Laurie Sisk: Let the games begin: Prep football brackets set:

Brackets are set and teams are ready to compete for the ultimate prize — a state championship in football.It’s called the second season by many. Nothing a team has done up to this point really matters, it’s all about surviving and advancing in the postseason.Class 6 District 5The third-seeded Joplin Eagles (3-6) and the second-seeded Ozark Tigers (4-5) will have a week off to prepare for each other. They face off Friday, Nov. 6, at OHS in a district semifinal game.A young Joplin Eagles team has shown it can compete with the best, falling by just three points to the second-ranked team in the state, the Nixa Eagles (8-1) — the top seed in the five-team district. Four of Joplin’s six losses were one-possession games, including a 42-35 loss to Webb City in the season finale.Ozark is fresh off a 42-0 win over fourth-seeded Kickapoo in its last game.Kickapoo and Waynesville will be the only game this Friday in C6D5. The winner advances to play top-seeded Nixa (8-1) in the district semifinals. Nixa’s only hiccup this season was a 23-21 loss to Webb City.Class 5 District 6The seven-team Class 5 District 6 playoffs feature three local teams that are all capable of walking away with the district title — Neosho, Carthage and Webb City.The second-seeded Neosho Wildcats (8-1) enter the postseason as the sixth-ranked Class 5 team in the state and have the easiest path to the semifinals as they host seventh-seeded Parkview (0-9) Friday at Bob Anderson Stadium.Neosho’s only loss this season was to top-seeded Republic (8-1) by a score of 47-35 in week five at RHS. Since that loss, Neosho has beaten both Webb City 35-28 in week eight and Carthage 51-48 in the regular season finale.Top-seeded Republic’s only loss this year was 49-6 against the top-seed in C6D5 — Nixa — in week three. RHS is the second-ranked team in the state in Class 5.Republic awaits the winner of a classic playoff rivalry in Webb City and Carthage, which battle Friday at Carthage’s David Haffner Stadium.Fourth-seeded Carthage (6-3) is the eight-ranked team in the state in Class 5 and handled fifth-seeded Webb City (6-3) by a score of 36-14 in week six, but if history is prologue, you can throw that result out the window.Since 2006, the Tigers and the Cardinals have met in the playoffs eight times, with the Cardinals ending Carthage’s season seven of those eight times, but Carthage has come out on top in the last two regular season games.This will be a raucous environment with everything on the line and I have every reason to expect an epic battle between these two storied teams.Carthage’s three losses came at the hands of Nixa in week one, 42-13; Republic in week eight, 26-22; and Neosho last week, 51-48.After a 5-0 start, Webb City dropped three straight games: 36-14 to Carthage, 33-14 to Republic, and 35-28 to Neosho in week eight. They regrouped to beat Joplin 42-35 last week.The winner of this year’s battle advances to face top-seeded Republic, which received a first-round bye. That semifinal game will be Nov. 6 at RHS.Should Neosho prevail over Parkview — and I am confident they will — on Nov. 6 they will face the winner of Friday’s game against third-seeded Branson and sixth -seeded Willard (1-8). I am also confident that will be Branson (8-1) at Neosho for the other C5D6 semifinal.Branson, however, plays in the Ozark Mountain Conference, comprised mostly of smaller schools. I don’t think they have experienced the caliber of play that will be present in the Class 5 District 6 bracket.Class 4 District 6In Class 4 District 6, the Carl Junction Bulldogs (5-4) enter as the number-two seed. They will play the seventh-seeded Marshfield Blue Jays (2-7) at Bulldog Stadium Friday.CJ defeated the Blue Jays 28-20 in week four and enter the postseason on a three-game win streak, having beaten Parkview 55-18, Bolivar 34-7 and Hillcrest 44-7.Marshfield is on a four-game skid and I believe the Bulldogs will make that five and end the Blue Jays’ season.The winner will face the winner of the third-seeded Bolivar (5-4) Liberators and the sixth-seeded McDonald County Mustangs (3-6) in the semifinals.CJ beat Bolivar 34-7 in week eight and I expect to see the Bulldogs in the title game against Logan-Rogersville on Nov. 13. That would be a possible redemption game for the Bulldogs. They fell 35-19 to LRHS in week three.The Logan Rogersville Wildcats (8-1) are the third-ranked team in the state in Class 4 and earned the top seed in the C4D6 bracket. They await the winner of the fourth-seeded Monett Cubs (4-5) and the fifth-seeded Hillcrest Hornets (2-6), which play Friday at Monett.The Wildcats’ lone loss was last week — a 28-21 loss to Class 5 Branson.Class 3 District 6The Seneca Indians (6-2) enter their Class 3 District 6 tourney as the second seed and the fourth-ranked team in the state and will play seventh-seeded Hollister (0-9) on Friday at SHS.The Indians’ two losses this season have come at the hands of Lamar (9-0), the top-ranked team in Class 2, by a score of 20-12 in week two, and Cassville (8-1), the third-ranked team in Class 3 in week three, a 28-25 battle.The Cassville Wildcats are the top seed in C4D6 and await the winner of the fourth-seeded Mount Vernon Mountaineers (3-6) and the fifth-seeded Reeds Spring Wolves (3-6).The third-seeded Nevada Tigers (5-4) and the sixth-seeded Aurora Hound Dogs (0-9) face off Friday at NHS. The winner advances to face the winner of Seneca/Hollister on Nov. 6.Class 2 District 4The undefeated Lamar Tigers (9-0) earned the top seed in their C2D4 bracket and await the winner of the fourth-seeded Warsaw Wildcats (4-5) and the fifth-seeded Sarcoxie Bears (5-4), which play Friday at Warsaw.The third-seeded East Newton Patriots (3-6) face the sixth-seeded Stockton/Sheldon Tigers (3-6) on Friday. The winner of that game will advance to battle the winner of second-seeded Clever (7-2), the eighth-ranked team in the state, and the seventh-seeded El Dorado Springs Bulldogs (2-7).I see the Tigers easily emerging from this bracket with their 19th straight district title.Class 1 District 3The Miller Cardinals (7-2) are the second seed in the Class 1 District 3 bracket and the fifth-ranked team in the state. They will face the third-seeded Ash Grove Pirates (5-4) on Nov. 6 at Miller.The fourth-seeded Pierce City Eagles (4-5) battle the fifth-seeded Diamond Wildcats (0-8) on Friday at PCHS. The Eagles beat the Wildcats 21-3 in week eight.The winner will face the top-seeded Marionville Comets (7-2) in a semifinal on Nov. 6 ay Marionville. Pierce City fell to the Comets 36-10 in the season finale.Eight Man District 1The Lockwood/Golden City Tigers (9-0) are the top seed in Eight Man District 1 and the fourth-ranked team in the state in eight-man football.The Tigers have a first-round bye and await the winner of the fourth-seeded New Heights Christian Academy Cougars (1-8) and the fifth-seeded Jasper Eagles (1-8), which play Friday at Missouri Southern State University.The third-seeded Liberal/Bronaugh Bulldogs (2-7) play the second-seeded Greenfield/Dadeville Wildcats (2-7) on Nov. 6 at Greenfield. Liberal fell to the Wildcats 58-44 in week two.