Two players stood out in Republic’s 45–16 win over Joplin—one with his leg and the other with his tackling. Kicker Elijah Phiri and linebacker Kaleb Norman delivered performances that put their names alongside the best in program history.
Kicker Elijah Phiri etched his name in the record book with a 45-yard field goal just before halftime of Republic’s 45–16 win over Joplin. The kick broke Mark Stufflebeam’s school record of 42 yards, set in 1976. It also ties Phiri for 36th on the all-time Missouri list published by the Missouri State High School Activities Association.
Linebacker Kaleb Norman turned in a dominant defensive performance, piling up 15 tackles. That’s the highest single-game total for Republic in recent seasons and the first double-digit effort since Cooper Douglas recorded 11 in the district win at Webb City on November 4, 2023. Earlier that fall, Kendell Curbow had two double-digit games—11 against Webb City and 13 against Neosho. Other recent standouts include Avery Moody with 11 against Joplin on October 2, 2020; Davin Parks with 10 against Branson on October 30, 2020; and Devon Ward with 11 against Webb City on September 2, 2016. Record-keeping before 2021 is incomplete, but Norman’s total is the highest listed on Republic’s Hudl stats, which date back to the mid-2010s. (There is no single-game record for tackles listed among Republic’s records.)
Phiri’s leg and Norman’s defense made for a memorable night in Republic, and they share our Performance of the Week honors.
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