Excelsior Springs, MO — The Excelsior Springs Tigers put up a valiant effort in a second-half comeback, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Belton Pirates, who waylaid the Tigers in a 41-23 victory in the regular season opener on Friday night at Tigers Stadium.
This year’s season opener marked the beginning of a new era for the Tiger Football Program, led by first-year head coach Jake Danneman. The arrival of Coach Danneman introduced a fresh offensive scheme for the Tigers, emphasizing a significantly greater focus on passing compared to previous years.
The game started slowly for the Tigers, who found themselves down 20-0 at halftime. The Pirates’ offense was led by quarterback Cooper Shrum, who threw for 227 yards and four touchdowns. Shrum connected with Connor Gooding in the first quarter for a 31-yard touchdown, hoisting the Pirates onto the board. In the second quarter, Shrum found Alek Colombo for a 20-yard touchdown, and the Pirates extended their lead with a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown by Davincci Johnson.
The Tigers struggled to find their rhythm early on but came alive in the second half. Quarterback Marquez McCant led the charge, completing 8 of 25 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw four interceptions. The Tigers scored 16 points in the third quarter, starting with an 11-yard touchdown pass from McCant to Dawson Claypole, followed by a safety, and then a 17-yard rushing touchdown by Claypole, who had a strong performance with 85 rushing yards on 20 carries.
Quashing the Tigers’ momentum, Belton responded with a 74-yard touchdown pass from Shrum to Jacob Perez and a 52-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Campbell in the fourth quarter. A late interception by KeAndre Mattocks returned 20 yards for a touchdown, sealed the Pirates’ victory.
Belton’s defense was aggressive throughout the game, forcing five turnovers and limiting the Tigers to just 163 passing yards. Davincci Johnson and KeAndre Mattocks were standouts, each with an interception returned for a touchdown.
The Tigers showed their grit, outpacing the Pirates in first downs (21 to 9) and time of possession (23:49 to 17:14). However, their efforts were marred by turnovers and penalties, including four costly interceptions.
The Tigers will look to regroup and build on their strong second-half performance as they prepare for their next matchup on September 6 at Winnetonka. Despite the loss, there were several positives for the Tigers to carry forward in the coming weeks. The rushing game was impressive, the defensive line effectively pressured the quarterback, and the team displayed a resilience that often seemed to be missing last season. If the Tigers can maintain ball control and clean up the mental errors that plagued them in this game, they have the potential to be a formidable opponent.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
BEL: Connor Gooding 31 yd Pass from Cooper Shrum (CNV) 6-0
2nd Quarter
BEL: Alek Colombo 20 yd Pass from Cooper Shrum (CNV) 12-0
BEL: Thomas Abate (PAT) 13-0
BEL: Davincci Johnson 90 yd Interception Return (TD) 19-0
BEL: Thomas Abate (PAT) 20-0
3rd Quarter
ES: Dawson Claypole 11 yd Pass from Marquez McCant (CNV) 20-6
ES: Carson Gholson (PAT) 20-7
ES: Safety 20-9
ES: Dawson Claypole 17 yd Rush (TD) 20-15
ES: Carson Gholson (PAT) 20-16
BEL: Jacob Perez 74 yd Pass from Cooper Shrum (CNV) 26-16
BEL: Thomas Abate (PAT) 27-16
4th Quarter
BEL: Caleb Campbell 52 yd Pass from Cooper Shrum (CNV) 33-16
BEL: Thomas Abate (PAT) 34-16
ES: Dawson Claypole 25 yd Pass from Marquez McCant (CNV) 34-22
ES: Carson Gholson (PAT) 34-23
BEL: KeAndre Mattocks 20 yd Interception Return (TD) 40-23
BEL: Thomas Abate (PAT) 41-23
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