By Rod Shetler
sports@joplinglobe.com
CASSVILLE, Mo. — If offense gets headlines and defense wins championships, the Cassville Wildcats might be in good shape to bring home another championship trophy next weekend.
The Wildcats’ defense manhandled a Kansas City O’Hara offense that had been averaging 38 points per game and held them to a season low Saturday, winning 23-7 in the Class 3 state semifinal football game.
Cassville, 13-1, will travel to St. Louis next Saturday with the opportunity to claim its second consecutive state title. The Wildcats will play undefeated Bowling Green in the title game.
“We didn’t approach this year with the idea of repeating or going back to St. Louis,” said Cassville coach David Large. “We focus on playing good football and improving each day. We knew after last year that you keep facing better teams, and sometimes it takes a little luck. We still have one more to win.”
The Wildcats didn’t rely on luck to top the Celtics (12-2) on Saturday, but defensive coordinator Lance Parnell knew his defensive squad had a serious challenge in store for them against the O’Hara team.
Coming off a 50-49 victory in the quarterfinals over Pleasant Hill, the Celtics featured Rafael Spencer at tailback who rushed for 275 yards and five touchdowns in the win; quarterback T.J. White, a threat to run or throw, and wide receiver Aaron Stubblefield, a speedster on the outside.
“It was a difficult week of preparation. (O’Hara) had so much speed and athleticism all over the field. I couldn’t be more proud of my players to hold a team like that in check. I told Dave earlier this week that if he could get our offense to score 45 we were OK,” joked Parnell after the game. “No way in the world I thought we could hold them to seven points.”
The final damage the Celtics’ offense was able to inflict was minimal.
Spencer was held to 63 yards on nine carries, 31 of which came on a second-quarter touchdown run. The O’Hara back managed just 10 yards on three carries in the second half. White threw for 103 yards, 33 of which came on a desperation drive in the final minute of the game. White, also ran the ball 17 times for 49 yards, most of which came on failed pass attempts he had to hold on to with Wildcat defenders on his heels. Stubblefield caught two balls for 40 yards.
The seven points was a season low for the Celtics. Their previous low was in their only other loss of the season, a 28-20 setback to Sedalia Smith-Cotton on Sept. 18.
“We start from Day One at camp preaching discipline on defense,” said Parnell. “We’re not real fancy. We expect our players to play with great discipline and great intensity. That’s our foundation.”
Cassville opened their first drive in O’Hara territory after a partially blocked punt gave them the ball at the Celtic 49. Nine plays later senior Joseph Gouvion broke through the O’Hara line and went 15 yards for a touchdown. Matt Angel’s PAT gave the Wildcats an early 7-0 lead with 7:01 left in the first quarter.
The lead held until O’Hara showed a glimpse of its big-play potential midway through the second quarter. White hit Stubblefield for a 33-yard gain to the Wildcat 31, and Spencer rumbled 31 yards on the next play for a touchdown. Julian Gidley’s PAT made the score 7-7 with 7:59 left before halftime.
“I read somewhere that they had 25 scoring plays this year of more than 50 yards,” said Large. “You just can’t give up against a team like O’Hara.”
The Wildcats were able to get the ball back with good field position at the O’Hara 33 with 18 seconds remaining in the first half. An 11-yard pass from Trevor Tanner to Travis Northern, and a 7-yard keeper by Tanner moved the ball to the Celtic 15 with 3.2 seconds left. Angel booted the 32-yard field goal to give the Wildcats a 10-7 lead at the break.
Neither team scored in the third as O’Hara was stymied on its first drive with sacks by Cassville’s Matt Stockton and Kyle Brattin. A fumble by Cassville fullback Zach Vititoe also ended a scoring opportunity deep in the Celtics’ territory at the end of the third period.
After an O’Hara punt, the Wildcats began another drive at their own 38 with 10:57 left to play. Vititoe redeemed himself after the fumble with runs of 6, 2 and 11 yards to break into Celtics territory. On a 2nd-and-12 from the O’Hara 33, Gouvion went around the left guard and outran the defense for his second score of the day. Angel’s PAT was wide leaving the score at 16-7 with 7:33 left.
After a failed fourth down pass by O’Hara the Wildcats added another touchdown late in the fourth quarter on an 8-yard carry by Tanner. Angel’s PAT was good for the final 23-7 margin.
“We struggled in the first half after our first touchdown getting anything going,” said Gouvion, who finished with 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns. “We started figuing some things out and got some things rolling late. Every week our offensive line fights so hard for me to gain yards. They make me look good, and I try to make them look good.
“This is the best way to go out ... back in St. Louis. Any other way would’ve been disappointing. The rest of the seniors feel the same way, and it’s a great experience for the younger guys.”
O’Hara coach Jim DeMarea admitted his team, which basically played the same players on offense and defense, could have been physically exhausted by the fourth quarter.
“Cassville played so dang hard all day. ... We just couldn’t get things clicking at all,” he said. “It’s tough after you have to punt and you’ve still got the same guys out there on the field to play defense. This is our 14th game against a good team, and mentally I think it probably did have an effect.”
Cassville will play Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Edward Jones Dome in hopes of its second straight Class 3 title.
“Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday,” said Large. “You can eat turkey anywhere, and I’d just as soon eat it in St. Louis.”
