CARTHAGE — The Carthage Tigers host the Class 5 District 6 finals against the Republic Tigers next week after ending Neosho's season with a 42-7 win Friday at David Haffner Stadium.
Carthage took a drive to get into gear but the defense was solid, holding Neosho scoreless until the fourth quarter.
"Our defense really stood out," said Carthage head coach Jon Guidie. "Our defense was outstanding. That's a hard offense to defend. They spread you out, they're no-huddle, they take advantage of numbers and our defense played really, really well tonight. I wasn't really pleased with how we did offensively, but our defense just kept getting stops and got a couple of turnovers and I'm so proud of them."
Once it got on track, the Carthage offense scored on six straight drives to make the score 42-0 before Neosho got on the board with 6:08 left in the fourth quarter.
Carthage junior running back Landon West led the way with 160 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries while senior quarterback Zane Browning had seven rushes for 35 yards and a touchdown and was five of six passing for 86 yards.
Carthage back-up quarterback Matt Cameron scored the Tigers' last touchdown on a three-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
Neosho senior running back Keisean Rhone was held in check for most of the game with 11 rushes for 55 yards in the first half but he went on to score the lone Wildcat touchdown on a 13-yard run with 6:08 left in the game.
Rhone appeared to have scored the touchdown three and a half minutes earlier on a 98-yard run but a penalty brought that play back to Neosho's 17. Then he ran the ball to the end zone from the 43 but that run was called back by a flag to Carthage's 13. Rhone punched the ball into the end zone on the next play.
The win moves Carthage to 9-1 on the season while the loss ends Neosho's second straight 6-5 season.
Republic will come to Carthage with a 9-2 record next week after beating visiting Webb City 41-24, putting an end to the Cardinals 7-4 season.
-John Hacker, Joplin Globe Sports
