Zizzers Bounce Back with 41–6 Road Win Over Parkview
Marshall and Smith score three touchdowns apiece as West Plains takes control early and keeps the Vikings off the scoreboard for the final three quarters.
The West Plains Zizzers got back in the win column Friday night, October 16, with a convincing 41–6 victory over the Parkview Vikings in Springfield.
And they didn’t waste any time getting started!
West Plains scored on its first three possessions, building a 21–6 lead in the opening quarter. By halftime, the Zizzers had stretched that advantage to 28–6, thanks in part to a big defensive stand and a timely interception.
Marshall and Smith (#1) each finished with three touchdowns, while the Zizzer defense held Parkview scoreless over the final three quarters.
After a tough loss at Rogersville the previous week, Friday’s performance gave West Plains plenty to feel good about heading into the final stretch of the season.
Zizzers Strike Early — and Often
The opening possession gave fans an early indication of what kind of night it might be.
Starting at their own 20-yard line, the Zizzers reached into the playbook for a reverse pass. Combs handed the ball to Judd, who connected with Egly for a big gain all the way to the Parkview 19.
Marshall carried to the 14, Combs kept the ball to reach the 7, and Marshall powered his way to the 2.
Combs then connected with Smith (#1) for the first touchdown of the night.
Cobb added the extra point, and West Plains led 7–0 with 9:39 remaining in the first quarter.
The Zizzer defense quickly got the ball back.
Evans and his teammates helped contain Parkview’s opening possession, and pressure on the Vikings’ quarterback contributed to an incompletion that brought out the punt team.
Egly returned the punt to the Parkview 30, although an illegal block pushed the Zizzers back to their own 25.
That didn’t stop the offense.
Combs completed passes to Patillo and Marshall for first downs, and Marshall added several carries to keep the drive moving. Combs also picked up a first down on a keeper after faking a handoff to Marshall.
Then came another connection with Smith (#1), who broke through the Parkview defense and raced into the end zone.
Cobb’s extra point made it 14–0 with 6:07 remaining in the first.
Parkview answered on its next possession.
The Vikings moved into West Plains territory, aided by a Zizzer personal foul, before connecting on a long touchdown pass. The extra-point attempt was blocked, leaving the score 14–6 with 4:52 remaining.
But the Zizzers had an immediate answer.
Roberts returned the kickoff all the way to the Parkview 26, setting up West Plains with excellent field position.
Combs scrambled to his right and found Egly for a first down at the 14. Marshall followed with a determined run to the 2 before punching the ball into the end zone.
Cobb added his third extra point of the quarter.
Three Zizzer possessions. Three touchdowns.
West Plains led 21–6 after the first quarter.
Defense Comes Through When It Matters
Parkview carried a drive into the second quarter, moving deep into West Plains territory.
The Vikings reached the Zizzer 7-yard line, but the defense came up with an important goal-line stand.
Stauffer delivered a big sack that pushed Parkview back to the 17. Pabian pressured the quarterback into an incompletion, and the Vikings eventually faced fourth-and-11.
Their pass into the end zone fell incomplete.
The Zizzers took over without giving up a point.
West Plains moved the ball again, with Combs finding Judd for a first down before connecting with Wade and getting another strong run from Marshall.
The drive eventually ended with a Parkview interception, but the Zizzer defense was ready to respond.
Pabian and Davis combined on a tackle, Warren made another stop, and Evans chased a Parkview receiver out of bounds near the Zizzer 24.
The Vikings continued toward the red zone, but the Zizzers held their ground. Allen read a running play and stopped it for a loss, helping end another Parkview scoring opportunity.
West Plains took over at its own 17 and went back to work.
Marshall opened the possession with a run to the 23, and Smith (#1) broke loose on a run to the 41.
Combs connected with Patillo for several important completions as the Zizzers worked their way downfield. Combs also picked up a first down with his legs, while Marshall added carries that moved the ball inside the Parkview 20.
With just over a minute remaining, Combs found Patillo at the 5-yard line.
Smith (#1) finished the drive with his third touchdown of the half.
Cobb’s extra point made it 28–6 with 52 seconds remaining before halftime.
Colvin Ends Parkview’s Halftime Threat
The Vikings weren’t ready to head to the locker room without another scoring attempt.
Parkview quickly moved downfield, completing passes that reached midfield and then the West Plains 37.
Huxley made a tackle on a long completion that brought the Vikings to the Zizzer 16-yard line.
With only seconds remaining, Parkview looked toward the end zone.
But Colvin was waiting.
The Zizzer defender intercepted the pass in the end zone, ending the threat with four seconds left on the clock.
Combs took a knee, and West Plains headed into halftime with a 28–6 advantage.
It was a fitting finish to a first half in which the Zizzer offense produced four touchdowns and the defense repeatedly came through when Parkview threatened to score.
Marshall Powers the Zizzers Through the Third
West Plains kicked off to begin the second half, and the defense picked up where it left off.
Stauffer made a tackle after a Parkview first-down completion, Allen pressured the quarterback into an incompletion, and Colvin provided coverage on another deep pass that fell incomplete.
The Vikings eventually punted.
The Zizzers couldn’t get much going on their first possession of the half, but their defense continued to compete.
Sargeant made tackles during Parkview’s next drive, while Allen, Evans, and Warren contributed stops as the Vikings moved downfield.
A pass interference penalty helped Parkview reach the West Plains 15, but another Vikings penalty pushed the ball backward.
Warren made a tackle on a quarterback keeper, and two incomplete passes ended the threat.
West Plains took over at its own 13.
That’s when Marshall and the Zizzer offensive line went to work.
Marshall picked up first downs on consecutive stretches of the drive, helping move West Plains out of the shadow of its own end zone and across midfield.
A Parkview penalty added yardage, and Combs connected with Egly for another completion that reached the Vikings’ 32.
Later in the possession, Girdley entered at quarterback. He completed a pass to Wade, and Smith helped keep the drive moving with a run that reached the Parkview 15 for another first down.
The Zizzers appeared to have another touchdown when Marshall reached the end zone, but a holding penalty erased the score.
West Plains kept going.
Marshall broke through for another strong run to the 6, picked up a first down at the 3, and continued battling toward the goal line.
He eventually finished the possession with his second touchdown of the night.
Cobb added the extra point, extending the Zizzer lead to 35–6 with one minute remaining in the third quarter.
It wasn’t the smoothest drive, with penalties creating some setbacks, but the Zizzers kept finding ways to move the chains.
Defense Keeps the Pressure On
West Plains continued making life difficult for the Parkview offense.
Late in the third quarter, Barbrow chased down the Vikings’ quarterback and tripped him up for a short gain.
Then, early in the fourth, Evans chased down the quarterback for a sack.
Allen followed with another sack on the next play.
The back-to-back defensive plays helped force a Parkview punt, which Egly fair caught to give West Plains another possession in Vikings territory.
Marshall opened with another strong run, although a false start penalty pushed the Zizzers backward.
Girdley then connected with Patillo for a completion that moved the chains.
Marshall carried the ball to the Parkview 19, and Smith (#1) followed with a run that reached the 1-yard line.
Marshall finished the drive with his third rushing touchdown of the night.
Cobb’s extra-point attempt was tipped, leaving West Plains ahead 41–6.
Six Zizzer touchdowns.
Three for Marshall. Three for Smith (#1).
And plenty of teammates helping make them possible.
Zizzers Finish Strong
With a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter, more Zizzers had opportunities to contribute.
Huxley and Garcia combined on a tackle during a Parkview kickoff return, while Davis delivered a strong tackle on the Vikings’ next possession.
Garcia also made a tackle following a short completion as the defense continued working to keep Parkview off the scoreboard.
The Vikings moved into West Plains territory with help from penalties, but the possession ended without points.
On the Zizzers’ final offensive series, Girdley handed the ball to Smith (#14), who broke loose for what appeared to be a touchdown run. An illegal block in the back brought the ball back.
Brown added a run up the middle, and Schofield later broke through for a big gain that reached midfield.
Girdley took a knee to close out the game.
Final score: West Plains 41, Parkview 6.
A Team Win Worth Celebrating
Marshall and Smith (#1) will understandably draw plenty of attention for their three-touchdown performances, but Friday night’s victory had contributions from throughout the Zizzer lineup.
Combs helped set the tone with his passing and running, while Judd, Egly, Patillo, and Wade made important catches that kept the offense moving.
Roberts gave the Zizzers a big lift with his kickoff return, Cobb converted five extra points, and Girdley helped direct the offense during the second half.
The defense deserves its share of recognition, too.
Colvin’s interception prevented a possible Parkview score just before halftime. Stauffer, Pabian, Allen, Evans, Huxley, Warren, Sargeant, Davis, Barbrow, Garcia, and their teammates contributed tackles, pressure, and stops throughout the night.
And let’s not overlook the offensive line, which helped open running lanes for Marshall, Smith, and the other Zizzer ball carriers.
The Zizzers weren’t perfect. Penalties erased some good plays and extended a few Parkview possessions. But West Plains kept responding, made stops when they mattered, and continued competing from the opening kickoff to the final knee.
That’s an encouraging way to respond to a difficult loss the previous week.
The result was a 41–6 road victory, with contributions from both sides of the ball and opportunities for several players to make their mark.
Congratulations to the Zizzers and their coaches on a great team win!
#GoZizzers #TheZizzerZone
