By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
MSHSAA CLASS 4 STATE QUARTERFINAL Warrenton Warriors vs. Ladue Rams When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Where: Warrenton High School. Coaches: Warrenton — Ken Moore. Ladue — Mike Tarpey. Playoff Experience: Warrenton is making its third straight playoff appearance, having lost to Helias during the opening round in each of the past two seasons. The Crusaders topped the Warriors 42-7 last season and 41-10 in 2008. Prior to that, Warrenton's last postseason berth was in 1998. The school has a total of just six playoff appearances, and it’s best finish was third place in 1995, when it lost to Herculaneum in the semifinals.Ladue has been to the playoffs on 16 different occasions since 1974. The Rams advanced to the state championship in 2003, falling hard to a Tommy Saunders’ led Kearney team. Ladue reached the quarterfinals last season, losing to Sikeston. The Journey: Warrenton has gotten to this point by putting a trio of disappointing losses behind them. The run began with a dominant victory over previously unbeaten St. Dominic in the district opener. The Warriors finished the sweep by throttling Borgia and St. Charles West. They took down Duchesne 38-13 during the regional and engineered a comeback to hold off Jennings in the sectional meeting. Warrenton is in the midst of a five-game winning streak and has not scored fewer than five touchdowns in any of its games. Ladue has not lost since week two, when it faced a 28-7 defeat at SLUH. The Rams cruised through their district untouched, defeating MICDS, Clayton and University City. They took down Soldan 42-12 in the regional round and beat Clayton 35-21 during sectionals. Ladue has just three wins against teams with winning records. The Rams are giving up roughly two touchdowns per game. The Weapons: Ladue — The offensive charge is led by 5-foot-11, 165-pound quarterback Kortland Webb. The senior has guided a balanced offense, completing 101 of 185 passes for 1,455 yards and 17 touchdowns. Webb is to Ladue what Scotty Lathrop is to Warrenton — the engineer on both sides of the ball. He has also rushed for a team-high 848 yards and 17 touchdowns on 127 carries. The Rams' ground game has also relied on Charles Badgett, who has 554 yards and five touchdowns on 76 rushes. Brian Thomas has 431 yards on 80 carries. Webb's favorite receiver has been 6-foot-3 Jehu Chesson, who has hauled in 50 catches for 587 yards and 11 touchdowns. Dominique Brown has grabbed 28 receptions for 526 yards. Warrenton — The offense continues to develop around the running ability of senior quarterback Scotty Lathrop, who now has a team-high 1,541 yards and 19 touchdowns on 206 carries. He has completed 115 of 204 passes (56 percent) for 1,969 yards, throwing 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. At times, the Warriors have moved Lathrop to a wideout position to create mismatches in the secondary. The Warriors’ diverse offense also has the resources of a power running game led by junior Austin Black, who has amassed 775 yards and 11 touchdowns on 118 carries. Although injuries have hindered his offensive contribution, senior Nick Reese has filtered in impressive rushing performances, running for 204 yards on 56 touches. The numbers show a clear favorite in the receiving game, with junior Nick Todd having grabbed 63 receptions for 1,139 yards. Warrenton has used four other receiving targets on a more balanced scale. Junior Jason Bunge has 18 catches for 305 yards, while Black has 17 receptions for 250 yards. In addition, junior Travis Doyle has 13 catches for 247 yards and Cody Bennett has 16 grabs for 236 yards. Moore has been complimentary of the offensive line, but feels that defense has perhaps been the greatest surprise to the season. The Plan: For the third consecutive game Warrenton has home field advantage, a rare occurrence in the playoffs. It has provided a unique opportunity to show off the first-year turf facility. Warrenton slipped past what Lathrop calls the fastest team the Warriors had seen all season against Jennings. Speed test number two may prove even more challenging as Ladue comes to town. Moore says containing the big play will be key. What sets Ladue apart from Jennings is the vast number of formations it uses. Moore notes the defense has shined and it will be pivotal for them to make good reads. Just as defenses key on Lathrop, the Warriors will have to slow down Webb. But Moore says the balance of weapons Ladue possesses is also a threat. The Rams should present a more precise passing game than Jennings, which ran its trickery to no avail against the Warriors. The plus side for Warrenton is that they have players that excel in both departments — speed and strength — so adjusting to either style of play isn’t necessarily a concern for the Warriors. Defensively, Moore expects the Rams to operate out of a 3-4 front, adjusting frequently based on his offense. Class 4 Quarterfinals Game 1 — Sikeston (12-0) vs. Roosevelt (9-2) Game 2 — Ladue (11-1) vs. Warrenton (9-3) Game 3 — Union (11-1) vs. Webb City (12-0) Game 4 — Harrisonville (11-1) vs. Kearney (11-0)
