Bob Foos
Webb City faces another team with an equal record (5-1) this week as the Cardinals travel to Republic.
The Cardinals are 5-1 after their first loss (36-14), which they suffered at home Friday against Carthage.
Republic earned its fifth win (35-0) last week at Joplin. That win put the Tigers on top of the Class 5 District 6 standings. However, it’s a tight race, with five teams sporting a 5-1 record. Carthage, Neosho and Branson are the other three teams, besides Republic and Webb City. Republic’s only loss was against Nixa (49-6) in week three.
As the regular season winds down, Webb City will be home again on Oct. 16 against Neosho and then at Joplin on Oct. 23. Districts begin Oct. 30.
Coach Ryan McFarland says the Carthage game is one the Cardinals can learn from.
They could follow the lead of the 2021 state-champion Cardinals. They were beaten soundly (42-14) by Carthage in the regular season but came back to beat the Tigers (28-21) in districts.
The 2023 Cardinals also lost the Carthage in the regular season (13-20) but came out on top (42-7) when the teams met in the district final.
And then in 2024, the same scenario. Webb City lost to Carthage (13-14) in the regular season but defeated the Tigers (42-28) for the district championship.
The 2016 Cardinals lost to Carl Junction (24-7) in the season-opener but came back to defeat the Bulldogs (27-6) in the playoffs.
In the game of the long Webb City-Carthage rivalry, the Tigers took a 7-0 lead on their first possession.
On their second possession, the Tigers drove to the Webb City 2-yard line, when on fourth down Rashiek Cole tackled Carthage’s Landon West 1 yard shy of a touchdown.
Webb City held Carthage again on the Tigers’ next possession when the clock ran out as Braylen Coleman stopped West at the 1-yard line.
Those two goal-line stands by Webb City’s defense kept the score at 7-0 before halftime.
The second half opened with Tiger Tate Nichols returning the kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and 14-0 lead.
The Cardinals lost a fumble on their first play of the second half on their 32-yard line.
Carthage scored on three plays, with West running 23 yards for the touchdown. The point-after touchdown attempt was no good. 0-20
Austin Arft returned Carthage’s kickoff 46 yards to set the Cardinals up at Carthage’s 48-yard line. Drake Claborn carried the ball for three of the five plays, gaining 43 yards, including the 13-yards he gained on a pitch from Mason Young for the Cardinals’ first touchdown. 7-20
Carthage answered with an eight-play touchdown, but the 2-point conversion attempt failed. 7-26
After forcing Webb City to punt, Carthage scored a touchdown, capped by a 2-point conversion, as the fourth quarter started. 7-34
A botched punt by Webb City allowed Carthage to score a safety. 7-36
The Cardinals got the ball back on their 13-yard line after the defense held Carthage to one series of downs.
Young completed a 13-yard pass to Brady Gastel for the Cardinals’ second first down of the drive. On fourth-and-6, he threw a 48-yard pass to D’Mtri Ndzentuv for a touchdown. 14-36
