Republic football's historic season ends with Class 5 championship loss to Cardinal Ritter
COLUMBIA — The greatest season in Republic football history ended with a Class 5 state runner-up finish.
Republic (12-3) hung with Cardinal Ritter (14-0) for most of the first three quarters, but the Lions pulled away for a 38-25 win in the MSHSAA Class 5 Show-Me Bowl on Friday night at Faurot Field in Columbia.
The Tigers had an opportunity to cut into the Lions' lead and make it a one-score game late in the third quarter. A sack on fourth-and-10 from the Lions' 16 was quickly followed by a 59-yard touchdown pass for Cardinal Ritter to go up 17, putting the game out of reach and securing the Lions their second-straight state championship.
Friday night's loss marked the end of a historic season for the Tigers, who reached the state championship for the first time in school history. A miraculous three-year rebuild under head coach Ryan Cornelsen had the Tigers reaching heights no other Republic team has reached before.
More: Republic football never quit and its historic season will leave a lasting legacy
Seniors like Wyatt Woods, James Rexroat, Caide White, Carter Nation, Kanon Krol and others leave the Republic program in a better place than they found it. The Tigers hadn't won more than three games in a single season over a five-game stretch from 2016 to 2020 but have had winning records each year and have taken major steps forward since.
Woods, the Tigers' star quarterback, finished the game with 120 rushing yards, a pair of scores on the ground and two touchdowns through the air.
More: Republic played in its first-ever state football championship. Here's how they did it
Woods' 14-yard touchdown to White on fourth down late in the second quarter cut the Lions' lead to three. The Tigers needed a stop in the half's final seconds, knowing they'd get the ball first out of the break, but they allowed a back-breaker with five seconds remaining when a pair of Power 5 recruits connected with Carson Boyd hitting an open Dejerrian Miller for a nine-point advantage.
Despite a lengthy first drive out of halftime, Republic couldn't get into the endzone to cut back into the Lions' lead. Soon after, Cardinal Ritter quarterback Antwon McKay hit Elijah Abdullah for a 59-yard touchdown.
Republic didn't quit as it drove down the field for Woods to score his second rushing touchdown. After getting a stop, Woods threw a deep ball midway through the fourth quarter that was intercepted.
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Hoping for a miracle, the Tigers got a stop deep in their own territory. Driving into the redzone, an attempted throwback pass from Krol to Woods was picked off as the Lions put the final touches on their second-straight championship.
Scoring Summary
1Q 9:49 — Antwon McKay 49-yard pass to Dejerrian Miller. LIONS 8-0.
2Q 6:56 — Wyatt Woods two-yard run. LIONS 8-7.
2Q 5:34 — Jamarion Parker 29-yard run. LIONS 16-7.
2Q 0:44 — Wyatt Woods 14-yard pass to Caide White. LIONS 16-13.
2Q 0:05 — Carson Boyd seven-yard pass to Dejerrian Miller. LIONS 22-13.
3Q 1:49 — Antwon McKay 59-yard pass to Elijah Abdullah. LIONS 30-13.
4Q 10:36 — Wyatt Woods three-yard run. LIONS 30-19.
4Q 1:30 — Jamarion Parker nine-yard run. LIONS 38-19.
4Q 0:00 — Wyatt Woods 31-yard pass to James Rexroat. LIONS 38-25.
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the host of the weekly "Wyatt's World Podcast" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Cardinal Ritter repeats as state champions with win over Republic
