The Joplin Eagles had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 26 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They claimed a resounding 56-24 victory over Neosho on the road. Given Joplin's advantage in MaxPreps' Missouri football rankings (they are ranked 26th, while Neosho is ranked 118th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Quin Renfro continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 334 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 10.1 yards per carry. Renfro is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last three games he's played. Hobbs Gooch was another key contributor, rushing for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Despite the loss, Neosho still got an impressive performance from Tyrone Harris, who picked up 160 receiving yards and a touchdown. Another player making a difference was Quenton Hughes, who threw for 258 yards and a touchdown.
Joplin's win bumped their record up to 6-3. As for Neosho, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 1-8.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Joplin will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Kickapoo at 7:00 p.m. on November 3rd. Kickapoo knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past six matches -- so hopefully Joplin likes a good challenge. As for Neosho, they will head out on the road to face off against Raytown South at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
