By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
It’s not always how you start, but how you finish.
Last year saw Webb City grind through inexperience and injuries to advance to the Class 3 – District 12 championship, a game the Lady Cardinals lost in overtime to rival Carl Junction.
But, Nick Harmon returns 11 starters and 14 letterwinners from that group, creating a buzz around the program as big as the expectations.
Much of which is fueled by the heart-breaking loss to end last season.
“It was a tough loss for sure,” said Harmon. “It was a good game and it probably could have gone either way. Obviously, we would have liked to win and advance, but we didn’t. We’re not going to dwell on the past. Our focus is on improving as much as we can as a team and being the best that we can be this season.”
Webb City will be the most experienced team in the Ozarks in terms of returning starters.
Junior Mileah Metcalf returns after an All-COC season. Classmate Milea Blair will join her to form one of the top scoring duos in the area.
Metcalf finished with 12 goals and a pair of assists last year. Blair added seven goals and six assists.
CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO ALL THE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
“We need to score goals to win, so clearly Mileah will be a big part of our offense,” said Harmon. “She is a handful for defenders because she literally does not stop running. Defenders feel her presence from the second the whistle blows till the 80th minute of the game.
“Milea was our second leading scorer last season. She has great ball control and can finish anywhere in and around the box. I think she’s talented enough to challenge Metcalf for the leading scorer title this season.”
Junior Haven Stanley and Sophomore Anea Bemo are also expected to contribute offensively.
“Haven has a wicked shot,” said Harmon. “She scored several set pieces last year. Any time she takes a shot you feel like it has a chance to go in.
“I expect Anea to also make quite a bit of noise this season. She is easily the fastest player on our team and has great technique. She has been playing in a lot of high-level tournaments and leagues in the off season so I’m excited to see what she can bring.”
Senior Shyla Levens will lead the defensive unit that includes sophomore GK Delaney Duke and classmate Austyn Mickey. As a unit they posted four shutouts.
“Shyla will be our lone senior on the back line this year,” said Harmon. “She has quite a bit of experience, having been a starter on the 2018 district champion team as a sophomore. She has a lot of pace and tackles harder than any female high school player I have ever seen.”
Harmon is again excited about his incoming freshman class.
“Just as we had the past two seasons, we have an exciting freshman class,” said Harmon. “Several have played club ball growing up and have the tools we look for in freshman to play at the next level. We’ll see how the first couple weeks of practice go, but I anticipate a few freshmen being talented enough to challenge our returning starters and letterwinners for spots.”
In the history of Webb City Soccer, the program has had just one season over .500. That was the 2018 run that saw the group claim its lone district championship.
That is all on the verge of changing as Webb City prepares for a group that has grown up playing more soccer and investing in the foundation built by previous graduating classes.
Harmon believes the popularity of soccer is growing in the community, something that could help the program continue to reach new heights moving forward.
“More kids playing club soccer certainly makes our squad more competitive,” said Harmon. “We have had a number of girls playing year-round through the off season on various teams. It’s going to make us stronger because the competition for playing time will be much more difficult this year.
“We have to take it one day at a time and just focus on getting better each day as a team. We can’t let our postseason ambitions get in the way of the work that we need to put in each day. Last year, mental mistakes under pressure were our downfall. Developing mental toughness will be a point of emphasis for us this year.”
Webb City will open the 2020 season on March 26 at Hillcrest. The Lady Cardinals will play their home opener the following day against McDonald County.
