Van-Far 14 Crystal City (5-2) 8 in Vandalia for Van-Far's Homecoming game. The Indians (3-4) play at Eastern Missouri Conference and district foe Louisiana (2-5, 1-4 EMO) at 7 p.m. Friday.

The result of Van'Far's Homecoming game against Class 1 District 2 leader Crystal City came down to a few big plays in final minutes of the fourth quarter. After a scoreless first half, Crystal City, who received votes in the most recent Class 1 poll, took an 8-0 lead until Van-Far quarterback Nikos Connaway ran for a 54-yard touchdown with just less than three minutes left in the game, Connaway won a jump ball to come down with an interception with a little more than a minute left, and Connaway connected with Homecoming King and best friend Gage Gibson on a 79-yard touchdown on the first play of the next drive. Connaway and the Indians achieved these big plays on three straight drives and held the Hornets down with a couple of clinching sacks by Evan Utterback and Pacey Reading.

• Kirksville (3-4, 2-2 NCMC) 24 Mexico 13 in Kirksville. The Bulldogs (2-5, 2-2 NCMC) plays its Homecoming game against Class 3 No. 9 Moberly (6-1, 3-1 NCMC) at 7 p.m. Friday.
• Wright City (5-2, 4-1 EMO) 45 North Callaway 28 in Kingdom City for North Callaway's Homecoming game. The Thunderbirds (2-5, 1-4 EMO) play at Eastern Missouri Conference foe Montgomery County (5-2, 4-1 EMO) at 7 p.m. Friday.
• Class 3 No. 4 Centralia 43 Highland (3-4, 1-4 CCC) 0 in Lewistown. The Panthers (7-0, 5-0 CCC) play at Clarence Cannon Conference foe and Class 2 No. 7 South Shelby (7-0, 5-0 CCC) at 7 p.m. Friday.

8-man football

No. 6 Braymer with Breckenridge (7-0) 52 Paris 44 in Paris. The Coyotes (2-5) play at Northwest (Hughesville) with Otterville (1-5) at 7 p.m. Friday.

Look for football stories in the Oct. 11, 2023, edition of the Mexico Ledger.