West Plains heads into Friday night with something important already in hand:
The No. 2 seed in Class 5 District 5.
The Zizzers are 5-1 with 40.35 district points, trailing only unbeaten Helias Catholic and sitting just 2.38 points ahead of Camdenton.
That makes Friday night’s trip to undefeated Logan-Rogersville more than another tough road game.
It is a chance for West Plains to strengthen its postseason position with only two regular-season games remaining afterward.
Class 5 District 5 Standings
The current MSHSAA Class 5 District 5 standings are:
| Seed | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helias Catholic | 6-0 | 52.00 |
| 2 | West Plains | 5-1 | 40.35 |
| 3 | Camdenton | 4-2 | 37.97 |
| 4 | Rolla | 3-3 | 31.55 |
| 5 | Glendale | 3-3 | 31.33 |
| 6 | Lebanon | 2-4 | 26.50 |
| 7 | Jefferson City | 2-4 | 26.17 |
The standings are clear.
Helias has created significant separation at the top.
West Plains currently owns the No. 2 position.
And Camdenton is close enough that the Zizzers cannot afford to coast through the final three weeks.
West Plains Has Put Itself in a Strong Position
The Zizzers improved to 5-1 last week with a 7-0 shutout of Carl Junction.
It was not an offensive shootout.
It did not need to be.
West Plains scored once, then made that touchdown stand the rest of the night.
The result kept the Zizzers firmly in second place and gave them another win heading into the most important stretch of the regular season.
You can follow the current West Plains football schedule on MSHSAA.
Now comes a very different challenge.
Rogersville Is the Biggest Opportunity Left
Logan-Rogersville enters Friday night at 6-0.
The Wildcats have beaten California, Ava, Carl Junction, Parkview, Bolivar and Hillcrest, scoring at least 35 points in every game.
West Plains has already seen several of those same opponents.
Both teams have beaten Carl Junction.
Both teams have beaten Bolivar.
Both teams have beaten Hillcrest.
Those comparisons do not decide the district standings, but they do show just how strong Friday night’s matchup should be.
And from a postseason standpoint, this is likely the Zizzers’ best remaining chance to add a high-value win before districts.
A win would move West Plains to 6-1 and add another quality result against an unbeaten opponent.
Camdenton Is Still Close Behind
West Plains’ 40.35 district points currently put the Zizzers in second place.
Camdenton sits at 37.97.
That is a gap of only 2.38 points.
So while West Plains has earned the No. 2 seed through six games, that position is not locked up.
There are still three weeks for the standings to move.
That is why Friday matters.
A win over Rogersville would not guarantee the No. 2 seed.
But it would strengthen West Plains’ position at exactly the right time.
Helias Has Created Separation at the Top
Helias remains unbeaten at 6-0 and sits at 52.00 points.
That puts the Crusaders 11.65 points ahead of West Plains.
For now, Helias clearly controls the top spot.
That means the more immediate race for West Plains is behind them.
The Zizzers have a chance to protect the No. 2 seed while continuing to build the strongest possible finish.
Branson and Bolivar Still Matter
West Plains’ only loss came at Branson.
The Pirates are now 5-1 and have continued winning since beating the Zizzers.
West Plains also owns a 27-20 road win over Bolivar, which is 4-2.
Those two teams play each other Friday night.
That makes Branson-Bolivar one of the more interesting games for Zizzer fans to keep an eye on beyond the West Plains-Rogersville matchup.
One is the Zizzers’ only loss.
The other is one of their better wins.
And both remain part of the strength of the West Plains schedule.
The Final Three
West Plains closes the regular season with:
Oct. 9 — at Logan-Rogersville, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 — at Parkview, 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 — vs. Marshfield, 7 p.m.
The full slate is available on the official West Plains MSHSAA schedule.
Of those three, Rogersville stands out.
Parkview has struggled this season.
Marshfield is currently below .500.
Rogersville is unbeaten.
This is the game with the biggest opportunity attached to it.
What This Means Friday Night
West Plains knows exactly where it stands.
The Zizzers are currently No. 2 in Class 5 District 5.
They are 2.38 points ahead of Camdenton.
They trail Helias by 11.65.
And Friday night gives them a chance to strengthen their position against one of the best teams they will see all season.
A win would not settle the district race.
But it would put West Plains in an even stronger spot heading into the final two games.
The Zizzers have already done enough to make the postseason picture interesting.
Now they have a chance to make it even better.
