COLUMBIA - A Big 12 game broke out Friday night in south Columbia, as the offenses from Capital City and Rock Bridge made Missouri State High School Activities Association history.
The Bruins emerged with a 76-49 Central Missouri Activities Conference victory chock full of big plays and poor tackling.
The combined 125 points are the 16th most in MSHSAA history, and the combined 1,047 yards of total offense are the 14th most in state history.
Rock Bridge scored 11 touchdowns, which is tied for the ninth most in MSHSAA history, and its school-record-breaking 76 points are the 18th most in a single game.
Capital City finished with a slight edge in total yards (538-509), and its 486 rushing yards in a single game are the 23rd most in state history.
"I thought our kids played their butts off," Capital City coach Shannon Jolley said. "As coaches and players, we have to make sure things don't get out of control like that. Being part of the game with the 16th highest scoring contest in the state isn't very exciting when you give up so many points. We can't win games like that the way we run the ball."
The Bruins (4-0, 3-0 CMAC) surpassed last year's win total and took over sole possession of first place in the league. Capital City fell to 0-4 and 0-3 in league play.
Bryce Jackson - who finished with 18 carries for 248 yards and four touchdowns - scored from 52 yards out on the third play of the second half to extend Rock Bridge's lead to 35-20.
Ethan Wood paced the Cavaliers' rushing attack for the second straight week, racking up 173 yards on 22 carries. He cut into the Bruins' lead with an 11-yard touchdown run on third-and-5, but was stopped on the 2-point conversion attempt.
The Cavaliers trimmed their deficit to 35-33 with 3:06 left in the third quarter. Quarterback Taggert Bodenstab capitalized on the Bruins' attention to stopping the inside run game with a 28-yard touchdown on a naked bootleg.
Rock Bridge answered back with two quick strikes. Nathan Dent tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Payton Messer, and Jackson made a Capital City fumble hurt with a 28-yard scoring burst.
Capital City once again made it a one-possession game at 49-41 thanks to a naked bootleg by Bodenstab. He raced 80 yards untouched to pay dirt, then hit Jabari Hubbard for the 2-point conversion despite being pushed back to the 8-yard line after a false start.
"Our inside run really sets up that weak side," Jolley said. "The more success we have with our boot series, it might draw another secondary defender to move over to that weak side, which takes away the ability to overload on our strong side. It's fun for me to see that come together."
Rock Bridge pulled away by outscoring Capital City 27-8 in the final quarter. Dent tossed 13-yard touchdown passes to Joseph Kallenbach and Messer on consecutive series, and Jackson followed with a 24-yard touchdown run to cap his big night.
Bodenstab found a wide-open Grayson Jones for a 44-yard pitch and catch to set up a 25-yard touchdown run by Wood with 4:26 left. Hurley Jacobs ran in the 2-point conversion to punctuate the Cavaliers' offensive outburst.
Jim Whaley's 2-yard touchdown run capped the scoring with a little more than a minute left.
Capital City fumbled on the third play from scrimmage, and Jackson took advantage with a 27-yard touchdown run two plays later. The teams traded fumbles before the Cavaliers got on the board, as a 21-yard run by Ian Nelson set up a 12-yard touchdown run by Jacobs on third-and-10 to tie it at 7 after the opening quarter.
Bahshi Traylor forced a fumble on the first play of the second quarter, and Nelson pounced on it at the Bruins 44. Nelson kept the ensuing drive alive with a 5-yard run on fourth-and-3 from the 10, setting up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Jacobs to give the Cavaliers the lead.
The Bruins answered right back with a mix of passing and running. Dent took a direct snap and rushed into the end zone from a yard out to tie it, then hit Messer for a 33-yard touchdown to give Rock Bridge the lead for good.
Messer's first score was the first of three touchdowns on three consecutive plays from scrimmage. Wood looked to be bottled up at the line of scrimmage on the next play, but bounced it outside and outraced several Bruins for a 70-yard score. Hudson Gibbs ripped off a 49-yard touchdown run on the next play to give Rock Bridge a 28-20 halftime lead.
Capital City hosts Jefferson City next Friday at 7 p.m. in the first-ever varsity meeting between the two programs.