Webb City repeats as 4A champion

ST. LOUIS -- Senior quarterback Garrett Taylor ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more, leading the Webb City Cardinals to a 45-0 victory over the Washington Blue Jays to win the Missouri Class 4A state high school football championship for the second consecutive season.

The Cardinals finished with a perfect 14-0 record. Washington finished 13-1. Webb City now has won 30 consecutive games and six Class 4A championships in the last 12 years, including three in the last four years.

Ryan DeMoss scored two touchdowns for the Cardinals. Joe Smith and Justin Smith each caught a touchdown pass. Casey Eichelberger kicked six extra points and booted a 23-yard field goal on the last play of the first half for Webb City.

The Cardinals gained 480 yards while the Blues Jays managed just 175 yards. Webb City rushed for 375 yards. DeMoss led the Cardinals with 125 yards on 19 carries. Taylor added 109 yards on 9 attempts. Taylor also threw for 105 yards on 5 of 8 passing. Joe Smith caught 2 passes for 68 yards.

Jamie Dowler led Washington with 99 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Webb City scored on five of its six possessions to a 31-0 lead in the first half.

The Cardinals needed just three plays after receiving the kickoff to take command. DeMoss scored on a 6-yard run just 63 seconds into the game for Webb City. Taylor ran 48 yards on an option keeper, giving the Cardinals a 14-0 lead in the first period. Joe Smith caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Taylor on the first play of the second quarter for a 21-0 lead. On the next possession, Taylor hit Justin Smith for a 6-yard touchdown.

Class 2A

JOHN BURROUGHS 36 WARSAW 32

A.J. Eads went for two touchdowns and passed for another, leading John Burroughs to victory over Warsaw in the Class 2A championship game.

Eads, who gained 153 yards on 16 carries, scored the game-winning touchdown with 3:20 remaining. The win gave Burroughs a perfect 13-0 season. Warsaw finished 12-2, but took the game down to the last play before Burroughs safety Bob Miltenberger intercepted a pass in the endzone.

The 68 points scored set a record for the most points scored by two teams in a Class 2A title game. Warsaw also set a record for the most total yards gained with 413.

Ryan Boyer scored three touchdowns and Josh Reno scored twice for Warsaw, who rushed for 394 yards. Boyer gained 129 yards, while Reno added 99.

A.J. Van Slyke ran in a touchdown and passed for one in completing eight of 20 passes for 147 yards.

Warsaw jumped out to a 12-0 lead on runs of 17 yards by Reno and two yards by Boyer. Burroughs, which gained 227 yards rushing, used a recovered fumble to help set up a five-yard touchdown by Van Slyke with 59 seconds left in the first half, cutting Warsaw's lead to 12-7.

After Boyer ran 66 yards at 11:09 in the third to put Warsaw ahead 18-7, the Bombers scored 22 unanswered points to take a 29-18 lead.

-- From wire reports