Furious fourth quarter carries Monett Cubs to victory

Ending 15-game skid, Monett looks next to East Newton contest for second win
Powered by three touchdowns in the final 4:42, Monett surged past McDonald County, 40-27 to end a 15-game skid and earn Coach Ben Mauk his first career win at the program’s helm.
“I am so excited for these kids,” Mauk said. “It was Hall of Fame Night and our 1977 state champion team was here and we didn’t want to disappoint them. Our kids battled and faced adversity. We still have things to improve on, but it feels a lot better fixing those things especially after a win.”
McDonald County took a 20-8 lead with 2:43 left in the third quarter and Monett looked listless on offense.
A big return on the ensuing kickoff gave Monett the ball at its own 48. The Cubs moved 52 yards on seven plays with Aaron Soriano scoring on a 20-yard pass. A 2-point conversion pulled the Cubs to within 20-16.
The Cubs defense withstood a long Mustang drive and held on down at the 20-yard line with 5:28 left in the game. The purple and gold needed just four plays to cover the field and a 24-16 edge with 4:42 left on a Landyn Brandt 5-yard catch and subsequent 2-point conversion.
Monett defensive lineman Tucker Anderson ended the next McDonald County drive with a fumble recovery on second down.
Brandt then took a swing pass 46 yards to pay dirt and Monett led 32-20 with 3:45 left.
The Mustangs showed grit and stampeded down the field to pull within 32-27 with 2:04 remaining. However, Cub Carson Nestleroad needed just one play and a 65-yard catch and run to provide the final margin of victory.
“We had a good week of practice and it was good to see them reap the fruits of their hard work,” Mauk said. “Now we get ready for our next game.”
The Cubs racked up 405 yards of offense, 387 in the air on 32-of-42 passing.
Monett hits the road on Friday, traveling to East Newton. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.