STUDENT VIEW: Friday night's playoff will be definitive, historic for Osage

On Friday night, at 7 p.m., the School of the Osage Indians (10-2) will take on the Monett Cubs (10-2) in what will be the first state playoff game ever to be played at Osage.

The Indians are defending their home turf, coming back into town after shocking Mountain Grove with a comeback for the ages. Down 36-22 with less than five minutes on the clock, Osage was able to score to draw within seven with only 3:50 remaining in the game. The Indians again rallied to tie the score and send the game into overtime. Osage received the ball and quickly scored on an 11-yard Jake Ulmer touchdown run. They then proceeded to set up a tough, fourth-and-19 situation for the Panthers, who saw their hopes fall flat when freshman quarterback Carter Otwell’s pass was intercepted to end the game.

The Cubs will be no pushover. Coming off a 21-0 shutout over Reeds Spring, they will be feeling pretty confident coming into this matchup. While both teams have clearly been dominant, Monett has arguably been the better team throughout the season. In a tougher division, the Cubs have outscored opponents 467 to 84. They have shut out opposing teams 7 times. The Indians have outscored their opponents 427 to 268, with 2 shutouts.

Certain intangibles may give Osage the edge in this matchup however. The Indians went undefeated at home this season and haven’t lost there since October 18, 2013. The home faithful will be out in full force to support their boys, and anyone who's been to an Osage game at home this year knows how loud those fans can get. They scream at the top of their lungs up until the last play, even if their team is down. Indians, and their fans, absolutely refuse to give up.

It's also important to keep in mind that this is the first state playoff game to be played at Osage in the school's history. If the rest of the Indians' winning season didn’t draw fans, this one certainly will.

It promises to be a great matchup. Strictly by the numbers, one could argue Monett will be victorious, but amid the intangibles, Osage could very likely take home the win. It will really come down to a combination of both.

There’s a saying among football fans that any team can win on any given Sunday. While this game is taking place on a Friday, that statement still rings true. One thing that we learned for sure last week is to never call a game before it’s finished, because you might just end up with your entire foot in your mouth—cleats and all.