Southwest Missouri high school football predictions: Why Wyatt thinks he'll be perfect in Week 6

Coming off my best week of the season, I'm still aiming for a perfect score heading into what should be a giant week of high school football in southwest Missouri.

I was 24-3 (88.9%) last week which brings me to 110-29 (79.1%) this season. I'm 46-8 (85.2%) over the last two weeks and am really starting to feel good about what I have going on here.

There are a few tough ones in here this week but I have a feeling this will be the week I get all of them right. Once a few athletes get a hold of this, they're going to try and make sure they can laugh in my face once Friday night is over.

West Plains @ Kickapoo

Coming off its first loss of the season, West Plains is going to need to win out and get some help if it's going to win a share of the Ozark Conference. Right now, it doesn't look like a two-loss team is going to get it done.

Kickapoo (3-2) is a two-loss team that is going to need to set itself up well in a difficult Class 6 district that also includes the likes of Nixa and Joplin.

Back-to-back weeks for the Chiefs holding opponents to eight points is a good sign. Star defensive end Andrew Link is the area's sack leader with seven this season. We know the defense will be there for the Chiefs but the offense has come along the last two weeks by scoring 35 and 41.

We've seen West Plains' offense contained a few times this year while its defense has shown to be one of the tougher ones. The Zizzers have been a little hit and miss offensively with teams knowing they need to key in on star running back Heston Miller.

I'm feeling an upset in this one with the Chiefs showing they're right there with the teams at the top of the conference. Kickapoo 27, West Plains 24

More:These 7 Springfield area high school football teams have our attention at midseason

Glendale @ Lebanon

The biggest game in the Ozark Conference this week takes place in Lebanon with the Falcons hoping to stay alive in the Ozark Conference race. Undefeated Lebanon is getting closer to setting up a Week 8 conference championship showdown with Camdenton.

Glendale has the state's leading passer and receiver with its lone loss coming in a thriller against West Plains in the second week of the season. Lebanon has been dominant with Cade Muscia leading the way. The Yellowjackets have won each game by at least three touchdowns.

There is no doubt that this will be Lebanon's toughest test to date with its Week 3 win over Kickapoo being its only one over a team with a winning record. The Jackets have three-straight games against the OC's elite with Glendale and road trips to West Plains and Camdenton coming up.

I think Lebanon is the best team in the OC right now and it's gotten better as time's gone on. The Jackets will be ready for this. Lebanon 28, Glendale 27

More:Vote for Southwest Missouri's Week 5 high school football player of the week

Republic @ Joplin

In my bold predictions column before the year, I predicted that Republic would get a win over either Nixa, Webb City, Carthage or Joplin this year. I think this week is the week.

Joplin has proven to be one of the Central Ozark Conference's elite with a tough running attack on offense. Defensively, it has playmakers on the field but the team has a lot of trouble stopping the run.

That's where I think Republic will have the advantage in this matchup. The Tigers have a play-making quarterback and a handful of running backs that can go off any week. It won't be the 300-plus yard game that Ramone Green had last week against Joplin but it will be a committee approach when there might not be a better committee in the Ozarks.

Defensively, Republic is going to have to step it up against an offense that has great players at the skill positions. I think Republic will get this one for a marquee win under Ryan Cornelsen. Republic 38, Joplin 34

More:Here are your Southwest Missouri high school football power rankings after Sept. 23

Seneca @ Reeds Spring

In a Big 8 cross-conference showdown, two of the best teams in the area will go at it in maybe the highest profile game of the week.

Seneca has had its dominance while having the 36-33 win over Lamar to show it's for real. Seneca's defense has held every team but Lamar to 20 points or fewer including in a very impressive 42-7 win over Cassville.

Reeds Spring has been great defensively as well while its offense has come around in the last three weeks. The Wolves have a great rushing attack and a monster tight end in Caden Wiest who no one wants to tackle in the open field.

Seneca has the advantage here because it's played well in its biggest games against the best of opponents. Reeds Spring has been pretty dominant this year but all of its wins have come against teams with records below .500.

I think Reeds Spring will play well and show it belongs. I'm just going to have to lean toward the team that's been in this position and has beaten the best. Seneca 28, Reeds Spring 22

More:Southwest Missouri high school football takeaways and scores from Sept. 23

Other games...

Parkview @ Rolla: An up-and-down year for the Bulldogs has them coming off of a 55-20 win at Hillcrest. They've struggled to score against the better teams on their schedule but that shouldn't be a problem here. Rolla 38, Parkview 17

Hillcrest @ Waynesville: Hillcrest's offense has improved in recent weeks while Waynesville just went through a three-game juggernaut of the best teams in the conference. Look for the Tigers to get back to more scoring against a struggling Hornet defense. Waynesville 32, Hillcrest 17

Mount Vernon @ Catholic: Two rough weeks for the Mountaineers against two of the area's elite are followed by a get-right game with Catholic before heading into a stretch that will define the Big 8 East. Mount Vernon 32, Catholic 12

Lighthouse @ Central: The Bulldogs are going into this game with something they haven't had in a long time... momentum. Central is very capable of winning the remainder of its games on its schedule. Central 27, Lighthouse 17

Nixa @ Carl Junction: The biggest thing we have to worry about with Nixa the rest of the year is if it looks ahead to its bigger goals. I don't think that's going to happen. Nixa 52, Carl Junction 24

Ozark @ Carthage: Ozark has given some of the better teams in the area some trouble in recent weeks but Carthage appears to be a different animal. Carthage held Neosho to seven points last week when the Wildcats' offense looked like it could put up big numbers on anybody. Carthage 45, Ozark 21

Fair Grove @ Strafford: Both teams need this one with the Eagles being the most desperate. A win for the Eagles and a win for Strafford next week at Forsyth would put the three in a position to tie for the league title. Fair Grove's offense is putting up big points while the Strafford offense has had its struggles. Fair Grove 31, Strafford 22

Logan-Rogersville @ Hollister: The Wildcats' defense has been among the best in the area this year. They're allowing just 15.8 points per game and have yet to allow more than 22 in a single game. Logan-Rogersville 28, Hollister 10

Aurora @ Marshfield: Aurora came close to an upset over Hollister last week but a desperate Marshfield team is going to need to come out on top in this one to stay alive in the Big 8 East. Marshfield 27, Aurora 14

Branson @ Neosho: The Wildcats' offense was slowed down for the first time this season in last week's loss to Carthage. Look for it to get back on track. Neosho 38, Branson 31

Sarcoxie @ Miller: The Bears are one of the few 5-0 teams in the Ozarks but they haven't played anyone who currently has a winning record. The Bears should get the win next week but they can't look ahead to next week's game at Marionville. Sarcoxie 24, Miller 13

Cassville @ Nevada: In one of the bigger outer-area games of the week, Cassville is looking to rebound against an elite Tigers squad that needs to get the win to have a shot at the Big 8 East. The Tigers can't look ahead to next week's showcase with Lamar. Nevada 27, Cassville 24

Mountain Grove @ Mountain View (Liberty): Can the Panthers pull off one of the area's biggest upsets of the year? They're playing well on both sides of the ball right now. Liberty has been just so overwhelming that it's hard to bet against the Eagles right now. Mountain View 42, Mountain Grove 31

Bolivar @ Camdenton: The Lakers are on a mission and are in a great position to head into Week 8's Ozark Conference clash with Lebanon as a team that can win the league. The defense has yet to allow more than 21 points this year. Camdenton 34, Bolivar 10

Pierce City @ Marionville: The Comets are just as dominant as ever this season. Pierce City has kept it close against the better teams on its schedule. Marionville 28, Pierce City 21

Skyline @ Clever: The Bluejays are still growing as a program. The Tigers aren't having their best season but have shown the capability of scoring. Skyline 24, Clever 7

Lamar @ McDonald County: "Must win" regular season games don't come around too often for the Tigers and they've got one here. I'd rather be wrong betting on Lamar than being wrong picking against it. Lamar 28, McDonald County 24

Diamond @ Forsyth: The Panthers are a week away from their biggest game in school history. Diamond is 0-3 against teams with winning records. Forsyth 42, Diamond 31

Butler @ Buffalo: Butler is proving to be one of the better teams in the state and it has a solid defense to go with it. The Bison are scoring a lot of points but are giving up a ton as well. Butler 38, Buffalo 34

Salem @ Willow Springs: Salem has yet to score more than seven points in a game this season... until this week! Willow Springs 27, Salem 14

Monett @ East Newton: One of these two will come away with their first win. Monett has found more of an offense in the last two weeks while the Patriots have scored 13 points over the last four weeks combined. Monett 28, East Newton 14

Houston @ Ava: The undefeated Tigers have been dominant but this will be their most difficult challenge yet. The Bears have more experience in these types of high-level games than a Houston squad that should have its first winning season since at least 2008. Ava 24, Houston 21

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Southwest Missouri Week 6 high school football predictions