Big 8 is Loaded for a Big Season

By Jared Lankford

There is an old saying that there are only two things for certain in this life, death and taxes.

The Big 8 football Conference is pushing to add a third staple to this cliché. For the fourth consecutive year, a team from the legendary conference claimed a state championship.

Last season produced several memorable games: Lamar’s wild win in the state title and Monett’s thrilling win over Cassville for a district crown, just to name a couple.

Before every season, sports fans and experts pour over notes, rosters and off-the-record conversations in order to predict how teams will hold up over the course of the grueling season.

While it is impossible to accurately predict every twist and turn a single team will undergo, let alone an entire conference, I have given my best effort in predicting how I think the conference will finish.

The Big 8 Conference has established itself as one of the premier football conferences in Missouri. Six of its eight members have state championship banners hanging on their wall.

Lamar reached the title peak last season for the second consecutive year. It is not unthinkable that the Tigers will advance to the Class 2 title tilt again this season.

Monett shocked the entire state when they reached the Class 3 semifinals to end the 2013 campaign.

Seneca, Cassville, Aurora, Mt. Vernon, East Newton and Monett will duke it out in the district playoffs again this season. Whoever emerges from that district will have a great opportunity to reach the semifinals again.

The 2013-14 Big 8 Conference schedule is as tough as ever. Each member has reasons to hope for success and reasons to be concerned.

I believe the conference can be broken down into three tiers. That is not to say that a team in the second or third tier is overly inferior to the top schools but merely has more obstacles to overcome to reach the top of this sports editor’s list.

• Tier one: Lamar, Cassville and Seneca.

• Tier two: Carl Junction, Monett and Aurora.

• Tier three: Mt. Vernon and East Newton.

Lamar

Claiming a second state title last year was only a small step in the right direction for this Tigers’ program. Coach Scott Bailey and his staff are trying to develop a sustained tradition and culture of success at Lamar.

The Tigers’ have grown into a “Brotherhood.” Several Big 8 coaches will be happy to see the Bailey brothers (Sam and Ben) graduate.

Reason for hope: Depth is a huge strength for this year’s Tigers squad with 18 returning full-time and five part-time starters that garnered 38 All-Conference, All-District and All-State awards. It is their conference title to lose. They have a deadly combination of size with speed.

Reason for concern: Lamar could very easily be the conference champion this season.

However, the Tigers had two conference blemishes last season: A lopsided loss to Cassville and a turnover plagued defeat against Seneca. This season, Lamar hosts Cassville in the third week of the season. It should be a barnburner.

Cassville

The Wildcats finished the season with an 11-1 record and notched another conference and finished second in the district playoffs.

Cassville, although the defending Big 8 Conference champs, lost a tremendous amount of leadership to graduation.

Year in and year out the Wildcats find ways to win football games. Until proven otherwise they will hover at the top of the Big 8 standings.

Reason for hope: The Wildcats return nine total starters. Don’t let Wildcat coach Lance Parnell’s charm fool you. He knows how to prepare the Black and Gold and put them in positions to win games. 

Reasons for concern: The Wildcats lost a lot of beef on the offensive and defensive lines to graduation.

It is hard for your skill position speedsters to wreak havoc with limited blocking.

Seneca

The Indians are poised for a breakout season. They are one of the scariest offensive teams in the conference.

With 12 returning starters, including the nucleus of their potent offense, the Indians could challenge for a conference title.

Reason for hope: With two full years of the Dan Scheible coaching system under their belt and a large number of key returning starters, the Indians will be dangerous.

The Indians scored 40 or more points in five contests last year.

Seneca also has one of the best two-way linemen in the Big 8 in Mac Yust.

Reason for concern: Seneca has a small roster, and football is a numbers game. As injuries take their toll, the Indians will be hard pressed to find replacements to fill in for the starters.

Carl Junction

The Bulldogs are one of the hardest teams to predict in the conference.

Carl Junction has the intangibles (size, speed and numbers) to walk over any team in this conference. Yet the Red and Black has struggled being the biggest fish in the Big 8 pond.

Reason for hope: With the largest enrollment in the Big 8, Carl Junction can continue to try to wear down teams with two platoons each game to secure victory.

They have the size and speed to match up with anyone in the conference.

Reason for concern: The Bulldogs are short on success. Murphy’s Law seems to doom this team in most conference tilts.

Monett

The Cubs reached the Class 3 semifinals last season when no one outside of Chad Depée’s clubhouse thought they could.

Monett has several question marks at the offensive skill positions. But they have a talented junior class that could surprise several teams.

Reason for hope: Coach Depée and his staff have pulled rabbits out of their collective hats for three consecutive years. With an extra month of practice from last season’s playoff push and the raw talent the Cubs posses, Monett will not be a push over.

Reason for concern: The Cubs are still thin on the offensive and defensive lines. Speed and skill can’t help your team if there is not any blocking. Monett’s has to gel as a collective unit for them to be successful

Aurora

The Aurora Houn’ Dawgs are turning to their youth to help lift this team into the upper tier of the Big 8.

Despite taking a small step backwards last season with a 3-7 record the Dawgs are looking to climb the conference power ranking.

Aurora is young at the skill positions but well coached.

Reason for hope: The Houn’ Dawgs are going to be big and physical and control the line of scrimmage. They have one of the biggest offensive and defensive lines in the Big 8.

If the Houn’ Dawg trench men gel as a unit the team could skyrocket up this list.

Reason for concern: Aurora is very inexperienced at the skill positions. They may be a year or two away from ruling the conference.

Mt. Vernon

The Mountaineers are a big question mark in the Big 8 this year and not for the reason you would think.

Second year coach Ozzie Riley has brought a new energy and excitement to the proud program.

Mt. Vernon hopes that Riley’s energy translates onto the field.

Reason for hope: Quarterback Alex Hausman is healthy. He is a versatile athlete that keeps plays alive and makes good decisions with the ball.

Everyone knows exactly what Riley expects this season and they are working hard to be successful.

Reason for concern: The Mountaineers lost a tremendous amount of talent to graduation.

Last year’s seniors were involved in 90 percent of all of the Green and White’s plays. If the youth doesn’t step up, it may be a long season for Mt. Vernon.

East Newton

The Patriots went 0-10 last year and have fallen on hard times. Size, numbers and coaching changes have hurt East Newton’s ability to return to the success of the 1990s.

However, Seth Johnson, in his second year at the helm, is building a solid foundation of talent in Granby.

Reason for hope: Johnson has his team buying into what he wants to establish in the program. He makes things fun his players and they never quit.

Reason for concern: East Newton will hang around for two to three quarters in every game. However, fatigue and lack of enough players will spell trouble for this Red, White and Blue team.