By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Webb City Cardinals made great strides in 2021.
The Cardinals improved upon an 8-16 season in 2020 by finishing 12-9 overall and 2-7 in the Central Ozark Conference in 2021. In addition, they shut out all three teams they faced in Parkview’s Southwest Showdown to finish first and then advanced past the first round of the Class 3 District 6 tournament with a 4-1 win over rival Carl Junction.
“We were a very young team collectively, so our players demonstrated a tremendous amount of growth throughout the season,” said Nicholas Harmon, who enters his sixth season as the Cardinals’ head coach.
Heading into the 2022 season, Harmon says the Cardinals will miss the leadership of their recent graduates: Tristan Barroeta (midfielder), Gabriel Gallegos (forward), Hasten Hardy (defender) and Mareus Mask (forward).
Barroeta, who is now playing at William Jewell College, scored 29 goals and had 10 assists last season. He also earned all-region, and first-team all-district and all-conference honors.
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Gallegos added 6 goals and 6 assists, was a second-team all-district pick and is now playing for Crowder College.
Harmon has a ton of experience returning this fall, led by seniors Alex Flores, Connor Black, Felipe Perez and Isaac Wade.
• Alex Flores, forward – Scored 13 goals with 10 assists, while earning first-team all-district and second-team all-conference honors. “Alex was our second-leading goal scorer last season and tied as team leader in assists. Alex has worked extremely hard in the offseason on his fitness and finishing and I think he’s going to have a productive season.”
• Connor Black, goalkeeper – Recorded 5 shutouts. “Connor has been a two-year starter for the team and brings a ton of experience in the net. He has worked very hard in the offseason and made great strides in the past year.”
• Felipe Perez, midfielder – “Felipe has been a three-year varsity player and brings plenty of experience back to the midfield. He has a great mentality and will be a leader for us in the middle of the field.”
• Isaac Wade, forward – “Isaac had a breakout season last year at the varsity level and was voted by his teammates as most improved. He’s been battling some health issues in the offseason, but once healthy, he will slide back into our attacking depth.”
In addition, the Cardinals return junior forwards Joseph Wermuth (8 goals, all-district honorable mention) and Josh White (6 goals, 10 assists), and junior midfielder Luis Gallardo (10 assists, second-team all-district).
As for newcomers this fall, Harmon says the Cardinals have the largest incoming freshman class they’ve ever had – approximately 15 players.
“On top of that, our sophomore and junior classes are large as well,” Harmon said. “We have quite a few young guys with experience and several who have played at a high level. There are young guys coming in who could definitely help us at the varsity level. Having that depth is exciting because the competition for playing time will make us better down the stretch.”
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And that experience and attitude are the team’s biggest strength, Harmon said.
“We are returning a large number of players with varsity experience, and they are all hungry to work hard and win this season,” Harmon said. “We have been training as a team since mid-June with a combination of team training sessions and scrimmages against other schools.
“We play a tough schedule so there’s never going to be a ‘guaranteed win.’ We’ll have to work hard every day in training to prepare for our games and stay hungry to improve throughout the duration of the season.”
Webb City opens the season at Carl Junction on Aug. 30.
“We play a tough schedule, so there’s never going to be a ‘guaranteed win,’ ” Harmon said. “We’ll have to work hard every day in training to prepare for our games and stay hungry to improve throughout the duration of the season.
“It’s been a long time since Webb City men’s soccer has won a district title, but we certainly have the talent to get it done this year. Our district will be competitive, so we need to focus on working hard every day to get better. If we can come every day with the proper attitude and ready to work hard, then we may very well make history this season.”
