Bob Foos
Defense and offense switch places after the Cardinals stop Branson on downs a half yard from the end zone – and a score.
The Webb City Cardinals have the week off with a bye. It’s the prize they get for earning the No. 1 seed in the Class 5 District 7 tournament.
They’ll play again at home in the semifinal round on Friday, Nov. 3, against the winner of this week’s quarterfinal game between No. 4 Belton and No. 5 Ruskin. Also this Friday, No. 2 Raytown South hosts No. 7 Neosho, and No. 3 Carthage will host No. 6 Smith Cotton.
Webb City and Raytown South are both Cardinals, and both have 7-2 records, but Webb City has the edge in points, 44.74 to 38.26. Carthage (5-4) has 36.29 points.
Noah Duley makes a third-down stop.
The Webb City Cardinals ended their regular season last week at Branson as the offense scored 20 points and the defense shut out the Pirates.
Webb City took a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter when Andrew Elwell finished an eight-play drive with a 5-yard carry into the end zone. The point-after attempt was no good.
In the Cardinals’ next possession, Lucas Jackson completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Johnson.
Branson opened its final possession of the first half with a 36-yard pass, continued the drive to Webb City’s 19-yard line and advanced to the 5 on a penalty. That’s when the Cardinal defense stiffened. On fourth-and-three, Andrew Young tackled Gage Depee less than a yard from the end zone.
The score stayed at 13-0 until the fourth quarter when Johnson set up a touchdown with a 29-yard pass to Joseph DeGraffenreid. And Johnson completed the drive with a 1-yard run.
Drew Vonder Haar makes a catch for a first down.
Joseph DeGraffenreid on a reverse.
