The first nine and half minutes of the Class 5 District 7 Championship game was all Carthage as they bolted out to a 14-0 lead. Offensively the Cardinals had three possessions and not a single first down.  As they punted the ball away for the third time, Carthage developed a bad case of fumbleitis and the next eight minutes was all Webb City.  

Dropping the punt, Mason Williams pounced on the loose ball at the Tiger 30 yard line.  Five plays later Isaiah Tela scored the first Cardinal touchdown and closed the gap to 14-7.  

On the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers coughed up the ball again, this time Karsen Myers came out of the pile with the turnover setting up the offense at the Tiger 24 yard line.  Only needing five plays once again, this time Jackson Lucas went to the air and found Cohen Epler over the middle at the goal line for a 21 yard touchdown pass.  A new ballgame now with the game all tied at 14.

The next kickoff bounced on the Mercy turf and caromed off of a Tiger and Gauge Heilbrun fell on the third consecutive fumble putting the offense back on the field at the same 24 yard line.  Taking an extra play, it was on play number six when Jackson Lucas finished the last seven yards and with a Jared Castro kick the Cardinals had stormed back to take a 21-14 lead.

The Tigers were able to score just in front of the half time break and after 24 minutes both teams headed to the locker room with both positives and negatives to discuss.  A district championship was waiting in the balance.  

Winning the pre game coin toss, the Cardinals had deferred to the second half and would get the ball first to open the half.  Wasting no time, Jackson Lucas broke off a 48 yard touchdown run putting the Cardinals back on top 28-21 less than two minutes into the half.  

The defense surrendered a first down to the Tigers, but on third and one, Brady Belcher took down the Carthage quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for a four yard loss and forced them to punt with the ball settling at the Cardinal 29 yard line.

This time the offense methodically worked the ball down the field on a 10 play, 5 minute scoring drive.  Picking up small chunks of yards and two first downs, Lucas then broke off back to back twenty yard runs, the last of which put the Cardinals ahead by two scores, 35-21.

The kick receiving woes continued for the Tigers as the next kick bounced around the turf before the Tigers finally gathered it at their own six yard line.  Picking up two first downs, the Tigers were now faced with fourth and four at the own 39 yard line and the decision was made to go for it.  As the fourth quarter began a middle screen pass was the chosen play call but Gavin Stodghill sniffed it out and put the Tiger receiver down after a yard gain and forced the turnover on downs.  

Another time killing 12 play touchdown drive melted seven and half minutes off the clock.  Slade Hurd took an inside hand off on a counter play and found the left side of the field wide open and stepped into the endzone, putting the Cardinals up 42-21 and only four and half minutes away from a district title.

The Tigers went to the air scoring quickly, cutting the lead to 42-28 and after a successful onside kick was driving once again.  Mason Williams put an end to the drive, intercepting a Tiger pass.  One last chance from the Tigers also ended in a turnover when Jackson Dodson picked off a tipped pass at the goal line as time expired.  

For the 24th time in the last 25 years, the Cardinals had claimed a district title.  The third in the last four seasons at the expense of the Tigers.

The time of possession was all Webb City as they held the ball for 32 minutes compared to only 16 for Carthage.

Jackson Lucas ran for 178 yards on 30 attempts, scoring three times.  Isaiah Tela added 56 yards and Slade Hurd ran for 25 yards with each breaking the goal line once.  

The defense held the Tiger to only 103 yards rushing.  Finding some success through the air, the Tigers had 261 yards passing but the Cardinals came away with two interceptions.   Coming up with a total of five turn overs, they also forced the Tigers to punt three times.

Webb City will host a quarterfinal contest next Friday evening as Platte County comes to town.  Kickoff scheduled for 7:00