Patch's Playoff Preview: Holt Takes the Field Tonight

Eight St. Charles County-area prep football teams played well enough in districts to extend their seasons for at least one more game. The state playoffs begin tonight in regional play for most classes, while the Class 6 sectional round begins Friday.

Here's a look at the local matchups:

Class 6

(4-6) at (8-2), 7 p.m. Friday.

Fort Zumwalt West was already on a roll but recently earned a statement-making win by knocking Jefferson City from its perch as Missouri's top-ranked team. The host Jays were fresh off a win over defending state champion Rockhurst but were no match for the Jaguars, losing 49-21 in Week 9.

The Jaguars, state semifinalists from a year ago, beat Troy last week to wrap up their seventh straight win and a district championship and will host a Pattonville team that has eclipsed 21 points just once all season.

Led by quarterback Drew Hare and running back Ray Harris, the explosive Jaguars offense averages 40 points per game but will contend with Pattonville linebacker Jeremiah Wilkins, whose 156 total tackles is most among area players.

"We've got to find a way to get him blocked," Zumwalt West coach Paul Day said. "He does a great job bringing pressure and covering people, so we'll have to protect Drew and keep him clean. If we do that, we'll have opportunities to make plays."

Zumwalt West beat Pattonville 42-19 last year in sectional play.

Hickman (5-5) at Francis Howell (7-3), 7 p.m. Friday.

By upsetting Jefferson City 16-14 last week and denying the Jays a playoff spot, Hickman has crashed the Class 6 party and earned itself a shot at Francis Howell.

The host Vikings are hoping to make Hickman's playoff tenure an abbreviated one. Since losing three of four games at midseason, they have reeled off three straight wins to capture a district title.

Thanks to the emergence of Howell receiver Alex Strong, quarterback Eric Siebenshuh enters the playoffs as the area's leading passer with 2,461 yards through the air with 26 touchdowns against nine interceptions.

Strong and fellow wideout Corey King have accounted for 2,042 of those yards in the receiving game, with Strong averaging a whopping 28.2 yards per catch.

The Howell/Zumwalt West football rivalry may very well have yet another rematch on its hands.

Class 5

Waynesville (6-4) at (5-5), 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Despite being situated in a competitive five-team district, the Holt Indians earned a playoff trip for the second straight season by outscoring Timberland 14-0 in the fourth quarter of their game last week for a 31-24 win. It was their fourth win in five games following a 1-4 start.

If Holt can manage to get by Waynesville it will face a well-rested Kirkwood team, which ousted the Indians from postseason play in 2010 and '08.

Also in Class 5, Fort Zumwalt East (5-4) has a first-round bye and will face the winner between Camdenton (5-5) and Vianney (4-6) on Monday.

Class 4

Jennings (8-2) at (9-1), 7 p.m. Wednesday.

St. Charles West may have lost its district opener to Borgia but the Warriors rebounded nicely with back-to-back wins over St. Dominic and Warrenton to close out the regular season and earn a home playoff game. It will be their first playoff appearance since 2008.

The stingy St. Charles West defense led the Gateway Athletic Conference North in points allowed with just 15.3 given up each game, but Jennings' team speed will present a stiff test.

"They're scary," St. Charles West coach Gary Strauss said. "You can play a great game defensively against them and have four or five bad plays and still give up 28 points. Watching them on film, they have guys who can make people miss and refuse to give up on a play. If we aren't disciplined in staying with their pursuit lanes, they present issues like that with their speed."

Jennings also has a strong defense and led its conference (Suburban East) in fewest points allowed per game (16.5).

St. Charles West will counter with its option running game. The rushing duo of Marcus Taylor and Austin Rugraff have 13 touchdowns and 9.1 yards per carry apiece.

If St. Charles West manages to advance, the Warriors may get a chance to avenge their only loss of the season against Borgia.

(4-6) at Borgia (10-0), 7 p.m. Wednesday.

For the second straight year, Duchesne has managed to back its way into the playoffs. The Pioneers were 0-7 last year before winning two of their last three games to extend their season, and this year accomplished the feat again despite a 2-5 start.

"Our kids are real excited about being here and look forward to the chance to keep playing," Duchesne coach Charlie Elmendorf said.

Following a Week 6 loss to Centralia, Elmendorf decided it was time to shake things up at the quarterback position. Ultimately, Clay Stulce got his turn under center and responded by throwing two touchdowns in the Pioneers' district-opening win against St. Charles.

Two weeks later Duchesne found itself pitted against Westminster with a playoff spot on the line. The game was a defensive struggle and scoreless at the end of regulation, but Stulce's 12-yard touchdown run in overtime held up for a 7-0 win.

Duchesne faces a Borgia team that has yet this season to taste a loss.

"We know we have our work cut out with them," Elmendorf said. "They have an extremely talented quarterback who runs and throws the ball efficiently and their running back is a pretty good one too. They play well defensively, are coached very well and don't make many mistakes to hurt themselves. We'll have to play extremely well to beat them."

Class 3

Orchard Farm (5-5) at North Callaway (6-5), 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Orchard Farm got hot at the right time, winning three straight contests before ending its regular season with a shutout loss to Bowling Green. It was a disappointing loss for the Eagles, but they had already locked up a playoff spot and knew their ultimate goal was still in front of them. Now they'll gear up for the school's second playoff game in 39 years and hope to win their first playoff game ever.

"After that 10th game the guys were very disappointed we didn't win the district championship, but we quickly refocused," Orchard Farm coach Phil Kendall said. "We got into the tournament and anybody can win it from here. It's just a matter of getting hot, playing good football and playing strong (Wednesday) night."

Quarterback Blake Liscombe is just shy of 1,000 yards passing for the season and also leads the Eagles with 697 yards rushing. Phillip Cooley and Nick Knobbe are Liscombe's favorite targets in the receiving game while David Johnson has added 449 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.

Kendall said it will be key for his offense to convert third-down plays and be more efficient in the passing game.

"At times we've looked great on offense and at times we haven't moved the ball as well as we needed to," Kendall said. "If we want to throw the ball downfield we've got to make the shorter passes and convert a lot better on third down. Those are weaknesses we've had the last few weeks."

Class 2

Christian (7-2) at South Callaway (9-1), 7 p.m. Wednesday.

A year removed from its first varsity season that ended with a 2-6 record, the Christian Eagles are setting their sights high and getting ready for their program's first playoff game.

A 50-20 win over Lutheran St. Charles was Christian's sixth win in seven games and secured its spot in the postseason.

Quarterback Brendan Norwine has turned in another solid season, throwing for 1,757 yards and rushing for 358 more with 29 total touchdowns. His primary target is Deantrell Prince, who's hauled in 37 catches for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns. Lance Lehmann has also been active in the receiving game with 417 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.