Cassville claims Homecoming victory over Seneca
October 14, 2020
Cassville’s Drake Reese is tackled at the Seneca 8-yard line after a 25-yard pass completion from Hayden Sink in second quarter action on Friday night. Photo by Caden Swearingen.
Lee Stubblefield
With Mt. Vernon suffering a third-consecutive loss on Friday night, the Cassville Wildcats leapfrogged the Mountaineers and hopped into first place in district standings with a 42-21 homecoming victory over Seneca. Cassville fell in a 13-7 hole early and saw Seneca close to within 27-21 late in the third quarter, before closing the deal.
The Seneca Football Team has been a mystery team so far this season. A preseason media darling, Seneca has won only two games, with a 34-30 season opening victory over Marshfield, and a 27-26 squeaker over Nevada. Their losses include a 26-13 stumble against East Newton, the only win for the Patriots so far in 2020.
With a storied tradition of run-run-run, smash mouth football, Seneca stunned Cassville with a wide open aerial assault. Lance Stephens threw for 323 yards in his Mad Bomber role. Sebastian Middick racked up 184 receiving yards, including touchdowns of 80 and 79 yards.
Add 67 rushing yards and Seneca rolled up 400 yards of total offense against Cassville.
It wasn’t enough.
The Wildcats countered with a more-balanced attack for their 387 yards. Jericho Farris carried 24 times for 122 yards of Cassville’s 249 total ground game. Farris and Hayden Sink scored two rushing touchdowns each, and Zach Coenen added another. Sink connected on 6 of 11 throws for 138 yards and a touchdown in a solid performance.
The defense gave up three long, scoring passes but finished strong when it appeared Seneca had stolen momentum in the second half.
Bombs away
Cassville took the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards in 9 plays to open the scoring. The Wildcats converted on a pair of third downs to keep the four-minute drive alive, then Coenen burst through the line on a trap play to score from 29 yards out. Drake Reese drilled the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
The Reese kickoff floated into the endzone, and Seneca started the drive from the 20-yard line.
It only took one snap.
While Lance Stephens barked signals, Seneca changed formations, and his two wideouts to the right swapped positions. The Cassville defenders failed to communicate on the switch and left senior Sebastion Middick uncovered on the sideline. Middick ran straight up the field all alone, and Stephens pitched an in-stride strike for an 80-yard stunner.
Ten seconds. Seven points. Tie game.
Then, Seneca held Cassville to a punt and claimed a 13-7 lead when Stephens rolled left and found Nick Arrasmith open on the sideline. Four Wildcats jumped on Arrasmith, but he fought loose and raced the final 25 yards into the endzone. Although the PAT try failed, Seneca held a 13-7 lead with 10:57 remaining in the half.
Critical series
The Wildcats responded with a 7-play, 68-yard drive to retake the lead. Sink caught the Seneca defense overplaying the run with a 22-yard pass to Killian Barbee and then a 25-yard throw to Reese. Farris scored around right end from 8 yards out at the 7:59 mark, and Reese’s PAT put Cassville back in front, 14-13.
Seneca drove to midfield, where Ryan McFarland mulled having his offense go for a 4th-and-7, but a procedure penalty nixed that thought, and Brett Cooper fair caught the ensuing punt at the Cassville 27-yard line.
The Wildcats methodically drove the field. Twice, Sink saved the drive with third-down completions. After moving the chains with a 10-yard toss to Reese, Sink found Cooper open on the Cassville sideline at the 11-yard line, and the senior wideout fought off defenders down to the 2-yard line to complete a 39-yard play.
Farris scored out of the wishbone set, and Reese added a point to push the Cassville lead to 21-13 with just 40 seconds remaining in the half.
40 seconds
High school two-minute drills are usually exercises in futility. But, with all three time outs, Seneca squeezed the clock for every second. Stephens threw for 15 yards on consecutive plays to open the drive.
Stephens ran for four, used a time out, then threw to Conner Ackerson for 38 big yards to the Cassville 22-yard line with 13 seconds remaining.
Time out.
Stephens targeted Ackerson again for a 12-yard gain, and Seneca burned that final time out with 5 seconds left on the clock.
With pressure from the Cassville rush, Stephens had to throw off his back foot and the pass sailed out of the end zone as the half ended. The Wildcats dodged the bullet, and left the field with a 21-13 lead.
Ground game vs air force
Seneca wasted the opening possession of the third quarter, punting to finish a three-and-out. The Wildcats then drove 68 yards in 11 plays, running on every down and draining the clock down to the five-minute mark. Sink blasted through the line to finish the drive, scoring from 10 yards out. Reese hooked the PAT attempt wide left, but Cassville held a 27-13 advantage.
Reese kickoff = touchback.
On the second play of the drive, Middick encored his first half score with a 79-yard run-and-catch touchdown to shock the Wildcat defense. A successful 2-point attempt cut the Cassville lead to 27-21 and had Seneca fans remembering the one-point victory a week earlier.
Defense
After the offense was held to a punt, Cassville’s defense faced a big test. All night long, the Seneca line had enjoyed success, opening running lanes and protecting Stephens in the pocket. On a strange series of downs, Seneca faced 4th and 7 at the Cassville 47-yard line. Stephens lined up deep for a pooch kick, but the snap sailed over his head. He was swarmed by Wildcats and downed back at the 33-yard line.
Clay Weldy knows an opportunity when he sees it. Cassville’s offensive coordinator dialed up a dagger, and the Wildcats answered. Sink launched a long bomb for Reese for a 33-yard score. That and a two-point conversion gave Cassville a 35-21 lead, with just 13 seconds left in the third quarter.
The defense held Seneca to a critical three-and-out to start the final quarter. Then Cassville chewed 7:53 off the clock with a 14-play, 65-yard drive, with the Wildcats again running on every down. Lance Parnell’s team played a winning game of keepaway throughout the second half, denying opportunities to Seneca’s quick-strike offense.
Sink drove into the end zone from 5 yards out to put the game out of reach.
Big 8 scores
• Cassville 42, Seneca 21
• Springfield Catholic 6, Mt. Vernon 0
• Aurora 40, Marshfield 13
• Rogersville 23, Hollister 20
• Nevada 52, East Newton 7
• Kearney 40, Reeds Spring 14
• Lamar vs Monett cancelled
Now 5-2, Cassville plays next at East Newton before returning home for the regular season finale against McDonald County.
With Mt. Vernon suffering a third-consecutive loss on Friday night, the Cassville Wildcats leapfrogged the Mountaineers and hopped into first place in district standings with a 42-21 homecoming victory over Seneca. Cassville fell in a 13-7 hole early and saw Seneca close to within 27-21 late in the third quarter, before closing the deal.
The Seneca Football Team has been a mystery team so far this season. A preseason media darling, Seneca has won only two games, with a 34-30 season opening victory over Marshfield, and a 27-26 squeaker over Nevada. Their losses include a 26-13 stumble against East Newton, the only win for the Patriots so far in 2020.
With a storied tradition of run-run-run, smash mouth football, Seneca stunned Cassville with a wide open aerial assault. Lance Stephens threw for 323 yards in his Mad Bomber role. Sebastian Middick racked up 184 receiving yards, including touchdowns of 80 and 79 yards.
Add 67 rushing yards and Seneca rolled up 400 yards of total offense against Cassville.
It wasn’t enough.
The Wildcats countered with a more-balanced attack for their 387 yards. Jericho Farris carried 24 times for 122 yards of Cassville’s 249 total ground game. Farris and Hayden Sink scored two rushing touchdowns each, and Zach Coenen added another. Sink connected on 6 of 11 throws for 138 yards and a touchdown in a solid performance.
The defense gave up three long, scoring passes but finished strong when it appeared Seneca had stolen momentum in the second half.
Bombs away
Cassville took the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards in 9 plays to open the scoring. The Wildcats converted on a pair of third downs to keep the four-minute drive alive, then Coenen burst through the line on a trap play to score from 29 yards out. Drake Reese drilled the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
The Reese kickoff floated into the endzone, and Seneca started the drive from the 20-yard line.
It only took one snap.
While Lance Stephens barked signals, Seneca changed formations, and his two wideouts to the right swapped positions. The Cassville defenders failed to communicate on the switch and left senior Sebastion Middick uncovered on the sideline. Middick ran straight up the field all alone, and Stephens pitched an in-stride strike for an 80-yard stunner.
Ten seconds. Seven points. Tie game.
Then, Seneca held Cassville to a punt and claimed a 13-7 lead when Stephens rolled left and found Nick Arrasmith open on the sideline. Four Wildcats jumped on Arrasmith, but he fought loose and raced the final 25 yards into the endzone. Although the PAT try failed, Seneca held a 13-7 lead with 10:57 remaining in the half.
Critical series
The Wildcats responded with a 7-play, 68-yard drive to retake the lead. Sink caught the Seneca defense overplaying the run with a 22-yard pass to Killian Barbee and then a 25-yard throw to Reese. Farris scored around right end from 8 yards out at the 7:59 mark, and Reese’s PAT put Cassville back in front, 14-13.
Seneca drove to midfield, where Ryan McFarland mulled having his offense go for a 4th-and-7, but a procedure penalty nixed that thought, and Brett Cooper fair caught the ensuing punt at the Cassville 27-yard line.
The Wildcats methodically drove the field. Twice, Sink saved the drive with third-down completions. After moving the chains with a 10-yard toss to Reese, Sink found Cooper open on the Cassville sideline at the 11-yard line, and the senior wideout fought off defenders down to the 2-yard line to complete a 39-yard play.
Farris scored out of the wishbone set, and Reese added a point to push the Cassville lead to 21-13 with just 40 seconds remaining in the half.
40 seconds
High school two-minute drills are usually exercises in futility. But, with all three time outs, Seneca squeezed the clock for every second. Stephens threw for 15 yards on consecutive plays to open the drive.
Stephens ran for four, used a time out, then threw to Conner Ackerson for 38 big yards to the Cassville 22-yard line with 13 seconds remaining.
Time out.
Stephens targeted Ackerson again for a 12-yard gain, and Seneca burned that final time out with 5 seconds left on the clock.
With pressure from the Cassville rush, Stephens had to throw off his back foot and the pass sailed out of the end zone as the half ended. The Wildcats dodged the bullet, and left the field with a 21-13 lead.
Ground game vs air force
Seneca wasted the opening possession of the third quarter, punting to finish a three-and-out. The Wildcats then drove 68 yards in 11 plays, running on every down and draining the clock down to the five-minute mark. Sink blasted through the line to finish the drive, scoring from 10 yards out. Reese hooked the PAT attempt wide left, but Cassville held a 27-13 advantage.
Reese kickoff = touchback.
On the second play of the drive, Middick encored his first half score with a 79-yard run-and-catch touchdown to shock the Wildcat defense. A successful 2-point attempt cut the Cassville lead to 27-21 and had Seneca fans remembering the one-point victory a week earlier.
Defense
After the offense was held to a punt, Cassville’s defense faced a big test. All night long, the Seneca line had enjoyed success, opening running lanes and protecting Stephens in the pocket. On a strange series of downs, Seneca faced 4th and 7 at the Cassville 47-yard line. Stephens lined up deep for a pooch kick, but the snap sailed over his head. He was swarmed by Wildcats and downed back at the 33-yard line.
Clay Weldy knows an opportunity when he sees it. Cassville’s offensive coordinator dialed up a dagger, and the Wildcats answered. Sink launched a long bomb for Reese for a 33-yard score. That and a two-point conversion gave Cassville a 35-21 lead, with just 13 seconds left in the third quarter.
The defense held Seneca to a critical three-and-out to start the final quarter. Then Cassville chewed 7:53 off the clock with a 14-play, 65-yard drive, with the Wildcats again running on every down. Lance Parnell’s team played a winning game of keepaway throughout the second half, denying opportunities to Seneca’s quick-strike offense.
Sink drove into the end zone from 5 yards out to put the game out of reach.
Big 8 scores
• Cassville 42, Seneca 21
• Springfield Catholic 6, Mt. Vernon 0
• Aurora 40, Marshfield 13
• Rogersville 23, Hollister 20
• Nevada 52, East Newton 7
• Kearney 40, Reeds Spring 14
• Lamar vs Monett cancelled
Now 5-2, Cassville plays next at East Newton before returning home for the regular season finale against McDonald County.
