Each week the O-Zone staff will rank the top 10 area football teams based on dominance by class, aka how they stack up pound-for-pound with the other schools in their respective class.
(Class, record, previous ranking in parenthesis)
MONDAY REWIND: Conference races coming into focus
Week 6 – Upickem Contest (Free Andy's Frozen Custard)
District Football Standings
1. Lamar (C2, 4-0, 1) – After “surviving” to beat Monett in week 4 the Tigers caught a breather as they were idle last week. I can only imagine how difficult it is to find a non-conference opponent when you’re the five-time defending Class 2 state champs (must be exactly how North Dakota State feels!). The Brotherhood eases back into the grind this week at 0-5 McDonald County.
2. MV-BT/Liberty (C2, 5-0, 2) – Well, this is the week we’ve been waiting for all year (at least so far). The Eagles and their rivals from Mountain Grove hook up in an unbeaten SCA showdown for not only bragging rights, but also the conference lead, district seeding and state ranking positioning. The Eagles like to throw it. The Panthers like to run it. Liberty has won the last three meetings in commanding fashion. If you’re looking for an edge, the duo have three like opponents this season (Aurora, Ava and Willow Springs). Both teams dominated in each game with the exception of Liberty’s 28-20 win over Ava. But remember, that was played in very muddy conditions; not the Eagles’ favorite brand of ball. Friday's showdown is the KSPR Game of the Week.
3. Monett (C3, 4-1, 3) – The Lamar loss is a distant memory and now the Cubs can set their focus on the rest of the Big 8 slate and the critical district seeding where they are currently third behind Reeds Spring and Cassville. It just so happens Cassville is coming to town this week in the annual “Barry County Brawl”, also the KY3 Game of the Week. A win there would certainly leapfrog them past the Wildcats, but catching Reeds Spring seems to be unlikely at this point as the Wolves get extra points for playing up three times (beat C4 Bolivar, beat C5 Central, play Marshfield next week).
4. Mtn Grove (C2, 5-0, 5) – When the Class 2 4th ranked Panthers travel to Liberty this week they will be a slight underdog, but you can bet that won’t matter. On paper (and in reality) this is one of the top 5 games of the year in our area. The styles couldn’t be more different, yet there are a lot of similarities when it comes to star power. Pruett vs. Otwell, Orchard vs. Short, Bush vs. Barbe; there’s plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball, so I figure it will come down to defense and turnovers. If you’re pulling for the Grove you’ve got to feel good about allowing a total of 12 points over the last four weeks. Oh by the way, there’s a great chance these two meet up again in the district championship game.
5. Carl Junction (C4, 4-1, 6) – The Bulldogs haven’t been as dominant as expected, but continue to get it done since the “lets-never-talk-about-the-Ozark-game-again” loss. Last Friday they went to the half tied with 0-5 Branson 3 to 3. That’s not the sort of thing you expect from a top 5 Class 4 team. Fortunately for CJ, they got the offense going in the 2nd half and ultimately held the Pirates to just a field goal. This week will be a much bigger test as they travel to fellow 4-1 COC Large opponent Carthage, who by the way could work its way into the rankings with a win.
6. Glendale (C5, 5-0, 9) – Oh hail to the Falcons! This group deserves all the credit they’re getting. After losing to rival Kickapoo by 43 points last season they came out this year and punched the Chiefs in the mouth, 40-20 (I picked Kickapoo to win, oops!). Scoring 40 is actually well below their average, but holding Poo to 20 is the really impressive part. Get to know the names Kyle Doran (102 tackles), Ian Marshall (10 sacks) and Datryell Nash (2 interceptions). I mean, good luck stopping or even moderately containing this offense. And with that being said, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Glendale could win a state championship. Yes, I said it. SIDE NOTE: congrats to the Falcons’ all-time winningest coach, Bob Price, who will be inducted into the Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame Tuesday night.
7. Lincoln (C1, 5-0, 8) – I finally got to see the Cardinals in person Friday night. First of all, Boone Kroenke is awesome! The senior quarterback can do it all. His athleticism kept him upright on a muddy field when few others could have. His power drove him into the end zone three times. His speed and cutting ability kept plays alive that looked to be dead. And his throwing, while far from orthodox, is quite effective. The Cardinals are deserving of their number four ranking in Class 1. They go deeper than Kroenke for sure, but having a playmaker like that can’t hurt.
8. Fair Grove (C2, 5-0, 7) – The good: dominating Stockton 39-7. The bad: squeaking it out 21-20 against Catholic the week before. At the end of the day a win is a win and it was probably a good thing for the Eagles to be tested, so that they can harken back to that situation when they face it again in the playoffs. I didn’t think anyone in the Mid-Lakes could really test the Eagles this season, but don’t look now, the Ash Grove Pirates are 5-0, and if Coach Long’s buccos can beat Skyline and Pleasant Hope the next two weeks, we will have a 7-0 vs. 7-0, winner-take-all showdown week 8 at Fair Grove.
9. Nixa (C5, 5-0, 10) – The Eagles got their first big test last Friday and passed, maybe not with “flying colors”, but they passed, beating previously unbeaten Neosho 31-28 in comeback fashion. So is this the week Nixa beats Webb City? You have to figure this is their best shot in the last decade. All of the sudden the Cardinals are looking more like the Cardinals of old however. This one should be fun! And hard to pick.
10. Kickapoo (C6, 4-1, 4) – Gotta be honest, didn’t see it coming. The Chiefs lost to rival Glendale and it wasn’t that close. Glendale isn’t a great matchup for the Chiefs, or anyone for that matter, but the good news is they don’t have to face them again this season. After protecting the ball so well all season, Kickapoo turned it over five times on Thursday night. You can bet that will be a point of emphasis at practice this week as the Poo prepares for another Thursday night game; homecoming against Hillcrest.
KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: Webb City (3-2), Ash Grove (5-0), Cassville (4-1), Reeds Spring (4-1), Carthage (4-1), Thayer (3-2), Lebanon (4-1)
