Here are the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Ozarks Performers of the Week for the week of Oct. 3-8:

Ozartk High School quarterback Jack Hulse (6) scans the field during first quarter action of the game between Nixa High School and Ozark High School held at Tiger Stadium in Ozark, Mo. on Oct. 7, 2016.

Shawn Bryan

Skyline football

Bryan scored all eight of Skylines rushing touchdowns in a 55-19 win at Marionville on Friday night. The Tigers running back’s monster night featured scoring runs of 24, 25, 50 and 31 yards. Skyline improved to 5-3 on the year headed into the final week of the regular season.

Birdie Hendrickson

Rogersville volleyball

Rogersville improved to 26-4 on the season and 4-0 in the Central Ozark Conference Small Division by beating Marshfield 25-10, 25-8. Hendrickson led the Wildcats with nine kills and eight digs. Rogersville holds the No. 1 overall seed and a first-round bye in the Class 3 District 11 tournament, which begins Oct. 17 at Marshfield.

Elizabeth Quinn

Glendale volleyball

Quinn put on two big performances last week on the volleyball court. She picked up 21 kills and six blocks in a 21-25, 25-19, 25-19 home win over Lebanon. She followed up with 15 kills and two blocks in a 25-23, 25-21 win over rival Kickapoo on Thursday. Glendale is now 7-0 in Ozark Conference play.

Jack Hulse

Ozark football

Hulse rushed for two touchdowns and threw one touchdown pass to Cameron Robertson in Ozark’s 28-27 double overtime win over rival Nixa. Hulse went 7-of-8 passing for 77 yards and ran 21 times for 61 yards. Ozark improves to 6-2 on the 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.

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

Kickapoo sits atop the standings in its football district, but the Chiefs are rated seventh in the newest Missouri Media Rankings for Class 6.

Kickapoo (5-1) is scheduled to visit West Plains (2-4) Friday night for a varsity football game.

Kickapoo (7-1) climbed up a spot in this week’s poll, from No. 8 to No. 7. Friday night the Chiefs put a three-game winning streak on the line against Waynesville at Kickapoo’s Pottenger Stadium.

Two Kansas City-area teams in Kickapoo’s district rank ahead of the Chiefs in the Class 6 poll. Lee’s Summit (7-1) holds the No. 5 spot, while Rockhurst (5-2) is No. 6. Lee’s Summit West (6-2) is also part of Class 6 District 4 and checks in at No. 10.

The only team to beat Kickapoo this season remains ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 5. Glendale (8-0) hosts Camdenton (6-2) on Friday at Lowe Stadium. A win would give the Falcons a 13th Ozark Conference championship and would mark the first time since 1997 that Glendale won the conference title in football.

The Fair Grove Eagles are 8-0 and are the No. 7-ranked Class 2 team in Missouri. Fair Grove wraps up the regular season Friday night in a non-conference game against Adrian (5-3).

A win should put Fair Grove in position to hold the second seed in Class 2 District 4 behind Lamar (7-0), which would mean home field advantage for the Eagles for two rounds of playoff games.

Missouri Media Rankings after Week 8

Rankings are compiled by the votes of a 14-member panel of sports reporters and broadcasters from around Missouri.

CLASS 6

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. CBC (9), 7-1, 133, 1

2. Blue Springs (5), 7-1, 131, 2

3. Kirkwood, 6-1, 111, 3

4. Hazelwood Central, 8-0, 89, 5   

5. Lee’s Summit, 7-1, 81, 6

6. Rockhurst, 5-2, 76, 4 

7. Kickapoo, 7-1, 45, 8 

8. Jefferson City, 5-3, 36, 7

9. Eureka, 7-1, 33, 9  

10. Lee’s Summit West, 6-2, 24, 10

Also receiving votes:  Park Hill (5-3), 5; Blue Springs South (4-4), 3; Ritenour (7-1), 3

CLASS 5

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Chaminade (11), 6-1, 137, 1

2. Battle (3), 8-0, 126, 2

3. Glendale, 8-0, 110, 3

4. Fort Zumwalt North, 7-1, 100, 4

5. Park Hill South, 7-1, 80, 6  

6. Staley, 6-2, 66, 7

7. William Chrisman, 7-1, 55, 5

8. Carthage, 7-1, 43, 8 

9. Jackson, 7-1, 26, 9

10. Liberty, 6-2, 23, 10

Also receiving votes:  Vianney (4-4), 4

CLASS 4

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Hannibal (8), 7-1, 129, 2 

2. Kearney (6), 7-1, 128, 1 

3. Platte County, 6-2, 111, 3

4. Carl Junction, 6-2, 96, 4

5. Parkway North, 6-2, 85, 5 

6. Ladue, 7-1, 68, 7

7. MICDS, 6-2, 53, 10   

8. Webb City, 5-3, 43, 8

9. St. Dominic, 7-1, 34, 6 

10. Hillsboro, 7-1, 17, 9

Also receiving votes:  Camdenton (6-2), 6

CLASS 3

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Maryville (13), 8-0, 139, 1

2. Blair Oaks (1), 8-0, 127, 2

3. Center, 8-0, 106, 3 

4. Monett, 7-1, 93, 4

5. McCluer South-Berkley, 7-0, 79, 5

6. Richmond, 8-0, 70, 6

7. Park Hills Central, 8-0, 63, 7

8. Mexico, 6-2, 46, 8

9. Osage, 7-1, 20, 9

10. Reeds Spring, 7-1, 18, 10

Also receiving votes: Chillicothe (7-1), 5; Lutheran South (6-2), 2; Owensville (8-0), 2

CLASS 2

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Lamar (14), 7-0, 140, 1

2. Mtn. View-Liberty, 8-0, 126, 2

3. Trinity, 7-0, 109, 3

4. Mountain Grove, 7-1, 94, 5

5. Malden, 8-0, 79, 6

6. Lutheran North, 6-2, 65, 4

7. Fair Grove, 8-0, 48, 7

8. Macon, 8-0, 45, 8

9. Centralia, 6-2, 22, 9

10. Lexington, 8-0, 21, 10  

Also receiving votes:  South Callaway (8-0), 12; Lawson (6-2), 8; Palmyra (6-2), 1

CLASS 1

Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW

1. Valle Catholic (11), 7-1, 136, 1

2. Marceline (3), 8-0, 127, 2

3. Hamilton-Penney, 8-0, 115, 3

4. Lincoln, 8-0, 97, 4

5. Hayti, 7-1, 83, 5

6. Cass-Midway, 7-1, 65, 7

7. Wellington-Napoleon, 7-1, 51, 8

8. Skyline, 5-3, 34, 10

9. Maysville, 6-2, 28, 6

10. Lockwood, 7-1, 23, NR

Dropped out: No. 9 East Buchanan

Also receiving votes:  East Buchanan (5-3), 6; Scotland County (6-2), 4; Monroe City (5-3), 1 

When Camdenton High School’s football team rolls up to an opponent’s stadium, it gets noticed straight away.

Camdenton’s Bob Shore coached 36 seasons for the Lakers, amassing 328 victories with the school. His son, Jeff Shore, now leads the football program.

That’s because the Lakers travel in a customized purple bus plastered with pictures of players and coaches. The interior floor is green carpet, like turf. It’s a traveling illustration of how proud Camdenton is of a football program inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame this week.

Opposing fans often ask, “How on earth can a public school district afford a customized bus just for football?”

It can’t. The bus is privately owned by a Laker fans who donates its use to the school district for football games and occasionally other sporting events.

The bus will arrive at Lowe Stadium on Friday for Camdenton (6-2) to take on Glendale (8-0) in the Springfield News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors.

Bob Shore coached the Lakers for 36 years. The Lakers won five state championships in that time period. Already a Hall-of-Famer for his 44 years in coaching and an all-time record of 367-98-3, Shore accepted induction on the program’s behalf.

“We always told the kids, ‘If you put your mind and your body and your heart into it, you’ll be successful,’” Shore said.

Game of the Week: Glendale goes for undefeated

A total of 328 of Shore’s coaching victories were with the Lakers. He retired in 2010, which allowed his son, Jeff Shore, to become Camdenton’s head coach. Five members of the present-day coaching staff played for Bob Shore and longtime assistants Mike Silverwood and Jim “Pappy” Pirch.

“It’s just very special,” Bob Shore said. “We’ve had leadership and, boy, our community and our booster club and, above all, our coaching staff and players have been able to make the effort.

More than 40 former players attended the induction ceremony at University Plaza.

Camdenton’s football team travels to games in a privately owned, customized bus.

While Glendale is known for passing for an average of 500 yards per game and its much-improved 4-3 defense, Camdenton’s playing style is a direct contrast. The Lakers have run the I-formation since the district hired Bob Shore in 1975, and the Lakers primarily play a 3-5 formation on defense, though that could change against Glendale.

The Falcons will try to wrap up an unbeaten regular season. It would mark the fourth time since Glendale opened in 1963 that its football team won nine games in a season. A win would also lock up an Ozark Conference championship plus the No. 1 seed and a first round bye in the Class 5 District 4 playoffs.

News-Leader Game of the Week

Presented by Murney Associates, Realtors

Camdenton (6-2) at Glendale (8-0)

Friday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m.

Lowe Stadium, Glendale High School

2727 South Ingram Mill Road, Springfield

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

Friday, Oct. 14

Chaminade 37, Central 0 FINAL

Kickapoo 43, Waynesville 0 FINAL

Lebanon 47, Parkview 29 FINAL

Springfield News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors:

Glendale 63, Camdenton 35 FINAL

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

Joplin 38, Hillcrest 35 FINAL

Ozark 34, Bolivar 12 FINAL

Carl Junction 47, Nixa 14 FINAL

Willard 40, Republic 7 FINAL

Webb City 55, Branson 14 FINAL

Springfield Catholic 16, Reeds Spring 14 FINAL

Summit Christian Academy 60, Lighthouse Christian 20 FINAL (JFK Stadium)

Hollister 28, Marshfield 14 FINAL

Fair Grove 60, Adrian 6 FINAL

Strafford 33, Ash Grove 7 FINAL

Cassville 30, Mt. Vernon 29 FINAL

Aurora 28, McDonald County 14 FINAL

Pleasant Hope 20, Osceola 18 FINAL

Stockton 41, Marionville 20 FINAL

Appleton City 33, Miller 14 FINAL

Ava 61, Willow Springs 27 FINAL

Mountain View-Liberty 55, Houston 15 FINAL

West Plains 28, Rolla 6 FINAL

Lamar 49, Seneca 6 FINAL

Liberal 28, Rich Hill 22 FINAL

Lockwood 21, Jasper 19 FINAL

Monett 56, East Newton 13 FINAL

Carthage 35, Neosho 21 FINAL

Salem 39, Cabool 7 FINAL

Skyline 50, El Dorado Springs 42 FINAL

Mountain Grove 63, Thayer 8 FINAL

8-man

Greenfield at North Shelby (Saturday)

When the Springfield Catholic Fightin’ Irish defense lined up to try to block a 31-yard field goal attempt by Reeds Spring’s Henrique Carvalheira Friday night, there were more than just 11 Irish players trying to stop the attempt.

There were Catholic players and teams of the past, along with a history that didn’t include a football conference championship.

It all came together for Catholic with 36 seconds left as Carvalheira’s attempt never had a chance and was smothered by the hands of so many defenders.

As a result, the Fightin’ Irish knocked off conference leader Reeds Spring 16-14 to share the small COC championship three ways with Reeds Spring and Bolivar. The trio finished at 5-1 in the conference.

The history-making win brought tears to the eyes of coach Steve Hancock as he reflected on the win.

“It feels great. We’ve been working our tails off for three years and it’s starting to come together,” he said as he tried to fight back the emotion of the moment.

In a game that featured 76 running plays, the two teams slugged it out like a couple of veteran boxers.

After taking a 10-7 lead into the locker room, Catholic came back out in the second half and traded more ground game punches with the Wolves.

It wasn’t until Tyson Riley scored his second touchdown of the night on a 9-yard run with 5:55 left in the third quarter that it finally looked like Catholic had a safe lead, but this game was going to go down to the wire, and Hancock knew why.

“We were in the red zone several times and we couldn’t get it in; we couldn’t score. Normally, when that happens it comes back to hurt you. It almost did,” he said.

It wasn’t until 5:35 in the fourth quarter that Blake Gronvold, Reeds Spring’s sophomore quarterback, ran 57 yards up the middle to score and put the Wolves within 16-14.

Catholic couldn’t kill the clock and gave the ball back to Reeds Spring with 3:31 at the Catholic 43.

Catholic’s Tanner Merz gains a first down against Reeds Spring in Springfield on October 14, 2016.

Nine plays later, Reeds Spring was ready to attempt a field goal, but not before Catholic called three straight time outs in an attempt to freeze the kicker.

“The players knew what was on the line. They knew what they had to do,”’ he said

The first half, played in just 41 minutes thanks to 41 running plays and four pass attempts, found both teams trying to grind it out on the ground.

Catholic struck first on a 2-yard run by Riley at the 6:14 mark in the first quarter after the Fightin’ Irish took over on the Wolves’ 13. Neither team scored again until Ryan Miller kicked a 37-yard field goal late in the second half to put Catholic up 10-0.

Reeds Spring showed some life on its next possession with a 13-play march helped with a face mask penalty called on Catholic to keep the drive alive.

After the Wolves nearly lost the ball on a fumble, Blake Gronvold found a wide-open JP Gardner wide open down the left sideline and connected with a 30-yard touchdown strike to close the gap to 10-7 at halftime.

Reeds Spring  0   7   0  7 –  14

Catholic           7   3   6    0  –  16

First quarter

Catholic: Tyson Riley 2 yd run (Ryan Miller kick)

Second quarter

Catholic: Ryan Miller 37 yd field goal

Reeds Spring: JP Gardner 30 yd pass from Blake Gronvold (Henrique Carvalheira kick)

Third quarter

Catholic: Tyson Riley 9 yd run (2pt failed)      

Fourth quarter

Reeds Spring: Black Gronvold 57 yd run Henrique Carvalheira kick)

Glendale’s perfect regular season on the gridiron illustrates just how much a team can take on the personality of its coach.

Glendale beat Camdenton 63-35 at Lowe Stadium on Friday night to finish the regular season 9-0, win the Ozark Conference championship and secure a No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the district playoffs. The Falcons were mostly stoic after the game, short of a few smiles or high fives.

Senior wide receiver Luke Montgomery had eight receptions for 140 yards and three touchdowns, and managed a slight grin.

“We’ve got more to accomplish and higher goals to achieve, so it’s just a step in the right direction,” Montgomery said.

Two seasons ago, the Falcons went 2-8. It was coach Mike Mauk’s first season at Glendale. The Falcons were 5-6 last season. The jump to 9-0 is a near total turnaround.

“It’s through all the work we’ve put in through the years with Coach Mauk, just trusting the process, and it’s a really good feeling to finally go undefeated and win the conference,” Montgomery said.

With a reminder of the playoffs coming up, Mauk showed his usual calm postgame demeanor. He credited the senior players for sticking through the tough seasons.

“It’s really hard to believe in somebody telling you something that you are capable of accomplishing that they as a group had never been a part of it,” Mauk said. “They were resilient, they didn’t give up and right now they’re not only being great players, but they’re being great leaders as well.”

Glendale High School defensive back Datryell Nash (6) takes off after picking off a pass by Lakers quarterback Dyllan Decker (not pictured) during second quarter action of the game between Glendale High School and Camdenton High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Oct. 14, 2016. Nash would score a touchdown on the play.

Glendale quarterback Alex Huston went 34-of-46 passing for 486 yards, seven touchdown passes, an interception and a rushing touchdown. His season totals jump to 4,492 passing yards and 56 touchdown passes.

The win marks the fourth time a football team from Glendale has won nine games in a season since the school opened in 1963. Glendale’s last nine-win season was in 1996. What’s more, no Glendale team has ever won 10 games in one season.

Glendale High School wide receivers Max Nichols (13) and Luke Montgomery (22) celebrate after Montgomery caught a long touchdown pass by quarterback Alex Houston (not pictured) during first quarter action of the game between Glendale High School and Camdenton High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Oct. 14, 2016.

Camdenton (6-3) tried to slow Glendale’s passing attack with methodical drives full of running plays. It worked initially, as the Lakers drove 68 yards in 17 plays and chewed up the first 8:41 of the game. Camdenton running back Jay Griffin finished the night with 22 carries, 90 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Dyllan Decker finished the game with 210 passing yards and a touchdown, a 55-yard bomb to Parker Stidham.

Glendale built a lead with points off of turnovers, particularly a 99-yard interception return by cornerback Datryell Nash in the second quarter. It forced Camdenton coach Jeff Shore to scrap the plan to play deliberate offense.

“It’s hard to come from behind with these guys. They force you to play their game if they get ahead, and it’s kind of like a fast break basketball team. You want to try to slow it down, but then you’re behind, so you want to catch up.”

The Lakers’ defense also proved interesting. In what can best be described as a 0-11-0, Camdenton’s defenders often lined up together five yards from the line of scrimmage. They would then run forward or backward in different combinations at the snap of the ball.

“They came out there and we had never seen that before, but our offensive coordinator (Ben Mauk) knew what to do and we just ran our offense,” Montgomery said. “We adjusted a little bit since it’s such a weird formation.”

Glendale caught a break when a snap sailed over punter Alex Locke’s head in the fourth quarter. The soccer player and golf state champion chased the ball into the end zone, picked it up, eluded a defender and heaved the ball to Nick Austin. Austin then ran upfield and picked up the first down by a yard.

“(Locke) is a very athletic kid. He’s a soccer player and spends a lot of time working with us.”

The Falcons scored three plays later on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Huston to Max Nichols.

Glendale holds a first-round bye following its defeat of Camdenton in the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors. The Falcons will host the winner of Branson (2-7) and Waynesville (0-9) on Oct. 28. Camdenton hosts Marshfield Oct. 21 in the Class 4 playoffs

Glendale 63, Camdenton 35

At Lowe Stadium, Glendale

Camdenton 7-7-14-7—35

Glendale 7-28-7-21—63

First quarter

Camdenton—Jay Griffin 3-yard run (Bryce Metcalf kick)

Glendale—Luke Montgomery 64-yard pass from Alex Huston (Alex Locke kick)

Second quarter

Glendale—Datryell Nash 99-yard interception return (Locke kick)

Camdenton—Parker Stidham 55-yard pass from Dyllan Decker (Metcalf kick)

Glendale—Huston 5-yard run (Locke kick)

Glendale—Montgomery 6-yard pass from Huston(Locke kick)

Glendale—Nader Leali 18-yard pass from Huston (Locke kick)

Third quarter

Camdenton—Griffin 1-yard run (Metcalf kick)

Glendale—Montgomery 8-yard pass from Huston (Locke kick)

Camdenton—Todd Simpson 1-yard run (Metcalf kick)

Fourth quarter

Camdenton—Decker 2-yard run (Metcalf kick)

Glendale—Jeremy Almeida 1-yard pass from Huston (Locke kick)

Glendale—Max Nichols 45-yard pass from Huston (Locke kick)

Glendale—Corbin Lukes 42-yard pass from Huston (Locke kick)

Glendale High School defensive back Datryell Nash (6) upends Lakers quarterback Dyllan Decker (15) during second quarter action of the game between Glendale High School and Camdenton High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Oct. 14, 2016.

Glendale High School wide receiver Nader Leali (23) tries to maintain his balance after a hit by Lakers defensive back Matt Lawson during second quarter action of the game between Glendale High School and Camdenton High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Oct. 14, 2016.

Glendale High School defensive ack Carson Liston (45) jars the ball loose from Lakers kick returner Jacon Hill (23) during first quarter action of the game between Glendale High School and Camdenton High School at Lowe Stadium in Springfield, Mo. on Oct. 14, 2016.

Here are the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Ozarks high school sports Performers of the Week for the week of Oct. 10-15:

Glendale freshman Wriley Hiebert won all-state honors in her first season of high school golf.

Wriley Hiebert

Glendale golf

Hiebert collected second and third place finishes throughout the season with runner-up finishes at the Pearson City Championship and the Willard Tournament, and third place finishes at the MSU Relays, the Seymour Invitational, the Ozark Conference Championship and her district tournament. The freshman capped off a stellar rookie season with a 14th place finish the MSHSAA Girls Golf Championship at Columbia Country Club.

Coral Tracy

Kickapoo tennis

The junior returned to the state tennis championship tournament, but this time as a singles player. Tracy took home individual all-state honors with a seventh place finish in Class 2 singles at Cooper Tennis Complex. Tracy competed at the state tennis tournament as a sophomore, but that was in the team division.

Jakob Price

Nixa soccer

Nixa goalkeeper Jakob Price continued collecting shutouts by adding two to his yearly total in a 2-0 win over Branson and a 4-0 win over Neosho. Price brings his shutout total to 9.5 on the season, with fractions coming into play when Price has been pulled for backup goalkeeper Nathan Rapert. Nixa improved to 14-4 on the season and 7-1 in the Central Ozark Conference Large Division.

Kyle Doran

Glendale football

Glendale moved to 9-0 on the season with a 63-35 home win over Camdenton that sent the Falcons to the playoffs with the team’s first undefeated regular season in the history of the program. Doran, Glendale’s senior middle linebacker, led the defense with 18 solo tackles and a fumble recovery.

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

When the high school football playoffs fire up on Friday night, some spectators will wish they could be in multiple stadiums at the same time to see all the games.

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

Springfield hosts three playoff games and one regular season game, while Parkview travels just up 160 to nearby Willard for a full slate of Springfield football on Friday night. It was very difficult to single out one game as the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors, so we are stretching out the announcement to later in the week.

Lee’s Summit North (2-7) at Kickapoo (8-1)

Kickapoo clinched the top seed in its Class 6 district with only a 40-20 loss to rival Glendale blemishing the Chiefs’ record. Competition gets difficult with six of the eight teams in Kickapoo’s district coming from a loaded up Kansas City metro area.

While Lee’s Summit North is 2-7, Kickapoo coach Kurt Thompson cautioned his team against taking the Broncos lightly.

“They play all of those Class 6 schools week in and week out and they play with everybody; they just haven’t gotten over the hump in some games,” Thompson said. “We know we’re going to have to play well.”

Thompson called Lee’s Summit North running back Tori Hicks, “as good of a tailback as we’ve seen.” Hicks averages 5.8 yards per carry with 131 rushing attempts for 763 yards and six rushing touchdowns.

Broncos senior wide receiver Da’ron Davis is committed to play for the University of Missouri.

Bolivar (5-4) at Hillcrest (4-5)

Bolivar won five consecutive games before a 34-12 loss to Ozark derailed the Liberators to close the regular season. Hillcrest also comes off a loss to Class 6 Joplin, but the fact that the Hornets play six Ozark Conference games against teams from larger classes helped them secure the points needed to host a playoff game.

Coach John Beckham had good things to say about Hillcrest after the 38-35 loss to Joplin.

“I think we’re on the cusp of being a good football team. I was very impressed with how our kids played Friday night. We were behind the whole time, they kept battling, kept fighting, and we had a chance,” Beckham said.

Hillcrest’s top concern going into Friday’s game will be to slow Bolivar’s offensive skill position trio of Connor Sechler at quarterback, Lane Loomer at running back and Brandon Emmert at tight end.

Eldon (5-4) at Springfield Catholic (6-3)

Catholic used stingy defense to secure a 16-14 win over Reeds Spring on Friday night, which forced a three-way tie atop the Central Ozark Conference Small Division to close the regular season. The Fightin’ Irish share the conference championship with Bolivar and Reeds Spring.

Catholic ran the table in the second half of the regular season with four straight wins. While most coaches don’t like to look ahead, Steve Hancock did so in a long heart-to-heart talk with the Irish after a 35-7 loss to Buffalo.

“When we first started talking about it, I don’t know if they believed me or not or really thought we could do that, but as we got on a roll and we started winning, each game we won you could see the confidence level rise,” Hancock said.

Hancock feels Eldon is a better team than its records show. Three of Eldon’s four losses occurred against opponents who are either ranked in the top 10 or are at least receiving votes in the Missouri Media Rankings headed into the playoffs.

High school football district playoffs (Week 10)

Friday, Oct. 21, all games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Class 6

Lee’s Summit North (2-7) at Kickapoo (8-1)

Joplin (5-4) at Lee’s Summit West (7-2)

Class 5

Waynesville (0-9) at Branson (2-7)

Glendale (9-0) BYE (awaits Waynesville/Branson winner)

Central (0-9) at Lebanon (6-3)

Ozark (7-2) BYE (awaits Central/Lebanon winner

Parkview (2-7) at Willard (3-6)

Carthage (8-1) BYE (awaits Parkview/Willard winner)

Republic (2-7) at Neosho (5-4)

Nixa (5-4) BYE (awaits Republic/Neosho winner)

Class 4

Rolla (1-8) at St. Clair (5-4)

McDonald County (0-9) at Carl Junction (7-2)

Bolivar (5-4) at Hillcrest (4-5)

Marshfield (2-7) at Webb City (6-3)

West Plains (4-5) at Camdenton (6-3)

Class 3

Buffalo (2-7) at Owensville (9-0)

Rogersville (4-5) at Sullivan (4-5)

St. James (4-5) at School of the Osage (8-1)

Eldon (5-4) at Springfield Catholic (6-3)

Aurora (2-7) at Reeds Spring (7-2)

Hollister (5-4) at Mt. Vernon (5-4)

Seneca (3-6) at Monett (8-1)

East Newton (3-6) at Cassville (7-2)

Class 2

Houston (1-8) at Mountain View-Liberty (9-0)

Willow Springs (5-4) at Diamond (7-2)

Cuba (1-7) at Mountain Grove (8-1)

Strafford (3-6) at Ava (7-2)

Warsaw (0-9) at Lamar (8-0)

Versailles (3-6) at Stockton (5-4)

California (2-7) at Fair Grove (9-0)

El Dorado Springs (3-6) at Cole Camp (7-2)

Class 1

Miller (2-7) at Ash Grove (6-3)

Cabool (0-9) at Sarcoxie (5-3)

Pleasant Hope (1-8) at Thayer (4-5)

Marionville (2-7) at Pierce City (4-3)

Rich Hill (1-8) at Cass-Midway (8-1)

Archie (2-7) at Drexel (6-3)

Liberal (2-7) at Lockwood (7-2)

Jasper (3-6) at Adrian (5-4)

Osceola (0-9) at Lincoln (9-0)

Tipton (3-6) at Appleton City (7-2)

Lone Jack (2-7) at Skyline (6-3)

Windsor (4-5) at Crest Ridge (7-2)

8-man

Greenfield (7-0) BYE (awaits Northwest(Hughesville)(3-5)/Chilhowee (1-7) winner)

He had a tumor the size of a tennis ball.

At 5-foot-7, 160 pounds, Parkview’s Pete Gonzales might be the smallest nose guard in the Ozark Conference, or maybe even in Missouri. Gonzales is also arguably among the toughest. Battling his way into Parkview’s starting lineup was easy compared to a fight with cancer.

Parkview High School football player Pete Gonzales is a cancer survivor who returned to sports this year.

Gonzales played freshman football at Parkview and then moved to Colorado. He noticed something wrong with the right side of his ribcage, and his friends, fearful for Gonzales, talked him into getting examined.

“I had a bump on the side of my rib, it was the size of a tennis ball. I didn’t know what it was, I just thought it was a strained muscle or a pulled muscle that swelled up,” Gonzales said. “I had my mom take me to the hospital, they told me that it was cancer. I was scared.”

Gonzales recalls the exact moment he received his cancer diagnosis.

“My mom started crying, she couldn’t believe that was true. My reaction, I was just like — I didn’t even know what to say,” Gonzales said.

The tumor on Gonzales’ ribs was caused by a form of sarcoma, a cancer that causes tumors to grow on connective tissue of the body. Soft tissue sarcoma is rare and according to the Sarcoma Alliance, comprises about one percent of all cancer cases diagnosed.

Parkview High School football player Pete Gonzales is a cancer survivor who returned to sports this year.

Gonzales underwent six months of chemotherapy and then surgery on the right side of his ribcage for treatment. Chemotherapy stopped Gonzales from playing football as a junior in Colorado. In fact, the treatment stopped him from doing much of anything.

“It messed me up,” Gonzales said of chemotherapy treatment. “I still tried to do what I used to like play basketball and work out and stuff, but I couldn’t do it like I used to. I was getting weaker and weaker.”

Gonzales finished treatment and returned to school. Prior to his senior year, he moved back to Springfield, back to Parkview and back to football.

“When he came back, I was surprised to see him back — happy to see him, obviously,” Parkview football coach Anthony Hays said.

Hays was happy for Gonzales to return because of the energy he brings to the Vikings.

“He’s a soft-spoken kid, but on the football field, you wouldn’t see that. You’d see a guy that’s like a little firecracker out there getting off the ball,” Hays said.

High school football district playoffs set for this Friday

Hays asked Gonzales to serve as the keynote speaker at a Vikings team meeting on Monday after practice.

Parkview (2-7) travels to Willard (3-6) in the first round of the Class 5 district playoffs Friday at 7 p.m. The Vikings will try to snap out of a five-game losing streak to advance. Hays hoped Gonzales’ sharing of his cancer treatment story could help the Parkview players keep football in perspective to the potential life lessons in sports.

“These kids right now are going through some adversity with losing a football game, but (Gonzales) has been through some real life adversity with overcoming cancer, having surgery and going through chemo,” Hays said.

Gonzales started the season as a defensive back. Due to an abundance of talent in the secondary, Parkview’s coaches tried to move Gonzales to outside linebacker. When the Vikings needed a nose guard, Gonzales was willing to try.

“Kids in general get it in their head that they’re only going to do this one thing, and they’re not open to other ideas. (Gonzales) found himself starting for us, when just three months ago he was a third-string DB. It’s just a testament to perseverance, resilience, and just finding any way you can to help the team,” Hays said.

Given his backstory and willingness to change positions, Gonzales inspired his coaches along with his teammates.

“He has a lot of heart and a lot of fight. He’s just an encouragement, I think, to all of the coaches. Even with his size and his adversity off the field, he doesn’t hold back at all. He gives it everything he has,” Hays said.

Gonzales doesn’t care where he plays, or that he has to routinely collide with players 100 pounds or more heavier than he is. He’s happy to be out of a hospital bed and back on a football field.

“It hasn’t been the same. I’ve actually gotten better than I was before. I think what I went through made me stronger,” Gonzales said.

Sarcoma facts (according to the National Cancer Institute  and the Sarcoma Alliance)

• About 14,000 sarcoma cases are diagnosed each year in the United States.
• Approximately 3,900 Americans per year die of sarcoma.
• About 1,600 U.S. children are diagnosed with some form of sarcoma per year
• Sarcoma makes up approximately 15 percent of all pediatric cancer cases

Prep Sports sponsored by Murney Associates

Parkview High School football player Pete Gonzales is a cancer survivor who returned to sports this year.

Playoff football kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday night with a host of games in and around Springfield.

Hillcrest hosts Parkview in Springfield on September 29, 2016.

Teams will try to win and advance their way through the playoffs in what should be an exciting night of action on gridirons everywhere. Here are five games that caught our attention, starting with the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors:

Bolivar (5-4) at Hillcrest (4-5)

Bolivar’s Lane Loomer rushed for 171 yards in Bolivar’s 34-12 loss to Ozark last week, which makes him the Liberators’ single season rushing record holder. He surpassed the previous mark of 1,532 yards in a single season.

Hillcrest will meet Bolivar in the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year, but it’s the first time the Hornets have clinched the right to host.

“We have never beaten Bolivar in a district matchup,” Hillcrest coach John Beckham said. “We’ve got them at home, which is a difference. They’re very good.”

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

Parkview (2-7) at Willard (3-6)

In what will be Parkview’s first game on natural grass since 2013, the Vikings will try to snap a five-game losing streak. Parkview conceded an average of 46 points per game through the skid.

“It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the Vikings,” Parkview coach Anthony Hays said.

Willard comes off back-to-back wins over Branson and Republic, having allowed one touchdown in the last two games. Still, Hays believes Parkview can move the football with freshman quarterback Trevor Boice and sophomore running back Blake Delacruz pacing the offense.

“On paper, it looks winnable. I’m telling you, (Willard) are about as good of a 3-6 team as you’ll find out there. They lost five games by a touchdown or less,” Hays said. “The COC is loaded every year, and so they are a very good football team.”

Hollister (5-4) at Mt. Vernon (5-4)

Two much-improved teams meet in Mt. Vernon, where the Mountaineers play for the chance to have their first winning season since 2007. Mt. Vernon enjoyed a four-game winning streak earlier in the season but enters the playoffs coming off losses to Lamar (9-0) and Cassville (7-2).

All-state wide receiver Jarrett Massie will look to extend what has been a fine senior season catching passes from Garrett Hadlock.

Hollister came up just short of Mt. Vernon in the district standings for the No. 4 seed. It’s been a banner year for the Tigers, who started a football program in 2010 and entered the season with an all-time record of 8-53. Hollister has since set a school record for total wins with five, blowing away 2010’s win total of three games. Quarterback Jackson Bekemeier ran for 106 yards and passed for 108 in last week’s 28-14 win at Marshfield.

Rogersville (4-5) at Sullivan (4-5)

Rogersville goes for its first playoff win since 2012 on the road at Sullivan. To get the win, the Wildcats will travel 150 miles one way to the northeast.

Senior wide receiver Cole Vandersnick and middle linebacker Jaytin Gutierrez will look to have big games for coach Doug Smith’s Rogersville squad.

Sullivan lost its first four games of the season but has since won four of its last five. The Eagles hang their hat on being able to play defense, having allowed 14 points per game in games they have won.

California (2-7) at Fair Grove (9-0)

Time of possession may tell the story in a battle of two teams with prominent running games. Dalton Cloyd and Austin Fodge ran their way through the Mid-Lakes Conference to give Fair Grove an undefeated regular season.

California closed the season with three straight losses, but two of those were to Class 3 ranked teams No. 2 Blair Oaks and No. 8 School of the Osage. The Pintos will have a puncher’s chance on the legs of Cory Friedmeyer, who rushed for 126 yards on 17 carries in a loss to Osage last week.

The Scoreboard, brought to you by Murney Associates, Realtors

High school football district playoffs (Week 10)

Friday, Oct. 21, all games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Class 6

Lee’s Summit North 13 at Kickapoo 45 FINAL

Joplin 7 at Lee’s Summit West 42 FINAL

Class 5

Waynesville 6 at Branson 15 FINAL

Glendale (9-0) BYE (awaits Waynesville/Branson winner)

Central 24 at Lebanon 51 FINAL

Ozark (7-2) BYE (awaits Central/Lebanon winner

Parkview 14 at Willard 43 FINAL

Carthage (8-1) BYE (awaits Parkview/Willard winner)

Republic 7 at Neosho 35 FINAL

Nixa (5-4) BYE (awaits Republic/Neosho winner)

Class 4

Rolla 38 at St. Clair 34 FINAL

McDonald County 12 at Carl Junction 56 FINAL

News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors: Bolivar 55 at Hillcrest 24 FINAL

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

Marshfield 14 at Webb City 49 FINAL

West Plains 29 at Camdenton 28 FINAL

Class 3

Buffalo 28 at Owensville 69 FINAL

Rogersville 30 at Sullivan 46 FINAL

St. James 25 at School of the Osage 28 FINAL

Eldon 32 at Springfield Catholic 0 FINAL

Aurora 18 at Reeds Spring 28 FINAL

Hollister 20 at Mt. Vernon 44 FINAL

Seneca 11 at Monett 35 FINAL

East Newton 15 at Cassville 63 FINAL

Class 2

Houston 0 at Mountain View-Liberty 55 FINAL

Willow Springs 24 at Diamond 27 FINAL

Cuba 16 at Mountain Grove 62 FINAL

Strafford 0 at Ava 18 FINAL

Warsaw 3 at Lamar 64 FINAL

Versailles 21 at Stockton 28 FINAL

California 24 at Fair Grove 59 FINAL

El Dorado Springs 26 at Cole Camp 6 FINAL

Class 1

Miller 14 at Ash Grove 47 FINAL

Cabool 24 at Sarcoxie 31 FINAL

Pleasant Hope 8 at Thayer 53 FINAL

Marionville 0 at Pierce City 33 FINAL

Rich Hill (1-8) at Cass-Midway (8-1)

Archie 17 at Drexel 36 FINAL

Liberal 28 at Lockwood 48 FINAL

Jasper 13 at Adrian 21 FINAL

Osceola 0 at Lincoln 48 FINAL

Tipton 32 at Appleton City 60 FINAL

Lone Jack 0 at Skyline 65 FINAL

Windsor (4-5) at Crest Ridge (7-2)

8-man

Greenfield (7-0) BYE (awaits Northwest(Hughesville)(3-5)/Chilhowee (1-7) winner)

Springfield Catholic quarterback Tyson Riley (8) warms up prior to a 2016 game.

Trenton Kidwell looked at home in his return to the Eldon backfield.

The senior running back led the Mustangs to a dominant win over Catholic, 32-0, in the first round of the Class 3 District 3 playoffs after spending the last eight weeks recovering from an injury.

His eyes filled with emotion while he credited teammates following the game.

“Whenever you’re doing this with all of your friends you grew up with, you don’t feel (the pain of the injury) anymore,” Kidwell said. “It isn’t about me, it’s about them. I played that game for all the people who have helped me.”

Kidwell ran for 127 yards and a touchdown, his second 100-yard game of the 2016 season in only two games. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a junior and entered the year with high expectations. After breaking the 100-yard barrier in Eldon’s 2016 opener, he broke his fibula.

“He was hungry, to say the least, sitting there watching for eight weeks,” coach Shannon Jolley said. “It means a lot for him to have that kind of game. He’s a kid who has been committed to our program since he was a youngster.”

The Mustangs tallied 234 yards on the ground. Junior back Isaiah Merida added 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 runs.

Catholic entered the game as the district’s No. 3 seed but never got its multi-option offense going. It was the first time the Irish were shut out on the season.

“Tonight we saw a defensive group that was a step ahead,” Jolley said. “It was as physical as I’ve seen them. It was definitely fun to watch.”

The first half was especially forgettable for Catholic, which was unable to follow up its stunning home victory last week against Reeds Spring— then state-ranked.

The Irish gave the ball away on their first two possessions, both fumbles.

Catholic’s rushing attack of running back Ramiro Avila and quarterback Tyson Riley combined for more than 1,700 yards in 2016’s first nine games. The Irish totaled 64 yards, led by 54 yards on 15 carries by Avila.

Riley, who averaged 6.2 yards per carry before facing The Mustangs, carried the ball eight times. His longest rush was one yard and the QB netted -17 yards on the ground.

Riley was 8-for-20 passing for 83 yards.

Catholic’s first lost fumble set up a quick short-field touchdown for the Mustangs, punched in on a 2-yard carry by Kidwell.

Eldon tacked on two more touchdowns before intermission, courtesy of some long plays. Quarterback Austin Kempker completed only two first-half passes but made them impactful. The first went for 28 yards and the second was an 82-yard touchdown bomb to Trenton Dillon.

Isaiah Merida ran 35 yards for Eldon’s other early score.

The second half wasn’t much more pleasant for the home fans.

Catholic’s third turnover of the game was an intercepted screen pass returned 54 yards by Eldon senior Jacob Whittle for a touchdown.

Eldon closed the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown catch by Morgan Anderson from Kempker.

Kempker went 4-for-8 in the air for 116 yards and two TDs.

Eldon (6-4) will face the Osage, the district’s No. 2 seed, next week. The Irish end the season at 6-4.

Kickapoo had two major concerns entering Friday’s Class 6 District 4 opening-round game against visiting Lee’s Summit North: replacing lost offensive production from injured senior Maverick McGee and stopping Broncos standout receiver and University of Missouri commit Da’ron Davis.

It didn’t take long to see the Chiefs had answers for both.

Behind senior quarterback Chris Lawson’s four rushing touchdowns combined with a nearly complete shutdown of Davis by the Kickapoo secondary, the Chiefs built an early lead and rolled to a 45-13 district win.

“We’re so pleased with our kids. That was a great defensive effort,” Kickapoo coach Kurt Thompson said.

“That’s the most athletic team we’ve played against all year, hands down, and I thought our kids handled that really well.

“We just tried to play disciplined, team defense. We looked at what they were doing and we tried to take some things away. Our coaches did a good job of getting everyone prepared. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Kickapoo (9-1) got a gift on the opening kickoff when senior Peyton Moore recovered a Lee’s Summit North fumble.

Seven plays later — all of which were rushes — Lawson scored his first touchdown on an 8-yard quarterback run up the middle for a 7-0 lead.

“I think winning tonight builds a lot of confidence for our team … I thought we executed great tonight,” Lawson said.

“With the loss of Maverick, we had to change our game plan a little and make it more of a read-option kind of offense, which is hard to because they have to key on both the quarterback and the running back.”

A 32-yard field goal by junior Joshua Scheiderer, followed by a 50-yard punt return by senior Corey Dye for a touchdown, put Kickapoo ahead 17-0 with 8:09 left in the second quarter.

Lawson scored on a 2-yard run less than four minutes later to put the Chiefs in command 24-0 just before halftime.

Kickapoo took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 79 yards in 15 plays and took a 31-0 lead just 5:39 into the third quarter.

“We came out in the second half and put some drives together that were really good for us,” Thompson said.

“We just chipped away at them a little bit with our running game. (Lawson) does a great job of making decisions in the run game as well as in the passing game.”

Chiefs quarterback Devin Krus tries to break a tackle against Lee’s Summit North on Friday.

Lawson finished with 107 yards on 23 attempts and four touchdowns on the ground and was 8-for-13 passing for 126 yards and an interception.

Kickapoo’s defense held the Broncos’ athletic wideouts in check, allowing just 120 yards through the air over the first three quarters and only held Davis to just two catches for 19 yards for the game.

“We knew they have D1 talent at receiver and they were going to try to get him the ball,” Lawson said.

“We prepared well this week in practice and I thought we did a great job of stopping him and took away that deep pass.”

Lee’s Summit North 0 0 0 13—13

Kickapoo 7 17 14 7—45

First quarter

Kickapoo — Chris Lawson 8 run (Josh Scheiderer kick)

Second quarter

Kickapoo — Scheiderer 32 FG

Kickapoo — Corey Dye 50 punt return (Scheiderer kick)

Kickapoo — Lawson 2 run (Scheiderer kick)

Third quarter

Kickapoo — Lawson 4 run (Scheiderer kick)

Kickapoo — Lawson 3 run (Scheiderer kick)

Fourth quarter

Kickapoo — Mason Auer 8 run (Scheiderer kick)

Lee’s Summit North — Cameron Hairston 46 pass from Caleb Aston (kick failed)

Lee’s Summit North — Hairston 37 pass from Aston (Tony Mile kick)

They waited years, but the senior football players from Mt. Vernon finally achieved the dream of beating a rival on their home turf.

The Mountaineers defeated Aurora 42-28 Friday at Mountaineer Stadium in a rivalry known as the Poss Jackson Bell Bowl that dates back to 1919. Jackson, a resident of the Missouri Veterans Home in Mt. Vernon, attended the game and took part in a ceremonial coin toss.

Wide receiver/defensive back Jarrett Massie led Mt. Vernon with eight receptions, which went for 85 yards and two touchdowns. He was all smiles after the game.

“It honestly means everything. I know us senior boys—we’d never beat them before and our senior year, it feels amazing to beat them,” Massie said.

Mt. Vernon last won the Bell Bowl rivalry in 2012, but coach Tom Cox explained that the desire to beat Aurora ran deeper than that for the Mountaineer seniors.

“This is the first time that our seniors have ever beaten Aurora, all the way up. I’m talking Mighty Mites to junior high to high school, so it was an important game for a lot of different reasons,” Cox said.

Mt. Vernon quarterback Garrett Hadlock went 17-of-27 passing for 283 yards and three touchdowns. His top yardage man was junior Andrew Montemayor, who caught four passes for 97 yards.

Mt. Vernon’s passing game got some complimentary help from running back Sammy Robinson, who carried the ball 24 times for 163 yards and a touchdown.

“Our offensive line is starting to come together. We’ve done a few things differently up front and with our running game that has helped, but it’s great to see Sammy have the confidence, and he wants the ball,” Cox said.

Mt. Vernon improves to 5-2 in the third year of Cox’s second stint as the head coach. The improvement is welcome.

“It’s always been rough for us and our senior year, breaking out is awesome,” Massie said.

Mt. Vernon High School running back Sammy Robinson (6) trots into the end zone for a touchdown during first quarter action of the high school football game between Mt. Vernon High School and Aurora High School at Mountaineer Stadium in Mt. Vernon, Mo. on Sept. 30, 2016.

Mt. Vernon got six points from kicker Jayden Buttram, who bonked in a 42-yard field goal off the crossbar in the second quarter and followed that with a confident 44-yard field goal from the right hash mark to close the second half.

“My heart skipped a beat. I was about to drop down and be dead. It was one of the longest ones I’ve hit in a game so far, so the second one just felt really good. I had everybody supporting me,” Buttram said.

Buttram’s father, Jesse Buttram, is a member of the Mt. Vernon chain gang. He has not watched his son kick a field goal or an extra point for several weeks. When Jayden Buttram lines up a kick, his father turns his back to the field and lets the other chain gang members describe the outcome.

“The first week at Reeds Spring I missed two and he was watching,” Jayden Buttram said of his father. “On every single kick he turns his back and just looks away. I haven’t missed one yet.”

Aurora quarterback Payton Evans completed 22-of-39 pass attempts for 196 yards, which gives him 1,156 yards passing through seven games. The Houn’ Dawgs (1-5) also got a pair of rushing touchdowns from Wyatt Neff.

“I think my team stepped up,” Aurora coach Kale Kilgo said. “They didn’t bow down. Except for a couple of mistakes here and there, I think we played good.”

Though Aurora has struggled this season, it didn’t look like a team with only one win. The Houn’ Dawgs traded blows early with Mt. Vernon and outscored the Mountaineers in the fourth quarter.

“I told them before the game, if they gave me their hearts and if they couldn’t walk themselves off the field, I’d carry them, and they did that. They gave me all their heart,” Kilgo said.

On Oct. 7, Aurora is scheduled to host Cassville (5-2) at 7 p.m. Mt. Vernon is schedule to host Lamar (5-0), winners of five consecutive Class 2 state championships and the No. 1-ranked Class 2 team in Missouri.

Mt. Vernon 42, Aurora 28

At Mountaineer Stadium, Mt. Vernon

Aurora 8-6-0-14—28

Mt. Vernon 15-13-7-7—42

First quarter

Mt. Vernon—Sammy Robinson 11-yard run (Robinson run)

Aurora—Keaton Willard 16-yard pass from Payton Evans (Kaleb Barker pass from Evans)

Mt. Vernon—Andrew Montemayor 48-yard pass from Garrett Hadlock (Jayden Buttram kick)

Second quarter

Aurora—Wyatt Neff 6-yard run (kick failed)

Mt. Vernon—Jarrett Massie 11-yard pass from Garrett Hadlock (Buttram kick)

Mt. Vernon—Buttram 42-yard field goal

Mt. Vernon—Buttram 44-yard field goal

Third quarter

Mt. Vernon—Hadlock 6-yard run (Buttram kick)

Fourth quarter

Aurora—Neff 15-yard run (Jeremy Scholbrock kick)

Mt. Vernon—Massie 31-yard pass from Hadlock (Buttram kick)

Aurora—Evans 7-yard run (Scholbrock kick)

Mt. Vernon High School wide receiver Jarrett Massie (24) avoids a tackle by Houn’ Dawg defensive back Logan Lauffer (5) during second quarter action of the high school football game between Mt. Vernon High School and Aurora High School at Mountaineer Stadium in Mt. Vernon, Mo. on Sept. 30, 2016.

Mt. Vernon High School running back Andrew Montemayor (21) catches a pass from quarterback Garrett Hadlock (not pictured) during first quarter action of the high school football game between Mt. Vernon High School and Aurora High School at Mountaineer Stadium in Mt. Vernon, Mo. on Sept. 30, 2016. Montemayor would score a touchdown on the play.

Mt. Vernon High School running back SAmmy Robinson (6) stretches out to get into the end zone for a two-point conversion during first quarter action of the high school football game between Mt. Vernon High School and Aurora High School at Mountaineer Stadium in Mt. Vernon, Mo. on Sept. 30, 2016.

Mt. Vernon High School running back Sammy Robinson (6) leaps in celebration with offensive lineman James Lee (51) after Robinson scored a touchdown in first quarter action of the high school football game between Mt. Vernon High School and Aurora High School at Mountaineer Stadium in Mt. Vernon, Mo. on Sept. 30, 2016.

Mt. Vernon High School running back Andrew Montemayor (21) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown during first quarter action of the high school football game between Mt. Vernon High School and Aurora High School at Mountaineer Stadium in Mt. Vernon, Mo. on Sept. 30, 2016.

The football rivalry between Ozark and Nixa dates back to 1988, but some residents of Christian County will tell you the rivalry extends far beyond high school sports.

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

Nixa (5-2) visits Ozark (5-2) Friday for the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors. Nixa enters the game coming off back-to-back losses, while Ozark comes off a 17-12 stunning of perennial Class 4 power Webb City.

Ozark holds quality wins over Class 5 No. 8 Carthage and Class 4 No. 4 Carl Junction. Losses to Republic and Neosho dot the Tigers’ record.

Nixa rattled off wins over Willard, Branson, Central, Republic and Neosho, but suffered back-to-back losses to Webb City and Carthage.

If you compare common opponents, this matchup is a wash. Forget about the records when the “Christian County Super Bowl” rolls around.

Coach Chad Depee began preaching defense when he arrived at Ozark from Monett a season ago, and it seems the Tigers have listened. Ozark forced four turnovers in the win at Webb City and a red zone stand in the fourth quarter that featured a sack from Brock Herrold and Solomon Douglas and pass breakup by Reed Herrold.

Quarterback Andrew Rivera and the Nixa offense will look to get going after scoring just 17 points in the last two games. Prior to the losses to Webb City and Carthage, Nixa had been scoring an average of 32.6 points per game.

News-Leader Game of the Week

Presented by Murney Associates, Realtors

Nixa (5-2) at Ozark (5-2)

Friday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m.

Tiger Stadium

1350 West Bluff Drive, Ozark

Ozark junior fullback Nathaniel Burlage (33) and the Tigers host rival Nixa Friday, Oct. 7 in the News-Leader Game of the Week.

Kickapoo (9-1) comes off its fourth playoff win as a Class 6 football program and gets rewarded with a chance to play a perennial power.

Kickapoo’s Devin Kruse (center) tries to slip a tackle during the Chiefs’ 45-13 Friday night win over Lee’s Summit North.

Nine-time state champion Rockhurst (7-2) visits Pottenger Stadium in Springfield on Friday in Kickapoo’s second season of playing in Missouri’s largest classification of football teams. The No. 5-ranked Hawklets come off a 21-14 overtime win over Park Hill in the opening round of the Class 6 District 4 bracket.

As they head into the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors, three wins separate No. 7 Kickapoo and Rockhurst from playing in the Class 6 state championship game on Nov. 18 in Columbia.

Kickapoo played three quarters of shutout defense and breezed by Lee’s Summit North 45-13 on the legs of four rushing touchdowns from senior quarterback Chris Lawson.

“We probably played our best game of the year,” Chiefs coach Kurt Thompson said of the win over Lee’s Summit North.

Two hall-of-fame coaches meet Friday at Pottenger Stadium. The Hawklets are coached by Tony Severino, holder of an all-time career record of 377-100-1. Severino has been at Rockhurst since 1983, and holds a 6-0 record all-time against Kickapoo.

Rockhurst has won its games with a combination of stingy defense and just enough production from its backfield pair of quarterback Chance May and running back Brady McCanles. The Hawklets have run the same offensive scheme for a number of years.

“They’ve got good players, they’re not going to change things. They are going to do what they do, and we are going to have to play a good football game in order to win, but we know that,” Thompson said.

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

High school football district playoff semifinals

Friday, Oct. 28

All games begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Class 6

Rockhurst (7-2) at Kickapoo (9-1)

Class 5

Branson (3-7) at Glendale (9-0)

Lebanon (7-3) at Ozark (7-2)

Willard (4-6) at Carthage (8-1)

Neosho (6-4) at Nixa (5-4)

Class 4

West Plains (5-5) at Webb City (7-3)

Bolivar (6-4) at Carl Junction (8-2)

Rolla (2-8) at Union (7-3)

Class 3

Mt. Vernon (6-4) at Reeds Spring (8-2)

Cassville (8-2) at Monett (9-1)

Class 2

Diamond (8-2) at Mountain View-Liberty (10-0)

Ava (8-2) at Mountain Grove (9-1)

Stockton (6-4) at Lamar (9-0)

El Dorado Springs (4-6) at Fair Grove (10-0)

Class 1

Drexel (7-3) at Cass-Midway (9-1)

Adrian (6-4) at Lockwood (8-2)

Appleton City (8-2) at Lincoln (10-0)

Crest Ridge (8-2) at Skyline (7-3)

Sarcoxie (6-3) at Ash Grove (7-3)

Pierce City (5-3) at Thayer (5-5)

8-man

Northwest (Hughesville)(4-5) at Greenfield (8-0)

Homeschool

Lighthouse Christian (7-3) at Oklahoma City Patriots (7-2)

Here are the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Ozarks high school sports Performers of the Week for the week of Oct. 17-22:

Bolivar High School wide receiver Brandon Emmert caught ten passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns Friday at Hillcrest.

Brandon Emmert

Bolivar football

Emmert had 10 receptions for 151 yards and three touchdowns in Bolivar’s 55-24 win at Hillcrest to open the Class 4 playoffs. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder was quarterback Connor Sechler’s favorite target all night. The Liberators (6-4) advance to take on Carl Junction (8-2) in the district semifinals Friday at Carl Junction.

Cameron Smith

Ozark swimming

Smith qualified for the state championships with a pair of wins in the Central Ozark Conference Championship meet Saturday at Foster Natatorium in Springfield. Smith took first in the 500-yard freestyle, the longest race in high school swimming, with a time of 4:56.88. The senior also won first in the 200-yard freestyle race with a time of 1:50.13, which set a meet record and established a state cut.

Mia Harris, Kaylee Hatley and McKenzie Bergman

West Plains cross country

The Zizzers ran their way to a 1-2-3 finish at the Class 4 District 5 championship race Saturday in Nixa. Freshman Mia Harris won the five kilometer race with a time of 19:06.40. She was chased closely by Hatley and Bergman, who finished in 19:16.50 and 19:17.20, respectively. Branson’s team score of 42 points was enough to edge West Plains’ second place finish of 50. Both teams qualify for Saturday’s sectional race at Ha Ha Tonka in Camdenton.

Chris Lawson

Kickapoo football

A stellar season on the gridiron continued for Lawson, a duel-threat quarterback who has seen his running workload pick up since Chiefs’ leading rusher Maverick McGee suffered a season-ending foot injury. Lawson showed poised senior leadership in a 45-13 win over Lee’s Summit North in which Lawson scored four rushing touchdowns.

Macey Putt

Ozark volleyball

Putt logged 11 kills in a 2-1 win over Blue Springs South, but more importantly she led Ozark to win a Class 4 playoff quarterfinal match and secure a trip to the final four for an eighth consecutive year. Putt holds three NCAA Division I volleyball scholarship offers and will travel to the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau to compete Friday and Saturday for a state championship.

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

One of the most storied teams to ever play high school football in Missouri makes the trek from Kansas City to Springfield on Friday night.

The Kickapoo Chiefs faced off with North Lee’s Summit Broncos Friday, October 21, 2016.

Rockhurst (7-2) takes on Kickapoo (9-1) in the second round of the Missouri Class 6 football playoffs in the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors. Since 1969, Rockhurst has appeared in 15 state championship games and won nine of them, most recently in 2010. The Hawklets last played for a state title in 2014.

The Hawklets are coached by Tony Severino, holder of an all-time career record of 377-100-1. Severino has been at Rockhurst since 1983, and holds a 6-0 record all-time against Kickapoo.

Game of the Week: Kickapoo tries for first win over powerhouse Rockhurst

Rockhurst produced such graduates as former Missouri Governor Joseph P. Teasdale, 1994 American League Cy Young Award winner David Cone, and former AMC Theatres CEO Peter C. Brown. The Hawklets also hold a proud tradition of sending players on to college football and even the NFL. To illustrate some of Rockhurst’s winning football traditions, we give you five of the best Rockhurst graduates who reached the pros:

5. Timothy Thomas Ryan

Ryan won the 1986 Simone Award, given to the best high school football player in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. Rockhurst won a state title that year. Ryan left Kansas City to play college football for Notre Dame. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected the 6-foot-2, 280-pound offensive guard in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft with the 136th overall pick. Ryan appeared in 37 games and had one start in a three-year NFL career.

4. Kenyon Rasheed

Running back Kenyon Rasheed is regarded as one of the best to ever come through Rockhurst, where he played for two state championship teams. He went on to the University of Oklahoma, where he eventually became a team captain for the Sooners. From 1989 to 1992, Rasheed appeared in 44 games for Oklahoma. He rushed for 1,577 yards and 17 touchdowns on 333 carries. Rasheed went undrafted and signed with the New York Giants in 1993. He appeared in a total of 24 games with the Giants and Jets over a four-year span in the NFL.

3. Bill Whitaker

Defensive back Bill Whitaker graduated from Rockhurst and went on to play football at the University of Missouri, where he became a first-team all-American in 1980. In a 1978 game against Illinois, Whitaker scored the lone touchdown of his college career on a 50-yard punt return. The Green Bay Packers selected the 6-foot-0, 180-pounder in the seventh round of the 1981 NFL Draft with the 172nd overall pick. Whitaker played four seasons in the NFL, two for the Packers and two for the St. Louis Cardinals. He appeared in a total of 39 professional games.

2. Kerry Reardon

Reardon was a quarterback at Rockhurst, but became a full-time defender and specialist at the University of Iowa, where he led the nation with an average of 32.1 yards per kickoff return in 1968. The Kansas City Chiefs used the 146th overall pick in the 1971 draft to select Reardon in the sixth round and bring him back to his birthplace. Through six seasons with the Chiefs, Reardon played in 58 games and started 26 of them as a cornerback. He returned kickoffs for his first three seasons but became more prominent on defense as he aged. Reardon has a total of 14 interceptions in the NFL.

1. Brad Budde

The son of Kansas City Chiefs legend Ed Budde reached his playing height and weight of 6-foot-5, 245 pounds in his junior year at Rockhurst. Budde was a two-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines. He went on to the University of Southern California where he was a unanimous first-team All-American, an Academic All-American and winner of the Lombardi Award (given to college football’s best lineman or linebacker) in 1979. The Chiefs drafted the younger Budde with the 11th pick in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He played for Kansas City through 1987, appeared in 92 games and started 79 games in his career. Budde was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Ed Budde and Brad Budde are the only father and son to have been selected in the first round of the draft by the same team to play the same position in the history of the NFL.

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

Bob Vanatta might be best remembered for coaching the Missouri State (then Southwest Missouri State) men’s basketball team to back-to-back national championships, but his lesser-known influence on Springfield sports lingers to this day.

Memphis State Basketball School coach Bob Vanatta (right) helps an enrollee in a youth basketball camp, 11-year-old Ricky Ferguson, on May 9, 1957. Vanatta died Saturday at 98.

Vanatta died Saturday in Melbourne, Florida, at the age of 98. Two days later, the club he helped establish 64 years ago mourned him. Vanatta started the Springfield Quarterback Club in 1952 to drum up interest in high school and college football in Springfield. Vanatta is gone, but a proud tradition lives on each Monday as fans gather to hear updates from seven high school football coaches and two college coaches.

A sister club, the Springfield Tipoff Club, holds similar meetings on Mondays during basketball season.

Before he became a college coach, Vanatta got his start coaching at Springfield Senior High School (now Central) in 1944. His schedule would be a nightmare for modern day coaches. By 1945, Vanatta was Springfield High’s athletic director and head coach of the football, basketball and baseball teams.

Bob Vanatta, who coached at both Springfield Senior High and MSU, died recently in Florida. Vanatta left a lasting legacy in area sports.

In Vanatta’s first season as a varsity basketball coach, Springfield went 30-3 and finished second to Conway in the state tournament. Gerald Jinks was a sophomore on that basketball team and remembers Vanatta’s passion as a coach.

“His personality was excellent,” Jinks said. “He was a player-coach and he had all kinds of personality. He actually got more potential out of an individual than you would expect.”

Vanatta was the varsity football coach for one year. In 1945, the Bulldogs went 10-0. Jinks was a tight end on that football team and said Vanatta was firm but fair with his players.

“(Vanatta) wanted you to do your job. If you weren’t playing well, you didn’t play. He would enforce his rules, but you didn’t want to get out of line. He was like such a father to all the boys, and that made a great, great situation for us,” Jinks said. “(Vanatta) was just fun to be around.”

70 years later: Springfield’s 1945 football team still holds record

Jack Hunt, Ray Haley and Jinks led an offense considered “high speed” by sportswriters of the time.

Thad Peak, Marvin Estes, Merle Blakely, Jim Julian, Jim Barber and Scott Angevine blocked for Springfield High’s talented stable of backs. Hunt scored 121 of the Bulldogs’ 342 points. Springfield High held opposing offenses to just 50 points in 10 games.

Former Missouri State athletic director Bill Rowe credited Vanatta for coaching Missouri State into notoriety with its men’s basketball NAIA championships in 1952 and 1953.

A story from the March 23, 1952 edition of the Springfield News & Leader profiles coach Bob Vanatta and his NAIB national championship team’s preparation for a postseason game against 1952 NCAA champion Kansas as part of the U.S. trials for the Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.

“We can never forget where we came from,” Rowe said. “(Vanatta) knows that was never forgotten, and his players—they were very, very—they taught all of us a lot about togetherness. Those guys still stay in touch to this day.”

Vanatta went on to coach at Army, Bradley, Memphis State, Missouri and Delta State. He served as an athletic director at Oral Roberts University and Louisiana Tech, commissioner of the Ohio Valley, Atlantic Sun and Sunshine State conferences and executive director of the Independence Bowl.

Throughout his travels, Vanatta maintained contact with friends in Springfield, even through his retirement years in Florida.

“He had stayed in touch with us and still was very rational,” Rowe said.

Springfield Quarterback Club

The Springfield Quarterback Club holds its final meeting of the 2016 season Monday. Senior players from seven teams will be on hand to be honored, and the club will present four annual awards. The Quarterback Club meets Monday at noon at the Elks Lodge at 2223 East Bennett Street in Springfield. Admission is open to the public, lunch is included and the cost is $10 per person to attend.

Bob Vanatta, who coached at both Springfield Senior High and MSU, died recently in Florida. Vanatta left a lasting legacy in area sports.

Bob Vanatta, who coached at both Springfield Senior High and MSU, died recently in Florida. Vanatta left a lasting legacy in area sports.

Coach Bob Vanatta appears in an undated photograph from the News-Leader archives.

A newspaper clipping from the News and Leader in 1945 of the undefeated Springfield Senior High (now Central) football team.

Picking a News-Leader Game of the Week is a difficult task in the playoffs.

Mt. Vernon running back Andrew Montemayor (21) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown. Montemayor is a first team all-Big 8 Conference wide receiver.

We went with Rockhurst (7-2) at Kickapoo (9-1) at Pottenger Stadium in Springfield. Kickapoo will try to beat a traditional power in the seventh ever meeting between the two teams in the News-Leader Game of the Week presented by Murney Associates, Realtors.

That said, there are plenty of great playoff matchups this week at stadiums all over the Ozarks. Here are five games that have us fired up for high school football happening Friday night:

Mt. Vernon (6-4) at Reeds Spring (8-2)

Mt. Vernon and Reeds Spring play a rematch of a 47-34 Reeds Spring win in the season opener. The Wolves will look to run the ball from the flex bone on their home turf of Carl Langley Field at Wolves Stadium with senior Korey Robinette seeking a big game from the running back spot. Mt. Vernon has shown an improved ability to go on scoring drive this season with a trio of first team all-Big 8 Conference skill position players in wide receivers Andrew Montemayor and Jarrett Massie and quarterback Garrett Hadlock.

Lebanon (7-3) at Ozark (7-2)

Two teams face a mirror image of themselves at Tiger Stadium when Lebanon visits Ozark. Both teams employ run-based flex bone offenses. Lebanon running back John Berry missed two games with a leg injury, but has rushed for 1,132 yards and 14 touchdowns on 153 carries to lead the Yellowjackets in rushing. Ozark went 1-9 a season ago but has come back to life in coach Chad Depee’s second year at the program’s helm. The

Neosho (6-4) at Nixa (5-4)

Central Ozark Conference foes square off in Nixa for a rematch of a 31-28 thriller that Nixa won in the fifth week of the season. Eagles quarterback Andrew Rivera scored a touchdown on Nixa’s final offensive possession, and Nicos Oropeza made an interception in the end zone as Neosho tried for a go-ahead drive in the final minute. The Wildcats have kept revenge on their minds throughout the second half of the season.

Cassville (8-2) at Monett (9-1)

In other rematch, rivals meet for a continuation of the Barry County Brawl at Burl Fowler Stadium. Monett beat Cassville 21-20 in the regular season. Cassville features running back River Phelps, who has rushed for more than 1,600 yards this season. Monett also boasts a strong ground game with running back Michael Branch putting up 1,272 yards and 17 touchdowns. The winner of Barry County Brawl Part 2 will face the winner of Mt. Vernon and Reeds Spring in the Class 3 playoffs.

Bolivar (6-4) at Carl Junction (8-2)

Liberators coach Glen Johnson had three words for his players following last Friday’s playoff win over Hillcrest: “shock the world.” No. 3-ranked Carl Junction hosts an unranked Bolivar team loaded at the offensive skill positions. Quarterback Connor Sechler found 6-foot-6 wide receiver Brandon Emmert 10 times for 151 yards and three touchdowns at Hillcrest, and running back Lane Loomer continues to add to Bolivar High School’s single season rushing record with every yard he gains. Carl Junction might be favored, but Bolivar has the tools necessary to perhaps succeed in shocking the Class 4 football world.

High school football district playoff semifinals

Friday, Oct. 28

All games begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Class 6

Rockhurst (7-2) at Kickapoo (9-1)

Class 5

Branson (3-7) at Glendale (9-0)

Lebanon (7-3) at Ozark (7-2)

Willard (4-6) at Carthage (8-1)

Neosho (6-4) at Nixa (5-4)

Class 4

West Plains (5-5) at Webb City (7-3)

Bolivar (6-4) at Carl Junction (8-2)

Rolla (2-8) at Union (7-3)

Class 3

Mt. Vernon (6-4) at Reeds Spring (8-2)

Cassville (8-2) at Monett (9-1)

Class 2

Diamond (8-2) at Mountain View-Liberty (10-0)

Ava (8-2) at Mountain Grove (9-1)

Stockton (6-4) at Lamar (9-0)

El Dorado Springs (4-6) at Fair Grove (10-0)

Class 1

Drexel (7-3) at Cass-Midway (9-1)

Adrian (6-4) at Lockwood (8-2)

Appleton City (8-2) at Lincoln (10-0)

Crest Ridge (8-2) at Skyline (7-3)

Sarcoxie (6-3) at Ash Grove (7-3)

Pierce City (5-3) at Thayer (5-5)

8-man

Northwest (Hughesville)(4-5) at Greenfield (8-0)

Homeschool

Lighthouse Christian (7-3) at Oklahoma City Patriots (7-2)