OZARK, Mo. — Webb City extended its winning streak to seven with a convincing 48-13 Central Ozark Conference football victory over the Ozark Tigers on Friday night.
The Cardinals hiked their record to 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the COC. Ozark fell to 5-3.
The Cardinals, who led 21-7 at the half, recorded 462 yards, with 339 rushing and 123 passing.
Webb City’s Dupree Jackson ran 14 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns, while Devrin Weathers added 87 yards on 10 carries with two scores. Weathers went over 1,000 rushing yards for the season.
Cole Gayman ran 12 times for 73 yards and also scored a pair of touchdowns. Gayman completed 6-of-7 passes for 123 yards with one interception. Gary Clinton hauled in four passes for 120 yards, while Mekhi Garrard had two receptions for three yards.
Brayden Hollingsworth led the Webb City defense with nine tackles, while Treghan Parker made seven stops. Jacob Ott and Jaystin Smith were credited with six tackles apiece. Shane Noel had an interception.
Ozark finished with 273 yards, with 269 rushing and just four passing.
Tylr Bolin led Ozark’s ground attack with 126 yards on 21 carries with one score. Cannon Cox ran 18 times for 78 yards and a touchdown. Cox completed 1-of-3 passes. Jace Easley made 10 tackles.
Weathers scored on a 7-yard run with 6:05 left in the first quarter before Gayman and Jackson scored on runs of 8 and 13 yards, respectively, in the second quarter to give the visitors a 21-0 advantage. Gayman’s TD capped an 11-play, 72-yard drive, while Jackson’s score finished off a nine-play, 74-yard drive.
Bolin got Ozark on the board with five seconds left in the first half on a 6-yard run.
Jackson’s 6-yard touchdown run with 9:20 remaining in the third period pushed Webb City’s lead to 28-7.
“Our offense needed to come out and have a good drive to start the second half,” Webb City coach John Roderique told KNEO radio in a postgame interview. “You feel like you need to answer that score they had right before halftime and I thought that was big for us.”
Ozark’s Cox scored from 6 yards out on a QB keeper just over two minutes later, but Weathers sprinted to a 5-yard score, capping a 64-yard drive on seven plays, to extend Webb City’s lead to 35-13.
In the fourth quarter, a 30-yard touchdown run by Gayman and David Neal’s 19-yard run finished off the scoring.
The Tigers lost three fumbles and also threw an interception in the game, while Webb City had just one turnover.
“There’s one stat that is the biggest determining factor between winning and losing and that’s turnovers,” Roderique told KNEO. “Obviously, when you get turnovers, it’s great and when you give them up it’s the worst thing that can happen to you. I thought that was huge. When your offense is scoring and then you’re getting some short fields from those turnovers that’s a bonus for your guys.”
Webb City hosts Willard (2-6) next Friday in the regular season finale. Willard edged Neosho 27-20 in overtime on Friday night.
WEBB CITY 48, OZARK 13
WC 7 14 14 13—48
Ozark 0 7 6 0—13
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
WC: Devrin Weathers 7-yard run (Cameron Clark kick)
Second Quarter
WC: Cole Gayman 8-yard run (Clark kick)
WC: Dupree Jackson 13-yard run (Clark kick)
OZ: Tylr Bolin 6-yard run (Jace Easley kick)
Third Quarter
WC: Jackson 6-yard run (Clark kick)
OZ: Cannon Cox 6-yard run (Pass failed)
WC: Weathers 5-yard run (Clark kick)
Fourth Quarter
WC: Gayman 30-yard run (Clark kick) 42-13, 9:28 left
WC: David Neal 19-yard run (Kick failed)
