A 7-0 start to the season hasn’t guaranteed the Jackson County Central football team much heading into Wednesday’s regular season finale vs. Pipestone.
The Huskies need a win over the Arrows to secure the South (Central-Silver) District title.
JCC is 3-0 in the district, while Pipestone and Luverne are both 2-1. Luverne plays at Redwood Valley (1-2) Wednesday. Minnesota Valley Lutheran (4-0) has completed its district schedule.
Also, the winner of Wednesday’s 7 p.m. game at Swearingen Field will be the likely number one seed for the Section 3AA playoffs and the loser seeded second. Either way, the Huskies and Arrows should have a bye in the quarterfinals and play at home in the semifinals.
“They like to throw the ball, and they throw it really well,” said JCC coach Tom Schuller following JCC’s 38-0 win at Luverne. “Their quarterback is good, and they have two good wide receivers. They get the ball out quickly.”
Jackson County Central has gone for two points following most of its touchdowns this season, but junior Ben Gallagher has received a few more opportunities to kick extra points and he’s responded well. He’s gone 2-for-2 in each of the last two games.
“At the beginning of the year we needed a kicker and Shadrach (assistant coach Shadrach Wacker) said ‘I think Ben can do it’ and I said all right, I’ll try it,” Gallagher said. “I ended up making a bunch in a row. For a while I felt like I couldn’t make any and now it’s kind of feeling good again.”
And the Huskies have been scoring a lot. JCC is first among the state’s Class 2A teams in both points scored and points allowed, outscoring their seven opponents by an average of 54.0-5.1 per game.
“Once we get up by a bunch we stop going for two out of respect,” Gallagher commented. “It’s kind of fun to get a couple of chances every game.”
Last week’s game at Luverne was the team’s toughest test of the season and the Huskies aced it. The team had some illness and injuries before and during the game but the coaches kept plugging in different players and moving people around.
“It takes everyone,” Gallagher said. “Everyone has a job. The backup guys, starters, everyone. Everyone needs to step up when their name gets called.”
The lowdown
Date/time: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
Site: Swearingen Field, Jackson
Series: JCC leads 21-8 (scores listed at end)
Series streak: JCC has won 3 straight
Longest JCC streak: 8 (21007-2013)
Longest Pipestone streak: 3 (2014-2015)
Schedule/results
JACKSON COUNTY CENTRAL (7-0)
Friday, Aug. 30: at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, W 44-0
Friday, Sept. 6: Worthington, W 62-7
Friday, Sept. 13: at Blue Earth Area, W 63-0
Friday, Sept. 20: Le Sueur-Henderson (homecoming), W 61-14
Friday, Sept. 27: at Redwood Valley, W 46-7
Friday, Oct. 4: Minnesota Valley Lutheran, W 64-8
Thursday, Oct. 10: at Luverne, W 38-0
Wednesday, Oct. 16: Pipestone, 7 p.m.
PIPESTONE (6-1)
Friday, Aug. 29: at Blue Earth Area, W 35-20
Friday, Sept. 6: LeSueur-Henderson, W 19-7
Friday, Sept. 13: at Maple River, W 13-7
Friday, Sept. 20: Redwood Valley, W 14-0
Friday, Sept. 27: at Minnesota Valley Lutheran, W 34-28
Friday, Oct. 4: Luverne, L 6-0 (OT)
Friday, Oct. 11: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, W 19-7
Wednesday, Oct. 16: at Jackson County Central, 7 p.m.
South (Central-Silver) District
Standings
Jackson County Central 3-0
Luverne 2-1
Pipestone 2-1
Redwood Valley 1-2
Minnesota Valley Lutheran 0-4
District games only
Wednesday, Oct. 16
Pipestone at Jackson County Central
Luverne at Redwood Valley
Maple River at Minnesota Valley Lutheran
Section 3AA
Jackson County Central will compete in Section 3AA in postseason play.
Here’s the schedule for those teams Wednesday. Won-loss records are in parentheses.
Jackson County Central (7-0): vs. Pipestone (6-1)
Pipestone (6-1): at Jackson County Central (7-0)
Redwood Valley (5-2): vs. Luverne (6-1)
Windom (4-3): at Class 1A No. 2 Springfield (7-0)
Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial (3-4): vs. LeSueur-Henderson (3-4)
Minnesota Valley Lutheran (2-5): vs. Maple River (3-4)
Le Sueur-Henderson (3-4): at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial (3-4)
Sibley East (0-7): at Blue Earth Area (0-7)
Top 10 list
There are a pair of matchups Wednesday of two rated Class 2A teams and another game where a ranked Class 2A team plays a ranked Class 3A team.
No. 2 Chatfield (7-0) hosts No. 8 Cannon Falls (6-1) and No. 7 Eden Valley-Watkins (6-1) is at home vs. No. 9 Holdingford (6-1).
Also, Class 2A No. 10 Caledonia (5-2) travels to Class 3A No. 9 Pine Island (6-1).
1. Barnesville (7-0): vs. Frazee (3-4)
2. Chatfield (7-0): vs. No. 8 Cannon Falls (6-1)
3. Jackson County Central (7-0) vs. Pipestone (6-1)
4. Norwood Young America (7-0): vs. Class 1A Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop (2-5)
5. Barnum (7-0): vs. Class 1A South Ridge (2-5)
6. Kimball Area (7-0): vs. Class 3A St. Cloud Cathedral (5-2)
7. Eden Valley-Watkins (6-1): vs. No. 9 Holdingford (6-1)
8. Cannon Falls (6-1): at No. 2 Chatfield (7-0)
9. Holdingford (6-1): at No. 7 Eden Valley-Watkins (6-1)
10. Caledonia (5-2): vs. Class 3A No. 9 Pine Island (6-1)
QRF
The top 15 teams in this week’s QRF as compiled by Minnesota-scores.net.
Listed are rank, team, record in parenthesis and QRF.
1. Barnesville (7-0) 69.0
2. Kimball Area (7-0) 68.6
3. Jackson County Central (7-0) 68.0
4. Chatfield (7-0) 67.6
5. Norwood Young America (7-0) 63.5
6. St. Agnes (5-2) 63.1
7. Rush City (7-0) 61.8
8. Cannon Falls (6-1) 60.0
9. Eden Valley-Watkins (5-1) 57.4
10. Staples-Motley (7-0) 57.1
11. Barnum (7-0) 56.5
12. Pipestone (6-1) 56.2
13. Randolph (6-1) 54.9
14. Holdingford (6-1) 54.4
15. Caledonia (5-2) 53.8
The series
Jackson County Central leads 21-8
1997: Jackson County Central 34, Pipestone-Jasper 0
1998: Jackson County Central 35, Pipestone-Jasper 6
1999: Jackson County Central 28, Pipestone-Jasper 10
2000: Jackson County Central 10, Pipestone-Jasper 0
2001: Jackson County Central 34, Pipestone-Jasper 6
2002: Jackson County Central 30, Pipestone 0
2003: Jackson County Central 28, Pipestone 14
2004: Pipestone 28, Jackson County Central 0; Pipestone 27, Jackson County Central 8 (Section 3AA quarterfinals)
2007: Jackson County Central 42, Pipestone 13
2008: Jackson County Central 20, Pipestone 0
2009: Jackson County Central 12, Pipestone 0
2010: Jackson County Central 41, Pipestone 0
2011: Jackson County Central 41, Pipestone 6; Jackson County Central 43, Pipestone 13 (Section 3AA semifinals)
2012: Jackson County Central 22, Pipestone 6
2013: Jackson County Central 34, Pipestone 6
2014: Pipestone 42, Jackson County Central 40; Pipestone 42, Jackson County Central 16 (Section 3AA championship)
2015: Pipestone 15, Jackson County Central 14
2016: Jackson County Central 19, Pipestone 18
2017: Pipestone 35, Jackson County Central 18
2018: Jackson County Central 14, Pipestone 13
2019: Jackson County Central 36, Pipestone 6
2020: Jackson County Central 16, Pipestone 7
2021: Pipestone 32, Jackson County Central 14; Pipestone 34, Jackson County Central 28 (Section 3AA championship)
2022: Jackson County Central 12, Pipestone 7; Jackson County Central 31, Pipestone 14 (Section 3AA championship)
2023: Jackson County Central 48, Pipestone 14