Republic’s first-ever football trip to Joplin didn’t go so well. Republic’s Cam Flood ran back the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to give Republic a 6-0 lead, but that was the high point of the night for the Tigers. Republic’s extra point was blocked, Joplin answered with a touchdown of its own less than two minutes later, then tacked on the extra point to take a lead they would never relinquish.
The Eagles scored nearly as fast as they could get their hands on the ball, piling up 42 first-half points on the way to a 49-13 dismantling of the Tigers in the first-ever meeting between the schools.
Once Joplin got rolling, the Tigers had just one more opportunity to get back in the game. Early in the second quarter, trailing 28-6, Republic scored a second touchdown, set up by an 86-yard strike from Lucas Hayes to Cam Flood. When Louis Wallace scored on a two-yard run, it cut the lead to 28-13 — and gave the Tigers the ball on the Joplin 47-yard line with a chance to get within a score. But at the Eagles 33-yard line, a misplay on the snap caused an eight-yard loss, and the Tigers were forced to punt the ball away.
On Joplin’s first play of its next possession, Nathan Glades ripped off an 82-yard touchdown run had the Tigers never threatened again.
Coach Dustin Baldwin says despite the lopsided score, the team can’t dwell on their performance more than any other.
“I think you’ve got to treat it like every other game. We got whipped tonight, and credit to Joplin,” Baldwin says. “They’re a veteran team and a fourth-year coach, and they returned like 18 starters from last year. They flat-out whipped us and that’s it. We’ve got to get better.”
Glades had a monster night, with 276 rushing yards and three touchdowns runs of 62, 82, and 91 yards, despite playing only in the first half.
In total, Joplin had 468 yards–408 of them on the ground. The Tigers had 268 total yards, 104 rushing yards, and 139 passing yards. Hayes was 4-for-10 passing for 100 yards. Sophomore Jared Hughes was 2-for-4 passing for 39 yards. Flood had two catches for 89 yards in addition to his opening kickoff return for a touchdown. Louis Wallace rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers.
Republic falls to 0-4. They’ll search for their first win on the road at Willard next week.
