The Cassville football team overcame a slate of second-half adversity to secure its second win over the season on Friday, defeating Aurora, 22-19.
Physicality was the Wildcats’ biggest worry going into the game, and the contest was a gritty battle to the final snap.
Clay Weldy, Cassville football coach, said defensively, he could not have asked for much more.
“With Aurora, we were worried about how physical and large they are, and defensively, I’m proud of how well we played,” he said. “They are big on the edge and big inside, so I’m proud the kids played hard, even though we put the ball on the ground a few times.”
The game was by from a fumble recovery, when Kyle Bailey broke free for 44 yards, but was stripped at the Aurora 45. The ball bounced twice, and right into the hands of a sprinting Garrett Ewing, who carried it the rest of the way for a touchdown.
“Coach always preaches hustling down the field to hype our teammates up for a touchdown, and I thought Kyle was going all the way,” Ewing said. “I saw him get tackled, and the ball happened to pop up in the air right to me. To win with that touchdown shows the effort we put into this team.”
Weldy said the play was a testament to the type of game it was against Aurora.
“There were a lot of odd things that happened and a lot of momentum shifts,” he said. “With a young team, things like this can happen, and with adversity that was so off-the-wall, I’m proud to get the win. But, we have a lot to work on. It was an ugly win, but it was a win.”
After a 0-0 first frame, Cassville started the scoring with a 12-yard Bryson Jacobson run up the middle, capping a 63-yard drive that began after a blocked field goal and short return.
On the next series, freshman Masin Bryan intercepted a pass and returned it 16 yards to paydirt. A personal foul on the Houn’ Dawgs moved the ball to the 1, and quarterback Bodee Rose swept his way in for a 2-point conversion and 15-0 lead at halftime.
“We had a lot of freshmen and sophomores in, and for it being Masin’s first time out there, that’s a nice way to start a career,” Weldy said.
Aurora’s first score came with 8:07 left in the third, when a fumble at the 1-yard line was returned all the way back to Cassville’s 16. The Houn’ Dawgs quarterback found a lane up the middle to score on the next play.
After Ewing’s fumble picked up for a score, Aurora recovered its own fumble on third-and-3, gaining a first down and capitalizing on the drive with a dive in from the 1.
As the final minutes wound down, Aurora connected on a 46-yard completion to the 1 to score again.
With 55 seconds remaining, Ewing recovered an onside kick — the third of the night for Aurora and only one to travel 10 yards — allowing Cassville to kneel out the clock.
Through turnovers and penalties, it was difficult for either team to sustain any momentum, and Weldy said the fight Cassville showed to come out on top was admirable.
“We try to get them to calm down, because they were getting frustrated with a lot of things going on in the game,” Weldy said. “With our older guys shuffling in and out, those kinds of things can happen. I thought we showed some leadership, and I’m proud of that. I hope we can build on it because there are a lot of tough games coming. To get one tonight when it may not have gone our way, I’m very proud.”
Ewing said it all came down to the Wildcats working hard.
“It was a big game and we were hyped,” he said. “It didn’t always go our way, and when the adversity came and things started going downhill, we stepped up at the end. That’s what we train for, to keep grinding through.
“The coaches preach to stay level-headed, not get too high or too low. If we make a play, get hyped about it, and if not, go on our way and push through.”
That dedication from Ewing was evident in the final tackle of the game, needing athletic trainer assistance after getting crunched recovering the onside kick.
“We knew the onside was coming, and we knew we had to get the ball,” he said. “If we get that ball, we win the game.”
Cassville returns to action on Friday, traveling to face a 2-0 Seneca team that has yet to give up a score this season. The Indians have defeated Aurora, 37-0, and Springfield Catholic, 62-0.
Weldy said Seneca’s physicality, speed and athleticism will make it hard to move the ball, and the Wildcats will have to improve from the Aurora performance.
“We made far too many mistakes last Friday and had three turnovers and had a couple of fumbles that we recovered,” he said. “We will not be able to get away with those kinds of mistakes this week.”
Aurora’s physicality, however, should provide a point of reference for the Indians.
“Aurora was an extremely physical team,” Weldy said. “I think this will help us in the long run, not only this week [against Seneca], but the rest of the season. It’s good to see good teams early in the season because they usually expose weaknesses you have or things you need to work on. Aurora did that for us last Friday night, and Seneca will as well this Friday.”
On the Wildcats’ defensive end, Weldy said foundational tackling will be key.
“They have the type of skill kids that will break tackles if we are not flying around and gang tackling,” Weldy said. “Getting off stalk blocks on the edge will be another important key, as well as not giving up the play in the passing game.”
Cassville kicks off in Seneca on Friday at 7 p.m.
