WILLARD, Mo. — Playing in its first Central Ozark Conference football contest since announcing it was on its way out, the Carl Junction Bulldogs struggled to slow a steady Willard attack and the Tigers held on late Friday night in Willard.
The Bulldogs dropped one of their final COC contests to the Tigers 22-14 inside Willard’s football stadium—just two days after Carl Junction’s school board announced it will begin competing in the Ozark Mountain Conference starting next school year.
The newly formed league will be made up of of six area schools with similar enrollment numbers—Carl Junction, Bolivar, Branson, Logan-Rogersville, Marshfield and West Plains. The move will officially mark the Bulldogs’ end of an eight-year run in the COC after decades in the Big 8.
But in its second-to-last COC game, and final road COC game at Willard, Carl Junction’s defense initially slowed the Russell Roweton-led Willard offense, creating an interception (via Bentley Rowden, who recorded two picks) and a turnover on downs to keep the home side scoreless for much of the first half.
However, the Tigers registered back-to-back scoring drives on a Roweton 52-yard passing touchdown to Timmy Ruble and a Gary Walker 9-yard rushing touchdown on fourth and 7 at the 9-yard line for a 13-8 lead with 1:14 left in the second quarter.
Bulldogs receiver Ryder Pyles hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dexter Merrell and Merrell ran one in on a 2-point try to give Carl Junction a brief 8-7 lead.
Following a Bulldog punt with less than two minutes remaining in the half, Willard benefited from a big-time Roweton QB scamper which ended with a late hit out of bounds, setting up the Tigers at the Carl Junction 30 with nearly 30 seconds left in the frame.
Two plays later, Roweton found Chaz Amodeo on a 36-yard passing touchdown for a 19-8 Willard lead, which stuck as the halftime score.
The second half consisted of a defensive struggle, a Willard field goal from Jaridan Baugher — a 36-yard make with 5:20 left in the third period — and a late Carl Junction 17-yard touchdown reception from receiver Jaxton Wobkin with 3:24 remaining in the contest to pull the Bulldogs within eight points.
After Carl Junction tried an onside kick that was recovered but later deemed by referees as unsuccessful due to not traveling 10 or more yards, Willard precisely ran the final 3:24 off the scoreboard for a home victory.
UP NEXT
Carl Junction hosts Republic next Friday for its final COC contest and Senior Night. Republic (6-2) will come to town after falling to Nixa 31-28 on a game-winning field goal as time expired, which secured an outright COC title for Nixa.
