Missouri Girls class two district matchups and overall ratings - 2/18/2025

 When Gramps is on the golf course, and I hit a great shot, my favorite saying is “Even a Blind Mule finds Water”.  I might have some ability but those great shots come out of nowhere at times.

Well, the Missouri State High School League is often like that at tournament time.  It’s not that they have a great system, cuz often the best two teams in the tournament end up playing each other in the first or second round.  That’s because the League does not have a rating system that seeds teams at the state tournament.  They seed teams at districts and then rotate through a couple of variations of tournament brackets each year.  It results in the best teams playing a quarterfinal game instead of a championship final.

This year, the blind mule found water. The best two teams in class two, Tipton (district eight) and Skyline (district thirteen), are in opposite brackets so that they might meet in the final.  Except I won’t say “might” because these two teams are soooo good, I will state that they “will” meet in the final. 

All of the top teams in class two are excellent but these two are close to the top of all-class state ratings, something like #11 and #12 (Principia would make it three but they were moved up to class three. St. Vincent is a top 30 team and a tournament sleeper).

So folks, here’s my district seed order (although seeding has already occurred) and our predictions for the state tournament.

District One – Malden takes the district in one of the weaker fields.

District Two – Neelyville should win out over Alton and East Carter, two good team and go on to win the sectional game over Malden.

District Three – St. Vincent is the class of district three and should easily win both their district and sectional games.

District Four- Bismark is a slight favorite over St. Paul Lutheran

District Five – Clopton (#4 in class two) handles a very strong District Five (all the teams are in the top 55 of class two) and beats Canton in their sectional contest.

District Six- Canton should edge Milan and Scotland County for district but cannot compete with Clopton in sectional.

District Seven –  Harrisburg has a slight edge over Salisbury and Westran, and while  the district is loaded with good teams, whoever wins this district gets to meet #1 Tipton in a sectional that might be a 30-point blowout.

District Eight- New Franklin is a top 20 team in class two but Tipton is having a historic season, with two one-point OT losses to higher-class teams and a tough loss to Lutheran St. Charles.  Tipton should win their district by 35 points and have not problem with their district seven sectional opponent.

District Nine – While Linn has a slight edge, you can put Linn, Iberia, Richland and Crocker in a hat a draw.  I won’t be surprised if any of those teams win district.  The sectional game will be a pick-em game with Norwood.

District Ten- Norwood is a prohibitive favorite over four good teams, Fordland, Bakersfield and Mansfield.  The sectional game with district nine will be a nail biter.

District Eleven – Marionville has a slight edge over Crane and Blue Eye, who are all top 25 teams in class two.  Their sectional game will be another tough match with either Miller or Ash Grove.

District Twelve- Miller and Ash Grove are co-favorites and their sectional game will be a toss-up.

District Thirteen – Skyline is having another great season and is a forty-point favorite in their district and thirty-five-point favorite in sectionals.

District Fourteen- Archie’s great season ends with a district championship and a long evening playing Skyline in sectionals, but it never hurts as much when you challenge the potential state champion and come up short.

District Fifteen – North Platte should win out over University Academy and play a tough sectional vs. West Nodaway (a pick-em game).

District Sixteen- West Nodaway (Holt) is the class of district sixteen and will play a nail-biter vs. North Platte in sectional.

 

State Prognosis:

Without a doubt, it will be Tipton and Skyline in an epic class two championship final that might go several overtimes.

District ratings and class two overall ratings are below: