Strafford at Ash Grove Football and Reeds Springs at Bolivar, by the numbers, Sponsored by Honda of the Ozarks

Rarely do you have meetings at this point of the season with to undefeated state ranked teams, but here we are with 2 such games.  In the Central Ozarks Conference Small division we will see Reeds Spring (8-0) traveling to Bolivar (8-0) to decide the conference title.  And not very far from there we will have a match up between Ash Grove (8-0) and Strafford (8-0) in the Grove.
Starting with the Bolivar/Reeds Spring game, Bolivar has won this conference each of the 10 years since it formed.  Two years ago Rogersville was crowned state Champions but in the Bolivar game that season Rogersville was Turbo-Clocked.  Bolivar just seems to be able to rise up an play very well in Conference games.  This season the difference may be their defense, since giving up 24 1st quarter points to Marshfield in week 5 the Liberator defense has not allowed a point in 15 consecutive quarters.  With that being said Reeds Spring is on a mission, going 8-0 for the first time in their school history and looking very much forward to this game.  The Wolves are looking for a spring board to send them into a Class 3 district with some of the most successful high school football programs in the area.  The likes of Cassville, Seneca, Aurora, Monett and Mt. Vernon await them.  While Bolivar has been forced to deal with the likes of Harrisonville, Webb City and Helias for the better part of this century.  Among like opponents this season of which there are 6, Bolivar's average differential was 45 points and Reeds Spring was 19.  Reeds Spring has given up more than 3 touchdowns a game versus those opponents while Bolivar has given up 3 touchdowns total in those 6 games.  Easton Flaugh and the Wolves will have to be very good in the rushing game and eat up the clock and shorten this game.  Bolivar with Rafe Peavey and Drew Leagan have the ability to score very quickly.  I will leave the prediction to "Joboo" later this week, heck he is hitting over .800.

Ash Grove will be hosting Strafford in what I believe is the most anticipated game of the year thus far with apologies to the Mountain Grove and Mt. View Liberty match up.  Over the past 9 years Strafford has had the edge in this contest going 6-3.  The Indians have won each of the last 3 meetings outscoring the Pirates 128-42.  But with the Pirates ability to rush the ball with Logan Allred and mix in a pass from Sean Mulkey, Ash Grove is much more balanced than you might think.  Sure Allred is averaging 209 yds rushing per game, but Mulkey has pitched in 125 per himself.  Indians Jacob Wade is approaching 2,000 yds passing on the season averaging over 234 per game.  Dalton Taylor kicks in 87 per on the ground.  These teams are seperated by less than 20 yds per game in total offense, and 51 points is the advantage to Strafford in differential versus like opponents, thats 8.5 per game.  So is Strafford a touchdown better on Friday Night?  Well I guess we will just have to see.  It could come down to weather, a long snap or a turnover in a keep spot.

I hope you can get out and take advantage of the some of these games Friday night.  And hey let me know what you think.

Thank you, and remeber "You can tell a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him."

God Bless