While yours truly’s birthday is still five days away, there are several area sporting events that could produce some early birthday presents between now and Monday.

Dustin Howard’s fourth-seeded Owensville Dutchmen football team will open the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3, District 2 Tournament Friday night at Dutchmen Field against the fifth-seeded Lutheran South Lancers.

While Owensville sits at 4-5, the Lancers enter Friday’s game at 1-8 with their lone win of the season coming in week one over Affton.

St. James’ Tigers are the lone common opponent for both OHS and Lutheran South.

Owensville defeated the Tigers 43-22 back in week four while Lutheran South lost to St. James in a 76-42 shootout.

Prior to Friday-night football, two Osage County softball teams could also provide early birthday presents in the form of state titles during the MSHSAA Softball Championships being held at the Killian Sports Complex in Springfield this Friday and Saturday.

For our sister publication in the Osage County Unterrified Democrat, Linn’s Lady Wildcats will face Chaffee’s Red Devils in one Class 2 semifinal at 1:30 p.m., after Fatima’s Lady Comets take on Oak Grove’s Lady Panthers in a Class 3 softball semifinal at 11:00 a.m., in Springfield.

Wins by both teams Friday would place them in Saturday title games while the opposite result would have them playing for third place later in the day Friday.

Saturday could also bring a huge lot of early birthday gifts from MSHSAA Cross Country District action at South Callaway High School in Mokane.

All seven schools that fall under Warden Publishing’s umbrella will be competing in Callaway County.

Owensville and Fatima harriers will begin the quest to qualify for the Class 3 MSHSAA Cross Country Championships to be held on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.

After the Class 3 races conclude Saturday in Mokane, Warden Publishing’s Class 2 schools in Hermann, Belle and Linn will take their turn on the course.

Capping the nearly four-hour stretch of racing will be the Class 1 schools.

Warden Publishing will cover Vienna and Chamois during those races.

In order to extend their season into November, individual runners will either have to finish in the top 30 of their respective races or be fortunate enough to be on the top-four scoring teams.

On to the actual day of my birthday on Monday, Oct. 30, Belle Tiger soccer will open the MSHSAA Class 1, District 4 Tournament as the fifth seed against fourth-seed Calvary Lutheran at 6 p.m.

This district tournament will take place at the Westphalia Knights of Columbus Soccer Complex just outside of the Westphalia city limits.

I’ve also had the good fortune of witnessing two awesome feats in high school sports throughout the month.

Last Tuesday during the Four Rivers Conference (FRC) Cross Country meet, Sullivan’s Mariah and Abram Denney became the first brother-sister duo to both win FRC individual titles.

Saturday, I was fortunate to see Linn Lady Wildcat softball erase a 6-0 deficit to punch their first ticket to state since 2005.