Week 6: WC v. Neosho

With Neosho riding a 2 game losing streak and the Cardinals playing well this matchup didn't have quite the hype that preseason picks might have given it - the COC coaches picked Neosho to win the conference. For the first 15 minutes or so the game looked to be a bit of a snoozer.

WC came out and scored on the third play from scrimmage when Patrick Drake found Boo Rodgers deep. The Cardinal defense held and then WC scored again - Drake to Rodgers a second time. Early in the 2nd quarter WC made it 21-0 when Braxton Baker punched it in from 3 yards out.

Neosho scored next. That didn't look so bad, but when Neosho managed to score again before halftime you started to get that uneasy feeling that the tide was turning against WC who led 21-14 at the half.

The second half was ugly for WC. Lots of miscues and mistakes. Braxton Baker - who never fumbles - had one stripped and also dropped an option pitch. Patrick had a pass picked off when it was tipped. An interception by a WC corner got stripped at the 1-yard line and Neosho ended up with it. WC didn't tackle particularly well at times and on a number of occasions let a receiver get wide open.

I've got no interest in knocking the Cards, I'm just pointing out this was not a stellar performance. Had the Cards held onto the ball and finished drives the game never would have been close. One thing I have come to expect from WC teams is correcting mistakes from one week to the next. Part B of that is not beating themselves - with things like penalties and turnovers. I fully expect to see a much sharper WC squad next Friday at Branson.

All of that aside, give Neosho credit. They're big and tough. The Neosho QB - Alex Wise - slashed all over the field and forced WC to change to a 4-man front. The O-line for Neosho was big enough that in most cases they could run the ball effectively. While Webb could have iced it by taking care of the ball, Neosho is a good team that clearly has not performed as well as everyone expected them to.

I have often said that good teams always have a turning point game. Either they get behind and have to fight their way back or find themselves on the wrong side of the momentum and have to find a way to turn the tide. It's a long way to St. Louis from here, but if this Cards squad goes on to accomplish big things I think having to perform under the pressure of a tie game with 5 minutes to go and an opponent driving down the field with momentum will have been a big part of that.

The next two weeks will be key for WC. Branson is tough. They beat Nixa and had Carthage on the ropes (at Carthage) last night before the Tigers made their escape. Waiting for the Cardinals just behind Branson is Carthage.