Thayer, Mo. –The Thayer Bobcats football team took on the Liberty (Mtn. View) Eagles at the Thayer High School in Thayer, Missouri. After a close game and a nail-biting finish, Thayer came home with a 21-14 win.
Crowd
The bleachers was a sea of green and red fans cheering on their teams. The stands stayed almost completely full until the end of the game.
No Scores
During the first quarter, neither team scored. Liberty made several passes for yards. On a pass from Parker Tune (#2 for Liberty), Corbin Taylor (#20 for Thayer) hit the ball, allowing Cordell Washington (#1 for Bobcats) to actually make the interception. At the end of the first quarter, no one was on the scoreboard.
Liberty Leads
In the second quarter, Liberty came with a vengeance, continually pushing towards the end zone. The Eagles managed to get several 10+ yard runs in. On a fumble by the Bobcats, Liberty managed to regain control of the ball. The fumble recovery led to another Eagle touchdown, this time by Jaren Rutledge (#10). With just three minutes left in the half, Thayer’s Thomas Poole (#8) found a gap in the defensive line and ran 20+ yards to the end zone. The score at halftime was 14-7 with Liberty in the lead.
Halftime
During halftime, the Thayer marching band played a couple of songs. After the band performed, the Thayer cheerleaders and future cheerleaders came onto the field and did several cheers as well as a dance.
Thayer Comes Back
During the first six minutes of the third quarter, neither team scored. Cordell Washington (#1 for Thayer) broke the no scoring with a touchdown at 6:46 in the quarter. The Bobcats missed the extra point, leaving Liberty in the lead by one point. The Eagles could not make and conversions to the end zone.
On another incredible play by Washington, he ran around 55 yards putting the Bobcats very close to the end zone. Thayer did not let that 55-yard run go to waste, scoring another touchdown. Dawson Harris (#7 for Thayer) ran in for the two-point conversion. The score at the end of the third quarter was 21-14, with Thayer leading.
An Emotional Finish
Neither the Eagles or the Bobcats scored in the fourth quarter. Each team’s defense kept the offense from scoring: stopping runs, guarding players well. During the fourth quarter, Thyaer’s defense stepped up. With 9 minutes left in the games, Thayer kept Liberty from scoring on the fourth down around the four-yard line.
With one minute left in the game, Liberty had the ball and the crowd was getting very noisy, cheering on their teams. With just six seconds left, Liberty had to get past Thayer’s defense to make a touchdown. Parker Tune (#2 for Liberty) made a run for the end zone but a Thayer Bobcat grabbed his foot making him trip and lose the ball, finishing out the game. The final score was 21-14, with Thayer taking home a well-earned victory.
Both teams played very well and gave their heart out: neither team quit. It was an exciting, intense, and emotional game!
