By Anvil Welch

awelch@joplinglobe.com

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Webb City, lifted by two touchdown-producing interceptions in the third period, pulled away in the second half for a 42-20 victory against Bolivar in a MSHSAA Class 4 football quarterfinal on Saturday.

Junior linebackers Scott Roderique and Nathan Ervin had the thefts that allowed the Cardinals to expand a 13-6 halftime lead on the natural grass of Plaster Stadium at Southwest Baptist University before an estimated 5,000 fans.

Roderique’s interception, plus a face-mask penalty, on the first play of the third quarter set up a three-play, 20-yard drive that was capped by Maddy Johnson’s 5-yard scoring run.

Patrick Drake, whose 12 yards off the quarterback draw on third-and-7 preceded Johnson’s run, and Austin Daniel hooked up for the conversion pass to make it 21-6.

Ervin delivered late in the period as Bolivar was driving. His theft, returned 80 yards for the score with 18 seconds left, came on second-and-8 from the Webb City 17. Alex Easley’s conversion kick made it 28-6.

Said Webb City coach John Roderique: “Our defense played very well and those interceptions in the third quarter were its biggest plays.”

Top-ranked Webb City (13-0), winning its 28th straight and 51 of 52, will entertain Kearney (11-2) at 1:30 p.m. next Saturday in a semifinal at Cardinal Stadium.

Fifth-ranked Kearney, which lost 14-7 on its field to Webb City in a semifinal last season, hurdled visiting Harrisonville 41-0.

Sixth-ranked Bolivar, which lost 41-21 at Webb City last season in the quarters, wound up 11-2.

“We didn’t feel good about ourselves right after halftime,” John Roderique said. “Bolivar played its heart out in that first half and really got after us up front.

“We were able to take away the running game” Roderique said of the second-half success. “We wanted to get more pressure on the quarterback (junior left-hander Kolton Peavey). We talked about it at the half. We wanted him moving and running and not holding the ball so long.”

Said Ervin: “We thought we had a lot of pressure on him. We made him scramble around.”

Added Scott Roderique: “The guys up front on defense did a tremendous job against Peavey. Definitely, they played a big part.