Jacob Coffey, Cory Cumpton lead Drexel to its first MSHSAA 8-man title

Cory Cumpton intercepted a Worth County pass at the two-yard line with 22 seconds remaining to give the Bobcats a 48-42 win.

By Jim Powers | Photo by Chris Roush/KQ2 TV

Cory Cumpton made the play of the game as he intercepted a Worth County pass at the two-yard line with 22 seconds remaining to give the Bobcats a 48-42 victory over the Tigers in the 2021 Missouri State High School Activities Association 8-man championship game at Faurot Field on the campus of the University of Missouri. This is the first state title won by Drexel in school history.

Both teams opened the game with scores in the first quarter as Braxton Hightshoe put Worth County (13-1) on the scoreboard first with a 34-yard scamper to give the Tigers an early 6-0 lead. Drexel (13-0) answered on the next drive as Jacob Coffey scored his first of four rushing touchdowns in the contest on a four-yard run with 7:39 left in the quarter to tie the game at 6-6.

The second quarter saw 42 points scored between the two schools as Worth County took a 28-26 lead into the halftime break. Aydan McIntyre gave the Tigers the lead with 10:23 left in the quarter as he found Dylan McIntyre on a 27-yard pass to make the score 14-6 after the two-point conversion. 

Drexel then took to the airwaves as Coffey hit Cumpton on a 47-yard pass on the first play of the drive to cut the Tiger advantage to 14-12. Gladstone extended the Worth County as he took a throwback pass from Hightshoe and found the end zone from 12-yards out to push the Tiger lead to 20-12. 

Drexel once again answered on the next possession as Coffey hit Cumpton on a 39-yard pitch and catch to tie the game at 20-20 after a two-point play. The Bobcats took advantage of a Trevor Ward interception late in the quarter as Coffey found the end zone from five yards out to take a 26-20 lead. Worth County ended the wild second frame as Levi Cassavaugh returned the ensuing kickoff 68-yards to the house to give the Tigers a 28-26 advantage.

Drexel opened the third quarter with a nine-play, 46-yard drive when Cumpton rambled to the end zone from three yards out to give the Bobcats a 34-28 lead. Worth County regained the edge on as Gladstone cracked the goal line on a one-yard run to stake the Tigers to a 36-34 edge with 4:00 minutes left in the quarter. Coffey once again scored after another extended drive from four yards to give Drexel a 42-36 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Tigers tied the title game for the third time on the night on the third play of the fourth quarter as Gladstone again found McIntyre from 29-yards out to make the score 42-42. Drexel took the lead for good with 8:10 remaining in the contest as Coffey scrambled home from six yards to give the Bobcats a 48-42 lead. The play of the game came as Worth County was driving late regulation as Cumpton came up with the second interception of the night at the two-yard line with 22 seconds left to seal the deal for the Bobcats.

Coffey finished the game with 180 yards on 31 carries and four touchdowns on the ground and added 156 yards and a pair of scores through the air to pace the Drexel offense. Cumpton added 93 yards receiving and two touchdowns for the Bobcats. Ethan Dayringer led the Drexel defensive effort with 12 tackles and a pair of pass breakups.

Gladstone and Hightshoe each ran for 65 yards and a touchdown to lead the Tigers ground attack while Gladstone threw for 157 yards on 12 receptions with two scores. Jackson Runde led the Worth County receivers with four catches for 82 yards. Cassavaugh paced the Tigers defense with 14 tackles that included a .5 sack with Runde and Dawson Vore making 12 stops on the night.