What a way to kick off the prep football season.
The reigning Class 4 state champion Webb City Cardinals travel to Junge Field to take on the Class 6 runner-up Joplin Eagles in a 7 p.m. season opener to remember.
“I think it is how hard and physical they play,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said when asked what trait every Webb City team has that is coached by John Roderique. “We’ve talked about it before, but their offensive line always explodes off the ball and their defensive players always play hard and are very fundamental. They are a very physical and a fundamentally-sound football team.”
This will be the first time the Eagles step onto the field in a game that counts since finishing second in the state at the Class 6 level a year ago. But this game was very much in doubt leading up to the season because of concerns dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. With the season in doubt, getting a chance to take the field in 2020 is something the Eagles will not take for granted.
“Everybody is excited,” Jasper said. “We know how lucky we are to be playing a game, period. Getting to line up against one of our rivals Week 1 is an opportunity we feel lucky to have.
“This week of practice has been really good. I feel like our scout teams have improved tremendously and given us really good looks. I think our kids are dialed in and have good practices all week.”
Leading up to the season opener, there have been some adjustments made outside of the football field. With school now in session, Joplin coaches and players are also trying to navigate the proper safety measures for academia.
“The school day has been different with it being an A-B schedule,” Jasper said. “So, that takes a transition, but I feel like it is working really well so far. The plan our administration has laid out for the school year has been fantastic. As far as once we get to the football field, that feels normal. You get to the football field and it just feels awesome. Obviously, we are taking all of the precautions, but it’s still football, and it just feels really great being able to go out and work with the kids.”
Focusing on the field, Joplin has five new starters on offense and six new starters on defense. With 11 players making their debut at the varsity level this week, making sure they are prepared has been a point of emphasis for the Joplin coaching staff.
“We want them to lean on their preparation,” Jasper said. “We’ve had a good summer, even with all of the craziness going on. We have had three good weeks of practice. So, be confident in your preparation, be confident in your game plan, relax, and go out and execute.”
Webb City brings an option offense that is always difficult to defend. The biggest task for the Eagles will be slowing down Cardinals senior running back Devrin Weathers, a three-year starter at the position and a Kansas State commit.
“We have to be very sound in our responsibilities for the option,” Jasper said. “We have to match and exceed their physicality and intensity up front. We have to get everybody to the football and tackle well as a team.”
For the Joplin offense, there will be several new faces in the playmaker positions with the team looking to replace QB Blake Tash, RB Isaiah Davis and WR Zach Westomoreland from graduation. Junior Always Wright will be starting at quarterback, with senior Nathan Glades starting at running back. Glades finished last season with 73 carries for 471 yards and five touchdowns, adding 37 receptions for 508 yards and three touchdowns in the passing attack. Senior Trayshawn Thomas (13 catches, 199 yards, three touchdowns in 2019), juniors Keaton Renfo (12 catches, 185 yards, two touchdowns in 2019), Bruce Wilbert and sophomore Dante Washington will be the starting wideouts for the Eagles.
Joplin’s offensive line will be anchored by senior left tackle Alex Curry — a first-team all-area, conference, district and state lineman — senior center Sergio Piniero — a first-team all-district center — and senior right tackle Davis Ramsey.
“I think the main thing for us to understand is there are going to be two good teams on the football field facing adversity,” Jasper said. “We want to take care of the football, but whatever adversity hits, we want to be able to shake it and move on. When two good teams meet, there are going to be some things you have to stay calm and battle through. The team that does that best will be successful.”
In a matchup of two of the top teams from their respective classes a year ago, that atmosphere in the stands come game time would normally be exhilarating. However, with the concern for COVID-19 across the country, teams who are lucky enough to play are limiting the capacity of fans attending sporting events.
For the Webb City-Joplin game, Junge will be filled to roughly half capacity (or 2,000 fans) to allow for proper social distancing measures to be taken. Though that is considerably less than what it would have been in a normal year, 2020 is anything but normal, and the Eagles are just grateful to be playing in front of fans at all.
“I try to focus on the positive side of it,” Jasper said. “I recently spoke with an athletic director in another part of the state who said they were only allowing 50 people total in the stands. There was another who said they were allowing just 20 percent. And another coach told me they just had their first day of practice on Monday.
“So, with all of that going on, you just kind of put the other stuff out of your head. We are focusing on A, getting to play, and B, 50-percent capacity is a lot better than in other places. But, the bottom line is that whatever the attendance is, that doesn’t affect what we are trying to accomplish as a team, or the opportunity that we have to be able to play this game and face off against a great opponent.”
HOW TO WATCH
Fox Sports Joplin’s live stream for Friday’s game can be found here: http://www.citylinktv.com/channel/joplin-web-tv/.
