Five months ago, Warrenton Head Coach Jason Koper always knew he had a good football team, but the reality of leading his team to a Final Four is starting to set in. After a nail-biting 28-24 win over West Plains in the Class 4 state quarterfinals, the 2024 Warrenton football team has not only cemented their legacy but surpassed expectations. 

“We [the coaching staff] had that same conversation this morning [before the quarterfinal] and we said, ‘Did we really think we’d be here?’ and the answer for all of us was pretty much no,” Koper said. “But when you buy in like they have and play like they have, you have a chance every week and that’s what these guys have done. I couldn’t be more proud of them.” 

Warrenton’s win over West Plains has cemented their place in the Class 4 semifinal game. The Warriors (12-0) will return home to take on Festus (10-2) on Nov. 30 at 1 p.m.

Sports are full of defining moments and plays that can make or break a game. The Warriors had many, including a defensive stop late in the fourth quarter that trumped West Plains’ hopes of getting back in the game. At the time, Warrenton was up 28-24 with nine minutes left in the game as West Plains was on an offensive drive trying to work up the field. 

“I mean that [defensive stop] was the game. That was the momentum piece we needed for sure to seal it out,” Koper said. “Our guys stepped up and made the plays when we needed to.” 

Koper noted he put linebacker Kadin Stroer in a slightly different position, which allowed him to make tackles continuously. On the fourth-and-fifth play, Peyton Dawson and Brandon Johnson locked the Zizzers down and caused them to have a turnover on downs with four minutes left. 

The Warriors knew they needed to drive the ball with only a few minutes away from a ticket to the Final Four. Despite losing 30 yards due to penalties, running back Austin Haas, with the help of the offensive line, was able to run the ball 39 yards and slide down at the five-yard line. In the next snap, Johnson kneeled as the clock wound down and victory was only seconds away. 

“We do this all the time and this is the culture that these guys have helped build, we step up. It doesn’t matter who it is, we do it when we need to,” Koper said. “To be able to go and run it out, and not just run it out, but then have the composure to go down so we can kneel it out with a victory. I mean, these guys are just, they’re unbelievable.” 

Wide receiver Austin White also came up with a big play for the Warriors in the jam-packed fourth quarter. Early at the start of the final quarter, the Warriors were down 24-21 until White jumped up to catch a deep 30-yard pass from Brandon Johnson right in the end zone. 

“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity all game and I took advantage of it,” White said. “It was probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in my football career.” 

This was White’s fifth touchdown reception of the season. In addition to White, the Warriors showed their versatility with three different players scoring. Haas had a five-yard touchdown, Javon Jones scored a 16-yard touchdown and Johnson ran for a 15-yard touchdown. 

“May not have been pretty, but we just got to have guys step up and have each other’s back and make the play where we need them. That’s exactly what we did. When we needed a play, somebody stepped up and made it,” Koper said. 

The Warriors and Zizzers went back and forth throughout the game keeping the score close. Warrenton trailed West Plains at some points in the game. The last time the Warriors trailed was when they beat Liberty earlier this season on Sept. 13. Despite the intensity, Koper said their team culture allowed them to remain poised. 

“I tell these guys all the time it’s ‘my rules, but their team’ and they fulfill that over and over again, and they’ve taken ownership of it,” Koper said. 

The three-hour drive to West Plains was not only worth it for the players but the fans as well. Fans packed into the stadium and had a line outside the stadium deep into the parking lot before the gates were even open.  

Koper said it was not their best performance, but the team was able to ride off big plays and their “heart and soul.” He noted one of the challenges was playing in a day game since most of the team had not played at that time since they were in sixth grade. 

“It was hard. It was really hard, it was a long bus ride and playing in the afternoon was hard, but we adjusted and that’s what we do,” White said. 

Koper added, “The main thing I told them is we have each other’s back, we love each other, we’re a family.”