Nixa vs. Carthage: Stars Under the Friday Night Lights

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last Friday night, I had the pleasure of watching a Heavyweight fight in week 4 of the 2025 Missouri high school football season between the Carthage Tigers and the Nixa Eagles. I would like to thank Coach John Perry of the Nixa Eagles for allowing me to come watch such a great game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It wasn't easy to pick just a couple of athletes from last Fridays game, but these young men just stood out among the rest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["849700"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1907636,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d4aaf30725a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ever since Mccaster transferred from De Smet to Nixa high school he has been on an absolute tear. Against the Carthage tigers, Mccaster kicked it up a notch and put on his best performance yet running for 185 yards and three touchdowns, fueling a 38-22 victory for the Nixa Eagles. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a verbal commitment to Southern Illinois in his back pocket, Mccaster looks to leave his mark in Missouri high school football in his senior season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1129733"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1907641,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d4aaf3072cd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Already regarded as not only one of the best cornerbacks in the Show Me State, but one of the best athletes in Missouri period. Flint put on an awe-inspiring performance against perhaps Nixa's Toughest opponent this year. He logged a 73-yard bomb from Adam Mcknight in the first quarter. Flint followed that up with a 90-yard pick-six that set the roof off of Eagles Stadium.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Flint has a very bright future ahead of him, but first, he's looking to improve on his already fantastic senior season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["392779"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1907645,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d4aaf307328"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Now it's hard to go watch a Nixa Eagles football game and not mention the consensus number one overall high school football player in the nation [player_tooltip player_id='392779' first='Jackson' last='Cantwell']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Everyone loves a high school matchup between future D1 football players, and I got to witness Miami commit Cantwell go toe to toe with Oklahoma state commit [player_tooltip player_id='1127277' first='Landon' last='Bland']. Cantwell is a generational talent at offensive tackle, and he showed his talents going against a top-tier player like Bland.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cantwell will be playing on Sundays sooner than later. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":1907651,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Braydon Parks","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"160","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Nixa High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d4ad2875e99"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Nixa is home to possibly the best tandem of cornerbacks in [player_tooltip player_id='1129733' first='Randy' last='Flint'] and now Braydon Parks. Usually all eyes are on names like Mccaster, Cantwell, and Flint. Last Friday night, Parks put his name on the map by having a technically sound football game that opened my eyes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parks was such a great open field tackler last Friday night, it was hard not to notice. He made multiple touchdown-saving stops on the edge. I don't think they win this game without Parks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1127277"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d4ad2875ef6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Oklahoma State commit [player_tooltip player_id='1127277' first='Landon' last='Bland'] came into this game appearing to make a statement on the big stage. He did not disappoint last Friday night, holding his own against possibly the best offensive line in Missouri. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">There were multiple snaps where he had his way with the Nixa offense and made life difficult for their star-studded cast of playmakers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":1907656,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Landon West","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"185","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Carthage high school","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d4ad2875fa2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Landon West put his best foot forward against the Nixa Eagles and performed wonderfully against a very good defense. West broke off big chunk runs after big chunk runs, and at one point, they didn't have much of an answer for West. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West is an all-purpose type of back that can slice up a defense in a variety of ways. Through the air, or between the tackles, West excels at running the rock.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is only West's Junior season, so he has two more years to cause opposing defenses headaches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->