Worth County lost 52-0 to Mound City in the first round of the playoffs as their lack of experience showed; the Tigers only had four seniors for this year compared to 11 for Stanberry and 7 for Mound City. Worth County had beaten the Panthers earlier this year, but in the meantime, the experienced Panther squad had taken more strides in improvement than Worth County had. The Tigers continued to be the confused, shell-shocked bunch that fell behind early against Stanberry and couldn't claw back as the missed blocks, poor tackling, and confusion about assignments from the last game combined to bite them in the playoffs. Winning a playoff game is different from winning a regular season game; it requires one to take one's game to a whole different level. The experienced Panther squad succeeded in doing so while the Tigers could not.
The loss was significant in some other ways. The Tigers were shut out in a game for the first time since 2002, when the Mound City Panthers shut out the Tigers 42-0. That loss also ended Worth County's school-record 28-game winning streak. Worth County also dropped consecutive games for the first time since the end of the 2004 season, when consecutive losses to North Nodaway and Stanberry dropped the Tigers out of the playoffs that year. Worth County's troubles were not limited to the Panthers as one of the referees, obviously on a power trip, tried to tag Worth County for a sideline warning because someone on the St. Francis medical staff stood halfway over the dotted line on their side of the field even though she was wearing a coat that clearly identified her as a volunteer trainer for St. Francis and not one of Worth County's coaching staff.
After the Tigers forced Mound City to punt on their opening series, what looked like a possible defensive struggle turned into a disaster when James Schoonover, in the first of many defensive plays Friday night that would hurt the Tigers, shot through unblocked to block a Tiger punt and give Mound City a short field to work with as they started on the Tiger 23. One bad play doesn't win or lose games. But the scene repeated itself throughout the night -- the Tigers actually moved the ball against Mound City at times. But then, they would forget to account for Schoonover, who would shoot into the Tiger backfield to disrupt plays. The Panthers were in the end zone in five plays after the first miscue as Gage Rosier scored from 11 yards out with 5:59 left. Lucas Schawang ran in the extra points to make it 8-0.
It was Rosier (21 carries, 257 yards) who was the second half of the wrecking crew for Mound City -- in a scene that repeated itself from the Stanberry game, the Tigers would hold the Panthers at times. But then, there would be breakdowns on defense and someone would try to grab at Rosier instead of wrapping him up, with predictable results -- Rosier going off to the races and leaving everyone behind.
Worth County could only get seven yards on three plays on their next series after Barrett Baker had returned the ball to the 30 to get them decent field position. They elected to go for it on fourth and three, but a short pass was incomplete and the Panthers took over on the Tiger 37 on downs. This was nothing to worry about -- yet. The Tigers forced two turnovers deep in their own territory in the playoff game two years ago; on both occasions, the Panthers had threatened to make it a two-possession game. But this time, Mound City only needed three plays to make it a two-possession game. Gage Rosier took a sweep, made a cutback, and nobody was home to stop him and he was off for a 32-yard score with 3:08 left in the first quarter. James Schoonover caught the extra point pass and it was 16-0.
It was Schoonover again on defense on the next series as he dumped Barrett Baker for a four-yard loss and then sacked Zach Harmening for an 11-yard loss as the Tigers did not have an answer for him and were forced to punt. This time, Mound City only needed one play to score as two defenders fell down on the play and Rosier shot right up the middle for a 54-yard score with 1:28 left. He caught the extra point pass to make it 24-0.
Worth County finally mounted a drive against Mound City only to be denied. They got into the red zone four times, but failed to score as their rez zone struggles continued. After J.J. Mullock caught a squib kick at the 30, Zach Harmening converted a fourth and inches with a sneak to the Mound City 37. Two plays later, Eli Mullock finally found some daylight as he got open for 24 yards down to the Mound City 10. A facemask penalty then moved the ball down to the six, but then Harmening got thrown for a loss of two on an option play and then Worth County threw two incomplete passes to give up the ball on downs.
Mound City could do nothing with the ball as a block in the back penalty and a big loss in which Schawang slipped and fell while going back to pass moved it all the way back to the one. The Panthers elected to quick kick rather than risk a safety or a turnover and Worth County took over at midfield. Two rushing plays could only net four yards and a pass was incomplete, but on fourth and six, Alex Harmening caught a 35-yard pass down to the Panther one before he was wrestled down. But then someone forgot what the count was and a false start moved it back to the six; a fumbled handoff then gave the ball right back to the Panthers. On their first play from scrimmage, Rosier went on a sweep and was off to the races again for a 70-yard score thanks to some poor tackling and Prent Eaton caught the extra point pass with 7:53 left to make it 32-0.
Worth County got into the red zone for the third consecutive play thanks to some trickery as Alex Harmening aired it out to Zach for 36 yards down to the 25. A holding penalty moved it back to the 37, but then Eli Mullock caught a swing pass for 9 and then Mullock caught a screen pass to the 17. Alex Harmening caught a short pass to the 14, but then once again, nobody blocked James Schoonover, who shot into the backfield and forced a fumble that Kyler VanSchoiak returned all the way to the Tiger 38. A block in the back penalty on Mound City moved it back to the 27, but the damage was done.
Ryan Crowley ran for a first down up to the 40, but two plays later, Eli Mullock outjumped a Mound City defender and intercepted a pass at the 14. But three plays later, Worth County fumbled the ball right back to the Panthers as Alex Harmening ran for a 12-yard reverse, only to fumble the ball at the end of the run at the Tiger 26. Mound City took full advantage of the miscue; three plays later, Lucas Schawang threw an 11-yard strike to Miles Jumps as nobody guarded him and he was all alone in the end zone to make it 38-0 with 2:15 left at the end of the half. Worth County could not move the ball thanks in part to Schoonover, who was in the backfield hurrying Zach Harmening before he was ready to throw; Eli Mullock broke up a long pass and nearly got his second interception and Mound City botched an option play and fumbled it as they were unable to score again before the half. Very appropriately, the Mound City band played Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York;" this is the song that the world champion New York Yankees play after every win.
Worth County got the ball at the start of the second half and they held out hopes of getting back in the game if they got some lucky breaks, but Schoonover was once again in the backfield; this time, he sacked Harmening for a loss of 15 back to the Tiger five, forcing them to punt. The kick only traveled 19 yards, giving Mound City a short field to work with. Worth County came out and played a little better on this series, but they could not overcome the short field. Rosier's first down run went for 13 yards to the 7, and then Crowley's crack for six yards got down to the one. Two cracks by the Panthers could not break the plane, but Schoonover caught a fourth and one pass with 8:16 left to make it 44-0 with 8:15 left.
Cody Green caught a pass for 14 yards to the 29 on Worth County's next series, but they stalled at the 32. With nothing left to lose, Worth County went for it on fourth and seven, but once again, nobody blocked Schoonover, who was in Zach Harmening's face as his pass went incomplete. Rosier got loose for 14 yards to the 16, but the Tigers stiffened for the next three plays, holding Mound City to seven yards in three plays. But this time, Schoonover burned the Tigers on defense as nobody guarded him on pass coverage and there was nobody within 10 yards of him as he caught a nine-yard pass to account for Mound City's final score of the evening.
After the two teams exchanged punts, the Tigers whiffed again in the red zone. Cody Green caught a 22-yard pass to the Panther 20 after a short kick by Mound City gave Worth County good field position. But once again, nobody blocked Schoonover, who dropped Barrett Baker for a two-yard loss. Eli Mullock found some daylight to the 17 on the next play, but then Zach Harmening's pass to an open Barrett Baker was too far and then he was picked off in the end zone on fourth down to end Worth County's final scoring threat of the evening.
Despite the loss, Coach Chuck Borey looked at the big picture, saying that this particular group of seniors had come a long ways since junior high, when they were 1-5 that year. "Thanks to all your hard work, we exceeded everyone's expectations," he told them after the game. The game was the last for Josh Wagner, J.J. Mullock, Zach Harmening, and Barrett Baker. He said that he would have been happy with a 7-3 or 8-2 record and that getting back into the playoffs was a pleasant surprise. Speaking of the game, he said that he was disappointed that they did not convert their chances in the red zone, saying that "it can't happen against a good team like Mound City." He said that the more experienced Panthers came and played like they had something to prove against Worth County. "Mentally, we didn't stay tough. They dominated the line of scrimmage and we could never get our running game going."
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