Cassville Football Coach Clay Weldy said the last time the Wildcats traveled to Nevada was the worst football game he’d been a part of — that narrative was rewritten on Friday.

In a back-and-forth battle where the Tigers answered three Cassville touchdowns, the Wildcats scored a 24-yard touchdown pass with only 9 seconds to play, securing a 27-20 victory.

“I’m very proud of our kids,” Weldy said. “We told them all week we’ve won two in a row at home, but to be a good team, you have to win on the road. This was a Class 4 ranked team, and the kids kept the faith and answered the bell.”

Nevada came into the contest ranked No. 6 in Class 4, while the Wildcats are unranked in Class 3. Weldy said the difference in the game was on the defensive end, forcing a pair of punts and two turnovers on downs, one at the Wildcats’ own 6-yard line in the first quarter, and the other at the Nevada 49-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter.

“I’m proud of how we played defensively — the best we’ve played all year,” Weldy said. “[Defensive Coordinator Justin Pflug] worked out a great plan, and the kids played well defensively.”

Easton Hughes, who rushed 7 times for 82 yards and made 5 unassisted tackles in the contest, said the Wildcats were able to bring the home intensity on the road last week.

“Especially before the game, we get closer by doing things like listening to music and just being a family,” he said. “We were all excited tonight, flying around and having fun. The best thing we did defensively was to stay low, because they are a big, strong team. We had to cut under them to make the tackles.

“We also have a big line that gave us a great push, so we just kept our feet going [when rushing]. We couldn’t have done it without the line.”

Cassville opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Hughes broke loose for a long run to the Tigers’ 29-yard line, setting up a 29-yard touchdown run by Masin Bryan to give the Wildcats.

Nevada evened the score early in the second quarter with a 57-yard touchdown pass, but Cassville responded immediately, as Colton Roark took the ensuing kickoff 80 yards untouched for a touchdown, putting the Wildcats back on top 14-7.

The Tigers tied the game again with just 14 seconds remaining in the half on a 27-yard touchdown pass.

Cassville regained momentum late in the third quarter when quarterback Jaren Stearns connected with Roark for a 19-yard touchdown pass through double coverage, giving the Wildcats their third lead of the game at 21-14.

Nevada answered in the fourth quarter with a long drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run, but the extra point attempt bounced off the left upright, leaving Cassville ahead 21-20 with 4:05 remaining.

After Carlos Barrientos dove to recover the ensuing onside kick, the Wildcats methodically moved downfield behind runs from Hughes and Kamden Beebe.

Exhausting all of Nevada’s timeouts, Weldy was able to watch the play clock run down on fourth-and-6, calling a timeout with 14 seconds to play. Stearns then hit Mace Bredeson on a 24-yard fade route for the game-sealing touchdown with 9 seconds left.

Cassville’s defense held on the final play, with Bredeson and Bryan combining for the tackle to end the game.

“In that part of the field, we typically run the ball,” Weldy said. “I thought, we have nothing to lose there, and [Colton Roark] needed a break. We had a matchup with Mace that we liked, Jaren made a good throw, and Mace ran a good route and made a great catch in the end zone.”

Hughes said the feeling of getting such an important win cannot be understated.

“It was electric, for sure,” he said. “The last time I was here, I was in eighth grade and a ball boy [when Cassville lost 62-7 in 2022]. To be playing now on Nevada’s field in a varsity uniform, it’s really exciting to get a win at their place.”

“The big thing was we are finally playing with confidence defensively, and the kids are having fun,” Weldy said. “When you do things right, you have more fun. We are still making a lot of mistakes, but we are playing better and with more intensity.”

The Wildcats hit the road one more time this regular season, traveling to Monett Friday for the annual Barry County Brawl.

“We know it’s a rivalry game, and they run a unique offense and defense that will be tough to prepare for,” Weldy said. “They have good athletes, and it will be a big challenge. Even though it’s a short trip, it’s still a rivalry road game. We aren’t satisfied with this [win over Nevada] because we have a tough opponent on the road next week.”

Stat-wise against Nevada, Stearns was 5-for-8 through the air for 73 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, also rushing for 51 yards on 7 carries. Kamden Beebe led on the ground with 91 yards on 11 carries. Roark caught 3 passes for 44 yards and a score, and Bredeson caught 2 balls for 29 yards and a score.

Defensively, Hunter Morse led with 8 unassisted tackles, and Barrientos added 7. Tristan Thompson led in tackle assists with 7.

The Wildcats allowed 328 total yards, 283 on the ground and 45 through the air, while producing 343 yards of offense, 270 on the ground and 73 through the air.

Cassville also had 9 penalties for 49 yards to Nevada’s 4 for 40 yards.

Kickoff on Friday in Monett is at 7 p.m.