Scouting Ozark's Week Four home contest Friday with Willard:
This could be a matchup that determines the working man's COC Coach of The Year recipient. Through three weeks, Willard's Frank Tristan and Ozark's Jeremy Cordell are to be commended for shifting their programs upward. ...
Already, Willard (2-1) has bettered its win total from 2022 and 2021. ...
Just last year, Willard looked like a program years away from being competitive, while giving up an average of 47.3 points a game. This season, Willard's nightly norm defensively is 18.3 points. ...
Willard enjoyed a 28-21 Week One win against Neosho and a 21-6 Week Three triumph versus Branson. ...
Ozark (1-2) hasn't won at home since a Week Nine victory versus Carl Junction in 2021. ...
Ozark running back Jack Bowers' three-game rushing totals include 53 carries for 315 yards. He's trying to become the Tigers' first 1,000-yard 'back since Tylr Bolin ran for 1,097 yards in 2020. ...
Ozark linebacker Parker Elliott has garnered 17 solo stops, one TFL and forced two fumbles to begin his junior year. ...
In Willard's two wins, quarterback Russell Roweton has completed 21-of-37 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. He averaged 20.4 yards on his seven completions against Branson. ...
Roweton was 144-of-268 passing for 2.074 yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago. He's thrown 15 interceptions dating back to the start of last season. ...
Roweton has received an offer from Evangel. His father, Brock, is a former Willard head coach. ...
Ozark assistant and former Evangel QB Dyllan Decker's favorite target at Evangel was NAIA All-American Dillon Hester. Dillon's brother, Dallas, is a Willard assistant. ...
Willard assistant Jonathan Huskisson returned to his alma mater to join Tristan's staff this season, after being an assistant at Ozark a year ago. ...
Willard hasn't had a winning season since going 7-5 in 2017. ...
Ozark has outscored Willard 92-0 in the teams' last two meetings and has won their last three matchups. From 2017-2019, Willard won all three of the teams' contests.
