It is finally game week once again in Waynesville Tiger country! The varsity Tigers made the most of the bye week in preparation for the Class 5 district 5 semifinal matchup against the #2 seeded Tigers of Willard High.

The Waynesville Tigers are primed to make a run through the playoffs and seeking an opportunity to compete for a District Title, something that has not been spoken of in Waynesville for 5 seasons. If the Tigers handle business and defeat Willard on Friday, their next opponent will be one of familiarity; Glendale Falcons or the Lebanon Yellow Jackets.  Waynesville played Lebanon in week 3 and suffered a devastating 51-0 loss in a game full of weather delays and squandered opportunities by the Tigers. On the other side, is the more recent week 8 matchup against Glendale, in which the Tigers provided their home crowd with a dominating 53-14 victory on Senior night and locked in the bye week for the playoff push.  Glendale travels to Lebanon this week and depending on the outcome of that game, and the Willard vs Waynesville game, Waynesville could either host Glendale or travel to Lebanon for the 2018 District Title game. A game that has been a distant memory for Waynesville fans. 2013, to be exact, was the last time Waynesville competed in the District Title game. That game was one of many appearances made by the Tigers, who were then lead by longtime Head Coach Rick Vernon. Waynesville fell to Camdenton 35-0 in that contest. The last claimed District Championship for the Waynesville Tigers was back in 2010, also lead by Coach Vernon, and also a classic matchup against Camdenton; 28-27 Tigers prevailed.

The Willard Tigers will prove to be a very formidable opponent for Waynesville. The Willard definitely have size as an advantage. Their offensive front averages out to about 6 foot 255 pounds across the board, and their defensive front sits about 6 foot 250 pounds. When you include a 6’4 quarterback and two running backs that are listed at 210 and 235 pounds, the Waynesville defense will truly have their work cut out to stop a time consuming, heavy ground attack that the Willard Tigers will bring. The Waynesville offensive line will have their work cut out as they attempt to contain the interior defensive line of Willard, who have a pair of 305 and 290 pound defensive tackles that can cause havoc in the middle.

Ultimately, regardless of which team one pulls for in this contest, the “Tigers” will be victorious and head to the District Title game on a high note. Kickoff is set for 7pm at Willard High on Friday November 2.