By Anvil Welch

awelch@joplinglobe.com

The Webb City High School boys basketball team hopes to remain in an improving mode tonight against visiting Springfield Central.

The task is daunting.

Central, 4-0, is ranked No. 1 in Southwest Missouri by the Springfield News-Leader.

Webb City hiked its record to 3-2 by visiting Joplin for a 59-53 victory on Friday night.

“They (the Bulldogs) will be the quickest team we’ll play all season,” Cardinal coach David Sherer said on Saturday night. “They have several players who can really shoot the ball. (Johnathan) Gray is one of the top guards in Southwest Missouri.”

The independent Bulldogs, former members of the Ozark Conference, are coached by former Drury University basketball standout Eddie Thomas.

Central, which opened its season by winning 61-41 at Kansas City Ruskin on Dec. 5, also has defeated Ozark (88-78), Rolla (78-57) and Bolivar (79-63).

“That’s an impressive win at Ozark (then ranked No. 1),” Sherer said. “They wore down Ozark.”

Thomas guided Central to 21 wins in 2008-09. Three senior starters return from that edition in the 5-foot-9 Gray, 5-10 Jerome Small and 6-4, 210-pound Thomas Chadwick.

Gray averaged 16.2 points last season. Chadwick, who averaged 12.6 points on 67 percent shooting from the field, added five rebounds. Small paced the team in assists.

Gray and Small also combined for 106 steals in 2008-09.

Tony Fewell, a 6-3 senior, and 6-3 junior Nathan Wood could complete the starters.

“They make the extra pass,” Sherer said. “They push the ball up the floor. They get to the free-throw line a lot. They’re team-orientated. They utilize a man-to-man on defense.