ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

Cassville picked up a 22-6 win over East Newton on Friday, extending a two-decade win streak kept by institutional memory.

Lance Parnell, Cassville athletic director, said he believes the last loss to the Patriots came in 2002, and Missouri State High School Sports Association records show 16 wins in a row, back to 2010.

The Wildcats preserved the streak with a second-half push, scoring the second-lowest amount of points in the last 16 meetings, but enough for a win.

“East Newton played really well,” said Clay Weldy, Cassville football coach. “Two times they were inside the 5, and we held them and did not let them score. That was the difference in the game. They did a good job grinding us on the offensive side of the ball, and it was a physical game, like an old Big 8 contest. We made a few mistakes, but we found a way to win the game somehow through sheer will and grit.”

East Newton started the game with the ball, embarking on a bruising drive that took 6:27 off the clock but only reached midfield.

The Wildcats’ first drive threatened to score, but an interception inside the 5 sent the Patriots the other way.

After a scoreless first quarter, Cassville found the end zone with a 42-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bodee Rose to running back Colton Roark, capping an 80-yard drive that included three first downs.

The Patriots answered with a 67-yard rushing score, with the back finding open field after breaking a tackle at the line.

Cassville roared back with a 60-yard drive and a Kyle Bailey push from fourth-and-inches at the goal line to go up 13-6 after a mishandled snap on the extra-point play.

With 1:23 left in the half, East Newton gained to the Cassville 31, and a personal foul moved the ball into the red zone. Working their way up to the 3-yard line, the Patriots attempted two passes into the end zone, both broken up by Wildcat defensive backs to preserve the lead into the break.

“That would have been a huge momentum swing for them if they had tied the score or taken the lead,” Weldy said. “They controlled the momentum of the game with their offense on the field, and we just had to grind it out. we bent, but did not break there.”

Rose said for the players, making that goal line stand resulted in a boost of confidence and momentum coming out of the locker room.

“After that, we felt somewhat relieved,” he said. “We knew they were in a good spot and it was dangerous for us, and we kept them from doing what they do best. We hit our assignments and calls, and it was good positive momentum going into the half and knowing we’d get the ball back after halftime.”

The second half mirrored the first, with a scoreless third quarter and the Wildcats sealing the game with a safety and 7-yard Rose touchdown on the ensuing drive.

Quarterback pressure by the Cassville defense resulted in numerous incompletions as the game wound down, and the Wildcats forced a turnover on downs to seal the victory.

“I’m proud of how we ground it out,” Rose said. “Defense was a grind; offense was a grind — that’s just how this game went.”

Rose had his best passing performance of the season, completing 6 of 8 for 93 yards with one touchdown and one interception. On the ground, he rushed 25 times, more than double any previous game this year, for 103 yards and a score.

Weldy said the junior captain’s performance was stellar, as was the whole backfield’s in a tough game in the trenches.

“Bodee played very well and ran hard,” Weldy said. “Our bigs played bang up football, and Kyle really ran hard. Tristan Thompson also played very well in the second half. It was a lot of hard blocking and hard running.”

Rose said he made it clear to his offensive line that the game would be a battle.

“I told the big boys up front it would be a grind all night,” he said. “We’d gain 3 yards, then 1, then 3 and get a first down. It was one drive at a time and just playing the best we can. I didn’t feel like we played super clean, but we found a way to win. Now, we need to build and take the next step forward. If we can clean up our mistakes, we will be a dangerous team.”

Weldy said starting the season 3-1 is great, but big challenges are yet to come.

“we are 3-1 with a really young team,” he said. “We have just one returning starter on defense and three on offense. A lot of these guys are playing only their third or fourth varsity game of their lives, and our schedule is tough going forward.”

A test will come on Friday on the road, when Cassville travels to Class 4 McDonald County (2-2), a team the Wildcats have not beaten since 2020. The Mustangs are coming off a 34-7 road loss at Nevada.

“They are very large up front on both sides of the ball, and they have a lot of athletes to go with their linemen,” Weldy said. “Not losing the war in the trenches will be a big key in this game. The biggest thing will be matching their physicality. We will have to create some turnovers and not turnover the ball ourselves.”

Weldy said the contest will provide Cassville’s youth an opportunity to shine, especially with the improvement in the last four weeks.

“We are playing a lot of young and older inexperienced guys,” he said. “As we have gotten through four games now, we are seeing improvement. We are still making a lot of silly mistakes, but our kids are playing very hard and are finding ways to win games.

“We are hoping we are playing our best football at the end of the season going into district play.”

Kickoff on Friday is at 7 p.m., and live updates will be posted at www. cassville-democrat.com/category/ sports.