The Cassville Wildcats celebrate their 41-16 quarterfinal victory on Saturday. Photo by Priscilla Craig.
Wildcats best Bison in Quarterfinals
November 25, 2020
Lee Stubblefield
The Cassville Wildcats punished Buffalo with a bruising running attack and came up with stops and turnovers on defense to earn a 41-16 victory in Saturday’s Class 3 quarterfinal game at Wildcat Stadium.
On a fast and dry field, Buffalo may have been able to hang with Cassville on the scoreboard. But the Bison could not contend with the Wildcats in the rain and the mud. All-state quarterback Jamen Smith completed only 4 of his 7 passes for just 25 yards, and only managed 76 yards on the ground. To be fair, Smith had a 66-yard scoring run negated by a penalty, but that play came with less than a minute left in the third quarter, with Cassville holding a 34-16 lead.
SIZE, DEPTH, PHYSICALITY
Even during pregame warmups, Lance Parnell’s team had a higher eye-test score. The Wildcats were obviously bigger, and had more depth. The Bison were not only playing with fewer numbers, but also had more two-way players. The physical toll of battling the Cassville running attack affected Buffalo’s ability to execute on offense.
BALL CONTROL
Buffalo’s high-octane offense only managed 235 total yards against the swarming Cassville defense. In contrast, the Wildcats rushed for 420 yards on 60 carries. Zach Coenen, with his beast-mode running style, led Cassville with 194 yards in just 16 attempts. Jericho Farris also passed the century mark, totalling 122 yards on 24 attempts. Hayden Sink added 84 yards on 14 carries from the quarterback spot, moving the chains on critical third and fourth down situations, and scoring three touchdowns.
The Cassville ground game was so effective that Sink only attempted one pass, a long bomb intended for Drake Reese. The attempt was incomplete, but Buffalo was flagged for pass interference on the play.
PENALTIES
While the weather affected play calling and execution, it could not be blamed for the flood of penalty flags on the field. Buffalo was flagged 8 times for 72 yards, and Cassville incurred 11 penalties for 80 yards.
TURNOVERS
The Wildcats won the turnover battle too, always a key statistic in playoff contests. Cassville courted disaster early when Reese tracked down a wild snap from center on a punt play and smartly ran out the back of the end zone for a safety. Surrendering 2 points is better than giving up 7.
Cassville’s defense came up with an interception and a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter, denying any chance of a Buffalo comeback.
SUMMARY
Buffalo won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Three plays and a punt later, the Cassville offense started at its own 39-yard line. The Wildcats never had a second down play on the 5-play drive, and Farris scored on a 4-yard run to give Cassville a 7-0 lead with 8:09 on the clock.
Another Buffalo punt and a penalty-marred sequence led to Reese’s shrewd safety, and the lead was down to 7-2.
But the Wildcats ate up most of the second quarter with a 15-play, 51-yard drive to claim a 14-2 lead with 5:14 left in the half. Sink kept the drive alive twice with 4th-down dives, and then sneaked into the end zone to finish the possession.
Buffalo answered with an impressive 80-yard scoring drive. Smith rolled out and then tossed a 13-yard TD pass to Cameron Portis to cut Cassville’s lead to 14-9 with 1:56 on the clock.
Sink then directed the ‘Cats on a textbook 2-minute drill. Aided by the pass interference penalty, the Cassville offense drove 66 yards in 9 plays, and Sink scored on another sneak with less than 4 seconds left in the half for a 20-9 lead.
Buffalo surprised Cassville with an onside kick to open the third quarter, and recovered. Smith scored on a plunge to cap off a 4-play 35-yard drive to cut the Cassville lead to 20-16.
With momentum clearly swinging to the Buffalo sideline, Coenen burst through the line and outran the d-backs for a 74-yard scoring run. Reese’s PAT boosted the lead to 27-16.
Buffalo’s next three possessions ended with a punt, an interception, and a fumble. Contrast that with Cassville’s next two possessions, which produced long, clock-killing drives and two more touchdowns.
Trailing by two scores midway through the third quarter, the Bison faced a manageable third down at their own 39-yard line. But consecutive penalties changed the situation. Needing 12 yards to move the chains, Smith threw incomplete and Buffalo had to punt.
The Wildcats then asserted their collective will on the Bison defense. Twelve plays, 62 yards. Every play was a run, and Sink’s 7-yard touchdown run finished off the drive. On that play, the ball hit the ground when Sink and Farris bobbled the handoff. Farris slipped to the ground and Sink scooped and scored behind the bulldozing Cassville offensive line. Reese added the PAT to build a 34-16 lead.
Buffalo’s next possession was pure frustration. Jamen Smith showed his all-state credentials with a 66-yard touchdown sprint down the Cassville sideline, but that play was negated by a holding call. Then Keaton Schellenberger snared a tip-drill interception in the relentless rain, and the Wildcats took over at their own 41-yard line.
With the game no longer in doubt, the Cassville offense made a statement with an 11-play, 59-yard drive to produce the final score. Coenen collected 47 of those yards, running over and through Bison defenders.. His 12-yard touchdown run came with 6:24 left in the game.
Buffalo fumbled the ball back to Cassville on the next drive, and the second-unit offense ate up four minutes of clock before finally surrendering the ball on downs..
Final score: Cassville 41, Buffalo 16.
CLASS 3 BRACKET
Quarterfinals
• Cassville 41, Buffalo 16
• Maryville 35, Summit Christian 9
• Cardinal Ritter 45, Kennett 7
• Blair Oaks 44, Lutheran North 9
Semifinals
• Cassville vs Maryville
• Cardinal Ritter vs Blair Oaks
Cassville returns to the Class 3 semifinal round on Saturday, making the long, long trip - 292 miles, 4 hours and 22 minutes - to Maryville to play the Spoofhounds.
Happy Thanksgiving
“Of all the trails in this life, there are some that matter most.” - Kicking Bird in Dances With Wolves.
If we have learned nothing else in 2020, we have learned that there are more important things than sports. Not many, but some. We have also learned that everything we need to know to live through such times of trials and tribulations we learn on the playing fields, courts, tracks, trails, and pools. Hard work. Discipline. Dedication. Perseverance. Loyalty. Faith. Hope. Love.
So in this holiday week, let’s be grateful for who and what bless our lives, and celebrate the relationships and opportunities we have. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not the covid-19 train.
Happy Thanksgiving. Go ‘Cats!
Lee Stubblefield
The Cassville Wildcats punished Buffalo with a bruising running attack and came up with stops and turnovers on defense to earn a 41-16 victory in Saturday’s Class 3 quarterfinal game at Wildcat Stadium.
On a fast and dry field, Buffalo may have been able to hang with Cassville on the scoreboard. But the Bison could not contend with the Wildcats in the rain and the mud. All-state quarterback Jamen Smith completed only 4 of his 7 passes for just 25 yards, and only managed 76 yards on the ground. To be fair, Smith had a 66-yard scoring run negated by a penalty, but that play came with less than a minute left in the third quarter, with Cassville holding a 34-16 lead.
SIZE, DEPTH, PHYSICALITY
Even during pregame warmups, Lance Parnell’s team had a higher eye-test score. The Wildcats were obviously bigger, and had more depth. The Bison were not only playing with fewer numbers, but also had more two-way players. The physical toll of battling the Cassville running attack affected Buffalo’s ability to execute on offense.
BALL CONTROL
Buffalo’s high-octane offense only managed 235 total yards against the swarming Cassville defense. In contrast, the Wildcats rushed for 420 yards on 60 carries. Zach Coenen, with his beast-mode running style, led Cassville with 194 yards in just 16 attempts. Jericho Farris also passed the century mark, totalling 122 yards on 24 attempts. Hayden Sink added 84 yards on 14 carries from the quarterback spot, moving the chains on critical third and fourth down situations, and scoring three touchdowns.
The Cassville ground game was so effective that Sink only attempted one pass, a long bomb intended for Drake Reese. The attempt was incomplete, but Buffalo was flagged for pass interference on the play.
PENALTIES
While the weather affected play calling and execution, it could not be blamed for the flood of penalty flags on the field. Buffalo was flagged 8 times for 72 yards, and Cassville incurred 11 penalties for 80 yards.
TURNOVERS
The Wildcats won the turnover battle too, always a key statistic in playoff contests. Cassville courted disaster early when Reese tracked down a wild snap from center on a punt play and smartly ran out the back of the end zone for a safety. Surrendering 2 points is better than giving up 7.
Cassville’s defense came up with an interception and a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter, denying any chance of a Buffalo comeback.
SUMMARY
Buffalo won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Three plays and a punt later, the Cassville offense started at its own 39-yard line. The Wildcats never had a second down play on the 5-play drive, and Farris scored on a 4-yard run to give Cassville a 7-0 lead with 8:09 on the clock.
Another Buffalo punt and a penalty-marred sequence led to Reese’s shrewd safety, and the lead was down to 7-2.
But the Wildcats ate up most of the second quarter with a 15-play, 51-yard drive to claim a 14-2 lead with 5:14 left in the half. Sink kept the drive alive twice with 4th-down dives, and then sneaked into the end zone to finish the possession.
Buffalo answered with an impressive 80-yard scoring drive. Smith rolled out and then tossed a 13-yard TD pass to Cameron Portis to cut Cassville’s lead to 14-9 with 1:56 on the clock.
Sink then directed the ‘Cats on a textbook 2-minute drill. Aided by the pass interference penalty, the Cassville offense drove 66 yards in 9 plays, and Sink scored on another sneak with less than 4 seconds left in the half for a 20-9 lead.
Buffalo surprised Cassville with an onside kick to open the third quarter, and recovered. Smith scored on a plunge to cap off a 4-play 35-yard drive to cut the Cassville lead to 20-16.
With momentum clearly swinging to the Buffalo sideline, Coenen burst through the line and outran the d-backs for a 74-yard scoring run. Reese’s PAT boosted the lead to 27-16.
Buffalo’s next three possessions ended with a punt, an interception, and a fumble. Contrast that with Cassville’s next two possessions, which produced long, clock-killing drives and two more touchdowns.
Trailing by two scores midway through the third quarter, the Bison faced a manageable third down at their own 39-yard line. But consecutive penalties changed the situation. Needing 12 yards to move the chains, Smith threw incomplete and Buffalo had to punt.
The Wildcats then asserted their collective will on the Bison defense. Twelve plays, 62 yards. Every play was a run, and Sink’s 7-yard touchdown run finished off the drive. On that play, the ball hit the ground when Sink and Farris bobbled the handoff. Farris slipped to the ground and Sink scooped and scored behind the bulldozing Cassville offensive line. Reese added the PAT to build a 34-16 lead.
Buffalo’s next possession was pure frustration. Jamen Smith showed his all-state credentials with a 66-yard touchdown sprint down the Cassville sideline, but that play was negated by a holding call. Then Keaton Schellenberger snared a tip-drill interception in the relentless rain, and the Wildcats took over at their own 41-yard line.
With the game no longer in doubt, the Cassville offense made a statement with an 11-play, 59-yard drive to produce the final score. Coenen collected 47 of those yards, running over and through Bison defenders.. His 12-yard touchdown run came with 6:24 left in the game.
Buffalo fumbled the ball back to Cassville on the next drive, and the second-unit offense ate up four minutes of clock before finally surrendering the ball on downs..
Final score: Cassville 41, Buffalo 16.
CLASS 3 BRACKET
Quarterfinals
• Cassville 41, Buffalo 16
• Maryville 35, Summit Christian 9
• Cardinal Ritter 45, Kennett 7
• Blair Oaks 44, Lutheran North 9
Semifinals
• Cassville vs Maryville
• Cardinal Ritter vs Blair Oaks
Cassville returns to the Class 3 semifinal round on Saturday, making the long, long trip - 292 miles, 4 hours and 22 minutes - to Maryville to play the Spoofhounds.
Happy Thanksgiving
“Of all the trails in this life, there are some that matter most.” - Kicking Bird in Dances With Wolves.
If we have learned nothing else in 2020, we have learned that there are more important things than sports. Not many, but some. We have also learned that everything we need to know to live through such times of trials and tribulations we learn on the playing fields, courts, tracks, trails, and pools. Hard work. Discipline. Dedication. Perseverance. Loyalty. Faith. Hope. Love.
So in this holiday week, let’s be grateful for who and what bless our lives, and celebrate the relationships and opportunities we have. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not the covid-19 train.
Happy Thanksgiving. Go ‘Cats!
Drake Reese denies Buffalo’s Jalen Smith with a touchdown-saving tackle. Photo by Priscilla Craig.
Jericho Farris takes on two defenders to finish off a run. Photo by Priscilla Craig.
Above, Zach Coenen breaks loose for a 74-yard touchdown run against Buffalo. Photo by Priscilla Craig.
