Drake Claborn broke free for a long-distance touchdown run in the second half to propel Webb City past Nixa 23-21 on Friday night, settling a back-and-forth Week 4 clash between two of Southwest Missouri’s top programs.
The Cardinals leaned on their traditional ground attack and timely defensive stops to hand the visiting Eagles their first loss of the season.
Barek Hoffman repeatedly converted on short-yardage downs to keep Webb City drives alive, while Dante Mills led a defensive backfield that turned away Nixa inside the red zone late in the fourth quarter to preserve the two-point margin.
Around the area, offensive firepower dominated Friday's slate across the Central Ozark and Big 8 conferences.
Carthage 46, Glendale 14
Carthage jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter and never looked back, riding dominant defense and special teams play to a 32-point blowout over Glendale. Tate Nichols helped spark the early push, giving Carthage short fields that the offense turned into points while limiting the Falcons to two scores on the night.
Neosho 50, Lebanon 8
Neosho's high-flying offense showed no signs of slowing down, hanging 50 points on Lebanon behind the tandem of quarterback Blayne Patterson and athlete Lincoln Howard. Patterson hit Howard for multiple scoring strikes and added points on the ground, overwhelming the Yellowjackets' defense from the opening quarter.
Joplin 35, Waynesville 14
At Junge Field, quarterback Trent McCadney broke open a tight first half by directing three unanswered touchdown drives in the second half to lead Joplin past Waynesville. McCadney’s dual-threat production consistently moved the chains, extending drives and putting the Tigers out of reach by the fourth quarter.
Seneca 35, Mt. Vernon 12
Seneca pulled away with 21 unanswered points through the middle quarters to pick up a decisive road win over Mt. Vernon, locking down the Mountaineers' offense after the break.
Carl Junction 28, Marshfield 20
Carl Junction held off a late fourth-quarter rally from Marshfield, running out the final two minutes to secure an eight-point road victory.
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