More photos from this game may be found at: https://cassvilledemocrat.zenfoliosite.com/photo-galleries/2024-cassville-football-1/football-cassville-at-mt-vernon-10-4-24?ct=2.
BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
Heaps of touchdowns and turnovers gave fans their money’s worth in Mt. Vernon on Friday.
Cassville led twice in the contest, but the final frame went the home team’s way and the Wildcats fell to the Mountaineers, 35-28.
Holding onto the ball was a struggle for both outfits at certain points in the game. Cassville gave up two fumbles and an interception, but the Wildcats recovered four Mt. Vernon fumbles and intercepted two passes.
“We just made too many mistakes,” said Clay Weldy, Cassville football coach. “I said at halftime, we had a chance to separate in the first half, and we had a chance to finish it. Our defense kept us in the game in the second half by creating turnovers, but the mistakes on offense hurt us.”
The Wildcats found the scoreboard in the first minute, with quarterback Bodee Rose cutting through a hole and going 78 yards untouched to paydirt.
Cassville recovered the ensuing kick, but fumbled the ball away later. in the drive.
The Mountaineers managed a 27-yard field goal on their first possession, and Cassville answered with a 25-yard Kyle Bailey touchdown run, his first of three on the night.
Mt. Vernon, however, did not let the Wildcats keep the lead, scoring on a short run then capitalizing on the Wildcats’ second fumble with a 32-yard touchdown catch to take a 17-14 edge into the break.
In the second half, Chance Freed recovered a fumble, but Cassville had to punt it away. Then, Tristan Thompson intercepted a pass, but the Mountaineers intercepted it back on the next play.
A Carlos Barrientos interception at the 25 gave way to another punt, but this time, the snap flew over Rose’s head and through the end zone for a safety. The kick from the 25-yard line was returned for a score, giving Mt. Vernon a 27-14 lead.
However, Cassville kept churning. A Colton Roark 21-yard catch set up Bailey for a 52-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to one score near the end of the third. Then, a Jesse James fumble recovery set Bailey up again, this time going 79 yards to give Cassville the lead once more, 28-27.
After trading punts, Mt. Vernon capped a 68-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run and 2-point conversion to go up 35-28. With just under 2 minutes left in the game, a pass to Roark moved the ball to the 50 for a first down, but a short gain by Bailey and back-toback sacks put the Wildcats at fourthand- 25. Another pass to Roark in first-down territory was batted down, and the Mountaineers kneeled out the clock.
“I told the guys after the game, if we can clean up the stuff we can control, we’d be a good team,” Weldy said. “We are so close to being a good team, and we’re playing better on the road. It’s tough to lose, but we are getting better.
“We’re a young group, but we’re tough. The kids played really hard. We just have to get out of our own way.”
Senior lineman Isaac Pickett said the Wildcats were worn down by the end of the contest.
“It was a game of offenses in the end,” he said. “I think we got worn down, but we managed to keep in the fight.”
Keeping Cassville going was the ability to create turnovers, which Pickett called boosts.
“ It ’ s very morale-boosting when we get turnovers,” he said. “When we got down, we found a way to pull ourselves back out. And, we had some good pass coverage.”
Weldy lauded the defensive play, saying the Wildcats have shown up when needed all season long.
“The defense has been good this year,” he said. “Like in the Lamar game, we play well when we have to. Mt. Vernon is a senior-loaded team, and we were in the ballgame. We had our opportunities but couldn’t finish.”
Cassville is now 2-4, yet to win a game on the road but also yet to lose at home. In fact, Cassville has not lost at home since Week 6 last season, when the Wildcats welcomed this week’s opponent — Nevada.
The Tigers are 5-1, losing only to Seneca so far, 42-0, and are coming off winning a thriller over Lamar, 20-19.
“I have not seen them on film yer, but we always prepare, and we have played well at home,” Weldy said. “Of our six games so far, only two have been at home, so it will be nice to be back in Wildcat Stadium. Hopefully our good fortune there carries us through.”
With Homecoming festivities scheduled prior to the game, Pickett said he hopes Wildcat Nation brings the atmosphere.
“We’re ecstatic to play at home,” he said. “I feel the energy there is incomparable to anywhere else — and it’s Homecoming.”
Against Mt. Vernon, Cassville tallied 300 yards on the ground and 73 through the air while allowing 154 yards rushing and 193 yards passing.
Rose was 7-for-13 through the air with 1 interception, adding 93 yards on 13 rushes and 1 touchdown.
Bailey led the backs with 177 yards on 12 attempts and three scores. Roark led receivers with 59 yards on 5 catches.
Defensively, Freed led tacklers with 6, and Barrientos added 5. Thompson and Barrientos had the interceptions, and fumble recoveries went to Hunter Morse, Easton Hughes, Zach Myers and Jesse James.
Kickoff at Wildcat Stadium against Nevada on Friday is at 7 p.m.
