By Derek Shore (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
CASSVILLE — They say the big boys up front decide the outcome of football games. Having dynamic running backs behind helps, too.
The Nevada Tigers shined in both departments as they overcame a slow start and defeated the Cassville Wildcats 44-21 on Friday night at Wildcat Stadium.
Ranked No. 7 in Class 4, Nevada improved to a perfect 6-0. The Tigers’ stout offensive line, headlined by Missouri’s top prospect and Colorado commit Talan Chandler, churned for 374 yards on the ground.
“It comes down to every single person doing their job on every single play,” Chandler said. “We say, ‘One player, one team’ Everybody is all together. We all have to know the teammate next to us is going to do their job. We have to do our job and trust each other. It comes down to trusting the backs are going to find the holes and we got to make the holes.
“We are smashmouth football. It has been the staple of our team. That is what we are going to do.”
Nevada boasted a pair of 100-yard rushers on the night. Junior Jack Cheaney ran wild for a game-high 199 yards on 23 carries with two scores, while senior Dezmon Robinson tallied 100 yards on nine carries and a touchdown.
“I’m just blessed to run behind a line like this and get good yards every play running behind them,” Cheaney said.
“Our offensive line has been a pleasant surprise all year,” Tigers coach Wes Beachler said. “We knew our interior three, we had both starting tackles back and our starting center back from last year, we knew we’d be good there. The tackles and tight ends have really stepped up.
“We weren’t sure what we would have in the backfield. We knew we had some talented kids, but none of these kids had over 50 carries last year. Now that they are carrying the rock, they are doing some really nice things. It’s impressive.”
Nevada got off to a slow start to its standards, leading 22-13 at the half. The Tigers outscored the Wildcats 22-8 in the second half to pull away.
Nevada and Cassville certainly lived up to their smashmouth reputations in the first half. And it didn’t take long for the Tigers high-octane offense to find the scoreboard.
On the third play from scrimmage, Cheaney sprinted for 43 yards to put the Tigers deep into Cassville territory on the game’s opening possession.
That set up a 14-yard touchdown run from senior Brice Budd on a misdirection sweep, capping an 80-yard drive and giving Nevada an early 7-0 lead with 9:14 to go in the first quarter.
That lead evaporated as the Wildcats went 70 yards on the ensuing drive, highlighted by a 16-yard touchdown run by senior Bryson Jacobson, tying the game at 7-7 with 5:23 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers showed off one of their home run hitters on the next drive.
Robinson took the handoff on a sweep and behind a big block from Chandler, found a crease on the edge and tiptoed 58 yards down the left sideline for the score. Robinson ran in the two-point conversion as Nevada pulled in front 15-7 with 3:23 to play in the first quarter.
Cassville trimmed the deficit to two when junior Kyle Bailey scored on an 11-yard run with 5:51 remaining in the first half. The PAT was no good.
But Nevada’s big-play ability paid off once again. Robinson had a 60-yard kickoff return to put the Tigers in prime position to score.
Fast forward with 1:43 to play in the half on fourth-and-goal from the Wildcat 4, Chandler sealed off the edge in Cassville’s defense. Cheaney followed behind into the end zone off right tackle for a 4-yard touchdown run, surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for the season in the process.
Cheaney’s run extended Nevada’s lead to 22-13 and held that advantage at halftime.
Cassville fumbled on its opening drive of the second half. Nevada recovered and took over at the Wildcat 17.
Committed to the run, quarterback Kellen Braden caught the Cassville defense off balance with a 6-yard touchdown strike to tight end Caden Klumpp on a play action pass. Robinson ran in the two-point conversion, increasing Nevada’s lead to 30-13 with 8:40 to play in the third quarter.
Cheaney added a 38-yard touchdown run to balloon the Tigers lead to 37-13 with 11:18 remaining in the game. Cassville battled down the stretch as sophomore Colton Roark scored on a 45-yard run.
Quarterback Bodee Rose connected with tight end Cosmo Rhoads to complete the two-point conversion, trimming the deficit to 16 with 7:21 left. Junior Gabe Smith accounted for Nevada’s final score, a 13-yard run to paydirt with 2:49 to play in the game.
“Our running backs were trying to go too wide. We needed to hit inside more, so we fixed that. Once we got that figured out, it was off to the races.”
The Tigers forced three turnovers. Smith added 45 yards on seven carries, while Klumpp hauled in four passes for 24 yards.
Cassville (3-3) rushed for 289 yards. Rose led the way on the ground with 100 yards on 15 carries. Jacobson amassed 63 yards on seven carries, while Bailey totaled 55 yards on nine carries and Roark had 49 yards on two carries.
Braden made all four of his extra-point kicks for the Tigers, while Cassville’s Ashton Wheeler recorded two.
“Cassville is always going to play hard,” Beachler said. “It’s a tradition here. I don’t know if we were flat (early). I think they just played a good football game. They are a good football team. We are a good football team. I think we kind of wore them down in the second half, but they are well-coached and play hard. That’s a good group of young men they have over here in Cassville.”
Beachler couldn’t be more pleased with the undefeated start to the season for his Tigers.
“I’m very pleased for these young men. I’m happy for them,” the coach said. “They deserve that. It’s good to be in this position. But we are emphasizing one week at a time.”
Nevada hosts Lamar in the annual “Silver Tiger” rivalry game next Friday night.
“We are looking forward to it, but it’s just like any other game,” Chandler said. “Our goal this year is to go out and compete with everybody. We’re pretty good this year. We’re blessed to be 6-0. We are going to get healthy this week and fix some things we see on film then come out and try to win the game.”
