Willard Tiger football drops impressive shootout with Neosho

Quarterback Roweton throws for 437 yards, four touchdowns in loss
 
 
In what turned out to be the fifth highest scoring football game in Missouri High School 11-man football history, the Willard High School football team traveled to Neosho on Friday, Aug. 26, and came home with an unbelievable 79-72 loss.
    The Wildcats jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before Willard answered back on a Russell Roweton 61-yard pass to Clayton Scott to cut the lead to 14-6. After a Neosho field goal made it 17-6, Roweton hit Landon Moore with a 43-yard pass to cut the lead to 17-14 at the end of the quarter.
    Neosho came out on fire in the second quarter increasing their lead to 31-14 before Scott answered back for Willard with a 60-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to cut the Wildcats lead to 31-20. After another Neosho touchdown, Scott once again answered with another 60-yard kickoff return touchdown to cut the Wildcats lead to 38-28. On the ensuing Neosho drive, Brady Griffin would pick up a Neosho fumble and run it back 33 yards for the score, to cut the Wildcat lead to 38-36.
    Neosho would drive for two more touchdowns to increase their lead to 52-38 before Roweton would hit Timmy Ruble with a 32-yard pass to cut the lead to 52-42. After getting the ball back Roweton would throw a 25-yard pass to Raymond Ray to get Willard within two points, 52-50 at the half.
    Neosho would once again increase their lead on Willard going up 66-50 before Eli Burgin would barrel in from one yard out to cut the score to 66-56 at the end of the third quarter.
    In the fourth quarter it would be the Owen Bushnell show, as he would take it 66 yards to the house to make it a 66-64 game and then would score from three yards out to finally tie the game at 72-72 late in the fourth quarter. Neosho would add a final score to win the game, 79-72.
    Roweton finished the game 25-31 for 437 yards and four passing touchdowns. Bushnell led Willard in rushing, gaining 130 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns. Scott totaled three touchdowns in the game and Moore and Ruble both had 108 yards receiving and a touchdown each in the loss.
    The Tigers currently sit in fourth place in the Class 5, District 6 standings with three points. Carthage leads the district with 33 points, Neosho is second with 27 points, Webb City is third with seven points and Parkview and Republic are both fifth with -3 points.
    Willard will look to get their first win of the season when they host Joplin this Friday night.