Joplin Sports Hub

Webb City rallies to give Neosho first loss of the season

Published by Lucas Davis

Webb City trailed the entire first half before rallying to beat Neosho 46-43 to hand the Wildcats their first loss of the season.

The Cardinals improve to 4-1, with the Wildcats falling to 4-1.

Neosho took the initial lead when QB Blayne Patterson hit WR Mason Spiva for a 25-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 4:05 left in the first quarter.

Webb City took no time to answer, with QB Braden Strickland broke off a 60-yard touchdown on the first play of the ensuing drive. The PAT was no good, preserving the Wildcats’ lead at 7-6.

Neosho extended the lead when RB Keisean Rhone ran inside before bouncing it outside for an 11-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 14-7 with 11:12 left in the first half.

The Cardinals had another answer when RB Mason Williams took the ball 22 yards to the house. However, Webb City missed the 2-point try and trailed 14-12 with 7:55 left in the second quarter.

Neosho used the big play to push the lead to two possessions when Rhone went untouched from 74 yards out for a score and a 21-12 lead with 7:10 left in the first half.

Strickland hit TE Grayson Gannaway for a gain of 43 yards down inside the 5-yard line. The Cardinals capped the series with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Gannaway in the back of the end zone to cut the lead to 21-19 with 3:41 in the second quarter.

With eight seconds left in the first half, Patterson pulled the ball down on a QB draw and scored from eight yards out to push the lead back to two possessions, 28-19.

Webb City forced a stop out of the intermission and marched the ball 60 yards down the field before Williams scored from 6 yards out with 7:16 on the clock to trim the deficit to 28-26.

Rhone broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown on fourth down for a 35-26 Wildcat advantage with 5:43 left in the third quarter.

Webb City refused to go away. The Cardinals struck from 30 yards out on a carry up the middle from RB Abel Getz to again trim the lead to two, 35-33, with 3:52 left.

Webb City took its first lead of the game with 9:47 left in the game when Williams took the handoff from 11 yards out for a score to give the Cardinals a 39-35 lead with 9:47 left in the game.

The Cardinals turned the tables by taking a two-possession lead of their own, 46-35, when Williams took the pitch to the left for a 7-yard touchdown with 2:44 left in the game.

Neosho was able to get into the end zone one more time after Rhone broke several tackles on the way to a 42-yard touchdown with less than a minute to play to make the score 46-43.

Webb City recovered the onside kick and ran the remaining time off the clock to preserve the win.