Republic travels to Branson tonight for a district championship game with high stakes and deep history. The Tigers (9-2) will try to hand Branson (10-0) its first loss while extending their own four-game winning streak in the 65th meeting between the programs.
Republic handled Hillcrest 54-27 in last week’s district semifinal, controlling the game from the start despite a simplified approach.
“We were able to move the ball consistently, run through more of our offense than what we did a week ago,” coach Ryan Cornelsen said. “We kept our first group out there through that first half and let them get some reps and try to execute some things that we haven’t done in a while. It was pretty vanilla compared to what we are typically, but they did a nice job of executing.”
The Tigers have adapted to multiple quarterback changes this season, forcing adjustments to their offensive approach as Trenten Coleman replaced an injured Preston McCracken, then again when McCracken returned.
“When it’s your quarterback that you lose, it changes a little bit of your play calling, a little bit of how you do things or what you think your strengths and your weaknesses are,” Cornelsen said. “We’ve kind of had two different plans there as far as who was running the show.”
Branson presents unique preparation challenges after moving to the Ozark Mountain Conference. The Pirates have dominated their schedule, making it difficult to gauge their strengths.
“I haven’t seen anybody that’s been able to slow them down offensively,” Cornelsen said. “They’ve got an extremely impressive team, looks a lot like us. They play hard. I think both teams look similar size-wise. But most importantly, I think both teams play really hard.”
The Pirates’ offense centers on their quarterback running the triple option, Luke McCormick. “He’s gotten better each and every year,” Cornelsen said. “He doesn’t miss many reads. He can really throw the ball. He’s a physical runner. He’s got good size. He’s really dynamic.”
Branson’s attack features multiple weapons, including solid receivers and an effective rushing attack. “Anytime you’re playing a triple, the fullback’s obviously an issue,” Cornelsen said. “Their wings are good. They’ll go all the way out to the pitch a lot, a lot more than what we do, and they’re really good at it.”
The Pirates’ defense returns most of its starters from last year, including several defensive backs and a key linebacker. That unit gave Republic trouble in their 2023 meeting.
“If you watch our game last year, I think there was like one or two plays that we found. Outside of that, they stuffed everything,” Cornelsen said. “We weren’t able to move the ball very well on them a year ago.”
Branson coach Aaron Hafner led Republic from 2003-2005, going 17-15 and winning district titles in his final two seasons. Those remain Republic’s last back-to-back district championships, an accomplishment they’ll be seeking to match on Friday.
Republic has played Branson more than any other school. Tonight’s matchup continues a history of relatively recent playoff meetings between the programs. Republic knocked Branson out in 2018, while the Pirates ended Republic’s season in both 2019 and 2020. Republic leads the all-time series 33-31.
