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Week 3 Football Rewind

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By Chris Parker

The third 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

There are many teams that had great performances. I am picking five to focus on here.

Kickapoo

Friday night was the night that Kickapoo proved it belonged in the COC when it did something not many COC teams can say over the past two decades and beat Webb City 26-23. The biggest thing that stood out to me in the game was how Kickapoo always had an answer. Every time Webb City scored, Kickapoo didn’t let the lead extend beyond one possession. That kept Kickapoo in the game and the defense rose to the occasion in the second half holding Webb City scoreless. It was the first COC win for any of the four former Ozark Conference schools (Waynesville, Glendale, Lebanon) who joined the COC this season. Kickapoo gets a chance to make another statement with a road trip to defending Class 5 runner-up Republic this Friday.

Seneca

In a battle of state-ranked teams, it was Seneca who imposed its will with a 42-0 win over Nevada. The Class 3 No. 2 Indians were dominant both ways. Nevada came in averaging 376 yards on the ground and Seneca held the Tigers to 86. Offensively, Seneca put up a staggering 510 yards of offense including 435 on the ground. The Indians look the part of state title contender in Class 3 once again. The Indians and Lamar appear to be on a collision course for a Week 9 showdown to decide the Big 8 title.

East Newton

East Newton followed up a good game with No. 1 Lamar with the program’s first win over Cassville since around the turn of the century by a 42-21 margin. River Enlow was a workhorse out of the backfield carrying the ball 24 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Will Eichelberger threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns to go with 15 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Defensively, East Newton forced three turnovers. The Patriots are now 2-1. The two wins are tied for the most in a season since 2016 when the Patriots won three games. That three-win season is the most since before MSHSAA started keeping records online in 2010. This week, East Newton hosts state-ranked Mt. Vernon with a chance for another statement win.

Neosho

Neosho went on the road and picked up a 28-14 win over Lebanon. The Wildcats executed well throughout the game and found ways to extend drives going 13-for-17 on third down. Quarterback Cade Spiva was efficient completing 75% of his passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Denver Welch was a workhorse in the ground game with 26 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, sophomore Colby Mcgehee had a nose for the ball with 15 total tackles and two fumble recoveries. The Wildcats are 3-0 for the first time since 2016 and will go to 4-0 if they beat winless Waynesville on the road.

Willard

Willard pulled off a second straight dramatic win this time beating Waynesville 46-42. Willard was up 38-20 in the third quarter, but Waynesville scored 22 unanswered points to take a 42-38 lead late in the fourth quarter. Willard went for it on fourth and six from just over midfield and Tyler Davis found Jonathan Huskisson for a 48-yard touchdown and the win. Huskisson was dynamic with the ball in his hands all night hauling in 10 catches for 266 yards and three touchdowns. Davis threw for four touchdowns and 324 yards. This win and the win over Glendale have Willard sitting at 2-1 in coach Andy McFarland’s first season. The explosive passing plays were a hallmark of his time at Reeds Spring and have continued at Willard.

Plays that stood out

Nixa showing its versatility

The idea against Nixa would be to stop star running back Dylan Rebura running behind an elite offensive line. Sell out against the run at your own peril. As we see here, Rebura can get loose at any moment, but he is far from their only weapon with Adam McKnight showing off his arm hitting Wyatt Vincent for a DEEP touchdown.

Landyn Collins has a night for Carthage

These were two of four touchdowns for Carthage’s Landyn Collins in the win over Glendale. Collins shows great vision and strength running in the red zone.

Eric McGinnis climbs the ladder for a catch

Parkview snapped a 13-game losing streak with a 38-0 win over Lighthouse Christian thanks to plays like this 64-yard touchdown pass from Willy Otto to Eric McGinnis. It was also Cam Bruffett’s first win as head coach of the Vikings.

OTHER PERFORMANCES OF NOTE

Here 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.

Ryder Ross – Strafford

Ross took 18 carries for 224 yards and three touchdowns to help Strafford to a 35-0 win over Springfield Catholic and earn a spot in the Class 3 state rankings.

Aurora’s Defense

The Houn’ Dawgs took a 26-18 win over Monett, and the defense had itself a day. Aurora combined for 11(!) sacks in the win led by three from Jansen Hunt. Sophomore Brennan Diaz led the team with 13 total tackles while also rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown on offense.

Gage Hale – Logan-Rogersville

Just a freshman, Hale was a two-way force in a 48-12 win over Central. Offensively, Hale hauled in five receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Hale had two interceptions.

Jordan Arthur – Houston

Arthur is an athlete that more people in the area should know. He is a standout receiver, but he is really simply put a playmaker. In a 28-7 win over Salem, Arthur handled 18 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns. In the passing game, he hauled in two passes for 46 yards and another touchdown.

Marcus Lopez-Durman – Carl Junction

Lopez-Durman was in this section last week as well. He continued his strong work carrying the ball with 24 carries for 164 yards and a touchdown in Week 3’s 36-0 win over Marshfield.

Bryer Guerin – Marionville

Guerin was about as efficient as a quarterback can be in a 54-6 win over Skyline on Friday. He completed 8-of-10 passes for 241 yards. HALF of those eight completions ended in touchdowns. He also had an interception on defense.

FIVE GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK

Nixa at Carthage

This is probably the biggest game in the state this week. Class 6 No. 4 Nixa vs. Class 5 No. 4 Carthage. Unbeaten vs. unbeaten. Nixa has won the last two matchups by six points or less. Prior to that, Carthage beat Nixa 10 consecutive times. These two teams look like the best in the area and among the best in the state in their respective classes. Nixa has done nothing but steamroll quality opponents this season. They beat the defending Class 5 runner-up Republic 49-14 in Week 1. That was followed by handing Webb City its largest margin of defeat at home in a very long time. Last week, Nixa welcomed in a fellow top 10 ranked team in Class 6 in Joplin and was masterful on both sides of the ball in a 49-0 win. Carthage looks to be the last major regular season test for Nixa with the combined record of the remaining opponents on the Nixa schedule currently standing at 2-13. The first five opponents are 8-1 against teams not named Nixa. For Carthage, Nixa will be the first true test of many to come down the final six weeks of the season. The Tigers have won their first three games by a combined margin of 146-27 against competition that is a combined 1-8 on the season. This game will, as many games do, come down to who can run the ball and stop the run. Nixa has been a dominant running team this season. Carthage has held its last two opponents to 117 total rushing yards. The first game against Waynesville, Carthage saw an elite back in Michael Kelsey, and he went for 175 yards on the ground. Offensively, Carthage rushed for an average of 301 yards per game with a consistent range going from a low of 293 to a high of 309.

West Plains at Branson

When the Ozark Mountain Conference was formed, it is games like this that I looked forward to the most. Branson has gotten off to a hot start and a state ranking in Class 5. West Plains lost to Mountain Home in Week 1 but has bounced back with a pair of wins by four or more touchdowns against Parkview and Hillcrest. This game will go a long way in deciding the first OMC champion.

Kickapoo at Republic

Kickapoo pulled off a season-changing win over Webb City as covered earlier in this article. Republic has looked great after a season-opening loss to Nixa. The Tigers have won their past two games by a combined 70-9 margin. Kickapoo’s win over Webb City will have Republic on notice.

Mt. Vernon at East Newton

East Newton is another team coming off a season-changing vicotry getting that first win over Cassville since the early 2000’s. The last time these two programs met was in 2021 when this year’s Mt. Vernon seniors were freshmen. East Newton won that game 21-14. This is one of the more intriguing matchups of the week to me.

Liberty at Ava

Ava got over its first SCA hurdle last week by beating rival Mountain Grove which is led by Ava’s former head coach Dan Swofford. Liberty picked up a dominant 42-16 win over Thayer showing that it is a contender for the SCA title. The SCA is a tough conference to push through unbeaten due to the week-in and week-out physical nature, so the winner of this game has a big leg up in the battle for the conference title.

FULL WEEK 4 SCHEDULE

THURSDAY
Miller at Diamond

FRIDAY
Osceola at Archie
Pierce City at Ash Grove
Lafayette County at Aurora
Liberty at Ava
West Plains at Branson
Helias Catholic at Camdenton
Nixa at Carthage
Lamar at Cassville
Forsyth at Clever
Crest Ridge at Cole Camp
Mt. Vernon at East Newton
Versailles at El Dorado Springs
Hollister at Fair Grove
Lockwood at Greenfield
Lincoln at Holden
Cabool at Houston
Drexel at Jasper
Glendale at Joplin
New Heights Christian at Liberal
Carl Junction at Logan-Rogersville
Central at Marionville
Hillcrest at Marshfield
Nevada at McDonald County
Willow Springs at Mountain Grove
Waynesville at Neosho
Bolivar at Parkview
Central (KC) at Pleasant Hope
Kickapoo at Republic
Monett at Seneca
Lathrop at Skyline
Reeds Spring at SGF Catholic
Sarcoxie at Stockton
Buffalo at Strafford
Salem at Thayer
Sherwood at Warsaw
Ozark at Webb City
Lebanon at Willard

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