Lamar, Seneca, Carthage Football Teams Celebrate District Championship Runs
By mid-November, several senior high school football teams across the Show Me The Ozarks Magazine region in Southwest Missouri had advanced to play for District titles with hopes of keeping their state championship dreams alive and deeper post-season pushes into early December.
Lamar Tigers Head Coach Jared Beshore had reason to be thrilled with his squad after they roared past Butler 55-21 in a Class 2, District 4 semifinal-round matchup.
Coach Beshore’s Tigers (8-3) followed up that impressive performance by celebrating a district title with a convincing 43-23 victory over Holden in the finals, while advancing in the state tournament.
“I’m incredibly proud of this team,” Coach Beshore says. “They’ve shown what it means to be coachable, resilient and selfless. We’ve battled adversity at different points, and every time, these kids chose to work harder, lean on each other and represent Lamar with pride.
“That is what makes me so proud of them. There has been so much growth, as well as unity, and the way they have always competed for something bigger than themselves.”
Coach Beshore appreciates the approach his 2025 bunch has gone about their business every step of the way and says, “The main keys to our success all year have been our leadership, our toughness in the trenches and our commitment to the process.
“These kids buy into working relentlessly, loving each other and playing the game the right way. That is the standard at Lamar, and this group has continued that tradition.”
As Seneca Indians Head Coach Cody Hilburn watched his talented bunch easily advance in the Class 3, District 6 playoffs halfway through November, there was every reason to be ecstatic about this team’s performances.
Seneca dispatched of East Newton 56-21 with little difficulty in the semifinals and came right back a week later to breeze past Cassville 47-14 while proudly hoisting district championship hardware and staying in the hunt for a state title.
“I’m proud of our kids for how they value the process,” Coach Hilburn says. “Our kids understand that you don’t just show up on Friday nights and win football games without doing things the right way throughout the week.
“Our success starts back in the summer when we don’t have to beg our kids to show up for 6 a.m. workouts. Our kids are always willing to do whatever it takes to give them the best chance to be successful.”
Much like Lamar and Seneca, Carthage Tigers Head Coach Jon Guidie’s squad has been on quite a roll through the first couple weeks of November and laser-focused during its Class 5, District 6 post-season push.
Carthage (10-1) rolled over Neosho 42-7 in convincing fashion in the semifinals, while coming right back a week later to claim the district crown with a 31-14 victory over Republic and continuing its quest for a state title.
Some area teams have finished their seasons, although not before valiant efforts in the post-season. Carl Junction Bulldogs Head Coach Todd Hafner’s team (7-5) can hold their heads up high after navigating through Class 4, District 6 playoff action with a 41-27 win over Logan-Rogersville in the semifinals, before falling to West Plains 36-6 in the finals.
“I’m always proud of our kids,” Coach Hafner says. “You need to be tough-minded and willing to deal with hard things to play the game of football. They have continued to show up every week with a winning mentality and are willing to prepare to win games.”
In Class 4, District 7 play, Nevada Tigers Head Coach Wes Beachler’s team (8-4) disposed of Pleasant Hill 28-14 in a semifinal-round fray. But Nevada came up just short of celebrating a district championship with a tough-luck 28-25 loss to Warrensburg in the title game.
“I’m most proud of their ability to overcome adversity,” Coach Beachler says. “We’ve had some tough injuries and a few disappointing losses. But they didn’t hang their heads and give up. They’ve responded well every time.”
After Joplin Eagles Head Coach Curtis Jasper’s team (5-6) soared past Kickapoo 28-6 in the Class 6, District 5 semifinals, the chance of taking home a title was nixed by Nixa with a disheartening 42-28 loss in the finals.
Two more local teams (Neosho Wildcats and Webb City Cardinals) had their seasons concluded earlier than they hoped. Neosho Head Coach Brandon Taute’s squad defeated Branson 42-20 in the district quarterfinals, but it all ended abruptly soon after that with the loss to Carthage.
Cardinals Head Coach Ryan McFarland’s team also started post-season play strong, while easily taking out Parkview 52-21 in the district quarterfinals, before a disappointing 41-24 loss to Republic in the semis brought their season to a screeching halt.
Despite the premature ending for Neosho, Coach Taute says, “I’m proud of the way this group attacked every single day. They always focused on getting better and not the outcomes.
“We were able to have success due to their commitment to getting better and the leadership of our senior class. We have a great group of kids that have been a big part of this program for four years now and they will be missed.”
Coach McFarland knows his Cardinals gave it their all as well, and he says, “This has been such a great group of players to work with all season. We started this journey back in January with off-season workouts, and the players have done everything we’ve asked along the way.
“Our players always show up, they work hard and they play the game the right way. I’m so proud of the progress we made all throughout the season.”
