WEBB CITY, Mo. — With a solid overall performance on both sides of the ball, second-seeded Webb City knocked off third-seeded Republic 35-7 in a semifinal contest of the Class 5 District 6 tournament on Friday night at Cardinal Stadium.
“I thought we looked pretty solid,” Webb City coach John Roderique said. “We’re real proud of our guys. It wasn’t real flashy. Republic has really gotten after people on both sides of the ball this year. It was a tough, physical game. That’s exactly what we expected. Hats off to Republic…you talk about a team that has vastly improved from Week 3. They have a lot to be proud of.”
Ranked fourth in Class 5 by the Missouri Media, Webb City led 21-0 at the half before adding 14 unanswered points in the third quarter.
“We took care of business,” Webb City senior quarterback Cohl Vaden said. “We had two weeks to prepare, so our guys had a lot of focus tonight. And we want to be at our best at this time of the season.”
The Cardinals scored on all of their possessions in the opening half.
On the other hand, Republic’s first half possessions ended with an interception, a turnover on downs and a missed field goal.
“Defensively, you have to be in a bend but don’t break mode against these guys,” Roderique said. “I felt like we did that. They got some first downs and I’m sure they had more snaps than we did in the first half. But we were able to convert and get points on the board on our possessions.”
With Friday’s win, Webb City (7-3) advanced to the district championship game, where they’ll travel to No. 1 seed Carthage (10-0) next Friday.
“This is what you hope for and this is what you practice for,” Roderique said. “This is what we talk about all the time. It’s nice to get an opportunity to play another game. You just want to extend the season as long as you can. We’re playing an undefeated team and probably the best team in Southwest Missouri, so we’ll have our work cut out for us for sure.”
A 44-yard touchdown run by Webb City senior running back Cade Wilson was the lone score of the first quarter.
The Tigers were threatening on their first drive, but Webb City’s Brentan Wilson grabbed an interception.
The Cardinals went up 14-0 with 10:30 left in the first half on Dupree Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown plunge. A 27-yard pass from Vaden to Trey Roets set up the score.
After Republic’s turnover on downs, Webb City extended its lead to 21-0 on Cade Wilson’s 2-yard touchdown run.
The Tigers missed a 30-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the first half.
The hosts took a 28-0 lead with 5:56 remaining in the third quarter when Jackson sprinted to an 18-yard touchdown run.
A few plays after he picked off a pass, Webb City junior Dante Washington hauled in a 16-yard touchdown reception from Vaden to give the Cardinals a comfortable 35-0 cushion.
Republic’s Avery Moody ran for a 58-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
Webb City compiled 313 yards of offense, with 228 on the ground and 85 through the air.
Jackson ran 15 times for 103 yards and two scores, while Cade Wilson had 11 carries for 85 yards and two TD.
Wilson surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season.
“He’s not a very big guy, but he’s got the heart of a lion,” Roderique said of Wilson. “I’m just proud of him.”
Vaden completed four passes, with three to Washington (58 yards) and one to Roets (27 yards). Washington also converted five PAT kicks.
Republic (6-5) finished with 276 yards, with 212 rushing and 64 passing. Moody ran 29 times for 160 yards and also completed two passes.
DISTRICT TITLE GAME AWAITS
The Cardinals will have an opportunity to capture a 22nd straight district championship.
Carthage topped Webb City during the regular season en route to an undefeated run through the Central Ozark Conference.
Of course, next week’s rematch will determine who advances in the state tournament.
“This is what we all wanted,” Vaden said. “I think it’s going to be a fun game.”
WEBB CITY 35, REPUBLIC 7
Republic 0 0 0 7—7
Webb City 7 14 14 0—35
SCORING SUMMARY
WC: Cade Wilson 44 run (Dante Washington kick)
WC: Dupree Jackson 1 run (Washington kick)
WC: Wilson 2 run (Washington kick)
WC: Jackson 18 run (Washington kick)
WC: Washington 16 pass from Cohl Vaden (Washington kick)
REP: Avery Moody 58 run (Marco Donjuan kick)
