ST. JOSEPH, Mo (Oct. 18, 2024) – The Excelsior Springs Tigers faced a tough road test on Friday night, suffering a 55-6 loss to the St. Joe Central Indians. St. Joe’s standout running back, Gabe Fields, dominated the game with 481 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, leading his team to a decisive victory.
From the opening whistle, St. Joe Central took control. Fields scored three times in the first quarter, including a blistering 74-yard touchdown run, as the Indians jumped out to a 20-0 lead. The Tigers’ defense, anchored by Owen O’Dell with 3.5 tackles, tried to contain the onslaught, but Fields was unstoppable.
The second quarter saw more of the same, as Fields added two more touchdowns. The Tigers’ offense struggled to gain traction, with freshman quarterback Landon Marcum throwing for 149 yards but facing heavy pressure from St. Joe’s defense, which intercepted him twice. The Indians went into halftime up 34-0.
In the second half, St. Joe Central continued to pile on points, with Fields adding two more long touchdown runs in the third quarter. Excelsior Springs found some success late in the game when running back Gaige Carr capped off a solid drive with a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout.
In the loss, Carr rushed for 66 yards, and Marcum completed 15 passes for 145 yards. Wide receiver Carson Gholson had a strong night with 7 catches for 63 yards, but turnovers and missed opportunities prevented the Tigers from staying competitive.
Things won’t get any easier for the Tigers (2-6) as they face the undefeated defending state champion Kearney Bulldogs (8-0) at Tiger Stadium next Friday (10/25/24) in their final regular-season game of the year. Adding to the drama, Tigers head coach Jake Danneman has some extra motivation, having served as an assistant coach for Kearney during their championship run last year.
Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter:
- SJC: Gabe Fields 28-yard rush (TD) – 0-6
- SJC: Colton DePietro (PAT) – 0-7
- SJC: Gabe Fields 74-yard rush (TD) – 0-13
- SJC: DePietro (PAT) – 0-14
- SJC: Gabe Fields 73-yard rush (TD) – 0-20
2nd Quarter:
- SJC: Gabe Fields 32-yard rush (TD) – 0-26
- SJC: DePietro (PAT) – 0-27
- SJC: Gabe Fields 55-yard rush (TD) – 0-33
- SJC: DePietro (PAT) – 0-34
3rd Quarter:
- SJC: Gabe Fields 27-yard rush (TD) – 0-40
- SJC: DePietro (PAT) – 0-41
- SJC: Gabe Fields 56-yard rush (TD) – 0-47
- SJC: DePietro (PAT) – 0-48
4th Quarter:
- SJC: Gabe Fields 28-yard rush (TD) – 0-54
- SJC: DePietro (PAT) – 0-55
- ES: Gaige Carr 1-yard rush (TD) – 6-55
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