Landon West hammered his way through top-ranked Webb City for 168 yards and three touchdowns Friday night, anchoring Carthage’s 5-1 surge with a signature Central Ozarks Conference West victory.
The Tigers handed their archrivals a physical beating on both sides of the ball, grinding out a defensive standoff before pulling away late to move to 2-0 in league play.
Points came at a premium early. In a punishing, field-position battle through the first two quarters, West provided the only breakthrough. With 5:18 left in the second quarter, the Carthage tailback lowered his shoulder and punched it in from 4 yards out, sending the Tigers into the locker room with a slim 7-0 lead.
From there, Carthage's defense dictated terms. Defensive tackle Maddox Katzfey led a swarming front that choked off Webb City's rhythm, notably dragging down Cardinals quarterback Mason Young in the backfield to snuff out a crucial second-half drive.
West took care of the rest, finding the end zone two more times to slam the door and deliver a seismic shift across Missouri's Class 5 landscape.