Republic scored early, scored often, and never let up in a 56–0 road win at Waynesville on Friday.
The Tigers set the tone on special teams. Kieran Govan blocked a punt, recovered it, and Republic punched in a short-field score moments later. Izaiah Hull finished that drive from a yard out for a 7–0 lead with 8:14 left in the first quarter.
Preston McCracken stretched the margin with a 55-yard keeper through a wide lane to make it 14–0. He added a 48-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline to Govan late in the first, and Republic led 21–0. Jin Villasica capped the quarter with a 5-yard run to make it 28–0.
The second quarter looked the same. McCracken followed with a 6-yard keeper behind Braxton Lundberg to make it 35–0 with 3:37 before halftime. After a dead-ball penalty on a punt gave Republic the ball at midfield, Owen Klier cut back at the 25 and finished a 50-yard touchdown run with 1:38 left. Elijah Phiri’s sixth straight PAT sent Republic to halftime ahead 42–0 and triggered a running clock.
Backup quarterback Trenten Coleman guided the first drive of the third quarter. Greg Hicks scored from a yard out and Treyton Gray added the two-point conversion to make it 50–0. Jacob Duran scored his first career touchdown to cap the scoring at 56–0.
Republic controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides. The defense allowed almost nothing on the ground, with tackles for loss from Nolan Lashley and steady pressure from Mason Whitworth and Ethan Montiel. Coleman had an interception wiped out by a roughing-the-passer call in the first half, but Republic’s defense still forced repeated three-and-outs and long fields.
Special teams were a factor throughout. Phiri put multiple kickoffs into or through the end zone, and Tristan Burks opened the second half with a long return to set up short-field points. Govan’s first-quarter block and recovery set the early tone.
“We’ve been working it all week,” Govan said of the blocked punt. “It was there on film, and I was going to get it. I wasn’t expecting to recover it, but I was able to pick it up.” He later added a 48-yard touchdown reception, calling McCracken’s throw “perfect” and adding, “He hit me in stride and I could almost walk in there.”
Whitworth said the defense’s approach was simple. “Our coaches put in a great game plan, and we just went out there and executed,” he said. “That (Nixa) game left a bad taste in our mouth. We worked harder, stayed locked in, and it showed this game.”
Coach Ryan Cornelsen said he liked the way his team stayed within itself. “Obviously, it’s nice to win. You’re always excited when you win,” he said. “But probably the thing I like most is we stayed within what we do. You didn’t see kids out there spin moving and trying to make stuff happen. They just played the game the way we’re supposed to and executed the plays we called.”
Republic returns home at 1–1. Waynesville falls to 0–2.
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