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Before I go any further, THESE ARE NOT A HEAD-TO-HEAD RANKING, BUT A RANKING OF DOMINANCE BY CLASS. I am not saying I think the Class 1 schools on this list could beat all the Class 4-6 teams ranked below them or not ranked.
STATE FOOTBALL RANKINGS – CLICK HERE
WEEK 7 FOOTBALL REWIND – CLICK HERE
CONFERENCE FOOTBALL STANDINGS – CLICK HERE
DISTRICT FOOTBALL STANDINGS – CLICK HERE
1. Lamar (C2 – 7-0)
The Lamar offense put up more than 50 points for the third time this year in a 52-21 win over Monett. The Tigers have yet to be held below 31 points this season. Seneca and East Newton remain for Lamar as it looks for a perfect regular season.
2. Carthage (C5 – 7-0)
Carthage came out of the area’s biggest game of the week with a win over fellow unbeaten Joplin. The Tigers took control of the COC with their 34-22 win. Luke Gall carried the ball 24 times for 211 yards and two scores with an additional 65 yards receiving on a touchdown catch. Carthage is the area’s best pure football team regardless of class in my opinion. They sit at No. 2 because these rankings are dominance relative to class and Lamar is the defending Class 2 state champion and a HEAVY favorite to repeat.
3. Lebanon (C5 – 7-0)
It took a little bit to get going, but Lebanon completed a brutal three-game stretch against Glendale, West Plains and Camdenton with a 33-14 win at home over the rival Lakers. The Yellowjackets trailed 7-6 at the half, but scored the first 27 points of the second half to put the game away. The defense had three interceptions in the game. Lebanon plays a brand of football that travels well and holds up in the cold. It is a winning formula come playoff time. A road trip to Rolla and a home game against Parkview are all that stands between Lebanon and an unbeaten regular season.
4. Marionville (C1 – 7-0)
Marionville’s offense had its best night of the season in a 62-24 win over Sarcoxie to take sole possession of first place in the Southwest Conference. Wil Carlton had an insane night throwing the ball for Marionville. The Comet quarterback was 13-for-14 passing for 299 yards and six (6!) touchdowns. He had five more touchdowns than incompletions. Carlton added another touchdown on the ground to go with 67 yards rushing. Dakota Wilson carried the ball 14 times for 131 yards and a touchdown averaging 9.4 yards per carry. Marionville can clinch a share of the Southwest Conference title this Friday with a win over Ash Grove (5-2).
5. West Plains (C4 – 6-1)
West Plains bounced back from its first loss of the season by handling Parkview in a 57-12 decision. The Zizzers had seven different players carry the ball 41 times for 347 yards and six total touchdowns. Dagen Kenslow threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns on nine completions. West Plains is still the clear top Class 4 team in the area and heavy favorite to win a district title.
6. Joplin (C6 – 6-1)
Joplin suffered its first loss of the season against Class 5 No. 2 Carthage on Friday. The Eagles couldn’t get anything going offensively, as the run game was held to a season-low 56 yards. The previous low was 108 in a 42-7 win over Ozark. Everything is still in front of the Eagles, but they need some help. An outright conference title is probably out of the question, but Joplin fans will be closely watching the score of Carthage’s Week 9 game at Nixa.
As long as Joplin, Nixa and Carthage all win this week then the following will be at stake in Week 9 for Joplin:
– If Carthage beats Nixa and Joplin wins out, the Eagles should be in a good spot to claim the No. 1 seed in the district with the No. 2 seed being worst case scenario. A Carthage win eliminates Joplin from the COC title race.
– If Nixa wins in Week 9, it would be a three-way split for the conference title, but the No. 1 seed in the district would be dependent on results for Lee’s Summit North, but Nixa and LSN winning out would likely leave Joplin in the third position having to travel the Lee’s Summit North for a semifinal and Nixa for a championship if no other upsets happen.
Ultimately, Joplin still has a shot at the No. 1 seed in the district as long as the Eagles take care of business in the final two weeks at Branson and at home against Neosho.
7. Nixa (C6 – 6-1)
Nixa picked up a program-defining win over Webb City by beating the Cardinals 41-27. Webb City is the standard by which all of the area’s big school programs are measured, and Nixa proved it belongs among not only the area’s but the state’s elite. Nixa gets back to business this Friday at Carl Junction with a ton still to be decided. The Eagles need to win this week and in Week 9 at home against Carthage to earn a share of the COC title and have a shot at the No. 1 seed in district play. That No. 1 seed is MASSIVE as it will be the difference between playing the district championship (and maybe district semifinal) on the road either in Joplin or Kansas City (or both).
8. Ava (C2 – 7-0)
In the realm of statement wins, Ava’s 35-13 decision over rival Thayer was up there with the biggest in Week 7. The Bears are legit. They had 52 carries for 325 yards and five touchdowns. Senior Blayne Mendel (12 carries, 105 yards, 2 TD) and freshman Hunter Adams (17 carries, 122 yards, 2 TD) did most of the work for the Bears. They move up a spot in the rankings over Fair Grove this week because Ava is a heavy favorite to win its district while Fair Grove has to face Lamar in its district. Ava also proved two years ago that its physical style can stand up to Lamar.
9. Fair Grove (C2 – 7-0)
Fair Grove had its second-best offensive output of the season in a 59-31 win over Buffalo this week. The Eagles finish out the season with home games against Clever (0-7) and El Dorado Springs (2-5). After that, we can start talking about the likelihood of a Fair Grove-Lamar district championship game.
10. Aurora (C3 – 6-1)
Welcome to the rankings, Aurora. Class 3 has been one of the toughest to figure out in the area, as it always is. Aurora has risen to the top of Class 3 locally with six consecutive wins after an opening week loss to a McDonald County team that is also 6-1 with one loss to Lamar. The Houn’ Dawgs beat Marshfield 30-19 in Week 7 without attempting a single pass. They ran the ball 57 times for 365 yards and four touchdowns. I am going to sound redundant, but Aurora’s style is one that just wins in the postseason as the weather gets colder and controlling the ball becomes more important. Aurora sits at No. 1 in the Big 8 East and Class 3 District 6 standings.
