A new era is officially underway in Webb City.
Ryan McFarland is the new man in charge of the Webb City football program, as he’s taken over the reins of the storied program after the retirement of hall of fame coach John Roderique.
McFarland is not only a former assistant coach in the program, but also a Webb City graduate and former player.
“This is a unique situation as I graduated from here in 2001,” said McFarland, who played on Webb City’s 2000 state championship squad. “I was an assistant coach here for the 2003, ’04 and ’06-13 seasons. You could say I took this job because I believe in the players we have and the coaches I get to work with.”
McFarland was Seneca’s head football coach from 2016-2020 before returning to his alma mater to be an assistant coach.
“Two years ago, I was given the opportunity to come back and work for Coach Roderique,” he said. “It has been a blessing to have been an assistant the last two years because I have been able to build relationships with the players and the coaching staff. Being here has definitely helped make this a smooth transition for everyone involved.”
Coming off a state championship in 2021, the Cardinals were plagued with significant injuries to key performers throughout the ’22 season.
“In 2022, it seemed like we had more than our fair share of injuries,” McFarland said. “Looking back, those injuries gave opportunities to our younger players to gain valuable Friday night experience. We hope that experience helps us in the 2023 season.”
Webb City finished with a 6-4 record after falling to Republic in the district semifinals. That season-ending setback ended Webb City’s impressive district title streak at 22.
Entering the 2023 season, Webb City features seven returning starters on offense and five returning starters on defense. Also, the Cardinals feature four returning players who garnered all-conference recognition at the conclusion of last season.
OFFENSE
Webb City’s ground attack will be led by a pair of returning starters, seniors Breckin Galardo and Omari Jackson.
In 2022, Galardo recorded 1,260 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, both team highs, on his way to earning second-team all-COC honors. Jackson contributed 614 yards and eight touchdowns, second on the team in each category.
McFarland noted the running back tandem should be even better this fall.
“Jackson had a great game in Week 1 against Nixa, but an ankle injury early in Week 2 limited him the rest of the season,” McFarland said. “That injury to Jackson allowed Gallardo to get some playing time and he made the most of it.”
The five other returning starters on offense are senior offensive linemen Shaun Hunt (6-0, 250), Nate Miller (6-2, 250), Tucker Liberatore (5-11, 180) and Kole Carr (6-4, 250) and senior tight end Jonah Spieker (6-3, 220).
Hunt and Miller earned all-conference honors last season, while Hunt also garnered all-state recognition.
Other players who could contribute on the offensive line include juniors Brady Belcher (6-1, 240) and Eric Lathan (6-0, 245).
“The biggest strength we have going into the season should be our offensive line play,” McFarland said. “We return Miller, who will be a three-year starter, Hunt, who was an all-state center for us last season, and Liberatore, Carr and Brady Belcher all started multiple games last season. Jonah Spieker has played a lot of snaps over the past two seasons. This group definitely struggled at times last season, but we expect them to be able to play at a high level with them all having an additional year in the weight room and with the experience of having played a lot of snaps on Friday nights.”
As far as the quarterback position, senior Braden McKee, sophomore Gabe Johnson and junior Jackson Lucas are options under center.
In five games as a junior, the 6-3, 200-pound McKee completed 8-of-18 passes for 71 yards.
“He is competing for the starting QB position and probably understands our offense more than anyone else we have,” McFarland said of McKee. “He will be a key piece to our offensive success.”
The speedy Johnson saw action in six games as a freshman, rushing 26 times for 108 yards while completing all three of his pass attempts for 18 yards.
As far as the competition for the starting QB position, McFarland said, “They all have different skill sets at the position and it will be interesting to see how that competition plays out.”
Other athletes who are expected to play key roles this fall are senior tight end Drew Vonder Haar, junior wide receiver/kick returner Joseph DeGraffenreid and junior running back Andrew Elwell. Juniors Garrett Powell and Noah Durman are other options at running back.
A top newcomer to the squad is senior kicker Alex Dunne, who previously played at Lee’s Summit North.
DEFENSE
The Cardinals feature five returning starters on defense—senior linebacker Christian Brock (6-1, 215), senior lineman Rowdy Webb (6-0, 205), senior defensive back Conner Gayman (6-0, 185), junior lineman Jace Wright (5-10, 240) and junior defensive back Andrew Young (5-11, 170).
An all-conference performer, Brock recorded 87 tackles last year, tops among returning players. Gayman recorded 43 tackles last fall, while Young made 40 stops in ’22.
Seniors Jordan Howard (5-10, 220) and Aaron Bell (5-11, 205) are other linebackers expected to contribute nicely, while senior defensive ends Jace Jones (6-7, 255) and Jordan Mason (6-4, 225) are also expected to play big roles.
McFarland feels the defensive line should be a strength of the squad this fall.
“We don’t have the experience coming back like we do on the offensive line, but we have a group of guys that we feel are ready to contribute in a big way,” McFarland said. “Rylan Walker (6-0, 250 Jr.) is another prospect that is also one of our strongest players who should factor in on the defensive line. We’ll also look to use some of our offensive line depth, Miller and Liberatore, to help keep our D-line fresh throughout the season.”
McFarland is confident the team’s seniors will provide great leadership this fall.
“We have a very talented senior class who are great young men to be around,” he said. “We expect these guys to set the tone each day at practice and in the weight room.”
COACHING STAFF CHANGES
Webb City’s coaching staff will look a little different this season.
“I would have to say the absence of Coach Roderique will be the biggest change for our team heading into the season,” McFarland said. “With change comes new challenges and we have coaches who have been on staff for a while that are getting the opportunity to gain new roles.
“Aaron Davied and Trey Derryberry will coordinate our defense this fall. They both have an extensive football background and have been around the Webb City program for much of their coaching career. On offense, Aaron Snow and Andrew Doennig will have an expanded role in opponent scouting and play calling and Coach Snow will also coordinate our passing game. I’m excited about our coaching staff that we were able to retain and the coaches we were able to bring in. We lost a lot of coaching experience off our staff the last few years, but we have been able to replace that experience with younger, energetic coaches who bring new ideas to the table.”
WEEK 1 IS HERE
Webb City opens the ’23 season at Nixa on Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
McFarland said this year’s team hopes to make Webb City proud.
“No matter what our offense and defense look like, we will play a fast, physical and disciplined style of football that the Webb City alumni and community will be proud of,” he said.
Webb City football schedule
Aug. 25 at Nixa
Sept. 1 vs. Carl Junction
Sept. 8 at Republic
Sept. 15 vs. Joplin
Sept. 22 vs. Ozark
Sept. 29 at Willard
Oct. 6 at Carthage
Oct. 13 vs. Neosho
Oct. 20 at Branson
RELATED STORY: END OF AN ERA: Webb City’s Roderique announces retirement – SoMo Sports (somo-sports.com)
