BRANSON — A short-handed Carthage football team faced a seven-point deficit after the first 36 minutes of action on Friday night.
But despite the absences of running back Tyler Mueller and wide receiver Marcus Huntley — as well as the absence of starting quarterback Patrick Carlton for most of the night — the Tigers managed to score 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and claim a 16-7 win over Central Ozark foe Branson at Pirate Stadium.
"Being able to handle the adversity tonight, I thought our kids did a tremendous job," Carthage coach Jon Guidie said. "We were pretty beat up and had to play a lot of different kids. That's no excuse and we're not trying to get any sympathy. But the kids who stepped in did a good enough job tonight, and I'm really proud of them."
On a night where scoring came at a premium for both offenses, the Carthage defense held the Pirates to 120 yards and just three first downs.
"That was definitely big," Guidie said. "I thought our defense was outstanding. That obviously kept us in it long enough so we could keep it at a manageable score in the fourth quarter."
Carthage (4-2) came up empty handed in each of its first seven offensive drives and eventually saw Branson (1-5) take a lead early in the second half when wide receiver Ethan Jones hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Muenchau for a 7-0 lead. The Pirates, who were limited to just 13 yards in the first half, marched 67 yards in 10 plays on the drive.
The Tigers eventually found the spark they needed on a Branson punt early in the fourth quarter. Return man Silas Templeman received the ball at the Tigers' 30-yard-line and then made a swarm of Branson defenders miss en route to a 70-yard touchdown return. After a successful 2-point conversion, Carthage had its first lead of the night, 8-7, with 11:23 remaining in the game.
Following a quick three-and-out for Branson, the Carthage offense found its footing with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Luke Gall. Gall and backup quarterback Bobby Kendrick — who handled the snaps for four drives on the night — accounted for 66 yards combined on the possession.
"We decided that we were just going to put it into our offensive line's hands," Guidie said. "They stepped up and did a tremendous job."
Gall finished the night with 139 yards on 22 carries while Kendrick logged 65 yards on 13 rushes.
"(Gall) is a pretty special kid," Guidie said. "But he's still a 14-year-old kid in a big game and big atmosphere, but he ran hard and did a great job throughout the night. And give Bobby Kendrick credit, too. Bobby hasn't taken a snap all year — even in mop-up time. But he came in and really did a good job of leading our offense."
"When I realized I'd be playing QB tonight, I was like, 'Oh, snap, I haven't had a snap in a game this whole season,' " Kendrick said. "I just had to step up and be a leader. Overall, we just had to be a team and come together. That's what helped us."
The Tigers put the game on ice on Branson's ensuing possession when Kendrick intercepted a fourth-down pass with about 1 ½ minutes remaining.
Carlton — battling through an undisclosed injury, according to Guidie — logged 70 yards of total offense in about two quarters of play.
Carthage was held scoreless in the first half despite totaling 128 yards of offense. Of its five drives in the half, three ended in punts, one ended in an interception and another ended in a failed Hail Mary attempt as the second-quarter clock expired.
The Tigers recorded 296 yards of offense on the night.
For Branson, Muenchau finished with 81 passing yards on 7-of-17 accuracy while running back Jay Hill registered 46 yards on 10 carries.
Carthage plays next Friday at Willard.

Carthage 16, Branson 7
Carthage     0    0    0    16 - 16
Branson      0     0   7      0 -   7

Third Quarter
B - Ethan Jones 26 yard pass from Dalton Muenchau (Alex Brenner kick)
Fourth Quarter
C - Silas Templeman 70 yard punt return (Bobby Kendrick run)
C - Luke Gall 18 yard run (Gall run)