Camdenton and West Plains were co-champions last year in the Ozark Conference and they will face off against each other early this season.
Camdenton, however, will be coming into this matchup without two important players.
Senior Brett Kellock and sophomore Jake Hill both went down with knee injuries in the opener against Hillcrest and both play huge roles for the Lakers.
Kellock is a key piece in the middle of the Camdenton defense, as well as being a part of their stable of runners in the backfield. Hill is the Lakers' speed threat at wide receiver and was the main pass-catcher in their season opener. Hill had 75 receiving yards on just two catches, and Camdenton is now down a big-play threat in the passing game.
For coach Jeff Shore, that just means the guys behind them need to step up.
"It's the "next man up' mentality," Shore said. "I have no doubt our guys can step in just like they did Friday night. We've had a week of practice to get them ready so you feel good about that, but you just hate it for those kids."
And they will need those fill-in players to step up, as West Plains is coming off of a strong opening game. The Zizzers had three backs rush for more than 50 yards and a score, with Billy Holloway leading the way at 130 yards. They also moved the ball in the air, as Sam Hall threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
The keys for Camdenton are to shut down the running game and play well in the secondary.
"Our goal is going to be stop the run, No. 1, and make them throw it," Shore said. "The problem with them is they throw the ball really well, so I don't know if that's a good idea or not. But you figure if they hand it off all night and run for 20 yards you're never gonna make them do something different. So our philosophy is to stop the run and make them do something else and hopefully we can come up with some plays."
Camdenton does have the pieces to stop the run, even without Kellock. Josh Keys is a monster up the middle and Todd Simpson has done well at defensive end as a sophomore.
Offensively, losing Kellock and Hill will hurt, but the Lakers can fill the void in the backfield. Kellock is primarily used as a fullback, where Shore has also lined up Josh Keys.
Keys is coming off of a strong game offensively where he rushed for 21 yards and a touchdown on just four carries. They also have a deep backfield led by Zach Endsley and Carter Williams.
Each ran for at least 50 yards in the opener and Endsley scored once, while Williams crossed the goal line twice.
Camdenton will need to have another receiver step up in the passing game, but they should be able to find enough success to balance the rushing attack.
Camdenton hosts West Plains - Listen live online: mix927.com
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