Republic had a 1st and goal inside the 5-yard line and a chance to cut the Neosho lead to less than a touchdown. They couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. Instead, Neosho took over on its own 1-yard line, marched 99 yards on 18 plays, and put the game away with a touchdown.
That was a microcosm of the game––the Tigers had chances all night, but couldn’t capitalize, as Neosho celebrated its homecoming with a 34-14 win.
“We had some opportunities to make some plays and we didn’t make those plays. Those are things you’ve got to do. In our conference, you’ve got to play well every night. If you don’t play well, you don’t have a chance, and we didn’t make enough plays,” says coach Wes Beachler.
Yocum Automotive Drive of the Game
The Tigers trailed 6-0 in the first quarter when they got the ball for their second possession. They took over on their own 41-yard line and drove 59 yards on six plays, scoring on a 12-yard touchdown run by Jake Jones. The extra point made the score 7-6 Republic—their only lead of the game—and it was the Yocum Automotive Drive of the Game.
Besides failing to score on the 1st and goal, the Tigers missed another opportunity on a dropped interception opportunity. The defense also gave up several first downs on 3rd-and-long situations for Neosho.
“When we’re down there at the goal line, everyone’s got to make their block, everyone’s got to run hard, everyone’s got to make sure they know where the alley is,” Beachler says. “When you have a chance to intercept the ball, you’ve got to make an interception. When you get an alley, you’ve got to make it count. When we pursue the ball…we’ve got to bring the guy down. You’ve got to make plays. It sounds real cliche. Everything works on paper, but we’ve got to play better. I don’t believe we’re a 2-4 team, but we’re playing like it, and we’ve got to get that taken care of.”
Even though Republic stayed in the game until the 4th quarter, Neosho outgained Republic 505 to 265 in total yardage. The Tigers were led by quarterback Riley Watkins, who rushed for 96 yards on 15 carries. He had one touchdown. He threw for 86 yards on 9-of-20 passing.
Neosho improved to 4-2. Republic fell to 2-4.