There was nothing fancy about Republic’s performance at Carl Junction Friday, and there didn’t need to be. The Tigers posted their first shutout in two years and got 108 rushing yards and a touchdown from Caide White in a 26-0 victory.
“The kids played hard. What our defense (does) is pretty tough,” said coach Ryan Cornelsen. “I thought they did a good job coming in and being ready to play, and had a good game plan.”
Republic held Carl Junction to 179 yards — most of those in the second half when the outcome was all but decided. The Tigers had 281 rushing yards and 94 yards through the air, for a total of 375.
The Tigers scored first with 6:33 left in the first quarter. They drove 70 yards on ten plays, and Kanon Krol punched the ball into the end zone from one yard out. Mason Cole’s extra point made it 7-0.
Republic extended its lead to 13-0 in the second quarter on another one-yard run by Krol. The drive included 14 plays and covered 66 yards, and Krol scored with 4:18 remaining in the quarter.
Republic’s defense was lights-out in the first half, allowing only two first downs to the Bulldogs. After the Tiger offense fumbled with 1:29 remaining in the half, the defense forced a punt by Carl Junction just 25 seconds later. That set up the last scoring drive of the half.
Republic went to the air to move the ball downfield quickly. Starting at the 32-yard line, Wyatt Woods completed consecutive passes to Daniel Phillips, James Rexroat, and Michael Worthy. The 20-yard completion to Worthy was his first reception of the year. A few plays later on fourth and 10, Woods completed another pass to Worthy to keep the drive alive. The Tigers finished the drive when Woods lofted a pass into the back corner of the end zone for Rexroat, who hauled it in for a score with one second left on the clock. Republic went for two, failed to convert, and led 19-0 at halftime.
Republic needed only two drives in the second half to effectively seal the win. The first drive, after a Carl Junction three-and-out, lasted four minutes and took nine plays, but ended with the Tigers turning the ball over on downs inside the Carl Junction 10-yard line. The second drive included 16 plays and covered 83 yards. It lasted seven minutes, 41 seconds, and it ended on a three-yard touchdown run by White. An extra point made the final score 26-0.
“Offensively, we knew we were going to be basic. We knew we were just going to try to move the ball on the ground, and ground and pound. And we weren’t going to get fancy,” said Cornelsen. “We were just going to establish the run. And so that’s what we did.”
In addition to White’s 108 yards on 20 carries, Republic had 68 yards and two touchdowns from Krol, on 14 carries. Phillips carried the ball ten times for 77 yards. Rexroat caught two passes for 29 yards and a TD. Cory Craigmyle caught an 11-yard pass. Phillips caught two passes for 22 yards, and Worthy caught two passes for 32 yards.
Republic finishes the regular season with a 7-2 record. The Tigers are seeded second in Class 5, District 6, and will host seventh-seeded Springfield Parkview in a Week 10 matchup at home.