Top Standouts: Joplin vs. Webb City

It seem like when Joplin and Webb City meet on the athletic field, the fans are sure in for an entertaining evening. When the two state football powerhouses met on the gridiron in the fall, Joplin won in a 56-55 instant classic. Both teams went on to play for state championships with Webb City winning in Class 4 and Joplin finishing second in Class 6.

The two schools met again on the basketball court on Tuesday night and the result was another, high scoring entertaning game which saw one great athletic play after another. Not surprisingly, many of those great football players are also excellent basketball players as well as the court was flooded with talented, thick-bodied athletes.

In the end, Joplin outlasted Webb City 83-79 in an overtime thriller. Here is a look at the top standouts from Tuesday night’s game at Joplin.

Joplin

Dakarai Allen 6’2″ (’20): The senior transfer scored a team-high 22 points on 10 of 14 shooting from the field. He’s an explosive athlete with a boatload on basketball tools to work with. He dropped 3-pointers off the catch and scored on slashing drives to the basket and explosive dunks in transition. He can also create turnovers on the defensive end with with aggressiveness and ball-hawking.

Isaiah Davis 6’2″ (’20): The Player of the Year in football, the 230-pound forward was the top inside player in the game as he scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. He was tough on the offensive glass as he could play bully-ball in the low post or on the drive from the perimeter. He plays much bigger than his size because of his motor and physical strength.

Always Wright 6’1″ (’22): One of the top young prospects in the region, Wright scored 17 points and made five 3-pointers, including a pair of long-range daggers to open the overtime period. He has a beautiful release from long distance, where he can get it off the catch or he can create space and launch accurate jumpers off the dribble. He has good size and length. Nice future ahead of him.

Zach Westmoreland 6’1″ (’20): A standout wide receiver in football who is headed to South Dakota State, he scored 15 points on Tuesday night. He is a versatile athlete with good driving ability and explosive bounce. He had a big dunk late in the overtime to seal the victory for Joplin.

Webb City

Terrell Kabala 6’1″ (’20): The thick-bodied point guard was a star on the football field, but also a Arkansas-Fort Smith basketball signee. He is an explosive all-around talent who had 23 points and five rebounds while dropping several dimes to open teammates. He is a very talented offensive player who can create a shot at any time, but he’s very unselfish. He’s is a three-level scoring threat who can bully-ball his way to the basket, drop off a defender for a mid-range or hit the open 3-pointer.

Nene Howard 6’0″ (’21): Another thick-bodied guard who scored 18 points, which included a 60-foot heave to beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter. He can use his physical strength to get to the basket and finish in traffic, but he also has solid handles and the ability to create offense off the dribble.

Cohl Vaden 5’10” (’22): An excellent young prospect in the SW region, Vaden scored 15 points while knocking down three 3-pointers. He is small, but he is quick and he plays with a lot of pace. His shooting range extends well beyond the 3-point line, which also enables him to attack the basket on the drive against defenders who close out to hard on him.