Missouri High School Football 6A Playoff Semifinal Update

Written by Charlie Beuttel

Twitter: @charlie_cds3

Three weeks ago the Missouri 6A playoffs started with 32 teams, now there are just four left standing as the semifinals kick off this Friday night to find out who will play for the state championship in St. Louis on November 27.

The four teams remaining Blue Springs South, Kirkwood, Kickapoo and Christian Brothers College have a combined record of 55-1 and have all earned their spot in the semifinals by putting up great performances in the playoffs and have the players to lead them to the title.

Blue Springs South @ Kirkwood

Blue Springs South won their quarterfinal matchup by defeating Francis Howell, 46-28. The Jaguars are having a great season after only winning 11 games combined in the past two seasons. Their offense is scoring 39.5 points a game but have averaged 50 points in their three previous playoff game this season. The leaders of their explosive offense is senior dual-threat quarterback Noah Nigro (5’11”, 175 pounds) and senior running back Adam Cofield, (5’11”, 205 pounds). Two other offensive weapons are senior wide receivers Rickey Nichols (6’1”, 160 pounds) and Briley Moore (6’4”, 215 pounds).

The Jaguars defense is only giving up 16.2 points a game but in their three playoff games, against tougher competition, opponents are scoring on average 18 points a game. One of the leaders of this lockdown defense is senior defensive back Jacob Lamb (6’0”, 175 pound) who has over 100 total tackles this season. Another leader is junior linebacker Collin West (6’0”, 180 pounds) who has over 80 total tackles. Cofield not only excels at running back but also at linebacker where he also has over 80 total tackles.

Kirkwood won their matchup last week in the quarterfinals by escaping past Eureka, 28-21. This is the second consecutive year that the Pioneers have reached the semifinals after falling to Christian Brothers College last year, 55-10. Kirkwood’s offense is scoring 32 points a game this season but has scored on average 34 points in their three playoff games. One of the leaders of this offense is Missouri commit, athlete Jerod Alton (5’10”, 178 pounds). Junior quarterback Blake Goddard (5’11”, 194 pounds) is the other leader of the Pioneers offense.

The Pioneers defense is giving up 14 points a game this season but in their three playoff games they are only letting opponents score 13 points a game. One of the leaders of this lockdown defensive unit is linebacker Luke Lowery (6’2”, 210 pounds). Another leader in the front seven is senior defensive end Chiquan Miller (6’3”, 235 pounds).

Kickapoo @ Christian Brothers College

Kickapoo beat Blue Springs in the quarterfinals, 45-31, and will take the long trip this week from Springfield to St. Louis to take on Christian Brothers College. The Chiefs have scored over 43 points a game this year but just 33 points a game in the playoffs. The two leaders of the offense are junior quarterback Chris Lawson (6’1”, 205 points) and senior running back Malachi Stout (5’6”, 170 pounds). Another offensive weapon is senior wide receiver Mason Pack (6’0”, 185 pounds).

Kickapoo’s defense is giving up 19.3 points a game this year but opponents have scored 20 points a game against them in the playoffs. The leader of the Chiefs defense is linebacker Tre Woodring (6’0”, 180 pounds) who has 121 total tackles this season. Another defensive star is senior defensive lineman Christian Blevins (6’0”, 205 pounds) who leads the team with eight sacks.

Christian Brothers College had a perfect season in 2014 as they won the 6A championship and are looking to repeat in 2015. The Cadets are scoring over 52 points a game this year and have talented stars all over the field. Senior running backs Tre Bryant (5’10”, 198 pounds), whose committed to Nebraska, and Lamar Anderson (5’10”, 185 pounds) have the athleticism to break any run for a touchdown and senior receiver Roddrick Bryant (6’3”, 190 pounds) has the ability to make tough catches and snag any ball thrown in his direction.

The Cadets defense is giving up on average nine points a game and has only let five opponents get into double digits this year. One impressive stat is that they have shutout their opponents in the last two playoff games. One of the leaders of this unit is senior defensive back Rashon Davis (5’11”, 165 pounds) who already has ten division one offers. Another key defensive leader is senior defensive end Nick Wheeler (6’1”, 210 pounds) who has ten sacks this season.

Both semifinal games this Friday will be exciting to watch as these four teams battle it out for a chance to be named Missouri 6A state champions!

Photo credit: usatodayhss.com; Kickapoo QB Chris Lawson escapes a sack last week against Blue Springs