WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Webb City Cardinals are district champions in boys soccer for the first time since 1999 after their 5-3 win on Thursday over the Belton Pirates in the Class 3 District 6 championship match at Cardinal Stadium.
Webb City outscored Belton 4-1 in the second half behind second-half three goals from outstanding senior forward Alex Flores and strong defense, particularly from senior goalkeeper Connor Black.
The Cardinals fell into a 2-0 hole, before Flores scored a goal 1 minute, 16 seconds before the half that gave the home team some momentum headed into the next 40 minutes.
“It’s long overdue,” Webb City coach Nick Harmon said. “We’ve been chipping away at it for the last few years, and we’ve just been so close with some of the past groups of players. We felt confident from the get-go this year. Just like throughout the season, we faced adversity and were able to overcome it in the game, going down 2-nil and battling back in it and winning by two goals. It shows how strong their character is and how mentally tough we were tonight.”
“It’s just the best feeling ever, man,” Flores said. “I’m just proud of my team. I had faith in them. It’s great.”
Webb City tied it up nearly two minutes in the second half, then scored the final three goals after the Pirates took their final lead at 3-2.
The Cardinals scored their third and fourth goals over a 48-second period with a free kick from Flores and a goal from junior Josh White at 23:05 and 22:17, respectively.
Flores netted a critical insurance goal with 8:01 remaining in regulation.
“He did what Alex does,” Harmon said. “He’s been massive for us all year. Even all day in class, he was telling me that he was ready. (He) doesn’t feel any pressure and he certainly proved it tonight.”
The second half proved to be nearly all Webb City, and the Cardinals celebrated their district title like they had not won one since 1999, with their fans and parents joining in on the field.
“It was a little bit of adjustment,” Harmon said. “Honestly, we knew what they were going to do, and we felt like we had a good plan. It was just a matter of finding the nuances in the game and our guys growing into it and working together on the field. The goal there before halftime boosted the confidence, and at halftime the discussion was centered around how we think we can do it.
“It was tough to go down 2-0, but I don’t think our guys were fazed in the slightest. They showed tremendous mental toughness tonight and demonstrated the ability to overcome a seemingly insurmountable deficit.”
Webb City, 13-11 overall, will now face District 5 champion Glendale (23-4) in a Class 3 state quarterfinal match Saturday, Nov. 12.
“I’m extremely proud of these boys,” Harmon said. “They set this goal at the start of the season for themselves and worked every day for the last four months extremely hard to make it happen. They earned it.”
The Falcons enter the quarters having won 19 of their last 20 matches, and they are coming off a third-place finish last season in Class 3.
