Missouri Class 1 semifinals preview

The four teams left in Class 1 features two teams with a state championship already in Hayti (2018) and Marceline (1986), but only one of those will move onto the finals. The other half of the bracket has East Buchanan vs. Thayer, two schools that have made the finals in the past but took second place. Saturday’s Games No. 3 Hayti at No. 6 Marceline Hayti quarterback Tray’von Thomas was 12 for 21 for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Monroe City. Junior WR [player_tooltip player_id="103473" first="Elijah" last="Burnett"] had seven catches for 102 yards and when Thomas got hurt, stepped into QB and ran for a touchdown. ... Marceline escaped with a 21-20 win over Fayette last week, a big difference from the regular season meeting that the Tigers won 37-0. ... The Tigers are balanced on offense as senior quarterback Jacob Stallo has completed 127 of 217 passes for 1,717 yards and 14 touchdowns. Senior running back Hunter Nelson has ran for 1,111 yards and 13 scores. Thayer at No. 5 East Buchanan These two teams have knocked off the No. 1-team in the state (a tie in the final regular poll) during the postseason. Thayer beat defending state champion Windsor, 30-22, last week. East Buchanan defeated the other co-No. 1 Mid-Buchanan in districts, avenging its only loss of the season. ... Thayer senior RB [player_tooltip player_id="96240" first="Jack" last="Willison"] ran for 253 yards and three touchdowns in the victory last week, sending Thayer to the semifinals for the second year in a row. ... East Buchanan has won six straight since an earlier loss to Mid-Buchanan. ... Senior QB Conner Musser has thrown for 1,883 yards and 19 TDs, completing 65 percent of his passes this season.  .... The Bulldogs rely heavily on both sides of the ball on sophomore Trevor Klein and senior Cru Conaway. Klein has more than 2,200 all-purpose yards and 26 touchdowns, but also leads the team with 4 INTs. Conaway had 14 touchdowns, 1,220 all-purpose yards, while having 106 tackles and 3 INTs.