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By Dana Harding
Ozark, MO – In head coach Chad Depee’s first season at the helm, Ozark finished a disappointing 1-9 and was bounced in the first round of districts.
What a difference a year makes.
Ozark utilized a punishing ground attack and an opportunistic defense to down Bolivar 34-12 on senior night.
The Tigers finished 7-2 to close out the season and complete a massive program turnaround.
“These guys are believing in each other,” Depee said. “What it boils down to is they believe in each other, they believe in the coaches and there’s the trust factor that only comes with time. It takes time to develop those bonds, and this group has done just a tremendous job … they’ve answered every bell.”
Following the opening kick, both teams traded first-quarter haymakers and appeared to be headed for a shootout.
On the fourth play from scrimmage, Ozark struck first with a 60-yard touchdown run from Nate Burlage.
Moments later, Bolivar answered with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Connor Sechler to Mason Payne.
In the second quarter, Ozark showcased its ground game with a pair for scores.
Burlage found the end zone for a second touchdown from 11 yards out, then quarterback Jack Hulce called his own number on a 15-yard score.
Burlage was quick to praise the Tiger line for controlling the line of scrimmage and pushing forward on the snap.
“The line was doing a great job opening up holes,” Burlage said. “A linebacker was there [on the second TD], and he tried to arm-tackle me, but it was all the line tonight.”
The junior fullback finished the game with 172 of Ozark’s 317 rushing yards and a pair of scores.
The Tigers led 20-6 at the half, but faced a scary moment when junior Curt Gracey was carted off the field with a leg injury.
During the lengthy delay, players from both teams kneeled, prayed and attempted to regain composure with a football game still to play.
As he left the field, Gracey gave players from both teams a thumbs-up. Burlage discussed the difficulties trying to refocus and take care of business on the field.
“We prayed about it, and then we just tried to get as emotionally into it as we could,” Burlage said. “We wanted to play for him.”
The second half featured more of a defensive struggle, with both teams registering big plays once again.
After a Lane Loomer 10-yard score cut the lead to a single possession at 20-12, Bolivar forced a quick 3-and-out to get the ball back.
While the Liberators were unable to put a drive together, that turned out to be the least of their problems.
A low fourth-down snap turned a would-be punt into a downed fumble, giving Ozark the ball with prime field position at the Bolivar 25.
One snap later, Reed Herrold raced in for a touchdown to shift momentum back to the Tigers for good.
“We just continue to do what we do,” Depee said. “[Bolivar] is a great team. They’ve got a great back, they throw the ball around and the quarterback’s tremendous. You see him extend plays, so it really stresses you out on that end.”
Bolivar would try to rally; however, three turnovers in the half proved to be too much for the Liberators to overcome.
Bolivar head coach Glen Johnson talked about what the game meant for his group of seniors.
“I thought the game was better than the score,” Johnson said. “The good thing is, we don’t have to beat Ozark to do anything in districts, and they have beat the teams that we need to beat. We showed that we belong, and we showed that we can play … but it’s hard. They wanted that one bad.”
Loomer led the Liberators with 154 yards, while Sechler threw for 181 in the loss.
With the win, Ozark (7-2) unofficially claims the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Class 5, District 4 bracket. While the official results won’t be released until late Saturday evening, it would appear the Tigers will get a week off before facing the winner of Lebanon and Central in the second round.
Bolivar (5-4) winds up unofficially with the No. 5 seed in the Class 4, District 5 and will most likely travel south to Hillcrest for the opening round in its bracket.
Ozark – 34, Bolivar – 12
Ozark 7 13 0 14 — 34 Bolivar 6 0 6 0 — 12
First quarter scoring
Ozark Nate Burlage 60-yd TD rush 7 – 0
(Chandler Doss kick)
Bolivar Mason Payne 49-yd TD rec from Connor Sheckler 6 – 7
(PAT missed)
Second quarter scoring
Ozark Nate Burlage 11-yd TD rush 13 – 6
(PAT missed)
Ozark Jack Hulce 15-yd TD rush 20 – 6
(Doss kick)
Third quarter scoring
Bolivar Lane Loomer 10-yd TD rush 12 – 20
(2-pt conversion failed)
Fourth quarter scoring
Ozark Reed Herrold 25-yd TD rush 27 – 12
(Doss kick)
Ozark Devin Mayes 2-yd TD rush 34 – 12
(Doss kick)
