A spot in the Class 5 semifinals will be up for grabs when Webb City (10-1) hosts Lebanon (7-3) on Friday at Cardinal Stadium.
Kickoff for the quarterfinal clash is set for 7 p.m.
“It’s great to be at home,” Webb City coach John Roderique said. “And it’s just great to be playing. The district championship is behind us, and now there’s only eight teams left. We want to play well, take care of the ball, be physical and give ourselves a chance to play another game.”
The Webb City-Lebanon winner will meet either Grain Valley or Platte County in the semifinals on Nov. 28.
Webb City advanced to the quarterfinals with last Friday’s 42-21 win over Carthage in the District 6 championship game. The Cardinals led 35-7 entering the fourth quarter.
“To do that against a great team was truly awesome,” Webb City senior safety Treghan Parker said. “We’re ready for this week. We have to keep pushing. We played amazing last week, but we know we can play better.”
Last year’s Class 4 state champions have now won 10 straight games.
Lebanon advanced with a dominant 52-18 win over Glendale in the District 5 championship game. It’s the third district crown in four years for the Yellowjackets.
Lebanon, averaging 39 points per game, will utilize a flexbone offense.
“They’re patient and very disciplined,” Roderique said. “They want to get off the ball. They’re happy to get four yards on every play. They’ve got some speed. They can get the ball to the edge.
“They really try to control the game,” Roderique added. “They pound the fullback a lot. They’ll use a lot of fullback run, quarterback pull and they’ll pitch it. They can lull you to sleep and then pull off a pass play. You have to be disciplined on defense. You also have to be very physical at the line of scrimmage. If you’re not, it could be a long night.”
The Yellowjackets rushed for 354 yards last Friday. Senior Drew McBride scored four touchdowns and ran for 192 yards. Other running threats include Antonio Rodgers and Isaac Ledbetter.
Lebanon’s defense is allowing 28 points per game.
“Defensively, they’ll give us some different looks and that can be a challenge,” Roderique said. “They’ll blitz enough to keep you honest. They could blitz on every down. That’s something we’ll have to be ready for on Friday night.”
Lebanon defeated Willard 47-14 in the district semifinals. Willard is one of two common opponents. Of course, Webb City handled Willard 55-0. The other common foe is Kickapoo. The Chiefs beat the Yellowjackets 30-26, while Webb City handled Kickapoo 38-10. Lebanon’s other losses are to Bolivar (20-7) and West Plains (63-14).
Webb City is scoring 41.5 points per game and allowing 14.7. The Cardinals are averaging 296 rushing yards and 65 passing yards per game.
Senior standout Devrin Weathers has compiled 1,478 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns. Senior quarterback Cole Gayman has rushed for 561 yards and also passed for 731 yards. Junior Dupree Jackson has rushed for 669 yards. Webb City’s leading receivers are Cohl Vaden (216 yards), Gary Clinton (213 yards) and Mekhi Garrard (166 yards).
Defensive leaders for the Cardinals are Parker (87 tackles, three interceptions), Matt McDaniel (74 tackles, four sacks), Brayden Hollingsworth (59 tackles, three sacks) and Jaystin Smith (55 tackles).
Since a Week 1 setback, Webb City has outscored its competition 417-173.
IT’S BEEN AWHILE
These two programs haven’t met since 1999, when the Cardinals defeated the Yellowjackets 45-22 in a Week 5 non-conference clash.
The schools met in every season from 1992-99, with the Cardinals winning every matchup. With that, Webb City has won eight straight against Lebanon. The Yellowjackets last defeated the Cardinals in 1980 (12-6).
HOW TO LISTEN
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FRIDAY’S CLASS 5 QUARTERFINALS
Jackson (11-0) at Chaminade (4-1)
Fort Zumwalt North (10-1) at Battle (8-1)
Lebanon (7-3) at Webb City (10-1)
Grain Valley (10-1) at Platte County (10-1)
LAST WEEK’S CLASS 5 DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
District 1: Jackson 49, Farmington 14
District 2: Chaminade 57, Parkway West 14
District 3: FZ North 52, FZ South 3
District 4: Battle 27, Washington 7
District 5: Lebanon 52, Glendale 18
District 6: Webb City 42, Carthage 21
District 7: Grain Valley 42, Raytown 7
District 8: Platte County 33, Staley 13
