Mustangs Face Disappointment
Cassville rushed for 353 yards to power to a 4421 win over McDonald County, costing the Mustangs their firstever conference championship.
“We are at the point where we have to take that next step and go win these big games. Our kids did not quit. I thought they fought to the end. We just didn’t make as many plays as they did.”
Kellen Hoover Mustangs Football Coach
Cassville rushed for 353 yards to power the Wildcats to a 44-21 win over McDonald County, costing the Mustangs their first-ever conference championship.
McDonald County, Cassville and Lamar all had one loss in the West Division of the Big 8 Conference entering the final week of the regular season. A win by McDonald County would have left the Mustangs and Lamar with one conference loss each, but McDonald County would have claimed the title since the Mustangs beat the Tigers in a head-to-head matchup earlier in the year.
Cassville and Lamar ended up tied with one loss, but Lamar beat Cassville earlier in the season to earn the conference title.
“I hurt for our kids,” said coach Kellen Hoover. “I thought they played hard, but we didn’t make every play we needed to. That’s a good football team. They are a physical football team and it’s a really good measuring stick of where we want to go. They are a force to be reckoned with each and every year in our conference. We had an opportunity to win a conference championship, which is a step in the right direction for our program. We are at the point where we have to take that next step and go win these big games. Our kids did not quit. I thought they fought to the end. We just didn’t make as many plays as they did.”
Even though the Wildcats ran for 353 yards, it was a pair of long pass plays and a kickoff return that helped Cassville pull away for the win despite giving up 372 yards to the Mustangs.
McDonald County’s Trent Alik returned the opening kickoff 55 yards to give McDonald County great field position to start the game. But Cassville stopped the Mustangs one-yard short on fourth and 10, taking over at its own 26-yard line.
It took Cassville just six plays to drive 74 yards for the score, capped by Zach Coenen’s 49-yard touchdown run. Hayden Sink hit Killian Barbee for the conversion to give the Wildcats an 8-0 lead with 7:10 left in the first quarter.
The teams traded punts on their next possessions before the Mustangs drove inside the Cassville 30-yard line, but the Wildcats again held on fourth down.
Taking over at its own 28, Cassville marched 72 yards in nine plays for its second touchdown of the game.
Sink’s 38-yard pass to Spencer Moeller set up a five-yard touchdown run by Jericho Farris with 7:47 left in the first half. The point after was no good, leaving the Wildcats with a 14-0 lead.
McDonald County went three and out but, after a punt, the Mustangs recovered a Cassville fumble on the Wildcat 33-yard
line, setting up a wild finish to the first half.
McDona ld County covered the 33 yards in six plays. The drive was keyed by a pair of passes from Cole Martin to Alik, including a nine-yard touchdown pass. Jared Mora’s PAT cut the lead to 14-7 with 3:02 left in the half.
But Farris took the ensuing kickoff and found a lane down the right side of the field and went untouched for a 77-yard touchdown. A second attempt at a PAT failed, leaving the Wildcats with a 20-7 lead with 2:55 left in the half.
McDona ld County answered after Alik returned the kick 25 yards to set up the Mustangs at their own 47-yard line.
After not gaining a yard on first down, Martin hit Levi Malone with a 47-yard pass to give the Mustangs a first down at the Cassville six-yard line. Bailey Lewis ran for three yards before Racey Shandley did the same on the next play for the touchdown. Mora’s second PAT at the half cut the Cassville lead to 20-14 with 54.7 seconds left.
Cassville was not satisfied taking a six-point lead into the locker room.
Starting on its own 31-yard line, runs of 23 and 11 yards by Coenen gave the Wildcats a first down at the McDonald County 39. Farris then snuck out of the backfield and was wide open down the sideline as Sink hit the senior halfback with a 39-yard touchdown with four seconds left on the clock. Sink ran for the two-point conversion to give Cassville a 28-14 lead at the half.
Cassville extended its lead on the opening drive of the second half. The Wildcats marched 57 yards in eight plays, capped by Farris’s six-yard touchdown. Sinks’ conversion run gave the Wildcats a 36-21 lead with 8:23 left in the third quarter.
McDonald County took advantage of another Cassville fumble after the Wildcats intercepted a pass. Martin keyed the 55-yard drive with a 26-yard run on fourth and two to set up Lewis for a six-yard touchdown. Mora’s third PAT of the game made the score 36-21 with 2:04 left in the third quarter.
Cassville closed out the scoring on its next possession. Farris scored his fifth touchdown of the game on a 46-yard run with 16.9 seconds left in the third quarter. Coenen added the conversion to make the final score 44-21.
Martin finished with 17 completions on 31 attempts for 256 yards. The junior quarterback added 52 yards on the ground on nine carries. Lewis added 70 yards on 18 carries. Malone caught six passes for 100 yards, while Alik added three catches for 41 yards.
Despite the loss, McDonald County held on to its fourth- place seed in the district bracket, earning a home game against Marshfield in the first round of the state playoffs on Oct. 30. The home game will be the first playoff game at McDonald County High School in history. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
McDona ld County finished in fourth place in the district standings with 30.6 points, while Marshfield ended up in fifth with 30.4 points. The winner will advance to face West Plains at West Plains on Nov. 6.