CARTHAGE — It took just one offensive snap for Carthage to build a 7-0 lead.
It took just eight more offensive snaps for that lead to grow to 21-0.
At the end of the game, Carthage head coach Jon Guidie labeled his team's performance as a "good response" to its disappointing 56-55 loss to Joplin the week before. But perhaps that was putting it lightly.
With 466 yards of total offense and just 27 yards surrendered on defense, the Tigers dominated their way to 55-0 bounce-back win over Neosho on Friday night at David Haffner Stadium.
"We wanted to come out and execute early, and we did," Guidie said. "This is a process. To battle through last week and get over the emotional rollercoaster that it was, it made this a tough week just to get everybody back on board. We were concerned coming in about how we were going to play and how we would be affected by last week. And to their credit, they did a nice job of coming out and executing from start to finish."
And the start couldn't have been scripted much better for the Tigers (3-1).
The Wildcats (1-3) started the game on offense but were forced to punt after registering minus-three yards in three plays. Then on Carthage's first offensive play, receiver Marcus Huntley was handed the ball on a reverse sweep and went 46 yards up the sideline for a touchdown.
"That first offensive play wasn't what we had scripted," Guidie said. "We saw what the defense was giving us and it just felt good at the time. So we called it and it worked."
After another Neosho punt, Carthage put together six-play, 58-yard drive that was capped by an eight-yard touchdown run by running back Tyler Mueller. Then Neosho was forced into yet another three-and-out, which led to a 34-yard touchdown run by Huntley on the first play of Carthage's third offensive drive.
"We wanted to come out and execute early, and we did," Guidie said. "I'm not sure you could really ask for a better start both offensively and defensively."
By the end of the first half, Carthage had scored touchdowns on each of its six drives. The Wildcats, meanwhile, punted six times and logged just 20 yards of offense.
Neosho faced a 42-0 lead at the break. And things didn't get easier for coach Leon Miller and his Wildcats from there.
"Carthage is a good football team — probably the best football team we've faced this year," Miller said. "They're physical and they have speed, and that's something we're not right now."
The Carthage defense limited Neosho to just a pair of first downs as it logged its second shutout of the season. The Wildcats advanced past the 50-yard line just once.
"We expected more from ourselves," Miller said. "We were prepared, and (Carthage) didn't do a damn thing we hadn't prepared for in practice. They just pushed us around up front and controlled us throughout the night. We have to be better, and we expect to be better."
The Tigers, playing their reserves for the entire second half with a running clock, tacked on one touchdown apiece in the third and fourth quarters to bring the game to its final. Furious Laney extended the lead to 49-0 on a 27-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, and Ashton Lancaster capped the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining.
Carthage junior quarterback Patrick Carlton accounted for three touchdowns, rushing for two on runs of 15 and two yards and logging another on a 50-yard pass to Silas Templeman.
In just one half of play, Carlton finished with 89 yards on six carries and 82 yards on 3-of-4 passing. Huntley recorded 81 rush yards on just three attempts while Tyler Mueller tallied 68 yards on nine rushes.
Jacob Fry led the Neosho offense with seven carries for 22 yards.
Both teams return to play next Friday, with Carthage playing host to Webb City and Neosho playing host to Nixa.

-Jared Porter, Joplin Globe Sports Online

Carthage 55, Neosho 0
Neosho        0      0     0    0 - 0
Carthage    21    21    7    6 - 55

Scoring
First Quarter
C-Marcus Huntley 46 yard run, Huntley kick
C-Tyler Mueller 8 yard run, Huntley kick
C-Huntley 34 yard run, Huntley kick
Second Quarter
C-Patrick Carlton 15 yard run, Huntley kick
C-Carlton 2 yard run, Huntley kick
C-Silas Templeman 50 yard pass from Carlton, Huntley kick
Third Quarter
C-Furious Laney 27 yard run, Huntley kick
Fourth Quarter
C-Ashton Lancaster 5 yard run, run failed