Tigers blank Joplin, improve to 5-1

Republic scored touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half and shut out Joplin 35-0 on the road Friday.

The Tigers moved the ball well in the first half but led only 7-0 at the break. A fumble ended their opening drive at the Joplin 29, and Joplin quarterback Trenton McCadney kept the Eagles' offense on the field with his running.

"They're hard to get off the field because [McCadney's] that good," Republic coach Ryan Cornelsen said. "He kept the drives alive and kept their offense on the field, and just basically drained the clock. Kind of played our game."

Joplin twice turned the ball over on downs in Republic territory. Trenten Coleman intercepted McCadney to set up the only score of the half, a five-yard run by Lincoln Caldwell with 3:44 left.

Four plays into the third quarter, Nolan Lashley broke a 34-yard touchdown run. Kordel Riley followed with a 16-yard score on a reverse, the first touchdown of his varsity career.

"I ran into my blocker twice, and instead of going outside, I cut back in, broke a tackle, and scored," Riley said. "Good feeling."

Cooper Cornelsen threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Brennan Overstreet late in the third, and Lashley added a 27-yard touchdown run with 10:16 left in the game.

Lashley ran for 173 yards on 19 carries, pushing him past 1,000 yards for the season, and has 20 touchdowns. Republic ran for 422 yards and held Joplin to 122 yards. The Eagles punted on all four of their second-half possessions.

Republic (5-1) hosts Webb City at 7 p.m. Friday.