Okay, we addressed the lunacy of the new playoff system a few days ago.
To recap: It's stupid.
It's time to move on and quit taking shots at the Missouri State High School Activities Association.
Well, hold on. Not quite yet ... here's another one.
Courtesy of the MSHSAA, we have the dumbest penalty in the history of sports.
Offensive pass interference ... okay, we all agree that's cheating. Cheaters never win, unless they don't get caught.
But what's the penalty? In Missouri high school football, it's 15 yards AND loss of down.
Really?
So, this is worse than a personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct? Those are 15-yard penalties with NO loss of down.
In other words, pushing a guy in an attempt to catch a pass is more punitive than going in helmet-first and spearing the other guy in the head.
Or spitting in his face.
Come on, man. Sometimes, you wonder what's happened to common sense.
That is all.
Having said that, it's playoff time (higher seeds are at home) and none of the other stuff really matters.
Just win and advance.
Here we go.
Jefferson City (6-3, No. 4 seed in Class 6 District 3)
vs. Ft. Zumwalt West (5-4, No. 5), 7 p.m. Friday
Just like last year, when the Jays lost their last two games and missed the playoffs, this team is stumbling down the stretch --- three losses in its last four games.
"We've played a heck of a schedule and I think it's prepared us for anything we'll see," Jays coach Ted LePage said. "We haven't played Sister Mary of the Poor.
"I think it's beat us up a little bit and it makes you go through a gamut of emotions. I think we've played really, really well at times and other times, these teams have exposed some things that we're not doing correctly."
The Jays have lost two straight to Zumwalt West, including a 49-21 beat-down last year.
"This is a team that's dominated us the last two years," LePage said, "so this is a great opportunity for us to come out on fire this week."
Helias (5-4, No. 2 seed in Class 4 District 6)
vs. Kirksville (3-6, No. 7), 7 p.m. Thursday
Folks around the state may look at Helias' 5-4 record and brush them aside. But the folks who actually know, well, they know better.
The Crusaders lost a heart-breaking, one-point, overtime decision at Harrisonville to open the season. Their other three losses were to Class 6 schools, all ranked in the top five, including top-ranked CBC.
"If we're going to play the schedule we play, then this is the time it has to pay off," Helias coach Phil Pitts said. "We've had weaknesses exposed and we've had things shown to us, and we've had to find better ways to do things and pay closer attention to detail.
"All of those things have prepared us for the future."
Helias defeated the top seed in the district, Hannibal, 31-18 on Saturday night. Pitts then appealed the seeds, but lost by a vote of 5-1 by the other district coaches.
"I'm not sure what they were thinking, but it doesn't matter now," Pitts said. "I'm happy with where we are and I think we're ready to play our best football."
California (9-0, No. 1 seed in Class 3 District 6)
vs. MMA (0-9, No. 8), 7 p.m. Thursday
After a decade in limbo, the California Pintos have returned to the top of the football heap. And they've done it with a bang.
In this season of revival, get these numbers --- the Pintos are 9-0 and have outscored their opponents by a staggering 382-64.
A return to the glory days, indeed, as California secured its first unbeaten regular season since 1999. That was also the last year the Pintos advanced to the state championship game
"We've told them stories about the old California Pintos, how they used to play and how they used to dominate," California head coach Marty Albertson said. "I think these kids have heard those stories and they want to get back to that. And they've put in the effort to do it.
"Pinto Pride is alive and well."
It will certainly be alive and well Thursday night after California names the score against winless MMA.
For more on the Pintos, please see the story that was posted on Loeffler's Link on Oct. 11.
Blair Oaks (8-1, No. 1 seed in Class 2 District 6)
vs. Father Tolton (1-7, No. 8), 7 p.m. Thursday
Like the other No. 1 seeds playing a No. 8, this could be as ugly as the Falcons want it to be.
They could invite the players from Father Tolton into their huddle, tell them what play they were running, point to the guy who's going to get the ball --- and it still wouldn't matter.
In its seven losses, Tolton has been outscored 372-46. But perhaps we shouldn't feel sorry for Tolton, but we should feel sorry for the one team they've beaten. That would be MMA, which will have the pleasure of playing California --- the one team to beat Blair Oaks.
"We're going to prepare the same way and keep the kids in their groove," Falcons coach Brad Drehle said. "We just want to get better at the things we do."
The Falcons have hardly been tested in their eight wins, as only one of those was decided by less than 20 points.
"I think our kid are starting to mature as a football team; we've watched them come together as a group," Drehle said. "We've watched our seniors really come around and be the leaders we wanted them to be.
"Hopefully, we're ready to make a run."
Tipton (9-0, No. 1 seed in Class 1 District 4)
vs. Sweet Springs (2-7, No. 8), 7 p.m. Friday
Sometimes, we take greatness for granted. Sometimes, it's lasted so long, we tend to forget about it.
The other Cardinals, the St. Louis ones, have won two World Series since the Tipton Cardinals have lost a regular-season football game. Unfortunately, the other Cardinals won't make it three this year.
The last time Tipton lost a regular-season game --- the first game of the 2006 season --- this year's seniors were still in grade school. The Cardinals went 9-0 this season to extend this startling winning streak to 68.
"This senior class didn't want to be THE senior class that would lose the streak," Tipton coach Tony Braby said. "It's just been a tremendous accomplishment; it's something we're really proud of.
"At this level, Class 1, I think it's even more difficult to to. We've just been real blessed to have a lot of good, solid football teams."
Senior running back Dallas Peoples, who's seemingly been around since that 2006 season, has had another remarkable campaign, as he's averaging over 200 yards and three touchdowns a game.
"That kid is something else," Braby said. "He's a highlight waiting to happen every time he touches the ball.
"He's something special."
NOTE: The other first-round matchups for area teams can be found on the main KRCG sports page.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG