By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
The question, aimed at Webb City High School girls basketball coach Brad Shorter, came late in the postgame press conference on Saturday.
Any thoughts of a repeat?
“We’re going to enjoy this one (Webb City’s first title by beating Cape Girardeau Notre Dame 60-53 in Mizzou Arena at Columbia). We’ll savor it for a while,” Shorter said. “Also, I’m pretty sure we’ll be the smallest Class 5 team in the state next season.”
The Cardinals (30-1), who were second last season and losers to eventual champion Bolivar in a 2007-08 quarterfinal, won this season with just one senior — 5-foot-6 Summer Greek.
“Summer came off the bench for us and played an extremely important role,” Shorter said on Sunday. “She gave teammates a breather and played quality ball. We expected her to know all the positions on the floor and she did.”
Notes on the game
Those turnovers committed by Notre Dame — the Bulldogs led 19-8 in that category — translated into 24 points for Webb City.
“I was surprised we had seven in the first half,” Shorter said. “Then, in the second half, we commit only one.”
The Cardinals also were stingy with turnovers in the semifinals. They committed only seven to 18 by Kansas City O’Hara.
Amazing is the only way to describe the fast-break by the Cardinals — capped by Hailey Roderique’s layup — for a 53-46 advantage with 1:48 remaining in the game.
Kyndal Clark picked up the assist with Sharenda Campbell starting the swift break.
Father knows best
A reporter asked Roderique what kind of advice did dad (John, of course, is the Cardinals’ head football coach) offer before the championship.
“Play like it’s just another game,” Hailey said was the gist of the message.
Now, that isn’t very original, but who can argue with the contributions from the junior: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals (team-leading numbers).
Shorter pointed out that several of the Webb City players were coached as early as second grade by Rick Prigg (former Four Seasons Sports Complex proprietor) and John Roderique.
“It’s obvious those guys did a lot of work,” Shorter said.
That tadpole combo
How about those junior guards for the Cardinals — 5-5 Breanna Baker and the 5-6 Campbell?
Baker hit all seven shots from the field in scoring 14 points. Campbell, who didn’t have a turnover, paced the team in assists (6) and blocked two shots.
Another sharp shooter
The Cardinals were just 3 of 10 from 3 ... thanks to 5-9 junior Clark’s 3 of 6.
Clark, who tallied 11, also had three steals and two blocked shots to equal Campbell and 6-1 junior Kaitlin Jaeger.
All-stater Jaeger finished with 13 points.
All the stars lined up?
Shorter recalled that Lockwood, during his senior season in basketball, won a title at 30-1 for Dennis Cornish (current principal at Lockwood) to match the Webb City record.
Continued Shorter: “Our loss this season was in a holiday tournament (at the KTXR Classic in Springfield). Our loss at Lockwood came in a holiday tournament.
“The championship for Coach Cornish came on his birthday on a Saturday. Coach (a member of the MSHSAA Board of Directors) presented us with our medals on Saturday.
“Coach Cornish’s son Landon is an assistant coach for Class 5 boys champion Hillcrest,” Shorter said. “He was on our Lockwood bench as waterboy.
“Coach Cornish was 34 when Lockwood won state. I’m 34 (hitting that on Feb. 28).
“All the stars were lined up,” Shorter said.
“Most importantly, the kids (Webb City) were focused and ready to play,” Shorter said with a laugh.
