New Football Conferences Lead to Rivalry Games Including Branson, Harrison

As the dust settles on the High School Conferences changes in Missouri, the results will be some changes for all of the area football schools even stretching down into Arkansas.

The wave of conference changes began in September when Hollister and Reeds Spring were announced, along with Springfield Catholic, as new members of the Mid-Lakes Conference, leaving their current conference, the Big Eight, at the end of the current school year. Sources within several area schools indicated that move was due to the planned move of two other Big Eight Schools, Logan-Rogersville and Marshfield, to a proposed new conference.

That plan became official in October when the formation of the Ozark Mountain Conference was announced, not only involving those two schools but Branson as well. The two Big Eight Schools and Branson were joined by fellow Central Ozark Conference member Carl Junction along with Bolivar and West Plains from the Ozark Conference in forming the new league. 

While other conference changes have occurred and the impact will be felt in all activities, one of the changes that will impact football will be the addition of more geographic rivalry games. 

The only Lakes Area Rivalry Contest that has taken place in over a decade has been the annual Backyard Battle between Hollister and Reeds Spring, which started in 2010 when the Tigers began their football program. The Wolves had previously matched-up annually with Branson, a series that ended in the early 2000's. 

While Hollister and Reeds Spring will continue their match-ups, now Forsyth will join them in playing annual games. The Panthers have not played any area teams since their first full season of varsity play in 2017.  In their first season as conference rivals in 2024, the Panthers will host Hollister and travel to Reeds Spring, while Hollister will host Reeds Spring in their 2024 game. 

Branson has not played an area school since the end of the series with Reeds Spring. While in the COC, the Pirates geographical rival was Ozark with the two schools being separated by only 25 miles. The new conference alignment will end that game for the near future but the Pirates will renew another geographic rival, beginning a two-year football series with Harrison. The Goblins and Pirates will play in 2024 at FS Garrison Stadium then in 2025 at Pirates Stadium to open the season. The last time the two schools met in varsity football was in 1984. 

The Pirates were not the only school in the region to schedule an opponent south of the boarder as Hollister will open their season against Green Forest, who for many years played an early season game with Reeds Spring. The two schools will open the 2024 season in Hollister.