Any thoughts the Ava Bears had about extending their football season came to a decisive end last Friday night at Mountain Grove.
The Panthers jumped out to a 26-0 halftime lead and continued to pour it on in the second half, handing the Bears a 40-6 pounding.
Ava’s only score came late in the fourth quarter while the Panthers’ starters were getting ready for their next game at Springfield Catholic on Wednesday night.
Ava’s scoring drive went 61 yards and ran 8:45 off the running clock. It was too little too late, and the only significance of the touchdown was to prevent the shutout.
Mountain Grove took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter when George Lada scored from one yard out with 4:20 on the first-quarter clock. Andri Simmler’s kick was blocked by the Bears.
The Panthers scored three more times in the second period on passes from quarterback Shaun Anderson to J.D. Dobson and Bobby Otwell, and a one-yard touchdown run by Ricky Healy.
A 2-point conversion pass attempt failed, but Simmler booted two PATs to give the home team a 26-0 halftime lead.
Mountain Grove’s Tyler Collins outran the Ava defense for a 79-yard touchdown early in the third quarter and Simmler’s kick put the Panthers up 33-0.
At 10:45 in the fourth quarter, Collins would score again on a 5-yard run and the kick made it 40-0.
Ava’s scoring drive began on the Bears’ 39-yard line and together, Clinkingbeard and Caleb Miles would pick up four first downs. Clinkingbeard picked up a first and goal at the Panthers’ 9, and made it 3rd-and-goal at the 1-yard line before scoring from there with exactly 2 minutes on the clock. Ben Loge added the point-after for the final 40-7 score.
The Bears finished the season with a record of 6-4 overall, 4-3 in the SCA and 1-2 in district play.
