By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
What were some of the biggest stories and top players from Week 9 of the football season? How does the playoff picture look? What are some of the best projected matchups of the first round of the playoffs? Jordan Burton breaks it all down below.
DISTIRCT FOOTBALL STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 9 – CLICK HERE
WEEK 9 FOOTBALL ROUNDUP – CLICK HERE
TOP 100 PHOTOS OF WEEK 9 FOOTBALL – CLICK HERE
PHOTOS: FANS OF WEEK 9 FOOTBALL – CLICK HERE
Big Man on Campus: Quin Renfro, Joplin Junior
This was maybe the easiest pick of the season. The junior entered the game with 1,004 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. He ran wild with 298 yard yards and eight touchdowns on Friday night vs. Neosho. He’s been at his best lately, rushing for 877 yards including hitting Nixa for 147 and Carthage for 212. The Eagles continue to prove that they have one of the most talented rosters – especially offensive lines – in the Ozarks.
He’s the early favorite for 2023 COC Offensive Player of the Year.
Parkview Football
The Vikings ended a 33-game losing streak on Friday night, one that dated back to August 2019. That season they won their opener at Central before starting the skid. Kudos to Ben Dougherty and his kids, who could have mailed it in to end the season.
Isaiah Green, Neosho Senior
Green eclipsed the 100-catch mark on Friday night, part of a monster performance against Joplin that saw him turn 13 receptions into 141 yards and a score. For the season he’s sitting at 109 receptions for 1,445 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s put together four consecutive 100-yard games, all of which have come with at least 10 catches. He’s an All-State lock.
Cole Feuerbacher, Glendale Senior
Talk about stepping up on a big stage… Cole Feuerbacher spoiled what could have been Camdenton’s Ozark Conference championship celebration with a 37-35 overtime upset, adding to his gaudy stats with 326 passing yards and three touchdowns to go along with 106 rushing yards and another score. Glendale trailed 21-0 in the first quarter. Feuerbacher enters the postseason with more than 3,500 total yards and 32 touchdowns.
Brady Nicholson, Ash Grove Junior
Nicholson is one of the Ozarks top players on the basketball court, but he’s had an incredible junior season on the gridiron with multiple 100-yard receiving games. On Friday night he came up with one of the best catches of the season, a one-handed grab in the back of the end zone. He’s quickly turning into must-see TV on the field and on the hardwood.
Brady Nicholson TD vs Sarcoxie pic.twitter.com/l0NUMIS2Pe
— Lea Nicholson (@MrsNich80) October 22, 2022
Breckin Galardo & Omari Jackson, Webb City Juniors
Injuries have plagued Webb City this season but the Cardinals are starting to get some pieces back and one of those is Omari Jackson, who turned six carries into 100 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for 155 yards against Nixa in Week 1 and 152 yards against Neosho last Friday, which are his only two games with double-digit carries. An ankle injury sidelined him for the majority of the regular season. In his absence, Galardo put together an All-COC caliber season finishing with over 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s rushed for at least 100 yards in five of his last seven games.
Crown Your Champs
Co-Ozark Conference Champions – Camdenton and Lebanon
Co-COC Champions – Nixa and Carthage
Big 8 East Champion – Reeds Spring
Big 8 West Champion – Seneca
Mid-Lakes Champion – Forsyth
SCA Champion – MV-BT/Liberty
Southwest Conference Champion – Marionville
Wild Week 9
The final week of the regular season often comes and goes without much excitement, but Friday night was full of fireworks with six games coming down to one possession and several upsets… Glendale rallied from a 21-0 deficit to upset No. 3 Camdenton. The Falcons win forced a split of the OC crown with Camdenton and rival Lebanon. It was also a showdown between two of the area’s top quarterbacks in Cole Feuerbacher and Bear Shore… Reeds Spring and Mount Vernon was a showdown for the Big 8 East title. The Wolves rallied from a 14-0 deficit, forced overtime and claimed the win after Mount Vernon failed a two-point conversion in the extra session… Central’s 57-11 win over Forsyth gave the Bulldogs a 7-2 regular season. To put that in perspective, Central won four games over the previous six seasons combined. The Bulldogs also saw sophomore Trevor Wilson set a new sack record for the program.
District Shake-Ups
A few years ago Kickapoo was the only Class 6 team in the Ozarks. Now the Chiefs are one of four local teams in District 3 but are the only team that haven’t seen another in the district. Poo also enters district play (7-2) with six consecutive wins, allowing just 31 points over that span. That includes keeping Glendale out of the end zone one week prior to them hanging 37 on Camdenton. Kickapoo is the 3-seed in the district but won’t have to go through any locals to reach the final. This is one to keep an eye on.
Class 5 – District 5 is extremely intriguing because everyone at the top split games. 1-seed Camdenton beat 2-seed Lebanon at home, 45-28. 2-seed Lebanon beat 4-seed Glendale 42-0. 4-seed Glendale just upset 1-seed Camdenton 37-35. Then there’s 3-seed Central who is the absolute unknown of the group.
Class 4 – District 6 had the messiest Friday night of anyone. McDonald County – who finished at 5-4 and tied with Marshfield and Rogersville (who they beat head-to-head) will be the 6-seed in the district by dumb luck. Bolivar (3-6) is the 2-seed because of a superior strength of schedule. McDonald County beat 3-seed Rogersville and 4-seed Marshfield, but because Marshfield beat Rogersville, the Cats can’t drop more than one spot so Marshfield and Rogersville will flip. Couple that with the fact that Monett upset McDonald County and you can see why arguably the district’s second best team will be on the road in Week 10.
Remember Isaiah Davis?
The former Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year and Joplin standout has been on an absolute tear for South Dakota State, turning 56 carries into 421 yards over his last three games. Davis has four 100-yard games this year and is rapidly approaching the 1,000-yard mark. He’s just 300 yards away from moving into SDSU’s top 10 all-time rushing list. The Jackrabbits are ranked No. 1 in FCS and Davis is their most talented player. Sports Illustrated’s Jack Borowsky named Davis as one of the nation’s top FCS draft prospects, projecting him as a top-100 pick if/when he decides to enter his name.
Week 10 Games to Watch
(Projected matchups. Unofficial until brackets are finalized)
Cabool (2-7) at Sarcoxie (6-3)
This is a 3-6 matchup in a district/situation that is no stranger to seeing upsets. We’ve seen Class 1 SCA teams make runs over the years with Cabool and Thayer both being dominant. Both enter first round games against Southwest Conference opponents on the road, but don’t be shocked to see the SCA prevail in both. Keep in mind Cabool was 2-7, but played just two Class 1 teams all year. They just beat Class 3 Salem on the road. The Bulldogs are a sleeper in this district.
Waynesville (2-7) at Central (7-2)
Central has had an incredible run this season. A truly historic season for the Bulldogs. But Waynesville will be the most talented and athletic team they’ve seen this season. The Tigers have just two wins, but also had one possession losses at Bolivar and against Rolla, while also giving Glendale a run to open the season. This has the potential to be a shootout.
McDonald County (5-4) at Rogersville (5-4)
These two already came down to the wire back in Week 3, with the Mustangs pulling off a 21-14 road win. Of McDonald County’s five wins, three came by one possession or less and three came on the road, suggesting they have the chops to pull it off again.
Willow Springs (3-6) at Houston (7-2)
Willow Springs is 3-6, but two of those losses came against undefeated teams (Liberty and Marionville) and two came to Houston and Thayer by a combined seven points. Houston has had an incredible run, the program’s most wins in more than a decade. It’s the best offense the program has seen in nearly two. Conference rematches are never easy on the team that won the first game.
Ava (6-3) at Strafford (5-4)
Speaking of rematches, Ava lost at Strafford in Week 2, which matters because Strafford will again host this game. But much has changed since then. Ava has won four of its last five games with the lone loss coming to Houston in a slugfest. Ava has allowed just 35 points in its last five games. Strafford has scored 40 or more points in three of its last four games and just scored 62 on the road against Skyline. Both teams are much better than they were in early September. This is the best 4-5 game in the Ozarks.
