MOUND CITY, Mo. - A little selective amnesia went a long way for Mound City quarterback Lucas Schawang on Friday night.

Following a slow start, the Panthers' sophomore signal-caller never stopped running and gunning and led his team to a 32-7 victory against Stanberry at Ceglenski Field in an 8-man semifinal clash.

Schawang tossed a career-high four touchdowns passes - three of them in the second half - to help his team pull away down the stretch.

"If I know I did something bad, I can totally forget it, like short-term memory loss," Schawang said.

Mound City's win carries the team back into the state championship game for the second straight year and sets up a rematch against St. Joseph Christian.

The Panthers (10-1) didn't look like a sure bet to return to Edward Jones Dome, however, after the Bulldogs' hot start to the second half.

Stanberry (10-2) only managed three first downs in the first half but matched that number on the first drive out of halftime thanks to the hard-nosed running of Conner Rosier. The senior tailback broke tackle after tackle during a statement drive that put the Bulldogs on the board, slicing the score to 12-7.

Two plays later, Andy Luke intercepted Schawang near midfield and gave Stanberry hope of a go-ahead score.

Cue Mound City's defensive tenacity.

With their heels in their own red zone, the Panthers forced a pivotal 4th-down stop deep in their own territory that halted Stanberry's tide of momentum.

"We looked all of our defensive guys in the face and said, 'This is the time right here. This is for our season right now,'" Mound City running back/safety Gage Rosier said. "We stepped up to the plate, and I wasn't really surprised because we've been doing it all year."

On the drive that followed, the Panthers notched two first downs before Mound City coach Brian Messer put his trust in Schawang, who threw eight straight incompletions in the first half.

After eluding heavy pressure, Schawang lofted a sky-high pass that eventually landed in the arms of junior James Schoonover for a 32-yard touchdown strike. On the first play of the Panthers' next drive, Schawang threw a picture-perfect pass to Gage Rosier that finally widened the gap against the persistent Bulldogs.

Schawang connected with Schoonover one more time in the fourth quarter and finished with 173 passing yards on a 7-for-17

effort.

"He's just a young sophomore, and he came out and led tonight," Schoonover said. "He came out and led like a senior. He took control, took a breath and went on."

Hamstrung by a minor leg injury, Gage Rosier - who accounted for just 87 total yards - lacked his usual explosiveness but had faith in his first-year quarterback.

"We knew that's exactly what we expect out of him," Gage Rosier said. "We know he's capable of that every time out, and he showed it tonight."

Stanberry refused to wilt in the second half thanks to a renewed rushing attack. Conner Rosier chewed up six first downs on his own after halftime and topped triple-digit rushing yards for a short time before finishing with 96.

Rosier's touchdown run - Stanberry's only score - came on a fourth-and-five play in the third quarter. But Rosier fumbled on the Panthers' next drive that set up Schawang's third touchdown toss of the game and swung the game in favor of Mound City.

"We played as well as we could play against them," Stanberry coach Dan Collins said. "They outplayed us. They showed up ready to play, and they were better than us tonight."

Ryan Crowley led the Panthers with 76 hard-earned rushing yards on 18 carries, while Miles Jumps tallied 85 receiving yards and a score in leading the receiving attack.

Mound City's appearance in the state title game marks the third time in the past five years - and sixth in the past 11 - that the Panthers have advanced to the 8-man finale.