MO Class 3 District 12: Carthage Shocks Willard, Joplin Romps

#2 Carthage Tigers – 2 (OT)
#3 Willard Tigers – 1
In what was easily the most exciting game of the night, the Tigers (16-5) were staring defeat squarely in the face before scoring a pair of goals in the span of three minutes, spilling into overtime, to shock the Willard Tigers 2-1. Giving up a goal in the 28th minute to Willard’s Jackson Patillo, the score would stay that way until Carthage pulled one out with only seconds remaining.

The stage was set when Willard was whistled for a handball less than a foot outside the keepers’ box, and inside the final minute of regulation with Carthage trailing 1-0. In the equivalent of a Hail Mary pass in football, Carthage’s Matthew Robinson amazingly managed to knock the set piece between Willard’s wall of defenders and into the net to make it 1-1 as regulation ended.

With momentum suddenly on their side, Carthage would score again just two minutes into the overtime period as a shot from Juan Ortiz deflected off a Willard defender and found the net to send Carthage to the final round.

Game reports are culled from – Joplin romps, Carthage survives in semifinals of district tournament in the Joplin Globe

#1 Joplin Eagles – 8
#5 Central Bulldogs – 0
The Eagles (15-4) got things rolling in the afternoon’s opener, blanking Springfield Central 8-0 at Joplin High School. If you blinked or turned your head for a slight second you easily could have missed the first four Joplin goals of the night. They scored six times in the first half alone.