PALMYRA, Mo. – Highland’s football season came to a close Friday night as Palmyra built a commanding first-half lead and defeated the Cougars 59-6 in the opening round of the Class 2, District 7 playoffs. Highland finished the season at 0-9, while the Panthers improved to 7-3 and advanced to a district semifinal matchup at Monroe City.
The Cougars faced an early deficit after Wyatt Augspurg broke free for a 55-yard touchdown run on Palmyra’s opening possession. A mishandled snap on Highland’s first offensive series resulted in a safety, putting the Panthers ahead 9-0 just over a minute into the contest. Palmyra continued to create running room throughout the opening quarter, with Wyatt Augspurg adding a 20-yard touchdown and Kason Augspurg scoring on runs of 19 and 53 yards to make it 30-0.
Highland was unable to sustain enough offense to slow that momentum before halftime. Logan Kroeger scored on a 3-yard run early in the second quarter, and Pierce White turned a broken extra-point attempt into a two-point conversion after recovering the snap and escaping several defenders. A second safety followed another errant Highland snap before Daxton Schlueter’s 7-yard touchdown run and Kroeger’s second rushing score, from 6 yards out, helped send Palmyra into halftime ahead 52-0.
The Cougars found more success moving the ball in the third quarter with the running clock in effect. Dawson Hedges provided a spark with a 30-yard scramble, and Highland worked into scoring position before the sophomore quarterback delivered an 11-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the Cougars trailing 52-6 with 2:09 remaining in the quarter.
Palmyra added its final touchdown in the fourth quarter when Charles Marshall scored on a 25-yard run. Wyatt Augspurg, Kason Augspurg and Kroeger finished with two rushing touchdowns apiece, while Schlueter and Marshall each contributed one as the Panthers earned another meeting with rival Monroe City.
For Highland, the third-quarter scoring drive provided a second-half highlight, but the Cougars could not overcome Palmyra’s early scoring surge and the field-position problems that accompanied their first-half mistakes. The district loss brought Highland’s season to an end as the Panthers moved on to the next round.
(This game recap is presented based upon the coverage of the Hometown Radio Sports Network. Any statistics given should be deemed as unofficial.)
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