Willard is 2-8 against Republic since October of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Willard Tigers will welcome the Republic Tigers at 7:00 p.m.
Willard is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Friday. They were outmatched by Joplin on the road and fell 35-0. The game marked the first time this year in which the Tigers were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, while Republic put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Neosho. Republic breezed by Neosho on the road to the tune of 40-0. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by 26 points or more this season.
Republic can attribute much of their success to Izaiah Hull, who rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries, and Trenten Coleman, who rushed for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Hull got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 67 yards.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Republic was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 313 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Neosho only rushed for 41.
Willard's loss dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Republic, they pushed their record up to 6-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road.
Willard might still be hurting after the 35-14 defeat they got from Republic in their previous matchup back in November of 2023. Will Willard have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
