By Richard Polen
rpolen@joplinglobe.com
SENECA, Mo. — It was classic Seneca football.
Senior defensive back Nathan Fortner intercepted a Monett pass on first-and-goal at the 6 at the end of the first half, and the Indians scored on a 16-play drive that consumed most of the third quarter Thursday night in a 28-6 victory over Monett.
The victory in its final district game vaulted Seneca, 7-3, into the first round of the Class 3 playoffs Wednesday at Springfield Catholic. Monett’s season ended at 8-2.
“I saw it was double outs and I just broke up on the play,” Fortner said of the interception near the goal line between two Monett receivers. “I just came up and picked it.”
The turnover was the second of the first half for Fortner, who stripped Monett receiver Chris Eimer of the ball after a reception that would have given the Cubs a first down late in the first quarter.
“He was on the sideline and I just stripped it and recovered it,” Fortner said.
Seneca had taken a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on a 53-yard drive after a short Monett punt. Junior quarterback Jacob Rhoades, on fourth-and-goal at the 1, scored on a sneak with 6 minutes, 3 seconds to go in the quarter.
Monett tied the score midway through the second quarter when sophomore quarterback Tyler Green rolled to his left and found Eimer in the end zone for a 5-yard scoring pass.
But Seneca responded with a 64-yard drive that ended with a touchdown that was set up when the Indians called time out before a third-and-4 play at the Monett 23.
Running back Dillan Webb gained two yards, then, on fourth down, Webb tossed a touchdown pass to tight end Nick Chasten in the corner of the end zone. Rhoades’ pass to Chasten for the two-point conversion gave Seneca a 14-6 halftime lead.
Monett’s Spencer Witt stopped Seneca’s first possession of the second half with an interception that gave Monett the ball at the Seneca 18, but the Cubs could not take advantage and turned the ball over on downs.
Then came the 79-yard touchdown drive that ended Monett’s playoff hopes.
As a gusty west wind drove a light rain that became a downpour and even shrouded the totem pole in the east end zone from view, Seneca’s next16 plays all were on the ground, aided only by an offsides penalty on Monett near midfield.
The drive ended with just 6 seconds left in the third quarter when Webb scored on a 2-yard run that gave Seneca a 20-6 lead.
At that point, Monett had run just four plays in the second half.
“You talk about the drive that ate up eight minutes,” Seneca head coach Rob Townsend said. “The wind was just howling and we ate up the rest of the third quarter except for six seconds. We knew our strength coming into the season would be our offensive line.”
Webb had 39 carries for 190 yards behind an offensive line of Derrick Hopper, Steven Adams, Bradley Leitch, Jeff Burwell, Pryce Nutting and Chasten at tight end.
Meanwhile, Seneca’s defense limited Monett running back Christian Privett to 37 yards on 13 carries. He came into the game as the leading rusher in the Tri-State Area with 1,543 yards and 20 touchdowns.
On Privett’s next-to-last carry of the night, a toss play, he was immediately separated from the ball by Burwell and Seneca recovered.
“That’s what it comes down to in games like this,” Townsend said of the forced turnovers on Senior Night. “Fortner right before halftime, what a huge play that was, and he stripped a fumble and recovered it.
“The good part about this is I told the seniors that I would tell them how much I appreciate them later. We still have work to do.”
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Seneca runs over Cubs, reaches playoffs
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