MOKANE - The South Callaway Bulldogs lost their grip on any further playoff plans.
South Callaway committed six turnovers and three of those miscues helped supply Marceline with all of its scoring as the seventh-ranked Tigers tripped the Bulldogs 20-7 in the Class 1 quarterfinals Saturday afternoon.
South Callaway - which had its three-game winning streak halted - ended the season with a 6-7 record. The Bulldogs' lone score came on senior quarterback Cole Shoemaker's 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Jasper Rees with 1 minute, 47 seconds left in the game.
Senior running back Cullen Bruner had two touchdown runs for Marceline (12-1), which stretched its winning streak to 10 games. The Tigers now move on to a semifinal clash next Saturday at No. 1 Lincoln (13-0).
Lincoln advanced with a 36-6 quarterfinal romp Saturday against Windsor.
South Callaway started strong on the game's opening series, using nine consecutive running plays to move inside Marceline's 20-yard line. Shoemaker, though, had the ball punched out of his hands on a second-down keeper and the Tigers recovered the fumble at their own 15.
After a Marceline three-and-out and a Bruner punt late in the first quarter, the Bulldogs took possession at their own 3. On first down, senior running back Nick Mealy couldn't gather in a Shoemaker pitch in the end zone and Marceline senior linebacker Freddie Bascus jumped on the ball for a touchdown at the 2:45 mark.
Bruner missed the extra point, leaving the Tigers with a 6-0 edge.
South Callaway was driving near midfield early in the second quarter when senior running back Devin Borghardt was stripped of the ball and Bascus came up with his second recovery at the Bulldogs' 41.
Marceline quickly profited with a four-play drive to extend its lead. Bruner caught a 36-yard option pass from sophomore running back Wyatt Molloy, then scored on the next play from 1 yard out.
Bruner added the extra point to make it 13-0 with 5:34 to play in the first half.
The Bulldogs had an opportunity to put points on the scoreboard just before halftime, but turned the ball over on downs at the Tigers' 18 with 1:21 remaining.
Marceline put together a 13-play drive to begin the third quarter, but the series stalled and Bruner was wide left on a 44-yard field-goal attempt.
On South Callaway's ensuing possession, the Tigers recovered another fumble by Shoemaker at the Bulldogs' 31. However, Bruner was wide left again from 44 yards out.
South Callaway still had an outside shot at a rally when it forced Marceline to punt midway through the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs signalled a fair catch on the kick, but the ball hit the turf and then touched a South Callaway player, and the Tigers recovered at the Bulldogs' 10.
Three plays later, Bruner's 7-yard touchdown run and extra point put Marceline in control 20-0 with 4:33 to go in the game.
South Callaway responded with a nine-play, 78-yard drive that culminated in Shoemaker's touchdown pass to Rees.
The Bulldogs forced a quick three-and-out by the Tigers, but Molloy intercepted a Shoemaker pass with 1:10 left to seal Marceline's victory.
Junior running back Hayden Vaught rushed for a game-high 93 yards on 16 carries as South Callaway outgained the Tigers 264-187 in total yards. Borghardt finished with 52 yards in 12 attempts.
Bruner - who entered Saturday's game with more than 1,700 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns - was limited to just 67 yards on 25 carries by the Bulldogs.
No. 6 Valle Catholic (12-1) will host No. 4 Mid-Buchanan (12-1) in the other Class 1 semifinal next Saturday. Valle Catholic edged No. 3 Thayer 15-14 in a quarterfinal thriller Saturday, while Mid-Buchanan topped South Harrison 35-8.