By Graham Cox
sports@joplinglobe.com
NEOSHO, Mo. — The weather might change, players might depart, but one thing remains the same: Seneca and Neosho are always full of extra energy when they meet each other.
Friday night’s season opener was no exception.
Both teams battled their fair share in the first half, but the Wildcats took control midway through the third quarter en route to a 34-6 win against the visiting Indians.
Despite an alarming number of penalties on offense, Neosho was able to dictate its terms for most of the game. Joey Wasson and Anthony Westfield were the glue that kept the Wildcats’ running game intact, as each rushed for more than 50 yards in the first half.
Tailback Kyle Dickens scored the first touchdown for Neosho on a 5-yard run with 11:40 remaining in the second quarter.
It looked as if Seneca would head into halftime without a score to show for all of its ground yards, but that was before coach Rob Townsend decided to put the ball in the air for a change.
With just more than two minutes remaining in the half, senior quarterback Josh Day put together an impressive drive in which he completed five passes for 61 yards.
His last completion went 30 yards over the middle to receiver Travis Cole, who was practically standing by himself in the end zone.
Neosho made things even easier for Seneca after the ensuing kick, when tailback Anthony Westfield fumbled the ball right back to the Indians on the Wildcats’ 21.
But Day just couldn’t find a way to come through for his team on consecutive possessions. After completing another easy pass to Cole deep in the red zone, he made a costly interception on his next throw.
“They kind of got on a roll there for a little while, and we were obviously out of character,” Neosho coach Ray Godfrey said. “It looked like things might turn their way when we fumbled the ball, but we came back to earth and evened things up with the interception.”
The second half was in no way reminiscent of the first, penalties aside.
In fact, Neosho got a score from one of the few people it would have ever predicted.
All of the madness started when Day threw an awkward-looking pass over his shoulder early in the third quarter. Although it initially looked as if the ball would fall harmlessly to the ground, junior defensive lineman Richard Love had other plans.
He chugged through Seneca’s offensive line to snatch the ball in midair.
Huffing and puffing, Love used every bit of his large frame to bowl over numerous defenders on his way to a 30-yard touchdown.
“It was so crazy,” Love said. “As a matter of fact, I had a dream about it last night after I got home from the movies. I’m going to be doing this for a while, though, don’t get me wrong.
“I may not be intercepting passes all the time, but I am going to be putting everything I’ve got out onto the football field each and every day. We came out and earned a victory tonight.”
Both teams spent the final quarter of play running the ball and essentially running out the clock until the final horn sounded.
Day tried to pass on several occasions in the second half, but each time he was sacked before he could get out of the pocket to make a play.
Neosho will face Republic next Friday night. Seneca will play host to Big 8 foe Lamar.
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'Cats take control, run away with win
Neosho overcomes penalties in season opener
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