Republic unleashed its not-so-secret weapon Friday night, and Branson had no answer for the attack. Preston McCracken, turned loose for the first time since an injury around mid-season, rose up to swamp the previously undefeated Pirates, terrorizing the Pirates’ defense to the tune of 274 rushing yards and four touchdowns in Republic’s 35-10 victory in the Class 5 District 6 championship.
The win not only sank previously undefeated Branson’s perfect season, but launched Republic (10-2) into the state quarterfinals for the second straight year, where they’ll face Jefferson City Helias.
McCracken’s return to form couldn’t have come at a better time for Republic, as he repeatedly crashed through Branson’s defensive line. “They weren’t pursuing really good, so we could get on the outside,” McCracken said. “Whenever we started running those plays outside, they started over-pursuing, so there was a cutback lane and I just found the hole, and we just blocked it really well.”
Branson (10-1) struck first when quarterback Luke McCormick broke free for a 63-yard touchdown run, capping an 80-yard drive. Branson’s triple option gave the Tigers trouble early in the game.
“I told our coaches, if we can just stay in there and keep battling, they’ll pick up the speed of it,” Republic coach Ryan Cornelsen said. “Those first few drives are scary. You’ve got to just try to hold on and make a few plays.”
But Republic answered with a methodical 16-play, 80-yard march, ending with McCracken’s first touchdown from one yard out. McCracken’s second one-yard score just before halftime gave Republic a 14-7 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
After Branson cut the lead to 14-10 with a third-quarter field goal, Republic’s ground game took control. Izaiah Hull’s one-yard touchdown run made it 21-10, set up by McCracken’s 33-yard burst.
The turning point came with Republic backed up to its own 4-yard line. McCracken broke through the defense for 49 yards, and a personal foul penalty moved the ball deeper into Branson territory. Three plays later, McCracken scored from 26 yards out to extend the lead to 28-10.
“They all thought I was in the pile. They didn’t realize I cut back and they were just wide open,” McCracken said. “We had some good big-on-big blocks and we did good.”
Republic’s offense churned out 389 rushing yards while holding Branson to 223 yards of total offense. Mason Fleetwood added 51 yards on nine carries, and Hull finished with 55 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts.
“I felt like our defense did an amazing job of keeping them out of the end zone,” Cornelsen said. “We’re not very big. We’ve got a couple of guys over 200 pounds trying to stop that style of offense. You’ve got to go full tilt every play.”
McCracken’s fourth touchdown late in the fourth quarter, another one-yard run, provided the final margin and ended Branson’s perfect season.
The Tigers will host Jefferson City Helias in the state quarterfinals for the second season in a row. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.
