By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
What were some of the biggest stories from Week 7 of the football season? Jordan Burton takes a look back at last night’s action with the things that stood out the most to him. He also looks ahead at the big games of Week 8.
WEEK 7 FOOTBALL ROUNDUP – CLICK HERE
TOP 100 Photos of Week 7 – CLICK HERE
PHOTOS: Best Fans of Week 7 – CLICK HERE
Making a STATEment
Carthage made the biggest statement of the night in a 34-22 win over Joplin. At minimum, the Tigers earned at least a few of those Class 5 No. 1 votes and for some, made a strong case that they’re the favorites. The two biggest revelations were 1) Carthage’s defense is truly elite and 2) Senior QB Kaden Kabance is more than just a runner. The Tigers held Joplin to a scoreless first quarter and the Eagles finished three touchdowns below their season average. Kabance completed 9 of 14 attempts for 115 yards. That’ll be enough to keep defenses honest… For Joplin, the Eagles toughest loss of the night was dropping to No. 3 in the C6-D3 standings. Because Lee’s Summit North also lost, Nixa jumped to No. 1. That means Joplin can’t use the head-to-head clause to leapfrog Nixa. As of now, Joplin is going on the road at least once in districts if seeds hold… Nixa beat Webb City for the first time in program history and there’s one major takeaway; the Eagles can sling the rock. Junior QB Connor Knatcal passed for 158 yards, often stretching the field by going to basketball standouts Kael Combs and Jordyn Turner. Nixa is always going to be able to run the football. Sophomore Spencer Ward went 25-158 and senior defensive standout Jaden Aven even added 7-95-2. But, much like Carthage, the added dimension is a game-changer. Nixa is still playing without junior RB Ramone Green. If and when he returns, this group – especially with homefield advantage – will be a player in Class 6… Webb City lost its third game of the season, matching its regular-season loss total from the last four years combined. Buuuuut, the last time Webb City lost multiple regular season games (2016) the Cardinals still went on to win a district championship. Webb is still a team you don’t want to see come November… Ava again handled Thayer and it wasn’t really close, 35-13. But, there are a few things to keep in mind here, both of which are good news. First, Ava is clearly back to its two-way dominance that has existed for the last several years and had them within a possession of Lamar. Secondly, we’ve seen Thayer lose “this” game – be it to Ava, Liberty or Grove – and still make deep postseason runs. As long as both sides left healthy, everyone here is a winner… Over the last three weeks Lebanon has knocked off Glendale, West Plains and Camdenton. The Jackets have firmly entrenched themselves in the Class 5 picture and the toughest part for everyone else in Missouri is that Lebanon plays that physical brand of football that’ll travel very well come postseason… Nevada and McDonald County continue to make strong cases in Class 4. Both are sitting at 6-1 and both share that single loss to Lamar. Outside of that it has been pure domination with Nevada scoring at least 46 in all six wins and having no win come by fewer than 17 points. McDonald County has allowed more than 14 points just once outside of Lamar. The Stangs have won each game by double digits. Nevada will host Mac next week in an old Southwest Conference battle.
It’s Not How You Start…
Aurora started the season with a loss to Mac County. Since then the Dawgs have ripped off six straight, all coming by 11 points or more. This torrid stretch has them on the heels of an unblemished conference championship… Rogersville started the season 0-3 with blowout losses to Nevada, Seneca and Aurora. We’ve learned just how quality those losses are and since then the Cats have responded with four straight wins. It has them in the hunt of hosting district games… Skyline started 1-2 with losses to Valle Catholic and Fair Grove. The Tigers have settled in with four straight wins and have a chance to end the season with a pair of big wins with Class 2 teams Warsaw and Strafford waiting… Mountain Grove also started 1-2, falling to Class 2 powers Fair Grove and Ava. Since then, Grove has won four straight in what has mostly been decisive victories. The best news for the Panthers (5-2) is that they’re in Class 3 and avoid the toughest class locally. There’s a chance MG could rise as high as 1 in the C3-D6 race.
Teams Controlling Conference Races
- It is hard to see a way in which Lamar doesn’t win the Big 8 West. Two games remain against Seneca (4-3, 2-2) and East Newton (1-6, 0-4). Win one of those and it guarantees no worse than a split, but the Tigers have been unchallenged so far this season.
- Marionville turbo clocked fellow conference unbeaten Sarcoxie, essentially ending the Southwest Conference race with two games left to play. The Comets have home games against Ash Grove and Marionville to close out the season.
- The Mid-Lakes will come down to Fair Grove beating Clever. The Eagles are unbeaten this year while the Jays are still searching for their first win.
- Lebanon is the lone unbeaten in the Ozark Conference and the only 1-loss teams – West Plains and Glendale – have already lost to the Jackets. The Jackets will need to beat Rolla and Parkview to complete an unbeaten conference run.
- The SCA comes down to unbeaten Ava surviving Cabool and Willow Springs. The Bears own wins over 1-loss Thayer and Mountain Grove.
- Butler survived Buffalo and Warsaw over the last two Fridays, which means the Bears are your Ozark Highlands champs.
Conference Races Heating Up
- The COC will come down to Week 9 when Carthage visits Nixa. A win and Carthage takes it outright. A loss and it becomes a three-way split between Carthage, Joplin and Nixa if all three teams win in Week 8.
- Aurora has nearly eliminated everyone in the Big 8 East race. Aurora defeated the only 1-loss team in the league (Rogersville) and is a road win over Reeds Spring away from clinching outright. Even a loss still results in a share of the league.
7 and Ohhhhhh… The Pursuit of Perfection
Class 5
Carthage (7-0) – Haven’t allowed more than 14 points in a game this season.
Week 8: vs. Republic
Week 9: at Nixa
Lebanon (7-0) – Best start since 2010.
Week 8: at Rolla
Week 9: vs. Parkview
Class 2
Lamar (7-0) – Tigers have allowed just 52 points in six games.
Week 8: vs. Seneca
Week 9: vs. East Newton
Fair Grove (7-0) – Averaging 49 PPG this season
Week 8: vs. Clever
Week 9: vs. El Dorado Springs
Ava (7-0) – Third 6-0 start in the last five years.
Week 8: vs. Cabool
Week 9: at Willow Springs
Class 1
Marionville (7-0) – Back-to-back 6-0 starts.
Week 8: vs. Ash Grove
Week 9: vs. Miller
Week 8 Games to Watch
Republic (4-3) at Carthage (7-0)
The Story: Carthage has won 12 straight meetings dating back to 2010. C-Town has scored at least 40 points in nine of those meetings.
What’s at Stake: This is the appetizer for Carthage to get to the real meal at Nixa in Week 9. While even a loss doesn’t end their conference championship aspirations completely, it creates a scenario where at best it would be a split.
What to Know: Republic runs the ball as well or better than most programs in the area. Avery Moody has been a monster all year and is coming off a 200-yard, five-touchdown performance against Carl Junction. RepMo gave Joplin fits for the entire first half. This isn’t a team you want to overlook.
McDonald County (6-1) at Nevada (6-1)
The Story: Over their last seven meetings, Nevada holds a 4-3 edge.
What’s at Stake: For two teams looking to take the next step in establishing championship culture, this is huge. Prior to last season, you’d have to go back to 2012 to see the last time Nevada won at least six games in a season. In fact, these six wins match the win total from 2017 to 2019 combined (three seasons). Nevada is rapidly closing in on an undefeated Lincoln College Prep for the top spot in C4-D7. A pair of wins might be enough to give the Tigers that homefield throughout. McDonald County has four straight wins and is fiercely holding off Carl Junction for the 2-seed in C4-D6. The Stangs’ six wins is the most in more than a decade and matches the total wins from 2012 to 2016.
What to Know: This might be the most physical game you’ll see locally in Class 4. Both programs hang their hat on physicality and their coaches love that. It’ll come down to which stud gets slowed. Can Nevada limit Cole Martin’s ability to break the pocket and make plays with his legs as well as beat you with his arm or will McDonald County hold Avious Steadman – who went over 1,000 yards for the season last week – in check?
Warsaw (6-1) at Skyline (5-2)
The Story: Skyline has won two of three since 2018. The winner has scored 50+ in each meeting.
What’s at Stake: This is a bragging rights game. Skyline will finish as the runner-up in the Mid-Lakes and Warsaw has the same position in the Ozark Highlands. But both are in the middle of heated district seeding battles. Skyline is trying to hold off Class 1 No. 1 Windsor for homefield throughout C1-D4. Warsaw shares a district with unbeaten Butler and 6-1 Lafayette County. Another loss means they’re hitting the road to see both opponents.
What to Know: Both teams are averaging 40 PPG, but in big games they’ve struggle to get key stops. Which defense can do that – specifically in the form of turnovers – will give its offense enough space for a win.
Camdenton (5-2) at Glendale (5-1)
The Story: Camdenton has won four straight and seven out of nine. Just one of those nine games has been decided by fewer than 16 points.
What’s at Stake: Both teams are essentially eliminated for the conference championship race, but the C5-D5 crown is up for grabs and each has a great case for the 2-seed. Considering the gap both have on Rolla, the winner of this Camdenton-Glendale matchup snags the inside track and even if the winner should lose in Week 9, owning the head-to-head would allow them to still make the jump via the head-to-head clause.
What to Know: This game could take four hours. No one throws the football more than these two teams and both Coach Shore and Coach Mauk are Hall of Famers. It’ll be interesting to see if either side decides to play it vanilla considering the high likelihood of them meeting again in less than a month.
