<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3aUW1V_0vlLTTUE00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3aUW1V_0vlLTTUE00" width="1725" height="1202" ><figcaption>Boonville wide receiver Landon Conz catches a pass against Clinton on Aug. 30 in Boonville. The Pirates take on Blair Oaks at 7 p.m. Friday at Blair Oaks High School. Elizabeth Frysztak/Missourian</figcaption></figure>Boonville football has jumped out to a 4-0 start in its 2024 campaign, including a pair of wins in Tri-County Conference play. The Pirates next face their toughest challenge yet — two-time defending TCC champion Blair Oaks.The Falcons enter Friday with a 16-game conference winning streak that dates back to 2021 season.“They’re good, they’re well-coached, they have tradition, they have strong success and they have pride,” Boonville coach Greg Hough said.Blair Oaks has had the upper hand in this clash of late, winning eight of its last nine games against Boonville. The Pirates’ lone victory during that stretch was a 41-35 triumph in 2021.“These kids have been a part of a team that’s beat Blair Oaks,” Hough said. “These kids were freshmen the last time we beat Blair Oaks. They’ve seen it be done.”Senior quarterback Evan Bishop and freshman wide receiver Landon Conz’s strong connection has contributed to Boonville’s red-hot start.Bishop has accounted for 11 total touchdowns and thrown just two interceptions. Conz leads the Pirates with 12 catches, 313 yards and five touchdowns through the first four games.“We’ve been able to make some big plays, and three out of the four games this year we’ve scored on the last play before half,” Hough said. “We’ve been able to execute when our backs are against the wall, in fight-or-flight situations.”The Class 3 top-ranked Falcons rely on a potent rushing offense, led by running backs Brady Dapkus and Hayden Lackman along with dual-threat QB Tyler Bax.“Those guys (have) got a lot of experience,” Hough said. “(Their) new weapon in Dapkus is on the field for them this year. He’s one of the better athletes in the whole conference.”Blair Oaks’ offensive line has played a key role in its success.“Their offensive line is very good. Something that Blair Oaks as a program has always traditionally prided themselves on is being able to platoon their offensive line and defensive line,” Hough said. “To be honest, we’ve copied that a little bit.”Boonville takes pride in the play of its defense. The Pirates held Southern Boone to just three points in their Week 4 victory. Five Boonville players have tallied an interception, and junior defensive end Clayton Schuster has five sacks this season.“Our defense is probably the group that has done the best for us this year. (It has) put us in situations to win ballgames,” Hough said. “At the end of the day, a lot of championship football teams are based on great defense and being able to run the football.”Friday’s matchup will go a long way in determining who sits atop the TCC at season’s end.Class 3 No. 9 Boonville (4-0, 2-0) and Class 3 No. 1 Blair Oaks (3-1, 2-0) square off at 7 p.m. Friday in Jefferson City.<h2>South Callaway’s big rebound</h2>South Callaway (2-2) did not start the season on a high note.The Bulldogs dropped their opening contests 20-8 and 36-6 to North Callaway (3-1) and Hermann (4-0), respectively. A reinvigoration was needed, and it happened.The Bulldogs secured a 28-13 road win over Lexington (1-3) and followed it up with a dominant 35-19 home victory over Montgomery County (0-4).“I’ve been really, really happy with our kids and how they’ve accepted the challenge,” coach Stephen Wisch said. “We talked after we lost to Hermann. What had been going on wasn’t acceptable. We have a higher standard as a team, our community has a higher standard and our kids have a higher standard for themselves. Our kids did a great job of staying together and getting better together.”Part of the rebound has been returning to the type of team the Bulldogs have wanted to be all along. Against North Callaway and Hermann, some of South Callaway’s strongest traits were neutralized; over the past couple of weeks, they proved to be the driving factors en route to wins.“Our kids are doing an amazing job of preparing throughout the week,” Wisch said, “really trying to take a lot of pride in being physical and just trying to get back to the basics of who we are. We’re gonna run the football. On defense, we’re gonna tackle well. Offensively, we’re gonna block, we’re gonna run hard.”Wisch also noticed an uptick in intensity from his team, another major reason for South Callaway climbing out of an 0-2 start.“Our kids were putting in the work, but now it’s really understanding that it’s not enough just to go through the motions,” Wisch said. “That’s where better energy comes from. That’s where more fun comes from. If you just go through the motions, that’s not very fun.”The Bulldogs will hit the road for the third time in five games when they compete in a road tilt against Russellville (2-2) at 7 p.m. Friday.It won’t just be any other road trip for Wisch. He’ll be facing his former boss and current Russellville coach Tim Rulo, who held the same position at South Callaway.Wisch was an assistant under Rulo with the Bulldogs. During Rulo’s seven seasons in Mokane, the Bulldogs went 66-19 — including an appearance in the Class 2 title game a decade ago.Several members of the South Callaway coaching staff — including Wisch — played for Rulo or worked under him, and so did the older siblings of some current Bulldogs players.“We know they’re gonna scheme us up really well,” Wisch said. “They really understand what we’re about. For us, it’s pushing to that next level. Can we focus on what we do and try to be a better version of us?”<h2>Jefferson City, Capital City face off in an intracity battle</h2>Jefferson City and Capital City look to gain ground in the Central Missouri Activities Conference standings Friday.The Jays are fresh off their first conference win under first-year coach Eric Thomas, fending off a fourth-quarter charge from Smith-Cotton in a 35-28 victory. Senior running back Tavien Davis tallied three rushing touchdowns in the win over the Tigers.Class 5 No. 8 Capital City hopes to get back on track after a 25-13 loss to Rock Bridge.Running back Jaylen Thomas has been dominant thus far in 2024. The Capital City junior has rushed for more than 600 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging more than 9 yards per carry on the season.Fellow junior Evan Schaffer provides the Cavaliers with a dual-threat option at quarterback. Schaffer has thrown for four touchdowns and rushed for another four.Capital City’s defense is headlined by a pair of seniors in linebacker Matthew Wiegland and defensive back Bryant Burton. Wiegland leads the team with 36 tackles, while Burton has secured two interceptions and a fumble recovery this season.Jefferson City is 3-1 against the Cavaliers since the programs became CMAC rivals in 2020. Capital City scored a 28-7 victory in its last home game against the Jays in 2022.The Cavaliers (3-1, 2-1) host Jefferson City (2-2, 1-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in Jefferson City.Homecoming football returns to LinnFootball games have been synonymous with homecoming since the early 19th century, when the American tradition originated. Even before Mizzou’s well-documented Homecoming contest against Kansas in 1911, Northern Illinois football would play games against alumni, which started in 1903, per the university’s website.Prior to 2024, Linn High School hadn’t experienced a homecoming game for its varsity football team since 1976 because there was no varsity football team. But when the Wildcats were revived in 2022 — with the help of donations from State Technical College — the vision of homecoming football at the school became a lot clearer.Now, playing its first varsity season after two years at the junior varsity level, homecoming football is officially back at Linn.After a 30-0 shutout victory against Missouri Military Academy (0-3) last week, the Wildcats will host Fayette (0-4).Kickoff for Linn and Fayette is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday in Linn.<h2>Southern Boone looks for ranked win versus Dexter</h2>Boonville vs. Blair Oaks isn’t the only ranked matchup in Class 3 this week. No. 10 Southern Boone hits the road for a matchup with No. 3 Dexter.The Eagles look to rebound after suffering their first loss of the season to the Pirates last week. After kicking a field goal on the opening drive, Southern Boone was held scoreless throughout the remainder of the contest.Dexter utilizes a run-heavy offense. The Bearcats have rushed for more than 300 yards per game this season. Senior running back Jett Grams leads the way, rushing for 533 yards and eight scores.The Eagles’ defensive front looks to contain the Bearcats’ dominant rushing attack. Senior defensive lineman Aidan Yung has racked up 33 tackles, five tackles for loss and five sacks through the first four games of 2024.Both defenses enter Week 5 playing at a high level. Southern Boone followed up back-to-back shutouts by holding Boonville to 13 points.Dexter has given up just 15 points the entire season and held New Madrid County Central and East Prairie scoreless in its last two games with scores of 40-0 and 36-0, respectively.The Eagles (3-1) look to hand the Bearcats (4-0) their first loss of the season at 7 p.m. Friday in Dexter.<h2>Mark Twain looks to snap losing streak at Wright City</h2>Friday will provide a major opportunity for a midseason boost for either Mark Twain (1-3) or Wright City (2-2).After a Week 1 victory over Highland, the Tigers have lost three straight. The silver lining behind these losses is that two of them were by one possession. They fell 10-6 to Salisbury (3-1) in Week 2 and gave Class 1 No. 6 Van-Far its biggest scare of the season last week (28-26).The Wildcats have also endured their fair share of struggles so far, but one of the main reasons for the team’s .500 start is that they’ve already played Class 4 No. 7 Warrenton (4-0) and Class 2 No. 2 Bowling Green (4-0). Wright City held the Warriors to their lowest point total since November 2022 despite the 17-7 loss in Week 1.The Tigers look to reverse the recent series history between these two teams, as the Wildcats have won the last two games 42-6 and 21-6, respectively.Kickoff between Mark Twain and Wright City is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Wright City.</div></body>

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Ranked showdowns and redemption headline Week 5 of high school football in mid-Missouri

Boonville football has jumped out to a 4-0 start in its 2024 campaign, including a pair of wins in Tri-County Conference play. The Pirates next face their toughest challenge yet — two-time defending TCC champion Blair Oaks. The Falcons enter Friday with a 16-game conference winning streak that dates...

Ranked showdowns and redemption headline Week 5 of high school football in mid-Missouri

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