By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
In Jason Horn’s seven seasons at Webb City, the Cardinals have never been below .500, won 16 or more games five times and have been one of the most explosive offenses in the Ozarks.
Webb City returns three starters for a unit that could prove to be one of Horn’s best defensive units.
“This might be the quickest group 1-8 I’ve had the opportunity to coach but on the flip side we don’t have a lot of size so I think for us to be successful we will need to be very aggressive defensively,” said Horn.
Leading the way this winter will be the COC’s most experienced backcourt with senior Barron Duda and juniors Eli Pace and Holton Keith.
Duda is a 6-foot-3 guard who was an All-COC and All-District selection last year, averaging 13.8 points and 6.1 rebounds while also knocking down 54 3’s. Pace and Keith ran the show for Webb City last year, with Pace averaging 6.5 points, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals, while Keith put up 10.5 points, four assists and 1.7 steals.
All three can play on or off the ball and should see another uptick in production.
“Barron had a solid junior season,” said Horn. “Offensively he’s an explosive scorer with the ability to score at all three levels and play with his back to the basket.
“I think Holton is one of the top guards in Southwest Missouri. He has the ability to play both guard positions. His quickness and length make him a tough matchup for opposing defenders. He’s a tremendous playmaker and our best on ball defender. Eli did a great job running the point guard position for us last season. He has good size for the position and he has great court vision. He’s very savvy with the basketball and he has the ability to score the ball at all three levels.”
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The Cardinals also feature an athletic crop of newcomers that should play pivotal roles.
Football standouts Omari Jackson, Joseph Degraffenreid, Gabe Johnson and Slade Hurd should all make immediate contributions, especially defensively.
Jackson is a senior running back, Degraffenreid (6-3) and Hurd (6-1), a junior and sophomore respectively, see time at receiver and Johnson is one of the best sophomore prospects in the Ozarks.
“Omari’s a very quick athletic guard who plays the game with toughness and a lot of energy,” said Horn. “He uses his quickness defensively to create opportunities for our team offensively. Joseph has the potential to be one of the better shooters from 3 on our team. He has a good mix of size athleticism that will help him guard multiple positions.
“Gabe is a quick playmaking guard who gives us added depth in the back court. He has the ability to play both guard positions. Slade gives us another threat from the perimeter. He has a great mid-range game and his quickness and athleticism will allow him to guard multiple positions.”
Junior Joel Hendrix and sophomore Trae Turner are also expected to see time. Hendrix is a 6-foot-4 big that can also step out and make shots. Turner – the younger brother of former All-COC performer Kaden Turner – is one of the best athletes in the program and a natural scorer.
The Cardinals will again have a late start as they anticipate yet another deep postseason run in football, but this team is seeking a little bit of history for themselves. Webb City Basketball hasn’t had a senior class go without a district championship in their four years in two decades. The Cards have racked up 53 wins in the last three seasons but are still waiting to get back to the state playoffs.
This is a team that beat multiple district champions last year, including state-ranked Jefferson City despite losing their two returning scoring leaders to injury prior to the season starting.
With no shortage of experience, the next step is for Webb City to win a district championship.
“This group gained valuable experience in some big games last year and I think they understand for us to compete for a conference and district we have to become consistent in our habits and how we approach each game,” said Horn. “If we can improve our shot selection and execution from an offensive standpoint and cut down on unnecessary fouls defensively, I think we have a chance to compete for the conference and district titles.”
Webb City will join McDonald County and Neosho for a jamboree at Neosho before opening the 2023-24 regular season on Dec. 5 vs. Monett.
