Cassville mauls Rogersville in catfight
September 23, 2020
Cassville’s Jericho Farris breaks tackles in a long run at Rogersville on Friday night. Photo by Priscilla Craig.
Lee Stubblefield
When two state champion pedigreed programs from the Big 8 met on Friday night, both with 2-1 records, expectations for a nail-biting thriller were high. Instead, the Cassville Wildcats utterly dominated the Logan-Rogersville Wildcats. With the best ground game since Sherman razed Atlanta, Cassville rolled to a 30-0 halftime advantage and then coasted home with a 43-6 victory.
The first half saw Cassville amass 250 yards rushing. This game was over when the black-and-gold Wildcats executed a 10-play, 99-yard drive midway through the second quarter to take a 20-0 lead. There is nothing more demoralizing to a defense than surrendering the entire field on a single drive.
Cassville was energized by the return of Zack Coenen and Hayden Sink to the lineup. Coenen had not played a single snap since being injured in jamboree action, and Sink went down in the season opening loss to Mt. Vernon. The already potent Cassville running game reached an impressive level of dominance at Rogersville.
The stalwart Cassville defense was just as impressive. Brett Cooper intercepted a JJ O’Neal pass on the fourth snap of the game to set up the first scoring drive. Sink bulled into the endzone for the final 2 yards to finish an 11-play, 78-yard drive as the Wildcats took a 7-0 lead with 5:20 on the clock.
Rogersville managed one first down on the following possession, but then Cooper returned a Peyton Prenger punt down to set up a short field drive. Cassville covered the 31 yards in 3 plays, with Jericho Farris breaking tackles and turning a loss into a 15-yard touchdown run. Drake Reese added another PAT to push the lead to 14-0 with 1:28 left in the first quarter.
Rogersville again moved the chains before Prenger boomed a pretty punt that the coverage downed at the Cassville 1-yard line. That led to the Drive of Domination, and the recognition that Lance Parnell’s team was playing at a different level on this night of football.
A Hernan Hernandez interception gave Sink and Company the ball back near midfield. Only a Drake Reese fumble on a jet sweep kept this from being a perfect half for Cassville.
But Cooper came up with another pick to give the offense one more shot as the clock wound down. Reese boomed a 25-yard field goal through the sticks on the final play of the half to give Cassville a 30-0 lead.
Coach Parnell has stressed many times over the years how important it is to score the last points of the first half and the first points of the second half. The Wildcats did just that at Rogersville, marching 65 yards with the third stanza kickoff. Coenen swept off left tackle for a 14-yard score to boost the lead to 36-0.
Even though Reese banged the PAT attempt off the left upright, the running clock came into play as the lead grew.
With the game well in hand, substitutions were in order. Still, Cassville would score one more time. Trey Wilson exploded into the secondary off left tackle for a 36-yard touchdown run early in the final quarter.
Then Rogersville averted the shutout with a 10-yard scamper from Zack Bergmann on the game’s last play.
That final drive for Rogersville had coaches, fans, and announcers scrambling for their rulebooks. Reese’s kickoff was accepted in the end zone, an automatic touchback. But the officials allowed the runback out to the 24-yard line. Then after Bergmann’s score, teams were dismissed from the field without an extra point attempt. It was an odd ending to the game.
The teams lined up on their respective hash lines and offered the Covid salute to end the night with a gesture of respect.
On a night that began with seven Big 8 teams sporting 2-1 records, this was an opportunity to step up and separate from the pack. Cassville certainly did that with this 43-6 victory. The return of Sink and Coenen to the field added strength and versatility to an already potent offensive team.
The Cassville defense was just as impressive, showing noticeable improvement in the secondary. The Wildcats intercepted O’Neal, the gifted lefthander, three times and held the opposing running game in check while flirting with a shutout.
Stats
Cassville rolled up 459 yards of total offense in this game, 385 rushing and 74 passing.
Jericho Farris had 20 carries for 181 yards. Zack Coenen had 81 yards on 10 carries, Hayden Sink had 70 yards on 9 carries. Trey Wilson had 52 yards on just 5 carries.
In contrast, no Rogersville runner reached the 50-yard plateau, as the Cassville defense limited the home team to just 153 yards of total offense. Half of those yards came on the final scoring drive against the Cassville reserves.
The Wildcats return home on Friday night to host the 3-1 Lamar Tigers in a Big 8 West clash. Kickoff is set for 7 PM.
Big 8 scores
• Mt. Vernon (4-0) 19, Aurora (2-2) 6
• Cassville (3-1) 43, Rogersville (2-2) 6
• Lamar (3-1) 44, Nevada (2-2) 28
• McDonald County (3-1) 13, Monett (2-2) 7
• Hollister (2-2) 27, Marshfield (1-3) 24
• East Newton (1-3) 26, Seneca (1-3) 13
When two state champion pedigreed programs from the Big 8 met on Friday night, both with 2-1 records, expectations for a nail-biting thriller were high. Instead, the Cassville Wildcats utterly dominated the Logan-Rogersville Wildcats. With the best ground game since Sherman razed Atlanta, Cassville rolled to a 30-0 halftime advantage and then coasted home with a 43-6 victory.
The first half saw Cassville amass 250 yards rushing. This game was over when the black-and-gold Wildcats executed a 10-play, 99-yard drive midway through the second quarter to take a 20-0 lead. There is nothing more demoralizing to a defense than surrendering the entire field on a single drive.
Cassville was energized by the return of Zack Coenen and Hayden Sink to the lineup. Coenen had not played a single snap since being injured in jamboree action, and Sink went down in the season opening loss to Mt. Vernon. The already potent Cassville running game reached an impressive level of dominance at Rogersville.
The stalwart Cassville defense was just as impressive. Brett Cooper intercepted a JJ O’Neal pass on the fourth snap of the game to set up the first scoring drive. Sink bulled into the endzone for the final 2 yards to finish an 11-play, 78-yard drive as the Wildcats took a 7-0 lead with 5:20 on the clock.
Rogersville managed one first down on the following possession, but then Cooper returned a Peyton Prenger punt down to set up a short field drive. Cassville covered the 31 yards in 3 plays, with Jericho Farris breaking tackles and turning a loss into a 15-yard touchdown run. Drake Reese added another PAT to push the lead to 14-0 with 1:28 left in the first quarter.
Rogersville again moved the chains before Prenger boomed a pretty punt that the coverage downed at the Cassville 1-yard line. That led to the Drive of Domination, and the recognition that Lance Parnell’s team was playing at a different level on this night of football.
A Hernan Hernandez interception gave Sink and Company the ball back near midfield. Only a Drake Reese fumble on a jet sweep kept this from being a perfect half for Cassville.
But Cooper came up with another pick to give the offense one more shot as the clock wound down. Reese boomed a 25-yard field goal through the sticks on the final play of the half to give Cassville a 30-0 lead.
Coach Parnell has stressed many times over the years how important it is to score the last points of the first half and the first points of the second half. The Wildcats did just that at Rogersville, marching 65 yards with the third stanza kickoff. Coenen swept off left tackle for a 14-yard score to boost the lead to 36-0.
Even though Reese banged the PAT attempt off the left upright, the running clock came into play as the lead grew.
With the game well in hand, substitutions were in order. Still, Cassville would score one more time. Trey Wilson exploded into the secondary off left tackle for a 36-yard touchdown run early in the final quarter.
Then Rogersville averted the shutout with a 10-yard scamper from Zack Bergmann on the game’s last play.
That final drive for Rogersville had coaches, fans, and announcers scrambling for their rulebooks. Reese’s kickoff was accepted in the end zone, an automatic touchback. But the officials allowed the runback out to the 24-yard line. Then after Bergmann’s score, teams were dismissed from the field without an extra point attempt. It was an odd ending to the game.
The teams lined up on their respective hash lines and offered the Covid salute to end the night with a gesture of respect.
On a night that began with seven Big 8 teams sporting 2-1 records, this was an opportunity to step up and separate from the pack. Cassville certainly did that with this 43-6 victory. The return of Sink and Coenen to the field added strength and versatility to an already potent offensive team.
The Cassville defense was just as impressive, showing noticeable improvement in the secondary. The Wildcats intercepted O’Neal, the gifted lefthander, three times and held the opposing running game in check while flirting with a shutout.
Stats
Cassville rolled up 459 yards of total offense in this game, 385 rushing and 74 passing.
Jericho Farris had 20 carries for 181 yards. Zack Coenen had 81 yards on 10 carries, Hayden Sink had 70 yards on 9 carries. Trey Wilson had 52 yards on just 5 carries.
In contrast, no Rogersville runner reached the 50-yard plateau, as the Cassville defense limited the home team to just 153 yards of total offense. Half of those yards came on the final scoring drive against the Cassville reserves.
The Wildcats return home on Friday night to host the 3-1 Lamar Tigers in a Big 8 West clash. Kickoff is set for 7 PM.
Big 8 scores
• Mt. Vernon (4-0) 19, Aurora (2-2) 6
• Cassville (3-1) 43, Rogersville (2-2) 6
• Lamar (3-1) 44, Nevada (2-2) 28
• McDonald County (3-1) 13, Monett (2-2) 7
• Hollister (2-2) 27, Marshfield (1-3) 24
• East Newton (1-3) 26, Seneca (1-3) 13
