Broadcast announcers said this is Mac’s first district title in their history
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Mac Co 40 Bolivar 21 Final
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First ever district championship for Mac . Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉
They had Webb, Carthage etc in their district for probably 20-25 years at least, probably longer.
True but they were terrible almost all those years so their district didn't matter
I said lookout for MC as a sleeper this year b4 season!
I'm happy for MC! Great season!
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The Big 8 has always been a very good league but has it ever been this good and deep????
I'll get on the phone tonight with Anvil Welch and we will double check. I need to call him and share about the McDonald County district championship so he can add it to his lengthy record books.
Unfortunately only record books I'm working on now are Carl Junction's. I'm sure Anvil will be able to grab his football book and find the last Nevada district football title.
Spoke with him Wednesday and we were trying to figure who played and did not play football during World War II in Southwest Missouri. I was finishing up Carl Junction's year by year scores and records for 1940's and found Carl Junction did not play from 1942-1945 but there were some schools that did.
Unfortunately only record books I'm working on now are Carl Junction's. I'm sure Anvil will be able to grab his football book and find the last Nevada district football title.
Spoke with him Wednesday and we were trying to figure who played and did not play football during World War II in Southwest Missouri. I was finishing up Carl Junction's year by year scores and records for 1940's and found Carl Junction did not play from 1942-1945 but there were some schools that did.
I believe 97 was a WC win over Nevada on the way to Coach Rod’s first state championship. I think 98 was a Nevada district championship after a 3 way tie at 2-1 in the old district model between WC, Nevada, and maybe Mac?
Yes Nevada won their district in 98 and lost in the next round to Branson 31-28.
It would appear the answer was found but I had called Anvil before I read the answer.
I spoke with him and he is going to check his record books and get back to me.
Remember, the MSHSAA playoffs for football began in 1968 so this season marks the 55th anniversary of postseason play in Missouri high school football. It may seem strange for a school/program to have never won a district title but when you take into account the past 55 years and the competition within the region, it’s plausible. It’s a positive for McDonald County and its athletic department. I was pleased a few years back when they started making improvements to the athletic venues. The student athletes deserved it and now they can start hanging some banners in the gymnasium too.
I spoke with him and he is going to check his record books and get back to me.
Remember, the MSHSAA playoffs for football began in 1968 so this season marks the 55th anniversary of postseason play in Missouri high school football. It may seem strange for a school/program to have never won a district title but when you take into account the past 55 years and the competition within the region, it’s plausible. It’s a positive for McDonald County and its athletic department. I was pleased a few years back when they started making improvements to the athletic venues. The student athletes deserved it and now they can start hanging some banners in the gymnasium too.
Well, Mr. Welch called me back and could confirm it was McDonald County’s first district championship.
He was checking from 1968-present and said he started laughing when he looked at the 1960’s. He was telling me about the Anderson High School Redbirds who had some good teams under head coach Mickey Heatherly (and anyone on this board from the Joplin area who doesn’t know Mickey, well, that’s your loss) and he said those teams just missed out on the playoff system. Anderson was 8-1 in 1965, Mickey’s last year there, they were 6-3 in 1964 and also had a winning record in 1963.
I asked about the 1998 Nevada district title and he said it’s strange because that season is missing from his book. Anvil had the Webb City and Southwest Conference beat at that time while I had Carl Junction and the entire Big 8.
I may go digging here shortly in my record books to see if I can’t find out more on 1998 and why he’s missing that year.
He was checking from 1968-present and said he started laughing when he looked at the 1960’s. He was telling me about the Anderson High School Redbirds who had some good teams under head coach Mickey Heatherly (and anyone on this board from the Joplin area who doesn’t know Mickey, well, that’s your loss) and he said those teams just missed out on the playoff system. Anderson was 8-1 in 1965, Mickey’s last year there, they were 6-3 in 1964 and also had a winning record in 1963.
I asked about the 1998 Nevada district title and he said it’s strange because that season is missing from his book. Anvil had the Webb City and Southwest Conference beat at that time while I had Carl Junction and the entire Big 8.
I may go digging here shortly in my record books to see if I can’t find out more on 1998 and why he’s missing that year.
It took some time but between Anvil and I, we think we found some notes from that season:
1998 Nevada (8-3)
Fort Scott 28, Nevada 21
Nevada 28, Harrisonville 24
Nevada 40, Warrensburg 18
Nevada 42, El Dorado Springs 7
Nevada 7, Carthage 0 (found an article referring to this game as a Mud Bowl at Logan Field)
Nevada 13, Excelsior Springs 12
Nevada 56, Park Hill South 20
Nevada 25, Neosho 13 other district game that night was McDonald County 25, Webb City 14
Nevada 27, McDonald County 6 other district game that night was Webb City 37, Neosho 20
Webb City 6, Nevada 0, 4OT, Nevada won the district and split the Southwest Conference title with Webb City according to the notes I found, it was Nevada's first district championship since 1993.
Branson 31, Nevada 28, Branson was making its first postseason appearance in Class 4 after being a Class 3 postseason qualifier repeatedly under Steve Hancock
Found some notes about Jamin Cox playing quarterback for Nevada. Going into the Branson game he was 46 of 110 passing for 868 yards and nine touchdowns, had another 610 yards rushing with 13 touchdowns on 119 carries. A running back by the name of Phillips led the team with 986 yards rushing on 169 carries. There was 6-foot-4, 235 pound tight end named Josh Highley that was drawing Division I interest according to notes I could find.
Tigers lost to Fort Scott to open the season then won eight straight. Fort Scott went 8-1 in 1998 and lost in the district championship game to Pittsburg 24-21.
1998 Nevada (8-3)
Fort Scott 28, Nevada 21
Nevada 28, Harrisonville 24
Nevada 40, Warrensburg 18
Nevada 42, El Dorado Springs 7
Nevada 7, Carthage 0 (found an article referring to this game as a Mud Bowl at Logan Field)
Nevada 13, Excelsior Springs 12
Nevada 56, Park Hill South 20
Nevada 25, Neosho 13 other district game that night was McDonald County 25, Webb City 14
Nevada 27, McDonald County 6 other district game that night was Webb City 37, Neosho 20
Webb City 6, Nevada 0, 4OT, Nevada won the district and split the Southwest Conference title with Webb City according to the notes I found, it was Nevada's first district championship since 1993.
Branson 31, Nevada 28, Branson was making its first postseason appearance in Class 4 after being a Class 3 postseason qualifier repeatedly under Steve Hancock
Found some notes about Jamin Cox playing quarterback for Nevada. Going into the Branson game he was 46 of 110 passing for 868 yards and nine touchdowns, had another 610 yards rushing with 13 touchdowns on 119 carries. A running back by the name of Phillips led the team with 986 yards rushing on 169 carries. There was 6-foot-4, 235 pound tight end named Josh Highley that was drawing Division I interest according to notes I could find.
Tigers lost to Fort Scott to open the season then won eight straight. Fort Scott went 8-1 in 1998 and lost in the district championship game to Pittsburg 24-21.
That 98 district game between Mc and Webb is what I was referring to by Mc essentially ending Webb’s season in 98.
Webb city won the last game of the season that year vs Nevada 6-0 in 4OT but did not advance, I’m pretty sure Nevada actually still got the district that year but I don’t remember. I just remember wondering if either team was ever going to find the end zone that night.
Do you think that new conference will make you guys better? Mac just beat two of your new conference members to win districts.
That was me. I knew they would be decent but come on now. This is overachieving. Lol
We dont talk about that game. We realized with 3 mintues left against nevada that mac had beat carthage and we needed to beat nevada by 13 to advance. Ended 6-0 in 4 overtimes. Bad memories.
That was still in the time of 4 team districts, so since Nevada got into the playoffs, that means they won the district.
They are a good class 4 team. I don't think Mac will be better than WP or Bolivar most years but they were this year.
Back in the days when you could lose a game in the district and still win the district if you scored enough cumulative points, among other criteria if it was tied. Yuck.
WP ended up in a 3-way tie with Nixa and Ozark for the district back in 02 and 03 and finished 2nd to Nixa both years via the point system. I know they did in 02, Nixa may have won all 3 in 03, can’t remember.
I miss the days when districts in class .5 were within the same area codes.
I would have said that a few years ago. But Hoover has turned Mac into a program that is competing and many thought could never win. In his 7 years there they have only had 2 losing season, pretty impressive when you think the 7 years before he took over they had only won 10 games total.
