Mountain Grove dashes Cassville’s district-upset hopes
Despondency sets in on Cassville players and coaches as the clock winds down on their season Friday night at Mountain Grove. Photo by Priscilla Craig.
November 3, 2021
Lee Stubblefield
The host, Mountain Grove Panthers, scored twice in a pivotal third quarter and stymied Cassville’s upset hopes with a 21-7 victory in Class 3 District 6 action on Friday night.
The weather greatly affected this game, only made a little more tolerable by the artificial turf. There was no mud but plenty of misery as high winds and a cold rain persisted throughout the night. Every touchdown in this game belonged to the team with the wind at its back.
Both first half touchdowns came after special teams mishaps.
Mountain Grove struck first, after Hernan Hernandez was forced to scramble out of punt formation. The Panthers took advantage of the short field, covering the 33 yards in just five plays. Quarterback Tyson Elliott found the end zone from five yards out, and Hoyt Mathews supplied the PAT for a 7-0 Mountain Grove lead with 1:08 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats mounted a 13-play drive late in the second quarter, but a Cutter Hicks pass fell incomplete on fourth down in the red zone. The Cassville defense then held the Panthers to a three-and-out series, and the Wildcats took over at the Grove 33-yard line after the wind destroyed a Brendan Rogers punt.
On first down, the Wildcats split Jake Anthonysz wide right as a flanker. The Cassville speedster easily beat single coverage and hauled in a Hicks pass for a touchdown with just 55 seconds left in the half. Peter Littlefield’s PAT created a halftime tie at 7-7.
The inspired play of the Wildcats in that first half birthed upset hopes. As Arkansas legend Frank Broyles explained before his Razorbacks knocked off Texas A&M to advance to the 1976 Cotton Bowl, “When you’re the underdog, the longer you’re tied, the more you’re ahead.”
But Mountain Grove, with the wind advantage, took the third quarter kickoff and marched 69 yards in nine plays to retake the lead. Isaiah Hellbusch crashed into the end zone from three yards out and Mathews added a PAT to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead with 9:26 on the clock.
Jerryd Reynolds returned the ensuing kickoff to the Grove 42-yard line. Ethan Fuchs moved the chains with a big third down run, but the drive fizzled when Hicks threw incomplete into the gusting wind on fourth down at the 27-yard line.
The Panthers then drove 73 yards to put the game away. Actually they drove 30 yards, then Elliott hit Jase Dowden with a 43-yard scoring strike. Another Mathews kick gave Mountain Grove a 21-7 lead.
The Wildcats fought to the end. Reynolds blocked a punt. Keaton Shellenberger recovered a fumble. But even with the wind in the fourth quarter, the Cassville offense could not sustain drives or connect for big plays. The Wildcats went for it on fourth down six times in the game, moving the chains on three of those. Effort and desire were evident on every play.
The Panther defense keyed on Anthonysz in the second half. After rushing for 49 yards and scoring with the 33-yard pass in the first half, he was held to just 16 yards in the final two quarters.
The Wildcats finished the season at 3-7. The Panthers improved to 7-2 and move on to play Reeds Spring in a district semifinal.
Scores of interest:
Class 4 District 6 results
• West Plains BYE
• McDonald County 35, Monett 0
• Rogersville 28, Marshfield 18
• Hillcrest 24, Carl Junction 14
Class 4 District 7 results
• Lincoln College Prep BYE
• Nevada 64, East Kansas City 6
• Harrisonville 51, Grandview 15
• Bolivar 31, Warrensburg 14
Class 3 District 6 results
• Aurora BYE
• Mountain Grove 21, Cassville 7
• Reeds Spring 20, Hollister 12
• Seneca 40, Buffalo 16
Class 2 District 4 results
• Lamar BYE
• East Newton 41, El Dorado Springs 6
• Mt. Vernon 11, Stockton 0
• Fair Grove 48, Clever 0
Lee Stubblefield
The host, Mountain Grove Panthers, scored twice in a pivotal third quarter and stymied Cassville’s upset hopes with a 21-7 victory in Class 3 District 6 action on Friday night.
The weather greatly affected this game, only made a little more tolerable by the artificial turf. There was no mud but plenty of misery as high winds and a cold rain persisted throughout the night. Every touchdown in this game belonged to the team with the wind at its back.
Both first half touchdowns came after special teams mishaps.
Mountain Grove struck first, after Hernan Hernandez was forced to scramble out of punt formation. The Panthers took advantage of the short field, covering the 33 yards in just five plays. Quarterback Tyson Elliott found the end zone from five yards out, and Hoyt Mathews supplied the PAT for a 7-0 Mountain Grove lead with 1:08 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats mounted a 13-play drive late in the second quarter, but a Cutter Hicks pass fell incomplete on fourth down in the red zone. The Cassville defense then held the Panthers to a three-and-out series, and the Wildcats took over at the Grove 33-yard line after the wind destroyed a Brendan Rogers punt.
On first down, the Wildcats split Jake Anthonysz wide right as a flanker. The Cassville speedster easily beat single coverage and hauled in a Hicks pass for a touchdown with just 55 seconds left in the half. Peter Littlefield’s PAT created a halftime tie at 7-7.
The inspired play of the Wildcats in that first half birthed upset hopes. As Arkansas legend Frank Broyles explained before his Razorbacks knocked off Texas A&M to advance to the 1976 Cotton Bowl, “When you’re the underdog, the longer you’re tied, the more you’re ahead.”
But Mountain Grove, with the wind advantage, took the third quarter kickoff and marched 69 yards in nine plays to retake the lead. Isaiah Hellbusch crashed into the end zone from three yards out and Mathews added a PAT to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead with 9:26 on the clock.
Jerryd Reynolds returned the ensuing kickoff to the Grove 42-yard line. Ethan Fuchs moved the chains with a big third down run, but the drive fizzled when Hicks threw incomplete into the gusting wind on fourth down at the 27-yard line.
The Panthers then drove 73 yards to put the game away. Actually they drove 30 yards, then Elliott hit Jase Dowden with a 43-yard scoring strike. Another Mathews kick gave Mountain Grove a 21-7 lead.
The Wildcats fought to the end. Reynolds blocked a punt. Keaton Shellenberger recovered a fumble. But even with the wind in the fourth quarter, the Cassville offense could not sustain drives or connect for big plays. The Wildcats went for it on fourth down six times in the game, moving the chains on three of those. Effort and desire were evident on every play.
The Panther defense keyed on Anthonysz in the second half. After rushing for 49 yards and scoring with the 33-yard pass in the first half, he was held to just 16 yards in the final two quarters.
The Wildcats finished the season at 3-7. The Panthers improved to 7-2 and move on to play Reeds Spring in a district semifinal.
Scores of interest:
Class 4 District 6 results
• West Plains BYE
• McDonald County 35, Monett 0
• Rogersville 28, Marshfield 18
• Hillcrest 24, Carl Junction 14
Class 4 District 7 results
• Lincoln College Prep BYE
• Nevada 64, East Kansas City 6
• Harrisonville 51, Grandview 15
• Bolivar 31, Warrensburg 14
Class 3 District 6 results
• Aurora BYE
• Mountain Grove 21, Cassville 7
• Reeds Spring 20, Hollister 12
• Seneca 40, Buffalo 16
Class 2 District 4 results
• Lamar BYE
• East Newton 41, El Dorado Springs 6
• Mt. Vernon 11, Stockton 0
• Fair Grove 48, Clever 0