Southern Boone falls to Boonville in home opener

By Joseph Pastilha, Columbia Missourian

With just 6:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, Boonville scored from 4 yards out to take a 14-13 lead. The Pirates scored again just minutes later, cementing their fourth-quarter comeback, handing Southern Boone a 21-13 loss in its home opener.

Southern Boone wide receiver Isaiah Bailey runs past fallen Boonville defensive back Brad Norbury (4) and linebacker Brody Porter (43) on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, at Southern Boone High School in Ashland. Southern Boone’s record is now 1-3 on the season.

The Eagles’ defense came prepared, halting the Pirates on each possession in the first half and forcing multiple punts. Boonville entered Friday’s contest having scored more than 25 points in each of its first three games.

The second half proved different, as the Eagles found themselves susceptible to big plays. Earlier in the week, coach Tyler Tanner emphasized the importance of playing assignment football against such a high-powered offense.

Southern Boone offensive lineman Aiden Williams lifts up quarterback Mason Shearer after a touchdown on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, at Southern Boone High School in Ashland. This score was the first touchdown of the game for the Eagles.

“We’ve still got to do a better job as coaches of getting these guys in the right position and making things second nature,” Tanner said. “I really felt like in the second half they kind of had a big play, they did a couple of things different offensively, and honestly better preparation is kind of what that takes.”

The first half was highlighted by a strong offensive showing by the Eagles. With just 26 seconds remaining in the half, senior quarterback Mason Shearer broke multiple tackles to score from 4 yards out, giving the hosts a 10-0 lead.

“Felt like we were just moving, moving, meticulous, meticulous, making the plays that we needed, and we felt like that kind of all first half,” Tanner said. “The second half we just didn’t quite get the footing that we had in the first half.”

Despite the flurry of Boonville scores in the game’s closing moments, Southern Boone had a chance to make one final stop to get its offense back on the field. With under a minute remaining, the Pirates converted on fourth-and-1, clinching the victory for the visitor.

“Taking that bend-don’t-break mentality, sometimes backs against the wall, you’ve gotta come downhill, punch, counter-punch,” Tanner said. “Football is football, man. I always allude to it. It’s about doing your assignment, doing your job, doing your job well. If we can continue to work on those things, I feel very good about the direction that this team is headed.”

Southern Boone wide receiver Isaiah Bailey runs past fallen Boonville defensive back Brad Norbury (4) and linebacker Brody Porter (43) on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, at Southern Boone High School in Ashland. Southern Boone’s record is now 1-3 on the season.

The Eagles will have an extra day heading into this coming week’s matchup, against Dexter on Saturday. For Tanner, the preparation process remains the same.

“We have an extra day to kind of get a couple of things right. … Right now, we’ve got a plan for the week, and we feel comfortable with the plan for the week,” Tanner said. “We’re gonna go out there, we’re gonna continue to practice, continue to work on execution, continue to work on our assignment football and continue to go to work.”

Southern Boone (1-3, 1-1 Tri-County Conference) next takes the field against Dexter at 2 p.m. Saturday in Ashland.