Parkview High School running back Aerion Hawkins (4) hurdles a Chiefs defender during first quarter action of the Vikings football game against Kickapoo High School at JFK Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Aug. 19, 2016.

Kickapoo High School linebacker Travis Vokolek (2) and safety Cole McCarville (22) celebrate after the Chiefs defense forced a turnover during first quarter action of their football game against Parkview High School at JFK Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Aug. 19, 2016.

Kickapoo High School running back Maverick McGee (34) scores a touchdown during first quarter action of the Chiefs football game against Parkview High School at JFK Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Aug. 19, 2016.

Kickapoo quarterback Chris Lawson left St. Louis disappointed on a November night.

He didn’t let a loss keep him down.

Coming off a loss to CBC in the 2015 Class 6 playoff semifinals and a 12-1 season, Lawson and the Chiefs looked at the 2016 season opener at Parkview as a chance to make a statement win. They did, by beating Parkview 55-26 at JFK Stadium Friday night in a clash of Springfield schools.

Lawson finished the game 20-of-27 passing for 248 yards and three touchdowns. He also scored a rushing touchdown and gained 39 yards on four attempts.

“It’s always nice to come out Week 1 to get a victory,” Lawson said. “We got the run game going early, and in doing that we were able to throw the ball around, and this year we hope to throw a lot more than we did last year, so getting the run game established really helped.”

Kickapoo coach Kurt Thompson referred to Lawson as “a silent leader.”

“Chris is very cerebral. He knows exactly what we want out of him. Chris doesn’t hardly say a word in practice, but he knows what we want to do,” Thompson said.

Lawson passed for 1,578 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior in 2015, and also rushed for five touchdowns and 548 yards.

Kickapoo also got big offensive boosts from senior running back Maverick McGee and wide receiver Corey Dye. McGee rushed 18 times for 163 yards and three touchdowns.

Thompson said the Chiefs planned to set the tone early with the run to open up some passing through the middle part of the game.

“We can throw the ball, that’s something that we know we can do. Offensively, we just kind of clicked tonight for a first game,” Thompson said.

Parkview High School running back Aerion Hawkins (4) fumbles the ball after being tackled by a host of Chiefs defenders during first quarter action of the Vikings football game against Kickapoo High School at JFK Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Aug. 19, 2016.

Parkview trailed 28-0 before quarterback Mario Sanchez threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to state champion high jumper Marcus Walton in the second quarter. Parkview got a turnover on a forced fumble and recovery by Blake Delacruz, then Sanchez threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Gage Clark.

Dye answered by 15 seconds later with a 63-yard touchdown reception from Lawson to close the first half. The play was a turning point for coach Anthony Hays’ Vikings.

“To let up that big play right before half was a punch in the gut. We thought we were going to go into half with momentum. In this game, Week 1, momentum shifts are a big deal,” Hays said.

Hays acknowledged Kickapoo’s ability to sustain drives and score plenty of points.

“Kickapoo is a great opponent, they are one of the top Class 6 schools in the state and they deserve that ranking,” Hays said. “I’m really proud of the way our kids didn’t quit. A good example —we’re losing by four touchdowns and Marcus Walton goes in and blocks an extra point. He could have taken that play off, most kids do on an extra point, but he gave everything he had.”

Kickapoo High School running back Maverick McGee (34) scores a touchdown during first quarter action of the Chiefs football game against Parkview High School at JFK Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Aug. 19, 2016.

Parkview running back Aerion Hawkins paced Parkview with 78 rushing yards on 12 carries.

In its bid to defend the Ozark Conference championship, Kickapoo passes the first test with eight more to go. That’s where Lawson said the team’s focus shifted upon exiting the playoffs with the loss to CBC.

“It was tough, but CBC is not a team to be messed with. They’re a great team,” Lawson said. “We practiced hard that’s for sure. Coach has been running a lot to make sure we’re in great shape.”

Kickapoo has more than 30 seniors on its roster this season, which offered plenty of motivation through the offseason.

“Being the last year together, I think that in and of itself has really lit the fire in us,” Lawson said.

Parkview has a second consecutive home game Friday, Aug. 26, at JFK Stadium. Kickapoo plays its home opener against Rolla the same night. Both games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Kickapoo 55, Parkview 26

Kickapoo 14-20-15-6—55

Parkview 0-14-6-6—26

At JFK Stadium, Springfield

First quarter

Kickapoo—Maverick McGee 9-yard run (kick failed)

Kickapoo—McGee 12-yard run (Devin Kruse pass from Chris Lawson)

Second quarter

Kickapoo—Lawson 16-yard run (Joshua Scheiderer kick)

Kickapoo—Robbie Merced 11-yard pass from Lawson (kick failed)

Parkview—Marcus Walton 50-yard pass from Mario Sanchez (Alex Joy kick)

Parkview—Gage Clark 25-yard pass from Sanchez (Joy Kick)

Kickapoo—Corey Dye 63-yard pass from Lawson (Scheiderer kick)

Third quarter

Kickapoo—Maverick McGee 21-yard run (Travis Vokolek pass from Lawson)

Kickapoo—Devin Kruse 15-yard run (Scheiderer kick)

Parview—Blake Delacruz 25-yard run (kick failed)

Fourth quarter

Kickapoo—Dalton Coates 5-yard run (run failed)

Parkview—Trevor Boice 40-yard run (no attempt)

Nixa High School’s Evan Deveney catches a pass against Willard High School Friday, August 19, 2016. Jason Connel / For the News-Leader

Nixa High School’s Zack Thomas tries to get away from Willard High School’s defense Friday, August 19, 2016. Jason Connel / For the News-Leader

Who could blame the Nixa Eagles if they let up a little bit against visiting Willard in the fourth quarter on Friday?

After all, the game was well in hand and the Eagles seemed to have an answer for everything Willard threw at them.

With big plays as the seconds ticked off the clock, the Tigers’ passing game got them back within striking range, but in the end, the Eagles survived with a 19-13 season-opening Central Ozarks Conference win.

“It’s never easy to get wins and we proved that tonight,” Nixa coach Rich Rehagen said.

“Maybe we lost focus a little bit, but give Willard credit for continuing doing what they were successful with. But I think our guys learned tonight that we need to play the whole way.”

Nixa led Willard, 19-0 late in the fourth period when the Tigers capped off a 63-yard drive with a 38-yard touchdown from junior Quintin Batson to junior Kenny Chambers with 3:37 left in the game.

Less than two minutes after that, Willard’s passing game put the Tigers back in the end zone.

Batson connected with Chambers once again, this time for a 79-yard touchdown, cutting Nixa’s lead to 19-13 with 1:08 left in the game.

A fumbled snap by Nixa on its ensuing possession gave the ball back to Willard at midfield with 1:05 left in the game

Nixa High School’s Hayden Young tries to get away from Willard High School’s defense Friday, August 19, 2016. Jason Connel / For the News-Leader

The Tigers moved the ball to the Nixa 18-yard line with 5.8 seconds left when three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Willard moved the ball back to the Tigers’ 38-yard line.

“It was very frustrating,” Willard junior Kenny Chambers said. “We had a good drive going and that took us all the way back to the 38-yard line. That really hurt us.

“Nixa really is a good team. We just made too many mistakes. We need to work harder at the beginning so we don’t have to fight so hard at the end.”

A 26-yard field goal by Nixa sophomore Sean Sample gave the Eagles an early 3-0 lead.

Nixa senior Nicos Oropeza broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter to give the Eagles a 10-0 lead.

Oropeza led Nixa with 147 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.

The Eagles took the opening kickoff of the second half and scored on a 12-play, 70-yard drive for a 16-0 lead with 6:42 left in the third quarter.

Nixa senior Senior Hayden Young scored Nixa’s touchdown on a 2-yard run.

Willard High School’s Clay Burkett-Gibson tries to rip the football away from Nixa’s Nicos Oropeza Friday, August 19, 2016. Jason Connel / For the News-Leader

“We knew we had to come out after halftime and play like it’s 0-0,” Young said.

“We tried to wear them out as much as we could and … once we got them tired we just started pounding it right down their throats.”

Nixa (1-0, 1-0) outrushed Willard (0-1, 0-1) 216-56, but it was Willard who outgained Nixa in the air, 202-58.

“Nicos ran the ball hard tonight, especially in the second half and Andrew did a nice job with our option game,” Rehagen said.

“I liked the way our offensive line played and as a group I like the way they battled all the way through. I know there’s a lot to work on, but every team in this area has a lot to work on. I guarantee that.”

Batson finished 11-of-18 passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Chambers had six receptions for 152 yards and two scores.

“Late in the game we had to get back out there and get strapped up,” Young said. “We put it together at the end and we were able to stop their drive.”

All-USA Ozarks

High school sports kicked off the first week of the 2016-2017 year with several noteworthy performances around the Ozarks. The week culminated Friday night with the first week of the high school football season.

The list of American Family Insurance ALL-USA Ozarks Performers of the Week for Aug. 15-20 recognizes some of the top season-starting outings from the first week of games.

Parker Crawford, Nixa soccer

Crawford scored a pair of goals, the second unassisted, in Nixa’s 4-0 win over Central. The Eagles start the season 1-0 coming off a 2015 season that concluded at the state final four. Nixa went 25-2 a season ago.

Keegan Hoopes, West Plains football

Hoopes rushed for 288 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries in a 42-0 win over Waynesville. West Plains started the season as the No. 7-ranked Class 4 team in Missouri and stands to move up in the next poll.

Dalton Cloyd, Fair Grove football

Cloyd logged a hat trick of touchdowns in Fair Grove’s 49-7 home win over Buffalo. Cloyd scored three different ways: once on a kickoff return, one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown.

Kickapoo High School running back Maverick McGee (34) scores a touchdown during first quarter action of the Chiefs football game against Parkview High School at JFK Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Aug. 19, 2016.

Korey Robinette, Reeds Spring football

Robinette took off for 281 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries, and the Wolves picked up a 47-34 home win over Mt. Vernon. The game marked the first played at Carl Langley Field at Wolves Stadium since Reeds Spring purchased and installed artificial turf from the University of Cincinnati.

Maverick McGee, Kickapoo football

McGee rushed 18 times for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Kickapoo defeated Parkview 55-26 in a clash of Springfield schools. McGee nearly rushed for 900 yards as a junior, and appears to be a key cog in the Kickapoo offense this season.

Varsity sports coaches, would you like to nominate one of your players to be an American Family Insurance ALL-USA Ozarks Performer of the Week? Email your nomination to News-Leader high school sports reporter Rance Burger (rburger@news-leader.com) by 5 p.m. each Monday.

Southwest Missouri teams are ranked in each of the six classes of high school football after the first week of the season.

From left, Kickapoo football players Travis Vokolek (2) and Cole McCarville (22) celebrate a defensive stop at Parkview’s JFK Stadium on Friday, Aug. 16, 2016. Kickapoo beat Parkview 55-26.

Kickapoo clinched the No. 4 spot in Class 6, which is comprised of teams from the largest 32 high schools in Missouri. Kickapoo moved up from the No. 5 spot and attains the highest ranking it has ever received in the Missouri Media Rankings since moving up to Class 6 at the start of the 2015 season.

Kickapoo (1-0) plays its home opener against Rolla (0-1) Friday at 7 p.m. at Pottenger Stadium.

Nixa’s 19-13 squeaker over Willard was enough to move the Eagles (1-0) up to the No. 6 spot in Class 5. Nixa will be at Branson (0-1) Friday night.

Carl Junction shocked the state by beating Webb City, and the Bulldogs received seven first place votes of a possible 14. However, Carl Junction fell one point behind No. 1 Kearney in the overall vote in the Class 4 poll.

West Plains (1-0) dismantled Waynesville 42-0, but the Zizzers remain in the No. 7 spot in Class 4.

The Monett Cubs (1-0) were among the biggest movers this week, going from No. 7 to No. 4 in the Class 3 rankings by beating California 34-6.

Class 2 Lamar (1-0) and Class 1 Valle Catholic (1-0) were the only two teams to receive unanimous first place votes in their respective polls.

Previously unranked Fair Grove (1-0) impressed enough in Week 1 to enter the Class 2 poll at No. 10 this week, while Class 1 Lockwood moves up a position from No. 7 to No. 6.

Missouri Media Rankings: Week 2

Statewide high school football rankings, as compiled by a 14-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. First-place votes in parenthesis.

CLASS 6

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. CBC (12), 1-0, 138, 1

2. Blue Springs (2), 1-0, 121, 2

3. Jefferson City, 1-0, 109, 4

4. Springfield Kickapoo, 1-0, 81, 5 

5. Park Hill, 1-0, 68, 7

6. Kirkwood, 0-1, 67, 3

7. Lee’s Summit West, 1-0, 65, 8

8. SLUH, 1-0, 33, NR

9. Hazelwood Central, 1-0, 28, 9   

10. Eureka, 1-0, 19, NR

Dropped out: No. 6 Blue Springs South, No. 10 Francis Howell

Also receiving votes:  Blue Springs South (0-1), 16; Rockhurst (1-0),  14; Francis Howell (1-0), 11

CLASS 5

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Chaminade (11), 1-0, 136, 1

2. Staley (3), 1-0, 128, T2

2. Battle, 1-0, 114, T2

4. Liberty North, 0-1, 88, 4

5. Vianney, 1-0, 77, 10

6. Nixa, 1-0, 60, 8  

7. Fort Zumwalt North,0-1, 40, 5

T8. Fort Osage, 0-1, 38, 7

T8. Liberty, 1-0, 38, NR

10. Pattonville, 0-1, 26, 6

Dropped out: No. 9 Belton

Also receiving votes:  Glendale (1-0), 21; Carthage (0-1), 2; Jackson (1-0), 2 

CLASS 4

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Kearney (7), 1-0, 133, 2

2. Carl Junction (7), 1-0, 132, 3

3. Webb City, 0-1, 106, 1

4. Hannibal, 1-0, 86, 5

5. Westminster, 1-0, 85, 4

6. Harrisonville, 1-0, 80, 6

7. West Plains, 1-0, 57, 7

8. Parkway North, 1-0, 37, 8

9. Platte County, 1-0, 27, 9

10. Ladue, 1-0, 16, NR

Dropped out: No. 10 Cape Girardeau Central 

Also receiving votes: St. Dominic (1-0), 4; Cape Girardeau Central (0-1), 4; Camdenton (1-0), 3 

CLASS 3

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Maryville (10), 1-0, 136, 2

2. Blair Oaks (4), 1-0, 128, 3

3. John Burroughs, 0-1, 104, 1 

4. Monett, 1-0, 86, 7

5. McCluer South-Berkley, 1-0, 48, 8

6. Center, 1-0, 46, 10 

7. Mexico, 0-1, 42, 6

8. Odessa, 0-1, 31, 4

9. Park Hills Central, 1-0, 25, NR

10. Oak Grove, 0-1, 21, 5

Dropped out: No. 9 Osage

Also receiving votes: Richmond (1-0), 19; Osage (1-0), 18; Lutheran South (1-0), 14; Chillicothe (1-0), 13; St. Pius X (1-0), 12; Reeds Spring (1-0), 12; Eldon (1-0), 8; St. Charles West (1-0), 7

CLASS 2

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Lamar (14), 1-0, 140, 1

2. Mt. View-Liberty, 1-0, 124, 2

3. Centralia, 1-0, 111, 3

4. Lutheran North, 1-0, 82, 5

5. Mountain Grove, 1-0, 72, 7

6. Brookfield, 1-0, 58, 6

7. Lafayette County, 1-0, 56, 8

8. Malden, 1-0, 46, 9

9. Trinity, 1-0, 32, 10

10. Fair Grove, 1-0, 22, NR

Dropped out: No. 4 Palmyra

Also receiving votes:  Palmyra (0-1), 21; Cardinal Ritter (1-0), 6

CLASS 1

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Valle Catholic (14), 1-0, 140, 1

2. Marceline, 1-0, 122, 2

3. Hamilton-Penney, 1-0, 115, 3

4. Lincoln, 1-0, 91, T4

5. Mark Twain, 1-0, 85, T4

6. Lockwood, 1-0, 66, 7

7. Polo, 0-1, 47, 9 

8. East Buchanan, 1-0, 33, NR

9. Cass-Midway, 1-0, 21, NR

10. Hayti, 1-0, 13, NR

Dropped out: No. 6 Skyline, No. 8 Thayer, No. 10 Scotland County

Also receiving votes:  Westran (1-0), 9; Skyline (0-1), 9; Monroe City (1-0), 7; South Shelby (0-1), 7; Thayer (0-1), 3; Marionville (1-0), 2

Quintin Batson (left) moved from Springfield to Willard prior to the start of his junior year and joined the Willard High School football team for the 2016 season.

Quintin Batson threw two touchdown passes in his first game as Willard’s starting quarterback, but the Tigers didn’t get the result they wanted.

Willard’s comeback attempt fell short in a 19-13 loss to Nixa. A year ago, Batson started the season as the starting quarterback at Central. He moved to Willard midway through the summer and is trying to find his way with a new coach, new teammates and a new offensive scheme.

Batson showed flashes of putting it all together against Nixa, but Willard’s offense was shutout until the final four minutes of the game.

“I’ve settled in really well. All of the guys here accepted me. I feel comfortable with the guys and the coaching staff is really good too, so I feel welcomed here,” Batson said.

As a sophomore at Central, Batson completed 73.4 percent of the passes he attempted. He was 171-of-233 for 2,431 yards, 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

He also gained 341 rushing yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. Central went 5-5. At Willard, Batson goes away from running a no-huddle spread to an old-school single wing.

News-Leader Game of the Week brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

In the spring of 2016, former Central Bulldogs coach Lorenzo Williams informed his players he was leaving to move to his home state and to become the football coach at Westmoore, Oklahoma.

“It was heartbreaking. (Williams) was my head coach since seventh grade, I got pretty close with him,” Batson said. “Once he told us the real reason why he was going down there (to Oklahoma), it’s better for his family, better for himself, so I understood.”

At least five ex-Central players, including Batson, transferred to other schools. Batson finished his first game for the Willard Tigers 11-of-18 passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

Junior Kenny Chambers had six receptions for 152 yards and two scores.

Week 2 Game of the Week: Willard at Bolivar

Nixa led Willard 19-0 late in the fourth period when Batson and the Tigers got going on a 63-yard drive ending in a 38-yard touchdown Batson to junior Chambers with 3:37 left in the game.

Chambers and Batson’s chemistry continued to develop moments later, when Batson connected with Chambers on a 79-yard touchdown pass play, cutting Nixa’s lead to 19-13 with 1:08 left in the game. It was as close as Willard would get, but it served as a sign of potential.

“(Batson) was really good. Quintin is a sharp kid and he is only going to get better each and every week,” Willard coach Brock Roweton said. “All of that will come the further we play, even just timing with receivers.”

Late in the game, Willard demonstrated some explosive ability with Chambers at wide receiver, Nate Swadley and Brock Howard at the running back spots and Ethan Burson at tight end.

“We had multiple opportunities that were just missed whether it was a wrong route, a dropped ball, overthrown or underthrown by a foot or two, just little stuff. Even up front, we had some miscues up front,” Roweton said. “We need to execute better.”

Quintin Batson passed for 2,431 yards and 23 touchdowns as a sophomore at Central High School.

Willard’s line is perhaps the strongest element of its offense. Martin Eidson and Rudy Tapia are among the returners for a sizeable front five.

“When they are averaging 260 (pounds) across the line, it’s pretty good. I like that. I feel comfortable back there and I feel comfortable in the pocket with them protecting me,” Batson said.

Willard (0-1) visits Bolivar (0-1) Friday night in the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors. The game starts at 7 p.m. at Plaster Stadium on the Southwest Baptist University campus.

Batson wants Willard’s offense to have a much faster start against the Liberators than it got against Nixa.

We need to keep going with the energy, keep going, keep going so we can get the first score and keep moving on from there,” Batson said.

High school football

Scores for Friday, Aug. 26, 2016

Kickapoo 42, Rolla 14 FINAL

Jefferson City 83, Central 6 FINAL

Joplin 41, Parkview 20 FINAL

Glendale 53, Hillcrest 8 FINAL

News-Leader Game of the Week brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

Willard 48, Bolivar 42 F/OT – News-Leader Game of the Week brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

Neosho 25, Ozark 20 FINAL

Nixa 40, Branson 28 FINAL

Fair Grove 50, Skyline 14 FINAL

Mountain Grove 44, Strafford 6 FINAL

Mt. Vernon 24, Springfield Catholic 17 FINAL

Carl Junction 38, Republic 20 FINAL

Monett 49, Rogersville 0 FINAL

Marshfield 28, McDonald County 6 FINAL

Mountain View-Liberty 49, Aurora 7 FINAL

Buffalo 56, Pleasant Hope 12 FINAL

Ava 42. Lighthouse Christian 0 FINAL

Ash Grove 21, Stockton 12 FINAL

Lebanon 42, Waynesville 6 FINAL

Camdenton 54, West Plains 41 FINAL

Carthage 34, Webb City 21 FINAL

Cassville 27, Reeds Spring 6 FINAL

Willow Springs 22, Marionville 0 FINAL

Hollister 39, Cabool 16 FINAL

Commerce, Oklahoma 37, Sarcoxie 7 FINAL

School of the Osage 35, Seneca 19 FINAL

Lockwood 33, Rich Hill 0 FINAL

Lamar 55, East Newton 0 FINAL

Diamond 32, Jasper 6 FINAL

Nevada 28, Center 0 FINAL

St. James 42, Houston 0 FINAL

Butler 41, Sherwood 8 FINAL

Miller 55, Windsor 20 FINAL

Kenny Chambers had the will to win and 21 yards to go.

He caught only caught two passes in Willard’s thrilling 48-42 win on the road at Bolivar, but they were both touchdowns. His first was a 58-yard catch, the second was a 21-yard touchdown catch in overtime. Chambers juked around two Bolivar defenders to find the right side of the end zone and give Willard the win.

Chambers also had a 13-yard interception return for a touchdown. If he could get the ball in his hands, he was gone.

Willard trailed Bolivar by as many as 16 points, but Chambers credited Tigers coach Brock Roweton’s ability to chew out his team at halftime for inspiring a comeback.

“(Roweton) said practice would have not been fun. We did not want that, so we just came out and played our hearts out,” Chambers said.

Willard scored 22 points in the third quarter, but Bolivar answered with an 84-yard fourth quarter drive capped with a five-yard pass from Connor Sechler to Brandon Emmert to force overtime.

“It was hard, very, very hard, but we just kept fighting,” Chambers said. “Our offense came out and just played as a team.”

Overtime ended with Willard linebacker Christian Smart making two sacks on Bolivar’s final four downs.

“We told our guys, ‘hey, if you get a stop or a turnover, the game is over,’ and we had some guys really step up in big moments,” Roweton said.

The Liberators’ offense proved tough to slow with Sechler going 20-of-34 passing for 320 and three touchdowns. Lane Loomer rushed 37 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Emmert had nine receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Still, Roweton implored his defensive players to keep up the fight.

“The team has two weeks in a row battled for four quarters, and I cannot be any more proud. We as a coaching staff cannot be any more proud of the overall effort,” Roweton said. “Bolivar is really skilled; they are a matchup nightmare.”

Nate Swadley paced Willard’s offense with 103 yards on 20 carries. Brock Howard scored a total of three touchdowns, one on a 52-yard pass from Quintin Batson on Willard’s first offensive play of the game.

Batson, a transfer from Central, continues to develop chemistry with his new receivers, as evidenced by the overtime pass to Chambers. Batson and Chambers were friends before Batson moved to Willard.

“We’ve had chemistry for a while. Now we’re getting together. It’s nothing really new, I’ve known (Batson) since he was little,” Chambers said.

Bolivar plays its next two games on the road, first Sept. 2 at Reeds Spring and then at Hollister Sept. 9. Willard plays its home opener Sept. 2 against Neosho, then visits perennial powerhouse Webb City Sept. 9. Both games start at 7 p.m.

Willard 48, Bolivar 42

At Plaster Stadium, Southwest Baptist University

Willard 6-14-22-0-6—48

Bolivar 14-14-8-6—42

First quarter

Willard—Brock Howard 52-yard pass from Quintin Batson (kick failed)

Bolivar—Lane Loomer 16-yard run (kick failed)

Bolivar—Brandon Emmert 8-yard pass from Connor Sechler (Mason Payne pass from Sechler)

Second quarter

Bolivar—Loomer 4-yard run (Jack Hadank kick)

Willard—Brock Howard 4-yard run (pass failed)

Bolivar—Mason Payne 6-yard pass from Sechler (Emmert pass from Sechler)

Willard–Batson 18-yard run (Nate Swadley kick)

Third quarter

Willard—Kenny Chambers 13-yard interception return (run failed)

Willard—Kenny Chambers 58-yard pass from Batson (Ethan Burson pass from Batson)

Bolivar—Conley Garrison 34-yard pass from Sechler (Emmert pass from Sechler)

Willard—Howard 29-yard pass from Batson (Swadley run)

Fourth quarter

Bolivar—Emmert 5-yard pass from Sechler (pass failed)

Overtime

Willard—Chambers 21-yard pass from Batson (run failed)

Willard High School running back Brock Howard (3) is tackled by Liberators lineman Zach Howard (57) and linebacker Bradley Thomas (3) during first quarter action of the Liberators’ football game against Willard High School held at Plaster Stadium in Bolivar, Mo. on Aug. 26, 2016.

Unfortunately for Parkview football coach Anthony Hays, he is seeing a problematic trend in his Vikings’ during the first two games of the season: youthful mistakes.

And the only answer is experience.

The Vikings’ defense gave visiting Joplin trouble early on Friday, but once the Eagles got their running game rolling they literally ran away with a 41-20 Ozark Conference victory at JFK Stadium.

“We are concerned with our inconsistency,” Hays said.

“We are making early season mistakes that a young team makes and I think that once we clean it up and get some games under out belt, we’re going to be a good football team down the stretch. We’re just working some things out right now.”

Joplin’s first score of the night came following a Parkview mistake. The Vikings attempted a fake punt out of their own end zone that set the Eagles up at the Parkview 10-yard line.

Two plays later, senior Chris Jones punched in a 5-yard run for the early lead.

Parkview (0-2) trailed 14-6 at halftime, but it was Joplin (1-1) who came out for the third quarter with a mission.

The Eagles took the kickoff and marched 70 yards in eight plays to take a 21-6 lead. The show of force after halftime was key for Crawford.

“That was pretty big,” Crawford said. “We really needed to do that.

“Once we got ahead, the guys got up and we did what we had to.”

From that point, Joplin’s running backs dominated the game.

“Getting their backs rolling was our concern,” Hays said.

“(Crawford and Hunter) are all conference type players. And when you give a team a short field, and they have two dynamic runners, they’re just going to pound it out.

“That was the difference in the game for me. They had good field position and unfortunately we gave it to them.”

Joplin quarterback Jokiem Crawford fights off CJ Loveall of Parkview in Springfield on August 26, 2016.

Crawford scored on Joplin’s next possession for a 27-6 lead with 2:52 left in the third quarter.

“Our running game is pretty important,” Crawford said. “We are a run-based team and we like to run the ball.

“Our defense played phenomenal and I’m really happy with our line. The line played a lot better today and I owe them a big one. That’s the best I’ve seen them block for a while.”

Crawford finished with 101 yards on 16 carries and had three rushing touchdowns. Hunter had 88 yards on the ground with two scores on 13 attempts.

“Hats off to our coaches and players for looking and seeing what they were doing and getting it figured out and making the adjustments we needed to make,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said.

Crawford’s third score put the Eagles ahead 34-13, and Hunter’s second touchdown gave Joplin a commanding 41-13 lead with 2:31 left in the game.

Parkview freshman Trevor Boice scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. A 7-yard score, followed by an 8-yard touchdown with 15 seconds left, was too little, too late for the Vikings.

Joplin 0 14 13 14—41

Parkview 0 6 0 14—20

Second quarter

Joplin — Chris Jones 5 run (Garrett Landis kick)

Parkview — Mario Sanchez 9 run (kick blocked)

Joplin — Dustin Hunter 38 run (Landis kick)

Third quarter

Joplin — Jokiem Crawford 34 run (Landis kick)

Joplin — Crawford 7 run (kick blocked)

Fourth quarter

Parkview — Trevor Boice 7 run (Alex Joy kick)

Joplin — Crawford 9 run (Landis kick)

Joplin — Hunter 11 run (Landis kick)

Parkview — Boice 8 run (Joy kick)

Glendale will try to turn a red hot start into a sign of sustained improvement Friday night against West Plains.

News-Leader Game of the Week brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

The high school football matchup between the Falcons (2-0) and the West Plains Zizzers (1-1) has been selected as the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors. The action begins Friday at 7 p.m. at Glendale’s Lowe Stadium.

Glendale’s 61-31 win at Joplin and its 53-8 win last week at Hillcrest have Falcons fans hopeful that the program has turned a corner as it last celebrated a winning season in 2011.

West Plains comes off a 54-41 loss to Camdenton, and will aim to beat Glendale for a fourth consecutive year. Glendale coach Mike Mauk, now in his third season at Glendale, noted that the Zizzers beat the Falcons 71-58 last year and 53-48 in 2014.

“We’ve had a hard time defending their offense. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge for us this year,” Mauk said. “We’re excited about the game. It’s our first home game, so we’re looking forward to that.”

The 45-point win at Hillcrest marks the largest margin of victory Glendale has had in Mauk’s tenure as coach.

“Our kids have worked hard. I don’t know that we’re up there with the better teams in our league yet, but we’re anxious to find out,” Mauk said. “We’ve got to continue to find a way to improve and get better.”

Glendale wide receiver Von Oeser (8) catches a touchdown pass between two Hillcrest defenders.

Glendale’s defense will take its home field for the first time in 2016 against a West Plains offense led by running back Keegan Hoopes. The senior rushed for 22 touchdowns and more than 1,400 yards a season ago.

Glendale is known for stacking up crazy amounts of passing yards. Junior quarterback Alex Huston passed for 5,608 yards and 69 touchdowns last season. In the first two games of this year, he put up 1,032 yards passing and 11 touchdowns.

Huston left an impression on Hillcrest coach John Beckham, who said there is more to Huston than being the product of Glendale’s all-pass system. Huston genuinely throws an accurate ball with consistency, Beckham said.

“They see (Huston’s) numbers in the paper. It’s like Madden, some sort of video game, but this kid can sling the rock,” Beckham said. “His accuracy was really impressive.”

News-Leader Game of the Week

Presented by Murney Associates, Realtors

West Plains (1-1) at Glendale (2-0)

Friday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Lowe Stadium, Glendale High School

2727 S Ingram Mill Road, Springfield

A pair of Springfield teams are ranked among the best in Missouri high school football.

Kickapoo senior Maverick McGee rushed for 237 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries in the first two games of 2016.

The Missouri Media Rankings released Tuesday show the 2-0 Kickapoo Chiefs as the No. 4-rated Class 6 team in the state for a second week in a row.

Kickapoo coach Kurt Thompson credits the current crop of Chiefs for picking up the team after graduation decimated the roster from the team that went 12-1 and reached the Class 6 playoff semifinals last season.

“We only have two full-time returning starters defensively from last year, we had three full-time returning starters offensively,” Thompson said. “We’re playing with a bunch of new faces that were playing behind some very good football players the last couple of years.”

For the first time under coach Mike Mauk, the Glendale Falcons are ranked. Glendale (2-0) checks in at No. 9 in the Class 5 rankings. Quarterback Alex Huston has already surpassed 1,000 yards passing in Glendale’s five-wide receiver, no huddle offensive scheme.

Nixa (2-0) moves up a position to the No. 5 spot in Class 5

Webb City’s 0-2 start didn’t impress the 14 reporters who vote in the Missouri Media Rankings each week. The defending Class 4 state champions fall to No. 10 following losses to No. 2 Carl Junction and Carthage.

High school football

Missouri Media Rankings as of Aug. 30, 2016

First-place votes in parenthesis.

CLASS 6

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. CBC (12), 2-0, 138, 1

2. Blue Springs (2), 2-0, 126, 2

3. Jefferson City, 2-0, 108, 3

4. Springfield Kickapoo, 2-0, 88, 4 

5. Kirkwood, 1-1, 82, 6

6. SLUH, 2-0, 60, 8

7. Lee’s Summit West, 1-1, 54, 7

8. Hazelwood Central, 2-0, 41, 9   

9. Eureka, 2-0, 31, 10

10. Rockhurst, 2-0, 20, NR 

Dropped out: No. 5 Park Hill

Also receiving votes:  Lee’s Summit (1-1), 16; Park Hill (1-1), 6

CLASS 5

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Chaminade (11), 2-0, 136, 1

2. Staley (3), 2-0, 129, 2

2. Battle, 2-0, 113, 3

4. Liberty North, 1-1, 92, 4

5. Nixa, 2-0, 69, 6   

6. Liberty, 2-0, 59, T8

7. Fort Zumwalt North, 1-1, 54, 6

8. Vianney, 1-1, 46, 5 

9. Glendale, 2-0, 25, NR

10. Pattonville, 1-1, 22, 10

Dropped out: No. T8 Fort Osage

Also receiving votes:  Truman (1-1), 12; Jackson (2-0), 6; Park Hill South (2-0), 3; Timberland (2-0), 2; Carthage (1-1), 1; Webster Groves (2-0), 1

CLASS 4

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Kearney (9), 2-0, 135, 1 

2. Carl Junction (5), 2-0, 131, 2

3. Harrisonville, 2-0, 110, 6

4. Parkway North, 2-0, 78, 8

5. Platte County, 2-0, 73, 9

6. St. Dominic, 2-0, 65, NR

7. Camdenton, 2-0, 60, NR  

8. Hannibal, 1-1, 52, 4

9. Westminster, 1-1, 22, 5

10. Webb City, 0-2, 16, 3

Dropped out: No. 7 West Plains, No. 10 Ladue

Also receiving votes: Ladue (1-1), 14; Raytown South (1-1), 7; Hillsboro (2-0), 3; Cape Girardeau Central (1-1), 2; West Plains (1-1), 2

CLASS 3

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Maryville (12), 2-0, 138, 1

2. Blair Oaks (2), 2-0, 126, 2

3. John Burroughs, 1-1, 112, 3 

4. Monett, 2-0, 89, 4

5. Center, 2-0, 77, 6 

6. McCluer South-Berkley, 2-0, 68, 5

7. Mexico, 1-1, 41, 7

8. Park Hills Central, 2-0, 37, 9

9. Richmond, 2-0, 28, NR

10. Chillicothe, 2-0, 21, NR

Dropped out: No. 8 Odessa, No. 10 Oak Grove

Also receiving votes: Osage (2-0), 14; Odessa (1-1), 11; Lutheran South (2-0), 5; St. Pius X (1-1), 2; Oak Grove (0-2), 1 

CLASS 2

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Lamar (14), 2-0, 140, 1

2. Mt. View-Liberty, 2-0, 124, 2

3. Centralia, 2-0, 112, 3

4. Mountain Grove, 2-0, 86, 5

5. Lutheran North, 2-0, 84, 4

6. Brookfield, 2-0, 57, 6

7. Malden, 2-0, 56, 8

8. Trinity, 2-0, 45, 9

9. Fair Grove, 2-0, 36, 10

10. Cardinal Ritter, 2-0, 14, NR 

Dropped out: No. 7 Lafayette County

Also receiving votes:  Macon (2-0), 6; Palmyra (1-1), 6; Lawson (1-1), 3; Lafayette County (1-1), 1

CLASS 1

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Valle Catholic (14), 2-0, 140, 1

2. Marceline, 2-0, 122, 2

3. Hamilton-Penney, 2-0, 115, 3

4. Lincoln, 2-0, 96, 4

5. Lockwood, 2-0, 83, 6

6. Polo, 2-0, 66, 7 

7. Cass-Midway, 2-0, 46, 9

8. Hayti, 2-0, 37, 10

9. Mark Twain, 1-1, 35, 5

10. Westran, 2-0, 20, NR

Dropped out: No. 8 East Buchanan

Also receiving votes:  East Buchanan (1-1), 8; South Shelby (1-1), 2 

Bolivar running back Lane Loomer scored two touchdowns in a 48-42 overtime loss to Willard.

Fall high school sports fired up with the second week of football, plus golf, volleyball, soccer and more all getting underway.

The list of American Family Insurance ALL-USA Ozarks Performers of the Week for Aug. 22-27 recognizes some of the top season-starting outings from the second week of high school sports.

Ari Acuff

Kickapoo golf

The reigning Class 2 state silver medalist cruised around the course at Marshfield Country Club in 70 strokes to win the Seymour Invitational by 11. Every shot mattered for Acuff, however, as Kickapoo’s team score of 359 was barely enough to squeak past runner-up Nixa’s 362.

Taylor Gregory

Nixa volleyball

Gregory was instrumental in Nixa’s 25-12, 25-17 win over Glendale Thursday. The setter picked up 19 assists and 18 digs on Glendale attack attempts. Her favorite passing target was Alyssa Flint, who racked up 16 kills.

Lane Loomer

Bolivar football

Loomer rushed 37 times for 166 yards and scored two touchdowns Friday against Willard at SBU’s Plaster Stadium. Loomer also caught three passes from Connor Sechler for 65 receiving yards. Unfortunately for Loomer, Bolivar fell to Willard 48-42 in overtime.

Ellie Lane

Pleasant Hope softball

Lane showed that she is off to what should be a spectacular senior season in an 8-2 win against Nixa. Lane went 3-for-3 with a run batted in and a walk. Lane is one of two pitchers the Pirates use. Pleasant Hope played for the Class 2 state championship two years ago, and Lane will be a key cog if the Pirates hope to return to the playoffs.

Varsity sports coaches, would you like to nominate one of your players to be an American Family Insurance ALL-USA Ozarks Performer of the Week? Email your nomination to News-Leader high school sports reporter Rance Burger (rburger@news-leader.com) by 5 p.m. each Monday.

American Family Insurance ALL-USA Ozarks Performers of the Week.

News-Leader Game of the Week brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

Eight points? That’s an awfully big drop from 53.

Glendale middle linebacker Kyle Doran (12) tackles Republic’s David Feil (20) during a 2015 district playoff game at Republic.

Glendale High School algebra teacher (and swim coach) Steve Boyce would confirm with you that’s 45 points. We’re doing football math. Eight points is 45 points less than 53, and allowing fewer points per game is a good thing for any football defense.

Glendale’s apparent lack of football defense became the butt of a few barbs through the 2015 season. It’s to be expected of a team that allowed an average of 52.9 points and went 5-6. Last week’s 53-8 win at Hillcrest marked the first time since 2012 that Glendale (2-0) held a team below 10 points.

Middle linebacker Kyle Doran led the No. 9-ranked Falcons with nine tackles in the Hillcrest game.

“It felt really good to celebrate that one, but we’re not at all satisfied with where we want to be. We can still do a lot of things better,” Doran said.

While the Glendale offense eats up attention with thousands of yards and dozens of touchdowns, the Falcons defensive players are trying to improve. This season, they have allowed an average of 19.5 points per game. Are they perfect? No, but better than the defense that allowed 52.9 points per game.

“I think it’s like a day and night improvement. From the attitude and the physical improvement, we’re just not the same team we were last year, and I think we’re just going to keep getting better on the defensive side of the ball,” Doran said.

Doran had 60 solo tackles last season to lead Glendale. So far, he’s made 24 solo stops as a senior, but the 5-foot-11, 205-pounder doesn’t care much for statistics.

“I care about winning football games, and so last year I had some decent stats, but it didn’t mean anything because we won four or five games,” Doran said.

Coach Mike Mauk identifies Doran as a leader.

“(Doran) has got a tremendous attitude, great work habits, team player all the way, focused on whatever he can do to help our team be successful,” Mauk said.

Doran is part of a defense full of senior leaders like linemen Ian Marshall and Brett Davis, linebacker Brandon Moon, cornerback Nick Austin, and safety Carson Liston.

“They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do,” Mauk said of the senior group. “They’ve been great leaders for us in the offseason, in the summer, and then once we got this year going they’ve really kind of emulated the best in what our seniors in previous years have done.”

With Coach Mike Mauk in remission, Glendale hopes for football winning season

Glendale runs a 4-3 that sometimes looks more like a 6-1 due to the aggressive alignment of the outside linebackers. It’s the same scheme Mauk used to coach the Kenton, Ohio Wildcats to state championships in 2001 and 2002, and state runners-up in 2003 and 2011.

Since kicker Alex Locke usually kicks his kickoffs onside after a Falcons touchdown, opposing offenses have a shorter field to attack if they recover the kick. It’s that much more difficult to be a defensive player on the Glendale team.

Glendale plays its home opener Friday against West Plains (1-1) in the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors.

West Plains will attack with running back Keegan Hoopes, who rushed for 495 yards and eight touchdowns in the first two games. Glendale’s top priority is to keep Hoopes from torching its defense.

“We’ve got to be consistent. We’re not going to try to do a lot of things, but what we do we’ve got to be really good at,” Mauk said. “If we can do that and not give up the big play, then it will help us continue to get better, because that’s what we’ve got to do.”

Glendale’s Falcon Flock student section threw flour into the air during Glendale’s 2015 home opener at Lowe Stadium.

Doran recalled “giving up a lot of points” against West Plains in a 71-58 loss last year. With a new attitude on defense and more mastery of the 4-3, he hopes for a better result Friday.

“Guys are more bought into the program and Coach Mauk’s scheme. I think that’s what’s making a difference,” Doran said.

Mauk said the attitude of the Falcons’ defensive leaders translates into confidence.

“Confidence in each other and confidence in what we’re doing really helps us play a lot better on Friday nights,” Mauk said.

News-Leader Game of the Week

Presented by Murney Associates, Realtors

West Plains (1-1) at Glendale (2-0)

Friday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Lowe Stadium, Glendale High School

2727 S Ingram Mill Road, Springfield

Almost every time I write about the West Plains Zizzers, I receive a question.

The West Plains Zizzers defense in action during a game at Kickapoo in 2015. The Zizzers play at Glendale on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016.

What is a Zizzer?

I have some answers for you. After all, I am the Answer Man. Oh, wait… That’s my co-worker Steve Pokin. He’s only four desks away. Please don’t tell Steve that I stole his schtick.

West Plains High School Athletic Director Greg Simpkins explained the evolution of the Zizzers. Simpkins started working in West Plains in 1990 and coached the football team for 21 seasons before moving on to administration.

“It’s obviously unique,” Simpkins said of the nickname. “There’s not too many Zizzers around anywhere; there’s only West Plains.”

Simpkins recounted a story found on West Plains High School’s official website on the origin of the word “zizzer.” The junior class of 1908 published an eight-page booklet that predated yearbooks. In addition to photos, it had the names of graduating seniors and a handful of humorous stories about the senior class.

English teacher Phoebe Davidson read one of the stories and was said to respond, “oh, what a zizzer.”

“The word stuck and we became the West Plains Zizzers,” Simpkins said.

During his time as the football coach at West Plains, Simpkins tried to motivate his players to be proud of their one-of-a-kind mascot.

“It was just that, instilling pride. You are unique. You are the only one, so be the best you can be,” Simpkins said.

West Plains incorporated lightning into its logos sometime in the 1980s.

School officials created a list of positive characteristics they believe all Zizzers should have. Zizzers are supposed to be the best at whatever they do.

Simpkins sums up a Zizzer as “something of high quality and standard.” He said he and other West Plains teachers and coaches frequently get asked about the name.

“It’s asked quite a bit. There are a number of definitions in the hallway and central office. It’s something West Plains has taken a lot of pride in, and it’s fun,” Simpkins said.

The Zizzers football team (1-1) visits Glendale (2-0) Friday at 7 p.m. in the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors. The game will be held at Glendale’s Lowe Stadium.

News-Leader Game of the Week brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

News-Leader Game of the Week

Presented by Murney Associates, Realtors

West Plains (1-1) at Glendale (2-0)

Friday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Lowe Stadium, Glendale High School

2727 S. Ingram Mill Road, Springfield

High school football

Friday, Sept. 2

Nixa 49, Central 0 FINAL

Kickapoo 49, Joplin 20 FINAL

Parkview 27, Rolla 23 FINAL

News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors: Glendale 48, West Plains 27 FINAL

News-Leader Game of the Week brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

Hillcrest 40, Waynesville 22 FINAL

Lebanon 28, Camdenton 19 FINAL

Ozark 10, Carl Junction 7 FINAL

Neosho 34, Willard 30 FINAL

Webb City 30, Republic 7 FINAL

Carthage 21, Branson 0 FINAL

Reeds Spring 38, Bolivar 28 FINAL

Rogersville 25, Hollister 14 FINAL

Springfield Catholic 42, Marshfield 28 FINAL

Lighthouse Christian 49, Metro East Lutheran (Edwardsville, Illinois) 6 FINAL

Buffalo 34, Diamond 33 FINAL

Fair Grove 75, Pleasant Hope 0 FINAL

Strafford 23, Marionville 12 FINAL

Monett 42, Mt. Vernon 28 FINAL

Skyline 54, Stockton 14 FINAL

Ash Grove 14, El Dorado Springs 6 FINAL

Lockwood 57, Forsyth 14 FINAL

Lamar 50, Aurora 0 FINAL

Mountain Grove 26, Ava 0 FINAL

Willow Springs 19, Cabool 18 FINAL

Sarcoxie 45, Miller 20 FINAL

Pierce City 29, Jasper 0 FINAL

Cassville 42, East Newton 16 FINAL

Mountain View-Liberty 32, Thayer 0 FINAL

Salem 25, Houston 12 FINAL

Butler 62, Knob Noster 7 FINAL

Seneca 33, McDonald County 26 FINAL

St. Pius X 34, Nevada 0 FINAL

8-man

Greenfield 13, Chilhowee 0 FINAL

West Plains High School running back Keegan Hoopes (26) eludes a tackle by Falcons linebacker Ian Marshall (9) during first quarter action of the Zizzers’ game against Glendale High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Sept. 2, 2016.

Glendale High School quarterback Alex Houston (7) gets ready to throw the ball during second quarter action of the Falcons game against West Plains High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Sept. 2, 2016.

Glendale High School wide receiver Luke Montgomery (22) catches a touchdown pass over Zizzers defensive back Jay Talton (29) during second quarter action of the Falcons game against West Plains High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Sept. 2, 2016.

Glendale High School wide receiver Corbin Lukes (3) catches a touchdown pass by quarterback Alex Houston (not pictured) during second quarter action of the Falcons game against West Plains High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Sept. 2, 2016.

Glendale High School linebacker Carson Liston (45) and defensive back Nick Austin (10) celebrate after a defensive stop during first quarter action of the Falcons game against West Plains High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Sept. 2, 2016.

Glendale all-state wide receiver Luke Montgomery’s first three receptions of the game were for touchdowns.

On the fourth, he broke seven West Plains tackle attempts for a 29-yard gain that set up another touchdown for teammate Von Oeser. The Falcons’ offense surged with 35 points in the second half, and Glendale beat West Plains 48-27 Friday night at Lowe Stadium in Springfield.

Montgomery finished with 117 yards and three touchdowns on four receptions, and one crazy highlight run after the catch full of broken tackles.

“I don’t even know what happened. It’s all a blur most of the time out there,” Montgomery said. “It’s just all about the scoreboard and whoever comes out with the win.”

Glendale improves to 3-0 on the season. At this time last year, coach Mike Mauk was undergoing treatment for cancer. He’s now in remission and coaching the No. 9-ranked Class 5 team in Missouri—a big jump from the 2-8 record in Mauk’s first season at Glendale and the 5-6 mark of last season.

Glendale’s players had to adjust to the no huddle, five-wide receiver offense and the 4-3 blitzing defense that Mauk imported from Kenton, Ohio, but the acceptance and adaptation to the systems are showing in their third year at Glendale.

“(The Glendale players) are beginning to believe more and more in what we’re doing and why we’re doing what we’re doing, especially on defense,” Mauk said.

West Plains took a 14-0 lead in the first half, but the Falcons tied the score 14-14 by halftime on touchdown passes from junior Alex Huston to Corbin Lukes and Montgomery.

“The thing that our guys didn’t do—they didn’t flinch, they didn’t panic. They stayed confident in what they were doing,” Mauk said. “I think that shows a little resilience on our team. Sometimes you’ve got to have that type of situation to see what type of character your team has.”

Huston was 31-of-46 passing for 411 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception.

Senior Jeremy Almeida caught five passes for 89 yards and a pair of Falcons touchdowns.

Keegan Hoopes came into the game averaging 247.5 yards rushing per game for the Zizzers. He rushed 38 times for 121 yards and four touchdowns against the Falcons.

“(Hoopes) is a great player, a great back, and they’ve got big, strong offensive linemen,” Mauk said. “It takes a whole team to be able to stop somebody like him with the other weapons they have on their team.”

West Plains tried to use a methodical approach on offense to control the ball with Hoopes and keep Glendale’s offense off the field. It worked initially, as Glendale had the ball for just 24 seconds in the first quarter.

Zizzers coach Steve Ary credited Glendale’s defense for making plays. Falcons senior Ian Marshall set up a touchdown in the fourth quarter with an interception, and made a sack to force a turnover on downs on the Zizzers final possession.

“They’ve got a lot of guys in the box, and we just had trouble handling them, to be honest with you. They were a little more physical than we were,” Ary said. “They tackle a lot better than they did last year, for sure. They are much improved defensively.”

Ary said Glendale’s high-scoring offense presents immense difficulty.

“It’s the biggest challenge I’ve ever had,” Ary said of trying to slow Glendale’s offense. “They are high octane. Coach Mauk does a great job. They’re going to score points on everybody, they’re just that good.”

Glendale returns to the road Friday, Sept. 9 for a game at Lebanon, which Montgomery sees as another chance to show the Falcons’ improvement.

“After all the work that we put in this summer, working out, going to all the 7-on-7’s, we were pretty confident. It was just good to see the results happen how we wanted it to,” Montgomery said.

West Plains returns home to Zizzer Stadium Sept. 9 to take on Hillcrest and goes on the road Friday, Sept. 16 to play Joplin.

Glendale 48, West Plains 27

At Lowe Stadium, Glendale

West Plains 7-7-13-0—27

Glendale 0-14-14-20—48

First quarter

West Plains—Keegan Hoopes 1-yard run (Trey Cressman kick)

Second quarter

West Plains—Hoopes 24-yard run (Cressman kick)

Glendale—Luke Montgomery 9-yard pass from Alex Huston (Jeremy Almeida pass from Huston)

Glendale—Corbin Lukes 21-yard pass from Huston (run failed)

Third quarter

West Plains—Hoopes 1-yard run (Cressman kick)

Glendale—Montgomery 39-yard pass from Huston (pass failed)

Glendale—Montgomery 40-yard pass from Huston (Von Oeser pass from Huston)

West Plains—Hoopes 3-yard run (kick failed)

Fourth quarter

Glendale—Oeser 7-yard pass from Huston (run failed)

Glendale—Almeida 45-yard pass from Huston (Oeser pass from Huston)

Glendale—Almeida 4-yard pass from Huston (pass failed)

It may have taken him a few seconds, but eventually Springfield Catholic sophomore Tyson Riley found the perfect word to describe Friday’s Central Ozark Conference Small Division showdown between his Fightin’ Irish and visiting Marshfield: Crazy.

“I’m at a loss for words right now,” Riley said. “Tonight was a crazy game.”

Catholic was able to withstand Marshfield’s flurry of second-half scoring plays by chalking up big plays of its own for a 42-28 conference victory.

Both teams combined for a total of five scoring plays longer than 67 yards, making it anything but a “normal” Friday night.

“We gave up two kickoff returns for touchdowns and that’s not what we call usual for a Friday night,” Springfield Catholic coach Steve Hancock said.

“Both teams had big plays and we both had momentum changers. It seemed about the time we would get momentum, then they would throw a big play at us and we were back to fighting for our lives again.”

Catholic (2-1, 1-0) held a 14-7 lead at the start of the third quarter when Marshfield’s Jason Whittington returned the opening kickoff of the second half 79 yards to tie the game at 14.

“The return team did a great job,” Marshfield coach Nate Thomas said. “We’ve been working really hard on that scheme, and we did a good job of not having any penalties on those big returns.”

Marshfield (1-2, 0-1) got another break on Catholic’s ensuing possession when Deryl Van Nostrand recovered a fumble and returned it to the Catholic 28-yard line.

Just as Marshfield was about to score and take the lead, Catholic recovered a fumble at its own 1-yard line.

Three plays later, Riley broke loose for a 99-yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead.

“That was the longest run I’ve ever had, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Riley said.

“They took the second half kickoff back for a touchdown and most teams would get down, but we got a strip and then turned the game around with a long touchdown.”

Riley would score on Catholic’s next two possessions as the Fightin’ Irish built a 35-14 lead with 7:55 left in the game.

Catholic junior Casey Console intercepted a Marshfield pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown and a 42-14 lead with 6:44 remaining.

“We were building momentum. I thought we were doing a good job of moving the ball at that point,” Thomas said.

“Throwing the ball isn’t something that we work a whole lot on and they forced us into some throwing situations and we didn’t execute.”

Riley led Catholic with 193 yards on 18 carries and had three touchdowns. Senior Ramiro Avila added 155 yards on 22 attempts and a score.

Senior Garrett Nunnally led Marshfield with 120 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

Marshfield 0 7 7 14—28

Catholic 7 7 14 14—42

First quarter

Catholic — Ramiro Avila 1 run (Ryan Miller kick)

Second quarter

Catholic — Hunter Puckett 4 run (Miller kick)

Marshfield — Jason Whittington 84 kickoff return (Kaleb Kracman kick)

Third quarter

Marshfield — Whittington 79 kickoff return (Kracman kick)

Catholic — Tyson Riley 99 run (Miller kick)

Catholic — Riley 15 run (Miller kick)

Fourth quarter

Catholic — Riley 18 run (Miller kick)

Catholic — Casey Console 25 interception return (Miller kick)

Marshfield — Whittington 67 run (Kracman kick)

Marshfield — Garrett Nunnally 70 run (Kracman kick)

The ground game should be the focal point of Fair Grove’s Friday night visit to Springfield Catholic.

News-Leader Game of the Week brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

The Fair Grove Eagles (3-0) enter the fourth week of the high school football season as the No. 8-ranked Class 2 team in the state. Unranked Catholic enters the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors with a 2-1 record fresh off a win over Marshfield.

Catholic coach Steve Hancock noted steady signs of improvement by the Fightin’ Irish.

Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader Fair Grove quarterback Brayden Lumley (3) pushes would-be tackler Jacob Eden (25) down during first-quarter action of the Eagles? game against Strafford High School. Fair Grove High School quarterback Brayden Lumley (3) pushes would-be tackler Jacob Eden (25) down during first quarter action of the Eagles’ game against Strafford High School at Strafford High School in Strafford, Mo. on Sept. 25, 2015.

“We’re growing, and we’re learning, and we’re getting better,” Hancock said.

Catholic rushed for more than 400 yards in a 42-28 home win against Marshfield. Sophomore quarterback Tyson Riley rushed 20 times for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Ninety-nine of Riley’s rushing yards came on a single play.

Senior running back Ramiro Avila had 157 yards and a touchdown on 22 rushing attempts.

During 27 years as the coach at Branson High School, Hancock used a two-running back system with his quarterbacks under center, but at Catholic, he installed a pistol offense to better suit his players. Hancock explained his liking to the pistol offense as he studied it.

Marshfield vs. Catholic football at Marshfield on Friday, September 2, 2011. Nathan Papes/News-Leader

“It kind of tripped my trigger and I thought, man, this kind of suits the personnel that we have,” Hancock said.

Hancock also credited Catholic’s players for adapting to the pistol formation and for working to hone their craft in the offseason.

“We got off to a good start this year. Again, we had a good summer, we’ve got a good bunch of boys out,” Hancock said. “We’ve got some guys that played last year that were really young and they have another year of experience, and you can see that on the football field.”

Fair Grove has a loaded backfield of its own with senior running backs Dalton Cloyd and Austin Fodge and senior quarterback Brayden Lumley pacing an offense that scores an average of 58 points per game.

In the first three weeks of the season, Fair Grove has outscored opposing teams 174-21.

Stay unbeaten, reap the rewards.

From left, Glendale defensive players Nick Austin and Carson Liston celebrate a stop during the Falcons game against West Plains a Lowe Stadium Friday, Sept. 2, 2016.

Two Springfield high school football teams stay in the Missouri Media Rankings for their respective classes by holding 3-0 records. Glendale moved up two spots to No. 7 in the Class 5 poll, while Kickapoo holds steady as the No. 4 team in Class 6.

The Missouri Media Rankings are compiled by the votes of 14 sports reporters from around the state.

Nixa defeated Central 49-0 Friday to improve to 3-0 and hold the No. 5 spot in Class 5. The Eagles go to Republic to take on the Tigers Friday night.

Fair Grove moved up to No. 8 in the Class 2 poll. The Eagles (3-0) visit Springfield Catholic (2-1) Friday night in the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors.

Missouri Media Rankings for high school football as of Sept. 6, 2016

(First-place votes in parenthesis.)

CLASS 6

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. CBC (10), 2-1, 130, 1

2. Blue Springs (2), 2-1, 116, 2

3. Jefferson City (1), 3-0, 114, 3

4. Kickapoo (1), 3-0, 93, 4 

5. Kirkwood, 2-1, 90, 5

6. Hazelwood Central, 3-0, 62, 8   

T7. Rockhurst, 3-0, 39, 10 

T7. Eureka, 3-0, 39, 9

9. SLUH, 2-1, 38, 6

10. Raymore-Peculiar, 3-0, 25, NR

Dropped out: No. 7 Lee’s Summit West

Also receiving votes:  Lee’s Summit (2-1), 13; Lee’s Summit West (1-2), 8; Park Hill (2-1), 3 

CLASS 5

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Chaminade (11), 3-0, 136, 1

2. Staley (3), 3-0, 128, 2

3. Battle, 3-0, 114, 3

4. Liberty, 3-0, 92, 6

5. Nixa, 3-0, 79, 5   

6. Fort Zumwalt North, 2-1, 67, 7

7. Glendale, 3-0, 53, 9

8. Liberty North, 1-2, 38, 4

9. Jackson, 3-0, 17, NR

10. Vianney, 1-2, 14, 8  

Dropped out: No. 10 Pattonville

Also receiving votes:  Pattonville (1-2), 11; Timberland (3-0), 8; Neosho (3-0), 7; Park Hill South (2-1), 6 

CLASS 4

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Kearney (13), 3-0, 137, 1  

2. Harrisonville (1), 3-0, 125, 3 

3. Parkway North, 3-0, 93, 4

4. Carl Junction, 2-1, 74, 2

5. St. Dominic, 3-0, 74, 6

6. Platte County, 2-1, 72, 5

7. Hannibal, 2-1, 50, 8 

8. Webb City, 1-2, 41, 10

9. Ladue, 2-1, 30, NR

10. Raytown South, 2-1, 19, NR

Dropped out: No. 7 Camdenton, No. 9 Westminister

Also receiving votes: Hillsboro (3-0), 7; Camdenton (2-1), 6; Cape Girardeau Central (2-1), 6; St. Joseph Lafayette (3-0), 3

CLASS 3

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Maryville (12), 3-0, 138, 1

2. Blair Oaks (2), 3-0, 126, 2

3. John Burroughs, 2-1, 112, 3 

4. Monett, 3-0, 91, 4

5. Center, 3-0, 83, 5 

6. McCluer South-Berkley, 3-0, 66, 6

7. Mexico, 2-1, 45, 7

8. Park Hills Central, 3-0, 44, 8

9. Richmond, 3-0, 37, 9

10. Osage, 3-0, 18,

Dropped out: No. 10 Chillicothe

Also receiving votes: St. Pius X (2-1), 4; Odessa (2-1), 3; Southern Boone (3-0), 2; Reeds Springs (2-1), 1  

CLASS 2

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Lamar (14), 3-0, 140, 1

2. Mt. View-Liberty, 3-0, 124, 2

3. Centralia, 3-0, 112, 3

4. Mountain Grove, 3-0, 90, 4

5. Lutheran North, 3-0, 83, 5

6. Trinity, 3-0, 58, 8

7. Malden, 3-0, 57, 7

8. Fair Grove, 3-0, 45, 9

9. Brookfield, 2-1, 28, 6

10. Macon, 3-0, 18, NR

Dropped out: No. 10 Cardinal Ritter

Also receiving votes:  Lawson (2-1), 8; Palmyra (2-1), 4; South Callaway (3-0), 2; Cardinal Ritter (2-1), 1 

CLASS 1

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Valle Catholic (14), 3-0, 140, 1

2. Marceline, 3-0, 123, 2

3. Hamilton-Penney, 3-0, 114, 3

4. Lincoln, 3-0, 98, 4

5. Lockwood, 3-0, 82, 5

6. Polo, 3-0, 67, 6 

7. Cass-Midway, 3-0, 50, 7

8. Hayti, 3-0, 45, 8

9. Westran, 3-0, 31, 10

10. East Buchanan, 2-1, 18, NR

Dropped out: No. 9 Mark Twain

Also receiving votes:  Monroe City (2-1), 2 

The football team from Springfield Catholic uses modern-looking offensive formations but tends to take an old-time approach to moving the ball downfield.

News-Leader Game of the Week brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

It’s the perfect mix for what coach Steve Hancock wanted to accomplish when he first arrived on the campus two seasons ago.

Hancock brought with him the two-back veer offense that his Branson teams ran for nearly all 27 of his years coaching the Pirates. Catholic (2-1) uses a variant of the flexbone offense that also uses the pistol. Quarterback Tyson Riley lines up two and a half yards behind the center instead of five yards in the backfield as he would to take snaps from the shotgun.

“(Riley) is a playmaker, and he’s a sophomore. He’s going to make some sophomore mistakes, but he’s getting better,” Hancock said.

Riley is joined in the backfield by senior fullback Ramiro Avila and a pair of running backs just outside of the tackles. On any snap, it’s tough for opposing defenses to tell which Irish player will get the ball. The offense is rooted in the option, which has pretty much been around as long as football has been played, but the flexbone formation was invented in 1979 by the late Emory Bellard at Mississippi State University.

Even with the new look of the flex bone pistol, the Fightin’ Irish are still running the ball on about 80 percent of their offensive plays.

“We’re doing a lot of the same things we did out of the two-back (set), we’re just doing it a different way,” Hancock said. “We’re playing downhill football, that’s what I like.”

Springfield Catholic’s offense lines up in a pistol flex bone formation during a practice leading into a Friday game against Fair Grove.

The Catholic offense put up 401 yards on 53 rushing attempts in a 42-28 win over Marshfield on Sept. 2.

Senior running back Ramiro Avila continued to see his work rate increase with 22 carries for 157 yards, his highest yardage total of the season, and a touchdown. In three games, Avila has 331 yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries. Avila averages 6.1 yards per carry.

“(Avila) is tough. He’s getting about 20 carries a ballgame and he’s pounding it in there real good,” Hancock said. “He’s running hard and he’s seeing things.”

It’s not just Avila whose output increased. The Fightin’ Irish are scoring an average of 31.3 points per game this season, almost double the team’s 2015 average of 16.3 points scored per game. Take away blowout wins over Hollister and Buffalo, and Catholic’s scoring average from 2015 drops to 8.875 points per game.

Game of the Week: Fair Grove at Catholic

“We’ve been real pleased with the way our offense has progressed,” Hancock said. “It’s in a progression stage, but the kids are putting some long drives together.”

Springfield Catholic hosts Fair Grove (3-0) Friday night at 7 p.m. in the Springfield News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors.

Two pairs of unbeaten teams meet.

Two polar opposites tangle to stay perfect.

Buffalo is 2-1.

And yes, the News-Leader Game of the Week should be very good, too.

Hayden Young (8) and the Nixa Eagles are 3-0 headed into a Friday night game at Republic.

Here are five Friday night games that have us intrigued due to the circumstances that surround them:

Fair Grove (3-0) at Springfield Catholic (2-1)

Catholic coach Steve Hancock hopes the Fightin’ Irish can be the first team to truly test Fair Grove, which has outscored opponents 174-21 through three wins. Catholic has shown a penchant for close, exciting games this season, with all three games coming down to the latter stages of the fourth quarter. Both teams have a lot of talent at the offensive skill positions. The News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors may come down to a late defensive stand.

Game of the Week: Irish offense is old school made new

Glendale (3-0) at Lebanon (3-0)

Here comes a clash of styles. Lebanon beat Highway 5 rival Camdenton 28-19 last Friday without completing a pass. Glendale quarterback Alex Huston has passed for 1,460 yards and 18 touchdowns in three games. To stay unbeaten, the Glendale defense will have to corral Lebanon junior running back John Berry, who averages 6.7 yards per carry and 138.3 yards rushing per game. Glendale enters the game as the No. 8 ranked team in Class 5.

Lamar (3-0) at Monett (3-0)

Class 2 No. 1 Lamar rolls into Monett to face the No. 4-ranked team in Class 2. Lamar won four of the last five Class 2 state championships and was upset by Malden in the 2015 title game. Monett has been scoring an average of 41.6 points per game, but Lamar has not been scored on this season. I repeat, Lamar has not been scored upon in 2016. Lamar excels at getting blockers downfield to the opponent’s linebackers and defensive secondary. Monett will need a monster night from its offensive line to come away with a big home win.

Nixa (3-0) at Republic (1-2)

Nixa bounced Republic 31-17 in the 2015 district playoffs and has won nine of its last 10 games with the Tigers. Republic running back David Feil and quarterback Riley Watkins should be hungry to try to bounce back from losses to Webb City and Carl Junction. Class 5 No. 5-ranked Nixa is 3-0 fresh off a 49-0 win over Central.

Buffalo (2-1) at Marshfield (1-2)

Buffalo won five of its last 50 games headed into the second season under coach Mark Jackson, but lookout for signs of life in Dallas County. The Bison came back from a 20-point deficit and squeaked out a 34-33 win over Diamond to move to 2-1 for the first time in 10 years. The Bison visit an improving Marshfield team that recently installed an offense with two quarterbacks, similar to what Lamar has used in its recent period of dominance.

Week 4 high school football schedule

All games begin at 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 9

Camdenton at Kickapoo

Waynesville at Parkview

Glendale at Lebanon

Hillcrest at West Plains

Carthage at Central

Ozark at Branson

Nixa at Republic

Willard at Webb City

Reeds Spring at Rogersville

Buffalo at Marshfield

Fair Grove at Springfield Catholic

Bolivar at Hollister

Stockton at Strafford

Marionville at Ash Grove

Lamar at Monett

Lighthouse Christian at Holden

East Newton at Aurora

Pleasant Hope at Skyline

Joplin at Rolla

Neosho at Carl Junction

Mt. Vernon at Seneca

Archie at Lockwood

Miller at Jasper

O’Hara at Nevada

Willow Springs at Mountain Grove

Mountain View-Liberty at Ava

Pierce City at McAuley Catholic

Cassville at McDonald County

Cabool at Houston

Liberal at Sarcoxie

Butler at Van Horn

Lafayette County at El Dorado Springs

8-man

Greenfield at Pleasanton

Saturday, Sept. 10

Cedar Ridge, Arkansas at Diamond