The COC Small may be gone but a big part of it remains alive as all but two teams are still together in the same division of the new Big 8.  Add Mt Vernon and Aurora and you have the new league.

Most of the teams were hit hard by graduation, leading to questions galore.

Reeds Spring- The Wolves won the last two COC Titles, the last one outright.  But gone are Kelly Newton, who had the most prolific rushing season in school history last year and one of the best offensive and defensive lines the school has ever had.  The Wolves have experience coming back led by third year starting quarterback, Blake Gronvold and All-State Linebacker Ben Moler

Mt Vernon- The Mountaineers caught fire at the right time last year and rode that momentum all the way to an appearance in the State Championship game.  That run included a tight 30-28 victory over Reeds Spring, for the District Championship,  on a foggy night at Carl Langley Field.  Many of those Green and White heroes have graduated.  But, State Defensive player of the year, Will Boswell returns and Coach Tom Cox will have the benefit of some upperclassmen new to the football program.

Catholic- Just like the two teams above, the Irish were hit hard by graduation.  But Coach Steve Hancock will still have one of the most athletic players in SW Missouri at his disposal.  QB/FS Tyson Riley returns as do two All-Conference Linemen.  The Irish will be a handful for anyone they play.

Hollister- The Tigers enter a new era.  Not only are they in this new conference but they have new guy at the helm.  Rich Adkins takes over for Jacob Hamon.  Gone is the spread offense and in its place a more ball control split back veer.  No doubt the Tigers are already more physical.  That was evident this summer.  They are few in numbers and staying healthy will be a necessity

Logan-Rogersville- A change in coaches for the Wildcats as well.  Doug Smith retired and the Wildcats reached over to Fair Grove and pulled in Mark Talbert.  The Wildcat return seven starters including All League receiver Ryker Strong, who will look to thrive in the Wildcats Spread offense.

Marshfield- The BlueJays will look to take a step forward in the sophomore campaign for coach Cody Bull.  He will have the confidence of a third year starting quarterback in Brock Utecht, and an all conference defender in Keegen O’Dell.  Big running back Trenton Kanengieter will look to improve on a solid 2017

Aurora- The Houns will look to improve on a 5-5 record.  Eight players will starting experience return on the offensive side of the ball.  They will have to replace quarterback JD Lee.  Coach Craig Weldy is back for his second year as head coach.

Lots of balance on this side of the league.  Picking an order of finish is almost like flipping a coin. A convincing argument can easily be made for at least the top three having a solid chance to win the league.

My worthless prediction…

1. Reeds Spring (call me a homer,  a real case for any of the top 3)
2. Catholic
3. Mt Vernon
4. Aurora
5. Marshfield
6. Hollister
7. Logan-Rogersville

 

 

 

Lots of Conference Changes in Southwest Missouri this past year.  Without a doubt, the biggest changes in recent memory have taken place.

No changes are bigger than what we have seen out of the Big 8.  The League will now have two divisions.  For the purpose of football,  you could almost look at it as two different conferences.

For this look, I will concentrate on the West.  The Big 8 West will have Nevada, returning to the conference it helped found, along with traditional Big 8 Members: Monett, Cassville, Lamar, Seneca, East Newton, and McDonald County.

Lamar- Anytime you talk about Big 8 football you really have to talk about Lamar.  They have won SEVEN consecutive Class 2 State Titles.  The Tigers run the double wing to perfection and hardly anyone has been able to slow it down, much less, stop it.  The Tigers graduated a lot of talent but, in the past, they have always been able to reload.

Seneca-  These guys were loaded last year.  And, they did it with a lot of underclassmen.  Its a team that can be explosive on offense.  Now with a successful year of experience under their belt, they might just be ready to take the top spot.

Cassville- This is another team that has played a number of “young kids” over the past couple of years and that may be about ready to pay off.  The Wildcats have a lot of experienced talent and are always tough and extremely physical.  Coach Parnell does an excellent job and this is, without a doubt, one of the teams to beat.

Monett-  Youth is the name of the game at Monett.  Lots of fresh faces will be taking the field wearing the Purple and Gold this year.  But they will have some experience returning at key positions including quarterback.  While this may not be the Cubs of two years ago, look for them to be improved, especially as the year progresses and the young players get more and more experience under the Friday Night Lights.

McDonald County- This was a team that really looked better last year.  They seemed to be more disciplined and had better focus.  Now, numbers are going up as well.  That is a good combination for Coach Kellen Hoover.  Look for that upward trend to continue.  The Mustangs will be a handful for most opponents.

East Newton-  There is no hiding the fact that the road has been extremely tough for the Patriots for a while now.  They have struggled with numbers and combine that with playing in one of the best conferences in the state and what you get is a lot of long Friday Nights.  Coach Wolfe will be hoping to change that.  But, as anyone knows that has had to totally build a program it takes time.

Nevada- The Tigers are the newbie in this group.  Wes Beachler will bring his Tigers back to the Big 8.  They were 5-6 last year but played a schedule that most around this area are not familar with.  To say they are the wildcard in the group would be an understatement.  Their numbers have been a little down for a school their size but you can bet Coach Beachler has been working on that.

My worthless predictions….

1. Seneca (yes I did it)
2. Lamar
3. Cassville
4. McDonald County
5. Monett
6. Nevada  (not meant to be a slight… I honestly have no idea)
7. East Newton

Here is a look at the tentative broadcast schedule for this fall.  Schedule is subject to change due to weather or conflicts with other projects…  Football Broadcasts can be heard on 100.1 everything else, here, on perryphillipsspors.com

August

24- FOOTBALL  Reeds Spring vs Nevada

27- SOFTBALL Reeds Spring at Republic

28- SOCCER   Branson vs Bolivar

31- FOOTBALL Reeds Spring at Seneca

September

4- SOFTBALL Branson at Ozark

4- SOCCER Branson at Ozark

7-FOOTBALL Reeds Spring vs Rogersville

11- SOFTBALL Branson at Republic

14 – FOOTBALL Reeds Spring at Mt Vernon

17- SOFTBALL  Reeds Spring at Marshfield

21- FOOTBALL Reeds Spring vs Catholic

22- SOFTBALL Branson at BRANSON TOURN

25- SOFTBALL Reeds Spring at Cassville

28- FOOTBALL  Reeds Spring at Hollister

29- SOFTBALL Reeds Spring and Branson at SPFLD TOURN

October

1 SOFTBALL  Reeds Spring vs TBA

5 FOOTBALL  Reeds Spring vs Marshfield

6- SOFTBALL  Reeds Spring at Kickapoo

8-SOFTBALL Branson vs Bolivar

9- SOCCER  Branson at Webb City

10-13  SOFTBALL- RS AND BRANSON IN DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS

12 – FOOTBALL Reeds Spring vs Cassville

19- FOOTBALL  Reeds Spring at Aurora

23- SOCCER Branson at Central

25-SOCCER Branson vs Parkview

26- FOOTBALL  Reeds Spring vs TBA District Quarters

27-31 SOCCER Branson in District Tournament

November

2- FOOTBALL Reeds Spring vs TBA District Semis

9- FOOTBALL Reeds Spring vs TBA District Championship

16- FOOTBALL Reeds Spring vs TBA State Quarters

24- FOOTBALL Reeds Spring vs TBA State Semis

30- FOOTBALL Reeds Spring vs TBA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

 

A year ago things in the SCA looked a lot different than that have in the past few seasons.  It wasn’t Grove-Mt View Liberty and then everyone else.  Ava emerged as the best in the group.  The Bears displayed a tough defense and a high powered flex bone offense.  How will everyone look in 2018?

Ava- Bears will look to repeat.  They might just have the horses to do it.  They liked the taste of success and will look to keep the train rolling. In my estimation they will most likely be able to do just that

Thayer-  This is a little school that rarely does not amaze me.  You could understand how maybe a team their size, playing in a physical conference, would take their lumps in conference play but be able to turn in on when they get to districts and play teams there own size.  The Bobcats do plenty more than that.  They go up against the bigger schools and more than hold their own…  They will contend for the title this year.

Mountain View-Liberty – The Eagles fell off a little bit a year ago but look for that to be a short lived thing.  They have talent returning at key spots.  It will be key for them to get off to a better start than they did a year ago.  If they do, they might just be able to start another streak

Mountain Grove- Things will look a little different for the Panthers this year.  Gone is Coach Adkins and most of the offensive production for last years team.  But this is a school with a lot of tradition and a school that, normally, kind find ways to win.  Do not be surprised if they are not better than a lot of people are predicting

Salem- These guys have been the sleeping giant for a few years now.  You have to wonder if this is not the year that the BIG school of the bunch takes its place back at the top.  When they load up and use that big line to run, run, run, history says they are awfully hard to stop.

Houston- Talk about a school that might be ready to shock some people that might just be the Tigers.  Low on numbers but not necessarily on experience.  Had a chance to see them at camp this summer.  They might just be the most improved team in this part of the state.  They may not be ready to win the SCA but they could very well be ready to make a little noise.  They dont have a lot of depth.  If they stay totally healthy I am most likely picking them a little low.

Willow Springs- This is another team that I think will take a step forward.  I think its safe to say that they will be better just not sure how much that will actually show in the final standings. I have a friend that is a HUGE Willow guy.. for his sake, I would love to see the Bears contend.   IF they can stay healthy they will have a shot to pull of some upsets and finish in the middle of the league.

Cabool- The Bulldogs have struggled as of late.  That is not exactly a secret.  They do have some experience returning.  They will try to use that leadership to surprise some people.  While a lot of people will pick them near the bottom of the league.  They are not a group that you will want to overlook.

My worthless Prediction…

1. Ava
2. Thayer
3. Liberty
4. Salem
5. Grove
6. Houston
7. Willow Springs
8. Cabool

In past years we have not only known the schedule but District alignments long before now.  But, one of the big changes this year was MSHSAA deciding to go to annual reclassification.  Part of that is a later release of not only those classifications, but also the list of districts.

Next Friday all will be revealed.  Until then, its anyone’s guess how everything will turn out.

Reeds Spring and Hollister have been in the same district since MSHSAA went to this current format.  I look for this to remain the same.  The real questions for this district stands with Monett, Logan-Rogersville, and East Newton.  Bare in mind, as I type this I have not seen all of the enrollment numbers that have been turned in by the schools.  I dont know how many teams will drop varsity football at the last second…  But for entertainment purposes only… Here is what I can see happening..

Monett dodged the bullet two years ago.  The Cubs will not be so lucky this time.  They are headed for Class 4 and the same district as Webb City.

Logan-Rogersville….talk about a coin flip.  I am going to say the see-saw will stop on the DOWN side for them and they stay in Class 3.  (this is close and I am not totally confident at all… If one or more KC or STL schools end up not playing it could all change for the Wildcats.)

That leaves East Newton on my list.  Again I have not seen numbers that were turned in but they have to be close and I am going to say that they drop below the magic number (whatever that is) and go down to Class 2 (Hello Lamar)

So what does that mean for Class 3 District 4.  Well, again with MSHSAA you never know..  They could go up and pull Clinton down.  But, I see Springfield Catholic and Logan-Rogersville leaving District 3 and joining their conference brothers.

So if my GUESS, is right.. We are looking at a district that would consist of…  Reeds Spring, Hollister, Catholic, Rogersville, Cassville, Seneca, Aurora, and Mount Vernon.   That is a very solid District.

GUESS is the key word in everything you just finished reading.  I didnt even think of the East Newton part of this equation until Last Night…

Branson will most likely see a change in their district as well.  Ozark could very possibly move up to Class 6.  Nixa wont be far behind them but for now I think the Eagles will stay down.  I could have those two reversed.  Nixa turned in the higher number two years ago but I think they have traded places in that respect.   Class 5 is still the “catch all” class so they can and do have an uneven number of teams in districts.  MSHSAA could simply not replace Ozark in the district and just have a Five team district, They have done it before.  It would be simple to move Nixa over, but that would cause the same issue in the district they vacate.  It will be interesting to see how that comes out.

Forsyth will be in a district for the first time… Look for them to be Class 2.  I think they get shipped east with the likes of Ava, Mountain Grove,  Willow Springs, and other SCA schools.

All the guess work will be old news pretty soon.  The waiting will end and the new Class and District assignments will be released next Friday.  Until then its all speculation….

It is not unusual for me to hype Reeds Spring football.  As a matter of fact, I admit that it is a pretty common occurrence.  But I normally stick to the High School Wolves.  More than that, its just about always the Varsity guys.

But, this is the exception.  Reeds Spring has a young Wolf that is getting a chance to perform on a national stage.  Caden Wiest is a eighth grader to be.  If you saw Reeds Spring Middle School play last year you know which guy he is.  He was the seventh grader that looked to be at least a foot taller than any one else on the team.  He can run, he can block, and he can disrupt.

Currently he is in Canton Ohio for this weeks Hall of Fame ceremonies.  He has been invited to take part in the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-American Game.  This is put on by the Hall of Fame Academy.  The event claims to bring together the “World’s Top 60 Rising 8th Graders”.  It will be an east-west game format with  Wiest playing for the East.

While it will be AT LEAST another year before we will get a chance to see Wiest competing with the high school Wolves, you can always take a Tuesday Night this fall and go cheer on the 8th grade Wolves.  I am sure he and his teammates would love to see you there.

The 6-3 , 220 pound defensive end will wear number 30.  The game is scheduled to take place on Friday afternoon at 1:30.  If you would like to watch.  It is rumored that the game will be streamed on CBSsports.com

Its the annual Dead Week for Fall Sports.  There will be NO Contact between school sports staff and student athletes.  Its a week to recoup from the summer workouts and get ready for the upcoming school year.

On Monday the year officially starts.  Fall, practices will get underway.   Now, Football players will not be allowed to make full contact and will be forced to go back to shorts for the first week.  Gotta get used to that heat.  I mean, its been a full week since they were in full pads going at it a various team camps.  All sarcasm aside, dead week means we are one week closer to getting it all going, for real.   We are starting a week later this year, Jamborees are July 17th and Football Friday Nights Start on the 24th.

Its not just football.  The same timeline, for workouts apply to all fall sports.  Cross-Country Runners, Softball Players, Fall Golfers, Tennis Players, and Soccer athletes can all get going on Monday.

For many folks, there has not been a whole lot of time off.  Between summer workouts, camps, and in some cases “summer ball” high school sports is almost a year round commitment.  Especially for multi-sport athletes.  But, most would not want it any other way.  I can tell you from experience those days fly by.

Most schools will start in a couple weeks, in most cases just before the first competition.

Its the “calm before the storm”  but a STORM that I cant wait to arrive.

The countdown has begun and in few short weeks it will be football season.  Gone is the Small COC, and here is the New Big 8.  This is a conference that has a ton of tradition.

A preview of this years teams will come in the not so distant future but I thought I would give you a few tidbits on some of the new places we will be seeing.   Get used to the words tradition and pride, they are more than just catch phrases in the Big 8.

Nothing new for Reeds Spring in seeing Hollister, Rogersville, Catholic, or Marshfield, they have been playing for years.  The other two teams in the East may not be quite as familiar but not far from it.

Aurora- The Houn Dawgs and Wolves might as well have been in the same league.  Whether it was district playoffs or regular season the two seemingly always got together.  Before last year they had played 10 of the previous 11 seasons.   They still play at the field by the old high school.  Its a grass field.  Coach Moler was at Aurora before coming to Reeds Spring.

Mt Vernon- Wolves have played these guys 4 times in the previous two seasons.  The ‘Neers defeated Reeds Spring for the district championship a year ago on their way to the State Championship Game.  Very nice, still new stadium with artificial turf.  Nice field house for home team visitors have a little walk, they dress and the school

There are some familiar faces in the other division as well as some folks that the Wolves have never seen

Cassville-  This is one of the teams that the Wolves are pretty familiar with.  The two have played the previous three seasons including twice a year ago.  This is a school that has plenty of tradition.  David Large built a state power there and those expectations continue today. Older grass field but a nice facility, well taken care of.

Monett- This is a school that Reeds Spring has played sparingly through the years.  Its a team that won the State Title two years ago.  Wolves beat them for the first time last season.  Its a school that expects success and usually achieves it.  Knowledgeable and very loyal fan base.  A nice artificial turf field.  Did a nice job of keeping the nice feel of an older stadium with the new field.  Nice place to see a game.

Lamar- This is one of the teams that Reeds Spring has never played but everyone has heard about.  One of the best programs in the state at any level.  They have won seven straight Class 2 State Titles.  Large fan base… Unique Offense… Hard Nose Defense…. Very nice natural surface field.

East Newton- The Patriots have struggled for quite a while, there is no denying that.  The have struggled with numbers and playing in a tough league has not done them any favors.  They were shut out six times a year ago, scoring more than a touchdown only once.  Older facility with a grass field.

Seneca- Another team with tradition.  They really had some playoff battles with Branson, back in the day.  Usually smash-mouth, hard nose football is a given with the Indians.  They have a grass playing surface and the fans are right on top of the field.  Can be an intimating place to play.

McDonald County- The biggest School in the bunch and the newest member of the Big Eight (before this expansion)  The Mustangs have struggled as of late but seemingly turned a corner last year.  After going winless in 2016, a new coach and seemingly new team emerged in 2017 getting all the way back to the .500 mark.  The Mustangs play on grass.

Nevada- Probably the school that I know least about.  They were a charter member of the Big 8 when it was formed in 1929.  They will return to the league this season.  One of the few places I have not been.  They do have a grass playing surface.

Looking forward to seeing some of these places over the next few years..  Just a reminder.. Teams play everyone in their division every year and also play three teams from the other division.  Next year you play the same teams but flip-flop home and away.  Then we go to the next rotation.

 

Blue Eye girls basketball was made quite  a run last season.  Picking up where they left off in 2016-2017.  The addition of Taylor Arnold proved to be key, as the Lady Bulldogs won District and Sectional Championships before falling to Skyline in the State Quarterfinals.

While Arnold still has her senior season at Blue Eye to play, she has made a decision on where she will play her college ball.

She has announced she will join the Evangel Crusaders and coach Megan Leuzinger as part of the 2019-2020 signing class.

Arnold averaged more than 16 points for Coach Ken Elfrink and the Lady Bulldogs this past season.  But, its not just on the court where Arnold excels.  Her 4.0 grade point average proves that she makes sure to get the job done in the classroom as well.

The countdown is on.  We are less than SEVEN WEEKS from the start of the high school football season.

Things will look different around the tri-lakes.  Three of the areas four teams are in new conferences.  Only Branson, remains in the same league, but that will be different, as Joplin has joined the COC.  Notice there is no longer a need to have LARGE in front of those letters.  Also, Forsyth has a more manageable schedule and will be competing in a district and the post season for the first time.  For the first time in the programs existence, Jacob Hamon will not be on the Hollister Tiger Blue and White.  He has joined the staff at Branson and former Mountain Grove coach, Rich Adkins, has taken over the reigns.

Here is a look at the composite schedule for the area teams.

All four teams will take part in Jamborees on Aug 17th.

Aug 24th

Reeds Spring vs Nevada

Branson at Republic

Hollister vs East Newton

Forsyth vs Skyline

 

Aug 31

Reeds Spring at Seneca

Branson vs Neosho

Hollister at Lamar

Forsyth at Lighthouse Christian (at Ozark HS)

 

Sep 7

Reeds Spring vs Rogersville

Branson at Ozark

Hollister vs Spfld Catholic

Forsyth at Greenfield

 

Sep 14

Reeds Spring at Mount Vernon

Branson vs Webb City

Hollister vs McDonald County

Forsyth vs Fair Grove

 

Sep 21

Reeds Spring vs Spfld Catholic

Branson vs Joplin

Hollister at Marshfield

Forsyth vs Pierce City

 

Sep 28

Reeds Spring at Hollister

Branson at Carthage

Forsyth at Pembroke Hill

 

Oct 5

Reeds Spring vs Marshfield

Branson vs Nixa

Hollister at Aurora

Forsyth vs Stockton

 

Oct 12

Reeds Spring vs Cassville

Branson at Carl Junction

Hollister vs Rogersville

Forsyth vs Strafford

 

Oct 19

Reeds Spring at Aurora

Branson vs Willard

Hollister at Mt Vernon

Forsyth at Buffalo