The West Plains Zizzers pulled away in the second half to secure a 34-12 homecoming victory over the Hillcrest Hornets on Friday.
West Plains broke open a tight game by putting 20 unanswered points on the board in the second half while holding the Hornets scoreless. West Plains Head Coach Brock Kenaga said his halftime message focused primarily on consistency and staying the course.
The coach noted the Zizzers gave up one big play on special teams and another on defense early on, but the team knew if they fixed those mistakes, they would be fine in the second half. That confidence paid off as the running game accelerated, with Gavin Marshall rushing for 180 yards and Zack Smith adding 60.
"The offensive line really took over," Kenaga said.
Despite the strong finish, Kenaga emphasized the need for a faster start in future matchups.
"We really started slow against Hillcrest, kind of feeling our way about them," Kenaga said. "We have to get better at starting quicker and not putting ourselves at a disadvantage. But we did finish well with shutting them out in the second half and scoring 20 unanswered points. We just have to keep working toward four consistent quarters."
