West Plains football is going to the state football semifinals for the first time since the playoff system was installed after beating Hannibal 29-14 on Friday.
The win avenged last season’s 35-26 loss to Hannibal in this same round.
“I am just extremely proud and happy for these kids. There were a lot of critics early in the year and these guys answered the bell,” said West Plains head coach Joel Wyatt.
Hannibal received the ball to open the game. The Pirates advanced into West Plains territory, but the Zizzer defense stood up on fourth and five to get the ball for the offense for the first time.
West Plains took nine plays to get to the Hannibal seven-yard line. On 4th and 2 from the seven, the Zizzers went for it and quarterback Aiden Simpson found Dawson Howell for the game’s first score. Chase Larsen kicked the PAT to give West Plains a 7-0 lead with 5:17 left in the first quarter.
Hannibal marched all the way to the Zizzer one-yard line on the ensuing drive, but the Zizzer defense stood tall once again with Quinsey Doolittle forcing a fumble that was recovered by Kenny Overy.
The West Plains offense stalled out and had to punt away on the next drive giving the ball back to Hannibal. Williams was there again to end Hannibal’s drive by recovering a fumble at the Pirate 46 yard line.
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It was the Hannibal defense’s turn to make a play recovering a West Plains fumble on the next drive.
The Pirate offense got going off the turnover hitting on a 53-yard pass play followed by an 11-yard run to get deep in West Plains territory.
On 3rd and 16 from the Zizzer 20, Hannibal scored on a touchdown pass to tie the game with 7:52 left until the half.
West Plains tried to respond with Simpson finding Miller on a 30-yard completion on the next drive to get the Zizzers to the Hannibal 19.
Hannibal’s defense again had an answer forcing and recovering a fumble to end the Zizzer threat and get the ball back.
The Pirates marched down the field quickly. With time running out on the half, Hannibal hit on a 15-yard touchdown pass as time expired to take a 14-7 lead into the break.
That play with time expiring sucked the momentum out of West Plains, but the team would come out ready to respond.
“I am extremely proud of the effort. The grit these guys showed,” Wyatt said. “We went in there at halftime pretty down after the last play of the half that gave them the lead. We were down a little bit. We felt like we let one slip away right there by not scoring and they score on the last play.”
West Plains got the ball out of the half and wasted no time striking. Simpson found Miller on 43-yard pass down to the Hannibal 29. A 15-yard completion got West Plains to the Hannibal 14 where the drive appeared to stall out.
On 4th and 11 from its own 15, West Plains set up for a field goal, but ended up having to scramble after for a pass where Simpson found Jesse Hudson for a first down at the Hannibal three-yard line. Simpson scored on a sneak from inside the one-yard line a few plays later.
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On the ensuing point after, West Plains went for the fake and Larson connected with Miller for the two point conversion.
The Zizzer defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing Hannibal drive to get the ball back for the offense at their own 27.
The big play of the next West Plains offensive drive came on a third-and-five with Simpson-to-Miller striking again, this time on a 35-yard pass down to the 17.
Carter McCracken finished off the drive a few plays later with a five-yard touchdown run.
Hannibal again went three-and-out on offense. West Plains special teams got into the action on the punt attempt with Woody Rogers blocking the Pirate punt.
The Pirate defense again had an answer with an interception to get the ball back.
The third three-and-out in a row for the Hannibal offense gave West Plains the ball back on its own 49 with 19 seconds left.
A big pass play again was a catalyst for the Zizzers with Simpson hitting Hudson for a 38-yard completion down to the Hannibal 22-yard line.
A few plays later, West Plains was faced with a fourth and goal from the one. McCracken took the ball and punched it in to give West Plains a commanding 29-14 lead.
The Pirates gained their first first down of the half via penalty with 6:45 left in the game, but the Zizzer defense again.
After trading punts, Hudson effectively iced the game with an interception with 2:07 left in the game.
When the clock hit 0:00 the celebration was on and history was made.
“It feels awesome. We are all pumped up,” Miller said. “That was one of the things that was fueling us to come out and play harder; no one else has ever done this in school history.”
The Zizzers will take their next shot at history next weekend in the state semifinals against the winner of tomorrow’s Parkway Central at St. Dominic game.
“It feels awesome. We are all pumped up,” Miller said. “That was one of the things that was fueling us to come out and play harder; no one else has ever done this in school history.”
