As explosive as Nixa was offensively Thursday, it was defender Kyle Hirsch who caught Eagles coach Evan Palmer's attention.

During Nixa's 6-2 triumph at Branson, Palmer could be heard repeatedly on the Eagles sideline proclaiming, 'Kyle is having a game tonight.'

One of the players on the Nixa bench added, "Kyle is having a season tonight."

Hirsch and his fellow defenders were the perfect complement to Nixa's firepower on offense, as the Eagles steamrolled their way to a share of the Central Ozark Conference championship.

Nixa and Ozark both finished league play 8-1. The Eagles (14-6 overall) won their final seven conference games, after losing to Carthage.

"I told the guys then all we can do is win out and hope someone gets Ozark," Palmer said. "That made us have to beat Ozark and really focus in on them when we played them. We were able to get back in the race. I'm excited for the guys. This is a great accomplishment."

"It's awesome," midfielder Hunter Daniels said. "It's a good feeling. We knew we had to win from Carthage on out and we did it."

"It feels great to be a part of this and helping the team move forward," Hirsch added.

The Nixa defense shut out Branson (14-8 and 5-4) over the second half. 

For the full story, click here.