Missouri high school football: 10 games to watch in Week 1

Missouri high school football season begins on Thursday, August 29

Cardinal Ritter running back Jamarion Parker / Photo by David Smith, SBLive

Missouri high school football is back this week with a season-opening slate of games throughout the Show-Me State on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Here's a quick look at some of the top games to watch this weekend:

Thursday, August 29

No. 18 Eureka at No. 13 Francis Howell, 7 p.m. CT

Eureka opens the season with a tough road game in St. Charles after going 8-5 a year ago. But the Wildcats should have the benefit of a tough rushing attack with offensive linemen Jack Lange (Missouri pledge) and Stephen Meitz (Missouri State) opening up holes up front.

Francis Howell lost two of its first three games a year ago, but the Vikings finished the season by winning eight of their last nine. This Howell squad may look a lot different this year, with new starters at key spots like quarterback and running back, but the Vikings return plenty of talent.

Friday, August 30

No. 11 Jackson at No. 1 Cardinal Ritter, 7 p.m.

Cardinal Ritter faces a tough test in Week 1 with visiting Jackson.

The top-ranked Lions (14-0 last season) have won 28-straight games including winning the Class 3 championship in 2022 and then the Class 5 title last year. Coach Brennan Spain's squad returns plenty of playmakers, led by senior QB Carson Boyd (Illinois commit), RB Jamarion Parker (Nebraska) and WR Dejerrian Miller.

Jackson, which went 10-2 a year ago, returns several playmakers as well, including sophomore RB Jaylon Hampton, who rushed for 1,179 yards and scored 25 TDs a year ago as a freshman.

No. 16 MICDS at No. 10 Hillsboro, 7 p.m.

MICDS, which went 9-3 a year ago, has some good talent back from last year, including Iowa commit Lucas Allgeyer anchoring both the offensive and defensive lines.

Hillsboro went 12-2 a year ago, finishing second in Class 4, and returns one of the top QBs in the state in senior Preston Brown, a dual-threat quarterback who has committed to North Dakota State.

No. 17 Helias at No. 22 Hannibal, 7 p.m.

Helias, which went 10-2 a year ago, faces a tough test on the road at Hannibal to open the season. The Crusaders, who have Kansas State pledge Will Kemna leading the offensive line, are 51-9 over the past five seasons, including a state title in 2020.

Hannibal graduated Aneyas Williams, now a freshman running back at Notre Dame, from last year's 11-2 squad, but the Pirates return plenty of talent, including RB Mike Ferreira and QB Waylon Anders.

No. 25 St. Pius X (KC) at No. 21 Rockhurst, 7 p.m.

Coming off an 11-3 campaign a year ago, St. Pius X returns three all-state players in RB Larry Cascone, KR/DB Charles Ross III and TE Jackson Rotterman. Junior QB Hudson Bailey is back after setting school records with 2,651 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Rockhurst graduated plenty of talent from last year's 11-2 squad, but the Hawklets should have plenty of players ready to step into bigger roles this fall.

Republic at No. 6 Nixa, 7 p.m.

Republic is coming off a strong 12-3 season that concluded with the Tigers finishing second in Class 5 (to Cardinal Ritter). Republic lost to Nixa, 31-28, in Week 8 a year ago and would certainly like some payback.

Nixa won its first district title since 2015 a year ago and there is a lot of excitement surrounding the Eagles, including top junior offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell. Nixa went 10-1 last season and could be even better this fall.

No. 7 Kearney at Fort Osage, 7 p.m.

Kearney has produced back-to-back 10-win seasons and finished last season as the Missouri Class 4 champs. The Bulldogs will have some new faces in key spots, but four all-state players return, led by linebacker Theo Grace (North Dakota State commit).

Fort Osage went 6-5 a year ago after winning 11 games in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022. The Indians have one of the top running backs in Missouri in Iowa State pledge Ryver Peppers, who ran for 1,642 yards and scored 33 touchdowns a year ago.

Lafayette at No. 12 Parkway North, 7 p.m.

Coming off an 8-2 season a year ago, Lafayette has a strong group of players returning – led by senior QB Jack Behl and senior TE-WR Robby Preckel (Northwestern commit) – to be one of the better teams in the St. Louis area this season.

Parkway North is coming off an 8-2 season and returns senior RB Messiah Smith (1,352 yards and 23 TDs a year ago) and adds talented senior QB Dakarri Hollis, a transfer from Lutheran North who accounted for 44 total TDs last season.

No. 15 Webb City at Lebanon, 7 p.m.

After going 10-3 a year ago, Webb City has some talent to replace from last season but the Cardinals always figure to be a difficult opponent every time they take the field. All-state defensive back Andrew Young will be one of the leaders again this fall.

Lebanon has been a strong program for a long time and is coming off a 10-1 campaign that ended with a heartbreaking three-point loss to Class 5 runner-up Republic. The Yellowjackets are 31-5 over the past three seasons.

Saturday, August 31

Creighton Prep (Neb.) at No. 2 De Smet, 1 p.m.

Creighton Prep went 4-6 a year ago following an 8-win season in 2022.

De Smet went 10-2 and advanced to the Class 6 semifinals a year ago. The Spartans return four all-state players this season, including Kansas State commit Dillon Duff at quarterback.

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Watch Missouri high school sports on the NFHS Network

Want to watch your favorite team live in action? You can watch several Missouri high school football games each week live on the NFHS Network: Watch live on the NFHS Network

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- Nate Latsch |  latsch@scorebooklive.com