Warsaw ousted in Class 2 regional

WARSAW — Bounced from last year’s Class 2 state quarterfinals thanks to a missed field goal, Warsaw Wildcats head coach Randy Morrow wasn’t about to have his team’s fate rest on a kicking game that had already mishandled a snap earlier in the contest.

Instead, the Missouri Hall of Fame coach rolled the dice on fourth and three at Pierce City’s 14-yard line, opting for a Ray Hoover run up the gut as opposed to a 31-yard field goal attempt.

The Eagles were prepared for the play and stuffed the run at the line, ending Warsaw’s season and advancing to the Class 2 sectionals with a 14-12 win Wednesday night at Randy Morrow Field.

“(Thirty-one yards out was too far) was my feeling,” Morrow said. “The other coaches didn’t think that, but that’s why I’m the head coach and I had to make that call. I’ll take the blame for that. I didn’t think we could make a field goal. We didn’t kick a field goal last week, so we weren’t about to do it tonight.”

The game’s final drive began after Warsaw’s defense buckled down and garnered two sacks to set up the Wildcats’ offense near midfield. The Wildcats stuck to a steady dose of quarterback keepers from John Ward and hand-offs to Hoover, moving the ball steadily downfield. Behind their offensive line, the two converted two third downs and a fourth-and-2 to extend the drive. 

Inside the red zone, however, the Wildcats opted for four straight runs by Hoover, and the Eagles honed in on the 170-pound senior back.

The emphasis on the run was prompted by Warsaw’s struggles through the air. Nolan Flores, replaced at quarterback midway through the second quarter, and Ward combined to go 2-for-4 with an interception and just 4 yards.

Flores, showing his frustration in the huddles and on the sideline, never settled in behind a porous offensive line in his fourth start under center following Johnny Eierman’s injury.

“We just had some kids that didn’t step up for us tonight and that was the factor,” Morrow said.

Highlighted by 144 yards from Hoover and 83 yards and two touchdowns from Ward, the run game picked up some of the pieces, but the one-dimensional attack wasn’t enough.

On the other side of the ball, Pierce City rushed for only 41 yards, but starting quarterback Wayne Sooter and wide receiver Mitchell Gibson stepped in to move the chains. Sooter passed for 180 yards and two touchdowns, both to Gibson, who had 120 receiving yards.

The duo, however, didn’t establish a rhythm until late in the first half. 

After both teams went three-and-out on the opening four drives, combining for minus-18 yards in the process, Pierce City turned to the aerial attack after failing to get the run game started.

Sooter connected with Gibson on a 38-yard screen pass up the left side for the Eagles’ initial first down, and a play later, the two connected in the right corner of the end zone from 32 yards out. Garrett Garman’s  extra point put Pierce City up 7-0.

The Eagles later flexed some muscle on defense, intercepting Flores on the ensuing drive. 

The Eagles once again attacked Warsaw’s secondary. After converting a third-and-13 with a screen pass to Curtis Palmer, Sooter found Gibson three plays later on a slant route up the left side and Gibson broke a tackle on his way to the end zone from 41 yards out.

Garman’s extra point put the Eagles up 14-0 early in the second quarter, but that was all the points Warsaw would allow.

After both teams were forced to punt on the ensuing drives, the Wildcats put Ward in under center and the senior orchestrated a 59-yard drive, capped off by a keeper from 1 yard out.

The snap for the extra point, though, was high, and the Eagles led 14-6 entering the second half. 

The third quarter featured a goal-line stand by both teams. With a chance to go up by two scores, Flores stripped the ball from Sooter on a keeper at the goal line to keep Warsaw’s hopes alive. 

On the ensuing drive, after marching downfield 93 yards, Ward couldn’t break into the end zone from a yard out. 

The Wildcats rebounded, though, early in the fourth quarter after getting the ball at midfield. First-down carries from Ward and Hoover pushed the Wildcats into the red zone, and Ward reached the end zone with a 15-yard keeper up the right side. 

The 2-point conversion failed on a run up the middle with 8 minutes to go.

Those missed point-afters, along with the non-existent passing attack, proved to be the Wildcats’ undoing.