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By Chris Parker
Cassville’s impressive postseason run came up one game short on Saturday with a 49-28 loss to Odessa in the Class 3 state championship game.
“It has been a privilege to get here. We saw a very good Odessa team today. They are well coached and very physical. These kids played their hearts out for me for four quarters. We didn’t play our best football the first half. Lesser young men would have dropped their heads, but these kids kept competing for four quarters. (They) kept fighting, clawing and scratching. I couldn’t be more proud of them playing all the way to the last whistle, which is what they have done for me all year long,” Cassville head coach Lance Parnell said.
Big plays and sustained drives by Odessa doomed the Wildcats on Saturday.
The Bulldogs opened the game with a 93-yard touchdown return by Bryley Ray on the opening kickoff to make the game 6-0 just 12 seconds in. They would get a six-play, 72-yard drive capped off by a Kade Kehl five-yard touchdown reception to go up 14-0 with 3:57 left in the first quarter.
Cassville answered back with a nine-play, 67-yard touchdown which ended with Deven Bates finding DJ White for a 13-yard touchdown strike.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Odessa took the momentum right back with an 80-yard touchdown pass from Josey Meieraren to Ray to put Odessa up 21-7 after one quarter. The Bulldogs would go into the half up 35-15.
The Wildcats came out of the locker room with a big play of their own as Bowen Preddy scored from 60 yards out to make It 35-21.
As it did all game, Odessa had a response. The Bulldogs drove 80 yards in 16 plays taking 6:13 off the clock to get the lead out to three scores at 41-21. Zach Coenen would add a three-yard touchdown run late in the third to cap the scoring.
“We couldn’t get off the field defensively. That is just a tribute to their (Odessa’s) talent offensively,” Parnell said. “We knew coming in it would be imperative for us to stop the run and we struggled to do that because of the talent they have up front at both tight end spots.”
Odessa tallied up 505 yards on the day with 225 on the ground and 280 through the air. Cassville had 301 yards of total offense with 134 rushing and 167 passing.
Cassville will lose 14 seniors from this squad that helped the Wildcats improve every week throughout the season.
“We talked earlier in the year that we had a lot of growth to do as a football team, and these four captains I have up here with me led that growth. That is what I am most proud of with this football team. The continued to get better from the beginning of the year to the end. As a coach you talk about playing your best football at the end of the end of the year and these guys were doing that,” Parnell said. “We took a couple of lumps midseason and right there at the end of the regular season. I don’t think anybody expected us to win our district. It was a very tough district, and these guys found a way to win. We went on the road (to Blair Oaks) in the playoffs and got a win. Then the defending Class 3 state champions came to our place in the semis and we got a win. That just says the type of kids we have in Cassville, and the type of work ethic they have. They are going to give you everything they have and play their hearts out.”
Don’t expect the Wildcats to fall off with a strong junior class ready to step up into leadership roles next year as seniors.
“I felt like we led our team here greatly. We also led (future) leaders below us. I think the senior class next year is going to be able to do about the same thing. They are incredible athletes and they are going to push their teammates,” Preddy said.
Cassville finished the season with a 13-2 record.
