Clayton foils Webb City's conversion, wins Class 4

ST. LOUIS -- Jairus Byrd threw for three touchdowns and ran for one more as Clayton won the first overtime game in Show Me-Bowl history by defeating Webb City 27-26 in the Class 4 state championship Friday.

Clayton (13-1) took the lead on its first possession of overtime when Byrd hit Torrey Tate on a 19-yard scoring pass. Kit Szybala's point-after made it 27-20.

Webb City (12-1) answered on Brayden Cooke's 11-yard run on a fourth and sixth play. Cardinals coach John Roderique elected to go for two points after the score, and Andrew Stanley was stopped short before fumbling the ball away.

Byrd, son of former NFL defensive back Gil Byrd, tied the game with a 2-yard run with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Byrd then thwarted Webb City's final two drives in regulation by forcing a fumble and intercepting a Cooke pass with less than a minute remaining.

Clayton had to forfeit nine victories last year when Byrd was declared ineligible because he had moved to the Clayton district in the offseason. On Friday, he showed his strong contributions to the team.

The Cardinals' Stanley scored three touchdowns, including two in a span of 14 seconds in the second quarter --one of them from an interception-- and ran for 217 yards. He is the 16th player in Show-Me Bowl history to go over 200 yards rushing.