Tag: Joplin football

The final outcome was not what coach Curtis Jasper wanted to see following Joplin’s 35-34 loss to Nixa last Friday, but there were just as many positive takeaways as negative on both sides of the ball.

“Nixa tackled in space really well,” Jasper said. “They shed blocks really well, and we really struggled getting off the field on third down. Part of that is us, but part of that is them doing a good job. Hats off to their quarterback (Austin McCracken) because he came in and made plays when they needed them. They did a lot of good things.”

Looking at the positive side in terms of the offense, Joplin gained 341 yards of total offense and averaged 9.2 yards per completion as well as 5.5 yards per rush.

“The production was there, but it just seemed weird because we forced three turnovers in the first half and we had to score right before halftime just to tie it up at 21, and that’s not typical of how we usually play,” Jasper said. “The other thing I was really happy about the offense was when we had to have a score, we scored. We scored right before the half to tie it. Then when we were down two scores (late), we scored twice and almost had a third touchdown. There was a lot of good stuff, just not enough of it.”

Sophomore wideout Dante Washington had a standout performance in the passing game, hauling in a team-high nine catches for 77 yards and three touchdowns, including a 37-yard touchdown when he caught a pass in the left flat before reversing the entire field for a score. Running back Nathan Glades rushed 24 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two receptions and 49 yards.

“(Dante) is obviously a playmaker, which we all thought,” Jasper said. “But he is starting to understand the bigger picture of the scheme versus what his role is on each play. That is going to help him get better.

“(Nathan) is just so much fun to watch because he finishes off every run. … I love that about him. Sometimes, I think maybe he didn’t need to take that extra hit,” Jasper said with a smile. “But he is going to get every inch he possibly can.”

What can be improved upon as the season progresses? Offensive efficiency. Joplin had seven possessions in the first half. Three of them ended in touchdowns, while two ended in a punt and two more in a turnover-on-downs. In the third quarter, Joplin failed to score in the third quarter with a turnover-on-downs and an interception. In the fourth, Joplin scored two touchdowns in the fourth with an interception on the third possession of the quarter.

“The thing that frustrates us as a team was those turnover-on-downs were so close (to being converted),” Jasper said. “Four times, we were right there and we just didn’t get the extra inches, or yard at the most, and those are the differences in ballgames.”

Looking at the defense, you didn’t have to look far in terms of what went right for Joplin, forcing three first-half turnovers against Nixa. Joplin’s Luke Vieselmeyer picked off Reid Potts on the first possession of the game. Late in the first quarter, Vieselmeyer came up big again with an interception of Austin McCracken on a gadget play that set up a score. Midway through the second quarter, Jayden Holt picked off McCracken and returned the ball to the 5-yard line to again set the offense up for a score.

“They were a huge positive for the defense,” Jasper said of the takeaways. “And Jayden almost returned his for a touchdown. You look at film, and Jayden really could have had two more (interceptions) and really had himself a night. I am happy that we are getting turnovers, but still a little miffed at how we didn’t put some distance between us and Nixa with those.”

Where is the Joplin defense looking to improve? Getting off the field. Joplin’s defense allowed Nixa to convert seven third-down-and-5-or-longer/fourth-down situations.

“Those are things we worked a lot on this week, situationally creating more competition in practice,” Jasper said. “We have to get better at that. We put ourselves in good situations, and hats off to Nixa for making plays, but we have to do a better job on third and fourth down.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Joplin (1-1) looks to bounce back on Senior Night, hosting Ozark (1-1) at Junge Field at 7 p.m.

The Tigers are coming off a 26-16 win against Branson, with Ozark running a heavy option offense. Quarterback Cannon Cox completed 1-of-7 passes for 22 yards and a touchdown, while rushing a team-high 17 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Tylr Bolin carried the ball 16 times for 64 yards, while RB Ethan Pritchard picked up 65 yards on three carries. 

“I really like what their quarterback does in the triple option,” Jasper said. “He can pitch it right or left at the very last second, and always does a good job with it. Their slot backs, one is a little bigger than the other one, but they both block really hard and are good at catching the pitch and getting north and south.

“(Defensively), when dealing with the option, we have to be assignment sound. That’s the first priority. Secondly, we have to tackle well, and do a good job on first and second down, so we put them in a longer situation on third.”

Defensively, the Tigers allowed Branson to gain 337 yards of offense, with 287 of those coming through the air. 

“They play off-man at about seven or eight yards with a free safety who is either free or manned-up on the running back because he is really aggressive downhill,” Jasper said. “They run two fronts, and even or an odd, and bring a lot of pressure up front. So, they are going to try to disrupt our zone concepts.”

NIXA, Mo. — After falling behind by two scores late in the second half, the Joplin Eagles rallied but came up short in a 35-34 loss to the Nixa Eagles on Friday. 

The loss ends Joplin’s 16-game regular-season winning streak dating back to Sept. 14 of the 2018 season. Joplin moves to 1-1 on the season and in the Central Ozark Conference. 

“Hats off to Nixa,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. “We saw them on film and we knew they looked good on film. They outplayed us tonight, and obviously I need to do a better job coaching. They were the better team tonight.

“We didn’t click in our normal rhythm. … This one is on me. I have to have them better prepared. It comes down to the little things. We have to do the little things better.” 

Tied at 21 at the intermission, Nixa took the advantage in the second half after quarterback Austin McCracken, who came in early in relief of injured starter Reid Potts, scored from 4 yards out on a keeper with 5:06 to play in the third quarter to give NHS a 28-21 lead. 

“He is a gutsy kid,” Jasper said of McCracken. “He makes plays with his feet and his arm. He did a really good job.”

Joplin took the ball near midfield after a strong return from Dante Washington and drove deep into Nixa territory looking for a chance to tie the game before quarterback Always Wright was picked off in the end zone by Nixa’s Ben Mills.

Nixa started at its own 20 and marched down the field on a long drive that lasted 13 plays before Joplin forced a fourth-down-and-5 at its own 17. It appeared the Eagle defense forced an incomplete pass for a turnover-on-downs, but a flag was thrown for defensive pass interference, keeping the Nixa drive alive. On the next play, Ramone Green found the edge and scored from 9 yards out to put Nixa on top 35-21 with 7:46 to play.

Joplin responded with a 21-yard scoring strike from Wright to Washington up the far sideline to trim Nixa’s lead to 35-28 with 6:21 left.

“Obviously, our kids are resilient, and we have seen that over and over again,” Jasper said. “It was nice to see at the end of the game, I wish I had them ready to do that earlier.”

Joplin’s defense forced Nixa into a punt situation, with the ball sailing over the punter’s head into Nixa territory, with Joplin taking possession with 2:25 to play and less than 40 yards to paydirt.

It took one play for Joplin to find the end zone, as Wright found Washington in the far flat, with the sophomore wide receiver reversing the field and outrunning everyone on the way to the goal line for a 37-yard touchdown with 2:11 to play. Joplin lined up for the two-point conversion, with Nixa’s defense stopping Nathan Glades on a run up the middle to preserve the lead, 35-34.

Joplin’s defense came up big again, forcing Nixa into a three-and-out, using all three timeouts to stop the clock in the process. The punt again sailed over the head of the Nixa punter, but he was able to recover, kicking the ball to the JHS 35.

Glades ripped off a 23-yard run before adding a 10-yard gain to get Joplin into Nixa territory. On second-down-and-9, Wright heaved a pass over the middle that was tipped and picked off by Clayton Uber at the 3-yard line to end Joplin’s chance at a comeback bid.

SEESAW FIRST-HALF

Nixa took the lead early after quarterback Reid Potts found a wide open Michael Sportsman over the middle for a 41-yard touchdown reception with 6:48 left in the opening quarter.

After Joplin went three-and-out on the ensuing drive, Nixa’s first play on the following possession was a turnover, as Joplin’s Luke Vieselmeyer picked off McCracken for his second interception of the game.

Joplin’s offense took the takeaway and marched down the field with Glades carrying the ball in from 4 yards out to tie the game at 7-7 with 2:47 to play in the first quarter. 

Jayden Holt picked off McCracken and took the ball down inside the NHS 10 before Glades scored from 9 yards out two plays later with 8:34 left in the first half to give Joplin a 14-7 lead.

“We got some turnovers in the first half, but I was hoping we could get more out of them,” Jasper said. “It just didn’t happen. Those turnovers were huge, we just didn’t capitalize on them as much as I would have liked.”

Nixa answered right back with a score on its following drive after McCracken found Steven Ward II in the flat, who looked to be stopped at the line of scrimmage before breaking free for a 53-yard touchdown with 5:11 left in the half to tie the game at 14-14.

Joplin turned the ball over on downs and Nixa responded with a seven-play drive that culminated in McCracken hitting Nate Nixon at the back pylon for a 15-yard touchdown to give NHS a 21-14 advantage with 1:17 to play.

In need of a lift with 1:09 left in the opening half, Joplin took possession near midfield after a strong return from Washington and drove 53 yards on eight plays with Wright faking a handoff before finding Washington over the middle for a 3-yard touchdown with less than 10 seconds to play to send the game into the intermission tied at 21-21.

“That was huge,” Jasper said. “We deferred before the game and were trying to get a two-for-one there to score right before the half and then come back out after the half and score again. We just stalled out (to open the second half) and didn’t finish that drive.”

UP NEXT

Joplin hosts Ozark at 7 p.m. at Junge Field. With COVID concerns in terms of the length of the season, Week 3 will be Joplin’s Senior Night game.

“We have to do a better job out of the gate, and again, that is on me,” Jasper said. “I am happy we get to have a Senior Night. We are going to recognize the seniors and do a good job of playing for them.”

Joplin coach Curtis Jasper preaches a one-game mentality to his team, and in 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic a concern all over the country, that mentality has never been more accurate.

Like every team, the Eagles don’t know how many games they will get to play this season, but one thing is certain — the returning Class 6 runner-ups start the 2020 season 1-0 after Joplin defeated the reigning Class 4 state champion Webb City Cardinals 41-40 on Friday night at Junge Field. 

“That is what we talked about all summer long,” Jasper said. “Let’s work our tails off and pray to God we get to Game 1. If we get (the first game), we better be 1-0, and we are 1-0.”

“This was a great way to start off the season, especially against a great team like Webb City,” said Joplin junior quarterback Always Wright, who made his first-career start. “Right now, we just need to have fun for tonight, but we need to get back to work tomorrow, improving on things we can improve on.”

Joplin came out of the locker room at the half with a two-point, 27-25, advantage. And after the first half saw scores on 8-of-10 drives combined between both teams, Webb City’s opening possession ended in a punt, the only one all game, and Joplin followed with a turnover on downs. Joplin’s defense again came up big after forcing Webb City to turn the ball over on downs, giving the offense a chance to strike first in the second half.

“I am super proud of our guys and I told them at halftime that there is going to be adversity,” Jasper said. “And there was. But we had to keep battling, keep chopping wood and keep believing in each other, and the best team would win. I told them I felt like we were the better team tonight, and they went out and proved me right.”

Joplin’s second possession of the second half only lasted two plays, with Wright faking a handoff and completing a pass to the flat to sophomore wideout Dante Washington, who sprinted upfield past everyone up the sideline on the way to a 49-yard touchdown to put the Eagles up two scores, 34-25, with 25.1 seconds left in the third quarter.

“Keaton Renfro and Bruce (Wilbert) blocked their tails off that play, so you have to give them credit there,” Jasper said. “That was a great read on our RPO (run-pass option) and (Always) made a nice throw. Dante has a different gear, so he went and hit it.”

“As soon as I saw him over there by himself, I knew he was going to make a play,” Wright said. “He is great in space, he is fast and he really deserves a lot of the credit for our win tonight.”

Webb City senior running back Devrin Weathers, a Kansas State commit, showed off his speed as well, ripping off a 29-yard score on the ensuing drive to trim Joplin’s lead to 34-32 with 9:28 to play in the game.

Joplin drove the ball deep into Cardinal territory when a pass from Wright to senior WR Renfro was fumbled and recovered by the Cardinals at their own 8-yard line. 

Six plays into the Cardinals’ following drive saw Webb City give the ball right back to the Eagles following an option pitch by Webb City quarterback Cole Gayman that found the turf, with Joplin’s Korey Read falling on it for the turnover.

Joplin made the most of the takeaway, again needing just two plays to find paydirt when senior running back Nathan Glades ripped off a 41-yard touchdown run, his fourth score of the night, to put the Eagles back up by two possessions, 41-32, with 3:43 left in the game.

“I was proud of my guys,” Jasper said. “They didn’t hang their head, complain or worry about (the turnover). They went and lined up and played the next play.”

Webb City refused to go down without a fight, as Cade Wilson capped a 12-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to cut Joplin’s lead to 41-40 with 43 seconds left in regulation.

Joplin recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt, and closed out the win in victory formation. 

“Obviously, we would have liked to not let the score there at the end, that would have saved me some years of my life,” Jasper said with a laugh. “But, again, we battled and made them take most of the clock to finally score. When they did, we made the play we needed to on the onside kick. … We’ve played in great games like this against great teams, and we found a way to win. We did that again tonight.”

FIRST-HALF FIREWORKS

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with Webb City and Joplin trading touchdowns to go into halftime with the Eagles leading 27-25.

Weathers got the fireworks started to open the game with a 55-yard touchdown run to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead with 7:42 to play in the opening period.

Joplin responded with a 12-play, 73-yard scoring drive that saw Glades carry the ball into the end zone from 2 yards out to tie the game at 7-7 at the 4:26 mark of the first quarter.

It didn’t take long for Webb City to respond, as Weathers took the ensuing kickoff back 97 yards to the house for a score, putting the Cardinals back on top 13-7.

Again, Joplin’s offense went on a lengthy scoring drive that went 54 yards on nine plays, culminating with Glades scoring from 5 yards out to give Joplin a 14-13 lead with 1:14 left in the first quarter.

Webb City answered back with an 11-play drive, which ended with quarterback Gayman scoring from 9 yards out. The Cardinal’ two-point conversion attempt was no good, giving Webb City a 19-14 advantage.

Joplin got in on the special teams scoring fun when Glades fielded the ensuing kickoff before finding daylight on the way to a 92-yard touchdown return to put the Eagles up 20-19 with 7:12 left in the half. 

Webb City regained the lead on a 10-yard touchdown run by Weathers to cap an 11-play drive to make the score 25-20 with 1:33 seconds left before the intermission.

Working with little time left on the clock, Joplin took possession near midfield after a strong return by Bruce Wilbert. Following a 9-yard run by Glades with a facemask penalty on the Cardinals tacked on, Wright threw a deep ball up the right sideline, finding senior wideout Trayshawn Thomas for a 28-yard touchdown to send the Eagles into the locker room with a 27-25 lead.  

JOPLIN STATS

Joplin finished with 353 yards in total offense, with Glades scoring four total touchdowns while finishing with 161 rushing yards on 26 carries to lead the charge.

“He is just such a competitor and so hard to tackle,” Jasper said. “He never gives up. The line did a great job providing some holes, and he did a great job finishing off every run he had.”

“I am proud of this offense,” Glades said. “We did good things, and we did bad things. What I am most proud of is we can still get better. The O-line killed it … and I just can’t thank them enough. The wide receivers are physical on the perimeter, and if they aren’t blocking, the running game isn’t anything. Always was calm and composed all game, and I was proud of him.”

Wright completed 15-of-19 passes for 177 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Washington hauled in six passes for 89 yards and a touchdown, while Thomas, who had a score, and Renfro each caught three passes for 43 yards. Wilbert added two receptions for 19 yards.

UP NEXT

Joplin hits the road to face Nixa (1-0) on Friday at 7 p.m.

It was roughly nine months since the last time the Joplin Eagles lined up against another opponent on the gridiron.

On Friday, the Eagles hosted the Seneca Indians for their annual jamboree, and just being able to get on the field and line up against another team was a blessing.

“Obviously, this is the first time we have gotten to face an opponent since the state championship game last year, and with all of the uncertainty going on, we feel very fortunate to come out here and get our jamboree in to prepare for Webb City next week,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. 

Each team had three offensive and defensive series of 12 plays, with the ball starting on their own 40-yard line. 

Joplin’s offense took six plays to find paydirt when quarterback Always Wright found wideout Trayshawn Thomas in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown on the opening possession. Wright completed three passes on the drive, with an 11-yard completion to Dante Washington and a 20-yard connection to Bruce Wilbert.

“I thought we clicked well on that first drive,” Jasper said. “I thought we were able to come out and work our tempo and did a good job of executing on the first drive.”

It took two plays for the Eagles to score on their second drive, with running back Nathan Glades breaking off a 51-yard rushing score.

“Nathan is going to be a special back this year,” Jasper said. “He did all the dirty work for us last year, so now it’s someone else’s turn for that. Now, it’s Nathan’s turn to chunk out some yards, so it was nice to see that from him.”

Joplin made it three possessions with three scores on the third series when Wright found Washington for a 46-yard touchdown. 

“We have a lot of playmakers, so it was nice to see Trayshawn, Dante and Bruce Wilbert have success,” Jasper said.

Seneca’s first offensive series was also a success. After a 35-yard completion from quarterback Lance Stephens to Sebastian Middick put the Indians in a goal-to-go situation, setting up a 3-yard touchdown run by Jaxson Graham. 

“We challenged them up front,” Seneca coach Ryan McFarland said of his offense. “Our goal on offense was to get first downs tonight, and we were able to do that. I thought our offensive line played well. We returned all five guys up front who started at least five games last year. That is something all offseason that we have preached to them, ‘we are going to be as good as they are’ (up front).

“Sebastian Middick made two big plays for us tonight. He played his first year of high school football last year as a junior. So no one really expects him to do much, but he has some tools and we are going to use them a lot this year.”

The Eagles’ defense forced a turnover on Seneca’s second drive when Wilbert came up with an interception on a Stephens’ deep ball.

“He starts for us on offense and is able to come in on situations on defense for us,” Jasper said.  “He is a definite ball hawk. He had an interception in the Red-White scrimmage and in the jamboree. He has really good ball skills, and that’s why he is a good receiver and a good safety.”

Joplin’s first drive on its second possession lasted seven plays but ended in a turnover when Wright was picked off by Seneca’s Dillon Myers in the red zone. Wright bounced back on the next series with a 25-yard touchdown pass on a screen to Glades.

“Always is very mentally tough and doesn’t get rattled,” Jasper said. “We expect that if he makes a mistake, he will be able to put it behind him and make a play the next time out. He did a really good job of that.”

Seneca found rushing room on its opening drive of its second possession. Graham carried the ball four times for 26 yards in addition to a 34-yard completion from Stephens to Middick, setting up a 1-yard sneak touchdown by Stephens.

“Having our quarterback back, Lance Stephens, who started every game for us last year, is big,” McFarland said. “He is a very smart kid and understands our offense well. … He put us in positions to be successful.”

“We made some good tackles, but we also missed some tackles,” Jasper said. “I am glad to have some film because now we can clean some things up.”

Joplin’s second unit took the third possession, with freshman quarterback All Wright, the younger brother of Always, completing a pass to Terrance Gibson for 15 yards, along with two completions of 17 and 9 yards to Landen Atherton. Senior running back Trayquan Peavler finished off the drive with a 3-yard rushing score.

Joplin opens the season at home next week with a matchup against the reigning Class 4 state champion Webb City Cardinals for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Junge Field.

“Webb City is a great program,” Jasper said. “We are excited for the opportunity to prepare for them and line up against them next week.”

Seneca is on the road for a 7 p.m. matchup at Marshfield.

“I have been more nervous about this night than anything all summer,” McFarland said. “Our goal as coaches was to get to tonight and give our kids a chance to play. We accomplished that. Now, we are going to throw everything at next week, and hopefully we get to play a football game. Hopefully, we get to keep playing (beyond next week), but if not, we don’t want to leave any regrets on the field.”