Week 4 Football Rewind

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By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

What were some of the biggest stories from Week 3 of the football season? Which games are the biggest of Week 4? Jordan Burton takes a look back at last night’s action with the things that stood out the most to him and looks forward to next week.

TOP 100 PHOTOS OF WEEK 4 – CLICK HERE
PHOTOS: FANS OF WEEK 4 – CLICK HERE

Big Man on Campus: Republic’s Offensive Line

It’s not often you’ll see a team rack up more than 600 yards and 60 points on a Friday, but that’s what Republic did in a 63-48 shootout with Neosho. Republic saw Wyatt Woods (202), Connor Sandridge (151) and Kanon Krol (142) all go crazy on the ground. You have to go back to 2015 to find the last time the Tigers scored more points than they did on Friday night. That total was 71 points scored against Glendale in the district playoffs.

The Amazing Race… Gall, Green or Siler?

Coming into the season most people would’ve assumed that Luke Gall would lead the COC in rushing, with Ramone Green being the other favorite to take top rushing honors. But Neosho’s Jared Siler is giving both D1 prospects a run for their money. On Friday Siler rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns, bringing his season total to 992 yards and 13 touchdowns through four games. Friday marked the first time he’d been held to under 200 yards this season. Gall is still the best in the business and proves it every Friday night. He rushed for 318 yards and six touchdowns on 29 carries against Carl Junction. He’s at 16 touchdowns through four games and with Carthage poised to make a deep playoff run, Gall could be looking at 50 (!!!) scores this season. Green may not put up the numbers of Siler or Gall, but he’s as dynamic as they come and he’s won the head-to-head battles. He entered Friday with 571 yards and six scores with Carthage and Webb City being two of those games. He’s ripping off nearly 10 yards per carry against some of the top defenses in the league.

4 and Oh…

The Ozarks currently have 11 unbeaten teams spread across five classes. Over the next several weeks 10 of those 11 will see another currently unbeaten team.

Class 6

Joplin
Nixa

Class 5

Camdenton
Lebanon

Class 4

West Plains

Class 2

Houston
MV-BT/Liberty
Seneca

Class 1

Cole Camp
Marionville
Sarcoxie

State-Ranked Showdowns

Friday was maybe the best week of football this season in terms of upsets or shocking finishes. Let’s start with Class 2 No. 5 Seneca shocking rival and Class 2 No. 1 Lamar. But, as we outlined in our Week 4 Games to Watch, it may not be as big of an upset as it appears on paper. The two teams have split their last two meetings, with Seneca even winning one at Lamar. That atmosphere at Seneca was one of the most electric you’ll see, with the bleachers packed and droves of fans standing around the field. The Hoover to Altic late touchdown will be the play people remember, but the fight from the Indians was impressive after trailing 14-0 early and junior Jackson Marrs is the real deal… When a state-ranked Class 6 team beats a state-ranked Class 5 team it shouldn’t be considered an upset, especially when it’s happened four straight years. At this point Joplin has owned its rivalry with Webb City and Friday was the most dominant performance Curtis Jasper’s program has had against Missouri’s premier program. Webb City is fine and will be one of the favorites in Class 5 still, but navigating the laundry list of injuries the Cardinals are dealing with isn’t easy. And Joplin is quickly proving to be a player in the Class 6 discussion yet again. Maybe the coolest part about the game is the continued emergence of young talent on both sides. We’ve seen the uptick in recruitment for Joplin junior Dontrell Holt and Whit Hafer, who both currently hold Power 5 offers, but the Eagles are loaded all over the field with young talent. Junior running back Quin Renfro crossed the century mark for the second time in four games (16-105-2). Sophomore Davin Thomas was held in check on Friday statistically, but his speed also forces opponents to defend Joplin differently. He entered Friday with five receiving touchdowns in his first three games of the season, averaging nearly 27 yards per receptions. He’s the ultimate home run threat. Classmate Noah Soriano has also emerged as a playmaker for a defense allowing just over 11 PPG. For Webb City, entering the season Breckin Galardo wasn’t a name being tossed around much, but he’s looked like an All-COC caliber back these last two weeks after hitting Republic up for 204 yards and three scores, the junior went for 167 yards and another score… It seemed like McDonald County was in for a rebuild due to the graduation losses from last year’s historic group. However, junior Josh Pacheco’s interception sealed a 27-26 win over Class 4 No. 3 Nevada and a 3-1 start for the Mustangs. Mac has now won three straight and is looking like a team that will be a problem in Class 4…

Conference Favorites

For the most part, nothing really changed in the larger conferences…

The Ozark Conference still has three unbeatens, with 1-loss Glendale lurking. Until they start mixing it up, it’ll be a wait and see approach. Camdenton was especially dominant on Friday night, as were the Falcons who may have the most dynamic quarterback they’ve seen in Mike Mauk’s offense. West Plains won a tilt with a really underrated Rolla team. These next few weeks will eliminate some teams from the hunt… The COC is now looking at undefeated Joplin and undefeated Nixa at the top, with 1-loss Carthage still in the mix. Joplin’s win over Webb will make it extremely difficult for the Cardinals to get back in the hunt… The Big 8 West is the best football conference in Missouri top to bottom. As it stands right now, Seneca, Lamar and Nevada are all state-ranked, McDonald County could join them next week and Cassville should start receiving votes at minimum. Everyone is chasing lone unbeaten Seneca, who still has Nevada and Mac left… The Big 8 East is up for grabs with Reeds Spring and Mount Vernon both sitting at 3-1. Keep an eye on Marshfield, who is currently sitting at 2-2 but still has games with Reeds and Mt. Vernon, while also owning a win over Hollister… The SCA isn’t Liberty’s yet, but it’s getting really close. The Eagles shutout Ava on Friday in a 32-point victory which happens to be their smallest margin of the season. Liberty is rolling. But, Houston is hanging out also at 4-0 and these two don’t meet until Week 9. The Tigers beat Cabool 38-24 on Friday, the first time any opponent has managed to score more than once against their stingy defense. Seniors Dakota James and Anthony Carroll each ran for 100-yards in Houston’s first three games. Houston will see Thayer and Ava the next two weeks before closing with Mountain Grove and Liberty… The Southwest Conference is waiting on a Class 1 clash between Marionville and Sarcoxie to determine who the real favorite is. Both are undefeated but we’ll have to wait until October for that matchup.

Week 5 Games to Watch

Joplin (4-0) at Nixa (4-0)

These two might be playing the best football in the Ozarks among large-class programs. Both are balanced offensively and solid defensively. There will be no shortage of potential D1 talent on both sides of the ball. Nixa has wins at Webb City and at Carthage, as well as a narrow lead in the Class 6 – District 3 standings. The winner of this game not only sits in the driver’s seat for the COC, but will also be the clubhouse leader to host throughout district play. Joplin has won four of the five meetings since joining the COC in 2018. Nixa’s lone win was a 35-34 showdown in 2020. The last three meetings have been decided by a total of 15 points.

Camdenton (4-0) at West Plains (4-0)

I remember being in Camdenton in 2015 when West Plains made it back-to-back wins over Camdenton for the first time in program history. You can make a case that win helped propel the Zizzers into the power they are now. WP has won seven of its last nine meetings with Camdenton. Of those nine games, five have been decided by a single possession. This year’s edition figures to be as competitive as any. Camdenton has one of the most explosive offenses in the OC, averaging nearly 44 PPG with senior QB Bear Shore playing the best football of his career and classmate Kam Durnin being a nightmare on the outside. West Plains is sitting atop Class 4 – District 6 and Camdenton is trying to keep pace with Lebanon in Class 5 – District 5. The loser here will need a little help to get back in the conference championship picture while the winner will still have to beat Lebanon to truly take control of things.

McDonald County (3-1) at Cassville (3-1)

Mac blanked Cassville last year but both teams have changed drastically since then. However, both are still physical football teams that are going to try to establish the run and control the clock. Both are entering pivotal stretches of the season. Mac will see Lamar and Seneca after meeting Cassville on Friday. The Cats have Nevada and Lamar. Both are currently sitting in second place in their respective districts and can’t afford a skid. Friday isn’t a must-win but it’ll seem like it when they hit the field.

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