OS.Net Poll of the Week

What was the most shocking week 1 result?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
Blog Directory

My Big (unlucky for the) SCA Road Trip

As I prepared for the football season, I started looking at what games I wanted to see.  I highlighted a number of them to try to catch throughout the year, but in week one, there was one I didn’t want to miss.  Hogan Prep at Mt. View-Liberty.  After last year, there was no doubt that this would be a meeting of top 10 teams.  Liberty had made the second round for the second straight year and gave Fair Grove a struggle before falling.  While Hogan had pushed eventual state champion Maryville to the limit.  Hogan is usually loaded with athletes, including Devante Bausby this year.  Mt. View returned a host of all-conference players on offense.  Plus throw in my personal reason of getting a chance to see my awesome grandmother, and this was a must see for me.

There was just one wrinkle, it was set for Saturday afternoon.  Well this was a very opportune wrinkle since it would allow me the chance to watch not one, but two games in week 1 because Hwy 60 would be crawling with games.  Continue reading My Big (unlucky for the) SCA Road Trip

2010 Week 1 Picks

It’s finally here!  Let the trumpets be sounded forth.  Slay the fatted calf.  Prepare to make merry uponeth the greenery of many fields as dusk settleth over the earth.  Yea verily, it is good and shall be good forevermore.  Bringeth forth mistrials to delight our ears with the anthems of our lands.  Set the musicians to play, the spotted hordes to cheer, and the young men who recalleth the titans of yore to clash within the arenas of our land as they seek to claim eternal, resplendent glory for themselves and their principalities!

In other words, let’s play some football.  I’ll be doing an SCA swing this weekend starting in Mountain Grove to watch the Panthers clash with defending state class 3 champions Cassville.  Then it’s off to Howell County for Hogan Prep and Mt. View-Liberty Saturday afternoon.  More great games this opening week than I think I’ve ever seen before.  So, town cryer, announceth the picks!

WEEK 1 PICKS

Game of the Week

  • Hogan Prep at Mt. View-Liberty – Saturday at 1 PM
    • The Rams gave eventual state champion Maryville all they wanted & more last year in the state quarterfinals eventually falling 35-32. Continue reading 2010 Week 1 Picks

2010 SCA Football Predictions

A three way tie for the conference title last year kept Mountain Grove’s string of championships alive.  Mt. View-Liberty will look to start a string of their own.  And familiar friend Thayer returns to the conference.

Team

Wins Losses Conf wins Conf losses
Mt. View-Liberty

9

1

6

1

Thayer

9

1

6

1

Salem

8

2

6

1

Mountain Grove

7

3

5

2

Willow Springs

6

4

4

3

Ava

2

6

2

5

Cabool

3

7

1

6

Houston

1

8

0

7

Yes, folks.  That’s a bold pick.  A tri-champion for a second consecutive year? Continue reading 2010 SCA 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

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…

gbu1

The Good

Week 7 review

I think it’s safe to say we had the upset of the year this weekend.  I had Greenfield/Lockwood on my ‘Games to keep an eye on’ list, but only thought it would be closer than expected.  Lebanon has found the power switch after a slow start to the season.  They’ll need it going into a district that features undefeated Rolla, a Camdenton team that is lethal when on, and a Waynesville squad that has one two of their last three.  Webb City & Cassville look to be in great form to defend their titles, Mountain Grove may have found the springboard they need to get them to the Dome, and our favorite Eagle continues to soar.  All in this weeks hermetically sealed version of…

gbu1
Continue reading Week 7 review

Week 7 picks

Last week before everyone gets into districts, and it’s going to be sloppy out there for a lot of teams. How will that affect things?  Conventional wisdom says whoever can run the ball will win.  But conventional wisdom also says always double down when you have 11.  But in reality, if you’re playing with the rule that the dealer always stands on 17 (including soft hands, such as an Ace and a six), then double down on a 10 or 11 when the dealer’s up card is less than your total. If you’re playing a dealer who hits on hard 17′s, then also double down your 11 vs. a dealer’s Ace.  The point is, conventional wisdom is mostly, but not always right.  And specific circumstances can turn conventional wisdom into a hockey puck.  In this case, we’re talking about football which can really play havoc with conventional wisdom.

That being said, I confidently predict a fine week of picks.  Which, according to my paragraph up above, means I’ll be reeling in shock at about 9:45 PM.  But by then we should also have a much clearer picture of the title chases in the COC Large, SCA, SRVC, & WEMO.  I don’t know if the pinball machine will still be plugged in from last weeks score fest, but there looks to be a couple of high scorers again tonight.  So sit back & enjoy.  And while you do, read what I think all about it in the ….

Week 7 Picks

Game of the Week