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The first weekend of the 2026 Missouri high school football playoffs delivered plenty of drama, a few surprises and several dominant performances from teams hoping to make a run at a state championship.
Marquette survived one of the wildest finishes of the opening round, edging Lafayette 28-27 in overtime in Class 6. Carthage won a defensive battle against longtime rival Webb City, 10-7, in Class 5, while Lincoln College Prep slipped past Winnetonka 15-14.
Other teams left little doubt about their postseason intentions.
Cardinal Ritter rolled past McCluer 66-0, Seneca overwhelmed Hollister 69-0, Monett scored 70 points against Hillcrest, and Smithville put up 81 in a Class 4 victory over Northeast Kansas City.
The opening round also set up several intriguing district semifinal matchups, with top seeds Jackson, Nixa, Platte County, Kearney, Blair Oaks, Lamar and Marionville preparing to make their postseason debuts after receiving first-round byes.
District semifinals are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, with the winners advancing to district championship games the following week.
Seven state champions will eventually be crowned Dec. 3-5 at Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium on the campus of Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.
Here is the updated classification-by-classification look at Missouri's 2026 high school football playoff brackets, opening-round results and upcoming matchups.
Class 6 produced several close games during the opening weekend, none more dramatic than Marquette's overtime victory over Lafayette.
Marquette advanced with a 28-27 win and will face Kirkwood in the district semifinals.
Blue Springs South also survived a close contest, defeating Lee's Summit North 24-21, while Liberty of Wentzville held off Francis Howell Central 7-3.
Waynesville advanced with a 35-25 victory over Kickapoo and now faces undefeated district top seed Nixa.
Jackson, which completed a 9-0 regular season, opens its postseason against Lindbergh after the Flyers defeated Oakville 21-3.
The Jackson-Lindbergh and Nixa-Waynesville games will mark the postseason debuts of two of Missouri's leading Class 6 contenders.
Class 5 featured one of the most anticipated opening-round matchups in the state, with Carthage defeating Webb City 10-7.
Carthage advances to face Republic, which received an opening-round bye.
Elsewhere, Farmington defeated Poplar Bluff 48-8 and will face Fox, while Cape Girardeau Central advanced with a 53-6 victory over Mehlville.
Cardinal Ritter delivered one of the most dominant performances of the weekend, defeating McCluer 66-0.
Neosho also put on an offensive show, scoring 69 points in a victory over Parkview.
Platte County, the defending Class 5 state champion, begins its postseason in the district semifinals.
The Carthage-Republic matchup is among the most compelling games of the next round after Carthage's narrow victory over Webb City.
Class 4 produced some of the most lopsided scores of the opening round, with several teams making emphatic statements.
Smithville overwhelmed Northeast Kansas City 81-7, Savannah defeated Excelsior Springs 72-12, and Monett rolled past Hillcrest 70-28.
Vianney scored 68 points against Affton, while Sullivan put up 66 in its victory over Pacific.
One of the closest games came when Pleasant Hill edged Harrisonville 28-27.
Defending state champion Kearney begins its postseason against Benton, which advanced with a 50-30 victory over Van Horn.
The Smithville-Savannah matchup will feature two teams that combined for 153 points in their opening-round victories.
Class 3 featured several convincing victories, including defending state champion Seneca's 69-0 shutout of Hollister.
Strafford also scored 68 points in a shutout victory over Pleasant Hope, while Lutheran North defeated Lutheran of St. Charles 57-14.
Hallsville advanced with a 42-7 victory over Eldon, and Mount Vernon defeated Reeds Spring 41-14.
A few games were considerably closer.
Chillicothe edged Macon 31-28, Nevada held off Aurora 20-14, and Perryville defeated Fredericktown 17-6.
Seneca, Southern Boone, Mountain Grove and Cassville are among the programs to watch as the Class 3 tournament continues.
Southern Boone and Cassville enter the next round after opening-round byes, while Seneca brings considerable momentum from its 69-point performance.
The complete district semifinal pairings are available in the updated Class 3 bracket.
Class 2 featured several high-scoring performances, along with a handful of close finishes.
Bowling Green defeated Mark Twain 68-7, Butler overwhelmed Lexington 68-18, and Kelly rolled past East Prairie 63-7.
North Callaway scored 62 points against Versailles, while Palmyra defeated Highland 59-6.
Two of the more competitive games saw Ava edge Willow Springs 19-14 and California defeat Father Tolton 18-13.
Defending champion Blair Oaks begins its postseason against South Callaway, which advanced with a 50-8 victory over Cole Camp.
Lamar, another traditional Missouri football power, opens against Sarcoxie after the Bears defeated Warsaw 42-21.
The Blair Oaks-South Callaway and Lamar-Sarcoxie games will be closely watched as two established championship contenders enter postseason play.
Class 1 opened with several convincing victories and a few closely contested games.
Hayti defeated Malden 54-12, Charleston overwhelmed Cabool 50-6, and Marceline rolled past Milan 54-13.
Fayette survived one of the tightest games of the weekend, edging Harrisburg 12-8.
Windsor also advanced with a narrow 20-16 victory over Linn.
Defending champion Tipton will face Windsor in the district semifinals, while Marionville opens its postseason against Pierce City.
Marionville and Tipton remain among the teams to watch as Class 1 moves into the district semifinal round.
Missouri's eight-player postseason produced some of the biggest offensive performances of the opening weekend.
Slater scored 83 points in a victory over Schuyler County, while Sweet Springs scored more than 60 against Lincoln.
New Heights Christian Academy defeated Jasper 60-6, and Archie rolled past Osceola 54-14.
King City survived a 44-33 victory over Stanberry, while Rich Hill/Hume advanced with a 34-14 win against Drexel/Miami.
Defending champion Worth County/Northeast Nodaway received an opening-round bye and will face King City in the district semifinals.
The seven MSHSAA football state championships are scheduled for Dec. 3-5 at Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium on the Missouri Western State University campus in St. Joseph.
The opening round is complete, and the remaining teams now turn their attention to district semifinals scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6.
Several of Missouri's leading championship contenders will make their postseason debuts after receiving opening-round byes, while the first-round winners attempt to build on their momentum.
District championship games are scheduled for Nov. 13, followed by the state quarterfinals and semifinals later in November.
The season concludes with seven state championship games Dec. 3-5 in St. Joseph.
High School On SI will continue updating the Missouri high school football playoff brackets with district results, upcoming matchups and championship information throughout the postseason.