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Tigers remain unbeaten after caging Wildcats
The Tigers, and a good contingent of Nevada fans, made the trek south to Barry County Friday night in hopes of preserving their perfect start to the 2023 football season. The venue was Don Trotter Memorial Stadium in Cassville, just about 13 miles as the crow flies from the Arkansas state line. The contest would mark the 34th meeting on the gridiron between the two schools. The series dates back to the fall of 1951 when the Tigers defeated the Wildcats 38-12. A year later, Cassville was admitted to the Big 8, thus making it the Big 9 Conference. Since that time Nevada holds the series advantage 20 to 13.
Nevada was coming off a battle of state ranked unbeaten teams in their 55-34 victory over the Mt. Vernon Mountaineers while the Wildcats were 26-8 losers at McDonald County. Cassville came into the contest with 3 wins and 2 losses. The Wildcats were giving up under 19 points a game on defense while averaging 21 points on offense. By comparison, Nevada was averaging 47 points a game offensively while giving up just under 16 points per contest on defense. The Tigers won last year’s contest 62-7 at Nevada.
Nevada received the opening kickoff and it didn’t take the Tigers long to find the endzone. After a completion from QB Kellen Braden to TE Caden Klumpp, two plays later Jack Cheaney broke a 43-yard run. Then at 9:14 in the opening frame, senior running back Brice Budd scored on a 14-yard touchdown run. The Kellen Braden PAT kick was good and Nevada held a 7-0 advantage.
Cassville would counter in less than 4 minutes. At 5:29, Wildcat running back Bryson Jacobson found pay dirt from 16 yards out. The PAT kick by Cassville kicker Ashton Wheeler was good and the game was tied, Nevada 7-Cassville 7.
Nevada’s response was quick and decisive. Facing a 3rd and 7 yards to go, Jack Cheaney ran off tackle for 11 yards. On 1st down, Cheaney added another 8 yards on a carry. Then at the 3:23 mark, Tiger senior running back Dezmon Robinson scored on a 58-yard touchdown run. Robinson added the 2-point conversion on a run and Nevada held the 15-7 advantage.
In the second quarter, Cassville would answer. Wildcat junior QB Bodee Rose engineered a successful drive which included a 19-yard run by the talented quarterback. Then with 5:51 to go in the half, junior running back Kyle Bailey ran the ball to the end zone from 11 yards out. The PAT attempt failed and the score stood at Nevada 15-Cassville 13.
Dezmon Robinson and the Nevada kickoff return team would counter when the senior back took the ball at his own 3-yard line and returned it 71 yards deep into Wildcat territory. The Cassville defense would tighten forcing a 4th & 3 for the Tigers. That’s when Nevada sophomore QB Kellen Braden completed a 13-yard pass to Robinson for a critical first down. A few plays later, at 1:43 left in the half, junior running back Jack Cheaney scored on a 4th down 4-yard touchdown run. The Braden PAT kick was good and the Tigers took a 22-13 lead.
On the ensuing drive, Cassville threatened to score again. After a long halfback pass of 41 yards, Cassville had the ball on the Nevada 22-yard line. With 36 seconds remaining in the half, Nevada senior linebacker Henry Campbell came up with a huge interception, stopping the Wildcat drive deep in Nevada territory. The reason the turnover play by Campbell was so key was threefold:
• It would have closed the Nevada halftime led to three points or less
• It would have shifted momentum going into halftime
• Cassville was due receive the second half kickoff
The second half was pretty much all Tigers. After a Cheaney fumble recovery deep in Cassville territory, Tiger sophomore quarterback Kellen Braden completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to junior TE Caden Klumpp with 8:40 to go in the third quarter. The PAT 2-point conversion was good on a run by Brice Budd and pushed the lead to Nevada 30-Cassville 13.
After forcing the Wildcats to punt, Nevada would start their drive from their own two-yard line. Braden guided the offense methodically down field while the Tiger running game kept the clock moving.
In the fourth quarter, Nevada would never look back. With just 42 seconds gone in the final frame, Jack Cheaney scored on a 38-yard touchdown run, capping off a 98-yard touchdown drive. The Braden PAT kick was good. The scoreboard read: Nevada 37-Cassville 13.
Cassville would answer with 7:07 left when Wildcat sophomore running back Colton Roark scored on a 47-yard touchdown run. The 2-point PAT pass from Bodee Rose to Cosmo Rhoads was successful.
With 2:49 left in the contest, Tiger junior running back Gabe Smith scored on a 13-yard run. The Braden PAT kick was good.
At 1:38 Nevada’s junior defensive back Bodie Thorpe intercepted the Cassville quarterback capping a 3-turnover night for the Nevada Defense and putting the finishing touch on the victory.
The final score: Nevada 44-Cassville 21.
The Tiger rushing attack amassed 375 yards on the ground with 175 coming from junior Jack Cheaney and 116 from senior Dezmon Robinson.
Nevada had rushing touchdowns from Cheaney, Robinson, Brice Budd and Gabe Smith. In the passing department, quarterback Kellen Braden connected to Caden Klumpp for his third touchdown toss in as many games. Jack Cheaney passed the 1000 yards rushing mark on the season and scored his 17th & 18th rushing touchdowns on the season.
Head Coach Wes Beachler had the following comments after the Tiger victory:
“We played well. We gave up more yards than we would like on defense…. but we, once again, created turnovers and got some key stops when we needed them…
Offensively, we executed well again. We got back to taking care of the football and increased our proficiency in the passing game. Our running game was once again effective, although we need to clean some fundamentals up on our offensive line.”
The Tigers are now undefeated through six games. Historically speaking, that feat has been accomplished five other times in Tiger Football since World War II: 1966, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1997. Four of those teams went on to claim a Conference Championship. The 66 and 73 squads had undefeated seasons. The 1975 squad started out 12-0 before losing in the state finals to Columbia Rockbridge, 10-0 in biblical November flood at Faurot Field on the campus of the University of Missouri. By comparison, the 1997 squad started out 8-0 before losing their final two games against perineal powerhouses Webb City and Harrisonville who have won a combined 21 Missouri State Football Championships.
If that is not enough to bring you out to Logan Field this Friday, then this might. Nevada is playing host to Lamar High School in the 66th Silver Tiger game that dates back to 1931. The trophy, a Silver Tiger mounted on a black stand with the plate inscription: “Nevada Lamar Trophy” is actually nicknamed “Oscar." The trophy has made its home at Lamar High School since the fall of 2005. The series was renewed in 2018 when Nevada rejoined the Big 8 Conference making the contest possible. Both teams come into the contest state ranked: Nevada is 7th in Class 4 and Lamar is 1st in Missouri class 2. This week, look forward to some Silver Tiger Fun Facts and a number of amazing pictures from the past that will highlight this historic rivalry.
A chance to move to 7-0, bringing home the Silver Tiger and setting up a possible conference championship match up with Seneca in a couple of weeks makes Friday’s contest a must see for Nevada fans. I hope to see you at historic Logan Field to support the Crimson & Gray clad Tigers.