Your High School football primer

When it comes to high school football, there are so many things to keep track of. The coaching changes. the personnel changes. Who’s gone? Who’s back? What district changes helped what school and made it a San Francisco uphill climb for another?

That’s exactly what TAGsgf.com is for. We fill in the blanks. And before you leave the house Friday to either tailgate, go sit in some fancy high school stands, or grab a lawn chair and honk your airhorn, devour our HS football primer. Print it out or keep it on your mobile web browser. You can thank us later.

TAGsgf.com Top 10 rankings

Rolla

Class 4-6

1. Rolla
2. Webb City
3. Joplin
4. Nixa
5. Lebanon
6. Camdenton
7. Bolivar
8. Branson
9. Carthage
10. Parkview

Cassville

Class 1-3

1. Cassville
2. Lamar
3. Rogersville
4. Fair Grove
5. MV-BT Liberty
6. Miller
7. Ava
8. Thayer
9. Monett
10. Mountain Grove

For the preseason state rankings, click here.

Fair Grove

Conference winners

• Ozark Conference — Rolla
• COC Large — Webb City
• COC Small — Bolivar
• Mid-Lakes — Fair Grove
• Big 8 — Cassville
• South Central Association — MV-BT Liberty
• Spring River Valley — Miller

Five players you should know

• 

  DGB

  Dorial Green-Beckham, Hillcrest, WR, jr. — Folks, I don’t know how I can explain this any clearer. He’s going to be the most decorated and sought-after athlete in Ozarks history. Bigger than the Beatles. Don’t you want to go and watch someone who will play on national television, and one day might get paid to play?

• Kolton Peavey, Bolivar, QB, sr. — All I know is that when I watched Rogersville at Bolivar last season, the Liberators were dead in the water. Needing a touchdown to win, Peavey orchestrated a 75-plus yard drive to hook up with Alex Tally last year fora TD to win the game. Clutch. The strong-armed southpaw QB has been tapped by soon-to-be D-I South Alabama to begin their program. That’s clutch, too.
• 

  Bolivar QB Kolton Peavey

  Darin Francis, Parkview, RB, sr. — Behind coach Wes Beachler’s relentless run offense, Francis gets plenty of carries. But it’s what he does with it that is so impressive. He scores TDs. In 10 games, Francis reached paydirt 26 times. He’s not exactly the make-you-miss type, but sometimes that’s more intimidating for opposing defenses.

• Dylan Cole, Rogersville, RB, jr. — If you want to sound like a genius, just go ahead and put stock in the future of Rogersville running back, Dylan Cole. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder might be the best pure athlete in the Ozarks (except for DGB, of course). He has everything you want in a tailback – speed, quickness, moves. He’s the total package. And I wouldn’t go out on a limb to praise someone who’s never been THE guy before if he wasn’t ready.
• Tanner Kroutil, Nixa, DB, sr. — As exciting as throwing the ball is for the fans, and as effective as it can be for offenses, few can take the momentum and swing it completely around like Kroutil. A big guy for a defensive back, Kroutil had seven interceptions last season for the Eagles. He’s moving to free safety now, but when playing big schools with big passing attacks, ballhawks like Kroutil are as valuable as anyone, possibly more.

What about the Springfield teams?

There is a ton of intrigue within the Springfield city limits. You can make a case for each of the four Ozark Conference schools — Hillcrest, Glendale, Kickapoo and Parkview — to win a ton of games.

Please watch all of KSPR’s 5th Quarter HS football preview show, but if you want to see what I had to say about the city teams, fast forward to the last three minutes of this video, where I suit up and go into the KSPR studios with their workhorse, Mike Scott.

District jumble

While we tried to jump up and down, screaming that a five-team district was a horrible thing to put a high school football team through, especially when every other one was a four-teamer, it appears MSHSAA has listened. Sort of.

Instead of there being only one five-team district — which plays six regular season games and four playoff games, rather than 7 and 3 like everyone else. — there are now two.

Class 5 District 7 includes Central, Glendale, Lebanon, Parkview and Class 5 newbie Willard.
C5-D8 houses Branson, Kickapoo, Neosho, Nixa and Ozark. Branson is new to Class 5, as well.

Which team looks to have benefitted?

Hillcrest — After winning the first playoff game in school history last second, the Hornets no longer have to contend with Class 4 powerhouse Bolivar. Instead, the Hornets match up against Marshfield, Republic and West Plains. With two teams making the playoffs, this should a lock for the Hornets.

Which team has a tougher path?

Bolivar — Bolivar vacated its district with Hillcrest, Republic and Marshfield and now travels north to face three out-of-area teams. That’s never a pleasant thing. The unexpected is much scarier than having to face a decent local team. That is, if they’re a good team. If Helias, Warrensburg and Marshall turn out to be patsies, this could be a blessing, but it’s no guarantee, especially compared to what they left behind.

Toughest district in the state

Class 3 District 11 — As has been the course for the last few years, C3-D11 is ridiculous. Cassville is a two-time defending state champion. Monett has grown into a powerhouse. Despite its off-field troubles, Seneca is loaded with talent.

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And this is just the begining. Consider TAGsgf.com your source for HS football. Check back here for all of Friday night’s scores, as well as game story links and commentary.

Enjoy your Friday night.