Field at Cardinal Stadium named for 315-game-winning coach John Roderique

Naming structures isn’t something that’s common for the Webb City R-7 School Board. It’s so far an honor that’s been reserved for superintendents and a special family.

And there’s no worry that naming John Roderique Field at Cardinal Stadium will result in an influx of naming requests. The bar for that is set pretty high by John Roderique – winning 315 games and 13 state championships.

During a ceremony celebrating the new field name, we learned from John that we have his wife, Heather, to thank for him applying for the job as the head Cardinals football coach in 1997. As he told it, she informed him she was done working and he’d have to earn more than he was as an assistant coach at Pittsburg State University.

Roderique recalled that he hadn’t wanted to be a high school coach, but after 26 seasons he’s realized he wouldn’t want to do anything else.

Roderique began retirement this summer but remains as athletic director.