By Jim Henry

jhenry@joplinglobe.com

Another playoff game produces another rematch from the regular season tonight when Miller visits Thayer in a Class 1 sectional matchup of once-beaten teams.

Thayer defeated the Cardinals 43-7 in the District 1-3 opener in Miller. Playoff victories Wednesday night by the Cardinals (27-6 over Spring River Valley Conference foe Lockwood) and Thayer (74-28 over McAuley Catholic) produced this quick rematch.

“I don’t like it,” Miller head coach Harv Welch said. “I love the idea that we’re taking a second team in the district to get to be in the playoffs. I wish the state had flip-flopped some districts so the rematches don’t occur so soon.”

Thayer (9-1), led by quarterback Jacob Eckman, has scored at least 42 points in every game since the Bobcats’ 14-7 loss at Liberty-Mountain View on Sept. 19. Eckman rushed for 93 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 120 yards and a score in the victory over Miller.

“They run and throw equally well,” Welch said. “They are solid on defense. They have a good kicking game. They don’t beat themselves. They are well-coached and well-athleted. They are talented.

“They have good size. They will go toe-to-toe in the line and run at you. They may not have a play over six yards, but they’ll have over 300 yards when the game is over. And they have a quarterback and a couple of receivers who can throw and catch with anybody.”

Miller’s Darin Clark ran for 141 yards on 18 rushes and scored two touchdowns against Lockwood. Quarterback Justin Jack accounted for the Cardinals’ first two touchdowns on a 40-yard pass to Tyler Hinshaw and a 10-yard run.

Against Thayer, “We’ll have to play awfully well and make very few mistakes,” Welch said. “I’m not taking anything away from Thayer. They are a better ball club, but we have to show a better account of ourselves. If we can play with a lot of heart and play solid, I think we’ll be OK.

“This team has accomplished a lot. We beat Marionville for the first time since 1999, beat Pierce City for the first time in a long time, won a conference championship for the first time since 1988. We hadn’t been to the second round of playoffs since 1994.

“Three years ago these seniors were 0-10. I’m proud of these guys with the way they’ve hung with the program and gotten back to Miller football.”