The Cassville football team’s regular-season schedule has been released, and there’s a change Wildcat Nation won’t miss.

For the past five years, the Barry County Brawl has been in Week 6 for three and Week 3 for two. As of this season, it’s moving to a marquee week — No. 9, the final game of the regular season.

Clay Weldy, Cassville football coach, said the Wildcats don’t put much emphasis on the timing.

“Honestly, it’s a big game whether it’s Week 1 or Week 9, so it doesn’t really matter to me,” he said. “We will be excited for it, and we know Monett will be, too. Whenever it is, we’ll be ready for it.”

Though the game may have conference implications, Monett will remain in Class 4 this season, and Cassville in Class 3, meaning it will not have a headto-head district seeding factor.

The Wildcats also have exchanged Big 8 opponents, with Mt. Vernon, Marshfield and Logan-Rogersville falling off the schedule, replaced by Hollister, Aurora and Springfield Catholic.

The Wildcats’ jamboree is changing this season, as well, moving from Springfield Central to Bolivar, set for Aug. 19 this year.

Cassville opens the regular season on the road at Hollister on Aug. 26, then returns home for a pair of contests with Aurora on Sept. 2 and Seneca on Sept. 9.

The five-game month closes with East Newton on the road on Sept. 16, at home against McDonald County for Homecoming on Sept. 23 and on the road at Nevada on Sept. 30.

October will see only one home game, with Catholic on the road on Oct. 7, at home against Lamar on Oct. 14 and at Monett for the Brawl on Oct. 21.

With five games on the road and four at home this season, Weldy said the onus is on the team to make things even with a Week 10 home game.

“One year you have more on the road, and the next, you have more at home,” he said. “That’s part of the process. We hope to do well enough to secure a Week 10 district game at home. It will be on us to even things out.” Last year, the Wildcats

Last year, the Wildcats finished the season at 3-7, defeating Mt. Vernon in the season opener, Monett in Week 6 in a 21-20 Brawl to remember, and East Newton in Week 8.

The Wildcats fell to Mountain Grove on the road in districts, 21-7.