In a season that has included so many bad breaks, it’s fitting that the number 13 keeps popping up for the football Tigers. Friday, it was a last-minute loss at Neosho that ended with a 17-13 score.
It’s the third time this season that Republic scored 13 points in a heart-breaking loss: one (against Carl Junction) featured a goal-line fumble in the final minute; another (at Nixa) featured a bobbled snap on fourth-and-short on the potential game-winning drive. Republic also scored 13 in a lopsided defeat at Joplin.
Friday, Neosho scored a touchdown with 48 seconds remaining to spoil a Republic comeback. It happened just two minutes after Republic had taken the lead for the first time all night.
“That’s unfortunately kind of been the story of the season–the last minute, something happens and we can’t get it done,” says coach Dustin Baldwin. ” tons of fight. I’m really proud of them, the way they played second half.”
Republic had overcome a horrible first half, in which it ran only 12 plays and picked up only one first down. Neosho led 10-0 at halftime after a three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Gage Kelley and a field goal as time expired in the second quarter.
“Offensively, we weren’t good the first half and just couldn’t really get anything going,” Baldwin says.
Neosho made matters worse in the first half by pounding away at the line of scrimmage, eating up yardage and running down the clock a few yards at a time. For most of the first half, Neosho enjoyed a field position advantage that allowed them to run the ball on fourth down instead of punting it away, extending their drives even more.
Republic got the ball to start the second half and Jaden Duvall’s kickoff return into Neosho territory immediately flipped the field position advantage to Republic. The Tigers drove into scoring position on their first drive, but Neosho intercepted a pass in the end zone.
After Republic’s defense got a stop, the Tigers drove 52 yards in 11 plays, scoring on a five-yard touchdown run by Duvall. The extra point was no good, and the score was 10-6 Neosho.
The Tiger defense got another stop, but Republic’s next drive ended with another interception. After Neosho went three and out, Republic scored again to take the lead for the first time. It was a nine-play, 78-yard drive, capped by a 36-yard touchdown pass from Lucas Hayes to Trent Rackley. The extra point gave Republic a 13-10 lead.
Duvall, filling in for Louis Wallace after Wallace left the game in the first half, played a big part in the Republic comeback, running for 62 yards in the second half.
“The kid’s got a ton of guts and was asked to come in and play a role that he hadn’t practiced a lot lately. And he did what I’ve kind of come to expect out of him. He’s a really good running back,” Baldwin says of Duvall. “We’ve always felt like he can play running back and be awesome…but he’s really good in the slot, and he also plays defense, so we’ve kind of kept him in the slot. But he’s a warrior and he fights hard and played awesome.”
Having taken the lead, and with the defense shutting out Neosho in the second half, the Tigers only had to get one more stop to close out the win. But Neosho, which had thrown fewer than 20 passes all season coming into the game, went to the air to pull out a late win. The Wildcats completed a 26-yard pass to drive into Republic territory, then scored the winning touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Kelley to Cade Lyerla.
” moved the ball most of the second half and made a big enough play to take the lead and just couldn’t hold it. It came down to one play there and we didn’t make it,” Baldwin says. “They got in a formation that they don’t run a lot of. We didn’t really identify their vertical threats there. And we had two guys go with a wheel route and nobody go with the inside route. And that was it.”
The Tigers got the ball back with one last crack at a comeback, but another Neosho interception sealed the win.
Neosho had 284 total yards on the night–193 on the ground and 93 in the air. Republic had 231 yards–160 rushing and 71 passing.
In addition to Duvall’s 62 rushing yards, Republic got 57 yards from Riley Sigman and 34 rushing yards from Hayes. Hayes was 4 of 14 passing for 71 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions.
The Tigers finish the regular season at 2-7. They’ll play next week in the first district game against an opponent to be determined.