West Plains powers past Central

Central's hopes of a Class 4 District 1 title were dashed Friday night when host West Plains routed the Tigers 42-20.

The Tigers (2-7, 1-1) can still finish in a three-way tie for the district title if they beat Sikeston next week and West Plains (5-4, 2-0) loses to Poplar Bluff.

But, under the points system to break three-way district ties, Central cannot mathematically finish with more points than both West Plains and Poplar Bluff.

West Plains took control of Friday's contest early, as the Zizzers scored touchdowns on their first two possessions to lead 14-0.

Central received the opening kickoff but was forced to punt without picking up a first down.

A solid return set the Zizzers up at Central's 34-yard line, and five plays later Evan Moffis scored on a 5-yard run for a 7-0 lead just 3:32 into the game.

Another three-and-out possession by the Tigers set West Plains up near midfield, and Luke Nichols' 17-yard touchdown run made it 14-0 with just over five minutes left in the quarter.

West Plains later took advantage of a Hykeem Hammonds fumble, recovering at the Tigers' 24-yard line. Moffis scored on a 3-yard run to make it 21-0 with 5:33 left in the second period.

Two West Plains touchdowns less than a minute apart late in the half gave the Zizzers a 35-0 lead.

Central got on the scoreboard just seven seconds before the intermission as Blake Slattery ran in from 1 yard out. The touchdown was set up by Slattery's 34-yard pass to Ty Craft that carried to the 1. The PAT missed, making it 35-6 at the break.

Any momentum Central might have carried into the second half was dashed quickly when West Plains scored on the opening possession, Tyler Schmitt running in from 5 yards for a 42-6 lead.

That's the way things stood until the Tigers made things a bit more respectable by scoring twice in the final seven minutes of the game.

With 6:26 remaining, Slattery scored on a 4-yard run. Slattery hit Craft for a two-point conversion, making it 42-14.

After Central recovered an onside kick, Garrett Stevens came in at quarterback and directed a drive that resulted in his 12-yard touchdown pass to Slattery.

Slattery passed for 165 yards, with Craft catching five passes for 118 yards. Derien Downing also had five receptions.

Kennett 21, Perryville 20, OT

An unsuccessful extra-point attempt early in the game came back to haunt Perryville's football team as it remained winless in a 21-20 overtime loss to visiting Kennett on Friday.

The Pirates (0-9) attacked first in its final home game, scoring on Joey Kreitler's 7-yard run in the second quarter. Chris Kaempfe's extra point kick failed, which took on greater meaning when Kennett (4-5) missed its PAT after Marco Finley scored on a 7-yard run later in the quarter.

Perryville took the lead in the third quarter on Ryan Schilling's 10-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Regelsperger, who finished with 50 yards on five catches. Kaempfe's extra point was successful.

Finley rushed for another Kennett touchdown in the fourth quarter, knotting the score at 13-13.

Perryville scored first in overtime on a 1-yard rush by Schilling, and Kaempfe's extra point was good. Kennett then scored and Finley ran for a two-point conversion on a fake kick, sealing the victory.

"The kids haven't given up," Perryville coach Rick Chastain said. "They continue to go out there and give it all they got every Friday night."

Schilling completed 10 of 14 passes for 72 yards for the Pirates, and Kreitler was Perryville's leading rusher with 145 yards on 34 carries.

-- From staff reports