KAHOKA, Mo. - Clark County struck first and continued fighting through the final minutes Friday night, but Monroe City’s powerful rushing attack allowed the Panthers to pull away for a 40-18 Clarence Cannon Conference victory.
The Indians provided the game’s first explosive moment after their defense stopped Monroe City on downs inside the Clark County 20-yard line. Bennett Plenge found Reid Sammons on a screen pass, and Sammons slipped through the defense for a 56-yard touchdown. The unsuccessful conversion left Clark County with a 6-0 advantage late in the opening quarter.
Monroe City responded by leaning on its Wing-T offense and a steady combination of Blaze Kauble and Da’Viere Holland. Kauble scored on a two-yard run early in the second quarter, with Holland adding the conversion to give the Panthers an 8-6 lead.
Julian Moss later found the end zone to extend the advantage before quarterback Wyatt DeGrave scored on a keeper with 55 seconds remaining in the half. Holland’s second successful conversion made it 22-6.
Clark County appeared ready to grab momentum back just before intermission. Plenge moved the Indians downfield through the air and connected with Sammons near the goal line in the closing seconds. Sammons reached toward the end zone, but officials ruled the ball came loose before he crossed the plane. Monroe City recovered in the end zone for a touchback, leaving Clark County without the score and trailing by 16 at halftime.
The Panthers opened the second half with a short kickoff and recovered the loose ball, denying Clark County the possession it was expecting after deferring the opening coin toss. Monroe City then continued consuming time with its ground game.
Holland broke free for a touchdown with 3:08 remaining in the third quarter, pushing the Panthers’ lead to 28-6. Kauble added his second touchdown of the evening early in the fourth to make it 34-6.
Clark County answered with one of its strongest possessions of the night. Landon Roberts turned a short pass into a 30-yard gain and then carried much of the remaining workload himself. Roberts finished the drive with a short touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 34-12 with 8:09 remaining.
Monroe City added its final score on a one-yard run by Parker Holland, but the Indians kept battling. Trevyn Hamner led Clark County’s offense down the field and scored on a late rushing touchdown to establish the 40-18 final.
Despite facing consistent pressure, Plenge completed 10 of 19 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown. Sammons caught three passes for 82 yards, including his 56-yard score, while Connor Waples finished with two receptions for 42 yards. Lukas Weaver added three catches for 37 yards.
Roberts carried six times for 39 yards and a touchdown in addition to his 30-yard reception. Hamner completed two of four passes for 29 yards and added 10 yards and a touchdown on four rushing attempts.
Monroe City rushed for more than 400 yards as a team. Kauble led the Panthers with 118 yards and two touchdowns on 22 attempts, while Da’Viere Holland accumulated 134 yards and a score on 14 carries. Moss contributed 53 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts.
Monroe City improved to 2-2 with the victory, while Clark County fell to 1-3. The Indians will travel to South Shelby on Friday, Sept. 25.
(This game recap is presented based upon the coverage of the Hometown Radio Sports Network. Any statistics given should be deemed as unofficial.)
