By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Webb City coach Nick Harmon hopes the Cardinals’ district championship loss and a bid for a second-straight trip to the Class 3 quarterfinals last season, can be a learning experience for his team heading into 2024.
The Cardinals, who finished the 2023 season with a 12-9 overall record and 4-5 in the Central Ozark Conference, were the top seed in the Class 3 District 6 Tournament but fell to third-seeded Springfield Central 2-1 in the championship.
“I think overall we had a solid district tournament performance with an unfortunate ending,” said Harmon, who enters his eighth season as the Cardinals’ head coach. “The postseason can be unpredictable and anything can happen on any given day – which makes it exciting.
“Ultimately, we couldn’t finish our chances in that game and Central deservedly won the title. I hope the returning players can learn from our defeat and let that drive them to come back even stronger this season.”
The Cardinals return a large, veteran group of upperclassmen on the varsity roster that includes:
Kaulden Hood, senior forward – Scored 13 goals with 7 assists, earned Class 3 All-Region 3 and Class 3 All-District 6 first-team honors; Ryan White, senior midfielder – 3 goals, 1 assist; Daniel Aguilar, senior defender; Kade Weston, senior goalkeeper – recorded 4 shutouts, 63 saves, and a 1.552 goals-against average; Zander Powers, senior midfielder – 2 assists; A.J. Pease, senior defender; Diego Aldrete, junior defender – 5 assists; Luis Puerto, junior midfielder/forward – 3 goals, 1 assist; and Hudson Spikereit, junior midfielder – 5 goals, 5 assists, Class 3 All-District 6 honorable mention selection.
“We are a talented squad and an experienced one,” Harmon said. “Despite graduating five starters in 2023, we return a solid group of experienced juniors and seniors at the varsity level in 2024. Many of our guys have grown up playing together at the youth level, so the camaraderie is strong with this squad.”
Harmon said the preseason has been exciting with “a number of players who have primarily played JV in the past who we feel are ready to make the leap to varsity.”
That includes a freshman class with a lot of potential.
“The competition for minutes at the varsity level will be tough, so we’re excited to see the guys battle for minutes,” Harmon said.
“We are a competitive team and very tough to play. Our returning players should be filled with confidence and belief that we can beat the best teams in our region. Additionally, we should never underestimate an opponent or look beyond what’s in front of us. Our focus should always be giving everything physically and mentally to the task at hand.”
Webb City will have some big shoes to fill with the graduation of defender Trevor Peterson (Class 3 All-District 6 first team), midfielder Jadon Brisco (1 assist; Class 3 All-Region 3, Class 3 All-District 6 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference second team), midfielder Luis Gallardo (6 goals, 12 assists; Class 3 All-Region 3, Class 3 All-District 6 Offensive Player of the Year/first team, All-Central Ozark Conference first team), forward Josh White (14 goals, 3 assists; Class 3 All-Region 3, Class 3 All-District 6 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference first team) and forward Joseph Wermuth (3 goals, 4 assists; Class 3 All-District 6 first team).
“The seniors who graduated in 2023 were true leaders on and off the field,” Harmon said. “Many of them played at the varsity level for three or four seasons and started when they were young. They learned from some tough games early on in their high school careers, so they brought a lot of knowledge and confidence to the squad.
“That being said, our seniors returning this season bring those same attributes, so we’re confident that they will step in and lead well.”
The Cardinals will participate in a jamboree at Carthage with Carl Junction and College Heights on Aug. 26 before opening the regular season at home hosting the Webb City Shootout on Aug. 30-31.
“We enter the first year of a restructured Central Ozarks Conference,” Harmon said. “The COC has become even more competitive with the exit of teams like Carl Junction and Branson, and the addition of teams like Glendale and Kickapoo. We are excited to play in the most competitive conference in our region and prove that we belong there.
“Our keys to success will be to focus on what’s in front of us every day, whether that be a team outing, a practice or a game; to give everything physically and mentally in training, and to play without fear or arrogance regardless of who our opponent is. Our team needs to realize that we play in a tough conference for a reason – because we are a tough team to play. We’ve earned the right to be confident in our abilities as a team, but we need to be humble about how we train, prepare and play.”
