Wildcats claim district title with 30-20 comeback victory over Seneca
November 20, 2019
Lee Stubblefield
The Cassville Wildcats shrugged off an early 14-0 deficit and stormed to a 30-20 victory over the Seneca Indians in the Class 3 District 6 championship game at Wildcat Field on Friday night. Bowen Preddy scored on two long pass plays, Drake Reese kicked a monster 48-yard field goal, and the Cassville defense recovered from a rough start to stymie the Seneca rushing attack in the second half.
The Indians have had Cassville’s number lately, winning three of their last four meetings. The powerful Seneca rushing attack chewed up the Wildcats back in September in a 28-21 Cassville loss. On Friday night, it looked like that vaunted ground game might run Cassville off the field in the first half.
But Cassville showed grit and determination, climbing into the lead with a pair of long TD passes and a 21-yard field goal. After trailing 201-17 at halftime, the Wildcats tied the game when Reese connected with a 48-yard prayer to open the third quarter.
After that, it was all Cassville.
Running Bears
Senior running backs Monty Mailes and Trey Wilson gashed the Cassville line repeatedly as Seneca opened up a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Indians drove 80 yards with the game’s first possession, taking a 7-0 lead on a one-yard sneak by Lance Stephens.
After Cassville fumbled on a punt return, the Indians drove the short field and extended their lead to 14-0 when Mailes barreled off right tackle for a 7-yard score with 11:19 left in the second quarter.
The mammoth Seneca line owned Cassville’s front four in that bruising first quarter. The Wildcats finally switched to a five-man front to plug the interior, gambling that Stephens would not take advantage through the air.
The Wildcat offense finally came alive after the Indians posted their second score. Deven Bates found Preddy behind the secondary for a 51-yard scoring strike, and Reese added the PAT to cut the lead to 14-7.
Then the Seneca offense stalled in Cassville territory - after a holding penalty negated a 59-yard scoring run by Mailes - and a Stephens quick kick on 4th-and-4 pinned the Wildcats at their own 14-yard line.
On second down, the explosive Cassville aerial attack struck again. Bates lasered a quick out to Brett Cooper in the left flat, and then Cooper dished to Preddy running wide on the hitch and pitch. Although Cassville runs this play often, it is nearly impossible to defend because of the ball-handling skills of Cooper and the sprint wheels of Preddy. The Seneca secondary bit on Cooper and that momentary hesitation allowed Preddy to sprint 80 yards down the sideline for the score. Reese boomed the tying PAT with 5:00 showing on the clock.
Then, on the next Seneca possession, big Andrew Prier stripped Mailes in the backfield, and returned the fumble down to the 4-yard line.
But Cassville wasted the golden opportunity, settling for a 21-yard field goal from Reese to take a 17-14 lead at the 1:46 mark.
The Indians answered quickly. Wilson took a toss and sprinted around left end untouched for a 48-yard score. The PAT failed, and Seneca carried a 20-17 lead into halftime.
The Wildcats needed a break at that point. The beleaguered Cassville defense surrendered 247 yards rushing in that first half. Conversely, the Cassville offense managed only 30 yards on the ground. The two long bombs kept the Wildcats in the game, but the defense was on the field way too long because of the ineffective running game.
A tale of two halves
But Cassville took control of the line of scrimmage and the game in the third quarter. Some of it was conditioning, and a lot of it was desire. As the game wore on, it just seemed that the Wildcats wanted this one more.
The Cassville offense drove inside the red zone to start the third quarter. But a pair of penalties brought on a 4th-and-22 at the Seneca 31-yard line.
Reese trotted out to attempt a field goal from a daunting distance. Forty eight yards. But he had no holder - Bates didn’t get the play call memo and was on the sideline. With the play clock running down, Bates finally hustled out to his kneeling position.
Snap. Hold. Kick.
Bates fielded a low snap and managed to set the ball upright on the tee. Then Reese launched a soul-stirring 48-yard mortar shot through the uprights to tie the score at 20-20. Momentum belonged to the Wildcats.
Following the kickoff, the Indians struggled through a rare three-and-out, and the resulting punt died at the Seneca 49-yard line.
Cassville’s rushing attack finally came alive, chewing up those 49 yards with 6 straight carries. Zach Coenen erupted through the line for a 19-yard touchdown as the Wildcats claimed a 27-20 lead.
Seneca drove to midfield as the quarter ended. On 4th-and-4, a Stephens incompletion surrendered the ball to the Wildcats.
Sixteen plays later, Cassville faced 4th-and-goal at the Seneca 2-yard line. The longest play of that drive was a 10-yard scamper by Reese on a fake punt. It was the biggest fake punt play for Cassville since Travis Northern iced the 2009 state semifinal game against O’Hara with his critical run.
Cassville’s Lance Parnell sent Reese out for the chip shot field goal to establish a two-score lead. The junior kicker chipped the 18-yarder through the sticks to give the Wildcats a 30-20 lead with just 3:40 to play.
Seneca’s last gasp series was marred by consecutive sacks of Stephens by Jaiden Reibert and Jacob Hall, two penalties, and a fumble that Cassville recovered at the Seneca 25-yard line. Bates knelt twice in the victory formation as the Wildcats earned a district championship.
Defense
After watching Seneca backs run for 247 yards in the first half, the Wildcats held the Indians to just 44 rushing yards in the second half. Likewise, Cassville reversed its rushing effectiveness in the second half. After gaining only 30 yards in the first two quarters, the Wildcats gained 143 yards on the ground in the second half.
Bates completed 4 of 7 passes for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Cassville’s more balanced offense outgained Seneca on the night, 322 to 308.
X factor
Drake Reese figured heavily in this game. Besides kicking three field goals and three extra points, he gained a first down on a 2nd-and-8 reverse as the Wildcats drove for their third touchdown. Then he allowed his team to go up two scores with the fake punt to keep that drive alive.
Z factor
In the regular season game against Seneca, Bowen Preddy was hampered by injuries and lacked his normal speed and acceleration. But on Friday night, Preddy surprised the Seneca defense with two long TD receptions. The fly route was simply a sprint contest between Preddy and the cornerback. But the hitch-and-pitch flipped the field and the momentum for Cassville.
That one play from deep in the playbook is a staple for the Wildcats and is on every scouting film of the Cassville offense. In a critical moment, the Indians were unprepared for the one play that would negate their early lead and turn this game around.
Blair Oaks
“We’re going to enjoy this win,” said Cassville’s Lance Parnell after the game. But this week, the Cassville players and coaches will shift their attention to Blair Oaks. The undefeated Falcons dropped Buffalo on Friday night, 35-7, to advance to the Class 3 quarterfinal matchup with Cassville.
The Wildcats will travel to the foothills of Jefferson City to play Blair Oaks on Saturday, November 23.
Scores of interest
Class 2 District 4: Lamar 50, Fair Grove 25
Class 1 District 2: Thayer 22, Pierce City 20.
Lee Stubblefield
The Cassville Wildcats shrugged off an early 14-0 deficit and stormed to a 30-20 victory over the Seneca Indians in the Class 3 District 6 championship game at Wildcat Field on Friday night. Bowen Preddy scored on two long pass plays, Drake Reese kicked a monster 48-yard field goal, and the Cassville defense recovered from a rough start to stymie the Seneca rushing attack in the second half.
The Indians have had Cassville’s number lately, winning three of their last four meetings. The powerful Seneca rushing attack chewed up the Wildcats back in September in a 28-21 Cassville loss. On Friday night, it looked like that vaunted ground game might run Cassville off the field in the first half.
But Cassville showed grit and determination, climbing into the lead with a pair of long TD passes and a 21-yard field goal. After trailing 201-17 at halftime, the Wildcats tied the game when Reese connected with a 48-yard prayer to open the third quarter.
After that, it was all Cassville.
Running Bears
Senior running backs Monty Mailes and Trey Wilson gashed the Cassville line repeatedly as Seneca opened up a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Indians drove 80 yards with the game’s first possession, taking a 7-0 lead on a one-yard sneak by Lance Stephens.
After Cassville fumbled on a punt return, the Indians drove the short field and extended their lead to 14-0 when Mailes barreled off right tackle for a 7-yard score with 11:19 left in the second quarter.
The mammoth Seneca line owned Cassville’s front four in that bruising first quarter. The Wildcats finally switched to a five-man front to plug the interior, gambling that Stephens would not take advantage through the air.
The Wildcat offense finally came alive after the Indians posted their second score. Deven Bates found Preddy behind the secondary for a 51-yard scoring strike, and Reese added the PAT to cut the lead to 14-7.
Then the Seneca offense stalled in Cassville territory - after a holding penalty negated a 59-yard scoring run by Mailes - and a Stephens quick kick on 4th-and-4 pinned the Wildcats at their own 14-yard line.
On second down, the explosive Cassville aerial attack struck again. Bates lasered a quick out to Brett Cooper in the left flat, and then Cooper dished to Preddy running wide on the hitch and pitch. Although Cassville runs this play often, it is nearly impossible to defend because of the ball-handling skills of Cooper and the sprint wheels of Preddy. The Seneca secondary bit on Cooper and that momentary hesitation allowed Preddy to sprint 80 yards down the sideline for the score. Reese boomed the tying PAT with 5:00 showing on the clock.
Then, on the next Seneca possession, big Andrew Prier stripped Mailes in the backfield, and returned the fumble down to the 4-yard line.
But Cassville wasted the golden opportunity, settling for a 21-yard field goal from Reese to take a 17-14 lead at the 1:46 mark.
The Indians answered quickly. Wilson took a toss and sprinted around left end untouched for a 48-yard score. The PAT failed, and Seneca carried a 20-17 lead into halftime.
The Wildcats needed a break at that point. The beleaguered Cassville defense surrendered 247 yards rushing in that first half. Conversely, the Cassville offense managed only 30 yards on the ground. The two long bombs kept the Wildcats in the game, but the defense was on the field way too long because of the ineffective running game.
A tale of two halves
But Cassville took control of the line of scrimmage and the game in the third quarter. Some of it was conditioning, and a lot of it was desire. As the game wore on, it just seemed that the Wildcats wanted this one more.
The Cassville offense drove inside the red zone to start the third quarter. But a pair of penalties brought on a 4th-and-22 at the Seneca 31-yard line.
Reese trotted out to attempt a field goal from a daunting distance. Forty eight yards. But he had no holder - Bates didn’t get the play call memo and was on the sideline. With the play clock running down, Bates finally hustled out to his kneeling position.
Snap. Hold. Kick.
Bates fielded a low snap and managed to set the ball upright on the tee. Then Reese launched a soul-stirring 48-yard mortar shot through the uprights to tie the score at 20-20. Momentum belonged to the Wildcats.
Following the kickoff, the Indians struggled through a rare three-and-out, and the resulting punt died at the Seneca 49-yard line.
Cassville’s rushing attack finally came alive, chewing up those 49 yards with 6 straight carries. Zach Coenen erupted through the line for a 19-yard touchdown as the Wildcats claimed a 27-20 lead.
Seneca drove to midfield as the quarter ended. On 4th-and-4, a Stephens incompletion surrendered the ball to the Wildcats.
Sixteen plays later, Cassville faced 4th-and-goal at the Seneca 2-yard line. The longest play of that drive was a 10-yard scamper by Reese on a fake punt. It was the biggest fake punt play for Cassville since Travis Northern iced the 2009 state semifinal game against O’Hara with his critical run.
Cassville’s Lance Parnell sent Reese out for the chip shot field goal to establish a two-score lead. The junior kicker chipped the 18-yarder through the sticks to give the Wildcats a 30-20 lead with just 3:40 to play.
Seneca’s last gasp series was marred by consecutive sacks of Stephens by Jaiden Reibert and Jacob Hall, two penalties, and a fumble that Cassville recovered at the Seneca 25-yard line. Bates knelt twice in the victory formation as the Wildcats earned a district championship.
Defense
After watching Seneca backs run for 247 yards in the first half, the Wildcats held the Indians to just 44 rushing yards in the second half. Likewise, Cassville reversed its rushing effectiveness in the second half. After gaining only 30 yards in the first two quarters, the Wildcats gained 143 yards on the ground in the second half.
Bates completed 4 of 7 passes for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Cassville’s more balanced offense outgained Seneca on the night, 322 to 308.
X factor
Drake Reese figured heavily in this game. Besides kicking three field goals and three extra points, he gained a first down on a 2nd-and-8 reverse as the Wildcats drove for their third touchdown. Then he allowed his team to go up two scores with the fake punt to keep that drive alive.
Z factor
In the regular season game against Seneca, Bowen Preddy was hampered by injuries and lacked his normal speed and acceleration. But on Friday night, Preddy surprised the Seneca defense with two long TD receptions. The fly route was simply a sprint contest between Preddy and the cornerback. But the hitch-and-pitch flipped the field and the momentum for Cassville.
That one play from deep in the playbook is a staple for the Wildcats and is on every scouting film of the Cassville offense. In a critical moment, the Indians were unprepared for the one play that would negate their early lead and turn this game around.
Blair Oaks
“We’re going to enjoy this win,” said Cassville’s Lance Parnell after the game. But this week, the Cassville players and coaches will shift their attention to Blair Oaks. The undefeated Falcons dropped Buffalo on Friday night, 35-7, to advance to the Class 3 quarterfinal matchup with Cassville.
The Wildcats will travel to the foothills of Jefferson City to play Blair Oaks on Saturday, November 23.
Scores of interest
Class 2 District 4: Lamar 50, Fair Grove 25
Class 1 District 2: Thayer 22, Pierce City 20.