AVA, Mo. — Lamar took control early and never relinquished its lead en route to a 35-14 victory over Ava in a Class 2 quarterfinal on Saturday at CE Harlan Stadium.
The Tigers (12-0) host Richmond (11-1) in the semifinals at 1 p.m. next Saturday at Thomas O’Sullivan Stadium.
In the quarterfinal round for the 13th straight season, Lamar scored two unanswered touchdowns early in the game to pull ahead for good.
Up 21-14 at halftime, the Tigers scored a pair of unanswered touchdowns after the break. The Lamar defense held Ava scoreless in the second half to secure the win.
After the Tigers and Bears traded turnovers to start the game, Lamar got on the board when Austin Wilkerson scored on a 20-yard run with seven minutes left in the first quarter.
Lamar went up 14-0 on Logan Crockett’s 56-yard touchdown sprint.
The Bears broke through when Zach Richards scored on a 30-yard QB keeper at the 1:10 mark of the first quarter.
Lamar took a 21-7 lead when a wide open Mason Gastel hauled in a 54-yard touchdown pass with 7:01 remaining in the second quarter.
The Tigers were threatening to extend their lead late in the first half, but Ava’s Richards picked off a tipped pass near midfield and then ran all the way to the 6-yard line. A few plays later, Richards’ 1-yard TD plunge cut Lamar’s lead to 21-14.
After getting a key defensive stop to start the second half, the Tigers put together a 97-yard scoring drive in the third period. It was capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass from Joel Beshore to Wilkerson at the 5:03 mark of the third period.
Lamar added a late score on Crockett’s 2-yard plunge with 4:13 remaining in the game. The score was set up by Wilkerson’s interception return.
Defending state champion Lamar finished with 422 yards of offense, with 324 rushing and 98 passing.
Beshore ran 14 times for 124 yards, while Crockett had 93 rushing yards on seven carries and Wilkerson added 63 yards on eight carries.
Ava (11-1) recorded 160 yards of offense.
Richmond defeated Maryville 49-23. The other Class 2 semifinal will feature Lutheran St. Charles against Lafayette County.
