Chillicothe confounded many in the area after two slow performances to start this season.

Fresh off a Class 3 semifinal appearance, the Hornets appeared a prohibitive favorite to repeat as Midland Empire Conference champions and contend for a state title. But the Hornets seemed headed to its Week 4 MEC opener with question marks.

Until they roughed up previously Class 4-ranked Grain Valley this past Friday. Then the Hornets rolled Bishop LeBlond on Thursday night.

Chillicothe (4-0, ranked No. 2 in Class 3) now has the right start, but veteran coach Phil Willard knows how stout the MEC field is this year.

“I don’t think there’s going to be easy games, a lot of parity,” he said. “Everybody’s, I think, on the upswing. I think you have to be ready to play every week, and I think there’s going to be some surprises.”

Aside from LeBlond’s 0-4 mark overall, the other seven MEC teams boast a combined 17-5 record entering Friday’s trio of MEC contests.

Maryville stayed unbeaten in conference play at 3-0 but now faces 4-0, 1-0 Cameron this Friday in a crucial matchup for both teams if either hopes to unseat Chillicothe. Savannah (3-1) now represents the only other team without a conference blemish after recovering from a Week 3 loss with a thorough win against Lafayette.

While Chillicothe, Maryville and Savannah were preseason picks to contend, Cameron easily represents the MEC’s most pleasant surprise.

The Dragons — ranked No. 8 in Class 3 — continued a strong start behind Lincoln Greene’s bruising running style and ran away from injury-prone Benton, 42-22, on Friday. The Dragons went 1-9, 1-6 in the MEC a season ago.

Count Benton coach Matt Tabor as a believer in Cameron’s turnaround.

“They’re a good football team, and they’re extremely physical,” said Tabor, who saw his team drop to 2-2 overall, 1-2 in the MEC — tied with Lafayette.

Chillicothe blitzed through all but two conference games last season, but Willard doesn’t envision a repeat of that

success.

Chillicothe scored exactly 49 points in each of its past two wins, single game totals more than the previous two victories combined (24-7 vs. Marshall, 21-13 at Odessa). The offense committed zero turnovers after combining for three plus a botched punt attempt during Weeks 1 and 2.

But the biggest uplift the past two weeks came from all-state running back Bryce Young, who cracked 100 yards rushing for the first time against Grain Valley and amassed more than 300 all-purpose yards in the two most recent wins. Young put up 211 rushing yards against Grain Valley after accumulating only 129 against Odessa and Marshall.

“I think we just blocked better,” Willard said, “and of course, he does a great job even in traffic of making people miss and he did that few times against (Grain Valley).”

Recent power Smithville dropped its conference opener against Maryville when the Spoofhounds converted a touchdown and 2-point conversion in the final minute Friday. Despite the tough start, the Warriors could still be a factor as the MEC season hits full swing.

LeBlond has the biggest hole to crawl out of and appears a long shot to do so, while fellow St. Joseph schools Benton and Lafayette have succumbed to injury problems in recent weeks. The health of Benton lineman Nick Taul and wide receiver Terell Gray and the return of Lafayette quarterback Tim Nelson should help determine their place in the MEC.