By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
What were some of the biggest stories and top players from the district quarterfinal round of the football season? What are some of the best matchups of the second round of the playoffs? Jordan Burton breaks it all down below.
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DISTRICT SEMIFINAL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – CLICK HERE
Big Man on Campus: Ramone Green, Nixa Senior
Green made a very compelling case for COC Offensive Player of the Year with 1,656 yards and 26 touchdowns over the last nine weeks, coming on just 162 carries. So naturally, he topped that with a five-touchdown performance in a 35-7 win over rival Ozark. Keep in mind, Green missed all of last postseason due to injury. His last playoff game came in 2020, an 18-15 loss to Ray-Pec, who then went on to claim the Class 6 state championship. Green and the Eagles are on a mission.
Upset City
The opening Friday of districts is typically chalk, but this year had a different feel to it with 13 first-round upsets, many of which came in the larger classes…
Class 6 – District 3 saw both local teams – Kickapoo and Joplin – lose at home to Kansas City area foes. Kickapoo lost to a 3-7 Lee’s Summit West team and Joplin lost to a Ray-Pec group that won state in 2020. Locally, we are still fighting for respect in Class 6…
Class 5 was an absolute mess on Friday. For the second year in a row Willard went winless through the regular season only to come alive when it counts most and pull off a district upset. The Tigers topped Neosho 43-29 after giving up 79 points the first time these two teams met. Kudos to Frank Tristan and company. In District 5 two of the three games were won by the road team with Waynesville shutting out a Central team that had a historic season and Rolla upsetting Glendale. The Bulldogs had lost three straight in the series, two of which came by one possession including a loss in last year’s district playoffs. It’s the Tigers first playoff win since 2019…
Class 4 saw a lot of action as well, with Carl Junction going on the road and hammering Grandview. Back in 2020, CJ played for a district title despite winning just four regular season games. The Bulldogs going through the COC gauntlet prepares them for anything they’ll see in districts. This group is good enough to make a run too. Monett may have the best turnaround story in the Ozarks. The Cubs won just two games last season. Coach Lewis now has the Cubs rolling after starting the season 0-5. Monett has won four of its last five going into a matchup with No. 1 West Plains, who has won district championships in three of the last five seasons. Last week, we talked about how McDonald County was the No. 6 seed that had beaten the two teams seeded higher already. The Mustangs trailed late in the fourth before a Cross Dowd to Josh Pacheco gave Mac the “upset” win and sweep over Marshfield this season.
The Ozarks has one Class 3 district and it almost got out of control on Friday. Cassville hung out to avoid Aurora’s upset bid despite trailing in the second half. Clinton was the 6-seed and came in just 1-8 before going to Buffalo earning the program’s first district win since 2016.
Class 2 was straight chalk… but this one could be the wild one next Friday with several intriguing matchups.
The SCA runs Class 1 locally and that was again on display. Thayer went 3-5 in the regular season and Cabool went 2-7. Both went on the road to the western part of Missouri and upset higher-seeded Southwest Conference opponents. Again, much like the Class 4 teams in the COC, the Class 1 teams in the SCA are just prepared for district play in a way that no one else can be. Keep in mind Thayer has won seven straight district championships.
Favorites Roll
Many higher seeds got to sit back and watch football on Friday night, but the ones that played looked good… Nixa topped rival Ozark for the second time in two weeks, 35-7. Ramone Green obviously ran wild, but Nixa looked great defensively, which is a positive sign heading into the Ray-Pec game next week… Marionville ran through the regular season undefeated and continued that trend with a 56-6 win against conference rival Miller. The Comets have now won 32 of their last 34 games and are a perfect 13-0 at home. That could play a major role moving forward… Lincoln has now won nine straight following a 48-8 win over Slater. Keep in mind this is a program that won four straight district titles from 2016-19, going 50-5 over that time with a pair of state runner-up finishes. These guys watched those runs and expect to win big games.
Week 11 Games to Watch
Republic (7-3) at Webb City (6-3)
These aren’t the same teams that met back in Week 3. Since then, Republic is 6-1 with a road win over Nixa and the lone loss coming on the road to Joplin. The Tigers have been explosive offensively, averaging 42.3 points since then. Meanwhile, Webb City was in need of bye week as much as anyone as they continue to get healthy. Public opinion is that Webb City is down, but the Cards are still elite in Class 5. This will be an interesting test to see if Republic is ready to take the next step as a program.
McDonald County (6-4) at Bolivar (4-6)
Bolivar started the season 1-6. Since then, the Libs have won three of four with the lone loss being a 12-7 decision against Class 6 Kickapoo. Playing in the loaded Ozark Conference earned Bolivar homefield advantage and the 2-seed, which will come in handy against a McDonald County team that is 4-2 on the road this year. Mac is gritty and is 4-1 in games decided by one possession. I’m not sure when the last time we’ve seen a 6-seed advance to a district championship game but Mac is four quarters away from making it happen.
Carl Junction (4-6) at Center (10-0)
This one is intriguing purely based on schedule and preparation. Center’s best wins came against mainly Class 3 teams. Carl Junction played three Class 6 teams, as well as arguably the two best teams in Class 5; Center can’t show them anything they haven’t seen before. The Bulldogs may not win but they won’t be intimidated by what they see on film.
Cassville at Reeds Spring (7-2)
Reeds Spring is the No. 1 seed and earned it by winning the Big 8 East championship. The Wolves opened with a bye week, which may not be as beneficial as one would think. Sometimes it’s good to stay in the routine of playing and staying sharp. The Wolves will have the best player on the field, but they’re seeing a Cassville team that is as battle-tested as anyone in Class 3 after seeing Class 4s McDonald County and Nevada, who both spent time in the state rankings, as well as Class 2 powers Lamar and Seneca. Both teams are physical and have been great defensively. This will be a typical Big 8 battle.
Fair Grove (6-4) at Warsaw (8-2)
The Eagles had enjoyed one of the best runs in the area over the last several years, going 67-16 from 2015-21. Their rebuild has hardly been that, with Grove being three points away from sitting at 8-2 right now with a conference championship. They get a Warsaw team whose two losses came to Butler and Lafayette County, who are a combined 16-2. Fair Grove has played in seven consecutive district championships, their experience as a program is unmatched by anyone in Class 2 not named Lamar or Ava locally.
Thayer (4-5) at Marionville (10-0)
Marionville is the favorite here, but the Comets also have some demons to exorcise. Thayer ended their season last year and has owned Class 1 in the Ozarks. The Bobcats are down, but have won 17 straight district games against 417 opponents. The last local team to beat them in an elimination game was Cabool back in 2014. As mentioned, Thayer has won seven straight district titles. They’re the king until someone removes them from their throne. Marionville has won its 10 games by a total of 286 points, including a win over Class 5 Central. They’re the best Class 1 team in the Ozarks on paper.
