Republic fights through mistakes to beat No. 3 Webb City

McCracken goes for 243 yards, three TDs for Tigers; team looks to Carthage contest
 
Republic overcame a rough start, three turnovers, and 75 penalty yards to earn its biggest win of the season to date – a 27-21 road victory over No. 3 Webb City. The Tigers scored three second-half touchdowns and made a key defensive stop in the final minutes to seal it.
Webb City built a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The Cardinals’ first touchdown came on an 80-yard drive that was extended by a roughing-the-kicker penalty after Republic had forced a punt. Abel Getz finished that drive with a short touchdown run, and Mason Williams sprinted 67 yards for another score on Webb City’s next possession.
Republic answered immediately. On the first play after Williams’ touchdown, Preston McCracken broke loose for a 67-yard run to cut the lead in half.
McCracken kept the offense rolling after halftime, capping a long third-quarter drive with a four-yard touchdown to make it 14-13 after a missed extra point. Williams’ second touchdown run - this one from seven yards - briefly put the Cardinals up by eight points, but Matthew Pelfrey’s 12-yard dash and a two-point conversion evened the score at 21-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Tigers’ defense came up big in the closing minutes. They snuffed out a Webb City drive on 4th and 1, setting up Republic’s game-winner. With 1:25 left, McCracken powered into the end zone from two yards out to give Republic its first lead. On Webb City’s final drive, Grayson Hart broke through for a fourth-down sack to finish it off - marking the second straight year Republic’s defense has delivered a late fourth-down stop to beat the Cardinals.
McCracken finished with 243 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. His long runs of 67, 40, 21, and 18 yards set up or scored touchdowns. Klier added 57 yards on eight carries, highlighted by a 30-yard gain. Pelfrey had 18 yards and his 12-yard touchdown run, while Izaiah Hull added 32 and Jin Villasica chipped in 36.
Republic’s defense limited Webb City to just five passing yards and kept the Cardinals from sustaining drives despite 183 rushing yards from Williams. It was made possible by a defensive line that was out-sized but held its own against the Webb City front.
Coach Ryan Cornelsen said the Tigers’ perseverance made the difference. “We had a lot of mistakes, penalties, turnovers. Two weeks in a row, we just kept fighting,” he said. “When things didn’t look good, we didn’t point fingers. It was, ‘Hey, next play, let’s get it done.’ That’s a sign of maturity.”
McCracken said the second-half turnaround came from staying composed. “The first half we had a lot of mistakes and penalties, and we knew coming out of the second half we had to capitalize,” he said. “That’s probably our best football we’ve played all year.”
The win pushed Republic’s record to 5-1 and continued its recent success against Webb City - four victories in the last five meetings after losing the first 24 over three decades. The Tigers will travel to Carthage this week to face another state-ranked opponent.