Two Republic Tigers have signed letters of intent to play college football. [Read more...]
Two Tigers Sign to Play College Football
February 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Late Score Lifts Pirates Past Republic
October 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment
An 80-yard drive in the final two minutes of the game gave Branson a 25-20 win over Republic, and a spot in the state playoffs. The winning drive took only seven plays, and burned just a little over a minute on the clock. It ended on a 13-yard touchdown run by Cameron Chancey. A final drive by the Tigers ended at midfield as time expired.
Trailing 19-14, Republic had scored with 1:59 left in the game to take a 20-19 lead. A long kickoff return by Connor O’Mealy had set the Tigers up at the Branson 45-yard line. They scored five plays later on a 4-yard run by Blaze Carano to take the lead, before Branson answered with its winning drive.
Republic’s inability to stop the run was evident throughout the game. Branson racked up 393 rushing yards, and 434 yards total. Quarterback Cameron Chancey rushed 12 times for 141 yards. Brandon Mahoney ran for 100 yards on 17 carries. And Tee Helsel ran 10 times for 77 yards.
Republic had 237 total yards for the game. They picked up 137 yards through the air, on 9-of-16 passing from Blaze Carano. Ryan Sifferman led the Tigers with 80 rushing yards.
The game looked like it would be a Branson blowout early, with the Pirates scoring twice quickly. They scored on their first drive, on an 8-yard run by Brandon Mahoney. Two possessions later, Mahoney ran it in from three yards out to give Branson a 13-0 lead.
But a 34-yard touchdown pass from Carano to Jaggar Deeds in the second quarter woke up the Republic offense and closed the gap to 13-7. On the Tigers’ next drive, they went 69 yards and scored on a one-yard run by Colton McCarty. Blake Baumberger’s extra point made it 14-13 Tigers.
Republic kept the lead until a Branson touchdown with 3:59 left in the 4th quarter. Isaac Johnston scored on a two-yard run to give the Pirates a 19-14 lead, setting up the back-and-forth finish.
The victory puts Branson into the playoffs, but they’ll have their work cut out for them next Wednesday when they travel to Webb City to face the top-ranked team in the state. Republic ends its season 3-7.
Neosho Beats Republic to Claim District Title
October 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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.
Republic Beats Willard as Clock Winds Down
October 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Blaze Carano scored on a quarterback keeper with 8.8 seconds left in the game, as Republic beat Willard 17-13. The Tigers had struggled on offense the entire night, before marching 70 yards in 14 plays for the winning touchdown. The winning drive featured two game-saving fourth-down conversions before Carano punched the ball into the end zone from the 1-foot line.
Willard wasted a great effort by running back Taylor Ball. Ball rushed 42 times for 247 yards in a losing effort. Willard ran only ten plays all night in which they did not call Ball’s number.
Corey Davis had a big night on defense for Republic, with one interception and two fumble recoveries. Two of those turnovers set up scores for the Tigers.
In the first quarter, Davis picked off a pass in Willard territory and returned it 17 yards. Republic scored soon after that on a 6-yard run by Colton McCarty, taking a 7-0 lead.
Willard made it 7-6 in the second quarter, on a 4-yard run by Ball. That capped an 80-yard, 11-play drive.
Just before halftime, Willard took over on its own 25 yard line with a few seconds left, and could have run out the clock. Instead, coach Brock Roweton had his offense stay on the attack. The decision cost Willard, when Ball fumbled at the 30-yard line. Republic’s Davis recovered with less than five seconds left in the half, and Blake Baumberger promptly kicked a 40-yard field goal to give Republic a 10-6 lead at the half.
Ball continued to dominate after the break, carrying the Willard offense on his shoulders. Willard’s first drive ended when Ball fumbled at the Republic 25 yard line. But its second drive led to a touchdown on a 36-yard run by Ball. That gave Willard a 13-10 lead with just about three minutes to go in the game.
Republic took over on its own 30 yard line to start the game-winning drive. On the first series, Republic converted on 4th-and-4. On the second series, they converted on 4th-and-9. By then, the clock had ticked down under a minute remaining. But three passes by Blaze Carano moved Republic to the goal line, and Carano’s quarterback sneak into the end zone gave the Tigers the 17-13 victory.
Carano threw only one pass before the final drive, but finished 5-of-8 for 45 yards. Colton McCarty led the rushing attack with 88 yards on 22 carries. Ryan Sifferman rushed 7 times for 19 yards; Chase Mills ran for 24 yards on 3 carries; and Carano ran 7 times for 25 yards.
Republic improves to 2-4, and Willard falls to 0-6.
War Eagle Offense Too Much for Tigers
September 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The high-powered offense of the Heritage War Eagles exploded for 495 total yards, on the way to a 35-7 win over Republic. Heritage, from Rogers, Ark., used a spread offense to capitalize on its speed advantage against the Republic defensive secondary.
Quarterback Reed Brown was 18-for-26 passing, for 293 yards. He completed passes to six different receivers, including five completions to Travis Entwisle, who led the War Eagles with 93 yards receiving.
Republic moved the ball on offense most of the night, but had trouble getting into the end zone. The Tigers racked up 315 total yards — 247 on the ground. Colton McCarty rushed for 123 yards on 29 carries, and added three catches for 58 yards. Ryan Sifferman carried the ball 17 times for 80 yards, as Republic marched into War Eagle territory several times without getting on the scoreboard. Quarterbak Blaze Carano was 6-of-12 through the air, for 74 yards. He threw two interceptions.
Republic started strong, stopping Heritage on its first possession, and marching down the field to get within striking distance of the end zone. But an interception in the end zone snuffed out the drive, and Heritage went the other direction for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Two more touchdowns on two successive drives gave the War Eagles a 21-0 lead, and the last Tiger drive of the half ended on a long missed field goal by Blake Baumberger.
After another defensive stop by Heritage, the War Eagles scored again on a 36-yard touchdown pass to Grant Driver, to extend the lead to 28-0.
Republic answered with their first score of the night, on a 12-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by Ryan Sifferman.
One final score by Heritage, capping off a 10-play, 80-yard drive, accounted for the final score, 35-0.
The War Eagles improve to 3-0. They’ve now outscored their opponents 138-20 in those three victories. Republic falls to 1-3. They travel to Ozark for their first road game of the year next Friday.
Football Week 2: Video Recap
September 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The Tigers score first, on a 59-yard TD pass from Blaze Carano to Colton McCarty.
Bolivar ties the game after a 62-yard drive.
After another Bolivar score, McCarty scores his second touchdown to tie it at 14.
An 11-yard TD run by Moffett gives Bolivar a 20-14 lead. Republic blocks the PAT.
Bolivar’s Tally picks off a pass as time runs down in the 1st half, and returns it for a TD. Bolivar leads 26-14 at the half.
On 3rd and 24, Bolivar scores on a 26-yard TD pass from Peavy to Tally. That makes it 33-14.
Josh Moffett scores his third touchdown to give the Liberators a 39-14 lead.
Colton McCarty scores his 3rd TD of the night. It’s 39-21.
Another TD by McCarty, and it’s a ballgame again.
The Tiger defense got a big stop against Republic, but on 3rd and 5 at the Bolivar 15, another interception snuffs out the Tiger drive.
Bolivar takes the ball 85 yards to score another touchdown and seal the victory. Final score, 46-28.
Tiger Rally Falls Short Against #4 Bolivar
September 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment
For the second week in a row, an opposing runner gashed big holes in the Republic Tiger defense, as #4 Bolivar beat Republic 46-28. Senior running back Josh Moffett ran for 256 yards and three touchdowns behind Bolivar’s super-sized offensive line. The Liberators racked up 354 yards on the ground, and another 101 in the air, allowing their big linemen to wear down the Tiger defense.
Colton McCarty had a good night for the Tigers. He scored four touchdowns and had more than 170 all-purpose yards. McCarty’s first score came on a 59-yard pass from Blaze Carano during the Tigers’ opening drive, giving Republic a quick 7-0 lead. After Bolivar scored twice, a McCarty 3-yard run tied the game again at 14.
Bolivar responded with another scoring drive, going 80 yards in ten plays, and missed the extra point to lead 20-14.
The next drive for the Tigers, in the final minute of the half, might have been the key to the game. As Republic tried to mount a drive before halftime, Blaze Carano threw the ball over the middle. Bolivar’s Alex Talley picked it off and went 50 yards the other way for a touchdown, to give Bolivar a 26-14 lead at halftime.
Bolivar took the opening kickoff of the 2nd half and drove 84 yards for another touchdown. A 28-yard reception by Alex Talley capped the drive, and Bolivar led 33-14.
After another Carano interception, Moffett plunged into the end zone from one yard out to give the Liberators a 39-14 lead.
But the Tigers didn’t quit. They scored two quick touchdowns — on runs of 18 and 10 yards by McCarty — to make the score 39-28. The Republic defense got another stop, and the Tigers were moving the ball again, when Bolivar picked off another pass at their own 15 yard line to snuff out the Tigers’ chances. The Liberators marched 85 yards in 11 plays, and scored the final touchdown to put the game out of reach, 46-28.
Carano was 4-for-8 passing, for 126 yards for the Tigers. He threw for one touchdown, but was picked off three times. Ryan Sifferman led the Tigers rushing attack with 67 yards, to go along with McCarty’s 49 yards on the ground.
Bolivar quarterback Kolton Peavey was 6-for-12 passing, for 105 yards. He also ran for 55 yards. Alex Talley had 59 yards receiving for the Liberators, along with the key interception return for a touchdown just before halftime.
The Tigers are back in action next week at home, against Naval Junior ROTC.
(Thanks to Pam Hemphill for the photo of Tiger tailgaters before the game.)
