WEBB CITY, Mo. — For the first time in 27 years, the Neosho Wildcats walked off the turf at Cardinal Stadium as winners, stunning Webb City 35-28 on Friday night to snap a 28-game losing streak that had haunted the program since the late 1990s.
Quarterback Blayne Patterson accounted for four total touchdowns, engineering a backbreaking, clock-eating march in the fourth quarter to bury nearly three decades of frustration against southwest Missouri’s premier high school football powerhouse.
The night, however, opened with every omen pointing to the usual script. On Neosho’s second snap of the game, a high snap sailed past Patterson. Webb City linebacker Ethan Keller pounced on the loose football in Wildcat territory, handing the Cardinals early momentum and an immediate short field.
Neosho refused to fold.
Instead of unraveling, the Wildcats leaned on Patterson, who punished Webb City between the tackles and through the air. The senior signal-caller carried the ball 25 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while completing 15 of 20 passes for 142 yards and another two scores. When Patterson looked downfield, wideout Hudson Richardson served as his primary valve, hauling in eight catches for 77 yards and a touchdown despite heavy attention from Webb City’s secondary.
Still, the Cardinals mounted their expected counterpunch.
Trailing late, Webb City pushed into the red zone early in the fourth quarter. With 11:57 remaining, running back Abel Getz plunged across the goal line from two yards out to tie the game at 28-28, bringing the home crowd to its feet and setting the stage for what felt like another inevitable Cardinals finish.
Neosho answered with the defining drive of its modern era.
Taking over deep in their own territory, the Wildcats mounted a methodical, 15-play, 65-yard drive that drained 6 minutes and 30 seconds off the game clock. Running back Lincoln Howard ground out tough yardage between the tackles to keep the chains moving, wearing down a Webb City front led by River Lenker and Braylen Coleman, who had spent most of the night chasing down perimeter runs.
The dagger came with just over five minutes remaining. Facing heat on third down, Patterson stepped up and rifled a 14-yard strike to Kaide Sikes, who pulled it in for the go-ahead touchdown to make it 35-28.
Webb City had one final opportunity to respond, but Neosho’s defense stood firm, forcing a stop on downs to turn the ball over and trigger a wild celebration on the visitor sideline.
The streak is over.