A few things to know about every Ozarks high school football team entering the 2023 season

Before you know it, high school football in the Ozarks will kick off across the area and we're getting ready by taking a look at every team in the area.

Southwest Missouri features some championship contenders and teams that appear ready to take another step toward becoming one.

Here are a few things to know about every team in the area:

Big 8 East

Coming off the first runner-up finish in the school’s history, Reeds Spring still has plenty of firepower coming back that should make it a challenger to win its conference. There might not be two better players at their position in the area this year than Blandy Burall and James Dowdy.

Mount Vernon is a program that looks like it’s ready to jump back into elite status. The Mountaineers have played plenty of youth in previous seasons and they’ve gone from a 1-10 team in 2021 to one that might be back in the state conversation as early as this season.

There’s going to be a new look at Marshfield with a new quarterback behind center. Expect plenty of carries for Dayvion Harris this year and for the Blue Jays to continue their solid work defensively after two straight seasons allowing 25 points or less per game.

Logan-Rogersville was up and down last season but it showed it could hang tough with the big boys which included a win at Mount Vernon. Thessen Prengar is one of the better-returning quarterbacks in the area and there’s a lot to like about two-way standout Cameron Wray at receiver and safety.

Aurora was set for a down year last season after graduating a historic senior class. The Houn Dawgs will look to get back on track with defense being the priority. Aurora went from allowing under 20 points per game to allowing more than 30 from a 7-3 year to a 2-8.

Hollister struggled in Big 8 East play a season ago after losing some key players heading into the year. The offense saw its production cut by more than half from a 6-4 year to go 4-7 last season. Getting back to putting up big numbers will be key.

Catholic had its struggles last year while finishing 0-10 but we did see the Fightin’ Irish nearly knock off Mid-Lakes champ Forsyth in the first round. Catholic is due to get things back on track after averaging fewer than 10 points per game in each of the last two seasons.

Big 8 West

Seneca might be the team to beat in the Ozarks this season with what it showed last season and with the roster turnover at Lamar. The combination of Gavyn Hoover and Jackson Marrs in Seneca’s backfield is the best duo in the Ozarks.

You can never count Lamar out, no matter how much the Tigers have lost. There will be a change at quarterback and at some of the key positions but you can bet on Lamar having one of the best lines in the Ozarks and being well-prepared for each game. The Tigers are going to be a contender at the end of the year.

We’ll see how much Nevada changes heading into this season. The Tigers had elite ball carriers graduate but the offensive line is still going to be one of the best. Talan Chandler might be the overall best player in the area and that should turn into yardage for whoever is running the ball this year.

Monett found its groove toward the end of last season after starting 0-5 and finished the year 4-7. The Cubs started playing tough defense and came away with a win over Logan-Rogersville in the playoffs. They are due to become a challenger in the Big 8 West.

McDonald County showed it’s one of those teams that can beat anyone while having their off-nights. A more consistent season for the Mustangs wouldn’t be a surprise this year with Destyn Dowd returning as quarterback along with a solid defender in Josh Pacheco on the other side of the ball.

Cassville got off to a strong start until it hit the most challenging part of its schedule in the second half of the season. The Wildcats will need to sure some things up defensively after allowing over 30 points per game over the final five games of the regular season. Growth out of junior quarterback Bodee Rose can help this offense maintain its stride.

East Newton came up winless last season while scoring just 8.4 points per outing. The Patriots will look to make some steps forward despite playing one of the more difficult schedules in the area.

Central Ozark Conference

Joplin is the Central Ozark Conference team many are talking about heading into the season because of its tremendous amount of offensive talent. Hobbs Gooch has a ton of weapons around him including Quin Renfro, Davin Thomas and Whit Hafer while having Iowa State commit Dontrell Holt holding down the offensive line. The biggest question will be if the Eagles can get some stops this year after allowing an average of 37 points per game against the three other best teams in the league last year.

John Perry has Nixa as a team that will constantly compete for a COC championship year after year. The Eagles lost their starting quarterback and News-Leader Player of the Year tailback but they should have enough firepower to make up for them. Expect a tough offensive line and speed at receivers. Spencer Ward should also be a capable star of leading the team this season on both sides of the ball.

There will be a question mark around Carthage entering this season without the best two-way player in the Ozarks in Luke Gall. He made up for a lot of the Tigers’ scoring but you should still expect Carthage to have one of the best offensive lines in the area and a well-coached defense.

The dark horse for this season might be Republic which has shown to be the up-and-comer of the league behind Ryan Cornelsen. The Tigers have a lot back on offense including quarterback Wyatt Woods and tight end James Rexroat. The defense is constantly getting better and there may be a scenario in which the Tigers emerge as the team to beat in this league.

Webb City has to be in the conversation for the league’s best but something is bound to look different about the Cardinals entering a new era without John Roderique on the sidelines. Ryan McFarland takes over as head coach after serving as the program’s offensive coordinator for the last several years so we’ll likely see plenty of similarities to what we’ve seen recently.

Neosho was the most improved of the COC teams last year while going from one win over the previous two seasons to one that went 4-6 with one of the most explosive offenses in the state. The defense has to come around after allowing 50-plus per game over the last two years.

Carl Junction had some struggles last season offensively against the better teams in the league. The Bulldogs return a 1,500-yard passer in Dexter Merrell this season. His growth will go a long way to create more competitive games with the top dogs.

Ozark heads into a new era with head coach Jeremy Cordell taking over the program after a successful stop at Lincoln-Way Central in the Chicago suburbs. He’s the latest of successful head coaches at previous stops to be brought in and try and turn around a program and compete in the region’s toughest conference.

Branson is a COC team looking to turn things around after a 1-9 finish a year ago. The Pirates allowed nearly 40 points per game and scored more than 21 just once. Aaron Hafner took over before last season with an impressive resume and could have his team take a needed step this year.

Willard has started to show some promise offensively but the defense is going to need to come around. Russell Roweton is one of the more impressive quarterbacks in the area after throwing for 2,290 yards and 22 scores last season. The Tigers should take a step forward this year after two consecutive one-win seasons.

Mid-Lakes Conference

After winning the Mid-Lakes for the first time in school history, Forsyth will look to repeat with its younger stars leading the way. Braxton Gross is one to keep an eye on after rushing for 847 yards and 14 scores as a sophomore last season. Rolly Fisher has also established himself as a good player on both sides of the ball.

Strafford got better as last season went on and it could be back in the mix to win the league. Jourdyn Edelstein threw for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore last season and could emerge as one of the area’s leading passers this year.

Fair Grove had moments in which it looked young last year but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Eagles fly their way back to the top of the league. The Eagles have solid returners in Kellen Lair, Bryden Baxter and Spensar Seigar who are all entering their junior years.

There will be a new look to Skyline after graduating star running back Ricky Woodhouse. No matter who replaces him, the Tigers will have to get better defensively after allowing 37.2 points per game last year in a 2-8 season.

Clever, in its fourth season, is looking to bounce back from going winless last season. A building program will look to get better on both sides of the ball while playing the same tough schedule it did a year ago.

Ozark Conference

Camdenton is coming off a conference championship season and will look quite different heading into the season. A new head coach in Par Pitts has been promoted to replace the retired Jeff Shore. The school has also graduated star quarterback Bear Shore and will have a lot to replace.

There is hype around Lebanon as the favorite to win the OC. The Yellowjackets will be strong along the offensive line and have an All-OC tailback returning in Jax Glendenning and second-team All-OC quarterback Gavin Thomas. The Yellowjackets having seven returners on both sides of the ball could make for a special fall.

There wasn’t a better defense in the area than the one Kickapoo showed off on a weekly basis last season. The Chiefs allowed just 10.7 points per game but will have to replace nine players on that side of the ball. Offensively, the Chiefs will have some new looks but have a pair of star wide receivers who could emerge as Division I prospects by the end of the year.

No one got hotter last season at the end of the year than West Plains which made a run to the Class 4 semifinals. The Zizzers have some roles to fill at quarterback, running back and others but the program Joel Wyatt inherited and has continued to build will still be a contender in the Ozark Conference.

Glendale always finds itself in the OC conversation and it will be right there again. Kellen Lindstrom is the star as he’s committed to Tennessee as a defensive end. The Falcons will have new names on offense, including at quarterback and receiver, but we’ve seen the Mauk family continue to produce the highest-scoring units in the Ozarks year after year.

Rolla pulled off a shocker at the end of last season by ending Glendale’s season in district play. The Bulldogs weren’t very consistent offensively against the better teams in the conference throughout the year but they could get stops. Rolla is rarely an easy outing for most.

Waynesville is coming off a 3-8 year for its most wins since 2019. The Tigers’ defense was much improved from allowing over 40 points per game in the previous two seasons to allowing 32.8 last year. If that continues to improve, the Tigers should be tougher.

Bolivar won four of its last six games last season after starting the year 1-5. The Liberators had a consistent pass rush and will bring back a pair of players who had four or more sacks. The offense struggled against the best teams on their schedule and that will need to turn around heading into a new era under Jamie LaSalle.

Hillcrest finished last season winless and will enter an era under a new head coach. Keenan Ganz takes over after serving as a special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at Republic under Ryan Cornelsen.

Another SPS program, Parkview, will have a new head coach in 2023. Cameron Bruffett takes over after serving on Logan-Rogersville’s staff for the last eight years and as its offensive coordinator for the previous five.

South Central Association

Mountain View should be one of the strongest teams in the Ozarks and it features a quarterback who is going to be among those who will put up the biggest numbers. Carter Pruett is a 1,100-yard passer with 17 scores to go along with his 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

Houston was one of the biggest surprises in the Ozarks last season after going from a 2-7 team to one that finished 8-3. The Tigers’ defense turned into one of the best in the area by allowing just 16.1 points per game — nearly cutting their previous season’s output in half.

Ava was still one of the area’s best last year, despite taking a bit of a step back from an 11-1 season in 2021. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Bears climb back to being one of the area’s elites with the return of tailback Hunter Adams who suffered a major leg injury during the first week of last season. He was on pace for some epic numbers after a breakout freshman season.

Mountain Grove had one of the more fun offenses in the area last year averaging 36.8 points per game. The Panthers lost a few of those pieces to graduation including their starting quarterback and top two receivers.

A typically consistent Thayer program was a bit inconsistent last year after graduating a lot of stars from its 2021 team. It’s not expected that the Bobcats will be held down for long but the defense will need work after allowing 30 points per game.

Willow Springs was right there in a couple of their games against some of the South Central Association’s best last season — including a six-point loss to Houston and a one-point loss to Thayer. The Bears doubled their offensive output from the year before and will need to sure up the defense this year to grab a few more wins.

Cabool struggled against conference foes last season and then got hot when it got into the postseason by beating Sarcoxie and Ash Grove in the first two weeks. The Bulldogs have simply allowed too many points over the last two seasons when their defense was their strong suit during a 6-5 year in 2020.

Salem was winless last season and averaged less than a touchdown per game. The Tigers are two years removed from back-to-back winning seasons and we know they’re capable of better.

Southwest Conference

How will Marionville look after the graduation of Wil Carlton? The Comets should still be one of the better small-school programs in the area with Hugh Eaton and Co. leading the way. We’re not jumping ship on the Comets just yet.

Ash Grove was right there as Marionville’s biggest challenger a year ago. The Pirates have developed into a team that should compete for the Southwest Conference. They lost Brock Mooneyham to graduation which should push Brady Nicholson into a bigger role.

Sarcoxie got off to a great start last year by going 6-0 only to lose its next four games. The Bears were competitive in every game they played outside of Marionville and could still be a contender in the Southwest.

Pierce City seems due to make a jump. The Eagles were competitive in every game outside of their one against Marionville. Only once did the Eagles allow more than 30 points in a regular season game.

Diamond struggled against the better teams on its schedule. Getting back to a defense that allows fewer than 30 points per game will be key to helping an offense that has improved over recent years.

Miller got its lone win of the season last season against Agape before the school was shut down. The Cardinals were right there in a game against Ash Grove but could never get the offense going while failing to score 10 points in five of their games.

Other area schools

Buffalo had a 2,109-yard rusher graduate and it will need to find a way to replace him. The Bison were hot and cold last year which resulted in an early playoff exit. They allowed 40 points per game which needs to improve and it won’t matter who’s running the ball until it does.

Lighthouse Christian had some struggles last season during its local schedule while going up against good programs like Marionville, Central and Strafford. The Chargers come into this year with a similar local schedule and they’ve often proven to be competitive en route to competing for home school national titles.

Central looks more athletic and is supposed to have a better offensive line heading into the new year. That bodes well for a program that’s on the rise and returns a quarterback in Antonio Starks-Fewell, a defensive lineman like Trevor Wilson and adds a receiver in former Waynesville basketball standout Tyrique Brooks.

El Dorado Springs went 1-9 last season and hasn’t had a winning season since 2018. The offense averaged 12.1 points while the defense allowed 33.9 points per game.

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: What to know about 2023 Southwest Missouri high school football teams