BY JASON PEAKE
Kade Hicks will be starting under center when the Webb City Cardinals begin the 2019 season tonight at Carl Junction.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.
A 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior, Hicks was in a preseason competition for the QB1 spot with juniors Cole Gayman and Eli Goddard.
Webb City coach John Roderique is confident Hicks will handle his new duties well.
"Kade has a real good feel for our offense," Roderique said. "He understands the footwork. He does a really good job with the ball in his hands. He's quick and athletic. And he's a threat to run the football. We really have a triple threat with him at quarterback and with our the reads and two running backs."
Although the majority of his prior varsity experience comes on defense, where he earned all-conference honors at linebacker in 2018, Hicks isn't entirely new to the quarterback position. Hicks stepped in and replaced an injured Cade Beason in emergency duty in last year's game against Joplin and then started under center against Neosho.
Following a 13-1 campaign and a semifinal appearance last year, Webb City begins the 2019 season ranked No. 2 in Class 4 by the Missouri Media behind defending state champion Ladue.
While the Cardinals return a solid core, Roderique noted he's eager to see how his varsity newcomers will perform under the Friday night lights.
"It's always fun to see how the kids will play when the lights come on," said Roderique, who has led Webb City to 11 state championships. "We're really green in some spots, but our kids are showing up every day and working hard. You can sense they want to get better every day. It seems like the kids are really hungry right now."
For the Cardinals, the season- opener is here, ready or not.
"Preparation-wise, I don't know if we ever feel like we're ready for the first game," said Roderique, who is now in his 23rd season leading his alma mater. "I never feel that we
have enough time. But you expect to be better at the end of the year."
Offensively, the Cardinals will look to establish their running game with senior Terrell Kabala and junior Devrin Weathers in the backfield. On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals will attempt to keep Carl Junction's spread offense in check.
"They always do a good job over there," Roderique said of Doug Buckmaster's Bulldogs. "They're real aggressive defensively. For us, it's about limiting mistakes and limiting missed assignments. Defensively, we want to see how fundamentally sound we are."
In last year's season-opener, Webb City rolled to a 42-9 win over Carl Junction. The Cardinals then topped the Bulldogs 54-7 in the district semifinals.
This is the fourth-straight year the Cardinals open the season against the Bulldogs, who remain a district opponent.
"It's challenging," Roderique said of beginning the season with a rivalry game. "There's so many unknowns for the first game and you know you have to play well at the beginning of the season against them. There's a sense of urgency. But it's just one game and it won't break or make your season. Every year we plan to hit our stride at the end of the year, not at the beginning."
Joplin Globe 09/30/2019 (Used by permission)