Perryville, Saxony Lutheran and St. Vincent all open their 2025 varsity football seasons Friday, and all three teams are hoping to get off on the right foot.
At Perryville, head coach Brent Roth and the Pirates hope to build off last season’s 10-2 record and avoid an early exit in the state playoffs.
Last season, the Pirates’ two losses came at the hands of crosstown rival St. Vincent (29-25) in Week 3 and Festus, which handed the Pirates a 43-0 shutout loss in the district championship game.
This season, the Pirates open on the road at nearby Fredericktown. The Pirates beat the Blackcats 28-14 in the 2024 opener. Since 2010, the Pirates are 6-6 against the Blackcats and are riding a streak of five consecutive victories.
Over the past 12 seasons, Fredericktown has outscored Perryville 279-126, but the Pirates have won every game in which they’ve scored at least 18 points.
The Blackcats, who finished 4-7 last season, have not had a winning record since 2012.
Perryville finished the 2024 regular season 8-1, and logged district playoff victories over Windsor (26-8) and Hillsboro (21-7) before falling to Festus in the championship game.
“Our two losses cost us and kept us from being champions,” Roth said, “but still, it was a great year for us and a great step for the program. We’re after more this year. We’re expecting big things. We’ve just got to have some guys step up in some of those skill positions.”
Kickoff for Friday’s opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Blackcat Football Stadium in Fredericktown.
Meanwhile, Friday marks not only the season opener for Saxony Lutheran, but also the first varsity football game for the Crusaders. Saxony launched its football program last season, playing a junior varsity schedule.
This year, the Crusaders take the field for the first time as a varsity program under coach O.J. Turner.
“Last year was establishing policies and procedures,” Turner said. “The kids bought in, and that was obviously great to get some wins and success.”
The Crusaders’ inaugural JV team finished 6-0, highlighted by victories over Doniphan and St. Vincent. Turner credited the players’ size, work ethic and willingness to play both sides of the ball for helping build momentum.
The Crusaders will also open the season on the road, where they will travel to O’Fallon to take on Veritas Christian Academy.
The Eagles, another relatively new program, finished last season with a record of 1-8, their only victory coming in Week 2 against Missouri Military Academy (19-12).
Kickoff for Friday’s opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. in O’Fallon.
Coach Tim Schumer’s St. Vincent Indians are also on the road for their season opener, traveling to Ste. Genevieve, where they will square off with the Dragons.
The Indians, who finished last season with a record of 12-1 — their best in 14 seasons — and a second consecutive district championship, posted a 53-0 shutout victory over the Dragons in the first meeting between the schools.
For the season, the Indians outscored their opponents 38.7-12.3. Their only loss came in the semifinal round, a 21-0 loss to Adrian. In 2023, the Indians lost to Marionville 38-7, also in the Class 1 state semifinals.
“We lost in the semifinals two years in a row, so we are getting bumped to Class 2 this year,” Schumer said. “You’d like to stay where you’re at and at least maybe win it before you get bumped. It’s a new challenge for us, but it doesn’t change anything for us regular season-wise, it’ll just be districts and on.”
Kickoff for Friday’s opener is scheduled 7 p.m. at the Ste. Genevieve High School Football Field in Ste. Genevieve.
