The Cassville football team hopes to turn its season and home opener into a College Gameday atmosphere, as the Wildcats will play their first regular-season Saturday game on Aug. 26 against Hollister.
Clay Weldy, Cassville football coach, said the day-late start is meant to accommodate referees in the Joplin officials association, which is dealing with a shortage.
“There is a shortage of officials, so I got an email in late spring, and we were one of the schools on the list,” he said. “They pick names out of a hat whether it’s Week 1 or Week 2. We would have had the option for a Thursday game if we got Week 2, but since we are Week 1, Saturday is the only choice because MSHSAA says no games can be played before the 25th.”
The shortage has forced multiple area teams into Saturday games in recent years, and Weldy said it’s best to roll with the punches.
“It’s not ideal, but that’s how the cards were dealt,” he said. “We get to play at home, and it will be an exciting atmosphere, kind of like a college game. We’ll do the best we possibly can to have a fun afternoon, and we hope to get a win.”
Looking to September and beyond, the Wildcats see no changes in their schedule except location, with all opponents in the same weeks for the second season, set to change next year.
“This is the second year of the two-year scheduling cycle, so the Big 8 West teams we always play are the same, and we play three other Big 8 East teams,” Weldy said. “Those three will change next year, and the weeks we play teams may change next year, too.”
Cassville hits the road Sept. 1 and Sept. 8 to face Aurora and Seneca, respectively. On Sept. 15, the Wildcats back at home, hosting East Newton, then hit the road on Sept. 22 to face McDonald County.
The final four contests will be mostly at home, as Cassville hosts Nevada on Sept. 29 and Springfield Catholic on Oct. 6, travels to Lamar on Oct. 13 and wraps up the season against Monett in the Barry County Brawl on Oct. 20.
“There’s a lot of time on the schedule to get better,” Weldy said. “Early on, Hollister is a bit of an unknown, like us with a big senior class last year. Aurora, Seneca, East Newton, Nevada and McDonald County all bring a ton back.
“Lamar is always tough, and Monett is a big game no matter when we play it. But, it brings a lot of emotion being the last week of the season.”
Weldy said the schedule is tough all the way through, but the Wildcats are excited for the challenge.
Cassville went 5-6 last season, falling in the Barry County Brawl but winning a playoff game over Aurora the next week.
“Whenever the Brawl is, it is what it is,” Weldy said. “I’ve been here a long time and we’ve played Monett early in the season, the middle of the season and the end, and sometimes twice in a season because of playoffs. A year ago, we played well but they got the best of us, and I hope this year as the schedule goes along that, even though our team is young, they get better and improve.
“Monett played really well late last season, so hopefully we look and play like that when we go in.”
Publisher’s Note: Live coverage of each Cassville football game will be posted on the Cassville Democrat Facebook page, with recaps and features on the team weekly at www.cassville-democrat. com/category/sports.
