To many outsiders, the Penney Hornets are seen as the “LaTroy Harper Show”, with the junior Division 1 football talent using his superior athletic ability to put up huge numbers and tons of touchdowns, for the KCI Conference champions. To those inside the Hornet program however, its well-known that Harper is a big part, but not every part, of a Hamilton hammering offense that did not lose a game in going 15-0, and winning the Class 1 state championship game. That potent offense, combined with a bruising defense and dangerous special teams, stands as a testament to the 2016 state champions from Hamilton.
On Saturday afternoon in Springfield, Harper caught two touchdown passes and a pair of two-point conversions, Derek Dixon caught two touchdowns and added a two-point catch, while T.C. East had a scoring run and two-point run, part of a 47-14 victory that gives Hamilton its fourth state championship in football.
One week after being held relatively silent in a semifinal win at Valle Catholic, Harper was utilized often in Saturday’s title game, finishing with 122 receiving yards and 227 all-purpose yards in the victory. Senior quarterback Jaran Richman threw for five touchdown passes, tying a Missouri all-time championship game record. Brock Swindler continued his superb work from the running back position, going for 145 yards for PHS. A Richman pass to Cale Whitt, with 1 second remaining in the first half, was particularly damaging to Monroe City, with the lead, after a successful two point conversion, ballooning from 31-14 to 39-14.
After his record-tying performance, Richman spoke about the relative calmness he and his teammates had, having played in the state title game a year ago against Valle Catholic (62-36 loss in St. Louis):
In his second season at Penney, Caleb Obert won his first-ever state championship, beating a Panther program out of the strong Clarence Cannon Conference, that had regular season losses against Macon, Brookfield, and Centralia:
Swindler, a senior who came into his own this season after T.C. East was shifted to the fullback position, credited Richman and Harper for their passing threat making the running game go:
Courtesy of U-ClickTV.com, which had audio coverage of Saturday’s Class 1 state championship game, Jim Bligh put together a montage of the Hornets state title experience:
PAR Broadcast Group Sports Director Tom Johnson had the play-by-play call from Plaster Stadium at Missouri State University.
In Saturday’s first game of the day, the Monett Cubs upset the unbeaten Maryville Spoofhounds, as Monett won its first state title since 1977 with a 27-18 win on a foggy backdrop in Springfield.
Two plays into the final quarter, Maryville’s Eli Dowis scored on a 5-yard run, giving the Spoofhounds their final lead of the Class 4 state title contest. A few minutes later, after the ‘Hounds failed to move the football, a high snap on an attempted punt gave the Cubs the ball at the Maryville 1 yard line. A one-yard sneak by quarterback Ian Meyer gave the Cubs the lead for good. A touchdown pass from Meyer to tight end David Turner gave the state champion Cubs a nine-point lead with just over two minutes remaining.
Monett finishes the year at 14-1, with only a loss to Class 2 state champion Lamar. Maryville also finishes 14-1.
The Class 5 state title game, played Saturday night in Springfield, was an “All St. Louis” battle, with Vianney downing Fort Zumwalt North, 49-14.
