CLASS1 WEST PLATTE (12-1) VS. MARIONVILLE (11-2) 12:00, SATURDAY
Both teams in the MSHSAA Class 1 Show-Me Bowl have had recent success. Marionville won the championship in 1997 and 2003, while West Platte grabbed the title in 2001. Their championship came in 1973.
Marionville running back Lee Flood has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Comets. The senior has 3,010 rushing this season and needs just 84 yards in the state title to set the state’s single-season mark. His 49 rushing touchdowns is already a state record.
West Platte also has a pretty nifty threat on offense: quarterback Eric Humes. In the Bluejays 32-23 win over Adrian in the semifinals, Humes passed for 222 yards and two touchdowns and he rushed for 202 yards and three TD’s. He was responsible for all 24 of West Platte’s rushing attempts in the second half of that game.
If the Class 1 title is decided by a blowout, it will be hard to guess which team will do it. In West Platte’s 11 victories this season, they’ve won by a margin of 37.2 points per game, while Marionville has won by 34.1 points per game in their 12 victories.
CLASS 2 CAMERON (13-0) VS. MONTGOMERY CO. (12-1) 12:00 FRIDAY
It’s hard to call a 12-1 team with the state’s most prolific record-setter at quarterback an underdog, but according to some, Montgomery County wasn’t even supposed to make it out of the quarterfinals, let alone advance to the Class 2 championship.
The Wildcats provided one of the biggest upsets of the 2005 post-season when they knocked off top-ranked Blair Oaks 40-39 in the sectionals. Blair Oaks was the defending champ, and had won 24 in a row, when Montgomery Co. shocked the state.
Leading the charge for the Wildcats is senior quarterback Eric Czerniewski, who has thrown over 50 touchdowns and has surpassed the 4,000 yard mark this season. Their only loss this season was a 29-20 setback to School of the Osage, which advanced to the Class 3 playoffs, on October 7. While the defense can give up big plays, there’s no denying the Wildcat offense which has scored at least 34 points in every game except the aforementioned loss to Osage.
While Montgomery County one of the best arms ever, Cameron has one of the best pass-catchers. Eric Anderson holds just about every receiving record in the state of Missouri. Through the playoffs he has 71 catches for 1,082 yards and 21 touchdowns. Quarterback Drew Newhart has 2,986 yards passing and has tossed 48 touchdowns to an amazing one interception.
The Dragons are back in the state title game for the second straight year. They lost a 27-26 thriller to Blair Oaks in the 2004 MSHSAA Class 2 Show-Me Bowl. It was their first trip to the title game.
Montgomery County has never been to the Show-Me Bowl and are led by first-year head coach Ben Blank.
CLASS 3 HARRISONVILLE (12-1) VS. MICDS (13-0) 3:15, SATURDAY
The Class 3 championship will feature the same two teams that battled for the title in 2004 and if last year’s game was any indication, this years MSHAA Show-Me Bowl should be a dandy. In last year’s match up, MICDS overcame a 35-10 deficit to beat Harrisonville 45-42 in double overtime. Robby Mandel’s 38 yard field goal in the second overtime was the game-winner for the Rams.
It also marked the final game for legendary coach Ron Holt’s replacement is long-time assistant Matt Irvin, who has led the Rams to a 13-0 record so far, which has extended their winning streak to 27 games. That’s tied with Raymore-Peculiar for the state’s longest current streak.
The MICDS rushing attack has two powerful weapons: Ted Watt and Joey Zimring. Watt has 1,108 yards and 20 touchdowns, while Zimring has rushed for 885 yards and 17 touchdowns. But the threat doesn’t stop there—quarterback John Engler has added 454 yards and six touchdowns. He also has 1,663 yards passing with 17 touchdowns.
Harrisonville is making its third trip to the Show-Me Bowl after dismantling Class 3 powerhouse Platte Co. 49-6 in the semifinals. The defense recorded four sacks and five interceptions. Meanwhile, quarterback Jason Thomas threw for 169 yards and had 39 more on the ground, while Sean Ransburg rushed for 126 yards and caught 97 yards worth of receptions. Ransburg had five plays of 28 yards or more.
Harrisonville is looking for its second state title, after winning their first in2003. Since that season they are 37-4.
