The Cardinals put an end to a 3 game losing skid by extending their current streak over Neosho to 27 consecutive wins in a 34-28 homecoming victory. Neosho came into the game win an unblemished 4-0 record, trying to defeat the Cardinals for the first time since 1999.
Webb City scored on the first drive of the night. After picking up a couple of first downs, Slade Hurd took the option pitch down the right side for 42 yards setting up the Cardinals inside the 10 yard line. He finished off the drive three plays later as ran around the left end from three yards out and after the PAT from Jared Castro, Webb had a quick 7-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game.
Neosho answered immediately, driving 66 yards in 12 plays to score, but missed the PAT. The first quarter ended with a 7-6 lead for the home team.
After the second Cardinal drive ended on an unsuccessful fourth down attempt inside Neosho territory, the Wildcats took their first lead of the night. Marching 65 yards in 11 plays they took a 13-7 lead with 8:00 minutes left in the half.
The next Cardinal drive ended with a punt and Neosho looked like they were headed to a third touchdown, quickly moving from their own 20 into Webb City territory. A fourth down gamble backfired as Jackson Dodson stopped the Wildcat running back just short of the marker and the Cardinals took over at their own 42 with less than three minutes to the break.
Six plays later, Jackson Lucas hit a streaking Andrew Young down the home side line with a 36 yard touchdown pass and with another PAT from Jared Castro the Cardinals went into the locker room with a 14-13 advantage.
The two teams traded scores in the third and early part of the fourth quarters, each time Neosho would score and pull ahead, the Cardinals counter punched and knotted the game back. Jackson Lucas scored both times, the first a 21 yard touchdown run and then a 4 yard burst in to the endzone with 4:35 left on the clock.
Neosho failed to pick up a first down, throwing incomplete twice and stopping the clock, as the defense held firm and forced a Tiger punt.
Taking over with 3:45 remaining, Webb City was 59 yards away from a win. Isaiah Tela bulled ahead 12 yards into the Neosho side of the field and a first down. Methodically, the offensive line kept the drive going down the field allowing Slade Hurd and Mason Williams to pick up consecutive first downs. Then back to the air, Jackson Lucas hit Joseph DeGraffenreid on a 23 yard slant across the middle of the field in stride and the Cardinals had a 34-28 lead with only 38 seconds left.
The defense rose to the occasion, after allowing a completed pass for first down to inside the Cardinal half of the field, two incomplete passes and then a desperate heave to the pylon that fell incomplete put an end to the game and a successful homecoming.
Jackson Lucas finished the night with 106 yards rushing on 19 attempts, Mason Williams followed with 90 yards on 11 carries and Slade Hurd added 79 yards on 13 carries. Hurd had the longest run of the night with his 42 yard run in the first half.
Andrew Young and Joseph DeGraffenreid each caught touchdown passes from Lucas.
On the road to Republic next week with a 7:00 kick