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Tigers host Mustangs tonight
By Jason Peake
Daily Mail Sports Editor
NEVADA -- After back-to-back road games, the Nevada High School football team is back home for week seven of the 2011 season.
Nevada hosts former conference rival McDonald County tonight at Logan Field. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. and Homecoming festivities will be held before the game.
After four-straight victories, Nevada is now 4-2 on the season.
McDonald County comes to town with a 2-4 record, but Nevada Coach Wes Beachler feels the Mustangs will challenge his Tigers.
"They're very fundamentally sound on both sides of the ball," Beachler said. "They don't make a lot of mistakes."
McDonald County started the season with four-straight losses, but have won two-straight (Springfield Central and Joplin's JV).
Using the I-formation, the Mustangs will run the ball again and again.
"When they're on offense, you have to play sound football or they'll hurt you," Beachler said. "They don't do anything fancy, but they'll run hard. The backs run downhill and they hit the holes hard. We'll have to be sound defensively."
For the Mustangs, Jantsen Lynn averages 171 rushing yards a game. Cody Hobbs has passed for 105 yards a game, so the Mustangs will mix it up offensively.
McDonald County has allowed 167 points and scored 140. They are averaging 23.3 points per game.
The Tigers have scored 113 points and allowed 112 this season. Nevada is scoring 18.8 points per game.
"They'll make us work for everything on offense," Beachler said. "On defense, they're pretty big and pretty solid. And they're sound. They make the opposition make plays."
Jordan Moffett is a leading tackler for the Mustangs.
These two teams have one common opponent this season, Springfield Central. Nevada beat Central 36-6 on Sept. 16 and McDonald County hammered Central 53-20 one week later.
After an 0-2 start, Nevada has won four-straight, including two close wins in the last two weeks.
Coach Beachler hopes his team continues to make progress this week.
"We just want to keep improving," he said. "We want to be better than we were last week. District play is coming up. We need to align and block better offensively and defensively. We're excited about how the kids have progressed. We just have to keep getting better."
McDonald County beat Nevada 41-14 last year.
Team leaders
Offensively, Dalton Hendren leads the Tigers in rushing yards with 307 and Johnathan Klingaman has ran for 268 yards. Trevor Hunholz has rushed for 134 yards and leads the team with five touchdowns. As a team, Nevada has rushed for 982 yards on 246 carries this season.
Quarterback Alex Payne has completed 13 of 22 passes for 284 yards with three touchdowns. Klingaman has 147 receiving yards with two touchdowns, while Bubba Banes has 89 receiving yards on four catches with one touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Banes is leading Nevada in tackles with 78 this season. Bradey Denney has 48 tackles, Cole Sanderson has 40 and Sam Ellifrits has 30. Ellifrits has 14 tackles for loss. Hunholz has two sacks and Sanderson has recovered four fumbles.
NEVADA FOOTBALL SEASON STATS
Rushing -- Dalton Hendren 48 carries, 307 yards; Johnathan Klingaman 61-268 yards, TD; Trevor Hunholz, 32-134, 5TD; Bradey Denney 33-93, TD; Lucas Denman, 39-86; 2TD; Alex Payne 26-78; Cole Sanderson 7-16, TD.
Passing -- Alex Payne -- 13-for-22, 284 yards, 3TD.
Receiving -- Klingaman 4-147, 2TD; Denman 1-16; Bubba Banes 4-89, TD; Tyler Whitworth, 1-13; Keegan Bell 1-19; Hendren 1-(-2).
Punting -- Lucas Denman -- 10-309, 30.9 average.
Kick-offs -- Sam Ellifrits --15-630, 42 average; Denman 2-45.
Kick-off returns -- Deney 5-99; Hendren 4-88; Bell 2-17; Brett Norton 1-36; Chris Enriquez 2-0; Trevor Hunholz 2-65.
Tackles -- Banes 78; Denney 48; Sanderson 40; Ellifrits 30; Bell 27; Hunholz 24; Whitworth 22; Denman 21; Klingaman 17; Norton 17; Enriquez 16; Ireland 16; Conner 16; Beisly 16.
Sacks -- Hunholz 2, Sanderson, Ellifrits, Denney, Whitworth, all with 1; Denman, Mahder, half-sack apiece.
INT -- Banes, Denney, Sanderson, Bell, Ireland, Slichenmeyer, all with 1.
Mac County's season
Lost to Monett 19-6
Lost to Chanute (Kan.) 51-27
Lost to Gravette 49-7
Lost to Jay (Okal.) 20-13
Beat Springfield Central 53-20
Beat Joplin JV 34-8.
Nevada's season
Lost to Warrensburg 27-18
Lost to Seneca 40-0
Beat East Newton 22-17
Beat Springfield Central 36-6
Beat El Dorado Springs 8-0
Beat William Chrisman 29-22