Mustangs' Season Ends At Webb City

RICK PECK/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS McDonald County running back Oakley Roessler (8) runs for some of his 106 yards before Webb City's Kade Hicks (12) makes a stop during the Cardinals 55-13 win on Oct. 26 at Webb City High School.
RICK PECK/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS McDonald County running back Oakley Roessler (8) runs for some of his 106 yards before Webb City's Kade Hicks (12) makes a stop during the Cardinals 55-13 win on Oct. 26 at Webb City High School.

McDonald County held high-powered Webb City to 381 total yards in the Mustangs' first-round Missouri Class 4, District 6, game.

But the Cardinals took advantage of great field position throughout the game to claim a 55-13 win on Oct. 26 at Webb City High School.

"Obviously, Webb City is a very good team," said coach Kellen Hoover. "They are perennially in the state championship conversation and this year is no different. They have their program to a place where we want ours to get eventually. Our kids played hard. We battled and never quit. At no time did I see the fight go out of our kids -- until the last whistle, they were still trying to get that next first down that would lead to the next touchdown. That was good to see and that says a lot about our kids."

Webb City forced McDonald County to punt on the Mustangs' first series, taking over at its own 49-yard line.

The Cardinals took just two plays, including a 43-yard touchdown pass from Cade Beason to Devrin Weathers with 9:43 left in the first quarter, to get on the scoreboard. Cameron Clark added the first of his seven extra points to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead.

But McDonald County shocked Webb City on the Mustangs' ensuing possession. McDonald County started on its own 35-yard line after Clark's kickoff went out of bounds and went 65 yards in 15 plays to cut the lead to 7-6 with 3:54 left in the first quarter.

Senior running back Oakley Roessler and junior quarterback Ben Mora keyed the drive. Roessler carried eight times for 34 yards, while Mora carried three times for 22 yards and completed his one pass attempt on the drive to Marshall Foreman for eight yards.

McDonald County converted two fourth-down attempts along the way. Roessler gained a yard on fourth and inches at the Webb City 14 and Mora went for three on fourth and two from the five. Roessler capped the drive with a one-yard run on the Mustangs' 15th play of the drive.

"Our offensive line played well all night and so did Oakley," Hoover said. "I thought, offensively, we did a lot of really good things against a really good defense. They are not giving up many points at all this year and we drove the ball down the field and punched it in against their first team defense. That was good to see from our kids at a point where they could have cashed it in because Webb City had stuffed us on our first possession and then busted a big play for a quick touchdown. Our kids came out and put a really good drive together and it was good to see us execute that well against that level of a defense."

Webb City answered by scoring touchdowns on five of its next six possessions to take a 41-6 lead at halftime.

"You can't simulate their speed in practice," Hoover said. "You would have to put 12 or 13 guys out there to practice against their speed. We way they get their reads and fill gaps against our offense -- you just can't practice against it. Their skill people on offense have speed we don't ever see during the regular season."

The Cardinals made it 48-6 on their first play from scrimmage in the second half, a 61-yard run by Weathers before Roessler capped a 48-yard drive with a 30-yard touchdown with 1:33 left in the third quarter. Roessler's touchdown was set up by a Mora to Boston Dowd pass that was good for 23 yards.

Webb City added a touchdown with less than six minutes to go to cap a 14-play, 73-yard drive.

Roessler finished with 106 yards on 25 carries, while Mora had 22 yards on seven carries. Mora added 61 yards through the air, completing seven of 14 passes. Foreman caught three passes for 26 yards. Dowd had two receptions for 51 yards.

Durand Henderson led the Webb City ground attack, carrying eight times for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Beason completed five of five attempts for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

Michael Williams led the McDonald County defensive charts with 13 tackles. Jack Teague, Junior Eliam and Micah Burkholder had 10 each.

McDonald County finished the year with a 3-7 record, while Webb City takes its 10-0 record into a district semifinal contest against Carl Junction on Nov. 2 at Webb City High School.

Sports on 11/01/2018