Tigers maul Cubs, 54-14

The Nevada High School football team got back to its high-scoring winning ways Friday night at Monett, with six different Tigers scoring touchdowns in a 54-14 thumping of the Cubs.

After getting shut out in the first half last week against Lamar, Nevada (4-1) could only be held out of the end zone for a quarter in week 5. On the team’s first possession of the second quarter, junior wingback Avious Steadman broke free around the left side and zipped past the secondary for a 69-yard TD run (junior quarterback Cade Beshore’s two-point conversion pass to senior tight end Kartman Highley was good).

Sophomore linebacker Henry Campbell got the ball back for NHS by recovering a fumble, and the offense cashed it in with an 8-yard keeper by Beshore, set up by a 28-yard run up the right sideline by junior tailback Jordan Johnson (junior running back Case Sanderson ran in the two-point conversion).

Next Monett drive, it was senior linebacker Logan Marquardt’s turn to force a turnover, this time by hauling in an interception. Following a couple of runs by Steadman and Sanderson, Monett’s defense loaded the box — which Beshore took advantage of in the form of a 59-yard touchdown pass in stride to a streaking Sanderson (Zade Lee collected a pitch on the option for yet another two-point conversion).

Nevada senior defensive back JD Downing picked off Monett’s quarterback before the end of the quarter, but the Tigers had to settle for a 24-0 halftime lead.

The scoring continued for NHS to begin the third quarter, when back-to-back big runs by Steadman forced the Cubs (1-4) to load up the box again — setting up a 32-yard play-action TD pass from Beshore to junior Drew Beachler (Steadman ran in the two-point conversion).

Monett finally got on the board with a 3-yard run and extra point, but Beshore and Steadman responded by connecting on a 12-yard touchdown pass on the other end (Sanderson’s two-point conversion run was good).

After the defense forced a punt, which was blocked by junior Ken Johnson, Jordan Johnson got the call early in the fourth quarter and found the end zone from one yard out (Steadman’s extra point was blocked).

Monett scored its second and final touchdown (a 10-yard pass) against Nevada’s reserves with a running clock, before NHS sophomore wingback Dezmon Robinson took a handoff left, bounced right, and sprinted into the end zone from 56 yards out (sophomore Tucker Duncan ran in the two-point try).

The Tigers would even force another turnover before time expired, when sophomore defensive lineman Luke Anderson recovered a fumble.

They will next host Seneca (3-2) for homecoming.