Bob Foos
Webb City locked up its third seed – and a home game – in the upcoming district tournament with a 42-28 win at Joplin last week.
On Friday, the Cardinals will face the sixth-seeded Parkview Vikings. They’re in the bottom half of the Class 5 District 7 bracket, along with Republic (2) and Willard (8).
In the upper portion of the seven-team bracket, top-ranked Carthage has a bye, awaiting the winner of the Branson-Neosho game.
The win gave the 6-3 Cardinals a 1.1 lead in points over the fourth-seeded Branson Pirates, who have a 7-2 record. One of their losses was to the 4-5 Vikings.
At Junge Field Friday, the Cardinals scored a touchdown on their first possession and never trailed the Eagles.
However, the Eagles tied the game at 28-28 in the third quarter.
Webb City responded with an extended drive that began with 2:45 left in the third quarter and finished with Gabe Johnson’s third touchdown of the night. The 80-yard drive included six first downs and took 6:35 off the clock. However, the extra-point attempt failed.
Diego Aldrete’s kickoff to the Eagles was controversial. Rather than field it, Eagle Layne Royle flicked the ball out of bounds at the 14-yard line. It wasn’t clear that the ball would cross the line on its own.
The officials gave Webb City the option of kicking it again or starting the Eagles’ drive at the 35-yard line.
Webb City coach Ryan McFarland challenged the call, and the officials delayed the game for up to 20 minutes.
It was eventually determined that the Eagles’ drive should start where the ball went out of bounds.
Webb City got the ball back after the defense held the Eagles on downs as two passes to Royle were incomplete.
Two plays after Joplin’s punt, Johnson extended Webb City’s lead by another touchdown, 46-28, with a 62-yard run.
Quarterback Braden Strickland and Grayson Gannaway connected on a two-point conversion for the final 42-28 score.
Mason Williams also scored three touchdowns for the Cardinals as he led the rushing attack with 220 yards.
Johnson, at full stride for the first time since tearing his ACL at the end of the basketball season in 2024, rushed for 195 yards. He and Williams both averaged 12.2 yards per carry.
Bryson Bard led on defense with 7 tackles (5 unassisted) and 1 sack. Cooper Ray, Ethan Keller and River Lenker also had 7 tackles.
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