Neosho racked up 479 total yards of offense for the game, including 299 yards on the ground. Quarterback Alex Wise threw for 180 yards and rushed for 92 more. Running back Jared Shurley had 17 carries for 128 yards.
The Tiger offense kept Republic in the game until the 4th quarter. Republic had 212 total yards, including 71 yards rushing by Colton McCarty. Late in the 3rd quarter, McCarty’s touchdown cut the Neosho lead to 31-21, but that was as close as they got. Two subsequent touchdowns by Neosho put the game away.
Neosho scored first when Republic fumbled the ball deep in its own territory. The Tigers covered the ball in the end zone to avoid giving up a touchdown, but Neosho scored the safety to lead 2-0.
On the next drive the Wildcats took the ball 45 yards on nine plays. A two-yard run by Alex Wise gave Neosho a 9-0 lead.
It looked like the game would be out of hand early, when Neosho scored a touchdown on its next possession. A three-yard run by Jared Shurley punctuated a seven-play, 55-yard drive, and made it 16-0 with 7:28 to go in the half.
But the Tigers responded quickly two plays later. A 62-yard touchdown pass from Blaze Carano to Chase Mills put Republic on the scoreboard, and Colton McCarty scored on the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 16-8.
The defense stopped Neosho on its next possession, and the Tigers scored again on a 6-yard run by Colton McCarty. The two-point conversion failed, and the Tigers trailed 16-14.
Neosho grabbed back the momentum just before halftime, driving 80 yards on nine plays. Jared Shurley’s two-yard run made the score 23-14, where it stood at halftime.
The victory, coupled with Branson’s win over McDonald County, clinches the district title for Neosho. Republic plays at Branson in the regular-season finale next week.