Versailles Tigers

A torrential downpour, gusting winds and a stingy Osage team couldn’t prevent Versailles from winning its first district title since 2002. The fact that the Tigers’ star player stepped up when it matter most didn‘t hurt, either.

With 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, quarterback Jesse Loganbill hit fullback Cody Bowers for a 22-yard touchdown pass on a playaction bootleg. It proved to be the decisive margin as Versailles won 14-7.

“There were two guys closing in on me and I just kinda lower my shoulders and next thing I knew, I had scored,” Bowers said.

The Tigers finish first in the Class 3, District 9 pool and will host either Mountain Grove or Ava on Wednesday. Osage will have to travel to Logan-Rogersville, a team that’s 8-1 and ranked No. 1 in Class 3.
 

Another blowout win, another monumental night for a Versailles running back.

Senior fullback Cody Bowers broke the school's single-game rushing mark of

311 set by Eddie Stevenson just one week ago as the Tigers took control

and won 42-21 at California Friday night.

Bowers had four touchdowns and, according to radio reports, 319 rushing

yards on 28 carries. His first carry of the game went for 15 yards and he

took the next one 45 yards to the endzone to give Versailles a 7-0 lead

after just two plays.

Bowers had 280 yards and all four scores in the first half. The Tigers got

two first-quarter interceptions, including one that was returned for a

touchdown by Nathan Henderson, and led 42-6 at halftime.

Just two weeks ago the school's single-game rushing record was held by

Wade Chism, who ran for 267 yards in 1979.

The win sets up a showdown next Thursday night. Versailles hosts Osage, a

37-7 winner over Eldon.

Both Versailles and Osage have clinched playoff spots, but the winner gets

homefield advantage for the first round.

The Versailles Tigers left no doubt in this one, rolling over the Eldon Mustangs 57-0 in a conference and district game.

Tigers running back Eddie Stevenson said the school's single-game rushing record with 309 yards, all in the first half. He ran for two yards in the second half to extend the record to 311. He also scored four touchdowns.

Versailles is now 4-4 on the season and 1-0 in the district. They travel to California next week, which is 0-1 in the district.

The Versailles Tigers were all set to knock off the mighty Blair Oaks Falcons on Friday, but a late touchdown changed that.

In the third quarter, Versailles running back Cody Bowers rushed 89 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 14-7 lead.

Blair Oaks would answer with a score of their own, and with less than two minutes to play, the Falcons got the ball back and marched down the field.

A 5-yard touchdown pass gave them the lead and the win.

Bowers had more than 100 yards rushing for Versailles.

Versailles scored with 8 seconds left against Fulton on Friday to win 18-14 and stay perfect on the season.

Most of the game was a defensive struggle, with the Tigers leading 12-6 late in the fourth quarter.

But after getting the ball at midfield, Fulton marched down and scored with 1 minute remaining and converted a two-point attempt to take a 14-12 lead.

With less than a minute to play and the ball at their own 35, Versailles went on a drive of their own, and quarterback Jesse Loganbill found his cousin, Rex Loganbill, for a touchdown with 8 seconds to go, giving Versailles the lead, and ultimately the win.

Cody Bowers rushed for two touchdowns in the win.

Versailles is now 3-0 on the season and will travel to Lexington next week.

The Versailles Tigers jumped on Knob Noster early, and the never let up, winning 39-6.

They took the opening possession in for a touchdown, capped by an Eddie Stevenson run. They then forced two turnovers which led to touchdowns, and led 19-0 in the first quarter.

Stevenson and Cody Bowers each rushed for two touchdowns in the win.

Knob Noster's spread offense couldn't get anything going against the Tiger defense, turning the ball over five times.

Versailles is now 2-0 on the season, with a home game against Fulton next Friday.

In 1959, Fidel Castro took control of Cuba, the first nuclear-powered U.S. merchant ship was launched and the Wiffel Ball was introduced.
The same year, four lake area high school football programs were born.
In week 1, on Sept.18, Eldon defeated School of the Osage 41-7. The next week, they played their first home game at Allee Field against Camdenton and won 18-0.
Fast forward 50 years and the Eldon Mustangs, coming off a winless season, are hoping they can find some of that early magic.
“We talk about it all the time,” Eldon head coach Shannon Jolley said. “History is still strong here. It’s important to wear the maroon and gold.”
Jolley said a recent conversation at Henley’s Jewelers in Eldon gave him another example of why history is so important to the town.
“There are alumni from back then who are still in town,” he said. “There were a couple of undefeated teams back then. It’s exciting to revisit that history.”
Though plans aren’t finalized, Eldon intends to recognize the 50th anniversary the week of homecoming.
The team that first lost to Eldon 50 years ago, the Osage Indians, don’t have quite so far to go. Their history has also seen its ups and downs, but recent history has produced five consecutive district championships.
They’re focus is now to take that recent success and turn it into playoff success, after losing in the first round last season.
Across the lake in Versailles, history is also part of the conversation on a regular basis.
“We talk about it quite a lot,” head coach Glen Lemmon said. “We talk about history and tradition and the early days of the program.”
Versailles will also be recognizing the first team in the school’s history before the first home game of the season. They’ll have members of the original team, along with players from the past 50 years, in attendance to be recognized.
Down south, in Camdenton, they talk about history. In fact, it’s hard to avoid.
In the past 35 years, the Lakers have won 311 of their approximately 350 games. When Bob Shore came along, the school had only played football for 15 years. Now, they have a history of being a powerhouse in the state.
“You have to use your tradition to your advantage,” Shore said. “It can help, or it can hurt.”
While the rich history gets people excited about the program, it can also cause other teams to put a target on your back, Shore said.
But more than anything, it helps.
“Success breeds success,” Shore said.
And Camdenton football players tend to sometimes breed Camdenton football players.
Because he’s been at Camdenton so long, Shore is now coaching the boys of some of his former players.
Not all of the schools can say they hold a handful of state football titles, but all four have a rich history that dates back to the Eisenhower administration.
“We want to build on our history,” Jolley said. “We’re still a part of that.”