Semifinal showdowns — Ozark, Nixa and Joplin all playing at home Friday
Published 4:15 pm Tuesday, November 3, 2026
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Even as fellow COC members, Ozark and Joplin coaches have been digging for scouting reports on each other, given their lack of a recent history together.
The Tigers and Eagles are meeting this week in a Class 6 District semifinal for the first time since Sept. 8, 2023. Inexplicably and some would even add inexcusably, the COC braintrust did not match up Ozark and Joplin, as well as Nixa and Neosho, in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Ozark and Nixa, along with Nixa and Joplin, have played each other seven times since the last Ozark-Joplin meeting.
“They’re a team we’re not super familiar with lately,” Tigers wide receiver Jett Easley said of the Eagles. “The good thing is they’re not super familiar with us, either.”
Joplin (3-6) has been a bit hard to figure from week to week.
The Eagles snuck by Kickapoo 14-10 in Week One and in Week Three they lost to Lebanon 34-32.
In contrast, Joplin gave Nixa a close scare, 30-27, in Week Two and lost by identical 42-35 scores to both Neosho and Webb City.
Joplin quarterback Trenton McCadney threw for 191 yards and rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns versus Nixa. Two weeks ago against Webb City, McCadney ran for 100 yards and was 11-of-17 passing for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
Joplin is likely on the verge of its second straight losing season, after previously not having a losing season since 2013.
Eagles host Waynesville, after Tigers end losing streak
The other Class 6 District 5 semifinal finds No. 1 seed Nixa (8-1) hosting No. 5 seed Waynesville (1-8).
Waynesville is fresh from ending a 33-game losing streak by downing Kickapoo 35-25.
The Eagles beat the Tigers 63-7 last month.
Big Eight members in between Jays and District title
Clever’s remaining Class 2 District 4 road figures to go through Big Eight members East Newton and Lamar. The No. 2 seed Jays (7-3) host No. 3 seed East Newton (4-6) in a semifinal this week.
In the other semifinal, top-seeded Lamar (9-0) hosts No. 4 seed Sarcoxie (6-4).
“We had a joint practice scrimmage with (East Newton) in June and they kind of gave us fits. We also went to Seneca in the summer for a practice,” Whitehead said. “I wanted us to see what Big Eight football is like. You look at the tradition all the schools have. I believe it’s one of the best, if not the best, football conference in SWMO. It’s good to play good competition. In Week 11, it’s good on good and fun to be a part of.”
“(East Newton’s) record doesn’t really reflect how good of a team they are,” defensive end Brayden Flood said.
“In the Big Eight, you get a lot of good teams that don’t have good records because the conference is so loaded,” wide receiver Trenton Allen added. “Lamar is Lamar. But we’ve got to ready for East Newton.”
