Jed Leeper’s Hermann Bearcat football team went into their Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 2, District 2 first-round football game against Cuba’s Wildcats looking to earn another week on their home field.

Falling behind 14-0 after one quarter, Hermann answered with 14 second-quarter points tying the game at 14-14 at halftime before scoring 18 unanswered points in the second half of their 32-20 victory over their Highway 19 rivals to the south.

“We get another week which means extra practice for our young guys to get better,” Leeper said.

Hermann opened the game with the football driving it all the way to the Cuba 27-yard line before turning it over on downs to the Wildcats.

Three plays into Cuba’s opening drive, Noah Halbert scored on a 67-yard touchdown run at the 4:57 mark of the first quarter. Cameron Carnal’s extra point left Hermann facing an early 7-0 deficit.

Two plays into Hermann’s next possession, Cuba’s Ethan Noltkamper returned a Bearcat fumble 50 yards for a touchdown doubling the Bearcat deficit to 14-0 with 3:57 for the opening quarter.

Down 14-0 after one quarter, it nearly took the entire second quarter for the blue and white to get on the scoreboard.

Converting two fourth-down plays on their next drive, Aiden Eikermann capped Hermann’s nine-play, 64-yard march down the field on a 1-yard touchdown run facing fourth-and-goal.

A botched snap on the extra point attempt left the Bearcats trailing 14-6 with 2:04 until halftime.

Three plays into Cuba’s next drive, lightning struck for the Bearcats.

Trent Chasteen intercepted Jesse Shireman’s pass returning it to the Hermann 40-yard line with 1:06 remaining in the half.

Able to go 60 yards in 58 seconds, Kohlt Witthaus found Tayven Hopkins on a 37-yard pass play with 8.1 for the half before the same pair tied the game at 14-14 on the ensuing two-point conversion pass.

Cuba got the ball to start the second half only to have to punt it away at the 9:29 mark of the third quarter.

Witthaus capped a five-play, 80-yard drive on a 62-yard run to pay dirt giving Hermann their first lead of the game at 20-14. Roman Martin’s ensuing extra point attempt was blocked by Cuba’s Damion Ferguson leaving the Bearcat lead at six points with 8:11 for the third quarter.

“Their explosive plays are what got us and gave them the momentum back,” Cuba head football coach Kaleb Cason said.

On their next drive, Cuba nearly answered with points before a 41-yard field goal attempt from Carnal was no good.

Getting the ball back with 4:44 for the third quarter on their 20-yard line, Hermann chewed up the rest of the clock converting a pair of fourth downs helping them keep the ball and a 20-14 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Facing their third fourth down of the drive on fourth-and-two at the Wildcat 16-yard line, Witthaus found the end zone for the second time on the ground following a 16-yard TD run with 9:59 remaining.

Hermann now had a 26-14 lead after the failed two-point conversion attempt.

Recovering a Cuba fumble nearly two minutes later, the Bearcats quickly made the Wildcats pay for the miscue.

Starting their latest drive at Cuba’s 6-yard line, Witthaus capped it two plays later on an 83-yard scamper for his third rushing touchdown of the night putting him over 200 yards rushing for the game.

Ferguson blocked his second extra point of the night but Hermann still had a 32-14 lead with 6:37 remaining.

Cuba found the end zone one more time when Shireman found Halbert on a 57-yard TD strike seconds later at the 6:15 mark of the fourth quarter.

Carnal’s missed extra point left the eventual final score 32-20 in Hermann’s favor.

“I’m proud of the way our guys played hard against a good Hermann football team,” Cason said.

Witthaus led the Bearcat offense with 258 yards rushing on 22 carries and three touchdowns while also going 8-19 passing for 126 yards and another score through the air.

Aiden Eikermann was carried the ball 13 times for 47 yards while Chasteen rounded out the Bearcat ground attack with 12 rushing yards on five carries.

Chasteen was also 3-7 through the air for 24 yards.

Hopkins led Hermann receivers with six catches for 103 yards and a touchdown followed by Witthaus with two catches for 18 yards when Chasteen was under center.

Eikermann (16), Roman Martin (7) and Carter Humphrey (6) each also caught a pass for the Bearcats.

Defensively, Chasteen, Hopkins and Eikermann each had interceptions for Hermann.

Ashton Rucker also recorded the lone sack for the Bearcats.

Pacing the Bearcats on offense, Witthaus also led Hermann on defense with eight total tackles followed by six each out of Rucker, Eikermann and Hopkins.

Brady Traub chipped in five tackles followed by four stops from Chasteen.

A trio of Bearcats had three total tackles in Sawyer Moore, Humphrey and Martin.

John Gleeson rounded out the Hermann defense with a pair of tackles.

With the victory over Cuba, Hermann earns another Highway 19 cat fight this Friday night in the district semifinals against the top-seed Montgomery County Wildcats in Montgomery City with a 7 p.m., kickoff.

Bowling Green will host Priory in the other Class 2, District 2 semifinal Friday night also at 7 p.m.