Run-DMC beat. Just “for the record,” your reporter discovered that after deciding to do the “Blues Brothers” thing.
DeSoto had a similar episode as the St. Pius Lancers on Friday night, dealing with a losing-but-deceptive final score after making a very good game of it for at least one half. The Dragons did absolutely everything right on two long first-half scoring drives. Then they started turning it over like a college basketball roster, losing four giveaways in the defeat. “It got out of hand,” said Coach Schmidt.
The 6-1 Hillsboro Hawks lead Class 4, District 1 with about 46 MSHSAA points going into a showdown with C5’s Farmington.
Farmington 40, St, Pius 21
St. Pius X spooked Farmington a full three weeks before Halloween. The Lancers took the field like the Herculaneum Blackcats of 1991, and stunned the epic Black Knights defense of 2026, via a Wishbone attack that could not be stopped in the first quarter-and-change. It wasn’t for a lack of aerial skills, as junior QB Evan Eckrich nailed a pass on his first drop-back in the second quarter. But the fact that St. Pius was scoring touchdowns “West Point”-style, without any passing, had to be a shock to a Farmington D’ that hasn’t given up points to any brand of opponents, each of whom have tried passing, running, rain dances, and magic spells.
The contest played to a classic 13-13 draw at halftime, Farmington blocking Hill Valley’s second XP attempt before the Lancers fought back by blocking the Knights’ next XP try. Hannibal was losing 21-6 at Midmeadow Lane by the time Hill Valley’s encounter came back from halftime. Fox-Kirkwood was even-steven. Would the Pirates, Knights, and Pioneers all fall to JeffCo in one night?
Alas, it wasn’t to be. McCarthy had broke away for a 70-yard TD catch-and-streak to give FHS a 20-13 lead. The turnover bug struck SPX in the second half, as option pitch-outs were blown up and Shaver stripped off the bean by Farmington’s deep defense. While Shaver’s fumble served a nullify a 50+ yard kickoff return by junior Lynnden McCoin that could’ve helped tie the encounter back up instantly, Shaver also showed once again that he’s at his best against the toughest opponents, racing for 140 yards. Remember Meeeee … erm, recall senior Brody Ervin? He led with 159 yards, promoting KREI to comment, “it’s a two-sided hammer.”
St. Pius X should not be substantially ranked down for losing to Farmington while Festus defeated Hannibal. Farmington is a better, healthier team than the Hannibal Pirates at this moment, and the Black Knights did not show up to Highway A with the type of ultra-conservative, diddy-bump playbook that Hannibal thought would be good enough to pierce the neighborhood’s top defensive front. For the Lancers, Friday’s letdown comes with the great news that Hill Valley can run its own “limited” offense and flourish against elite competition like Farmington’s lineup, for the purpose of throwing a curve ball, or slowing down the tempo against a Fast-Breaking rival offense. SPX’s defense was as active and exciting to watch in the first half as TGG anticipated. Farmington accumulated a meek rushing total of “10” thanks to Hill Valley’s bounty of TFL and sacks, and just 250 yards overall.
St. Pius was more disciplined in Week 7, helping to produce that fast-flowing game that The Geek wanted to see. But it’s certainly of concern that the Lancers have run out of steam in Quarter 4 in each of their chances for a signature win this season. Hill Valley’s conditioning and stamina are unsurpassed in JeffCo football, so you wouldn’t want to say that the Lancers’ starting lineup isn’t as durable as their opponents. It may be that St. Pius X’s swift rise in the scene, mixed with a schedule that hasn’t allowed many opportunities for signature wins yet, has made the kids so hungry to score that big victory that they punch themselves out.
Furthermore, the All-Star lineman Jackson Jercinovic had to play nose guard due to David Schulte’s minor injury woes that cropped up, which was not a downgrade thanks to Jercinovic’s skills – but it taxed the offensive line and made it harder for the Lancers to come back in the last quarter. We appreciate the trust of the Lancers’ permission to report on injuries without any cageyness.
It makes the upcoming Vianney matchup into an interesting mental game for the 5-2 Lancers. Vianney is not like Farmington or Gibson Southern in the sense that Hill Valley would get a Sports Illustrated headline for knocking the Golden Griffins off. Vianney is a “hidden gem” of a talented squad that can’t get above .500 against a schedule of CBC, DeSmet and company, leaving other Metro Catholic bids to get the glory while Vianney does stuff like scoring four touchdowns against CBC. Vianney High lies in wait like a camouflaged snake in Class 4, but the Golden Griffins do not pose another chance for St. Pius to shock the STL Metro. The accolades from a triumph over Vianney would be lower key, even though Vianney is comparable to those Class 6 icons.
That’s SPX’s chance to tune into a Finish Strong mentality. St. Pius can’t rule the rankings with a Vianney conquest, but the Lancers will likely need a win to stay at #1 in Class 3, District 2. Vianney is a terrific test for St. Pius X that doesn’t come with the pressure of bowl-game scenarios or a visit from a long-time Jeff County rival such as the Farmington Black Knights. It’s not the sexiest date on SPX’s tough October schedule, but the Lancers might gain the most out of it, hoping to score their year’s most impressive win yet.
Oh, and umm … “one outta three ain’t bad” is a saying too, right?
Kirkwood 35, Fox 21
County teams held on to just one of those three early leads over Godzilla, Mothra, and He-Man. Fox lost its 14-7 edge when head coach Jeremy Maclin’s vaunted Kirkwood Pioneers turned up the tempo with about 2:00 left in the first half, getting a key 11-yard TD carry from the sizable senior rusher DeMarcus Tatum that gave Kirkwood a 14-13 lead at the break. Prior to that, QB Jude Pribish found fellow senior Nehemiah Glanville on a classic play-action bomb to the 3-yard line to set up Arnold’s go-ahead score. But Kirkwood didn’t relent once the momentum was with the Pioneers, scoring thrice more in a 13-minute span after the break.
Fox’s offense outrushed Kirkwood 232-211 even though the Warriors were lost for answers in the fourth quarter. Fox’s offense was probably its best weapon in midgame. No Pioneers rusher matched Warriors senior Ryan Joggerst’s 100+ yard rushing night. Arnold is giving away too many yards on its kickoffs, though, putting the team’s hard working defense in a pickle against four-down offense.
Seckman 40, Hazelwood East 6 (Thursday)
Whoa. The Seckman Jaguars just laid yet another surprise on the STL Metro, and this one’s got Week 9 and Week 11 implications. The Jaguars’ 40-6 thrashing of the HEHS Spartans proved a point that went beyond the scoreboard.
SHS quarterback Brody Kube made a stunning early return from his collarbone injury that struck late this summer, putting on an aerial display at Hazelwood East that rivaled the takeoffs at nearby Lambert Airport. Kube’s presence helped senior WR Nick Weidler have his finest Thursday-or-Friday night of the 2026 season so far. No. 12 found Weidler down the middle for an immediate 45-yard gain on Seckman’s first turn, on a play that got the Jags’ sideline excited. Weidler was quick to capitalize when the field-flip made the Spartans’ defense woozy, taking a 32-yard catch-and-run to the house for the Jaguars’ first touchdown.
Kube, and his newest favorite target, were just getting warmed up. The returning senior QB made like Johnny Unitas and threw the perfect short pass at the perfect time again to start the second quarter, allowing Weidler to catch the bean in space close to midfield, fake his man into the dust, and race away for a second long TD. Seckman switched back to its Wildcat for a third TD drive that preceded the Jags’ goalline stand to end the first half. Again, anyone who thought Kube and Weidler were done throwing a party was dreaming. Kube hit his 6’2″ wideout for another 32-yard gain down to the 1-yard line to begin Quarter 3, giving the Jags a dominant 28-0 lead over a team that held Parkway North to just six points in the first 36:00 last weekend.
Then it was time for the piece de resistance, as our Frenchy’s Cafe cooks would say, as Kube hit sophomore WR Logan Harris with a 46-yard beauty, in essence the Seckman quarterback’s fourth touchdown toss of the game, notwithstanding the fact that SHS snuck the ball in following his pylon-rocket to Weidler late in the first half. However you count up the stats, the Jags had the Turbo Clock running before you could say “what a fast rehab!”
Seckman’s surprisingly easy, dominant road win at Hazelwood East doesn’t just move the Jaguars to 6-1, threaten Pattonville in the Jaguars’ league standings (Pattonville fell to Ritenour in Week 6, making the Pirates 1-1 and the Jags 2-1 in the “Red” group), and reestablish the Kube-to-Weidler connection as one of the Dirty Dozen’s most dangerous. It also gives the Class 6, District 1 race for No. 2 seeding with Northwest, and Oakville a dramatic new shape. It’s not Northwest or Fox with the hot offense, it’s Seckman with the hottest offense – and the Jaguars are a team for which injuries had supposedly frozen the offense.
Can anyone imagine the Jaguars losing to the Pirates 35-0 again? Heck, it’s difficult to imagine Week 7’s offense being outscored by 35 points by any opponent. Seckman picked up its starting QB’s playbook again like the Jaguars were riding bikes, outperforming more than one serious STL contender against a common foe. In the meantime, the Jaguars’ defense was a team effort, one which made more than just that one Red Zone stand at the tail end of the first half. There is a 93% chance that head coach Nick Baer will say the defense “bent but didn’t break” against Hazelwood East, which advanced into plus-territory several times without scoring any meaningful TDs. It was Seckman’s sixth Turbo Clock victory in 14 games since September of last year. Imperial’s fly in the ointment is that everyone else in C6D1 is racking up a nice W/L record also, except for the 2-4 Lindbergh Flyers.
Seckman could have an entertaining #4 vs #5 playoff bout with Lindbergh, but the Jaguars would likely prefer to set up a playoff rematch with Northwest, and they’d surely like to host that potential clash in Week 11. For now, it’s on to Week 8, and new life on the Suburban League “table,” as Seckman’s soccer kids might say. The next two matchups against Ritenour and Parkway North, might either or both of those teams prove as beatable for the Jaguars as we think, could give rejuvenated Seckman a chance to lift a conference trophy over the toughest division of Suburban teams that The Valley has conquered to date.
Kube’s crazy return to stardom in midseason, long before any St. Louis sportswriters had a broken-bone case penciled in to come back in any way, is a spark of hope for several Mississippi Magazine standouts who went down with similar injuries in the year’s early weeks of football. Kube’s team has already invalidated the results of 2026’s Jefferson County Fantasy Tournament quarterfinal round. We ask if our champion St. Pius would’ve gotten past Seckman without a few bruises left by Brody.
Herculaneum 46, Bayless 18
Bayless barely avoids the Mercy Rule at the end of this one, but there’s a catch. Turbo Clock or VRBO schlock, Herculaneum was very impressive in overcoming the nerves of the moment (“w … w … winning streak?”) and showcasing its deep pool of talented kids in a delightful win, instead of nervously running up the middle to protect a 19-0 victory. The River Flat Cats got a Pick-Six touchdown of their own courtesy of LB Gavin Feltmann, and a massive night from RB Luke Smith. Herky mixed in some passes, showing confidence in a stable of quarterbacks. The 4-3 Cats’ third-place status in C3D2 could work well for a number of reasons.
Northwest 69, Jennings 0
Good golly. Cohenn Stark scored five touchdowns in the first 14:00 of Cedar Hill’s romp to 6-1, including 24 points’ worth of TD runs and an electrifying Pick-Six. It was merely one of three Pick-Six interceptions that Northwest’s defense snagged and took to the house. Seniors Braydon Jones and Kaler Moore scored points with their fourth and first total interceptions of the campaign respectively. Jones is working on a “Chase Wilson 2021”-type of season, should he keep donning the turnover chain.
Carter Stark had one carry for six yards. Chase “Cuz” Belcher had five carries, but Kaleb Belcher only put up a stat line on defense. Coach Gerling has never taken The Geek’s advice and we hope he doesn’t begin to now, but he sure peeled back on the two-way-player tactics and gave the Lions a breather against Jennings, like we had hoped. It saved the troubled JHS from an 0-100 fiasco.
Jefferson 43, Grandview 0
Friday’s win makes October into deja-vu for the Jefferson Blue Jays, who were in the same scenario against the same Week 8 and Week 9 opponents after a 5-0 streak to begin I-55 Conference play. It’s weird that the Blue Jays are in a different league now, but, heck, we’d say Plus-ca-Change if it wasn’t rude to toss so much French at folks. It will again be the Ste. Genevieve Dragons facing JHS in Week 8 again – we’ll try to keep seniors’ minds off what happened with that one in 2023. No matter how Week 8’s game shakes out, there’s a date with St. Vincent for the QCC trophy in 10/23. St. Vinny’s won 2023’s final I-55 title contest 28-21.
Duchesne 20, Crystal City 6
Crystal City’s record from October 2021 through November 2024:
25 Wins
14 Losses
Avg Margin-of-Defeat: 17.8 Points
Crystal City’s record in 2025 and 2026:
4 Wins
13 Losses
Avg Margin-of-Defeat: 31 Points
North County 48, Windsor 14
North County’s defense held Windsor’s excellent rush offense to just 4.59 YPC in Week 7. Maybe the North County Raiders are always that Class 4 team that starts out poorly and finishes strong, like a mirror image of the Lift For Life Hawks of 2021-25.
Photo Credit: Cropped w/ permission from GS Images