A lot of fans have this game circled on the schedule – Webb City vs. Joplin. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Friday at Junge Field for the 7 p.m. game.

Instead of the first game of the season, as with the 2020 and 2021 seasons, both teams have had a three-game chance to gel.

Webb City, 2-1, has won games against Carl Junction and Republic since their season-opening loss against Nixa.

Joplin is 3-0, with lopsided wins against Branson, and Willard, but had to rally last week at Ozark for a 29-22 win.

The teams resumed playing each other in 2018. Webb City won the first year (47-27) but has lost the last three years (35-28, 41-40, 41-40).

Webb City 35-Republic 14

As Webb City’s leading running backs, Cavitt Cole, Omari Jackson and Dante Washington, were sidelined because of injuries last week, it was a matter of “the next man stepping up,” as Coach John Roderique said in a post-game interview.

Those next men up were junior Breckin Galardo and senior Colton Gordon. Galardo gained 204 yards on 22 carries, and Gordon ran for 66 yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Landon Johnson ran the ball nine times for 67 yards.

Republic scored first, following a Webb City fumble. But the Cardinals came back to tie the game at 7-7 as Galardo ran it in from 3 yards out. Trey Roets attempted his first point after touchdown of the season, and it was good, as were his next four attempts.

On the Cardinals’ next possession, Galardo had a 25-yard run, and Gordon had a 9-yard run before Galardo finished the 7-play-50-yard drive with a 3-yard rush to give Webb City a 14-7 lead.

Galardo ran for a 49-yard touchdown in the third quarter to make it 21-7.

Republic answered in the fourth quarter to come within a touchdown and was driving for the tie when a fourth-down pass was broken up by William Hayes.

The Cardinals went on to extend their lead as Johnson kept the ball for a 33-yard touchdown, and Galardo tacked on a 30-yard touchdown.