Class 4 Show Me-Bowl: The Two Best Teams in the State of Missouri Clash

Though they’ve never met on the field of combat, Webb City’s coach John Roderique and MICDS’ Josh Smith are pretty good friends. They serve together on a state-wide coaches committee. Last year, the 2010 Cardinals, led by 28 seniors practiced before the Show-Me Bowl on the Rams’ artificial turf.

This time its the immovable object versus the irresistible force. Both enter the Edward Jones Dome for the 4:15 p.m. Class 4 Show-Me Bowl title game Friday with perfect 14-0 records. Last years the Rams were a paltry 5-5.

All Show-Me Bowl games will be broadcast live on the as well as on Prepcasts.com.

Smith calls the Webb City Cardinals the “gold standard of high school football.” Indeed, they have assumed the mantle from Pete Adkins Jeff City Jays who won 71 in a row in the 1960s.

Webb City, just north of Joplin in the Southwest corner of the state, handoffs tradition from class to class. Roderique came to Webb City in 1997. Grant Wistrom, of Nebraska and the St. Louis Rams graduated Webb City in 1993. This town, with just one daily newspaper, has produced offensive guard Parker Graham of Oklahoma State; Andrew Schaul, former outstanding defensive end at Kansas State and Nebraska’s Tracy Wistrom, younger brother of Grant.

“When it was August and someone would have said we’d be back in the Dome, I wouldn’t have believed it,” said Roderique, who doubles as head coach and athletic director.

The Cardinals run a Veer two-back offense. Their timing on plays is impeccable. “I’ve seen a lot of it on film,” said Smith. “I could run JV coaches ragged, making them go scout teams like Webb City, but I don’t,” said Smith.

The Cardinals, winners of nine previous state titles (they smothered Warsaw 56-7 for last year’s title) can create their own highlight film.

The Cardinals almost missed the Show Me Bowl date this year. After beating highly-touted Springfield Hillcrest in the quarterfinals, they had to score on one yard run on the last play of the game to preserve the semifinal win over Savannah 27-24. Down at half, the Cardinals could have forced overtime with a tying field goal in regulation play. “The wind was blowing hard, we decided to go for the win, not the tie,” said Roderique.

Talented quarterback Breckin Williams leads the offense. He’s completed 73 of 137 pass attempts for 1,432 yards and 15 TDs. Phoenix Johnson has rushed for 1,728 yards and 31 TDs. Jamison Cady has rushed for 1,095 yards and 13 TDs. The Cardinals feature two receivers, senior Jarvis Jones (30 catches for 712 yards and 7 TDs) and junior Kohl Slaughter (22 for 343 and 4 TDs.).

The defense is led by a two-headed linebacker monsters, juniors Nate Brown, 85 tackles and Daylon Humphrey 78 tackles.

Webb has won six state titles of recent, including 1997, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2008 and 2010. They were runners-up in 2004.

“They (MICDS) runs a multiple offense. They have a very good quarterback and lots of fine receivers. Obviously, Scherer is their top guy. They are big and strong and fast and we’ve got our work cut out,” said Roderique.

Rams Get Ready to Rumble

The Rams hope to unleash the imaginative offensive arsenal, directed by coordinator Corey Nesslage and assistant Brian Coco.

That duo mixed in a series of dazzling plays to smother host Farmington 48-14 in the semifinals last week.

“They are tough-hard nosed kids. They run that Veer really well,” said Smith. “We’ll have to sharpen our tools and make sure our defense fits what they will try and do,” said the Rams head coach. “We never see the Veer (offense) so we have plenty of preparation to do,” he said. “They are simply the best team in Class 4 the last 10 years,” said the coach.

No MICDS team has gone 15-0 in school history in one season. The Rams will unleash Michael Scherer one last time. The 6-foot-3, 230 pound back has 27 TDs and 166 points in 14 games. Scherer has rushed for 1,228 yards and 23 scores on the ground, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

A.J. Washington has 799 yards and 10 TDS (7.8 yards per carry). Junior Denzell Conway, an outside deep threat has 456 yards, 6 TDs and averages 8.0 yards per carry.

Thomas Militello, who had his first big coming out party his sophomore years in a convincing win over John Burroughs is a 69 percent passer; with 2,985 yards, 39 TDs and just 8 interceptions.

Militello loves to throw to Jack Howell, Clayton Buddemeyer, Foster Bundy, Washington or Scherer. The spread offense is hard to stop. Howell,  a senior has 62 catches for 993 yards, 18 TDs, good for 16.3 yards per catch. Bundy has 882 yards, 13 TDs and 19.2 yards per catch. Bundy will handle the extra point and field goal kicking chores.