Top 25 Missouri high school football preseason rankings (7/28/2024)
The 2023 Missouri high school football season concluded with Liberty North and Park Hills Central both winning the first state football championships in school history. What schools will follow in the footsteps and claim the first titles in their school histories in early December in Columbia or St. Joseph (8-Man football)?
The 57th Missouri State High School Activities Association Show-Me Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 6-7 (Class 1-6) in Columbia, while the 37th 8-Man Show-Me Bowl is the same weekend in St. Joseph.
Here is our preseason SBLive Missouri Power 25 rankings for the 2024 high school football season.
Final 2023 ranking: 2
The Cardinal Ritter Lions carry a 28-game winning streak into this season after winning the Class 3 title in 2022 and the Class 5 title last year. Coach Brennan Spain’s squad will now test their mettle with a tough schedule that includes teams from Illinois, Kansas and Louisiana. Illinois pledge QB Carson Boyd (Class 5 Offensive Player of the Year), Nebraska commit RB Jamarion Parker and standout WR Dejerrian Miller are among four returning all-staters.
Final ranking: 6
A Class 6 semifinalist last year, the De Smet Spartans won 10 or more games for only the second time since 2010. De Smet returns four all-state players from last year’s squad, including Kansas State pledge Dillon Duff. The senior quarterback threw for 1,863 yards and 15 touchdowns and ran for eight scores on the ground.
Final ranking: 1
The Liberty North Eagles won the school’s first state championship last year and will carry a 13-game winning streak into 2024. While some big names graduated — like Jayshawn Ross who is now at Alabama — all-state picks in quarterback Tillman Martin, offensive lineman Motie Williams, kicker Bleu Renfro and linebacker Ryan Hudson return.
Final ranking: 5
Traditionally a power every year, expect the same this year. The only in-state losses last year for Christian Brothers College High School were to Metro Catholic Conference rival De Smet and Liberty North. In eight of the past nine years — not counting the shortened COVID-19 2020 season — the Cadets have posted 10 or more wins. Four all-state players return this year for CBC, including USC commit Corey Simms.
Final ranking: 4
Changes are afoot this year for the Lee’s Summit North Broncos as former head coach Jamar Mozee stepped down to take a job at Central Florida but now is at Nebraska. Coach Jason Rogers takes over the helm of a program that features some standouts in Oregon pledge Isaiah Mozee (wide receiver) and Quade Chatmon (running back) and newcomer Clay Turk, who comes from Bakersfield, California, was the KC Varsity Combine QB MVP this spring.
Final ranking: 7
Since coming from Mississippi ahead of the 2020 season, John Perry has turned the Nixa Eagles into one of the best teams in the Show-Me State, going 38-9 in that span. Last year, the Eagles won their first district title since 2015 and have one of the best players in the country in OL Jackson Cantwell, who will be a junior. This year the Eagles will open the schedule with teams that were in the Class 5 finals in two of the past three years: Republic and Webb City.
Final ranking: 8
Coach Logan Minnick guided the Kearney Bulldogs to the Class 4 title last year and a second straight 10-plus win season since coming over from Baytown. Four all-state players are back including recent North Dakota pledge LB Theo Grace, who will compete in both football and track and field in college. New quarterback Carter Temple will have returning all-staters Joe Schranz and Tyrus Smith protecting him.
Final ranking: 10
The Lutheran North Crusaders have one of the top players in the state in senior safety Karvon Jefferson, a senior who has nearly 20 Division I offers and had 156 tackles last year. Lutheran North reached the Class 4 semifinals last year and has five all-state players back, but lost QB Dakarri Hollis, who transferred to Parkway North.
Final ranking: 12
In Class 3 last year, the Blair Oaks Falcons reached the semifinals after being a state champion in 2022. First-year starter Tyler Tax accounted for nearly 4,000 yards of offense and 50 touchdowns last year. All-stater Hayden Lackman is back at running back and the Falcons added RB Brady Dapkus from Southern Boone, who ran for 1,202 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Final ranking: 9
The Hillsboro Hawks reached a state championship for the first time in school history last year. The 12 wins were the most for the program dating back to at least 2010. This year, the Hawks will be challenged out of the gate with games against MICDS and St. Louis University High. Quarterback Preston Brown, a North Dakota State pledge, threw for 2,334 yards and 31 touchdowns and ran for 1,144 yards and 16 touchdowns last year.
Final ranking: 13
The Jackson Fighting Indians had a four-win improvement last year and won 10 games for the fifth time in the past six years. The southeast Missouri powerhouse made the quarterfinals last year before falling to CBC. The Indians return all-state WR Kai Crowe and RB Jaylon Hampton is back after running for 1,179 yards and 25 total touchdowns as a ninth-grader. Jackson will be tested out of the gate facing No. 1 Cardinal Ritter in Week 1.
Final ranking: NR
The Parkway North Vikings posted their second eight-win season in three years last season. Now, the focus is on winning the first district title since 2016. Senior running back Messiah Smith ran for 1,352 yards and 23 touchdowns last year and will be a key piece this year. Parkway also added Dakarri Hollis, who passed for 2,933 yards and 34 touchdowns (with one…
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2024-07-28 20:55:43