The Branson soccer team fell 2-1 Tuesday night to Repubic in a game heard here on perryphillipssports.com .

It was a hard fought match between what looked to be two evenly matched teams.  Dylan Brown put Republic on the board early in the first half with a goal from the middle of penalty area.  But, a few minutes later Blake Stoner found himself open just outside the top of the penalty area on a rebound from a corner kick.  The sophomore midfielder let it fly from there and found the back of the net with the equalizer.  Both teams had their chances the rest of the half but neither could get another goal.  We went to the half tied at one.

It did not take Republic long in the second half.  Just 1:05 into the period Dylan Brown again delivered with a shot that Nick Dapprich didn’t have much of a shot at. From that point both teams had their chances.  Dapprich, I thought, was spectacular in goal, saving what looked to be sure scoring opportunities for the Tigers.

Branson had its chances as well.  The best coming near the end of the match.  Tyson Shetley battled with a defender for the ball near the penalty area… forced the goalie off his line.  Shetley got a piece of the ball and Cody Marcotte, the Republic Goal Keeper, was able to deflect it himself.  The momentum carried Marcotte to the ground leaving the goal, temporary unprotected.  However, the Tigers were able to clear the ball before the Pirates could take advantage.

The Pirates controlled much of the action much of the night.  But the Republic defense was up to the task and kept Branson from getting in to position to take the shots they would like.

Overall, a really good soccer match in front of a supportive crowd.  If you have not had a chance to see this Pirate team play, get out and support these guys.  It is entertaining and they deserve your support.

Branson will return to the pitch against West Plains on Thursday at Pirate Stadium

 

 

We have all heard the saying “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”.  Well, that is true.  But what about a second chance at a first broadcast?

My first broadcast on this website was cut short by lightning and rain last week.  I attempted to call the Reeds Spring at Branson softball game.  It started a little late and only lasted 14 minutes before going into another delay and eventually being postponed.

So, today I will try again.  I am scheduled to have the call of the Republic at Branson Soccer game.  You can listen on this page simply by clicking at the top of this page on the right hand side where it says “LIVE BROADCASTS”  (from there click on the player).  The question is, Should I now consider this my first broadcast or do I count those 14 minutes as a broadcast?

Regardless of the answer there, it will be a first for me.  It will be the first time I have called a Soccer match.  Now, I grew up around the game.  My brother, Chris, played from the time he was barely in school.  And despite the comments of a high school coach, after my brother broke his arm playing the sport, I do not consider it a Commie Sport.  Instead I appreciate the strategy involved.  Yes, there is a whole lot more to the game than 11 players running as fast as they can from one end to the other and kicking the ball in the goal.

What alignment do you want to use?  Do you want to aggressively push forward or play more of a defensive strategy and count on counter-strikes?  If you go up or down by a couple of goals do you have to change that strategy?  There is so much more to in than just “kicking the ball”.

While a little nervous if  I can bring the same energy that I bring to football and basketball broadcasts I am really looking forward to it.  It will be the first of handful of games I will be calling for Branson Soccer this season.  Looking forward to seeing what Coach Brenner’s guys will do.  Join me for the broadcast and lets find out together.

 

First and foremost this is just for fun and because I had some time on my hands….  One game can make a difference on how I see things for the following week. Case in point, had I done this last week, I would have projected Hollister hosting a first round game…..  Again, before anyone gets upset, a lot can and probably will change before we actually get to district playoff time…. And this placement has nothing to do with which teams I think are better, it is taking into account the MSHSAA rules for seeding…..  With that being said, this is how I see things RIGHT NOW…

Class 3

1. Reeds Spring  Bonus points from playing up three times pays off
2. Monett  a win against Lamar would change everything
3. Cassville  would jump RS if they get right behind them
4. Mt Vernon will have to win the Big8 games I expect them to
5. Hollister   could move up or down very easily
6. Aurora  really an unknown because of their early brutal schedule
7. Seneca  another team that could change with very easily
8. East Newton  will get better

Class 5

1. Lebanon  plays Glendale this week, win stays loss drops
2. Glendale  see above… both get benefit of 2 class 6 games for bonus
3. Ozark  huge win this week  Big believer in Depee
4. Branson  would really shake things up with win this week
5. Waynesville ..  bonus could help catch Branson
6. Central….. May beat Lighthouse, but a loss to Waynesville would force flip

Here are the district football standings after week 3

Class 3

1. Monett  3-0  49.67
2. Seneca  2-1  39
3. Cassville 2-1 37.67
4. Reeds Spring 2-1  37.5
5. Hollister 2-1 33.01
6. Mt Vernon 1-2  25.33
7. Aurora 0-3 17
8. East Newton  13

Class 5

1. Glendale  3-0   51.33
2. Lebanon  3-0  45
3. Ozark  2-1  40.34
4. Central  0-3  18.66
5. Branson 0-3  15.66
6. Waynesville 0-3  10.33

Later today I will be posting my “way to early”  projections on how I believe the standings will look like at the end of the regular season.

Reeds Spring took a huge step towards ending Bolivar’s total dominance of the Small Central Ozarks Conference on Friday night by defeating the Liberators 38-28.  It was a huge night for the Wolves football program, you can see my story at:  Wolves beat Bolivar

Branson traveled to Carthage and hung right there with the Tigers.  They trailed by a lone touchdown a the half.  But, could not find the endzone  in the second half either and ended up falling by a final of 21-0.  The loss drops the Pirates to 0-3 on the season.

Holister took on Logan-Rogersville looking to move to 3-0 for the first time in program History.  However it was the Wildcats that got the win 25-14 and now sets it sites on moving up the conference ladder.  The Wolves and Tigers will now swap opponents.  Hollister will host Bolivar while Reeds Spring travels to Rogersville next Friday night.

Its week 3 of the high school football season and some big matchups for local schools.

The small COC moves into conference play.  For Hollister its a chance for a  few firsts.  A win over Logan-Rogersville would move them to 3-0 for the first time ever and would also match their school records for wins in a season.  Additionally, it would be the first time they will have beaten the Wildcats.  Hollister is coming off of two big wins to start the season.  As I predicted Jacob Hamon’s ball team is much improved.  One would have a hard time saying that its not the best team Hollister has fielded in its short history.  The only question at this point is how high in the COC standings are they ready to rise.

The big matchup in the league the past few years has been Reeds Spring vs Bolivar.  Well, that looks to be the case again this season.  But, instead of having the whole year to build up and playing the final week of the regular season with the title on the line, the two are opening up the conference play against each other.  They play tomorrow night at Carl Langley Field.  Bolivar is 0-2 but have been very competitive in loses to Republic and Willard.  The Wolves got a win week one against Mt Vernon but fell last week at Cassville.

Branson hits the road for another long trip.  And it is not going to get any easier for the Pirates.  They travel to Carthage.  The same team that beat Webb City a week ago.  Branson is 0-2 on the season but had to take some confidence out of their game with Nixa.  The Pirates were in the game the whole way. It was  a one score game in the fourth quarter.  That shows the improvement we talked about in the season preview.  The Pirates are going to get over the hump and could really turn some heads if they are able to do in this week.

New District Standings are complete…

After Week 2

Class 3

1. Monett 2-0 48
2. Hollister 2-0 43
3. Cassville 1-1 35
4. Seneca 1-1 35
5. Reeds Spring 1-1  30
6. Mt Vernon 1-1 27
7. Aurora 0-3 17
8. East Newton 0-2 12

Class 5

1. Glendale  2-0 53
2. Lebanon  2-0 48
3. Ozark 1-1  39
4. Branson 0-2  17.5
5. Central 0-2 17
6. Waynesville 0-2  12

Still early but a little separation this week.  Starting next week I will not only give the standings but also my projections on how I think the final standings will come out.

 

The Hollister Tigers are the tri-lakes lone remaining undefeated team as they traveled to Cabool and took care of the Bulldogs 39-16 Friday Night.  Hollister fresh off its blowout victory week one over Pleasant Hope, is now 2-0 for the first time in school history.   They will have a chance to move to 3-0 and tie the school record for wins when they host Logan-Rogersville next Friday Night.

Reeds Spring fell to 1-1 on the season after losing to Cassville 27-6 Friday Night.  River Phelps ran for over 170 yards and two touchdowns.  He also caught one, as the senior helped lead the Wildcats to the win, revenging a loss to the Wolves last year in the district semi-finals ending the season for Cassville.  Reeds Spring will get conference play underway next week when they host Bolivar.

The Branson Pirates put up a fight again this week, but found themselves on the short end of a 40-28 decision to Nixa.  It will not get any easier for the Pirates.  Next week they will be on the road at Carthage.  All the Tigers did last night was beat Webb City.

Reeds Spring is the only tri-lakes school mentioned in the latest State Football Poll.  Wolves are receiving votes in the Class 3 Poll.
CLASS 3
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Maryville (10), 1-0, 136, 2
2. Blair Oaks (4), 1-0, 128, 3
3. John Burroughs, 0-1, 104, 1
4. Monett, 1-0, 86, 7
5. McCluer South-Berkley, 1-0, 48, 8
6. Center, 1-0, 46, 10
7. Mexico, 0-1, 42, 6
8. Odessa, 0-1, 31, 4
9. Park Hills Central, 1-0, 25, NR
10. Oak Grove, 0-1, 21, 5
Dropped out: No. 9 Osage
Also receiving votes: Richmond (1-0), 19; Osage (1-0), 18; Lutheran South (1-0), 14; Chillicothe (1-0), 13; St. Pius X (1-0), 12; Reeds Spring (1-0), 12; Eldon (1-0), 8; St. Charles West (1-0), 7

Reeds Spring takes on Cassville Friday Night.  You can hear the game on 100.1 KOMC or online at hometowndailynews.com

Although you can tell absolutely nothing about the Districts after week one, the standings are out.  Since I will be posting them each week, I thought I would go ahead with the way they stand as of now…

Class 3                                                                   Class 5

1. Seneca  43                                                       1. Glendale 43
2. Reeds Spring 33                                              2. Ozark 33                                  Hollister    33                                                     Lebanon 33                              Monett    33                                                   4. Branson 0                             5. East Newton 17                                               Central 0                                 6. Aurora   0                                                        Waynesville 0                               Cassville 0                                                                                                        Mt Vernon 0