Eagles Tigers enter bye week as Districts get under way

Published 4:07 am Monday, October 26, 2026

All of Ozark’s players will experience a week of in-season practices without it being a game week for the first time in their careers.

The Tigers are enjoying a first-round Districts bye for the first time since 2019, or when senior wide receiver Jett Easley was a fifth-grader and his older brother, Jace, was a freshman for the Tigers.

Matter of fact, this is Ozark’s first bye as a Class 6 playoff participant. In 2019, the Tigers were the No. 2 seed in Class 5 District 6.

That was the last year as Class 5 schools on the gridiron for both Ozark and Nixa.

This season, Nixa (8-1) is the No. 1 seed in Class 6 District 5 and Ozark (4-5) the No. 2 seed. No. 3 Joplin (3-6) also gets a bye.

The Tigers are looking forward to what two weeks of preparation can mean for them in regard to bringing out their best for a semifinal home date with Joplin.

“It’s going to do us good,” left tackle Isaiah Collins said. “We’re going to get rest and come back feeling good. (In practices), we’re going to get our technique down. If we can correct some small details, I feel we can be unstoppable in some places.”

“It’s great for this to happen my senior year,” tight end/defensive end Hendrix Haymes said. “Guys have energy and are focused. We’ve got everything we need to get to the District final.”

Nixa is accustomed to a first-round bye. This is the fourth straight season the Eagles have received a bye and the fifth straight season they are a District No. 1 seed.

Nixa’s semifinal opponent will be the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 4 Kickapoo (2-7) and No. 5 Waynesville (0-9).

Veterans like safety Reed Wilson know the importance of rest, as well as to stay focused.

“We are going to take some time off and let our bodies heal,” Wilson said. “It’s not going to be too complicated. We’ve got to stay on track. Our main goal is a state championship. We’re getting in shape for that.”
The Eagles are motivated to go after their fourth straight District title and chase after their program’s first state championship, after runner-finishes each of the past two years.

“We’re going to get one percent better every day,” wide receiver Carter Mabe said. “We’re going to practice all day every day.”

Jays No. 2 seed in Class 2 District 4

After a one-year stint in Class 3, Clever (7-2) returns to Class 2 and is the Class 2 District 4 No. 2 seed.

The Jays will be home this week for a first-round contest with No. 7 El Dorado Springs (2-7).

Other Class 2 District 4 first-round matchups will include No. 6 Stockton (3-6) at No. 3 East Newton (3-6) and No. 5 Sarcoxie (5-4) at No. 4 Warsaw (4-5).

No. 1 Lamar (9-0) receives a bye. The Tigers are 10-time state champions.

With a first-round win, Clever will also be at home in the semifinal round.