Tigers Drop 36-32 Heartbreaker to Panthers as Epic Rivalry Rekindled

Worth County dropped a 36-32 heartbreaker to Mound City in a game in which the Panthers scored in the last 1:23 to take the win. Worth County had beaten Stanberry and Pattonsburg to get to this point, two teams that had beaten them during the regular season. But they had some dubious history to overcome; they had never won a state championship after being beaten during the regular season. They made it to the State Title Game in 2006 after dropping two during the regular season, but they fell to Christian. Worth County had an uncanny ability to thrive in bad weather conditions this year, but the weather was sunny and near 60 in Columbia, one of the last nice days we’ll have for a while, according to weather forecasts.

Penalties and turnovers were the key difference in this evenly matched game. Mound City had 382 yards to 346 for Worth County, which did well to put up 32 points against the top eight man defensive team in the state. But they turned the ball over five times to two for Mound City and had 13 penalties to 8 for Mound City.

Caleb Parman did all he could for Worth County, getting 40 carries for 230 yards. The school record for Worth County for carries in a game was 45 in 2007, held by Kyler Hiatt in a 30-22 Semifinal win. Andrew Alarcon had 16 more carries for 95 yards.

Worth County elected to receive the opening kick, but went three and out and buried Mound City on their own 9. It didn’t matter as a defensive holding penalty gave the Panthers a first down at the 19. Two plays later, Dylan Marrs took off for 57 yards with 9:33 left to put Mound City on the board. Landon Poppa threw a strike to Matthew Poppa to make it 8-0.

Worth County threatened on their next possession as Bryant McCord threw a wingback pass to Andrew Alarcon for 8 yards to the 35. Caleb Parman’s 10 yard burst gave them another at the Panther 33. But then Worth County was stopped by a false start after penetrating as deep as the 29, and they gave up the ball on downs.

An echo of the Stanberry game, where Worth County couldn’t get off the field in the other team’s long yardage situations, happened next. Mound City had fourth and five at their own 39, only for Matthew Poppa to complete a pass to Dylan George for 41 yards for a score with 4:41 left to make it 14-0.

Typically, both this year and in years past, when enemy teams give Mound City an inch, they take a mile. But to their credit, Worth County got right back in the game as Caleb Parman, on Worth County’s first play from scrimmage after the kickoff, took it to the house from 50 yards out to make it 14-6 with 4:24 left.

Mound City completed a short pass to Dylan George for 7 yards, but then Jaxon Anderson sacked Landon Poppa for seven yards and Mound City went three and out and Worth County set up shop on their own 29. They overcame a holding penalty as Andrew Alarcon rushed for 20 yards for a first down to the Mound City 34. Jacob New got another after rushing for six more to the 22, and Caleb Parman got another to the 12.

Two more carries by Caleb Parman got Worth County into the end zone with 24 seconds left in the first and Worth County trailed 14-12.

On their next series, Landon Poppa fumbled it away, and Colton Wilmes recovered it on the Mound City 19. Andrew Alarcon got a first down run to the 9, and Worth County was backed up to the 11 after Caleb Parman lost two. But then Parman picked up 11 and took it to the house with 10:20 left in the first half to put Worth County in front for the first time at 18-14.

Worth County was able to hold down Mound City’s vaunted rushing attack, but the Panthers were able to go through the air effectively, throwing for over 200 yards on the day. On their next drive, two long pass plays, a 20 yard strike from Landon Poppa to Dylan Marrs, and a 29 yard strike from Poppa to Matthew Poppa, set up T.J. Hopkins’ 10 yard score with 6:43 left in the second quarter to put Mound City back in front 22-18 at the half after T.J. Hopkins’ successful two point conversion run.

The Tigers started off with good field position on the Mound City 38 after a good runback by Caleb Parman to the Panther 38, but couldn’t convert. They were faced with fourth and one at the Panther 29, but an encroachment penalty gave them a first down on the 24. Worth County was faced with another fourth and two at the 16, but Caleb Parman successfully converted for a first down to the 11. But Andrew Alarcon was thrown for a loss of two, and two incomplete passes and an interception gave the ball back to the Panthers on the 27 after Dylan George intercepted Caleb Parman in the end zone and ran it back there.

Mound City threatened late in the first half, but Worth County was able to keep it to a one possession game. Worth County picked up a defensive holding penalty and that gave the Panthers a first down at the 38. T.J. Hopkins converted another first down with a 9 yard run to the Tiger 25. But Andrew Alarcon sacked Landon Poppa for a loss, and Mound City could get no closer than the 25 before giving it up on downs with 44 seconds left.

Worth County got to the Mound City 38, but Caleb Parman’s desperation pass was picked off with 6 seconds left by Matthew Poppa in the end zone. There was a heartstopping moment for the Tigers as Landon Poppa completed a long pass to Dylan George for 37 yards to the Tiger 28, but time expired before they could run off another play.

Mound City was buried by a false start to begin the second half and went three and out. Bryant McCord ran back the punt all the way to the Mound City 30, only for Parker Staples to force a fumble and Matthew Poppa to recover it at the 29 for a free possession for the Panthers. It looked like it would snowball into a rout for the Panthers as Landon Poppa rescued a fourth and seven at their own 32. Mound City gambled and went for it, and Poppa completed a 27 yard pass to Matthew Poppa to the Tiger 21. But then Mound City was flagged for pass interference and then on second and 25 at the Tiger 36, Austin Welch got a pick and returned it to the Mound City 38 to kill the drive.

Worth County took advantage of their new lease on life as Bryant McCord ran for 20 yards to the Panther 20 and a first down. They overcame a false start as Caleb Parman got the penalty yardage back and more down to the 13. Parman lost three on his next carry, but Andrew Alarcon converted third and six with a seven yard carry to the 9. A six yard carry to the three by Alarcon and a three yard run by Caleb Parman put Worth County in the end zone with 7:07 left in the third quarter. Parman ran in the extra points to make it 26-22.

Worth County tried an onsides kick and seemingly recovered it, but the ball did not travel the necessary 10 yards, and Mound City got the ball in good field position at the Tiger 37. But Mound City couldn’t do anything with it, and Jaxon Anderson sacked Poppa at the 36 on fourth down to give the ball back to the Tigers. But Mound City held after dropping Parman for a loss of six and Worth County went three and out.

Neither team could do anything with the ball until late in the third quarter, when Worth County had a golden opportunity to make it two possessions. They started on their own 23 after a great punt by Matthew Poppa sailed 53 yards to the Tiger 23. It didn’t seem to matter as Andrew Alarcon ripped off 27 yards to the Panther 30. But then two running plays netted nothing, and a false start and two incompletions gave the ball back to the Panthers on downs at their own 29.

This time, Mound City wasted little time in taking advantage of their turn in fortune as T.J. Hopkins picked up five on third and four to the 40. Landon Poppa lost one yard on his next carry, but then Dylan Marrs ripped off 41 yards for a score to put Mound City back in the lead with 9:46 left in the game at 28-26.

But a good runback by Andrew Alarcon, 40 yards to the Panther 35, set up a score to give Worth County the lead right back. They were faced with fourth and three at the Panther 28, but Alarcon picked up five to the 23 to keep the drive alive. Then, aided by an encroachment, Alarcon picked up six more to the 12 for another first down. Two plays later, Caleb Parman converted from three yards out to make it 32-28 with 6:19 left.

Mound City went nowhere after their next possession and Worth County had a golden opportunity to put the game away after Mound City gambled by going for it on fourth and ten at their own 23. Jaxon Anderson sacked Poppa and forced a fumble; Mound City got it back, but Worth County had it at the Mound City 13 with 5:08 left.

But three cracks only netted three yards, and then Jacob New was sacked by T.J. Hopkins on fourth and seven at the 10, and Mound City had the ball back with a chance to win with a score.

Landon Poppa completed a pass to Matthew Poppa to the 28 for 10 yards and a first down. Colton Wilmes sacked Landon Poppa back to the 19, but a 52 yard pass play from Landon Poppa to Matthew Poppa carried all the way to the Tiger 9 before Caleb Parman tackled him to save the touchdown. But then a three yard run by Dylan Marrs and a six yard run by T.J. Hopkins put the ball in the end zone with 1:25 left in the game. Landon Poppa’s pass to T.J. Hopkins was complete, and Mound City was up 36-32.

Worth County started at their own 21, and Caleb Parman rushed for 17 to the 38. He was stopped for a loss of three on his next carry, and threw an incomplete pass on his next play. Parman scampered for 10 yards to the Panther 35 with 53 seconds left, and Worth County used a timeout on fourth and three. This time, Bryant McCord completed a wingback pass to Andrew Alarcon for 11 yards and a first down before Worth County spiked the ball to stop the clock. Jacob New’s pass to Andrew Alarcon only netted three yards to the Panther 21, and a false start moved them back to the 26. Jacob New’s pass to Jaxon Anderson was incomplete, and Bryant McCord’s pass was picked off by Landon Poppa, allowing the Panthers to kneel out the clock.