BY JASON PEAKE
Durand Henderson was all smiles following the final regular-season contest of his prep football career.
For Henderson, it was a Senior Night to remember.
On the night he and his classmates were recognized, Henderson ran for three touchdowns as Webb City earned a convincing 55-14 victory over Nixa on Friday in the Central Ozark Conference finale at Cardinal Stadium.
"This one means a lot," Henderson said. "It's pretty special playing for Webb City. You're not just playing for yourself, you're playing for your brothers next to you. That's what makes playing for Webb City so special.
"Before the game, the seniors talked about what makes us Webb City," Henderson added. "We wanted to play together and play unselfishly, and I think we all played really well tonight."
Ranked first in Class 4 by the Missouri Media, Webb City hiked its record to 9-0, securing an outright COC championship and officially locking up the top seed in Class 4 District 6.
The team's 21 seniors were recognized before kickoff, and the Cardinals had a commanding 35-7 lead by halftime.
"It was a great night for our seniors," Webb City coach John Roderique said. "One of our coaches talked to our seniors before the game and told them that they'd remember Senior Night forever. It certainly was a memorable night for them."
Webb City compiled 454 yards of total offense, with 320 on the ground and 134 through the air.
"I thought our guys up front on the offensive side really controlled the game," Roderique said. "We did a lot of nice things."
Sophomore Devrin Weathers ran for 104 yards on five carries with two touchdowns, while Henderson added 68 rushing yards. Senior quarterback Cade Beason completed 9-of-12 passes for 134 yards, with classmate Alex Gaskill hauling in four passes for 60 yards.
Nixa (3-6) recorded 278 yards, 157 rushing and 121 passing. Sean Sample ran for 150 yards on 17 carries.
The Cardinals scored 21 unanswered points in a dominant first quarter.
Webb City went 65 yards on six plays on the opening drive, capped by Beason's 15-yard touchdown pass to Gaskill.
Nixa went three-and-out on its first series, and Webb City'sWeathers returned the punt 93 yards to the house, dodging a defender immediately after the catch before sprinting past the defense.
The Eagles fumbled on their next series, with Brayden Bond recovering. Six plays later, Henderson charged into the end zone from 2 yards out to give the Cardinals a 21-point
advantage.
"We got out on them quick, and we used some big plays on offense," Roderique said. "It was a good start, and we ran with that momentum early."
Next, a 59-yard touchdown run by Weathers finished off a fourplay, 87-yard drive, giving the hosts a 28-0 lead in the second quarter. Nixa got on the board when Sample broke free for a 64-yard touchdown run, but Henderson's 12-yard scamper on the next series made it 35-7.
The Cardinals recovered two Nixa fumbles in the third period before putting the game out of reach. A 9-yard touchdown scamper by Weathers and a 5-yard score by Henderson gave the Cardinals a 48-7 advantage entering the final frame. The two teams traded late scores for the final margin, as senior Kane Parks scored on a 7-yard run for the Cardinals and Nixa's Reid Potts found his way into the end zone on a 1-yard quarterback keeper in the final seconds.
With a perfect regular season complete, Webb City will host a district clash next Friday, with McDonald County (3-6) the likely opponent.
"With the regular season we've had, we're right where we want to be," Henderson said.
Joplin Globe 10/20/2018 (Used by permission)