Bob Foos
Is Webb City the team to give the Neosho Wildcats their first loss? We’ll find out Friday when the Cardinals go to Neosho in the first week of Central Ozark Conference West Division play.
The four games until now have been with COC East teams.
Neosho, with its 4-0 record, leads the western teams. Carthage, Republic and Webb City are all 3-1 – all beaten by Nixa – which Neosho didn’t draw on its interdivision schedule. The two other western teams are Joplin 2-2, and Willard 1-3.
Webb City and Neosho have two common opponents, Kickapoo (Webb City 49-21, Neosho 35-13) and Lebanon (Webb City 28-20, Neosho 47-17).
Week six, on Oct. 3, will be homecoming as the Cardinals entertain Republic. The Paint the Town Red parade will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3.
The Cardinals accumulated 455 rushing yards, with more than half (260) by Mason Williams.
On the second play of the game, Williams broke through Ozark’s defensive line and secondary for a 60-yard touchdown.
The Cardinals defense had the Tigers at 4th-and-6 when Ozark’s Peyton Russell threw a 31-yard pass to Jett Easley and tie the score.
Gabe Johnson put Webb City ahead again, 14-7, when he scored the Cardinals’ second touchdown on a 68-yard carry – his only carry of the night.
Webb City’s third possession ended with a midfield fumble that led to a goal-line stand. On third down, Russell carried it in from 1 yard out.
The Cardinals responded quickly with a four-play, 71-yard drive that ended with Williams running 58-yards for a touchdown.
In the Tigers’ following series, they were facing 3rd-and-3 when they fumbled, lost 3 yards and punted.
Webb City’s ensuing drive was short-lived when Mason Young’s pass was picked off at the Ozark 45-yard-line.
Two plays later though, Young (as a defensive back) got the ball back for Webb City by intercepting an Ozark pass at the Webb City 29.
With only 49 seconds left in the half, Young completed first-down passes to Holden Johnson and Slade Hurd. Diego Aldrete gave the Cardinals a 24-14 halftime lead with a 39-yard field goal.
The third quarter started with Webb City holding Ozark on downs and Young fair-catching the punt at the Webb City 42-yard-line.
Then Williams ran 49 yards for his third touchdown, giving the Cardinals a 31-14 lead.
Ozark’s second possession of the third quarter resulted in a successful 61-yard drive, closing the gap at 10 points, 31-21.
Webb City responded with a 71-yard drive, highlighted by a 19-yard Braden Strickland pass to Holden Johnson and Strickland’s 31-yard run – 1 yard shy of a touchdown. Williams completed the 7-play drive to take a 38-21 lead.
The Cardinals held the Tigers to 20 yards on their next possession and opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a 98-yard drive ending with Drake Claborn’s 5-yard touchdown run. The largest gains were Williams’ 30-yard run, Strickland’s 24-yard pass to Trae Turner and Strickland’s 19-yard pass to Holden Johnson.
Webb City got the ball back quickly when River Lenker recovered an Ozark fumble on the kickoff at the Webb City 48.
Runs by Talan Haslip and Claborn were good for a first down, followed by Slade Stiffler’s 39-yard touchdown run to give Webb City a 52-21 lead.
Scoring ended at 52-35 after two late Ozark touchdowns.
Strickland completed all four of his attempts for 65 yards passing and ran for 53 yards. Young completed three for his four throws for 34 yards.
Holden Johson led receivers with 48 yards on three catches. Slade Hurd caught two passes for 24 yards, while Turner’s single catch was for 24 yards.
River Lenker had eight tackles. Bryson Bard had seven, including two for loss. Ethan Keller and Karsen Myers both added six.
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