Well we are off and running on the 2021 season Missouri got started this past weekend and Kansas joins the party this week.
All in all there was a lot of good football that was played and even with a few Covid cancelations it was a great week.
A couple of things stuck out to me with the first games of the season. First, there is a lot of depth in talent across the Metro. We have moved on from the time when Blue Springs, Blue Springs South or Rockhurst spent the better part of two decades as the only Kansas City Missouri Class 6 schools to either play for or win a state title.
Raymore-Peculiar broke that streak last year and the Panthers could be in line for a similar season this year. While the defending champs got a 20-14 come from behind win over Rockhurst there were several other teams that looked good. Liberty and Lee’s Summit North took home victories in week No. 1 and newly minted Class 6 Park Hill South got an impressive win over Platte County to start the season.
I haven’t even mentioned Liberty North or Lee’s Summit West so its going to be a grind all season for the big class schools on the Missouri side.
The second thing that stuck out to me was Smithville’s 42-3 win over Grain Valley. Yes, the Eagles lost a lot from the team that won back-to-back district titles, but I didn’t see that coming. I though Smithville would win but I thought it would be competitive.
Smithville looks like it could be one of the most dominant teams in the Metro this season. The Warriors just earned the No. 1 ranking in Class 4 in the Missouri Media Rankings, and it looks like they might be there for a while.
With 19 of 22 starters back from a team that came within a minute and a half from beating eventual Class 4 state champ Jefferson City Helias, Smithville may have one of the most experienced teams in the Metro. With two trips to the semifinals in the last three seasons this may be the Warriors time to break through.
