Zizzers’ Season Ends at Home in District Quarterfinal Loss to Jefferson Cit
West Plains struck early and battled to the finish Friday night, but Jefferson City came away with a 43–20 win in the district quarterfinal, ending the Zizzers’ season on their home field.
Judd’s quarterback keeper and Smith’s kickoff return helped West Plains take a 14–7 first-quarter lead before Jefferson City moved ahead in the second quarter. Marshall added a fourth-quarter touchdown, and the Zizzers kept pushing on their final possession, reaching the Jefferson City 4 before time expired.
FINAL: Jefferson City 43, West Plains 20
1st Quarter — Zizzers Strike Twice
West Plains opened with a kickoff to the 10, and Collins stopped the return at the 31. Evans chased down the next runner at the 33 before an incomplete quick pass and Warren’s stop back at the 31 helped force a Jefferson City punt.
Smith, wearing No. 1, received the punt at the 31. Judd advanced to the 35, but Combs’ long attempt to Huddleston and another pass intended for Judd fell incomplete. West Plains punted, and Maupin recovered the ball at the 27 to give the Zizzers another opportunity.
Marshall attacked the right side to the 16, then pushed up the middle to the 15. A reverse sent Maupin around the left side to the 3. Marshall reached the 1 and was stopped on the next carry before Judd finished the possession.
Judd scored on a quarterback keeper, and Bevel’s extra point gave West Plains a 7–0 lead with 8:00 remaining. An illegal-procedure penalty had moved the extra-point attempt back, but Bevel converted the second kick.
The Zizzers immediately got the ball back again. Their kickoff rebounded off a Jefferson City player, and Cobb recovered at the 46.
Combs opened with a deep incompletion, then connected with Egly at the Jefferson City 48. Marshall reached the 43 for a first down. Smith was stopped on the next play, and passes intended for Patillo and Judd fell incomplete. A bad snap sent Roberts chasing the ball, and he was stopped at the 37.
Allen tackled a Jefferson City runner at the 31, and Huxley Freeman pursued a quarterback keeper to the 30. Jefferson City then broke a run to the 3, where Maupin and Warren made the tackle.
A false start backed Jefferson City to the 8. Collins stopped the next run at the 4, and Allen sacked the quarterback back at the 12. Jefferson City answered with a touchdown pass and the extra point, tying the game 7–7 with 3:14 left.
Smith needed only the ensuing kickoff to put West Plains back in front.
Taking the kick at the 15, Smith zigzagged all the way to the end zone. Bevel added the extra point, and the Zizzers led 14–7 with 3:01 remaining. A West Plains penalty was enforced on the following kickoff.
Hutchinson stopped Jefferson City’s return at the 30. Barbrow held the next run at the same spot, and Ruker and Evans combined for a backfield stop at the 27. Maupin delivered a big hit after a completion to the 37, bringing up fourth-and-3.
Jefferson City converted with a run around the left side to the West Plains 48. Colvin tackled the runner on a subsequent pitch right, but a Jefferson City holding penalty moved the ball back. Wade then stopped a quarterback keeper at the 35 as the quarter ended.
End of 1st Quarter: West Plains 14, Jefferson City 7
2nd Quarter — Jefferson City Moves Ahead
Jefferson City began the quarter with second-and-2 at the 35. Davis stopped an inside run at the 30, but Jefferson City reached the end zone on the next run up the middle. The extra point tied the game 14–14 with 11:27 remaining.
After a kickoff into the end zone, West Plains started at the 20. Combs connected with Egly on the left side to the 29. Marshall carried to the 33 and then the 38. He gained a yard on the next carry before Jefferson City stopped the following two runs and took over on downs.
Roberts nearly intercepted the next pass, which fell incomplete. Ruker stopped a run at the 37, and Roberts made the next tackle at the 36. West Plains stayed disciplined when Jefferson City tried to draw the defense offside before a Jefferson City timeout at 7:30.
Facing fourth-and-5, Jefferson City completed a pass to the 26, where Maupin made the tackle. Another completion reached the 12, with Colvin making the stop. A quarterback keeper around the left side reached the 6, but holding moved Jefferson City back to the 19.
Jefferson City scored on the following run up the middle. Huxley Freeman blocked the extra point, leaving West Plains behind 20–14 with 6:46 remaining.
The next kickoff left the Zizzers starting at their own 6. Jefferson City encroachment moved the ball to the 11, and Marshall carried to the 13. Smith ran left to the 18 for a first down before a West Plains holding penalty backed the possession to the 7.
A short pass intended for Marshall fell incomplete. Facing third-and-9, Combs went deep for Smith, but the pass was incomplete against tight coverage. West Plains punted to the 29, and Jefferson City declined an illegal-procedure penalty.
Roberts pushed a runner out at the 26. Huxley Freeman limited a completed pass to a yard, and Wade stopped a run around the right side at the 13. Roberts held the next carry to another yard before Jefferson City holding moved the ball back to the 22.
Ruker and Stauffer combined for a stop at the 20, and Evans tackled a runner at the 12. On third-and-9, Ruker and Judd stopped the next play for a loss.
Jefferson City kicked a field goal to extend its lead to 23–14 with 1:50 left in the half.
West Plains started at the 20 and quickly picked up a first down when Combs found Judd at the 31. Combs was sacked on the next play, and the Zizzers called timeout with 1:31 remaining.
Girdley connected with Combs at the 33, then found Judd at the 39 for another first down with 1:01 left. A completion from Girdley to Patillo carried the Zizzers to the 20.
The next pass to Patillo fell incomplete. With 34 seconds remaining, Jefferson City called timeout. Attempts to Egly and Smith also fell incomplete, and Jefferson City took another timeout with 27 seconds left.
Bevel’s field-goal attempt came up short, and Jefferson City took over at the 20. Allen stopped a run at the 24 before a West Plains facemask penalty moved the ball to the 39. Jefferson City took a knee to end the half.
Halftime: Jefferson City 23, West Plains 14
3rd Quarter — Zizzers Block a Field Goal, Drive Inside the 10
Smith returned the second-half kickoff to the 22. Marshall gained to the 25, but Girdley’s passes toward Egly on the right and left sides fell incomplete.
Jefferson City returned Roberts’ ensuing punt for a touchdown. The extra point made it 30–14 with 10:53 remaining.
Smith brought the next kickoff to the 28. Combs completed a pass to Smith at the 30, but a deep attempt to Smith on the left side and a pass intended for Patillo were incomplete. Roberts punted, and Jefferson City began at the West Plains 39.
Allen made a stop at the 37. Jefferson City ran right to the 24, where Colvin tackled the runner, then completed a pass to the 9 before Maupin brought down the receiver.
Judd and his teammates stopped the next play for a loss back to the 13. Collins tipped a pass incomplete, and Huxley Freeman tackled the next runner at the 11. Jefferson City’s field-goal attempt struck the upright and stayed out, giving West Plains the ball at the 20.
Combs kept to the 22 before a deep pass intended for Egly fell incomplete. Combs scrambled on another attempt toward Egly, but that pass also fell incomplete.
A bad snap on the next play led to a throw by Roberts that Jefferson City intercepted. Allen made the tackle at the 21.
Evans and Ruker combined for a stop at the 7. Jefferson City gained a yard around the left side before a false start backed the ball to the 11. Roberts stopped a screen pass to the left, and Stauffer held the next run at the 10.
Warren blocked Jefferson City’s field-goal attempt, and the Zizzers took over at the 19.
A long completion from Girdley to Combs was erased by an illegal-shift penalty, moving West Plains back to the 14. Marshall regained ground to the 19. Girdley’s next deep attempt was incomplete, with another West Plains penalty declined.
Girdley then found Egly for a first down at the 30. On the next play, Girdley scrambled and was sacked, but Jefferson City holding moved the Zizzers to the 40.
Combs connected with Smith at the 47, Marshall at the Jefferson City 39, and Egly at the 8. Smith reached the 6, and Roberts was held at the same spot before Jefferson City called timeout with 0:47 remaining.
Combs found Patillo in the end zone, but offensive pass interference erased the touchdown and moved the ball back to the 21. Illegal procedure pushed West Plains farther back to the 26.
A pass toward Marshall on the left side fell incomplete, followed by a deep incompletion intended for Roberts against tight coverage. Jefferson City took over, and Judd and Roberts combined for a tackle at the 37 before the quarter ended.
End of 3rd Quarter: Jefferson City 30, West Plains 14
4th Quarter — Marshall Scores, Zizzers Keep Driving
Jefferson City opened the fourth quarter with a first down at the 37. After an incomplete pass, Davis stopped a quarterback keeper at the 39. Warren tackled the next runner at the same spot, and Jefferson City punted to the 14.
Later in the quarter, Evans made another stop, and pressure from Warren helped force an incomplete pass. Jefferson City ran around the left side to the 38, then up the middle to the 34, where Evans made the tackle.
Another run left gained a yard, and a West Plains personal foul moved the ball to the 19. Jefferson City completed a touchdown pass, but West Plains blocked the extra point. Jefferson City led 36–14 with 8:30 remaining.
The Zizzers answered quickly.
Starting at the 20, Combs completed a pass to Judd at the 44 despite pass interference on the play. Combs went back to Judd for a long completion to the 5, then kept the ball to the 1.
Marshall powered into the end zone with 7:36 left. The two-point attempt was unsuccessful, leaving West Plains behind 36–20.
The Zizzers attempted an onside kick, but Jefferson City recovered at the 27. Warren chased down the next runner for a stop, and Stauffer tackled an inside run at the 32.
Roberts pushed a runner out at the 44, and Stauffer made the next tackle at the 46. Judd and his teammates stopped a screen pass for a one-yard loss, bringing up third-and-11. A Jefferson City false start backed the possession farther up before Ruker and Allen stopped the next run.
West Plains called timeout with 4:25 remaining, with Jefferson City facing fourth-and-14. Smith fair-caught the ensuing punt at the 19.
Combs’ first pass was incomplete before he connected with Egly at the 23. An attempt to Smith fell incomplete, and Patillo slipped while trying to reach the next pass, which also fell incomplete.
Jefferson City took over and ran up the middle to the 7. Allen stopped the next carry at the 5, but Jefferson City scored on the following run. The extra point made it 43–20 with 2:36 remaining.
Smith returned the kickoff to the 38, and Marshall carried to the 45. After a deep incompletion intended for Smith, Marshall reached the Jefferson City 49. Combs scrambled and threw toward Marshall, but the pass fell incomplete.
Marshall gained to the 42, and Combs found Patillo at the 36 for a first down. Another completion to Patillo reached the 18. Combs then connected with Egly at the 13 and Smith at the 4.
With five seconds remaining, West Plains was still looking for the end zone. Passes intended for Judd and Garcia fell incomplete, bringing the game and the Zizzers’ season to a close.
Final — Thank You, Zizzers
FINAL: Jefferson City 43, West Plains 20
West Plains’ final possession reached the Jefferson City 4, with the Zizzers taking their last shots at the end zone as time expired.
Thank you to our Zizzers, especially the seniors closing their high school football careers, and to the coaches, families, and fans who supported them this season.
#GoZizzers #TheZizzerZone
