Wildcats host Mt. Vernon for shot at district title bout

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

It has been five weeks since the Cassville football team has heard the roar of its fans at its home stadium, and the Wildcats are hoping to get fans on their feet in a second matchup against Mt. Vernon — with the winner getting a shot at the district title.

The Wildcats faced the Mountaineers on Oct. 17 in Mt. Vernon, earning a 26-0 victory. Now, with a spot among the final 16 teams in the state on the line, Cassville Coach Clay Weldy said the focus is less on reinventing the game plan and more on executing the fundamentals.

“At this point in the season, everyone’s kind of who they are,” Weldy said. “There’ll be some small wrinkles here and there in districts, but for the most part, you’re trying to be the best version of yourself you can be and try to limit your mistakes. That’s the biggest thing.”

Weldy said with both teams knowing what to expect, execution and physical play is paramount. The extended stretch away from Wildcat Stadium has also made Friday’s return especially meaningful, particularly for the senior class.

“When we play Friday, it will have been five weeks between home games,” he said. “That’s a long time. I’ve never had that kind of break in home games in my time in football. Our kids are excited to be back home and playing for our home crowd and just our home environment.

“I really hope that we have a great crowd Friday night. We’ve had a good season. It’s been a while since we’ve been at home, so I hope people come out and support our guys.”

Weldy said a strong crowd can make a difference in the atmosphere and provide an energy boost for the team.

“We’ve got one of the best environments around when we have a good crowd there,” he said. “I hope they come out and hope they’re loud. Our kids play really well in front of a good crowd.”

As the top seed in the district Cassville received a bye last Friday, and Weldy said the coaching staff used the time to keep players engaged while allowing them to recover from the regular season.

With the playoffs underway, he said the stakes provide their own motivation.

“It’s fun when you’re now in playoff time and you know what’s on the line,” Weldy said. “If you lose, you’re done. If you win, you’re now going to be one of 16 teams left.”

The week off also provided an opportunity for some players to recover from the normal bumps and bruises that accumulate over a season. Weldy said a few players who have been out could potentially return, though their availability will depend on how the week of practice goes.

As for the keys to victory against Mt. Vernon, Weldy pointed to the same standards he has emphasized throughout the year — physicality, effort and execution.

“Our big thing is we want to be the most physical team, the hardest-playing team and the team that makes the fewest mistakes,” he said.

Ball security and penalties have been areas of concern in recent games, and Weldy said the Wildcats must clean up those issues Friday.

“We’ve been putting the ball on the ground a little bit offensively lately in the last few games,” he said. “We’ve been having too many penalties, so we need to limit those kinds of errors and mental errors in alignment.”

Kickoff on Friday is at 7 p.m. The winner will head to the district championship next week, meeting No. 2 Seneca or No. 4 Nevada.