The late night high school football scoreboard show on Springfield radio Friday said it best: “No one wants a piece of Waynesville at this point.”  Least of all,  the Kickapoo Chiefs, as the Tigers ended Kickapoo’s bid for a second straight Ozark Conference championship with a 28-21 win on Senior Night at Pottenger Stadium.  The Chiefs ended the season tied for third and the Tigers assured themselves of a share of fifth with the big win. 

But it’s seldom easy for WHS and Friday was no different.  Not until junior Jacob Saylor intercepted a last-ditch Kickapoo pass on the three-yard line as time ran out could the Tigers call this one theirs. 

Waynesville had finally grabbed the lead for good only seconds before on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Varon Martinez to Nigel Farmer.  Farmer, who beat his defensive back and was wide open, dove for the ball and cradled it as he fell across the goal line into the end zone with 44.4 seconds remaining.  The play capped an 88-yard drive which was helped by a Kickapoo roughing penalty and three Tiger first downs.  Willie Parker ran the two-point conversion in to make it 28-21.

But Kickapoo charged back.  Working from its own 30 with seconds left, the Chiefs earned a quick first down at the 40.  Then, a beautiful  pass and run took the ball to the Waynesville 15.  The Chiefs lost five on a false start and then threw an incomplete pass.  Finally, on third and ten from the Tiger 14, Saylor stepped up and made the Tiger bus trip home a happy one. 

The game had several swings back and forth with the Tigers contributing to their own problems through four turnovers, but it was a Kickapoo turnover right before halftime that kept Waynesville believing in itself. Leading, 14-6, KHS attempted a backward pass behind its line of scrimmage.  Waynesville lineman Sam Roberts anticipated the play, knocked the ball down, scooped it up, and rambled 39 yards for the touchdown to make it 14-12 at halftime.  The Tigers then took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 81 yards before Willie Parker scored on a three yard run.   After adding the conversion run, it was 20-14 Tigers. 

Waynesville had grabbed an early lead in the game.  On its first possession workhorse Jalen Thomas picked up good chunks of yardage on every carry and scored on a four yard run.  On the Tigers’ next possession, Kickapoo  intercepted a Martinez pass and later went ahead 7-6.  The Chiefs benefited from another Tiger turnover when WHS fumbled and the Chiefs went 68 yards in a drive, the big play being a 63-yard pass to the one.  That made it 14-6 just before Roberts’ fumble return. 

After Waynesville went ahead 20-14 in the third quarter, Kickapoo stormed back with the help of a 35-yard kickoff return and soon led again, 21-20.  The Tigers then stubbed their toe twice; fumbling the ball away at the goal line after an 80 yard drive and missing a 35-yard field goal attempt.  But Kickapoo shot itself in the foot on the next possession with a personal foul that forced a punt.  That set up the winning drive and td pass to Farmer.

The Tigers ball-control game netted 25 first downs to only 13 for Kickapoo.  Martinez had 305 yards total offense for Waynesville as the Tigers happily won for Coach Rick Vernon in his final regular season game.  Up next: Class Five District Four play on Halloween.  Boo!