Preston McCracken turned in one of the best games of his career to lead Republic past Webb City 41–24 and into the district championship. McCracken carried the ball 27 times for 207 yards and five touchdowns, breaking through a defense that couldn’t slow him down.
Republic’s offense finished with 424 rushing yards and six scores, but it was a key defensive stand early in the third quarter that set up McCracken’s biggest run of the night. After the defense forced a punt, McCracken capped a four-play, 71-yard drive with a 36-yard touchdown—his third of the game—to put Republic back in control.
He added two more scores in the fourth quarter, from six and seven yards out, to seal the win. His first-half runs of seven and eight yards helped Republic build a 21–10 lead, and his steady production helped the Tigers control the game throughout.
“Last time we were playing Carthage and Webb, we had some drives that fell apart and we knew that this time we can’t do that and we can’t afford that and we have to keep going,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how good we’re playing, how bad we’re playing, we just can’t ride the roller coaster—and just stay even keel.”
The victory gave Republic its fifth win in the last six meetings against the Cardinals. The Tigers also broke the single-season scoring record with 500 points for the year in 11 games.
McCracken’s five-touchdown, 207-yard night against Webb City is our Performance of the Week.
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