By Anvil Welch

awelch@joplinglobe.com

KEARNEY, Mo. — The Webb City faithful just call him “Boo.”

Their screams become louder and longer depending on how meaningful a play Boo makes.

Well, Boo earned a “Booooooooooooooooooooooooooo” on Saturday.

That’s because Marc “Boo” Rodgers, a junior receiver-free safety, shocked Kearney with a frightful number of big plays in a Class 4 semifinal of the MSHSAA football playoffs.

Mix in some unreal defense, enough offense and coolness under pressure and Webb City, winning 14-7 in the clash of 13-0 teams, is returning to the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis in search of its eighth state championship.

Jefferson City Helias (13-1), which eliminated St. Louis Gateway 58-19 in the other semifinal, and Webb City will meet at 3:15 p.m, next Saturday.

Kearney, which ousted the Cardinals at this juncture in 2002 and 2003, and Webb City entered their latest semifinal showdown ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in Class 4.

“It was a great game for our defense,” Webb City coach John Roderique said. “It especially played well in the second half. It was an outstanding game. ... hard to describe.

“We were elated when we went into overtime trailing just 7-0,” Roderique said. “We’d lost three of five fumbles. We’d had penalties. We killed ourselves on offense. We could have been down 33-0.”

Rodgers stymied the Bulldogs by knifing in to block two field goal attempts. returned a punt to set up the first Webb City touchdown and intercepted a pass on Kearney’s final play of the game.

The 6-foot, 165-pound Rodgers insisted the blocked field goal attempts were a first for him.

“The quarterback overthrew the ball and I was there to get it,” he said of the interception.

“We had to prepare a lot,” he said of the test. “Everyone was saying they (the Bulldogs) were the best team in the state. We had to prove people wrong.