Davis’s 300-yard game helps Joplin win district championship

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By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

Joplin junior Isaiah Davis picked the perfect Friday to have a career night.

The 225-pound running back rushed for 333 and six touchdowns on just 19 carries, helping to lead Joplin to a 49-14 win at Junge Stadium.

The win gave Joplin the Class 6 – District 3 championship, making the Eagles just the second team in Ozarks history to claim a Class 6 district championship.

“It’s exciting; these guys have worked so hard,” said Joplin coach Curtis Jasper. “I couldn’t be more proud of them, but we have more left to do. We’ll focus on this right now and celebrate but tomorrow we’ll get back to work.”

While Davis did the majority of the heaving lifting, it was another explosive night for the Eagles’ offensive line, led by Division One prospect Zack Smith.

Of Joplin’s 491 yards of total offense, 425 came on the ground with Nathan Glades adding 72 yards on eight carries and junior receiver Zach Westmoreland rushing for 37 yards on just three rushes with a touchdown.

The Eagles averaged nearly 13.3 yards per rush. It was the fourth time this season Joplin rushed for at least 300 yards, three of which have come in the last four games.

Davis is over 1,500 yards for the season and nearing 30 touchdowns. Over his last four games he’s rushed for 770 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 53 carries.

“Our offensive line and Coach Shaw, our offensive line coach, puts in so much time and extra time,” said Jasper. “They’re around each other all the time, they’re a tight-knit group that loves each other. They want to set the example for the team on how things are done and they do that well.”

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME

The biggest of Davis’ scorers came shortly before time expired in the first half.

After a hot start – triggered by a Zach Westmoreland 17-yard run and a pair of Davis touchdown runs – Joplin’s 21-0 first quarter lead quickly evaporated following back-to-back touchdowns by Kirkwood, the second of which was a 48-yard pass to Mizzou commit Maurice Massey.

Needing an answer, Joplin was able to turn its two-minute offense into a much-needed score. That late touchdown helped the Eagles end the game with 28 unanswered points.

“That was huge because of Kirkwood’s score,” said Jasper. “We saw what they did to Eureka, coming back late, so that score was awesome. It made it even better knowing that we got the ball to start the second half.”

Joplin is averaging 53.7 PPG since October, putting up at least 40 in all six games.

But for as dominant as their offense has been, it’s the defense that has keyed Joplin’s nine-game winning streak.

Kirkwood is the only opponent to score more than two touchdowns in a game against Joplin since Carthage did so on Sep. 7.

The Eagles allowed more than 400 yards of total offense to Kirkwood, but it took the Pioneers 82 plays to get it. Joplin was also able to force four turnovers.

“We tweaked some things in practice, but really it’s been in them and we saw it all summer. We were just tight those first three weeks. We were able to get back to basics and we’ve played fast every sense.”

Awaiting Joplin in the Final Four in national power and defending Class 6 state championship CBC.

The Cadets are averaging 57.4 PPG this season, posting at least 45 points in every game with multiple Division One prospects. They haven’t lost an in-state game since 2016.

“This is why you work so hard in the off season,” said Jasper. “You have to play the best to beat the best. We’re excited about that matchup and looking forward to getting after it.

Joplin will host CBC on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Junge Stadium.

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