Note to Our Readers: The following story and images were sourced in their entirety from Mr. Glenn Parrish, Director of Communications, Booneville School District. Mr. Parrish is a RNN Sports contributor and we thank him for this story.
There was a new voice coming over the public address system at Bearcat Stadium Friday night. Kyle Elmore was behind the mic and said a lot of names that might not have been expected.
Of course one name Ozark didn’t want to hear, they would hear, a lot. Dax Goff ran 10 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns, made nine total tackles, and returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown.
Dealing with a rash of injuries, the Bearcats (2-0) took a next man up approach. More often than not the next man delivered and the Bearcats beat Ozark 35-7, completing a three year sweep for the senior class.
Ozark’s first three plays netted four yards with Goff recording the first on his nine tackles in the series.
Goff was just getting started.
Goff and Trace Hall were the options to punt towards. The Hillbillies (1-1) chose Goff. He returned the kick 58 yards for a touchdown.
Marcos Mullor added his first of five straight extra points for a 7-0 lead.
Ozark’s next three plays saw tackles made by Demari Poole with Goff, Dakota Mattson, and David Hicks, two of which were for a loss.
After a punt Goff nor Hall could get to the Bearcats took over at their 40-yard line.
Two plays later they were at the Ozark 40. Both plays were passes by quarterback Peyton Tatum. Both went to Hall.
The next two plays were carries by Cody Elliott and covered 24 yards. Elliott completed the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 with 5:32 left in the first quarter.
Handling the fullback role, Elliott ran 10 times for 65 yards and would score a second touchdown before the opening quarter ended.
Clayton Loftin made the tackle on the ensuing kickoff pinning Ozark at their 12.
Even with an offsides penalty, the Hillbillies could not move the chains and punted again. Hall broke up a pass, and Poole had a sack and another tackle in the series.
A 66-yard drive that took eight plays made it 21-0. Elliott got the touchdown on a run of 22 yards.
The Hillbillies returned the kickoff to the Bearcat 11– Mattson saved a touchdown — but were turned away when Hall broke up a fourth down pass.
The entire second quarter was played in Bearcat territory but the defense repeatedly made stops with Dunn Daniel making consecutive stops and Hall breaking up another pass on one Hillbilly possession.
Chase Plymale made his presence known on two stops on one possession prolonged by a 15-yard penalty, which ended with Cameron Osborne tracking down both Hillbilly quarterbacks who saw action.
Out of halftime the Bearcats had a false start penalty to move the ball back to their 24. Goff went 76 yards on the next play and it was 28-0.
After Hicks, Mathew Crosby and others stuffed a fourth-and-1 run to force a turnover on downs, Goff went 49 yards for a touchdown but it came back due to a holding flag.
Ozark’s next possession saw a 23-yard gain — more yardage than was gained the entire first half — but Hall broke up another pass and the Hillbillies again turned the ball over on downs.
Ozark was 1-of-10 on third down and 0-of-4 on fourth.
The Bearcats made it 35-0 with a 72-yard drive that used the final five minutes of the third quarter and had the Bearcats at the Hillbilly 1 when the quarter ended.
After an injury delay, Goff scored on the first play of the final quarter.
Ozark was forced to punt on its next possession but got to keep the ball through a roughing call — the Bearcats drew 75 yards in penalties.
It wouldn’t matter because Dylan Todd broke up a pass and tipped it until he turned it into an interception.
Four downs later the Bearcats had quarterback Jace Washburn take a knee on fourth down, giving Ozark the ball and a little more that two minutes.
With 75 yards of total offense to that point, the Hillbillies doubled their production in two plays, a 16-yard pass and a 59-yard run, to make it 35-7.
The Bearcats are open this Friday and will next play on September 16 when Harding Academy comes to Bearcat Stadium.
