Okay, so, I’ve always been a big fan of high school football, right? The energy, the raw talent, the Friday night lights, all of it. And this year, I decided to go all in and really follow the Missouri State High School Football Championship. I’ve been following it casually for years, but this year I planned to dive deep, for real.

First off, I started by looking into the teams. I checked out the rankings, looked up some game schedules, and tried to get a feel for who the big players were. It was clear from the get-go that this year was going to be super competitive. I saw that De Smet Jesuit, Platte County, Lutheran North, and Blair Oaks were some of the top teams. Blair Oaks were undefeated which was crazy. I marked them down to watch closely. I made a list of teams I wanted to follow.
Then, I started watching games. I mean, a lot of games. I streamed them online, I watched highlights on the local news, and I even went to a few local games in person. I really wanted to experience every game like I was a part of it, you know? Watching those games, I was amazed at some of the plays these kids made. There were some incredible catches, some bone-jarring tackles, and some seriously impressive quarterback play. I started to keep notes on how each game played out and which teams had the best defense and offense. I remember seeing one game where this sophomore quarterback, Adam McKnight, led his team on an 89-yard touchdown drive in the last two minutes. Wild!
As the season went on, I got more and more invested. I was reading every article I could find, following team stats, and even chatting with other fans online. It was a real deep dive. I even found this website that had the results from every championship game since forever. That was cool to look at. I highlighted the teams that did well and looked to see how they stacked up against this year’s teams.
The championship week finally rolled around, and man, the hype was real. All the games were going down at Faurot Field in Columbia. I cleared my schedule, and made sure I wouldn’t miss a single snap. Faurot Field, Memorial Field, what a great place to host it.
The atmosphere at the games was electric. The stands were packed, the bands were playing, and everyone was on the edge of their seats. It felt amazing to be in such a huge crowd who also loved the game like I did. And the games themselves? Absolutely incredible. So many close calls, so many amazing plays, and so much heart. I was taking notes like a madman, trying to capture every detail.

- De Smet Jesuit won their Class 6 game, and let me tell you, they were dominant.
- Platte County absolutely crushed it in Class 5. They won 49-14!
- Then, there was Lutheran North in Class 4. They won 46-7. Insane.
- And Blair Oaks? They kept their undefeated record and won Class 3. It was close, though, 38-28!
In the end, following the Missouri State High School Football Championship this closely was an awesome experience. It was way more than just watching games, I put in the effort and really immersed myself in the whole thing. It gave me a whole new appreciation for high school football, and for the dedication and passion these young athletes have. I’m already looking forward to next season, but for now I’m going to organize all these notes and highlights I have!