Missouri Week 1 Games to Watch in Kansas City

There are a number of big conference showdowns in the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference right out of the gate in Week 1. Friday night will mark some debuts for successful head coaches in new locales and the reigning Class 6 state champions open with a true blue blood in Missouri football. Here’s a few notable games: Columbia Rock Bridge at Staley The Falcons will play their first game under new coach Steve Rampy, a veteran coach in both the high school and college ranks. He made the move over from Lawrence (Kansas) High School but won four state championships at Blue Valley (Kansas) High School. He was also the offensive coordinator when Pittsburg State won the Division II title in 2011. The Falcons were 7-5 last year, which snapped a four-year district title streak. Rock Bridge won this game last year, 26-24. Blue Springs at Liberty Liberty is the defending Gold Division champions and the quest to repeats starts at home against a talented Blue Springs squad that starts year No. 2 under Coach David White. The Blue Jays feature Kansas State commit [player_tooltip player_id="96197" first="Michael" last="Capria"] on the line and running back [player_tooltip player_id="37448" first="Wentric" last="Williams III"] is a tough runner to bring down. Rockhurts at Ray-Pec Ray-Pec won the Class 6 title last year but there will be a lot of changes in year No. 2 for Sean Martin. Only six total starters return for the Panthers. Rockhurst went 5-3 last year in the first under Hall of Fame coach Kelly Donohoe but the season ended early due to COVID-19 issues. Lee’s Summit North at Blue Springs South The Broncos had a losing record last year, 4-6, but are ranked No. 3 in the MaxPreps Top 25 rankings in the state of Missouri. The Broncos have D-I commits in quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="171825" first="Tre" last="Baker"] (Abiliene Christian), offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="99439" first="Armand" last="Membou"] (Missouri), cornerback Dewaun Mack (Kansas) and tight end [player_tooltip player_id="37543" first="Gracen" last="Bell"] (Navy) and offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="37658" first="Cayden" last="Green"] has a plethora of Power 5 options. Park Hill at Lee’s Summit West Park Hill doesn’t have the top-tier D-I talent it has had in past years going into the season, but the team will still be a force in the league under new coach Andy Sims. He comes over from Blue Valley (Kansas) North High School, where he won a state title and played in two more. The Titans were 7-4 last year, including winner the opener in overtime against the Trojans. Lee’s Summit West is 8-1 in past nine meetings. Liberty North at Bentonville, Ark. The Eagles didn’t make this trip last year due to COVID-19 concerns but headed down to northwest Arkansas to play one of the top teams in the state. Liberty North is ranked No. 11 in the MaxPreps Top 25 and reached the Class 6 semifinals last year. Smithville at Grain Valley A battle of two teams ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25. Smithville is coming off a semifinal run in Class 4, while Grain Valley has won two straight district titles. However, the Eagles will have a lot of new faces this year.