By Ken Hansard

The Webb City Cardinals football team has won 16 Missouri state championships
over the past 34 years. Those kinds of credentials don’t happen by accident. Success
of that magnitude is largely a result of culture, and that culture must be built and
sustained by people who care about the program. Garrett Powell, a senior fullback for
the Cardinals, wants to be one of those people, “My role on my team is being a leader
and setting an example for others who will be the future of the program. My role is also
to be ready when they need me to step up as a running back.”  
Most of Powell’s goals seem to be very team oriented and to the point, “As a
team, the goal is to get better every week. As for me individually, every chance I get to
play, I plan to give it 110%.”
Football is a tough sport, and it can be extremely demanding, both physically and
mentally. But Garrett feels that the reward happens each Friday night under the lights,
“My love of sports comes from my family. We were always around, watching, and
playing sports growing up. What I am looking forward to most this season would be our
home games, in front of our home crowd.”
The Cardinals finished last season 10-3 record last season, eventually losing to
conference rival Republic in a heartbreaking 21-20 loss in the State Semifinals. They
placed second in the tough Central Ozark Conference. There is a lot to be optimistic
about coming into this season, as Webb returns a large nucleus of the players from that
squad. So, the challenge for this Cardinals team is largely about staying fit, “The
biggest challenge we have for this season is keeping everyone healthy.”
Powell also runs track for the Cardinals and is strong academically. After
graduation, he would someday like to take over his family’s businesses.