A couple of months ago I wrote about how I would miss having Nevada play Webb City in football each year. Since then MSHSAA reclassified Nevada as a Class 4 school for football and that game is back on the calendar for 2008. Unfortunately, since it is now a district game it means something more than just bragging rights or the SWC championship which will no longer exist.

Don't get me wrong, I will still be glad to see the game take place, the stakes are just higher now.

This Fall also marks the first time that two teams from each district will advance into the state play-offs.

A few years ago that would have given Nevada a real chance to get into the play-offs, but now, with Carthage having become a football power, that almost rivals Webb City, it will be difficult for either Nevada or Carl Junction to get past the districts.

Of course, if Nevada had been assigned to District 13 to our north, which I think would have been the other likely district, it would not have been much better. District 13 has Harrisonville, Warrensburg, Sedalia Smith-Cotton and Grain Valley. Harrisonville is almost as formidable as Webb City and I don't think anyone really wants to go Warrensburg.

But just think of how much fun it would be to see a Webb City-Harrisonville play-off game and have to decide who you wanted to root for.