Missouri’s high school football season moved into district quarterfinal action on Friday night, with a handful of teams, including Putnam County, Albany, and Gallatin, forced to cut their campaigns short due to COVID-19, but most squads able to play as semifinal berths were decided region-wide.
In action heard on Hot Country Z 101.7, the Trenton Bulldogs, despite falling to Lexington 36-0 at Gil Rector Stadium, showed the continued improvement that has marked the final month of a winless, rebuilding season, able to move the football, rushing reasonably well against a formidable Minutemen defense, but the big-play ability of Lexington senior quarterback Jonathan Taylor was a difference maker, with the home team pulling away for a victory.
While Trenton did have a decent running attack, a handful of promising drives ended by turnover, but THS saddled with three turnovers in the contest, with two fumbles lost in the first quarter, and an interception thrown late in the second quarter. Lexington took a 16-0 lead through one quarter of play, on a 14 yard touchdown pass and a 2 yard Taylor run. Taylor added a 52 yard run in the second quarter, a two-yard scoring pass in the third quarter, and a 2 yard run in the final quarter, sending the game to “running clock” for the final four minutes.
Trenton ends the season at 0-8 while Lexington, improving to 9-1, moves into a Class 2, District 8 quarterfinal this Friday night, hosting the rival Lafayette County Huskers, a 21-0 winner over Lathrop in district quarterfinal action.
Other Class 2, District 8 finals were Brookfield over Lawson 44-0, while St. Pius X had a first-round bye. The Warriors, champions of the MEC, will host Brookfield on Friday night at 7 o’clock.
Four dynamite football programs remain in the running for a Class 1, District 7 championship, as Penney’s Hornets travel northward to South Harrison this week, while Princeton, for the second time this season, travels to Milan for a duel with the Wildcats.
On Friday night, both Princeton and Milan handled visitors from northeast Missouri in quarterfinal round play, as the Tigers ended Scotland County’s season with a 40-12 win at Eddie Allen Field, while Milan, in action heard on KTTN FM 92.3, throttled Knox County 44-6. Milan will host Princeton this Friday night, November 6th, at 7 o’clock, with pregame hitting the air at 6 on KTTN FM 92.3.
Here is the scoreboard for Friday, October 30, 2020:
Class 1, District 5
Crest Ridge 51, Sherwood 0
Sweet Springs 32, Cass-Midway 0
University Academy 16, Wellington-Napoleon 14
Class 1, District 6
Fayette 34, Carrollton 19
Westran 55, Salisbury 20
Harrisburg defeats Slater (Slater forfeits due to COVID-19)
Class 1, District 7
South Harrison defeats Putnam County (Putnam County forfeits due to COVID-19)
Penney defeats Gallatin (Gallatin forfeits due to COVID-19)
Milan 44, Knox County 6
Princeton 40, Scotland County 12
Class 1, District 8
Polo 21, Plattsburg 7
East Buchanan 48, North Platte 14
West Platte 28, Maysville 6
Class 2, District 6
Clark County 52, Highland 50
Bowling Green 53, Clopton 12
Class 2, District 7
St. Michael the Archangel 42, Versailles 7
Warsaw 28, Lone Jack 6
Hogan Prep 42, Holden 0
Class 2, District 8
Brookfield 44, Lawson 0
Lexington 36, Trenton 0
Lafayette County 21, Lathrop 0
Class 3, District 7
Pembroke Hill 47, KC Southeast 6
Oak Grove 51, Knob Noster 15
Summit Christian Academy 42, Pleasant Hill 30
Class 4, District 7
Van Horn 35, KC East 14
Grandview 53, Raytown South 12
Class 4, District 8
St. Joseph Lafayette 21, Savannah 20
Kearney 22, Excelsior Springs 7
8-Man, District 1
Drexel 61, Osceola 0
Jasper 60, Northwest (Hughesville) 40
Archie 76, Appleton City 24
Rich Hill 48, Liberal 14
8-Man, District 2
Concordia 42, Santa Fe 32
Norborne/Hardin-Central defeats Schuyler County (Schuyler County forfeits due to COVID-19)
8-Man, District 3
North Andrew 50, DeKalb 8
Pattonsburg defeats Bishop LeBlond (Bishop LeBlond forfeits due to COVID-19)
South Holt / Nodaway-Holt 78, Stewartsville-Osborn 22
King City 72, Orrick 20
8-Man, District 4
Stanberry 48, Platte Valley 0
Rock Port defeats Albany (Albany forfeits due to COVID-19)
East Atchison 58, North-West Nodaway 12
Worth County 46, Mound City 26
