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Elkins' five scores drop Nevada
By Joe Warren
Herald-Tribune
NEVADA, Mo. -- The Nevada Tigers and Cassville Wildcats combined for more than 900 yards of total offense and 83 points as the Wildcats downed the Tigers 55-28 at Logan Field in the Class 3, District 11 opener for both teams.
The Tigers (2-6) lost their fifth consecutive game as the bigger, stronger Wildcats pounded Nevada into submission.
Cassville punished Nevada for 394 yards on the ground (to go with 153 through the air), including 164 from senior tailback Brian Elkins, who score five touchdowns.
Elkins had four scores on the ground and one on his only pass reception, a 28-yard strike, outscoring the Tigers by himself.
The third-ranked Wildcats blew the game open in the second quarter, scoring 27 unanswered points in the period after holding a slim 7-6 lead after one.
Elkins scored four of his five scores in the decisive quarter, rumbling in from 1-yard out twice, and also scoring on a 19-yard run and his one reception.
The Tigers actually scored first, as the game's first play from scrimmage was a 60-yard touchdown pass from Ronnie Herda to Colby Shepherd.
The play was a simple hitch pattern that Shepherd caught parallel to the line of scrimmage, but the sophomore receiver made his defender miss and outran the rest of the Wildcat defense to the end zone.
The two-point attempt failed and Nevada led 6-0 with 11:42 still left in the opening period.
The Tigers were actually in first place in the district, but for only 1:05. That's all Cassville needed to answer, going 64 yards on four plays, capped by a 39-yard scoring jaunt by quarterback Tim Orrell. The PAT gave Cassville a 7-6 lead and they wouldn't trail again.
Cassville scored again with 10:50 left in the second period on a 19-yard run by Elkins. The score capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive and the rout was on.
By halftime Elkins had 112 yards on 16 attempts and the Wildcats had 186 yards on the ground.
Meanwhile Nevada's ground game was stuffed, as the Tigers managed only 35 yards rushing in the contest. But the Tigers were able to move the ball through the air, as Herda went 22-for-39 with 342 yards passing, with four scores and no interceptions.
Cassville led by as many as 35, actually allowing for a running clock in the third period as they took a 41-6 lead on a 2-yard run by fullback Danny Naugle.
But the Tigers scored twice in a 17 second span to take the mercy rule out of effect.
The first score was a 9-yard pass from Herda to Lovinger. Herda hit the junior wideout on a crossing pattern at the 1, but Lovinger had to break a handful of tackles, eventually diving for the pylon on the north corner of the west end zone to make the score 41-12.
The score finished a 75-yard drive that included a 54-yard bomb from Herda to Shepherd, putting Nevada at the Cassville 7.
On Cassville's next offensive play, they fumbled and Nevada recovered at the Wildcat 48. Nevada struck again on the very next snap, as Herda hit a streaking Jacob Cherry for a 48-yard score and the two-point conversion run by Herda made it 41-20.
After Elkins scored on another 19-yard run to make it 48-20, Nevada answered with their final score of the game.
The Tigers drove 66 yards in 11 plays, finishing with a 14-yard pass from Herda to Lovinger with 10:04 left in the game.
Cherry ran in the two-point conversion and the score was 48-28.
Cassville scored the final touchdown of the game two plays later as receiver Michael Baker took a pitch from Orrell on a trick play and scampered down the left sideline for a 50-yard score.
Cassville would finish the game with four players amassing more than 60 yards rushing apiece.
Nevada's three-headed receiving monster was prolific again Friday, as they accounted for 317 of the Tigers' 342 yards through the air.
Shepherd, who came into the game leading all Southwest Conference receivers, had 179 yards on eight receptions. Shepherd now has 901 yards receiving this season on 37 catches, an average of 24.4 yards per reception. Shepherd also has six touchdown receptions.
Only a sophomore, Shepherd has two more games to try and eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark. He needs only 99 yards and is averaging nearly 113 yards per game.
Lovinger had 66 yards on seven catches Friday, giving him 432 yards on 30 catches this season. Lovinger also has six touchdown receptions.
Cherry accounted for 72 yards receiving against the Wildcats, on five receptions. He now has 385 yards on 30 catches and four scores.
Cherry actually leads the team in touchdowns with nine, as he also has five rushing scores in his dual running back/receiver role.
Meanwhile Herda is far and away the leading passer in the conference with 1,863 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions.
The Tigers are on the road their final two games of the season, traveling to Seneca this week and finishing with Monett.
Seneca beat Monett Friday, 35-21.
Cassville (7-0) is at Monett this week.