A Class 1, District 8 football tournament expected to be among the most competitive in the state of Missouri opened on Friday night, with a pair of Grand River Conference rematches from the regular season ending with opposite results, knocking out two of the three squads that shared the 2019 GRC football title.
In Princeton, the visiting Putnam County Midgets, boosted to a #5 seed by virtue of a head-to-head overtime victory at Milan, received what they had sought, a rematch with the Princeton Tigers, a team that beat the Midgets on a short-week, 19-4 in the regular season match-up. The second time around, with a full week to prepare for the Tigers, Putnam County jumped on top in the first half, leading 10-0 at the break. A Princeton second half score was not enough to save the Tiger season, with the visitors out of Unionville escaping with a 10-7 win. Here is victorious Head Coach Clyde Bondy:
Princeton, ending its first season under Head Coach Nathan Powell, finishes the year with a 7-3 mark, but the sting of a loss at Eddie Allen Field heading into the off-season:
Joining Putnam County in grabbing a road win to open the postseason were the Milan Wildcats, as John Dabney’s team traded first quarter touchdowns with the Gallatin Bulldogs. With no scoring to be had for the final three quarters, the difference in the contest was Milan’s completed two-point conversion with Gallatin’s made PAT. The win evens the Wildcats record at 5-5, but more importantly, sends the “Green and Gold” to Bethany, for a district semifinal on Friday, November 8th against the South Harrison Bulldogs. Both the district quarterfinal game at Gallatin, and the upcoming game at Bethany, will be broadcast on KTTN FM 92.3.
Here is Milan Head Coach John Dabney:
Putnam County travels to Memphis, Missouri on Friday night to take on former Tri-Rivers Conference rival Scotland County, looking to swing a second consecutive road upset. The semifinal winners from this week’s games in Bethany and Memphis will meet for the Class 1, District 8 championship on Friday, November 15th at 7 o’clock.
