A week after being whipped at the line of scrimmage by state-ranked Carthage, Republic did the same thing to visiting Ozark in its home opener Friday, romping to a 51-13 victory. Republic racked up 423 total yards to Ozarks 133. The Republic defense had 11 tackles for loss.
Coach Ryan Cornelsen, who had been disappointed with the team’s attitude in the opener, said he noticed a big difference in Week 2.
“They came out and you could just tell the speed at which we were playing and the physical nature that we were playing with, that we were going to play a lot better,” he said.
In Week 1, Ozark and Republic both made too many costly errors to compete. Republic cut down on its mistakes this week, but Ozark made a costly one in the first few plays of the game, fumbling the ball away on its opening possession. Republic capitalized, scoring on a 26-yard drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown run by Wyatt Woods. That put Republic ahead 7-0.
“You always want to win the turnover battle, but it was probably more important to us that we could establish some run game, because we couldn’t until late in the second half last week,” Cornelsen said.
Republic’s defense got a stop on the second Ozark drive and quickly made it 14-0. They drove 66 yards and scored on a 15-yard run by Connor Sandridge.
Ozark finally got on the board early in the second quarter with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Brady Dodd to Kadin Powers, and the extra point made it 14-7. It looked like Ozark might tie the score after Republic fumbled deep in its own territory. But the Republic defense stiffened, and a sack on fourth down stopped Ozark’s momentum.
Republic took the ball into the end zone on its ensuing drive. They took 13 plays and went 67 yards. The drive included a fantastic run by Woods, who seemed to be sacked more than once before getting loose and rushing for 18 yards. That set up a touchdown run by Gunner Ellison from eight yards out to put Republic up 21-7.
In the second half, scored again on its first possession. The Tigers went 70 yards on seven plays and scored on an eight-yard TD run by Woods to run the lead to 28-7.
Ozark scored for the last time on its next drive. A one-yard run by Dodd made it 28-13, but Ozark missed the extra point.
From there, Republic’s defense was dominant and Republic’s offense continued to pound away at Ozark. Woods ran for his third touchdown of the night, a 29-yard scamper around the right end to put Republic ahead 35-13. Republic followed it up with another score on a 61-yard touchdown pass from Woods to James Rexroat. It was the second week in a row that the two had connected for a long touchdown pass, and it mad the score 42-13.
Ezekiel Meads got in on the fun to wrap up the Tigers’ touchdown-scoring. He scored on a 20-yard run to make it 49-13.
The defense seemed to get better as the game went on, and on the last three Ozark drives, the defense was in total control. Ozark ran ten plays from scrimmage for -23 total yards. The last of those ten plays was a safety caused by a snap over the head of the punter. At one point in the second half, Republic’s defense held Ozark without positive yardage for seven straight plays.
Woods finished 4-for-5 passing for 90 yards and a touchdown. He rushed the ball 18 times for 112 yards and three touchdowns.
Sandridge had 13 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown. Ellison had eight carries for 51 yards and a touchdown. Ezekiel Meads finished with five carries for 35 yards and a touchdown. Rexroat scored the other touchdown on his only catch of 61 yards.