Preston McCracken gashed Webb City for 243 yards and three touchdowns Friday, lifting Republic from a 14-point hole to a 27–21 road win over the No. 3 Cardinals.
McCracken rushed 26 times, averaging 9.3 yards per carry. He scored on runs of 67, four and two yards, the last coming with 1:25 left to put Republic ahead for good.
After Webb City built a 14–0 lead late in the first quarter, McCracken answered on the next snap with a 67-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 14–7 at halftime. He capped a long third-quarter drive with a four-yard score to pull the Tigers within 14–13, and after Webb City extended the lead to 21–14, McCracken led the game-winning drive in the final two minutes.
His 243 yards fell three shy of the 246-yard performance by Jerney Jones in a loss at Webb City a decade ago. McCracken also had runs of 40, 21 and 18 yards that set up scores.
The win moved Republic to 5–1 and gave the Tigers their fourth victory in the last five meetings against Webb City after dropping the first 24 in the series. And McCracken’s part in the win was our Performance of the Week.
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