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High school football teams in southwest Missouri that are still unknown
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High school football teams in southwest Missouri that are still unknown

We’ve revealed who we think will be state championship contenders in 2024, but we also believe there are a number of teams that are still underrated.

Whether people jumped ship because they saw the number of graduates or because they were guided by the history of dominance of some players at the top of some conferences, we believe there are a few teams that will spring a surprise once the season begins.

We have put together a selection of the teams we rate highly and the teams we think we should rate even higher at the start of the season:

Mount Vernon

The Mountaineers have come a long way since their 1-10 season in 2021. They have made great strides each year, reaching a 10-2 record in 2023 after losing to state runner-up Seneca in the district championship.

Mount Vernon should be in a good position to make its first title appearance since 2017. It has stars on both sides of the ball in quarterback Gavin Johnston and standout two-way player Braden Dodson. The defense has allowed fewer than 20 points per game over the past two seasons.

More: All of our 2024 Missouri State high school football preseason coverage in one place

Mount Vernon will face challenges as the Big 8 divisions are now being combined into a single division. The schedule now guarantees games against Lamar, Seneca and Nevada each year. The Week 2 game at Seneca could be crucial to the Mountaineers’ postseason chances.

Nevada

The Tigers have strong players, but the biggest questions will be about their offensive line after area standout Talan Chandler left the team to play on Mizzou’s offensive line.

If the unit remains strong, Nevada should field a talented running back that will continue to make the Tigers a contender in the Big 8 and at the national level.

republic

Republic is coming off its best season in program history and should not be written off despite losing most of its standout players from last year.

It might take a while for Republic to find their stride and for inexperienced players to step into leadership roles, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Tigers get rolling by the end of the year.

More: Preview, predictions, best players and games for Central Ozark Conference high school football

Ryan Cornelsen has done an incredible job with this program since taking over before the 2021 season. His ball control will help the Tigers win some games they weren’t counted in to begin with. We’ll see how far the defense has to go when they travel to Nixa on opening night.

Seneca

Seneca could become one of the better, more consistent small-school programs in the state, and there’s no better time to prove it than right after a state appearance.

Seneca lost its starting backfield and a star linebacker to graduation. Strengthening the skill positions will be crucial, but there is still a lot of good about how Seneca has played consistently on offense over the past few seasons.

Webb City

The state’s top program suffered a major blow when starting quarterback Gabe Johnson was out for the year with a knee injury sustained while playing district basketball. The junior should have been one of the area’s best players and made the Cardinals a state favorite.

All hope is not lost for the Cardinals because, well, it’s still Webb City football. The Cardinals will be well coached, they will have a top-notch offensive line and they will be disciplined on defense. New stars will emerge and Webb City will be able to compete in the Central Ozark Conference West division.

More: 457 Southwest Missouri high school sports names to know heading into the 2024-25 school year

Western Plains

The Zizzers are considered favorites in the new Ozark Mountain Conference and could have enough potential to go far in the postseason.

West Plains has top players on both fronts and standout quarterback Isaiah Jones, who returns after his breakout season last season. The Zizzers have struggled defensively against the better teams in their schedule, allowing a total of 27 points per game, the most since 2016. Improvement in that area should lead to a longer run after being eliminated in the district semifinals last year.

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