For the third time in four years, Carthage has advanced to the state semi-finals in Class 5 football, and will host the Vianney Griffins, who beat Jackson 69-28 last Saturday.
The game is slated for a 3 p.m. Saturday start, at David Haffner Stadium in Carthage.
Vianney is 9-3 coming into the game while Carthage comes in at 11-1.
The winner of this game will play the winner of the game between Columbia Battle and Independence Fort Osage for the state title at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at Farout Field at the University of Missouri in Columbia.
Carthage Head Coach Jon Guidie said this will probably be Carthage’s biggest challenge to date, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be in the state semi-finals.
“Without a doubt, these will be the most talented players we’ve seen all season,” Guidie said. “They’ve got athletes all over the place. Their running back is a big, physical kid, and a Notre Dame commit. They’ve got a good defense that gives you lots of looks. They’ve got speed on the back side and an offense that puts up 44 points a game.”
Last week
Carthage advanced by defeating Lebanon 43-8 in the quarter-finals game on Friday, Nov. 16.
Lebanon, a team that averaged 45 points a game this year, started fast with a long drive that tested the Carthage defense.
The Yellowjackets moved the ball to the Carthage 22 when junior defensive end Alex Martini intercepted a screen pass and broke two tackles to return the ball 78 yards for a touchdown that completely changed the game early.
“It all got started with Alex Martini’s pick six. I mean, what a time for that,” Coach Guidie said. “He read that screen and made a great play on that, but then his run after the catch was something else. They had us on our heels there on that opening drive and we needed something positive to happen and Alex — that was a great play.”
Carthage scored on offence after only two plays on their first drive. Quarterback Patrick Carlton ran the ball in from 10 yards out and Carthage led 14-0.
Carthage went up 21-0 with 8:13 left in the half.
Then Lebanon scored after a 68-yard drive that ended with a one-yard run by Quarterback Tyler Glendenning. The two-point conversion made the score 21-8 at the half.
Tigers Running Back Tyler Mueller opened the second half with a 60-yard run to the Lebanon 3-yard line, then he scored two plays later to make it 28-8 Carthage.
Lebanon drove to the Carthage 21 on its next drive, but fumbled on third and short and the Tigers recovered.
Carthage then went on a 14-play, seven-minute drive over 76 yards that led to a Mueller one-yard score and a 35-8 Carthage lead.
“That’s what we’ve been waiting for, that’s what we wanted to do,” Guidie said. “Our offensive line bowed up and started knocking off six, seven, eight yards a pop, and scored, we finished it. That’s the big thing.”
Carthage recovered the ensuing kickoff and Jayden Morgan scored on a 19-yard run on the next play. The two-point pass from Carlton to Morgan put the Tigers up 43-8 and set up the running clock for the rest of the game.
