By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Each Saturday we’ll recap the week that was and look ahead to the upcoming Friday of games, as well as name a Player of the Week. Please tweet (X) @ozarksozone to nominate athletes for POTW.
Player of the Week: Jax Glendenning, Lebanon
Good players are productive consistently. Great players are at their best on the biggest stages and Glendenning showed just why he’s elite on Friday night with an all-time great performance against rival Camdenton, rushing for 194 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a pair of sacks and a game-clinching interception. Lebanon remained undefeated with a 34-26 win.
Other Notables
- Ty Harris, Neosho – He’s going to be better known for his efforts on the basketball court after this winter, but the junior receiver has emerged as one of the area’s top pass-catchers as well. On Friday he torched Webb City for 179 yards and two scores on 14 receptions. Against the two best teams in the COC – Nixa and Webb City – he combined for 29 receptions and nearly 300 yards.
- Quin Renfro, Joplin – The senior running back had a slow start to the season due to injuries, but he’s heating up at the right time. Joplin smashed Carthage on Friday with Renfro tallying five touchdowns. He’s scored 12 times in five games this season.
- Jordan Cribbs, Nixa – The field goal was a chip shot but what came with it was historic. The 25-yard kick as time expired gave the Eagles a 31-28 win over rival Republic, but also gave the program its first outright conference championship in program history. At the beginning of the season the soccer standout wasn’t even a member of the football team and that’s what might be his most redeeming quality; he doesn’t feel the pressure normal kickers would. He’s just out there booting the ball which might just be exactly what wins Nixa (another) tight game in the postseason.
8 and a Donut (Unbeaten Teams)
Class 6
Nixa
Class 5
Lebanon
Class 3
Ava
Seneca
Class 2
Fair Grove
Class 1
Marionville
Not Every Loss is a Loss
At one point on Friday, Nixa, Lebanon and Seneca were all trailing in their respective games. While they all recovered to win, those games said as much about the loser as the victor… Camdenton lost to rival Lebanon by one possession, but it really showed that the Lakers, who will try to navigate Class 5 in the STL area, will be a tough out. They are pass-happy but still manage to run the football with power. Kade Durnin is a big-time athlete at the quarterback position and they’re good enough defensively to make opponents one dimensional. Camdenton will be a team we see make a deep run… It took Nixa a game-winning field goal to knock off Republic, meaning RepMo has now dropped 12 of its last 15 against Nixa. But, there’s good news. The fact they could largely handle Nixa’s dominant front on both sides of the ball is more than impressive. Wyatt Woods is a true playmaker and James Rexroat can take the top off of any defense. Republic matches up well with Lebanon, who will look very similar to Nixa in terms of style and personnel… McDonald County gave Seneca fits in the first quarter before eventually falling but the Mustangs will again present an interesting district challenge. They have a physical front led by Toby Moore and some athletes at the skill positions. Right now they’re likely looking at Marshfield or Hillcrest in the first round before a trip to West Plains. Mac has won at least one district game in each of the last three seasons. This is a sleeper team to make a run in a district that isn’t overly strong.
Conference Championship Races
Lebanon clinched at least a share of the Ozark Conference with its 34-26 win over Camdenton. At worst, the Jackets would share the league with Kickapoo, assuming Lebanon was to slip at Rolla and the Chiefs beat Bolivar at home.
Nixa’s walk-off win over rival Republic clinched the COC championship. Week 9 games are solely for district purposes.
The Big 8 East will come down to Mount Vernon and Reeds Spring. They meet Week 9 in Reeds.
The Big 8 West is undecided. Seneca has claimed a share of the league by way of a win over Lamar and Lamar then beating Nevada. But with a Seneca-Nevada matchup in Week 9, the Tigers could force a three-way tie or Seneca will win the league outright.
Ava winning the SCA is essentially a formality. The first-place, undefeated Bears visit winless Willow Springs, who has allowed 50 or more points in seven of eight games. Should the biggest upset of the season happen, Ava would share the title with rival Liberty.
The Southwest Conference is Marionville’s to lose. The Comets are undefeated and the most dominant team in the Ozarks, hosting rival Miller who is winless in league play.
Fair Grove finished another perfect conference championship run with a win over Clever on Friday night. The Eagles are outscoring opponents on average 54-8. Wild.
Swing and a Miss on the Picks
It was another solid week of picks, with us going 21-1 in unanimous picks. Catholic beating Hollister was the one zinger this week.
Week 9 Games to Watch
Seneca (8-0) at Nevada (7-1)
While a conference championship is on the line – the final Big 8 West championship for the foreseeable future – this game also has major district implications. Seneca is trying to hold off Mount Vernon for the top seed and homefield advantage. Nevada is in the same boat, trying to keep ahead of Lincoln College Prep. Both are primed for a deep run but want to keep their current momentum rolling.
Bolivar (6-2) at Kickapoo (7-1)
This is an interesting one for multiple reasons. One, if Lebanon gets upset and Kickapoo wins, the Chiefs get a share of the OC title. But, Kickapoo also is chasing Nixa in C6-D5 seeding and a win over Bolivar with the big margin of victory could potentially see the Chiefs have a shot of jumping Nixa should they struggle with rival Ozark. Bolivar is in the top spot in C4-D6 and even with a loss, playing a Class 6 opponent should help them hold off West Plains. Even if they lose the spot, they’ll still stay at No. 1 by virtue of a head-to-head win over West Plains.
Willard (4-4) at Carthage (4-4)
This is a sneaky big game. Carthage has had an impressive rebuild and the Tigers are actually in a decent spot. Should they beat Willard and jump Raytown South in the C5-D7 seedings, they’d jump Webb City as well thanks to the H2H win. Willard is trying to hold off Branson and Glendale for the 3-seed. Both teams have shown flashes of being able to play with anyone in Class 5.
Mount Vernon (7-1) at Reeds Spring (6-2)
This game will decide the final Big 8 East championship ever; will Reeds Spring leave the league with a title in hand or will MV continue its dominance of the division? Because they share C3-D6 and are currently the two and three seeds respectively, this matchup gets even juicier. The winner takes home a conference championship and will get homefield for the rematch in the district semifinals.
Sarcoxie (7-1) at Ash Grove (6-2)
Class 1 Ash Grove playing up a class against a really good Sarcoxie team gives the Pirates a chance to jump Thayer for third in C1-D1. The value of Ash Grove jumping from 4 to 3 is avoiding Marionville in the semifinals. Sarcoxie has an outside shot at jumping currently undefeated Butler and Adrian in C2-D5. Those teams both get one-loss opponents on Friday. The Bears jumping from 4 to 2 would give them homefield and allow them to dodge Lamar until the district championship.
Houston (4-4) at Liberty (5-3)
This is another district seeding game between two teams that are basically locked into their spots. They’re the 4-5 matchup in C2-D4 with the winner hosting the quarterfinal game the following Friday. Houston has lost 16 of the last 17 meetings. The Tigers need this for their psyche.
