By Wendell Redden

sports@joplinglobe.com

When McAuley opened the Missouri Class 1 playoffs last year, the Warriors were unlucky enough to face the eventual state runner-up.

Fast forward to November 2008 and the Warriors open state play against ... you guessed it: last year’s state runner-up in Class 1, the Thayer Bobcats.

Thayer was undefeated last year when it decked McAuley 42-7 for its 10th victory. The Bobcats extended the streak to 13 games before losing to Orrick in the championship game.

The Bobcats haven’t been perfect this season, but the only blemish in an 8-1 regular season is a 14-7 loss to Mountain View-Liberty.

Tonight’s game kicks off at 7 p.m. at Thayer, a 195-mile drive east of Joplin.

“They’re pretty impressive, every bit as good as last year,” said McAuley head coach Brendan Gubera. “They lost some people off last year’s team, but their quarterback returns and he’s playing with more confidence.

“We have a great advantage going into the game in the fact that we have nothing to lose. Obviously, we’re playing a very good team and a lot of people don’t expect us to compete. But I love the underdog role. We just need to go out there and play loose and have fun.”

Billy Webber, head coach of the Bobcats, said he graduated 10 players off the state runner-up team, but he’s been more than pleased with the effort of his current squad.

“We have some pretty good players at the skill positions, starting with quarterback Jacob Eckman,” Webber said. “Luke Martin, our tight end, has done a good job and we’ve been able to use three running backs in Cameron Carey, Josh Huckaby and Ethan Leisinring.”

Webber said the Bobcats’ offensive scheme is a direct opposite to the spread formations most high school teams are running today.

“We like to run the ball more than throw it,” Webber said. “We were a running club last year, also.”

Three reasons Thayer likes to run the ball are tackle Eli Martin, guard Brian Tate and center Thomas Weeks. “They do a great job opening holes for our backs,” Webber said.

Defensively, Webber singled out linebackers Tommy Martin, Carey and Eckman and safety Lance Snyder for special mention.