By Anvil Welch

awelch@joplinglobe.com

Willard has opened the prep football season in somewhat unusual fashion.

“We’re a decent team,” Tiger coach Phil Wickwar said Thursday. “We’re moving the ball a bit. We’ve had nearly 800 yards of offense in our first two games. It’s encouraging because we’ve been playing pretty well.

“We haven’t played well enough, though,” Wickwar said. “We’ve been a bridesmaid. There is no consolation prize (for losing).”

Willard visits Webb City for its Central Ozark Conference Large Division opener at 7 tonight at Cardinal Stadium.

Willard (0-2, 0-1) has lost 31-20 to visiting Rolla, from the Ozark Conference, and 29-26 last week at Ozark in the COC.

Webb City, meanwhile, is ranked third in Class 4 and is savoring narrow wins against Harrisonville and Arkansas Class 7A Rogers.

“We lost two fumbles and had four holding penalties against Rolla,” Wickwar said. “Ozark (opening its new stadium before an estimated 5,000) executed a two-minute drive — we dropped an interception — to score with 23 seconds left.

“We have a mature group and we want to finish strong,” Wickwar said. “These are great measuring games (Carthage visits Willard next week).”

Webb City coach John Roderique and his staff naturally have been emphasizing the evils of looking past the Tigers.

“Coach Wickwar and his staff have done an outstanding job,” Roderique said. “They (the Tigers) opened last season with five wins before settling for a 6-4 record (after 2-8 in 2006).

“They’ve played two good teams this season,” Roderique said. “They could have won that first game except for the fumbles and mistakes. They easily could have won last week.

“Willard has been able to move the ball,” Roderique said. “We believe they want to win by running the ball. But they will throw the ball. Their quarterback, (junior) Marc Propst, is a good athlete.

“Willard is big and physical,” Roderique said. “They also have some speedy guys.”