By Chris Parker
The sixth week of the football season is in the books. Below are some of the things that stood out to me.
FIVE TEAMS THAT STOOD OUT
Nevada
It was a huge win for the Nevada football program beating Lamar 20-19 to win the Silver Tiger rivalry game for the first time since 2004. Nevada didn’t take its first lead over Lamar until the fourth quarter when quarterback Kellen Braden plunged in for a touchdown from one-yard out. Lamar answered back with a 24-yard touchdown run of its own to take a 19-14 lead. Late in the fourth quarter, Braden found John Michael Collins for a 70-yard touchdown pass to give the Nevada a 20-19 lead and the eventual win. Braden finished with 134 yards passing and 42 rushing on four carries. Will Jackson led the ground attack with 12 carries for 138 yards. Nevada is now 5-1 on the season with its only loss coming to Class 3 No. 2 Seneca.
Seneca
Seneca has been dominant within the Big 8 all season with the closest game through the first five weeks being a 35-14 win over Mt. Vernon. On Friday, Seneca stepped out of Big 8 play to renew a rivalry with Carl Junction. The Indians dominance traveled to Carl Junction in the form of a 56-7 win over a state-ranked Bulldog team. The Indians tallied up more than 500 yards of total offense for Seneca’s first win over Carl Junction since 2012. Defensively, Seneca held Carl Junction to just 113 total yards. Seneca looks every part the state title contender this season after finishing runner-up last year.
Mountain Grove
Don’t look now, but the Mountain Grove Panthers have gotten hot. After an 0-3 start against a tough schedule, the Panthers moved to 3-3 with a dominant rivalry game win over Liberty on Friday. Aden Estep was masterful running the offense for Mountain Grove carrying the ball 23 times for 231 yards and five touchdowns while throwing for 94 more yards and another touchdown on a perfect 3-for-3 passing. He also pulled down one of the defense’s four interceptions. In total, Mountain Grove forced five turnovers from the Eagles. It marked the first victory for Mountain Grove over Liberty since 2021 and just the second since 2012. This win threw the race for the SCA title wide open. Currently Ava, Liberty, Thayer and Mountain Grove all are tied for first with one SCA loss. Mountain Grove lost to Ava. Ava and Thayer lost to Liberty. There is much to be decided in the SCA down the stretch.
Logan-Rogersville
It took a fourth quarter comeback, but the Logan-Rogersville Wildcats got on the board with their first Ozark Mountain Conference win. Rogersville entered the fourth quarter against Hillcrest trailing 23-7. Then freshman quarterback Kasimir Manczuk III went to work. Manczuk threw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes while the defense shut down Hillcrest to lead the Wildcats from a 23-7 deficit to a 29-23 win. Manczuk finished with 187 yards and three touchdowns on seven completions. Fellow freshman Skye Vaughn hauled in three of the passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Jacob Shinkarevich led the defense with 20 total tackles and four tackles for a loss.
Lebanon
The Yellowjackets secured their first COC East victory with a 42-21 win over Ozark. They got it done in a classic Lebanon way by leaning on all-time leading rusher Jax Glendenning. He carried 38 times for 283 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Avery Starnes was strong on defense with nine total tackles and three tackles for a loss along with a sack. Lebanon’s slow start against a loaded schedule should pay dividends come playoff time. If the postseason started today, Lebanon would be a No. 4 seed in their district. No one seed wants to see the Yellowjackets in the district semifinal round.
Other performances of note
Below are some other big nights we heard about either via email submission, Hudl or MaxPreps. If you know of a big night in the future you would like to see shouted out here, please email stats@ky3.com. We can’t post about performances we don’t hear about.
Cash Pomeroy, Marionville
Pierce City gave Marionville everything it wanted early matching the Comets 12-12 through most of the first half. Ultimately, Cash Pomeroy proved to be a difference maker as he seemingly does every week with 16 carries for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
Monett Passing Game
Things are starting the flow with the Monett passing attack. The Cubs beat East Newton 44-26 for a second straight win. Dylan Washick was 41-for-66(!) passing for 479 yards and four touchdowns. The 66 attempts are tied for 12th most in a single game in Missouri history. Six of the top 12 attempt totals came from quarterbacks coached by a Mauk. Landy Brandt (14 receptions, 166 yards, two touchdowns) and Carson Nestleroad (11 receptions, 166 yards, one touchdown) were the top targets.
Keivon Flint, Nixa
Flint was explosive in a homecoming win over Kickapoo with his three receptions going for 140 yards and a touchdown. 90 of the 140 yards came on a long touchdown reception.
Hunter Adams, Ava
Ava had no margin for error if it wants to stay in the race for an SCA championship and Hunter Adams played like it with 22 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns in a 43-7 win over Houston.
Garrett Ferguson, Warsaw
Warsaw is known for running the ball, but Garrett Ferguson is making sure opponents know the Wildcats are not one-dimensional. He threw for a season-high 140 yards and three touchdowns in Friday’s win over El Dorado Springs. The 140 yards came on six completions. He came in with just two passing touchdowns on the entire season.
Cash Newberry, Glendale
Glendale’s win over Waynesville on Friday looked vintage from the last decade with Cash Newberry throwing for 276 yards and five touchdowns.
Austin Pickett, Greenfield
8-man stat lines tend to get pretty wild, and that was the case for Greenfield’s Austin Pickett on Friday. He was six-for-seven passing for 160 yards and five touchdowns while rushing 15 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 10 tackles and a sack on defense.
Five games to watch this week
Carthage at Republic
We will learn a lot from this game about the state of the COC West. Carthage comes in as the traditional power over the past decade while Republic is the newer upstart under head coach Ryan Cornelsen. Both teams are led by dynamic running quarterbacks in Brady Carlton for Carthage and Preston McCracken for Republic. Each team has one loss to Nixa. Carthage is ranked No. 4 in Class 5 while Republic is No. 9. Republic won last year’s matchup by six points which snapped a losing streak to the Tigers dating back as far as MSHSAA keeps records.
Branson at Carl Junction
The two remaining unbeaten teams in the Ozark Mountain Conference meet on Friday with the winner leaving just one win away from clinching at least a share of the first ever OMC title. There is also family bragging rights on the line as Aaron Hafner (Branson’s head coach) and Todd Hafner (Carl Junction’s head coach) are brothers. The two teams have split their last four matchups with Branson winning last season. Don’t expect the clock to stop too much in this game as both teams major in the running game.
Strafford at Forsyth
It is time to decide the Mid-Lakes Conference title. The next three weeks will see Strafford, Fair Grove and Forsyth play a round-robin. The first two teams are unbeaten in conference and on the season while Forsyth has one conference loss. Friday, the Panthers host the Indians in the first installment.
Ava at Thayer
Mountain Grove’s win over Liberty on Friday has blown the race for the SCA title wide open with four teams sitting with one loss. Two of those teams are Thayer and Ava. Both teams control their own destiny in the race for a conference title. The winner will continue to control their destiny while the loser will have to win out and watch the scoreboard.
Lamar at Monett
This is a matchup that interests me greatly. Monett comes in hot with its passing game hitting its stride in back-to-back wins. Lamar enters coming off three straight losses to larger class teams including two one-point losses.
Week 7 Schedule
FRIDAY
Jasper at Archie
Central at Ash Grove
East Newton at Aurora
Warsaw at Butler
Hickman at Camdenton
Branson at Carl Junction
Nevada at Cassville
Hollister at Clever
Greenfield at Drexel
Sherwood at El Dorado Springs
Reeds Spring at Fair Grove
Strafford at Forsyth
Bolivar at Hillcrest
Willow Springs at Houston
Neosho at Joplin
Lebanon at Kickapoo
Appleton City at Liberal
Cabool at Liberty
Pierce City at Lighthouse Christian
NH Christian at Lockwood
Marshfield at Logan-Rogersville
Lincoln at Lone Jack
Sarcoxie at Marionville
Cole Camp at Midway
Lamar at Monett
Salem at Mountain Grove
Parkview at Mt. Vernon
Glendale at Ozark
West Plains at Poplar Bluff
Carthage at Republic
McDonald County at Seneca
Miller at Skyline
Buffalo at Springfield Catholic
Diamond at Stockton
Ava at Thayer
Nixa at Waynesville
Webb City at Willard
SATURDAY
Rich Hill at Osceola
Pleasant Hope at Hogan Prep
