Football Game Preview: Willard Tigers vs. Republic Tigers

Willard hasn't had much luck against Republic recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. Willard will head out on the road to challenge Republic at 7:00 p.m. Willard has given up an average of 46 points per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Willard is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Joplin on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Tigers had to suffer through a 49-8 loss at the hands of the Eagles. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Missouri football rankings (they are ranked 142nd, while the Eagles are ranked 31st).

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Republic, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They breezed past Neosho to the tune of 42-14 on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won six in a row.

Willard better keep an eye on Preston McCracken. He was instrumental in Republic's win, rushing for 147 yards and one TD on only 15 carries, while also throwing for 114 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 87.5% of his passes. That's the most passing yards McCracken has posted since back in September of 2024. Another player making a difference was Izaiah Hull, who rushed for 78 yards and two scores.

Republic didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Neosho to a completion percentage of just 37.5%. The team can thank Alex Johnson for the heroic effort on defense: he. Given McCracken's standout performance, it's clear Neosho's secondary just wasn't on the same level.

Republic's record now sits at 6-2. As for Willard, their loss dropped their record down to 1-7.

Willard took a serious blow against Republic in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 35-7. Can Willard avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.