Nixa’s Jordan Cribbs kicked a 25-yard field goal as time expired to give Nixa a 31-28 win over Republic, helping the Eagles clinch the Central Ozark Conference championship.
For most of the night, the game had been nearly a carbon copy of last year’s overtime thriller won by Republic 36-35 at Nixa. The teams traded scores, and neither team led by more than seven points at any time.
“I thought we played really well. I thought we executed well,” coach Ryan Cornelsen said. “We had to take some weird chances and do some things that we don’t always do, and it worked. But the difference? Three points at the end.”
The outcome of the game came down to a couple of plays in the final minutes. Before Cribbs’s field goal, Nixa had converted on a 4th-and-9 to keep its drive alive, ultimately leading to the game-winning score.
“They got that last fourth down, and it was a big play by them,” Cornelsen said. “I can’t take anything away from our kids. Man, they played their hearts out, and that was a great high school football game, a great environment. And they rose to the occasion and battled. We just came up short, and that’s part of athletics.”
Wyatt Woods had another big night for the Tigers. He ran for two touchdowns, threw for one, and caught another. Woods’s touchdown catch came at a pivotal point in the fourth quarter, and it was Republic’s last score of the night. Trailing 28-21, the Tigers faced a 4th-and-4 from the six yard line. Woods took the snap, pitched it to Daniel Phillips. Phillips ran to the left and tossed it back to James Rexroat, who tossed a pass to a wide-open Woods in the end zone. Woods made a sliding catch, and Mason Cole’s fourth extra point of the night tied the score, 28-28.
Nixa’s winning drive started at the 35-yard line with 5:54 left in the game. Spencer Ward ran for 27 yards on the first play, but the Eagles controlled the clock and patiently moved the ball downfield as time ran down. Republic’s best chance came on the 4th-and-9 play at the 25-yard line. A stop by the Tigers would have set them up for a potential game-winning drive, but Nate Uber completed a pass to Rylan Michel to pick up the first down, and Nixa ran the clock down until kicking the final field goal.
After playing so well and coming up short anyway, Cornelsen told his team not to dwell on the loss because there are better things coming.
“I told them my vision for our program is much bigger than that game. My vision is (going) deep in the playoffs and playing teams from not around this area. And if they continue to get better and continue to work, there’s bigger games to come,” he said. “So don’t make this game bigger than it was. Our goal is districts, and trying to win that, and trying to go beyond that. And if they can do that, those games will be twice the size of this game.”
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In the first half, Nixa started the scoring with a 19-yard run by Malachi Rider with 5:38 left in the 1st quarter. The Eagles missed the extra point and led 6-0.
Republic took its only lead of the game on its next possession. The Tigers scored on a 52-yard pass from Woods to Rexroat. Cole’s extra point made it 7-6 Republic with 3:07 left in the first quarter.
Nixa regained the lead with 44 seconds left in the first quarter. Dylan Rebura ran it in from five yards out, and the Eagles added a two-point conversion to go up 14-7.
Republic scored to tie it again, driving 67 yards. The drive featured a 37-yard pass from Woods to Rexroat on 4th-and-3. The Tigers also got out of a 1st-and-25 situation on the same drive, and they scored on a one-yard run by Woods to make the score 14-14.
Nixa scored just before halftime to take the lead. In the final minute of the half, Rider scored on a three-yard touchdown run to give Nixa a 21-14 lead at half.
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In the second half, Republic had only three possessions. The Tigers evened the score again on a one-yard run by Woods with 5:14 left in the third quarter. Republic converted two fourth downs on that drive, which covered 67 yards.
A key turning point came on the next two possessions. Republic’s defense stopped Nixa on downs to get the ball back with a chance to take the lead, but a fumble by Kanon Krol on the first play of the ensuing drive gave Nixa the ball back. The Eagles took advantage, driving 45 yards and scoring on a two-yard run by Rider. That made the score 28-21 Nixa with 11:57 left in the game.
Republic tied the game on the razzle-dazzle passing play from Rexroat to Woods, setting up Nixa’s final scoring drive for the win.
Republic out-gained Nixa 301 yards to 269. The Tigers had 173 rushing yards and 128 passing yards.
Woods rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns. He completed five of seven passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. Rexroat had three catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. He was also 1-for-1 passing with a touchdown.
Krol had 14 carries for 49 yards. Caide White had 32 yards on four carries, including a 30-yard run. Phillips had three carries for seven yards.
The win puts Nixa’s record at 8-0. Republic falls to 6-2. They can share second place in the COC with a win next week at Carl Junction.