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The Webb City Cardinals will be looking for their second win when they host the Kickapoo Chiefs Friday at Cardinal Stadium.
The Cardinals nearly held their own – literally – last week in their 28-20 loss at Nixa, where the Eagles are ranked first in Class 6. Their coaches picked the entire defensive line for Player of the Week honors.
As Webb City coach Ryan McFarland excitedly told KNEO listeners after the game, “If that’s the best team in the state, I like our chances going forward.”
Kickapoo, another Class 6 school, is 0-2 after a 31-7 loss to Joplin and a 35-13 loss to Neosho.
Webb City won its home-opener 28-20 against Lebanon, which got a 38-33 home win last week against Joplin.
It didn’t look good from the start at Nixa for the undergog Cardinals when – on the first play of the game – Jayden McCaster ran for a 73-yard touchdown.
Webb City’s ground offensive was effective, though, as the Cardinals almost answered with a 64-yard drive that ended on Nixa’s 3-yard line. It was 4th-and-3, when Gabe Johnson’s attempted pass to Gus Karnes was incomplete.
The Eagles drove to Webb City’s 23-yard line before Karsen Myers intercepted McKnight’s pass and ran it back 14 yards to Webb City’s 37-yard line.
Webb City’s succeeding drive ended 63 yards later – this time without the Eagles denying the Cardinals a touchdown. Slade Hurd made it to a corner of the end zone on a 4-yard play.
Only halfway through the second quarter at this point, Nixa scored two more touchdowns to take a 21-7 lead into halftime.
Webb City struck back in the third quarter with a first-play touchdown of its own when Mason Williams made it 21-14 by running all the way for 74 yards.
Nixa held a 28-14 lead after three quarters, with the Cardinals in Eagles territory. Webb City finished the drive with a flashy reverse pitch from Barret Weller to quarterback Johnson from 5 yards out. The point-after attempt failed, leaving the score at 28-20.
The Eagles offense made it to the Webb City 32 when the Cardinals defense stiffened. Tackles by Karsen Myers, Ethan Keller and Bryson Bard had Nixa at 4th-and-4 when McKnight’s pass fell incomplete.
Nixa held Webb City to a 38-yard drive before losing yards on its final drive and punting as time ended.
Mason Williams ran 184 yards on 22 attempts to lead all rushers. Gabe Johnson had 81, and Slade Hurd had 54. Johnson had a long touchdown called back because of a holding penalty.
Karsen Myers and River Lenker both had 8 tackles for the Cardinals. Lenker had one tackle for loss, and Bryson Bard had two.
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