10 Notable Missouri High School Football District Tournaments to Watch

The Missouri football playoffs kick off this week. Here are some notable districts to keep an eye on as teams battle it out for a chance at a district title before advancing to the rest of the state playoffs.

Platte County players hoist the championship trophy while celebrating their victory over Helias Catholic in Missouri Class 5 state title game. / Photo by David Smith

The road to St. Joseph's Spratt Memorial Stadium and the Show-Me Bowl begins this week and there are plenty of matchups and potential matchups that fans should be on the look out for.

Here are a few districts that will feature some heavy hitters with De Smet (Class 6), Platte County (Class 5), Lutheran North (Class 4), Blair Oaks (Class 3), Lamar (Class 2) and Adrian (Class 1) looking to defend their 2024 crowns.

Blair Oaks is the only team among that group that will not get a chance to defend the title in last year's class, with the Falcons sliding down to Class 2 this year.

Click on the hyperlinks to see the complete playoff brackets from each classification.

Class 2, District 5

lair Oaks (9-0) will get a bye week this week as the six other teams duke it out for a chance to take down the heavily-favored Falcons. In their district? No. 2-ranked Warsaw (9-0) is the No. 3 seed in the district, with its iron-wall defense that has allowed only 41 points all year. The No. 2 seed in the district is No. 5-ranked Centralia (8-1). Six of the seven teams have winning records in this loaded district.

Class 6, District 2

CBC (9-0) headlines the district as the No. 1-ranked team in Class 6 with a balanced offense led by Kansas State commit Nick McClellan and do-it-all Corde Gage. Residing in their district? No. 5-ranked and unbeaten Lafayette (9-0). The Lancers made it to the Class 5 semifinals last year and look better than ever, led by quarterback Brady Micek and a terrifying defense that has allowed only 46 points all year. SLUH (7-2) and defending Class 6 champions De Smet (5-4) also lurk waiting for anyone to overlook them.

Class 5, District 8

This is a district that everyone in the state should be keeping an eye on for the potentially titanic matchup that could shape up in the district title game. No. 1-ranked and defending Class 5 champions Platte County (9-0) await the knockdown, drag-out brawl of a loaded district. The Pirates will get either St. Pius X (KC) (5-4) or Winnetonka (5-4) next week in the district semifinals. On the other side of the bracket? No. 4-ranked Rockhurst (7-2) and Fort Osage (6-3).

Class 4, District 8

Just like its Class 5 counterpart, this district is stacked to the brim with top-ranked teams that all have a legitimate shot at bringing home the Class 4 title. Three of the top six teams in the class reside in this one district, with Kearney (9-0) leading the way. The Bulldogs have been the No. 1-ranked team in the class for much of the year. No. 2 Savannah (8-1) is hot on its heels, with Smithville (7-2) lingering with the pair. The top-heavy district could see a matchup of state-title contenders in the district semifinals.

Class 1, District 3

Just like Class 4 District 8, this district is incredibly top-heavy. The No. 1-ranked Thayer (8-1) Bobcats lead the way with No. 2-ranked Marionville (8-1) "settling" for the two seed. A basketball hotbed under coach Matt Pitts, Thayer is looking for its first football district title since 2021, when it knocked off Marionville in the district title game. Miller (5-4) and Ash Grove (6-3) could play spoiler.

Class 3, District 6

Seneca (8-1) has played bridesmaid in two successive state title games, but the Indians look primed and ready to snatch their first state title since 1995. Standing in their way will be Cassville (6-3), Mt. Vernon (5-4) and Hollister (6-3). The only blemish on the Indians' record this year is a one-point loss to perennial powerhouse Lamar in the season finale.

Class 4, District 3

How strong is a district when a defending state champion is the four seed in its own district? Lutheran North (4-3), the defending Class 4 champions, has a gauntlet to go through if it wants to make another playoff run. Unbeaten Gateway STEM (9-0) sits alone at the top of the district with a resurgent St. Mary's on the other side of the bracket. Surprising Jennings (7-1) comes into the playoffs with its only loss coming in the regular season finale against University City.

Class 3, District 2

A terror of Class 1 since 2010, Valle Catholic (9-0) is still searching for its first state title since 2019, when the Warriors crushed their way to their 15th state championship. Lurking in their district is a very battle-tested Lift for Life (5-4) squad, along with cross-town rival Ste. Genevieve (8-1). The Hawks have not played a Class 3 opponent all year, with close losses to Class 5 SLUH and Cape Girardeau Central, as well as a regular-season finale loss to Class 6-ranked Helias.

Class 6, District 6

A brutal district that is legitimately anyone's to claim. All five teams enter district play with winning records, with Rock Bridge (5-4) at the bottom of the totem pole. At the top will be Blue Springs South (9-0), who edged out Helias Catholic (9-0) for the top spot, with both teams playing in next week's district semifinals. A reinvigorated Hickman (7-2) squad that has already captured its most wins in a season since 2012 could prove to be the dark horse in the district.

Class 5, District 3

Hazelwood East (7-2) captured the No. 1 seed in this highly competitive district with a late touchdown over Parkway West and will await the winner of Ladue (6-3) and MICDS (5-4) in next week's district semifinals. Cardinal Ritter (5-3) is on the warpath after getting upset last year by Lafayette and Manny Ellis has been carrying, literally, the offense with nine rushing touchdowns in the past two weeks. A surprising Chaminade (5-3) squad could prove to be a tougher out than previously expected.