By Amanda Perkins
The West Plains Zizzers continue to prove they are able to rise above adversity.
Catastophic flooding destroyed their field in the spring, the turf replaced just in time for their home opener against the Waynesville Tigers. At game time, the new score board suddenly refused to operate. The Tigers quickly scored first while the home team struggled with turnovers. Waynesville led by twelve when the skies opened up and the teams were forced to sit out in an hour-long lightning delay.
“That’s who we are right now,” said West Plains head coach Steve Ary of the battles the team has faced. “Nothing has worked for about three months; it has been fight, scratch, claw just to get it in. We were just thankful and glad we got to play at home in front of our fans and didn’t have to go on a bus somewhere.”
The Zizzers put together a strong drive after the lightning delay, but finished the final five minutes of the second quarter without scoring again. They entered the second half with a renewed vigor, putting up a whopping 41 points against their opponents and allowing just one Waynesville touchdown for their first win of the season.
“I’m just fired up,” said Ary. “We really started slow and we really finished strong. You go into halftime and you’re feeling sick, and you finish the game elated. We definitely got on the emotional roller coaster tonight. It was just a good evening, it really was.”
In Waynesville’s strong first half, Sheen Butler-Lawson picked up their first touchdown, adding 61 of the Tigers’ 213 total rushing yards. Quarterback Braden Drehle completed a touchdown pass to David Adams Jr. for four yards after Eric Kane grabbed the interception. Tahje’ Parrish and Butler-Lawson added major yardage for the Tigers before Drehle scored a rushing touchdown from three yards out.
The team had 213 yards rushing on the night.
“I am proud of our kids,” said Waynesville head coach Brad Drehle. “They competed hard and showed improvement. A long bus ride, rain delay, and a physical Zizzer team wore us down. Turnovers in the second half changed the game.”
The Zizzers were on the board once in the first quarter. Quarterback Connor Rackley completed a pass to Daniel Cobb before executing a keeper for the first down. Brayden Lidgard scored on a 58 yard carry.
The tables turned in the second half, with Waynesville now struggling with turnovers and scoring only once. Butler-Lawson earned another touchdown for the Tigers on a long pass from Drehle.
Lane Jett scored the Zizzers’ second touchdown at the opening of the second half on an 11 yard run after Lidgard marched it down the field. Josh Hackworth caught a 45 yard touchdown pass after Lidgard, Jett, Andrew Wheeler, and Brendan Robins helped advance the ball. Lidgard’s 17 yard touchdown run gave the Zizzers the lead, 27-26, then he scored again on a twenty-one yarder. Ian Ary’s 1 yard run advanced West Plains’ lead, followed by Lidgard rushing for 47 yards for the final score of the game.
Rackley was 12-22 with one touchdown on the night. Lidgard had 32 carries for 205 total yards and four touchdowns. Wheeler had two interceptions and Garel McGinley one, and Jett and Ary 10 tackles each.
Waynesville will host Lebanon next week, while the Zizzers will hit the road to take on Camdenton.
