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By Chris Parker
The O-Zone Football Power rankings will be released on every week throughout the football season. Rankings are a measurement of dominance within class and not a strictly head-to-head comparison. Coaches are encouraged to send any information, including stats, milestones and records to Chris Parker (cparker@ky3.com). See the top plays of last week’s football games in the video above.
1. Joplin (C6 – 4-0 – LW: 1)
Joplin was up 49-7 on Republic at the half before eventually winning the game 55-6. The Eagles had 28 carries for 294 yards and seven touchdowns. That is an average of 10.4 yards per carry. Isaiah Davis accounted for 164 yards and four touchdowns on just 10 carries. The Eagles host Branson this week.
2. Carthage (C5 – 3-1 – LW: 3)
Carthage dismantled Neosho 55-0 to bounce back from a one-point loss to Joplin in Week 3. The Tigers rushed for 384 yards in the victory. Up this week is a showdown with Webb City at home. It will likely decide which team finishes second and which finishes third in the COC.
3. Webb City (C4 – 3-1 – LW: 4)
Webb City is 2-0 with 76-6 margin in its last two games since falling to Joplin in Week 2. Last Friday, Webb City had 40 carries for 274 yards and four touchdowns as a team. Conversely, the Cardinals held Branson to 29 yards on 25 carries. This week Webb City travels to face Carthage. This game will come down to Carthage’s rushing offense vs. Webb City’s rushing defense. Webb City has been great against the run. Joplin went for 192 yards on 40 carries in Week 2, but that was the only time the Eagles have been held below 294 yards rushing as a team. Carthage is averaging 413.5 yards on the ground as a team with two games over 500 yards rushing.
4. Mt. Vernon (C3 – 4-0 – LW: 5)
Mt. Vernon’s defense was dominant in a 30-0 win over a young Reeds Spring squad this week. The big win was a nice breather for the Mountaineers after having to hold off Marshfield by five points in Week 3. A home game with rival Aurora awaits this week.
5. Lincoln (C1– 4-0 – LW: 6)
Lincoln rolled by Windsor 40-14 to move to 4-0. Jackson Beaman’s numbers are getting out of hand. Against Windsor, Beaman had 24 carries for 291(!) yards and three touchdowns. He also threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Lincoln had 553 yards of offense in the win and Beaman was involved in some way on 511 of those yards. The Cardinal defense was dominant with 21 tackles for a loss including nine by Tanner Bays.
6. Thayer (C1 – 4-0 – LW: 10)
Thayer makes a big jump this week less because other teams have slipped and more because of their impressive run to start the season. The Bobcats opened the season with a statement 30-12 win over defending state champion Hayti. Since then, Hayti is 3-0 with a 170-21 margin of victory. Thayer has played up each week since that first game coming away with dominating wins over Class 3 Doniphan, Class 2 Liberty and Class 3 Salem. Doniphan and Liberty are both winless squads, but when you dig into their records you see that Doniphan has faced opponents with a combined 13-3 record while Liberty’s opponents are 14-2. They aren’t typical winless squads. Then last week Thayer went on the road to unbeaten Salem and came away with a 36-0 win. Add in that Thayer has won four consecutive district titles and it is clear they deserved to move up thanks to a mix of current season success and tradition.
7. Lamar (C2 – 3-1 – LW: 2)
Lamar dropped a game against Monett for the first time in 10 years this past weekend. While the loss was by three touchdowns, it also came against one of the area’s top Class 3 programs. For now they stay as the top Class 2 program in these rankings. The Tigers will have to bounce back quickly with a home game against Class 3 Seneca this week. Seneca beat then-state ranked Cassville last week and has won three games in a row.
8. Pierce City (C1 – 4-0 – LW: 7)
Pierce City pitched its third consecutive shutout beating Ash Grove 46-0. The Eagles are doing everything right. They only drop because Thayer’s body of work is stronger right now, and the Bobcats are in control of the district standings after four weeks. Three hours of driving separate Pierce City and Thayer, so the top seed in the district is very important. Again, we are all circling that Week 8 game at Miller on the calendar. That is when both Pierce City and Miller have a shot to make a statement.
9. Camdenton (C4 – 4-0 – LW: 9)
Camdenton’s powerful offensive attack scored 88 points in a shutout victory over Central in Week 4. Paxton Delaurent threw for 415 yards and eight touchdowns all in the first half. He is now up to 1,354 yards passing and 21 touchdowns. That is a 15-game pace of 5,000 yards and 78 touchdowns. This week Camdenton hosts a winless Hillcrest squad.
10. Ava (C2 – 4-0 – LW: 8)
Ava took care of business in a dominant win over MV-BT Liberty 50-14. The Bears don’t drop because of anything they did or didn’t do, but because of what other teams have done. They have been strong the past two weeks after surviving with matching two-point victories in Weeks 1 and 2. They host 3-1 Salem this week.
Knocking on the Door: Miller (C1 – 4-0), West Plains (3-1), Lebanon (C4 – 4-0), Fair Grove (C2 – 4-0), Cassville (C3 – 3-1)
