MSHSAA football championship games return to Faurot Field after COVID-19 hiatus
After a one-year hiatus, the state football championships are back at Faurot Field.
The COVID-19 pandemic relocated the MSHSAA football title games last year, and this year the association is happy to have them back in Columbia for multiple reasons.
The first is a welcome sense of normalcy, and the second is how having the state championships at Faurot Field assists MSHSAA with its own learning curve.
"The biggest takeaway this year is a return to, air quotes, normalcy," said Jason West, MSHSAA communications director.
West said there won't be any additional COVID-19 precautions this weekend beyond what MSHSAA has implemented for the 2021 football season.
Still, this is a stark contrast to how MSHSAA curated last year's plans.
"There was a prevailing thought that we were making all these plans, and in Week 4, everything's going to get shut down," West said of the 2020 decision-making process.
MSHSAA moved last year's state championships from Faurot Field "due to venue usage conflicts with Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field," MSHSAA wrote in a news release in September 2020.
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MSHSAA began regularly using Faurot Field as a site for state championship games in 2017. Before that, Faurot hosted a rotation of championship games from 1984 to 1994.
When MSHSAA began hosting tournaments in 1968, Faurot Field's first appearance for a state championship game was the 1969 4A title game between McCluer and Rockhurst. McCluer beat Rockhurst 21-0.
The 2020 hiatus halted the use of Faurot as a state championship venue, as Blair Oaks, Helias Catholic and Jefferson City high schools each hosted championship games.
The return to Faurot Field was marked with the Class 6 championship last weekend. CBC defeated Liberty 48-21 for its fourth state title in eight years.
The return to Faurot Field also means this weekend will be much easier for the Columbia-based MSHSAA office, which is home to a staff that went through a few changes of its own in the offseason.
"We had some internal changes in our office," West said. "We had some new employees. We had a couple of executives retire at the end of last year, so we have new people in new positions."
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The new employees have had a bit of a learning curve. Having the championships be played in the same city as MSHSAA's headquarters has proven helpful, West said, including the ability to make quick trips between the office and stadium.
West advises fans making their way to Faurot Field to be wary of the parking situation.
"With the construction that's going on with the new facility there next to the stadium, there are a few parking lots that are blocked off," he said. "There's going to be student parking around the stadium that you don't normally see on a Saturday afternoon."
Here's a look at the 11-man football state championship games that will play this weekend in Columbia:
MSHSAA state football championship games at Faurot Field
Games on Friday
Class 4
Who: Hannibal (13-0) vs. Smithville (12-0)
When: 11 a.m.
Last meeting: This is the first meeting between the programs.
What to watch: This has all the makings of a classic: undefeated teams with a state title on the line. This one could come down to Hannibal's defense, which allows 23.2 points per game playing away from home. Smithville averages 41 points per game.
Class 2
Who: Lamar (13-0) vs. Lutheran St. Charles (11-2)
When: 3 p.m.
Last meeting: This is the first meeting between the programs.
What to watch: The most points Lamar has allowed this year is 22 to Nevada in September. Lutheran St. Charles averages 48.3 points per game, putting Lamar's defense to the test.
Class 5
Who: Holt (13-0) vs. Webb City (10-3)
When: 7 p.m.
Last meeting: This is the first meeting between the programs.
What to watch: Holt has the clear upper hand on paper based on the teams' records. The key for Holt is to take care of business; the Indians haven't scored less than 31 points since the beginning of the state tournament.
Games on Saturday
Class 3
Who: St. Pius X (12-1) vs. St. Mary's (11-1)
When: 11 a.m.
Last meeting: This is the first meeting between the programs.
What to watch: A matchup of Kansas City (St. Pius X) vs. St. Louis (St. Mary's) comes down to the St. Mary's offense against the St. Pius defense. St. Pius allows a staunch 8.9 points per game, compared to St. Mary's 44.4 points per game on offense.
Class 1
Who: Marceline (12-1) vs. East Buchanan (13-1)
When: 3 p.m.
Last meeting: East Buchanan beat Marceline 31-7 on Nov. 15, 2004.
What to watch: These two teams are virtually equal on paper, with similar per-game averages and nearly identical records. East Buchanan is the hotter team, winning its last three games by multiple scores. Marceline won its last two games by two combined points, as its past three playoff games were one-score games.
Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 435-414-3261.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: MSHSAA football championship games return to Faurot Field after COVID
