By Ryan Atkinson

ratkinson@joplinglobe.com

The Joplin Eagles — with all of their passing weapons — turned to the running game when they needed it the most.

Joplin saw its 31-point third-quarter lead trimmed to just 10 before the Eagles took to the ground and put the finishing touch on a 45-28 homecoming win over the Lebanon Yellowjackets on Friday night at Junge Field.

The win clinched a tie for the Ozark Conference title for Joplin, which improved to 6-1 overall and in conference play. Lebanon fell to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the conference.

The Eagles marched 51 yards on 12 plays — nine of which came on the ground — and burned 6:18 off the clock during their clinching drive. Ron King rushed six times during the drive and quarterback Devin St. Clair capped it with a seven-yard touchdown run.

“We went into that drive knowing we were going to get into the end zone,” said King, who rushed 22 times for 46 yards and two touchdowns. “The offensive line impressed me. They got it done.”

The drive all but iced the win, but Lebanon made things rather tense for the Eagles with an explosive second half.

After Joplin took a 31-0 lead on King’s five-yard touchdown run with 4:23 to play in the third quarter, the Yellowjackets began to fight back.

Quarterback Ryan Howerton broke free for a 15-yard run and then found Philip Archer for a 60-yard touchdown pass to make it 31-7.

Joplin recovered the ensuing onside kick and St. Clair — who was 24-of-32 for 357 yards — hit Sam Nguyen for a 47-yard scoring strike on the first play of the drive.

Nguyen caught the ball between two defenders and somehow plowed the remaining five yards into the end zone.

“That’s probably the biggest catch I’ve had, and it was my first touchdown this year, so it meant a lot to me,” Nguyen said. “I thought St. Clair under threw me a little bit, but then I saw that he over threw me just a little. The defender jumped up and I was right behind him, just in the right spot.”

Nguyen’s catch stretched the lead to 38-7, but Lebanon — showing the high-powered offense that has been turning heads in the Ozark Conference — scored 21 straight fourth-quarter points.

Lebanon intercepted St. Clair on consecutive drives, marching 66 yards on just three plays — including Howerton’s 11-yard touchdown run — after the second pick to make it 38-28.