CASSVILLE, Mo. — Senior night is an important evening for students, parents, and their community. For Cassville senior Anthony Tolbert not only was Friday his last home game, but it was his last home game with his freshman brother, Logan.
Anthony leaves big shoes for his little brother to fill thanks to a 192-yard night with four touchdowns in Cassville’s 34-13 win over Aurora.
“The fans get to going and it gets us going and feels good,” Tolbert said.
But it was Aurora (4-4) who came out feeling good.
The Houn’ Dawgs would score on their opening drive, taking a 7-0 lead thanks to a Logan Lauffer’s misdirection scamper.
The Wildcats (5-3) would waste little time answering, marching down the field for Tolbert’s first score of the night.
“This is what started the momentum for the game,” Cassville head coach Lance Parnell said. But a failed PAT left Cassville in a 7-6 halftime deficit.
A different Wildcat team came out of the locker room for the third quarter. Shannon Haney started the second half with a touchdown and thanks to a two-point conversion, Cassville would take a 14-7 lead.
The Wildcat defense would help preserve that lead thanks to a Johnny Medina interception at the Cassville 6-yard line.
Seconds later, Tolbert got the call again. This time the senior burst out of the backfield to the right sideline and rumbled 84-yards for a touchdown. The Wildcats’ lead would grow to 20-7. That’s a 13-point swing for Cassville sparked from the defensive stop.
“(Medina) is a play maker,” Tolbert said, “without him I wouldn’t have had that nice run. It really makes a difference when the defense gets turnovers for us.”
Aurora would continue to press, knowing whomever wins this game has a good chance of hosting the other in the opening round of districts. Kaden Clark would pull the Houn’ Dawgs to within six near the end of the third quarter.
But in the fourth, the Wildcats defense again flexed its muscles. Wyatt Goade, a sack on fourth down late in the game stalled any Aurora comeback. Tolbert would then ice it with his final two touchdowns on the night.
Next week, Cassville wraps up its regular season at Mount Vernon (5-3). Meanwhile Aurora hosts its senior night against McDonald County (5-3).
