Week 2 Southwest Missouri high school football takeaways and scores
Week 2 of the high school football season set up a monster showdown next week in Springfield and there were a few surprises across the area. Here's what we took away from the week.
Kickapoo sets up big Week 3 showdown with Lebanon
The Chiefs overcame an early deficit to get their revenge over Camdenton and they've set up one of the biggest early-season showdowns come Week 3.
Kickapoo beat Camdenton 38-21 after trailing 14-0 after the first quarter. They forced the Lakers into multiple turnovers and scored on a pick-six and a Hail Mary to go into halftime up 28-14.
Camdenton responded with a touchdown on its first drive out of halftime but was shut out for the remainder of the evening.
The Chiefs' win puts them at 2-0 to start the season and they'll host Lebanon (2-0) next week. The Yellowjackets have been the overwhelming favorite in the Ozark Conference throughout the preseason and have outscored their first two opponents 112-7.
Kickapoo's run defense is going to have to bring it next week in a game many will have their eyes on.
Ava is back to being an elite team in the area
The Bears had a down year last season but there's little doubt that they're back to being one of the best teams in the Ozarks two weeks into 2023.
A 38-7 win over Strafford, coming a week after a 56-6 win over Buffalo, cemented Ava's spot among the elite. The return of Hunter Adams at running back and some great complimentary pieces have Ava looking like it's capable of doing special things this season.
More: Republic's 'Megatron' at receiver helps make Tigers a Central Ozark Conference contender
Ava left little doubt in the win which didn't see Strafford score until midway through the fourth quarter. Strafford was a week removed from a 24-6 win over Mountain View (0-2).
Don't expect Strafford to fall off. It will have a tough week ahead in Week 3 against St. Francis Borgia (2-0) but this is a team that's going to challenge for a Mid-Lakes title.
What to make of the results in the Central Ozark Conference
There wasn't a mind-blowing upset this week that shook up the top of the Central Ozark Conference. Nixa, Republic and Joplin appear to be the teams who will lead that race until the very end.
Carthage's loss to Branson was the biggest surprise. The Tigers did some good things in their Week 1 loss to Republic (2-0) but Branson figured to be a team that would be on the rise in its second year under Aaron Hafner. Like Republic last week, Branson earned its first-ever win over Carthage which beat the Pirates 49-0 a year ago.
We're seeing a ton of improvement in the Central Ozark Conference teams that had been residing at the bottom half in recent years. These schools are putting a lot into their head coaching hires. It's not just Webb City, Joplin and Carthage's conference anymore as Nixa and Republic have turned into conference contenders four and three years into their head coaching hires, respectively.
More: Why Fair Grove junior Kellen Lair is one of the best football players in the Ozarks
Ozark looks like it's a team that's going to surprise one of the best teams in the area at some point this year. Willard is getting better. Branson has a marquee win. Neosho had some of the best offensive numbers in the state a year ago. All of these programs have recent head coaching hires that are somehow making the best conference in the Ozarks even better.
Other notables
Nevada was overwhelming in its win over Reeds Spring. The Tigers have knocked off the Wolves two years in a row with this game being a 46-19 thumping. Jack Cheaney had four touchdowns while the defense forced the Wolves into four turnovers.
The demise of Marionville's offense was overstated. The Comets scored 70 points this week after scoring 12 last week. They're fine and still really good. That close win over Stockton might look really good at the end of the year.
East Newton! It's hard to not feel good for kids getting back in the win column. The Patriots went 0-10 last season and hadn't won since beating El Dorado Springs in the first round of the 2021 postseason. The Patriots beat Hollister 20-18.
More: Southwest Missouri's top high school football performers of Week 2
West Plains bounced back with a 21-7 win over Glendale. The Zizzers are fine especially when you consider how good Bolivar is right now. That's a good statement from the defense.
A 35-0 win for Bolivar over Rolla is eye-opening in the Ozark Conference. The Liberators have Parkview this week before what could be an undefeated matchup at Lebanon in Week 4.
Logan-Rogersville had Lamar nervous for a second as the Wildcats led 6-0 for most of the first half. Lamar struck right before halftime and ran away in the second half because that's what the Tigers do.
Lookahead to next week
Webb City @ Republic — It's been a heck of a first three weeks to the regular season for the Tigers' schedule. It's capped off with a home matchup with Webb City, who the Tigers beat in the postseason last season. Both were dominant this past week and this will have some COC implications.
Logan-Rogersville @ McDonald County — The Mustangs have been a tough outing to start the season and got a 34-14 win over Marshfield this week. Logan-Rogersville challenged Lamar for a bit. This could be a fun one to watch.
Week 2 Springfield area high school football results
Thursday
Republic 41, Ozark 14
Sarcoxie 40, Clever 6
Joplin 28, Willard 14
Mount Vernon 42, Monett 7
Friday
Kickapoo 38, Camdenton 21
Lebanon 56, Hillcrest 7
Waynesville 21, Parkview 6
West Plains 21, Glendale 7
Fair Grove 54, Central 10
Seneca 62, Catholic 0
Nixa 46, Neosho 17
Lamar 34, Logan-Rogersville 14
Ava 38, Strafford 7
Bolivar 35, Rolla 0
Branson 28, Carthage 14
Webb City 47, Carl Junction 28
Nevada 46, Reeds Spring 19
Cassville 22, Aurora 19
Ash Grove 20, Lighthouse 18
Marionville 70, Willow Springs 6
Diamond 51, Pierce City 14
Stockton 54, Miller 8
Mountain Grove 28, El Dorado Springs 8
Forsyth 42, Buffalo 20
Cabool 52, Skyline 6
East Newton 20, Hollister 18
Houston 55, Fayette 6
McDonald County 34, Marshfield 14
Adrian 46, Mountain View 28
Week 3 schedule
Thursday
West Plains @ Hillcrest
Friday
Lebanon @ Kickapoo
Glendale @ Rolla
Parkview @ Bolivar
Central @ Fort Scott (Kansas)
Reeds Spring @ Catholic
Carthage @ Nixa
Ozark @ Joplin
Fair Grove @ Skyline
St. Francis Borgia @ Strafford
Webb City @ Republic
Branson @ Willard
Logan-Rogersville @ McDonald County
Waynesville @ Camdenton
Aurora @ Mount Vernon
Ava @ Mountain Grove
Neosho @ Carl Junction
Cassville @ Seneca
Ash Grove @ Stockton
Nevada @ East Newton
Marshfield @ Hollister
Mountain View @ Thayer
Sarcoxie @ Pierce City
Lamar @ Monett
Diamond @ Russellville
Salem @ Houston
Clever @ Forsyth
El Dorado Springs @ Buffalo
Cabool @ Willow Springs
Saturday
Marionville @ Lighthouse
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 X at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the host of the weekly "Wyatt's World Podcast" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 2023 Springfield-area high school football takeaways from Week 2
