week two of the high school football season in first and ten every year there are changes to teams around the ozarks it could be as simple as new uniforms or as complicated as new head coaches that's the case at republic and willard and those two teams battled tonight color 10's matt vereen has our game of the week the republic willard rivalry goes way back and involves all the sports from both schools but tonight came with a first for both head coaches in their first year of both sides getting their first taste of this tiger rivalry [Applause] willard's first home game of the year playing host to the two first-year head coaches republic's ryan cornelson trying to take his tigers to 2-0 willard's frank tristan still looking for his first win but it was the visitors striking first opening drive third and one from the 42 and quarterback avery moody takes it himself for the first down and much more 58 yards to the house for a 7-0 republic lead out of the gate then after forcing a three and out repmo with a chance for more on the willard 34 but a fumble is scooped up by willard's number 34 clayton scott home tigers back in action and taking advantage owen bushnell helps lead him down the field and gets this direct snap touchdown from four out extra point no good though it is a seven to six game republic doesn't let willard within one for long though already up 14-6 early second willard tries a fake punt from the 44 and gets stuffed and retmo makes him pay for it for the mistake moody's second touchdown run of the game this time on the option keeper republic looking like it might run away with the game up 21-6 halfway through the second but willard does not roll over moody looking to pass on third and long but gets picked off by kessler haney of willard the senior coming up big for his tigers and then willard switches qb's to sophomore hayden rakestraw who immediately passes his way down the field and hits trey ballford for the six yard touchdown willard trail and republic 24-14 at halftime but from there republic kept their opposing tigers at bay early third quarter moody takes the snap but the ball pops out on the handoff no problem for the senior qb he scoops it up and fights his way downfield from the 45 all the way to the six yard line a 39-yard scramble and that sets up ezekiel meads for his second touchdown of the day and storms wash out the final two minutes of this game as republic comes out on top of the tale of two tigers with a 45-21 victory so republic gets the win and head coach ryan cornelson moves his tigers to 2-0 willard meanwhile falls to 0-2 as frank tristan still searches for his first win at the helm of his tigers reporting from willard high school matt vereen ozarks first