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Week 1 Review

A pretty typical week 1.  Some shocking results, some teams looking just as good as advertised, some HUGE performances, some fresh faces emerging, some questions answered, and some questions still open.  The big question right now is “Who won between Ava and Strafford?”  Usually we’d be pretty set on this point but multiple sources are reporting the score different ways.  The score was 35-28.  And it did go to overtime.  That we know.  Everyone agrees.  But was it the Bears or the Indians?  That’s the point of contention.  Well I can say on good authority (i.e. someone who was actually at the game) that Ava did come out the winner.  Now that we have that out of the way, it’s the moment you’ve all really been waiting for since last year’s Show-Me Bowls.  Yes, we all enjoy the football games.  But everybody loves the Ozarks favorite game…

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2010 COC Large Football Predictions

Forget about the conference title, the big question is can any one put an end to Webb City’s regular season winning streak?  There are some challengers, but will they break the string or get strung up?

Team

Wins Losses Conf wins Conf losses
Webb City

9

1

7

0

Nixa

9

1

6

1

Carthage

8

2

5

2

Branson

5

5

3

4

Neosho

5

5

3

3

Ozark

3

7

2

5

Willard

2

8

1

5

Republic

1

9

0

7

My choice is strung up.  With Scott Roderique and Christian Hoffman returning at linebacker, the Cardinals will be tough to score on.  Continue reading 2010 COC Large Football Predictions

2010 OzarksSports.Net Football Preview

Schools are starting back up again, jamborees are tonight, and temperatures are still in the 90s.  Ah, football season in the Ozarks.  And so here begins the flood of football information over the next week.  Today is the preview with my entirely meaningless yet so much fun preseason rankings, week to week games to watch and why, and the players to go see.  Next will come my conference by conference previews & predictions.  And we’ll finish up with my entirely fearless predictions on who advances to the playoffs.  With that, away we go.

2010 OzarksSports.Net Football Preview

Continue reading 2010 OzarksSports.Net Football Preview

2009

And now we finally get the sportswriters all-state team.  To no one’s surprise Cassville leads the way with 6 players selected for the class 3 team.  RB Joseph Gouvion, OL Dylan Gibson, K Matt Angel, and DL Garrett Mahurin all make the first team.  With LB Devin Linenbrink and DB Josh Lewright making the second team.  Next comes nine different Ozarks squads who place 3 players.  Bolivar, Carthage, Miller, Rogersville, Thayer, and Webb City each have 2 first team and 1 second team pick.  Lamar, Rolla, and Seneca each place 3 players on the second team.

Notables include Carthage’s Brian Poston who, after being left off the coaches all-state team, gets a well deserved class 4 first team selection.  Jeff Pipenbrink of Jasper gives the Eagles their first all-state player in 15 years.  And Hillcrest’ Doriel Green is the only sophomore selected for the class 4 team.   Notable exclusions would include Webb City’s Scott Roderique, Kyle Smith of Lamar, and Cassville’s Trevor Tanner.  Each was a coaches first team pick.

Continue reading 2009 Sportwriters All-State Football

2009 COC Large All-Conference Football

2009 COC Large All-Conference Football Team

Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Brian Poston, Carthage & Jordan Keeney, Nixa
Defensive Player of the Year: Tee Helsel, Branson

First Team

Offense

Sectional Football Preview

Monday night is rematch night.  Seven of the ten games feature teams playing each other for the second time this year.  Six of those being replays of district games.  Two of the remaining three are repeats of games from last year.  Some things are quite different, some are exactly the same.  Here’s what to look for.

CLASS 1

  • Miller (9-2) at Thayer (9-1)
    • The big question here is did Lockwood find a chink in Thayer’s armor with the passing game?  Or was it just one of those nights?  In week 8 Thayer brought the heat on Miller QB Justin Jack in his first game back & battered him on their way to a 54-14 trouncing of the Cardinals.  As usual, the Bobcats found major yards on the ground rushing for almost 500 yards.  Miller has changed up their defense since then with good results, but can they shut down that Thayer rushing attack?  Before you answer, consider this.  Last year’s district game between these two at Miller, Thayer wins 43-7.  When they met in the second round at Thayer, the Bobcats won but only by a score of 28-21.

    Continue reading Sectional Football Preview

Regional football review

It was almost a perfect night to be an eagle on the gridiron.  4 out of 5 Eagle teams playing won including Pierce City knocking off undefeated Warsaw.  Fair Grove, Mt. View-Liberty, and Nixa also soared to wins.  Only Jasper falls from the feathered football ranks.

Enough with the bird puns.  A great night of football for Ozarks teams.  Some last minute finishes, huge performances, a big upset, 11 teams say goodbye to another football season, and 19 are still alive.

CLASS 1

  • Thayer 36, Lockwood 21
    • This game was 22-21 with just over 4 minutes left and would have been tied but for a missed Lockwood XP.  But a score, an interception, and another TD secured the win.  Cameron Carey was the wrecking ball for the Bobcats rushing for 232 yards and three TDs.  Josh Huckabee added 100+ rushing yards also.  Reports put Lockwood QB Blake Abbiatti at over 350 yards passing.  I’ll update this when I can verify.

    Continue reading Regional football review

2009 Regional Football Preview

“Playoffs?” - Jim Mora

Yes, coach.  We’re talking about the playoffs.  Because they’re here.  Thirty teams from the Ozarks seek the state championship in five different classifications.  Thirty teams are done for the year.  At least nine more schools will start basketball practice after tomorrow night.  Here’s what to watch for.

CLASS 1

  • Lockwood (6-4) at Thayer (8-1)
    • This one is simple.  Can Lockwood contain the running attack of the Bobcats?  Josh Huckabee is the big dog.  But Cameron Carey & Ethan Leisenring are equally able to run for big yards.  The weather should be good giving the Tigers and Blake Abbiatti a chance to make some yards through the air.  But if the defense doesn’t play their best game, it won’t matter.

    Continue reading 2009 Regional Football Preview

Week 10 review

It was simply a glorious couple of nights for football.  While I enjoy catching a game indoors, I think football should be played outside.  The elements are part of the game.  And Thursday night was a football cathedral.  Wind & rain.  Mud & muck.  Slipping, sliding, sloshing.  It was beautiful man.  A perfect end to a great regular season.  Yes, some teams lost that wouldn’t have if the weather had cooperated.  But that’s just another nuance that we all love.  Unless it’s your team that loses.

Last year I picked the playoff games and did really freaking good.  But, I’m not doing it again.  I’m going to sit back and enjoy them myself instead of rooting for someone because I picked them.  You’ll still get a preview before each round so you’ll know what to look for.  But I’m shutting down the prediction machine until next year.  I’m done channeling my inner Carnac.  The crystal ball has left the building.

Shed no tears my friends as we say good bye to this year’s last…

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The Good

Week 9 review

Some teams rise up when the stakes are high.  Others fall flatter than a Kansas wheat field.  Seeing a team make the transition from one who falls to one who stands strong can be exhilarating.  Watching a team go the other way can be painful beyond all measure.   Friday’s action showed off some of both.  And for many of you, you don’t have to search your memory very much to find those teams who have changed lately.

A couple examples of teams that have changed for the better?  Cassville.  0-10 a few short years ago and a team that won only 1 district title from ’05 to ’07 despite losing only three games during that stretch.  Now, the defending state champs have consecutive wins over excellent teams to win their district title.  How about Lebanon?  After breaking a 14 year losing streak to Camdenton last year, they put a huge crimp in the Lakers playoff fortunes by starting their own winning streak in the series.  I won’t point out teams that have changed for the worse.  I’m sure you can come up with those on your own.

Remember to slow down and savor your next to last helping of…

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Continue reading Week 9 review