Strength of Schedule

[Ru-B-Do]

i am interested to hear your thoughts. Kickapoo seems to be the BIG fish in a little pond again this year. They are favored to roll through the OC. Their schedule is no where close to the schedule of the rest of their district up in KC. Will this hurt them come District play or will it keep them fresh and not all banged up?

 

[Blaker]

I am of the belief it will keep them fresh and not banged up come playoff time.

 

[royals.chiefs]

I think that learning to win right now is just as important as who you beat, confidence is huge. Remember though its only the second game.

 

[MoSooner69]

Many said it would hurt them last year and that did not seem to be the case.

 

[Fiftyshades]

I think playing an entire season a class or 2 down is great for those looking for a winning season. Come district time it will bite you. I suspect the community/administration are satisfied with mediocrity or they would leave the conference or schedule schools their own size or bigger.

 

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

I think playing an entire season a class or 2 down is great for those looking for a winning season. Come district time it will bite you. I suspect the community/administration are satisfied with mediocrity or they would leave the conference or schedule schools their own size or bigger.

I can't blame Kickapoo at all for playing in the OC. For one thing why would you not be in a conference that includes the other largest Springfield schools? Makes no sense to play in a conference with KC or St Louis schools. Remember there are more sports than football. Few school districts are made of money. Glendale, Parkview, Hillcrest...it makes sense to play those teams.

Schedule did not hurt Kickapoo last year. They won their district and they were tied at halftime of the semifinal with CBC.

 

[justaconcernedcitizen]

This is their third year in Class 6, correct? Its not like they have been like Joplin who has been a Class 6 school for quite awhile now. They are not going to travel every week for 2 and a half hours or more to consistently play Class 6 schools. They are one of the smallest, if not the smallest, Class 6 team in the state. To be a football semifinalist out of the Springfield area in one of the biggest classes in the state is a big deal, considering the Springfield area is notoriously known as a basketball area.

Also they have 10 teams in their conference so they cannot be like Webb City used to be and scheduled up 2 or 3 games a year out of conference. They are playing solid competition and ran into a very talented CBC team last year. They are being competitive in their class. In my opinion, Class 5 and 6 are pretty close. It is not like being CJ in the past playing in a Class 2 and 3 conference. Granted CJ is good this year, but that is another can of worms. Kickapoo will be fine where they are at.

 

[ChaoticFanatic]

Kickapoo has been Class 6 in the past as well, keep that in mind.

And I honestly wouldn't be shocked to see Glendale, Camdenton, and West Plains all compete with Kickapoo this year, I'm not sure who, but I predict one of those teams will take Kickapoo out. Don't get me wrong, I still think Kickapoo will be the OC champs, but I don't see any team going undefeated in the OC this year.

And as far as not getting banged up goes, they're playing Class 4 and 5 schools, not Class 2 and 3.
Last year West Plains was the second smallest school on their schedule, and everyone in the conference said multiple times that West Plains was the most physical school in the conference hands down.
So lets not act like playing Class 4 and 5 schools means you won't be banged up come the end of the year.

 

[Ru-B-Do]

I agree. And I am not trying to imply that Kickapoo will roll the OC with the second string playing the second half of every game. I do think you would agree that the competition in the OC does not compare to the competition in the conference the rest of our district plays in.

 

[justaconcernedcitizen]

I really see this as an upper end FCS school playing FBS Schools at the end of the year after playing FCS schools all year long. While the first string talent is similar, what separates the two is the second and third string players at the FBS level. Class 6 teams typically are deeper in their depth chart than Class 4 and 5 teams.