By Don Abernathy (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
With a high school offensive line that looks more like a group of college players, it’s easy to understand why Nixa head coach John Perry feels confident.
Averaging 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds across the o-line, Nixa bulldozed through visiting Republic on Friday, for a 49-14 Central Ozarks Conference win at Eagle Stadium.
“It kind of feels like having a state-of-the-art alarm system at home with big old pit bulls outside surrounding the house,” Nixa head coach John Perry said. “You just feel safe.
“With those guys up front, you feel like you can hang your hat on running the ball.”
The Eagles scored on their first possession of the game when senior running back Dylan Rebura scored on a 5-yard run off right tackle for a 7 -0 lead with 4:07 left in the first quarter.
Rebura’s touchdown capped a 7-play, 48-yard drive that took just 2:30.
“I’ve got full confidence in Rebura,” Nixa senior offensive lineman Jacob Lile said. “I trust him, he’s just like a brother to me, and I believe he can do something special for us this year.”
The Eagles scored on their next play from scrimmage when sophomore Adam McKnight took a quarterback keeper straight down the middle of the field for a 70-yard touchdown.
“I think he’s going to be one of the best players in the state of Missouri,” Perry said of McKnight. “He’s an extreme competitor. He wants to win at everything he does. He throws the ball great, he’s a big kid and he can run. I think he’s going to have a special career.”
Republic scored its first touchdown on the ensuing possession when Izaiah Hull punched it in from the 2-yard line, cutting the lead in half, 14-7, at the 7:29 mark of the second quarter.
But it didn’t take long for Nixa to answer. The Eagles moved 80 yards in nine plays thanks largely to Rebura’s 65 yards from scrimmage in the drive. Rebura’s final carry of the drive, a 7-yard touchdown run off left guard, gave Nixa a 21-7 lead at the 4:52 mark of the second quarter.
“Running behind those guys is crazy,” Rebura said. “They definitely make me better. We push each other every day. They’re pretty big and I’m just glad I get to run behind them.”
The Eagles opened up the passing game before halftime, scoring twice on long touchdowns.
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Senior Wyatt Vincent took a McKnight pass 30 yards for a score with 2:30 left in the second quarter. McKnight then connected with senior receiver Keivon Flint for a 40-yard touchdown pass for a commanding 35-7 lead with less than a minute to go before halftime.
“We wanted to run the ball, but we thought we could beat them in man coverage, because our quarterback and receivers are really good,” Perry said. “When you have to sell out to stop the run, then you become vulnerable to the pass.”
Nixa totaled 290 yards rushing on 31 attempts and had five touchdowns on the ground. McKnight was 5-for-6 passing for 111 yards through the air.
“We are a heavy run team, but we’re adaptive. We were able to pass the ball tonight and, overall, our passing game did really well,” Lile said.
Rebura led Nixa (1-0) with 129 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Flint finished with three catches for 70 yards and a score.
“It feels pretty good to get this win, especially against an opponent who has played us close in the past couple of years,” Nixa junior offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell said. “We still have things to work on. I definitely have a lot of stuff to improve on. But I feel like as a team we are in a really good spot. I like where we are right now.”
Republic junior quarterback Preston McCracken led the Tigers (0-1) with 74 yards on the ground and Hull finished with two rushing touchdowns in the loss.
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