Tigers lose regular-season finale, will open districts Friday at Strafford

The Houston football team will hit the road for the postseason.

Playing with the opportunity to host a first-round district game, the Tigers got off to a slow start Friday night and didn’t have an answer for Liberty’s passing game. The Eagles cruised to a 41-13 win at Tiger Stadium.

The defeat dropped HHS (5-4) to fifth in Class 2 District 3. But due to a head-to-head loss with Mountain Grove, the Tigers slid down another spot to sixth and will travel Friday to No. 3 Strafford. 

It’s the second straight year – and third time in the last four – Houston will travel to Strafford to open districts. Last year, the Indians topped the Tigers 35-27.

Ava, the undefeated South Central Association champions, earned the district’s top seed. No. 2 Fair Grove moved ahead of Strafford due to a head-to-head win during the regular season. The top three district teams have 8-1 marks.

Along with Houston’s matchup against Strafford, No. 1 Ava will host winless eight-seed Forsyth, No. 2 Fair Grove faces seventh-seeded Willow Springs and fourth-seeded Liberty hosts No. 5 Mountain Grove.

Houston is just 1-3 on the road this season. The Tigers won their opener 19-0 at Sarcoxie but have since lost to Salem (7-0 OT), Ava (29-0) and Mountain Grove (13-6). 

The Tigers’ 5-4 record is their best regular-season mark since the 2008 team went 6-4. But Houston enters districts with back-to-back losses for the first time this season. 

HHS is 0-3 against Strafford dating back to a 33-20 sectional victory in 2005.