By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
Pressure, visible but impossible to measure, is vastly different this season for the Webb City High School girls basketball team.
The 2008-09 Cardinals, making their first semifinal appearance, handed Dexter its first loss before losing 81-75 to Platte County in the MSHSAA Class 4 championship game in Mizzou Arena at Columbia.
Webb City is ranked No. 1 this season by the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association entering today’s semifinals at the University of Missouri.
Sixth-ranked Kansas City O’Hara (23-6), which ousted Kansas City Staley in overtime in the quarterfinals, challenges Webb City (28-1) at 5 p.m.
The 3:20 semifinal is second-ranked Cape Girardeau Notre Dame (25-4) vs. No. 8 O’Fallon St. Dominic (25-3).
The Class 4 championship will be decided at 2:50 p.m. on Saturday. The third-place contest is set for 11:30 a.m.
Cardinal coach Brad Shorter understands the pressure. Webb City is the hunted rather than the hunter.
“It’s been that way all season,” Shorter said on Thursday. “We’ve had the target on our backs. The girls have accepted it. They’ve done a nice job dealing with it.”
Shorter said there were several things to like about Mary Haggerty-coached O’Hara.
“They are quick and athletic with tremendous size,” Shorter said of the Celtics. “They have balanced scoring. Our No.1 concern is their rebounding. They really crash the boards. Our No. 1 focus, if we are to have a shot at winning, is to do a good job on the boards.
“They play a tough schedule during the regular season.” Shorter said. “They match up well against us. We need to really pressure the ball.”
Said Haggerty: “Webb City has an edge in state experience. But we’re excited about the opportunity and we believe it will be a tough game for both teams.
“I love our team because it’s shown it can win in various ways,” Haggerty said. “They can adjust extremely well. They have good basketball intelligence. Several of the kids have played together a long time.
“The last half of the season the team really has taken pride in its defense,” Haggerty said. “We’ve stressed it all season.”
O’Hara starts two 6-foot-2 post players in senior Hailey Houser, who’s signed with Missouri-Kansas City, and junior Victoria Hurtt.
Completing the probable starters are seniors — 5-7 Ashley Clark, 5-9 Rockhurst University-bound Alex Smith and 5-6 Kameron Randle.
Early replacements, Haggerty said, could be 5-10 senior Breanna Ransburg, 5-8 junior Lindsey Hanaway and 5-7 junior Janell Jordan.
The starting post players are averaging more than 10 rebounds apiece. Smith and Houser, with respective scoring averages of 14.5 and 13.5, lead four Celtics in double figures.
Said Shorter: “Houser could be their best player. But Randle and Smith do so many things for them. Randle is a good shooter from the outside. Smith can post up as well as effectively score from the outside.”
Shorter said the Cardinals probably will utilize 10 players against O’Hara.
Probable starters are the usual all-junior alignment of 5-5 Breanna Baker, 5-6 Sharenda Campbell, 5-9 Kyndal Clark, 5-10 Hailey Roderique and 6-1 Kaitlin Jaeger.
Coming off the bench, Shorter said, will be 5-6 senior Summer Greek, 5-7 junior Sammy Stroud, 5-6 junior Jordyn Williams, 5-9 sophomore Lexie Gardner and 5-6 Laney Kneib.
Notes: Completing the tourney roster for Webb City, which has won 18 games in a row, will be 5-0 junior Alyssa Gary, 5-2 sophomore Gabbie Gannaway and 5-5 sophomore Kambrey Cooper (who’s nursing a twisted ankle). ... Shorter’s assistants are Walter Resa, Kathy Harris and Elaine Shewmake. ... Haggerty, a graduate of O’Hara and Rockhurst U., is in her ninth season as the Celtics’ head coach. Her coach for two years at Rockhurst was current Missouri Southern coach Maryann Mitts. ... O’Hara lost in the quarterfinals in 2003 and lost the past three seasons in a district championship game.
