WEBB CITY, Mo. — Clinging to a one-score lead at the half, the Webb City Cardinals needed to rise to the occasion after intermission.
They did just that.
Webb City rode a strong second half to a 35-14 victory over Republic on Friday night in Central Ozark Conference action at Cardinal Stadium.
Up 14-7 at the break, the Cardinals outscored the Tigers 21-7 in the second half to earn what could be described as a hard-fought win in Week 3 of the 2022 season.
“I feel great because we had to earn this one,” Webb City coach John Roderique said. “They made us earn this one. That’s a good football team and they play a physical style. It’s a team you have to be physically prepared for because of what they do. We persevered.
“I felt like we played better in the second half at times,” Roderique added. “We were probably more consistent on offense in the second half. Defensively, we got a couple of stops when we needed to in the second half.”
Ranked second in Class 5, the Cardinals won their second straight outing after dropping the season opener to Class 6 No. 4 Nixa. Webb City is now 24-0 all-time against Republic in football.
This was no easy victory for perennial power Webb City, Missouri’s all-time leader in state championships.
After recovering a fumble with great field position early in the game, Webb City appeared poised to get on the board first. But the Cardinals returned the favor on the next series, and Republic’s Cole Gimlin recovered a fumble and took it 77 yards for the game’s opening score.
Webb City tied it up on Breckin Galardo’s 3-yard touchdown run, along with the PAT kick by Trey Roets.
Colton Gordon’s first touchdown of the season, a 3-yard scamper, gave the Cardinals a 14-7 lead at halftime.
After the Cardinals forced the Tigers to punt early in the second half, Galardo’s second TD of the night, a 49-yard sprint, gave Webb City a 21-7 lead at the end of the third quarter.
But the Tigers pulled within seven with 11:48 left after a 23-yard touchdown run by Connor Sandridge and the PAT kick by Xavier Ulshafer.
Republic then recovered a Webb City fumble, taking over with just over 10 minutes to play with a chance to tie the game.
But the Webb City defense came up big, forcing a key turnover on downs. A.J. Bash recorded a big sack during the series, and the Tigers threw an incomplete pass on fourth down.
“That was a huge sequence,” Roderique said. “The offense made a mistake…we were hoping to punt. Turning the ball over on your side of the field is the last thing you want to do. But our defense stepped up and stopped them. It was huge.”
After the momentum-shifting defensive stand, Webb City’s offense went to work and extended the lead, putting the game out of reach.
Landon Johnson scored on a 33-yard QB keeper with 6:26 left for a 28-14 cushion. A 30-yard touchdown run by Galardo with 2:34 remaining, his third score of the night, accounted for the final score.
NAMES & NUMBERS
Webb City compiled 372 yards of offense, with 364 rushing and eight passing.
The ground attack primarily featured Galardo and Gordon, as Cole Cavitt left the game with an apparent injury.
A junior, Galardo ran 24 times for 211 yards with three TD. A senior, Gordon added 67 rushing yards on 11 carries. Johnson, a senior QB, contributed 77 yards on eight attempts.
Webb City’s Week 1 starting running backs, Max Stovern and Omari Jackson, are both currently out of action due to injuries.
“You just have to have the next man up mentality,” Roderique said, adding he was pleased with how Galardo and Gordon performed. “Fortunately, we do have some depth at running back.”
Roets went 5-for-5 on PAT kicks, while sophomore Joseph DeGraffenreid returned two kicks for 51 yards.
Lucas Ott was credited with eight tackles, while Grayson Smith had seven. McQuade Eilenstein and Bash were credited with five tackles apiece.
Republic finished with 184 yards, 151 on the ground and 33 through the air.
The 5-9, 175-pound Sandridge ran 17 times for 117 yards.
“That kid’s a load to tackle,” Roderique said of Sandridge.
CARDS LOSE WASHINGTON TO INJURY
Coach Roderique confirmed that senior standout Dante Washington is out for the season due to a knee injury.
“It was a non-contact injury at practice,” Roderique said. “I feel terrible for him.”
Washington, an all-state caliber performer on both sides of the ball and special teams, was coming off a stellar performance last week at Carl Junction.
Against the Bulldogs, Washington scored on an 83-yard punt return, had a 37-yard rushing TD and also kicked extra points.
“With Dante being out, that takes away all the things that he does for us,” Roderique said. “He had a lot of roles on this football team. So, it will take a lot of different guys to step up.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City (2-1) is at Joplin (3-0) in Week 4. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Junge Field.
FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)
