Republic will host Jefferson City Helias in Saturday’s state quarterfinal, a rematch of last year’s 28-21 Tiger victory that marked the program’s first state semifinal berth in more than 30 years. The Tigers advanced by winning their second consecutive district championship at Branson last Friday.
Helias brings back much of its roster from last year’s quarterfinal loss. Republic coach Ryan Cornelsen recognized familiar players while reviewing game film.
“I turned the film on after our Branson game, and it’s almost the exact same team,” Cornelsen said. “They lost a good mike linebacker, maybe a lineman here or there. A couple of them changed numbers, so at first it kind of caught me off guard, and I looked… and it’s the exact same team, and they’re just better.”
Republic 2024 Results
| Date | Opponent | Outcome | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | at Nixa (11-0) | L | 14 – 49 |
| 9/6 | Waynesville (0-10) | W | 35 – 9 |
| 9/13 | at Ozark (4-7) | W | 35 – 0 |
| 9/20 | Kickapoo (4-6) | W | 49 – 17 |
| 9/27 | at Joplin (7-4) | W | 49 – 38 |
| 10/4 | Webb City (6-6) | W | 15 – 13 |
| 10/11 | Carthage (9-2) | L | 14 – 31 |
| 10/18 | at Neosho (6-5) | W | 40 – 0 |
| 10/25 | at Willard (2-8) | W | 35 – 7 |
| 11/1 | Central (Springfield) (0-10) | W | 60 – 7 |
| 11/8 | Hillcrest (2-9) | W | 54 – 27 |
| 11/15 | Branson (10-1) | W | 35 – 10 |
Helias 2024 Results
| Date | Opponent | Outcome | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | at Hannibal (8-4) | W | 31 – 20 |
| 9/6 | at Hickman (4-6) | W | 90 – 28 |
| 9/13 | Battle with Columbia Independent (1-9) | W | 42 – 6 |
| 9/20 | at Camdenton (6-5) | W | 38 – 8 |
| 9/27 | Rock Bridge (10-1) | L | 22 – 29 (1 OT) |
| 10/4 | at Capital City (7-4) | W | 33 – 0 |
| 10/11 | at Jefferson City (3-7) | W | 51 – 0 |
| 10/18 | Smith-Cotton (2-8) | W | 51 – 8 |
| 10/25 | Lift for Life Academy Charter (7-5) | W | 17 – 12 |
| 11/8 | Camdenton (6-5) | W | 45 – 17 |
| 11/15 | Lebanon (7-5) | W | 30 – 18 |
The Crusaders rolled through their district, including a decisive win over Lebanon in the championship game. Their offense creates problems with multiple formations and personnel packages.
“They have some big tight end, H-back type guys that will line up out wide, they’ll line up at the tight end,” Cornelsen said. “So you get a lot of different formations… You can’t identify personnel to what formation they’re trying to run.”
Cornelsen compared Helias’s offensive style to conference opponents Nixa and Neosho.
“Nixa’s probably a pretty good example when they’re running with their H’s and their tight ends,” Cornelsen said. “And then when they open it up… maybe Neosho.. They’ll run three by one a lot, and they’ll motion some guys and try to get you in some match-up issues.”
On defense, Helias’s size and multiple fronts pose challenges, particularly when they stack the line of scrimmage.
“When they get in their 5-3, they’re just so big and physical, it’s tough to get a push,” Cornelsen said. “And last year we didn’t get much of a push on them. That’s tough when they have that kind of size and they put them all at your tight ends and inside. So there’s a lot of big bodies in there and basically they put you almost in one-on-one type positions with your O-line just because they’ve got so many guys in there.”
The Saturday afternoon kickoff gives Republic an extra day of preparation, but Cornelsen said the team won’t add much practice time.
“We use it as an extra day of mental prep and making sure we understand the game plan, understanding what we’re doing,” he said. “We don’t go pad up and do an extra practice… This time of year you get guys banged up and so you feel like you’ve got an extra day of hopefully getting those guys rehabbed and back to feeling better.”
Saturday’s winner will advance to play Cardinal Ritter or Lafayette (Wildwood) in the state semifinals.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. If you can’t make it to the game, you can sign up to watch the Republic Tiger Sports broadcast here or on the MSHSAA TV app.
