Ten Alive: District Quarterfinals in Jefferson County Football

Five of the county's twelve teams played on the first weekend of the district tournaments. Three of them won, and the one that mattered most was the one the form sheet didn't pick. De Soto went to Bonne Terre, where North County had ended its last two seasons in this exact round, and came home a 34-27 winner on a night Cannon Kisner carried 33 times. It is De Soto's first district win since 2020, and at 6-4 the Dragons have their first winning season since 2010. The reward is Festus, Friday, at Festus.

Hillsboro did what a 3-seed is supposed to do to a 6-seed, 54-16 over Windsor, with 47 of those points on the board by halftime. Herculaneum ran for 371 and held Lutheran South to zero net rushing yards in a 49-7 win. Grandview's season ended at Veritas, 49-14, with Brock Poole's best night of the year inside it. Windsor's ended at Hillsboro.

The other seven county teams — Festus, Seckman, Northwest, Fox, St. Pius X, Jefferson and Crystal City — had byes, which is the quiet way of saying they were the top two seeds in their districts. So the count is this: ten of twelve are still playing, and two of Friday's semifinals are county against county. De Soto at Festus. Seckman at Northwest. Everything below is from the Post-Dispatch's box scores, MSHSAA's brackets, KJFF, the Daily Journal and the Leader, with the Live Stream STL crew credited where only they had it.

The quarterfinals by the numbers

• 302 — rushing yards on 33 carries for De Soto's Cannon Kisner at North County, with four touchdowns, by the box score De Soto submitted to the Post-Dispatch. The Live Stream STL crew had him at 214. Either way it is the fourth-biggest rushing night by a county player this season in the Post-Dispatch's honor roll, behind Kamden Yates's 341 against North County, Cody Shaver's 307 against Caruthersville and Windsor's Jett Black's 306 at Jefferson in Week 1.
• 47 — Hillsboro's halftime total against Windsor: 20 in the first quarter, 27 in the second.
• 0 — Lutheran South's net rushing yards on 18 carries at Herculaneum.
• 2010 — the last time De Soto finished a season with a winning record, per KJFF; the Post-Dispatch's records, which are incomplete for 2012, agree.
• 10 — county teams still alive after the quarterfinals, out of twelve.
• 14-7 — the last Seckman-Northwest score, Northwest's, in the Class 6 District 1 semifinal at Seckman on Nov. 7, 2025. It ended a run of four September meetings Seckman had won by a combined 210-34. Friday is the rematch, at Northwest.
• 4 — district games Festus has won over De Soto since 2018, by scores of 36-6, 41-7, 35-7 and 41-0.

De Soto 34, North County 27: a first since 2020, and Kisner

North County had beaten De Soto in the district opener two years running — 31-21 in 2024, 21-6 last fall — and had beaten the Dragons 35-22 in September. Friday, De Soto led from the start. Kisner scored twice in the first quarter for a 13-0 lead, per KJFF; Braydee McClure found Jayden Cook to cut it to 13-7, and De Soto scored again late in the half and converted the two-point try for 21-7. North County got the next two, Cook again and then Noah Lashley, to pull within 21-19, per KJFF, and De Soto answered with two fourth-quarter scores before Noah Lindsey's late touchdown made it a one-possession final.

The box score is a running back's box score: 49 carries, 373 rushing yards, 464 total. Kisner also completed 5 of 9 for 91, the longest a 58-yarder to Peyson Casey. Nathan Slamp ran 11 times for 53. Damian Pogue caught four passes and led the defense with nine solo tackles; Levi Huck had a sack and a fumble recovery, Blake Kemper the other sack. North County's side of the box score was never entered, so the Raiders' names above are KJFF's.

Some context for the 6-4. In the Post-Dispatch's records De Soto went 0-10 in 2021, 1-9 in 2022, 1-9 in 2023 and 5-5 in each of the last two years. KJFF called Friday the first playoff win of the Russ Schmidt era. The last district win the Post-Dispatch shows is a 13-0 game at Cape Central on Oct. 30, 2020. Kisner, who set the school's career rushing-touchdown record on Oct. 2 per the Leader, is at 165 carries for 1,412 yards this season, second in the county to Shaver, with 16 touchdowns and seven two-point conversions. North County finishes 6-4, one of those wins the Farmington forfeit.

Hillsboro 54, Windsor 16: three touchdown catches for Preston Ross

Hillsboro scored on a 24-yard pass with 9:58 left in the first quarter and did not stop until 6:21 of the third. Aiden Fleming completed 19 of 24 for 196 yards and three touchdowns without an interception; the scoring summary has the touchdown passes at 24, 14 and 18 yards, and the Post-Dispatch's honor roll credits all three to Preston Ross, who caught eight passes for 88 yards. Auston Ross caught five for 58 and returned a punt for a touchdown — 66 yards in the scoring summary, 67 in the return table — with 10:19 left in the second quarter. Jadyn Rice ran 11 times for 58, Trey Zimmerly three for 37, and Hillsboro's four rushing touchdowns came from 1, 9, 1 and 14 yards out; the box score does not say by whom. It was 20-8 after a quarter, 47-8 at the half.

Windsor's two touchdowns were both long. Kendrick Newborn returned a kickoff 87 yards with 2:16 left in the first quarter, Jett Black ran in the two-point try, and Jack Kuda ran 43 yards with 2:40 to play, Ethan Cobb adding the conversion. Kuda carried 11 times for 88; Cobb ran 16 times for 59 and led Windsor with nine tackles, Jonathon Drake eight. Windsor finished with 189 yards to Hillsboro's 336.

Kyryn Miller had eight solo tackles and both Hillsboro sacks; Landon Gonzales intercepted Black, and Andrew Akridge and Eli Petit recovered fumbles. Hillsboro is 7-3 — the Post-Dispatch's standings still say 8-2, because the database has the Poplar Bluff loss recorded as a win — and goes to Sikeston on Friday. Windsor is done at 3-7. Kuda finishes with 108 carries for 1,063 yards and 15 touchdowns, and Cobb's 81 solo tackles lead the county and rank third on the Post-Dispatch's area list.

Herculaneum 49, Lutheran South 7: 371 on the ground

Herculaneum ran 43 times for 371 yards, 8.6 a carry, and 431 in all. Aaron Mardirosian carried 13 times for 121 and two touchdowns, per the Live Stream STL crew; Chase Luebbert 14 times for 85 and three, per the Post-Dispatch's honor roll; Conor Hedrick six times for 87, and he completed two of five passes, 35 yards to Gavin Feltmann and 25 to Luke Smith, who also ran seven times for 52. Feltmann returned three punts for 40.

Lutheran South threw 41 times because it had to: Brody Slinkard completed 20 of them for 245 yards, 10 to Jimmy Gill for 103, and the Lancers ran 18 times for nothing. Ben McLaughlin intercepted Slinkard; Taylor Hill-Greenlee had six solo tackles, two assists and a sack, and Kayden Lee the other sack. Blaine Boss told KJFF that Lutheran South played a clean game, which is about the only compliment the box score allows. Herculaneum is 6-4 and goes to St. Clair, the 2-seed at 6-3, on Friday.

Grandview: 0-10, and Poole's 296

The season ends at 0-10, 80 points scored and 421 allowed, with a 49-14 loss at Veritas Christian in O'Fallon on Friday. The number worth keeping is Brock Poole's: 24 carries for 174 yards, five kickoff returns for 122, 296 all-purpose yards against a team that scored 49. Bobby Gregory ran 22 times for 100 and caught Grandview's only completion. Grandview ran for 305 yards on 54 carries and lost by 35 anyway, which is the season in one line. Cory Hanger told KJFF the Eagles struggled to get going early and that most of this team comes back. Poole finished with 16 returns for 327 yards in the Post-Dispatch's count. Veritas, 4-4, goes to top-seeded Louisiana.

The byes, and what each one is walking into

Festus (7-2) rested on a seven-game winning streak as the No. 1 seed in Class 4 District 1 and gets De Soto, which it beat 36-8 on Sept. 18. The Tigers have won the district the last two years, per the Leader, and have met De Soto in the tournament four times since 2018 without losing one. De Soto's last win over Festus in the Post-Dispatch's records is 38-20 on Sept. 27, 2019.

Seckman (7-2) and Northwest (8-1) did not play each other this fall, but they met twice last year: Seckman won the September game 49-14, and Northwest won the one that counted, 14-7 at Seckman in this same semifinal, before losing 70-7 at Jackson in the final. Before that, Seckman had won 64-6, 56-7 and 41-7 in the Septembers of 2022 through 2024. Northwest's only loss is 18-12 to University City on Sept. 11; it has won six straight since, the last one from 14 down at Oakville for the Suburban Orange. The winner almost certainly goes to Jackson, 9-0 and the Class 6 District 1 top seed, which hosts Lindbergh in the other semifinal. Nick Baer, asked by the Leader about Jackson, said: "They're the class of the state." Per the Leader, Fox lost the 2018 and 2019 Class 5 district finals there by a combined 91-43, and Seckman lost the 2021 final there 52-14.

St. Pius X (6-3) is the 1-seed in Class 3 District 2 and hosts Central of Park Hills, which beat Potosi 22-13 on three Karras Foster touchdowns, per the Daily Journal. The Lancers beat Central 54-0 in September. Herculaneum is the 3-seed on the other side of the bracket.

Jefferson (6-3), the 2-seed in Class 2 District 2 a week after its first conference title, hosts Montgomery County, which MSHSAA's bracket shows advancing by forfeit over Confluence; the Post-Dispatch lists it as a 13-0 game. Valle Catholic, 9-0 and the 1-seed, hosts Hermann, a 34-8 winner over Duchesne. Crystal City (2-7), the 2-seed in Class 1 District 2, hosts Principia (2-6), which lost 70-34 at John Burroughs on Oct. 24. Fox (5-4), the 1-seed in Class 5 District 1, gets Farmington, which beat Poplar Bluff 48-8 on four Walker Laut touchdowns and three more from Isaac Fripp, per KJFF. Farmington beat Fox 49-28 in last year's district tournament. Its record is 5-5 by MSHSAA's count, which includes the four forfeits the appeals committee upheld on Oct. 24.

Around the brackets

Perryville beat Fredericktown 17-6 on two Wildcat-formation touchdowns, Bryce Weber's and Josh Gremaud's 25-yarder, plus a field goal set up by a bobbled punt snap, per KJFF; the Pirates (5-5) go to Kennett (8-1), and Fredericktown finishes 3-7. Rockwood Summit beat Parkway Central 61-0: McCoy Brown threw four touchdown passes, 16 of 23 for 207, Kindall Young ran nine times for 123 and a score, and Kobi Barton returned an interception 37 yards. Summit (6-4) hosts Parkway West, a 43-22 winner over Washington. Eureka hosts Parkway South, which beat Webster Groves 42-0.

Lindbergh beat Oakville 21-3, a week after Oakville lost the Orange on a point. Kingston Coates returned a fumble 63 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, Noah Norman ran for 114 and two scores, and Oakville completed three passes for 14 yards with two interceptions. Oakville finishes 7-3; Lindbergh (5-5) goes to Jackson. Bayless lost 50-7 at Westminster on Saturday, Chris Webb catching a 45-yard touchdown from James Craig, and finishes 3-7, the first three-win season in the Post-Dispatch's records, as we noted last week. Cuba lost 48-24 to Buffalo, Carter Medows running 18 times for 122, and is done at 4-6. Hannibal beat Warrenton 46-21 and goes to St. Charles West; Saxony Lutheran shut out New Madrid County Central 35-0 and goes to St. Vincent; Ste. Genevieve beat Doniphan 56-3 and hosts Dexter; Cape Central beat Mehlville 53-6 and goes to St. Mary's.

The three we circled, graded

• De Soto at North County — We said North County had won the last two openers and the September meeting, and that the winner goes to Festus. Final: De Soto 34-27. Grade: the winner goes to Festus, and it is the other one.
• Windsor at Hillsboro — We said Hillsboro had scored 16 points in two weeks and that Windsor had just scored 56. Final: Hillsboro 54-16. Grade: Hillsboro scored 47 in a half.
• Lindbergh at Oakville — We said Oakville, a point from the Orange title, gets a Lindbergh team that had just lost by a point at Eureka. Final: Lindbergh 21-3. Grade: the one-point loser won.

The quarterfinals, the whole board

• De Soto 34, North County 27 · Hillsboro 54, Windsor 16 · Herculaneum 49, Lutheran South 7
• Veritas Christian 49, Grandview 14 · Perryville 17, Fredericktown 6 · Buffalo 48, Cuba 24
• Lindbergh 21, Oakville 3 · Rockwood Summit 61, Parkway Central 0 · Farmington 48, Poplar Bluff 8
• Central (Park Hills) 22, Potosi 13 · Hermann 34, Duchesne 8 · Montgomery County over Confluence (forfeit)
• Saxony Lutheran 35, New Madrid County Central 0 · Ste. Genevieve 56, Doniphan 3 · Dexter 33, Scott City/Chaffee 7
• Parkway West 43, Washington 22 · Parkway South 42, Webster Groves 0 · Cape Central 53, Mehlville 6
• Hannibal 46, Warrenton 21 · Kelly 63, East Prairie 7 · Vianney 68, Affton 13 · Sullivan 66, Pacific 20
• Saturday — Westminster 50, Bayless 7 · Hazelwood East 18, McCluer North 6
• Byes: Festus, Sikeston, Seckman, Northwest, Jackson, St. Pius X, St. Clair, Fox, St. Mary's, Jefferson, Valle Catholic, Crystal City, Louisiana, St. Vincent, Caruthersville, Eureka, Kennett, Union, Principia

Helmet stickers

• Cannon Kisner, De Soto — 33 carries, four touchdowns, and the program's first district win in six years.
• Preston Ross, Hillsboro — eight catches, three of them touchdowns, in a game that was over by halftime.
• Aaron Mardirosian and Chase Luebbert, Herculaneum — 27 carries, 206 yards, five touchdowns between them.
• Brock Poole, Grandview — 296 all-purpose yards in a 35-point loss, and a season that ended with the best game of it.

Where the county stands

• Class 6 District 1: Seckman at Northwest. Lindbergh at Jackson.
• Class 5 District 1: Farmington at Fox. Cape Central at St. Mary's, 6 p.m.
• Class 4 District 1: De Soto at Festus. Hillsboro at Sikeston.
• Class 3 District 2: Central (Park Hills) at St. Pius X. Herculaneum at St. Clair.
• Class 2 District 2: Montgomery County at Jefferson. Hermann at Valle Catholic.
• Class 1 District 2: Principia at Crystal City. Veritas Christian at Louisiana.
• Out: Windsor (3-7), Grandview (0-10).

Friday: the semifinals we've circled

• De Soto at Festus: the fifth district meeting since 2018, and De Soto has scored 20 points in the first four combined. The Dragons have a quarterback who runs it 30 times and a defense that gave up 27 on Friday; Festus has allowed 25 points in its last three games. The winner plays the Hillsboro-Sikeston winner for the district title on Nov. 13.
• Seckman at Northwest: the rematch of last November's 14-7 Northwest win in this round, on Seckman's field; this one is at Northwest, which has not lost since Sept. 11. Cohenn Stark against Seckman's front; Jaxon Jablonski, 172 carries for 1,093 yards, against a Northwest defense that has allowed 21 points in its last three games, all of them at Oakville. The winner likely gets Jackson.
• Hillsboro at Sikeston: Hillsboro's last two games against Sikeston were season openers, 49-14 at Sikeston in 2022 and 63-14 at home in 2023, per the Post-Dispatch's records. Sikeston is 7-2, its losses to Farmington and Jackson, and was 0.30 MSHSAA points from the top seed. Aiden Fleming has thrown 13 touchdowns against one interception.
• Herculaneum at St. Clair: 371 rushing yards a week ago against a 2-seed that lost its last two regular-season games, 38-27 at North County and 28-7 to Union.
• Central (Park Hills) at St. Pius X: the rematch of a 54-0 game. Cody Shaver has 1,740 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns; Central's defense held Potosi to 13.
• Farmington at Fox: last year's district game went to Farmington, 49-28. Fox ran for 409 at Parkway Central on Oct. 23; Farmington just scored 48.

The semifinal slate: Friday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. unless noted

• De Soto at Festus · Hillsboro at Sikeston · Seckman at Northwest · Lindbergh at Jackson
• Central (Park Hills) at St. Pius X · Herculaneum at St. Clair · Farmington at Fox · Cape Central at St. Mary's, 6 p.m.
• Montgomery County at Jefferson · Hermann at Valle Catholic · Principia at Crystal City · Veritas Christian at Louisiana
• Saxony Lutheran at St. Vincent · Kelly at Caruthersville · Perryville at Kennett · Dexter at Ste. Genevieve
• Parkway South at Eureka · Parkway West at Rockwood Summit · Marquette at Kirkwood · Cardinal Ritter at Ladue
• Hannibal at St. Charles West · Hazelwood East at Chaminade, 6 p.m. · Westminster at Sullivan · Vianney at Union
• Saturday, Nov. 7 — Hazelwood West at Pattonville, noon
• District finals: Friday, Nov. 13.

For the record: Cannon Kisner's rushing line is 33 carries for 302 yards in the Post-Dispatch box score and on its honor roll; the Live Stream STL crew's count was 34 for 214. We printed the box score. Preston Ross's line was eight catches for 88 yards in the box; the crew's unofficial count was six for 91. The Post-Dispatch's Hillsboro record (8-2) is wrong for the reason noted above, and KJFF's recap printed Windsor's final record as 7-3; it is 3-7. KJFF had Central-Potosi 22-16; the box score and MSHSAA's bracket say 22-13. KJFF called De Soto's win its first in the playoffs since 2010; the Post-Dispatch's records show a district win at Cape Central in 2020. KJFF has North County finishing 6-5 and Farmington at 6-5; the Post-Dispatch and MSHSAA have them 6-4 and 5-5. The Post-Dispatch lists Herculaneum's running back as Aaron Mardirosian; the sheet that circulated Friday night spelled his first name differently, and we went with the database. Festus still has not posted a box score from its Oct. 24 win at Kirksville.

County coverage runs all season in partnership with Live Stream STL, which broadcasts these games live. Catch up on the Week 7, Week 8 and Week 9 recaps and the season preview that framed it all. Athlete development, as always, by M4P — Movement 4 Power.

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