Joplin's Chris Shields on Tonight's High School Football Radio Show

by Jeff Fisher
Missouri High School Football Huddle

With practice across the state set to begin next Monday, new Joplin High School head football coach Chris Joplin will join me tonight at 7PM EST/6 PM CST on the High School Football America radio show.

Coach Shields, who left Holt High School earlier this year to become Joplin's new leader, will talk about the challenges he's faced since being named the new head coach.  On May 22nd tornadoes devastated Joplin leaving over 100 dead and damage to over 15,000 homes.

Click here to listen to the show LIVE tonight starting at 7PM EST.

Holt HS Hires Ken Moore as Its New Football Coach

by Jeff Fisher
Missouri High School Football Huddle

Ken Moore has left Warrenton High to take over the head coach position at Holt.

Moore, who was the head man at Warrenton for three seasons, led the Warriors to an 11-4 season last year and a runner-up finish in Class 4.

Moore takes over for Chris Shields, who resigned earlier this year to take the head coaching job at Joplin.

Vianney Names New Head Football Coach

by Jeff Fisher
Missouri High School Football Huddle

John Vianney has named Mike Diffley as the school's new head coach.

Diffley has been the offensive coordinator for the last five seasons at Chaminade High School.  He replaces Gene Gladstone, who had been the school's head coach for the last 14-years.

Hazlewood Central Stays Inside the Program for New Head Football Coach

by Jeff Fisher
Missouri High School Football Huddle

Hazlewood Central has named former defensive coordinator Van Vanatta its new head football coach.

Vanatta, who is 36 years old, replaces Ron Nixon, who led the Hawks to Division 6 state titles in 2008 and 2009.  Vannata has also served as the school's head baseball coach over the last three years.

Missouri Announces New Postseason Format

by Jeff Fisher
Missouri High School Football Huddle

The Missouri State High School Activities Association has changed the football playoff system for the 2012 season.

Under the new format, teams will play a nine-game regular season with every team qualifying for the postseason.  Teams will be placed in eight-team districts that will be seeded under a points system.

Week 10 will start the postseason with three weeks of playoff games to determine eight district champs that will advance to the state quarterfinals.

Classification sizes remain the same with the largest 32 teams in Class 6.  Classes 1-4 will include the smallest 64 schools in ascending order.  Class 5 will include the remaining schools.

Joplin HS Names Shields Football Coach

by Jeff Fisher
Missouri High School Football Huddle

Chris Shields is leaving Holt High School for the head coaching job at Joplin.

Shields, who was 26-26 since taking over the job in 2006, will be in-charge of taking Joplin into the Class 6 ranks in a district that features defending state champ Rockhurst.

Brentwood HS Hires Keith Herring as Head Coach

by Jeff Fisher
Missouri High School Football Huddle

Former Hazlewood West head coach Keith Herring is the new head coach at Brentwood.

Herring amassed a record of 26-24 in five seasons at Hazlewood West.  He takes over for Scott Surgener, who moved on to Pine Ridge High School in Florida.