By the Numbers – District Championship Week Edition

Overtimes it took Republic to beat Carthage 32-30 in the district semifinal on Nov. 6. It was 14-14 after regulation, 21-21 after one overtime and 24-24 after two. Nolan Lashley took the first snap of the third overtime 25 yards for a touchdown and ran in the two-point conversion. Carthage scored on fourth-and-one and went for two to tie, and Lashley, playing defense for the first time all season, ran Slade Stiffler down from behind and forced an incomplete pass.

Yards on both of Republic’s overtime touchdowns, each on the first snap of the period. Baelor Cutbirth scored in the first overtime and Lashley in the third. In between, Ethan Blades tied the game at 24 with a 21-yard field goal, his only field goal attempt of the season. Blades is 32 of 35 on extra points.

Rushing yards for Cutbirth on 17 carries, the most on either team. The sophomore also caught a 34-yard pass from Cooper Cornelsen on fourth-and-four to set up Republic’s first touchdown. Lashley ran 28 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns, Cornelsen had 66 yards on nine carries, including a 41-yard run, and Republic ran 58 times for 315 yards.

Yards Republic’s defense allowed in a game that went three overtimes. Republic stopped Carthage on fourth down at the Republic 11 with 32 seconds left in the first half after a muffed punt, and stopped Stiffler a yard short on fourth-and-seven after Carthage recovered an onside kick to open the second half. “They just found ways to keep them out of the end zone and get those stops,” coach Ryan Cornelsen said.

Games between Republic and Carthage. Republic has won three of them, and two came in the last three weeks, 26-22 on Oct. 16 and 32-30 on Nov. 6. Carthage had ended Republic’s season in the district playoffs in 2018, 2022 and 2025.

Yards for Lashley on 38 carries when Republic beat Neosho 47-35 on Sept. 25. He scored six touchdowns, on runs of one, 77, two, 52, 70 and seven yards. Republic ran 69 times for 519 yards and led 47-21 with 2:40 left before Neosho scored twice in the last 2:13.

Yards Lashley needs to pass Jerney Jones’s school record of 1,817 rushing yards in a season, set in 2015. Lashley has 1,627 yards on 229 carries in 10 games. He already holds the touchdown record with 30. Jones had 26.

Straight wins for Republic over Neosho, starting with a 21-0 win at Neosho in the 2020 opener. The streak is the longest by either team in a series that began in 1996, and it put Republic ahead 13-12, its first lead in the series. Neosho’s last win was 34-28 at Republic in 2019, on a touchdown on the final play. Neosho won both district playoff games between the teams, 35-7 in 2016 and 42-21 in 2017.

Wins in a row for Neosho since the loss at Republic. Four were decided by seven points or fewer: 42-35 over Joplin, 35-28 at Webb City, 51-48 at Carthage and 34-31 over Branson in the other district semifinal. Neosho is 10-1 and averages 45.0 points a game. Blayne Patterson has passed for 1,767 yards and run for 1,168, and Lincoln Howard has scored 23 touchdowns.

Passes Republic has completed this season. Neosho has completed 152. Republic averages 396.0 rushing yards a game and has 48 rushing touchdowns, and it beat Webb City 33-14 on Oct. 9 without throwing a pass.

District championship games for Republic in the last five seasons. Republic lost at Carthage in 2022 and 2025, and the 2023 team won the district and reached the Class 5 championship game, where it lost 38-25 to Cardinal Ritter. This one is at Republic, where the Tigers are the No. 1 seed. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Friday, the game is on MSHSAA.tv, and the winner plays in the state quarterfinals on Nov. 21.