WEBB CITY, Mo. — On the night they were recognized, Webb City’s seniors led the way as the Cardinals rolled to a convincing 38-10 victory over Kickapoo on Friday night at Cardinal Stadium in Week 4 of the 2020 prep football season.
The Cardinals (3-1) recognized their 37 seniors before the non-conference game, although three more home dates are on the schedule.
“It’s nice to recognize the kids, especially this year because you never know what tomorrow might bring,” Webb City coach John Roderique said of moving up Senior Night. “We certainly wanted to get the seniors recognized.”
And once the contest began, senior quarterback Cole Gayman, senior running back Devin Weathers and senior defensive back Treghan Parker all played key roles in the lopsided win.
“I felt like it was a very workmanlike performance,” Roderique said. “It was a real efficient game from our standpoint. Offensively, we did some good things. I thought Cole did a really nice job. I thought our offense was real efficient. Cade (Wilson) and Devrin both played well. Obviously, if those guys are having a good night then our guys up front are doing a good job.”
Webb City finished with 449 yards of total offense, with 393 rushing and 56 passing.
Weathers racked up 164 yards on 11 carries, 15 yards per carry, with three touchdowns. Wilson ran nine times for 57 yards, while Gayman added 54 rushing yards on seven carries and also completed 4-of-6 passes.
Parker forced and then recovered a fumble and put two big hits on Kickapoo quarterback Adam Miller in the first half as Webb City built a 28-3 halftime lead.
Seniors Brayden Hollingsworth and Roger Carranco also stood out defensively, with seven and six tackles, respectively, while classmate Cale Stephens added four tackles.
Kickapoo (3-1) finished with 180 yards, 119 rushing and 61 passing.
Webb City’s defense limited the Chiefs to just 53 rushing yards in the first half.
SHORT NOTICE
The Cardinals and Chiefs agreed to play on short notice after Carthage was forced to pull out of the COC clash due on Wednesday to multiple players quarantining after a student-athlete at CHS tested positive for COVID-19.
“In the fourth quarter, I was thinking about what tonight would have been like if we hadn’t had the opportunity to play,” Roderique said. “I’m very grateful and thankful to Kickapoo for coming down and playing the game. I think it means everything to those kids. Everybody wants a win and everyone wants to be competitive, but the bottom line is everyone just wants to play. That’s what we’ve realized and maybe have a greater appreciation for in high school sports.”
The teams didn’t have much time to gameplan for each other, but taking the field was definitely better than sitting at home for all those involved.
“We were preparing for Carthage, so it was pretty weird transitioning to Kickapoo in the middle of the week,” Weathers said. “But we were ready to play. We just took care of business.”
GAME RECAP
After the Chiefs went three and out to start the night, the visitors were unable to get the punt off, resulting in great field position for the hosts.
Webb City needed just five plays to go 28 yards, as Wilson charged into the end zone on a 1-yard run at the 8:12 mark of the opening quarter.
After another defensive stop, Gayman connected with fellow senior Mekhi Garrard for a 32-yard touchdown strike on the first play of Webb City’s second drive. Gayman’s two-point conversion made it 14-0.
The Chiefs threatened late in the first quarter, but Miller fumbled near the goal line, with Parker recovering for a touchback.
“The defensive stand and then the turnover in the end zone were huge plays and huge confidence-boosts for the defense,” Roderique said. “We’ve got four games under our belt now. You expect and want to see progress each week, and I think we’re playing better on defense. We keep getting a little better each week.”
Finishing off a 12-play, 80-yard drive, Weathers scored on a 1-yard run with 9:40 left in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 21-0 advantage.
The Chiefs got on the board with 5:34 left in the first half on a 33-yard field goal by Nick Quadrini.
But Weathers scampered into the end zone on a 13-yard run on the ensuing possession, breaking several tackles and changing directions en route to the end zone.
The speedy Weathers broke free for an impressive 71-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third period, once again changing direction and sprinting past the defense.
“The play was supposed to go inside,” Weathers said. “I saw I had to go outside. I thought I was going to get maybe 10 yards, but I just made a cut and went the opposite way.”
“What a magnificent player he’s been,” Roderique said. “You can see his running ability has improved each year and he’s become a little more powerful. He’s a stronger runner this year, and that’s really good to see. He’s paid his dues for sure.”
Cameron Clark’s 22-yard field goal gave Webb City a comfortable 38-3 cushion with 8:59 remaining.
Webb City’s reserves received lots of playing time in the third and fourth quarters. Kickapoo’s Samias Pickett scored a late 10-yard touchdown for the final margin.
Roderique noted all 37 of his seniors got into the game.
“We got a lot of guys into the game tonight,” Roderique said. “That was the best part.”
One of those players who got into the game late was senior Cail Tingle. His appearance on the field got the crowd fired up and had the Cardinals cheering on the sideline.
“He’s been in our program for a long time, but hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to play,” Roderique said. “You could see the reaction of our players how much it meant to see him get into the game. Every once in a while he’ll tug at my shirt and ask about going in. He’s a good kid. That young man shows up every day and works hard.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City hosts Carl Junction in Week 5.
WEBB CITY 38, KICKAPOO 10
Kickapoo 0 3 0 7—10
Webb City 14 14 7 3—38
Scoring Summary
WC: Cade Wilson 1-yard run (Kick failed)
WC: Mekhi Garrard 32-yard pass from Cole Gayman (Gayman run)
WC: Devrin Weathers 1-yard run. (Cameron Clark kick)
KI: Nick Quadrini 33-yard field goal
WC: Weathers 13-yard run (Clark kick)
WC: Weathers 71-yard run (Clark kick)
WC: Clark 22-yard field goal.
KI: Samias Pickett 10-yard run (Quadrini kick)
Records: Kickapoo 3-1, Webb City 3-1
