By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
There was a time last fall when the Webb City boys soccer team had lost six games in a row and it sure didn’t appear the Cardinals were on the cusp of history.
But then Webb City won nine of its next 12 games and finished off Belton 5-3 to win the program’s first district championship since 1999.
“That’s something we’ve been working toward the past several years since I’ve been here and we’ve come really close and fallen short,” said head coach Nick Harmon. “That was a huge milestone for the program and especially for the guys who have been a part of it for the past few years. We really got knocked off our game during that six-game losing streak but I was really proud of the guys to be able to pull it all back together and overcome all of those obstacles.”
Webb City graduated five seniors from last year’s team, including three starters in forward Alex Flores, goalkeeper Connor Black and forward Felipe Perez.
Flores earned first team Class 3 All-State honors, was the Co-Offensive Player of the Year on the all-region team and also picked up first-team honors in the Central Ozark Conference and District 6, where he was the Most Valuable Player. He scored 28 goals as a senior and added seven assists. Black was named to the all-region team, earned second team all-district honors and was the district keeper of the year. He totaled 118 saves and allowed 43 goals in 22 contests. Perez, an honorable mention all-district player, had three goals and one assist.
Harmon will lean on a big senior class this season to help pick up the slack. The Cardinals return five who started last year as juniors and in total will boast a senior class of around 10 players.
“Obviously those guys were a big part of our success last year and going into this season they have high expectations for themselves but also they’re going to be crucial to the team’s success this year from a leadership and an experience standpoint,” Harmon said.
Trevor Peterson returns on defense, Jadon Brisco returns on defense, Luis Gallardo returns as a midfielder and Josh White and Joseph Wermuth return as forwards. Brisco (two goals) was an all-region defender who picked up first team all-district honors and second team Central Ozark Conference honors; he was named the District 6 Defensive Player of the Year. Peterson (one assist) was named to the second team all-district squad as a defender. Gallardo (six goals, five assists) earned second team All-State honors as a midfielder as well as first team COC and all-district honors and he was also named to the all-region team. White (seven goals, four assists) earned second team all-district honors, and Wermuth had two goals and five assists.
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Senior forwards Brendan Campbell and Brayden Brockmiller also earned varsity playing time as juniors.
Webb City also returns starters Kaulden Hood (forward), Ryan White (midfielder) and Daniel Aguilar and Diego Aldrete, both defenders. Hood, a junior, had five assists and earned all district honorable mention honors. White, a junior, had two goals and three assists. Aguilar, a junior, had one assist. Aldrete, a sophomore, had one goal and eight assists.
Junior Kade Weston will take over as goalkeeper after lettering the last two years. He played in four games last year and saved three of four shots on goal.
Others returning with varsity experience include junior midfielder Zander Powers (four assists), sophomore midfielder/forward Luis Puerto (one goal), sophomore midfielder Hudson Spikereit (one goal) and junior defender A.J. Pease.
“I would say comparatively speaking in the last six seasons, this squad will be the deepest we’ve had and at every position,” Harmon said. “If you look down the depth chart there’s competition at every spot and for us that’s always a good thing to have and it’s something we haven’t always had. Our guys are going to push each other for playing time and to earn spots, to be regular starters.”
And the Cardinals are setting their sights higher than last year’s quarterfinal appearance, too, Harmon said.
“They enjoyed getting a taste of victory last year and it’s something they’ve already talked about, wanting to chase again,” he said. “They want to leave their mark, leave their legacy and see if they can make it to the Final Four and be the first team in school history to do that.”
Webb City will participate in a jamboree at Carthage with Carl Junction and College Heights on Aug. 24 before opening the regular season at home against Carl Junction on Aug. 29. The Cardinals added Springfield Catholic to the schedule and will make the trip there on Sept. 28.
Eythan Gilmore will join the staff as an assistant coach this season after coaching Webb City’s youth club the last few years. He graduated from Webb City in 2019 after playing a couple seasons under Harmon.
