Clarion Cruises
CHERRY TWP — It took the Clarion Bobcats only two plays to gain 52 yards and score a touchdown on their opening possession Friday night.
It took the Moniteau Warriors all four quarters to gain their 52 yards.
The overmatched Warriors (0-4) couldn't contain Clarion as it scored six touchdowns on its first 12 plays en route to a 62-0 road victory at Moniteau High School.
The Bobcats' speed was on full display all night, as running backs Ian Corbett and Damien Slike combined for 217 yards on just 11 carries. They also pitched in three touchdowns apiece.
But it was wide receiver Cody Hearst that kicked off the scoring for the Bobcats, outrunning Moniteau's man-to-man coverage to grab a 36-yard touchdown on a fade pattern less than three minutes into the game.
He would later add a 51-yard interception return to make the score 35-0 at the end of the first quarter.
“Clarion is a quality football team,” Moniteau head coach Cecil Blauser said. “That may be one of the best District 9 football team's I've seen in a long, long time. They got size, they got speed, they got strength.”
And it was all those things that made the game as lopsided as it was.
Clarion (4-0) was consistently forcing their way into the Moniteau backfield, holding the Warriors to only 33 yards rushing on 33 carries. For the game, Moniteau amassed only 52 total yards and threw two interceptions.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats' offensive line created gaping holes that their skill players were able to zip through. They finished the game with 318 yards on the ground.
“They've been doing it all year,” Clarion head coach Larry Wiser said. “Our kids really work hard in practice. Coming off the game we had last week, you're not sure how kids are going to react, but they came back.”
Despite the disparity on the scoreboard, the Warriors continued to fight.
Twice sophomore Elijah Stewart was one block away from returning a kickoff, and it took the kicker to stop him in Clarion territory on another attempt.
Blauser said even though the running game did not have a lot of success, he thought senior standout Dustin Geagan ran harder than he has all season.
And after battling through the toughest part of their schedule, the Warriors and their coach hope it pays dividends.
“The kids have a lot of heart. None of them quit,” Blauser said. “We'll be back. I honestly think we're getting close.
“I think going forward it's going to make us better down the stretch run. I think the kids are focused. ... I think we're going to be fine.”
