UNIONVILLE, Mo. - Putnam County had four yards to go and one down left to get them. Trailing South Shelby by five in the fourth quarter Friday night, Sawyer Morgan threw a screen pass to Jacob Jones, who followed his blockers into the end zone. Matthew Blanchard added the extra point, and the Midgets held off the Cardinals through the final snap for a 14–12 win in the Class 1 District 8 semifinals at Bill Mitchell Field.
The teams combined for three turnovers in the opening minute, starting with a South Shelby fumble on the kickoff that gave Putnam County the ball at the Cardinals’ 40. South Shelby kept the Midgets off the board in the first half and broke the scoreless tie with 57 seconds left before halftime. Logan Hubbard found Corbin Darling for a 27-yard gain on third down and went back to Darling to convert a fourth down. Hubbard finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Cardinals a 6–0 halftime lead after Putnam County stopped the two-point try.
Putnam County opened the second half with a 69-yard touchdown drive. Seth Hannink helped move the Midgets inside the 10, and Gus Crellin scored from four yards out. Blanchard’s extra point gave Putnam County its first lead at 7–6. Noah Sanders helped South Shelby keep it there with a third-quarter interception, then put the Cardinals back in front on the first play of the fourth with a 26-yard touchdown run. The two-point pass fell incomplete, leaving South Shelby ahead 12–7.
After Morgan and Jones put Putnam County back in front, South Shelby drove to the Midgets’ 39-yard line. The Cardinals tried a pass from running back Jace McWilliams to Easton Sanders on fourth-and-six, but it fell incomplete. South Shelby’s defense earned one more chance by stopping Putnam County on fourth-and-one with four seconds left. Hubbard’s final pass fell incomplete as time expired.
Hannink led Putnam County with 52 yards on 12 carries, and Corbin Campbell-Johnson added 45 yards on 11 attempts. Morgan threw for 51 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown. For South Shelby, Hubbard ran for 38 yards and threw for 44, all to Darling. Noah Sanders finished with 39 yards on four carries to go with his touchdown and interception.
Putnam County improved to 8–2 with its eighth straight win and will face Marceline in the district championship Friday, Nov. 13. The Tigers advanced with a 35–12 win over Scotland County. South Shelby finished 4–6.
Photo courtesy for this story provided by Haley Watt
(This game recap is presented based upon the coverage of the Hometown Radio Sports Network. Any statistics are based on information available at the time of the broadcast.)
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