Republic answered every question about its response to last week’s loss, hammering Neosho 42–14 on Friday and imposing its will from the opening series through a 35–0 halftime lead. The Wildcats, who had been piling up yards all season, managed only three first downs and didn’t move the chains until late in the first half. By the time Neosho found the end zone, Republic already led 42–0 with reserves filtering in.
The plan was simple: be disciplined, be physical, and finish. Republic did all three. The Tigers ran it 62 times for 377 yards and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides. “We challenged them all week… be accountable to your assignment,” coach Ryan Cornelsen said. “Tonight you saw discipline throughout the game—on both sides of the ball—and we played hard.”
Preston McCracken set the tone with 251 total yards (145 rushing, 106 passing) and three touchdowns. He sparked the second score with a 27-yard keeper, then hit Keiran Govan on a 45-yard play-action strike and found Jin Villasica from 7 yards just before halftime. “The O-line was getting a push every play,” McCracken said. “After last week, we wanted to come out fast and angry, and we executed.”
Izaiah Hull shouldered the interior work and finished with 83 yards and two touchdowns, including the seven-yard opener that capped a six-play, 52-yard march late in the first quarter. Matthew Pelfrey punched in the final Republic score on a three-yard run early in the fourth to make it 42–0 before Neosho added two late touchdowns against a unit with starters rotating out.
On defense, Republic choked off the ground game and forced long-yardage situations all night. Linebacker Ethan Montiel said the approach was to stop the run first, and to stay disciplined after losing their composure last week in a loss at Carthage.
“I feel like we were more undisciplined (last week) than disciplined, and we just wanted to recover that, come back to it. and bring back the true Republic Tigers that we are,” Montiel said.
Cornelsen pointed to the group’s composure after last week’s finish: “We had to get back on the right track. You saw that intensity and how hard they played.”
##### Scoring Summary
Q1 — Republic: Hull 7 run (Phiri kick) 1:05
Q2 — Republic: McCracken 27 run (Phiri kick) 9:53
Q2 — Republic: Govan 45 pass from McCracken (Phiri kick) 7:22
Q2 — Republic: Hull 4 run (Phiri kick) 3:25
Q2 — Republic: Villasica 7 pass from McCracken (Phiri kick) 0:16
Q4 — Republic: Pelfrey 3 run (Phiri kick) 9:22
Q4 — Neosho: Rhone 67 run (kick) 6:56
Q4 — Neosho: Patterson 32 run (kick) 4:53
##### Key team totals
Republic 483 yards (377 rush, 106 pass); 17 first downs; 0 turnovers.
Neosho 226 yards; 3 first downs; 1 turnover.
##### Notables
* Preston McCracken: 15 rush, 145 yds, TD; 6–9, 106 yds, 2 TD
* Izaiah Hull: 16 rush, 83 yds, 2 TD
* Matthew Pelfrey: 8 rush, 43 yds, TD
* Keiran Govan: 2 rec, 58 yds, TD
* Owen Klier: 8 rush, 29 yds; 1 rec, 11 yds
* Gavin Lawhon: 2 catches, 30 yards
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