Preview: Neosho Wildcats vs. Joplin Eagles
Neosho is 0-5 against Joplin since September of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Neosho Wildcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Joplin Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Neosho will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Missouri Rankings (they are ranked 113th, while Joplin is ranked 28th).
Last Thursday, Neosho ended up a good deal behind Webb City and lost 37-18.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Tyrone Harris, who picked up 184 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Quenton Hughes was another key contributor, throwing for 278 yards and three touchdowns.
Joplin fell on hard times earlier this season, but after back-to-back victories it seems like their luck might finally be changing. They simply couldn't be stopped on Thursday as they easily beat Carthage 49-21 at home. The result was nothing new for Joplin, who have now won four contests by 21 points or more so far this season.
Quin Renfro continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 270 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 15.0 yards per carry. Renfro was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 65 yards.
Neosho's loss was their fifth straight on the road (dating back to last season), which dropped their overall record down to 1-7. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 28.0 points per game. As for Joplin, their win on Thursday bumped their record up to 5-3.
We should be in store for an exciting game Friday as Neosho and Joplin have no problem gaining yardage. Neosho has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 353.8 total yards per game. However, it's not like Joplin struggles in that department as they've been even better at 359.2 per game. With a pair of commanding offenses duking it out, the defenses are going to have their work cut out for them.
Neosho suffered a grim 68-43 defeat to Joplin when the teams last played back in October of 2022. Will Neosho have more luck at home instead of on the road?
