By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
For most teams, it’s a nightmare scenario – losing your starting quarterback to injury in the middle of a playoff game.
The battle-tested Carthage Tigers are a cut above the rest.
Down starting quarterback Cooper Jadwin for the second half, Carthage was unfazed in Saturday’s Class 5 quarterfinal showdown at Lebanon.
The Tigers handed the keys to Clay Kinder, who kept the Tigers’ offense rolling in a 35-14 road victory.
Kinder threw a pair of touchdowns and the Tigers rode the powerful legs of Luke Gall to earn another playoff win, proving they’re equipped to make the best of a tough situation.
“To battle through the adversity we had today, I was so proud of our kids,” said Carthage coach Jon Guidie. “We had a lot of kids be able to step up and play important roles in a very meaningful game.”
Gall, playing at less than 100 percent over the last few weeks due to injury, led Carthage to victory with 26 carries for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
The Air Force commit sat out practice all week (except for Friday’s walkthrough) in order to stay fresh for Saturday.
“Luke’s a strong, physical runner,” Guidie said. “He can’t wait to get that explosiveness back. It’s frustrating for him, I’m sure. Hopefully we have a good week of treating him and we can get him back as close to 100% as possible for next week.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Carthage’s defense and special teams did their part on Saturday, too, recovering three fumbles and blocking a punt. Carthage scored 14 points off Lebanon turnovers; the blocked punt led to another score.
The Tigers, who also lost a starting defensive tackle in the game, kept Lebanon’s potent flexbone rushing offense in check for most of the afternoon. Cade Muscia led the Yellowjackets with 104 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
“We felt like we could defend that offense pretty well,” Guidie said. “We’ve seen it a lot in our conference. If our kids were to come out and play very fast and physical and get to Lebanon’s ball-carriers before that mesh happens, fumbles can happen. It disrupts things.”
Carthage (11-1 overall) will host Francis Howell (12-0 overall) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26 in the Class 5 semifinals.
Carthage and Francis Howell were ranked 1-2, respectively, in the final statewide high school football rankings for the regular season.
The Tigers and their 21-player senior class, the largest in Guidie’s tenure, will have home field advantage next Saturday as they seek their second trip to the state championship game in four years. Carthage won the Class 5 state championship in 2019.
“This group has had a common goal since we started back in June. They’ve stuck to it and keep showing up, keep working,” Guidie said. “They’ve got themselves in the position now to where we’re one step away from that championship game again. I’m really excited for them.”
Carthage took control for good early in the second half.
After forcing a Lebanon 3-and-out, Carthage blocked the ensuing punt. On the next play, Gall ripped through the middle of Lebanon’s defense for a 14-yard touchdown run to put the Tigers up 21-7.
Carthage recovered a fumble on Lebanon’s next series. The Tigers would take advantage again, as Kinder hit 6’5” wideout Hudson Moore for a 15-yard touchdown that made it 28-7.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
Kinder threw another touchdown pass to Moore in the fourth quarter – a 22-yard strike on 4th and goal – to seal the victory.
In a sign of things to come, Lebanon lost a fumble on its first offensive play from scrimmage. Carthage scored six plays later to take an early 7-0 lead.
“We just made too many mistakes today that you can’t make in a game like this, against that opponent,” said Lebanon coach Will Christian. “Any game, when you have two good football teams, you must take care of the football.
“You have to capitalize on opportunities. You have to execute on first down. I thought (Carthage) did a better job on first than we did over the course of the game. Turnovers were also big.”
Jadwin, who briefly left the game in the first half after a hard tackle, didn’t return to action after halftime. Jadwin had 10 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
“It was a mutual decision that he wasn’t right,” Guidie said. “We just needed to be careful with him and not make anything worse.”
Guidie praised Kinder’s performance on short-notice, noting that he hasn’t seen much action at quarterback lately.
“Clay stepped up at quarterback without having taken a snap these past six weeks – not even at practice. We moved him to running back to backup Luke, but he was still able to retain that stuff from the beginning of the season,” Guidie said. “He’s such a smart kid, to be able to come in and run that and get us in the right formations and everything. He ran the offense, which isn’t an easy thing to do.”
Lebanon finishes 11-2 overall. The Yellowjackets are still looking to clear an elusive hurdle: Winning in the quarterfinal round.
“I’m sure our fan base is frustrated with that,” Christian said. “This is the fifth time in six years that we’ve played in this (quarterfinals) game and we’ve fallen short in all five of them. It’s on me. We’re going to keep battling. We’re going to keep getting here, knocking on the door and trying to figure out a way to get things done.”
Saturday marked the first time Lebanon has hosted a quarterfinal game during its recent run of district titles. To honor the team, Lebanon’s mayor declared Nov. 19, 2022 as Yellowjacket Football Day.
“Super proud of our kids and coaching staff. We had a really phenomenal year,” Christian said. “Obviously today didn’t go as we wanted to. Credit Carthage for that. But a great year, still. We had a lot to be proud of and appreciate.”
Carthage 35, Lebanon 14
Carthage 7 7 14 7 — 35
Lebanon 0 7 0 7 — 14
First quarter
Carthage – Jadwin 14 run (Mejia kick)
Second quarter
Lebanon – Muscia 3 run (Rhoades kick)
Carthage – Gall 4 run (Mejia kick)
Third quarter
Carthage – Gall 22 run (Mejia kick)
Carthage – Moore 15 catch from Kinder (Mejia kick)
Fourth quarter
Lebanon – Muscia 2 run (Rhoades kick)
Carthage – Moore 22 catch from Kinder (Mejia kick)
