Monett Cubs zapped by West Plains Zizzers

Monett football magic runs out in Class 4 District 6 semifinal defeat
 
The gridiron season came to a conclusion on Friday with a 39-26 loss to West Plains in the Class 4, District 6 semifinal.
The Cubs were unable to capitalize on three key opportunities in an attempt to upset the Zizzers.
West Plains scored first with a seven-play, 57-yard drive to lead 7-6 with 8:13 left in the first.
Monett countered with a 63-yard, six-play march capped by Carson Nestleroad’s six yard catch with 5:20 left in the first quarter.
The Zizzers extended their lead to 14-6 with 3:42 left in the opening frame with a four-play, 52-yard campaign.
The Cubs (5-6) climbed to within 14-12 with Brayden Seitz’s 9-yard catch and run with 5:19 left in the first half.
Working down the field, West Plains took a 21-12 lead with a 1:15 left before intermission. Monett pushed hard down the field, but an interception at the Zizzer 7-yard line thwarted a chance to pull closer before the end of the first half.
West Plains took the ball in the start of the third quarter and marched to the Monett 20 before the Cubs stopped the momentum with an interception. However the Cubs’ drive stalled and the Zizzers needed just six plays to take a 28-12 advantage.
The lead grew to 36-12 on the Zizzer’s next drive before the Cubs closed quickly with back-to-back scores.
The first was a 5-yard strike from Dylan Washick to Nestleroad with 52 seconds left in the third and the second was a 31-yard connection to Nestleroad with 7:16 left in the game.
However, Monett, for the game only connected on one of its two-point attempts and they were unable to recover any of their on-side kick attempts.
The future still is bright for the Cubs. After winning zero games two years ago, Monett won two last season and five this year. A third season in the Ben Mauk system hopes to continue the upward trend.