KENNETT, Mo. -- Kennett has maintained a "bend but don't break mentality" when attempting to protect leads throughout the season.
Kennett found a way to deliver in the clutch again when things got tight in the Class 3 District 1 title game against Park Hills Central on Friday to pull away and win 42-20 in Kennett.
After Park Hills scored a touchdown on its opening possession of the second half to trim Kennett's lead to 21-20 the Indians' Marsayv'aun Harrell responded in a big way with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The score padded Kennett's lead to 28-20 with 7:01 remaining in the third quarter.
The Kennett defense took care of the rest as it forced turnovers on Park Hills' next four offensive possessions. The defensive execution helped No. 1 seeded Kennett outlast No. 2 seeded Park Hills.
"These kids are just tough," Kennett coach Joel Wyatt said. "They never got rattled and kept moving onto the next play. Bodey Ellis took charge in the second half and did a great job running the offense tonight."
Park Hills (6-6) jumped out to an early 6-0 lead when Dayshawn Welch, who finished with a team-high 17 carries for 104 yards, ran the ball 48 yards for a touchdown on the Rebels' first offensive play.
Harrell delivered carries of 11 yards and two yards for touchdowns on the Indians' next two offensive possessions to help the Indians move ahead 14-6 by the 8:53 mark of the second period.
Park Hills cut the deficit to 14-12 about a minute later when quarterback Dylan Corcoran threw a 92-yard touchdown pass to Will Hopkins.
Kennett (11-1) responded with a touchdown on its next offensive possession when Bodey Ellis threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Parker McClain. The score padded Kennett's lead to 21-12 with 2:14 left in the first half.
Park Hills turned the ball over on its final possession of the first half.
The Rebels got the ball first after halftime and put together a 70-yard touchdown drive to trim the deficit to 21-20 but Kennett followed with three unanswered touchdowns of its own to set the final score and secure its first district title since 1986.
"It's a grind but when you have nights like tonight it's all worthwhile," Wyatt said. "Football doesn't start in August or June. If you aren't in another sport you are hitting the weight room throughout the offseason here like at all the other good programs. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears go into winning a district."
Harrell finished with a team-high 22 carries for 129 yards. He scored four touchdowns
"He's really come on these last couple games," Wyatt said of Harrell. "I think a lot of his success lately is because he has had fresher legs because he hasn't been playing as much on the defensive side of the ball. I think the fresh legs have really helped him."
Ellis also carried the ball 16 times for 124 yards and completed seven of 11 passes for 47 yards.
"I'm so proud for our kids," Wyatt said. "I'm also proud of our fans and community for packing this place. I also want to thank the administration and everyone that donated money."
Kennett will play at Cardinal Ritter in a Class 3 quarterfinal Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. Cardinal Ritter, which is a familiar playoff opponent for Wyatt, beat Lutheran South 56-0 in the Class 3, District 2 championship Friday night.