Republic travels to Neosho Friday for a Central Ozark Conference matchup between two 5-2 teams looking to solidify their playoff positions.
The Tigers aim to rebound from a 31-14 loss to Carthage last week. Republic struggled to sustain drives and stop Carthage on key fourth downs.
“We couldn’t get off the field on a couple of key fourth downs and allowed them to keep their offense on the field,” Republic coach Ryan Cornelsen said. “And then offensively, penalties hurt us. We got behind the chains and we weren’t able to move the ball.”
Sophomore quarterback Trenten Coleman will make his second start for Republic. Coleman took over after an injury to Preston McCracken and showed poise in his first full game against Carthage.
“I felt like he played pretty well,” Cornelsen said. “When your quarterback’s confident, it gives your team confidence. Even when things weren’t going well, I thought he handled it well.”
Neosho is also looking to bounce back after a loss. They dropped a 35-14 decision at Joplin last week. The Wildcats’ quarterback situation remains uncertain. Senior Cade Spiva has been sidelined with an injury, and two different players have filled in since his departure. Cornelsen said in his judgment, after watching video, Neosho has multiple quarterbacks “capable of running the offense at a really high level.”
The Wildcats feature multiple weapons, including an experienced running back in Denver Welch and speedy receivers. Cornelsen noted Neosho’s improved ground game as a key difference from previous seasons.
“They’ve always been able to throw the ball,” Cornelsen said. “And now they’ve got a run game to go with it. So we’ve got to try to take that away as well.”
Defensively, Neosho employs multiple looks from a base 4-3 alignment. The Wildcats have shown increased physicality up front and athleticism in the secondary.
“They do a lot of shifts, a lot of movement,” Cornelsen said. “They’ve got the good athletes on the back end. And so it makes for a good defense.”
Both teams have identical 5-2 records and 22.4 points allowed per game. Republic averages 30.1 points per game, while Neosho scores 36 points per contest.
Republic has won the last four meetings between the teams dating back to 2020, including a 56-21 victory at Neosho last year. The Tigers hold a 9-7 edge in the series since 2010.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bob Anderson Stadium in Neosho.