[wpbvideo id=”420408″]
By Tyler F. Thompson (For Ozarks Sports Zone)
SPRINGFIELD — The Carthage Tigers (10-2) lost two games early in the season this fall.
Those losses came at the hands of an undefeated Class 6 Joplin team (56-55), followed by state powerhouse and the pride of Class 4, Webb City (32-7).
The Tigers fell to the duo by a combined 26 points.
While some would hang their heads after facing such early-season adversity, it unified the Tigers — who stormed to the 64-34 final over the Glendale Falcons Friday at the Class 5 quarterfinals at Glendale High School.
With the win, the Tigers are packing their bags, pads, and shells for a third consecutive trip to the state’s Final Four.
Senior bell cow Tyler Mueller amassed 293 yards from scrimmage en route to his five-touchdown performance to lead Carthage.
On this night, everything worked well.
“It was raining out, and we knew we just had to come out and pound the football down their throat,” Mueller said, who tallied 288 yards on the ground in 36 minutes of action.
Mueller’s patience, overall field vision, and his ability to bounce the rock out to the perimeter, while exposing the A and B gaps in along the interior, comments on the senior’s versatility, drive, and overall awareness of his running lanes.
“They run a 6-1 defense, and we just knew that if we picked up the blocks, we would be able to score and win the game,” Mueller said.
And score they did, as quarterback Patrick Carlton scored from seven and five yards out to strike first: giving him, Mueller, and company the quick scores they coveted so.
Mueller’s 43-yard scamper increased the lead to 21-6 with :42 remaining in the first half.
But — he was just getting started.
After a Glendale turnover, Mueller went back to work, carrying the pigskin 47 yards for the score, as the Tigers created some distance, 28-12.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
The season has not been all roses for the Tigers, though, after the losses to Joplin and Webb City tossed an early wrench into their proverbial spokes.
But with veteran leadership comes a collective, veteran mindset, and the losses simply galvanized the team even further.
Said Mueller: “We definitely learned from those losses. It has [made] us come closer as a team with more focus, especially come the second half.”
Huntley came up with the interception on the next Glendale possession — one of four Glendale turnovers in the first half.
A vicious Kale Schrader block at the pylon sprung Mueller for the 17-yard score , as the Tigers were rolling, 34-12, with 3:37 remaining in the opening half.
But moments before, Glendale’s Ben Shoemaker sustained an injury on a helmet-to-helmet play, which was not called, and drew two unsportsmanlike penalties on Falcons head coach Mike Mauk — who was ejected.
Carthage’s defense was strong all night holding Glendale to just 12 first-half points.
And even the offensive personnel is taking notice.
“It has just been amazing,” Mueller said. “I don’t know how many interceptions we had tonight (3), but we knew they would be throwing the ball. Our defense is amazing and they got it done.”
Mueller’s 10-yard run pushed the lead to 41-12 to open the third quarter.
Glendale inched closer with quarterback Gavin Watts’ 3-yard run and touchdown pass to Jack Clinkenbeard, cutting the deficit to three scores.
But the Falcons defense could not contain Mueller and his Tigers, as Carlton called his number once more for the 7-yard score.
The Tigers fell 36-21 last season to eventual state champion Vianney.
The tough road was worth the wait, but the Tigers are looking to pen their new narrative: becoming the first Carthage team to win state.
“It is a good feeling, and, hopefully, this time we can get over that hump and get to the final,” Mueller said of advancing to the semifinals.
The Tigers continue to roll with a bullseye on their backs, but for Schrader and his cohorts, it is a welcomed problem to have.
“The whole week, we knew what was going on. Our coaches talked to us,” Schrader said of preparing for the Falcons. “They knew what was going to happen in this game, and it is exactly what happened. We came in knowing we were going to score, and our defense made a lot of key stops. That really got us going.”
The chippiness was there, from the onset to the final whistle.
This was not front-page news for Schrader, and the physical component is one the senior takes to heart.
“We play in a really physical conference (Central Ozark Conference), and we feel like that is our strong point,” Schrader said. “We knew we had to come here and be the more physical team, and that is exactly what we did.”
The Tigers will be suiting up Saturday, Nov. 30, against Ft. Zumwalt North (12-0) in the Class 5 state semifinals.
The Tigers finished the night with 498 yards of total offense and nine touchdowns: Mueller (5), Carlton (3), and Luke Gall (1).
Scoring for Glendale: Shoemaker led the way with his two scores.
