10 bold predictions heading into the 2024 Springfield area high school football season

It is now three weeks to the start of the 2024 high school football in southwest Missouri. And, thus, we present to you our predictions going into the year. 
 
Below are ten fearless predictions before the start of the new season. 
 
Jackson Cantwell of Nixa will be awarded News-Leader Player of the year 
 
We have awarded this award to quarterbacks, running backs, and linebackers when we revived this award in 2020, but no lineman on the offense or defensive line has received this title. But we wouldn’t be the least bit shocked if that changes in the next to years with Nixa’s superstar, the offensive tackle. Cantwell is coming off a season he did not surrender a sack; he has improved since then. It could be that the number two junior prospect in the nation is one of the most special being the leader of one of the most special offensive lines that have come out of the area. That should place him in line to win the honor. 
 
Cash Pomeroy will take Marionville to the second successive unbeaten campaign, state championship 
 
Pomeroy is a special athlete, and it is my opinion that he would be a marvelous player no matter what team he were playing at. He just happens to play at the Class 1 level where we don’t think anyone will be able to stop him from conquering another championship. Comets have really established a young roster geared for the next two years and we believe it is just the beginning for the team. 
 
The area will be led by Central’s Trevor Wilson in sacks for the second time in three years 
 
Wilson has have achieved 10 sacks in each of the previous two seasons. Frankly, we have a hunch he’s going to do it again here, though he’ll be facing a far more difficult slate the Bulldogs are accustomed to at this point. I don’t know how future opponents of these is going to cope with him, he’s a tremendously hard worker and someone opposing offensive lines is going to need to be ready for. 
 
Former members of the Ozark Conference will experience first year jinx in the Central Ozark Conference 
 
The most interesting event that will occur in the 2024 season concerns the shift across the Ozark conferences. Major attention is going to be given to the Central Ozark Conference after they have attracted few of the finest programs in the Ozark Conference. For several seasons now the COC has arguably been the best league, the teams that are in it are accustomed to the hardest competition every week. Former COC teams will dominate over the former OC programs with Nixa, Webb City, Carthage, Republic, and Joplin defeating other teams like Lebanon, Kickapoo, and Glendale. Thus, the team we believe will make the earliest noise is Lebanon given what it brings to the table. 
 
Webb city will make it back to state championship 
 
The Cardinals suffered a one loss in the state semifinals last year to Republic with a sophomore quarterback as a leader. Although that is their star quarterback who will be out for the entire season able to recover, we will not have any question on the Cardinals’ ability of compensating this loss and have a great season all the same. The state’s best program is set up to make a run over the next two years and while the Eagles may be the favorites, it wouldn’t be a shock if it happens this year with what it will bring back and how the Cardinals have been coached. 
 
Parker Elliott of Ozark will wind up at a Missouri Valley Football Conference squad 
 
Fate of someone with his skills and experience is not to be so you can be sure that Elliott will land somewhere soon. Regardless if it is for Southern Illinois, Illinois State or Murray State, he could fit the typical Missouri Valley Football Conference player mold. He would have been at least a player to watch at Missouri State but the Bears’ recent conference change to Conference USA make their targets more uncertain and the Bears as a whole tend to be more likely to look to the portal for linebackers rather than developing them which Elliott will need at the next level. He is a definite hardworking and skillful player a linebacker precisely and should get a place in Division I. 
 
Its Ava’s Hunter Adams will establish a leadership position in the running department of the area. 
 
It was quite cheering to watch Adams play last year despite coming off a blown-out knee and a fractured femur. They included a performance of 1,712 rushing yards, the output of an amazing freshman year that gave 1,174 rushing yards. It could be said that when he occupies the soccer field, there are hardly any better footballers than him. This one of football’s fondest misconceptions, and Ava must have at least half a dozen backs who should touch the ball but nobody more than Adams. Don’t be shocked if he gets over 2,000 yards this year and is the area leader. 
 
The West Plains outranks the other opponents and will clinch the first Ozark Mountain Conference championship. 
 
The Zizzers seem ideal to snatch the first Ozark Mountain Conference title because of how much it recalls and what it faces in the league games. It will be interesting to see how the top-tier Ozark Conference program performs against a developing Branson team from the COC that will also include Carl Junction which experienced its poorest years in the COC. Huron has a very good quarterback, He has a talented runner, Isaiah Jones too, in addition to big, physical linemen like Jaxon Hunter. West Plains is always one of the top teams in the region and it would not be quite far stretched to expect it to clinch the first OMC championship. 
 
Fair Grove will edge past Reeds Spring to complete another Mid-Lakes title 
 
The inclusion of the Reeds Spring program present a worthy foe to Fair Grove which is coming off a state semifinal performance and most of its skill position players are expected back. Coaches picked Fair Grove to beat the Wolves before possibly making another long run in the playoffs. Kellen Lair will remain an imprint for the Eagles; the combination of Spensar Seiger and Bryden Baxter is also available. Great things are expected out of Brock Bruner this year and a new face in the linebacking department should be Kolton Klindworth. Unfortunately Reeds Spring has much to replace as the star quarterback wide receiving tandem of Blandy Burall and James Dowdy have graduated. Cout of course the Wolves will be in the mix soon. 
 
This year, Alex Wilkerson, the stump plunging LMU pirate, will be the First Team All-Ozarks QB. 
 
This means that, if Wilkerson were to have been fit for the whole of last season, he would probably have been among contenders for any postseason reward as both a quarter back and defender. He got healthy right in time to lead Lamar to a state championship. If he remains on the field we believe Wilkerson will receive postseason honors on both offense and defense. None of the observers would finds it as a surprise to see them contest for another state-title.