For the second straight week, Nixa is precariously perched atop the Class 6 District 3 standings.
It’s Week Nine, it’s time to finally pay attention to the Missouri State High Schools Activities Association’s District standings.
Nixa (7-1) is seeded first with 43.79 points, per MSHSAA’s intricate playoff points system. Lee’s Summit North (7-1) is seeded second with 43.62 points and Joplin (7-1) is third with 40.41 points.
Nixa is seeded higher than Joplin, despite losing at Joplin 28-25 in Week Two. It’s worth noting, too, that up to this juncture, Joplin has played a tougher schedule than Nixa. Joplin’s eight opponents are a combined 32-32, while Nixa’s eight foes are 25-39.
Joplin and Nixa will finish with a much more balanced strength of schedule, as they complete COC play this week. Joplin entertains Neosho (1-7), while Nixa entertains Carthage (8-0).
Margins of victory and defeat presumably are why MSHSAA has Nixa holding a commanding lead of more than three points on Joplin in the District standings.
Nixa has won its seven games by a combined 172 points, to go along with its three-point loss to Joplin. Meanwhile, Joplin has won its seven games by a combined 162 points, to go along with a 12-point loss at the hands of Carthage.
Interestingly, of the six COC teams both Nixa and Joplin have met and beaten thus far, Joplin owns a higher margin of victory than Nixa against four teams.
Nixa is fighting for a three-way tie atop the COC and is also hoping for a three-way tie at the top of the District standings.
If Nixa, Lee’s Summit North and Joplin all are 8-1, the points system will decide the top three seeds. If Nixa and Joplin are tied with the same record at 8-1 and Lee’s Summit North falls to 7-2, Joplin will be seeded higher than Nixa based on the teams’ head-to-head matchup.
Upsets would have to occur for any of the three seeds to finish first alone. Joplin will be heavily favored to take care of Neosho and Lee’s Summit North meets Lee’s Summit West (4-4).
If the District standings stay intact, Nixa will host eighth-seeded Ozark (2-6) in the opening round.
Defending state champion Raymore-Peculiar (6-2) is currently seeded fourth.
A No. 1 District seed could lead Nixa to hosting eight, or even nine games this season. The higher seed will be at home for each round of Districts. The semifinal round will also be played at a home site.
Nixa has won nine home games in a row, or 10 to be technical. The Eagles were awarded a win by forfeit due to COVID-19 quarantine efforts at Lee’s Summit North in what was to be a home District game last year.
Class 6 District 3 Standings
1. Nixa 7-1, 43.79; 2. Lee’s Summit North 7-1, 43.62; 3. Joplin 7-1, 40.41; 4. Raymore-Peculiar 6-2 36.22; 5. Lee’s Summit West 4-4, 31.84; 6. Kickapoo 4-4, 31.26; 7. Lee’s Summit 3-5, 26-76; 8. Ozark 2-6, 22.55.
