BRANSON, Mo. — Joplin took a one-score lead into the intermission before bum rushing Branson in the third quarter on the way to a 35-14 road win to open the 2023 season.
The Eagles held a 14-7 lead at halftime before taking advantage of a big play in the passing game and a turnover on the defensive end that led to a second score offensively early in the third quarter before adding a third score late for a four-touchdown lead before the start of the fourth quarter.
The Eagles (1-0) host Willard (1-0) at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the home opener at Junge Field.
Joplin wasted little time taking its first lead of the game, marching 80 yards down the field on the opening drive before junior WR Davin Thomas took a handoff in motion and found the edge on the way to an 8-yard touchdown with 8:10 to play in the first quarter.
Senior QB Hobbs Gooch connected with senior WR Aidan Sampson on third-down-and-8 for a 26-yard gain to highlight the drive.
Branson used nearly a seven-minute drive to answer the Eagles’ touchdown with a score of its own when Luke McCormick found the end zone from 8 yards out to tie the game at 7-7 with 1:33 left in the first quarter.
Joplin didn’t take long to respond, as Gooch hit senior RB Quin Renfro, a South Dakota State commit, in the flat before he took the short pass 73 yards to the house for a touchdown on the second play of the ensuing drive to put Joplin on top 14-7 with 1:10 to play in the first quarter.
On the first play of the second quarter, a broken coverage saw the Pirates convert a 70-yard pass play to Ryan Giles to get down inside the Joplin 5-yard line before the Eagles forced a fumble on the next play, with senior DB Chavis Coleman falling on the ball to force the turnover.
Joplin forced another turnover with Branson deep in Eagle territory when Gage Depee fumbled inside the 5-yard line again, with the Eagles falling on it in the end zone for a touchback to ultimately send the game into the intermission with a 14-7 advantage.
Joplin took a two-score lead early in the second half when Thomas hauled in a screen pass from Gooch, made a man miss and took it to paydirt for a 76-yard score to push the Eagles’ lead to 21-7 with 9:31 left in the third period.
The Eagles forced Depee into a fumble on the next defensive possession to give the offense the ball in Branson territory. Three plays later, Renfro found the end zone from 4 yards out to put Joplin on top 28-7 with 8:33 to play.
Thomas added an 8-yard rushing score with 2:37 left in the third quarter to push the lead to 35-7.
Branson scored on a 7-yard touchdown run by Orson Wright to cut the deficit to 35-14 with 2:12 left in regulation.
