Missouri Week 2 … Kansas and Oklahoma, kickoff time is here

The Sunflower and Sooner states get their first full taste of the 2010 prep football season tonight. Girard and Colgan were set to open Kansas’ slate at Pittsburg’s Hutchinson Field last night, but some nasty weather put the showdown on hold until tonight. Missouri, meanwhile, takes to field for Week 2, including Joplin’s test against West Plains at Junge Field.

I’ll be in the oldest cowtown in Kansas — I’m looking at you, Baxter Springs — where the senior-laden Lions welcome in the Riverton Rams, their rivals from just up old Route 66.

For all intents and purposes, Baxter should be the favorite here. You earn that badge when you have all 22 starters returning. Riverton, on the other hand, gives its new coach and new offense its first test spin with a relative lack of experience.

The one problem the Lions could run into is putting too much of an emphasis on this season opener. Sure, the most important game of the season is … the game in from of you. But I get the sense that the Lions will view their season as an early disappointment if they don’t go at least 1-1 against rivals Riverton and Galena (Kansas’ other Route 66 high school).

Still, I’m taking Baxter Springs in this one. Should be a fun game. Good crowd, good coaches (I played baseball with both of them and they both ooze intensity) and good weather.

As always, check in at our site for updated scores throughout the night.

Also, if you’re a twitterite, follow me (@ryanatkinson_JG) for more updates than you’ll ever need from Baxter-Riverton, plus any other scores I come across.

Mid-week thoughts

Tuesday night. We’re slowly closing in on the season’s first full weekend of football, sans the NFL.

A quick recap of some of last weekend’s action .. Keegan Tinney’s last-second FG saved Joplin … Webb City rolled … MSSU opened with an easy win that could have been easier … and Pitt State pulled away from the Central Okies in the second half.

The action starts on Thursday again this week. In the MIAA, Northwest opens with Texas A&M-Kingsville, Missouri Western welcomes Mesa State and Central Missouri hits the road to fave D1 FCS Illinois State.

The Kansas high schools get their first dance under the Friday night lights (except Colgan and Girard … they tangle on Thursday night). The most anticipated matchup might be in Baxter Springs, where a pair of young-gun coaches face off in a long-time rivalry game. Brett Hartley’s Lions — with all 22 starters back — welcome Derrick Rider’s Riverton Rams.

Columbus opens with what should be an improved Parsons squad while Pittsburg heads to Coffeyville for a date with the dangerous Golden Tornado.

MoSo and Pitt are back in action on Saturday. We’ll go more in-depth on those game and some of the Missouri prep contests later in the week.

Annnnnd we’re off …

While Missouri Southern officially kicked off the Four-State football season last night with a 30-0 thumping of Minnesota State-Moorhead (which could have been much worse), tonight is when it really starts.

High school teams across the Show-Me State kick off the season starting at 7 p.m. I’ll be out at MSSU for McAuley’s opener against Pleasant Hope.

Check in online at the Joplin Globe for updated scores throughout the night and full stories and recaps in the morning.