A slow start by Republic was too much to overcome, as Nixa beat the Tigers 27-13 victory Friday in Republic’s home opener.
The Eagles used a versatile offense to build an early lead, and controlled the ball for much of the game. The Eagles racked up 357 total yards, including 254 yards on the ground. Josh Liles led the way with 106 yards on 14 carries.
Republic managed 225 rushing yards, but had no passing game at all. They didn’t complete a pass all night, and ended with -13 yards through the air.
The Tigers offense suffered another blow at the end of the 3rd quarter, when quarterback Nick Williams went down with a knee injury. He left the game, and the extent of the injury wasn’t known.
The Tigers got the ball to start the game, but had to punt after only three plays. Nixa marched 57-yards in 12 plays, and took the lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Ben Fisher. The extra point made it 7-0.
The Eagles stopped Republic again quickly and scored on their next possession to take a 14-0 lead. Josh Liles scored on a 3-yard run to cap a 5-play, 35-yard drive.
But just when it looked like the game would get out of hand, Republic’s offense managed to put together its best drive of the night. Controlling the ball for most of the 2nd quarter, Republic put together a 15-play drive that covered 75 yards. Quarterback Nick Williams scored on a 3-yard run, and the lead for Nixa was 14-6.
After an interception by Republic’s Jesse Inman snuffed out another Nixa drive, Republic was forced to punt again. Nixa drove back within field goal range, and Shelby Harris kicked a field goal from 40 yards out as time expired in the 2nd quarter, giving Nixa a 17-6 lead at halftime.
The 2nd half started as badly as the 1st half for the Tigers. Nixa drove 56 yards in ten plays, and kicked a 32-yard field goal to extend its lead to 20-6. Their very next drive, the Eagles went 59 yards in seven plays, and pushed the lead to 27-6 on a touchdown run by Dean Deetz.
The score stayed that way until the final minutes, when Republic drove 76 yards in eight plays. The Tigers scored on a 2-yard run by Ryan Sifferman to cut the lead to 27-13, the final margin.
