LAST WEEK: Joplin 49, Carl Junction 28; Ozark 42, Willard 14
LAST YEAR: Joplin 36-13
OUTLOOK: Joplin is coming off a convincing win against Carl Junction and will look to keep the momentum going with a second straight road game at Willard. The biggest question for Joplin will be whether or not senior running back Nathan Glades suits up and plays. Glades injured his knee in the win over the Bulldogs in the second half. Last week against Carl Junction, Joplin QB Always Wright completed 11-of-14 passes for 296 yards and added a rushing touchdown. Glades ran 24 times for 177 yards and four touchdowns, while Trayshawn Thomas caught five passes for 142 yards.
Willard QB Tyler Janes completed 15-of-24 passes for 128 yards and an interceptions last week. He added 11 rushes for 16 yards and a score. Eli Aye caught six passes for 61 yards.
The McDonald County High School softball team hiked its record to 12-0 with Thursday’s 8-0 win over Nevada.
Madeline McCall had a big day for the Mustangs. In the circle, McCall struck out 15 and scattered four hits in the shutout win. At the plate, McCall drove in three runs with a double and a sacrifice fly.
Nevaeh Dodson and Carlee Cooper had three hits apiece for McDonald County, while Mariana Salas had two hits. Katelynn Townsend, Cooper and Natalie Gillming scored two runs apiece.
The Mustangs have outscored their opponents 110-14 this season. Six of McDonald County’s wins have been shutouts. In three other wins, Mac County has only allowed one run.
The Mustangs will compete at the Warrensburg Tournament this weekend, with games against Belton and Clinton slated for Friday.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage Tigers rallied from a 4-3 deficit by scoring twice in the fifth inning to earn a 5-4 win over Willard on Thursday.
The Tigers (9-6) entered the last of the fifth inning trailing by a run and in need of a two-out rally. Makayla Jennings singled home Natalie Rodriquez to tie the game at 4-4. The comeback bid continued with Katie Crowe, who followed with a two-out double to left to score the go-ahead run in the form of Jennings to put Carthage on top 5-4 for good.
Jensyn Elder earned the complete-game win for Carthage, allowing four runs, three earned, on 10 hits, a walk and nine strikeouts.
Sydni Fletcher took the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits, a walk and four strikeouts.
Jennings and Crowe led the Tigers with two hits each. Jennings drove in two, while Crowe had one RBI. Both players scored a run.
Jordyn Jones and Mary Grace Richmond added doubles for Carthage in the win. Jones finished with an RBI in the win.
Kallie Crews had three hits, including a double, two RBI and a run scored to lead Willard.
CASSVILLE, Mo. — With four of the top nine finishers, the Carthage High School girls golf team claimed the team championship at the Cassville Invitational on Thursday at the Cassville Golf and Country Club.
The Tigers finished with a team score of 355, 32 strokes better than second place Rogersville (387). Cassville (413), Webb City (424) and Carl Junction (445) finished third, fourth and fifth in the team standings.
Rogersville’s Brooke Wagner earned medalist honors with 9-over-par 81. Carthage’s Hailey Bryant finished second with an 82, while teammate Rylee Scott placed third with an 85.
Rogersville’s March Mantala was fourth with an 87, Carthage’s Shaely Garrison took fifth with a 92 and Cassville’s Avery Chappell and Webb City’s duo of Sarah Oathout and Laya McAllister all tied for sixth with scores of 95.
Carthage’s Caitlin Derryberry was ninth with a 96 and Rogersville’s Corinne Swearengin finished 10th with a 99.
Joplin’s duo of Sophia Schwartz and Bella Sotlar both shot 107 and tied for 17th.
Republic scored four runs in the first inning, five in the second and three more in the fifth to beat Joplin 12-0 on Thursday.
Avery Romans earned the win after pitching a complete-game shutout in five innings. She scattered four hits, struck out four and walked one.
Jill McDaniel took the loss after allowing nine runs on seven hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Emi Essary, AJ Fenske and Mara Lakey homered for the Tigers. Claire Summers doubled. Kaitlyn Ragsdale finished with three hits and two runs scored, while Fenske had three hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Lakey and Essary each had two hits, with Lakey driving in one and scoring once and Essary driving in two and scoring one.
Bailey Ledford and Madisyn Tracy each had hits, while Liz Snider doubled for the Eagles.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho put crooked numbers on the board in every inning on the way to a 15-0 rout of Branson in a four-inning contest on Thursday.
The Wildcats (13-4) scored four times in the opening frame, added three runs in the second and scored six times in the third to build a 13-0 lead. Neosho added two more runs in the fourth before ending the game early.
Brittany Winchester earned the complete-game shutout win after scattering two hits, walking two and striking out one.
Peyton Bonsey took the loss for Branson (6-11) after allowing 15 runs, seven earned, on 11 hits, one walk and a strikeout.
Kaitlyn Killion led the Wildcats with two hits, including a three-run triple in the bottom of the third, a team-high four RBI and three runs scored. McKaylie Forrest finished with two RBI and a run scored, while Lili Graue, Baylie Bowers and Winchester each recorded two hits in the win. Graue scored once, while Winchester, Bowers and Alivia Campbell, who also had a hit, all scored twice for Neosho.
Langley Miller and Molly Smith had hits for Branson.
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction earned its first conference win after making quick work of Republic with a 3-0 sweep (25-23, 25-17, 25-13) on a Thursday night where the Bulldogs honored a pair of seniors.
“I thought we had a really solid night,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said. “I knew the first game was going to be tough, and we were going to have to adjust to some things they were doing. We haven’t played in a week, so that was a factor, but I watched some film on (Republic) and they were coming in pretty confident off a couple of wins. I knew we would have to get to them with our serve to get them out of their system and frustrate them a little bit.”
“Sal and Jill, from a very young age, have made an impact on the court,” Sharples said. “Salma has been a four-year starter for us, and Jill jumped in her sophomore year and started on the right side for us. They’ve helped change the culture of our program to help it come around to where we want it. They have done a lot for us. They are just such great kids, teammates and great leaders.”
Carl Junction senior Jillian Kennedy earns a kill in the Bulldogs’ win over Republic on Thursday. Photo by Derek Livingston.
Carl Junction (8-2, 1-0 COC) took the early lead in the first game, with Logan Jones earning a kill to give the Bulldogs an 8-4 advantage. After Kennedy earned a kill to make the score 19-16, Republic answered back with four straight points, including a kill by Kailey Manes and an ace from Payge Plank, to take its first lead of the game, 20-19. Both teams were tied at 23-23 when Lewis earned a kill and an ace to finish the first set in favor of the Bulldogs, 25-23.
Following a back-and-forth start to the second set, Carl Junction took control with a four-point service run by Lewis to build an 8-3 lead. Lewis and Jessa Hylton had kills in the run, with Maggie Brown earning a block.
“We play games to five, that is our philosophy,” Sharples said. “It’s important to get to five first, and I felt if we could do that each game, we would be in a good spot. We really put ourselves in a good position there (in the second set). We were hitting really well, playing great defense and staying aggressive.”
Kills from Hylton and Jones, sandwiched around a sideout, put Carl Junction on top 23-15, with Lewis earning a block moments later to end the set 25-17.
A kill from Kennedy early in the third set jump-started a three-point service run from Hylton, giving the Bulldogs a 4-1 lead early.
Lewis earned a kill to force a sideout and two more straight kills later in the set during a Jones’ three-point service run to push the lead to 11-3.
“She is an exciting player to watch,” Sharples said of Lewis. “She is so dynamic and takes such a great swing. When she gets a kill, it really pumps up our team … and really energizes us.”
Carl Junction moved in front by 10, 15-5, following a kill from Hylton and a block by Kennedy.
Republic responded with five straight points later in the set to trim the deficit to 16-10, prompting Coach Sharples to call a timeout.
“I just said we needed to refocus for a second,” Sharples said. “We discussed what we wanted out of the offense at that moment. We went out there, stuck the pass and sided out.”
The Bulldogs allowed just three more points the rest of the way, using kills from Hylton, Kennedy, who added a block as well, and Lewis to finish off the sweep, 25-13.
“They did a good job of taking control,” Sharples said of her team’s play after the timeout. “They got their sideout and went for it.”
Carl Junction’s Jessa Hylton digs a serve in the Bulldogs’ win over Republic on Thursday. Photo by Derek Livingston.
Lewis finished with 13 digs and 11 kills, while Kennedy led the Bulldogs with two blocks and added a pair of aces. Logan Jones finished with 21 assists to lead Carl Junction.
“Jill took some really key swings for us in that first set, and really controlled the net in Games 2 and 3 to shut them down,” Sharples said. “Salma was taking big swings on the outside, putting the ball away. She did a lot of great stuff on the back row as well, defensively and passing.”
UP NEXT
Carl Junction hosts the CJ Classic tournament on Saturday. The Bulldogs open with an 8:30 matchup against Joplin.
“We love that tournament,” Sharples said. “It has been going on a long time, and we get to see some local teams we haven’t gotten to play much, even this summer. We open up with Joplin, and when you are playing someone local, that is a little bit of a rivalry. I think the kids will be pumped and ready to go.”
The Joplin High School tennis team dropped a 5-4 decision to Willard on Thursday in Central Ozark Conference action at the JHS athletic complex.
The Eagles won two of the three doubles matches.
Astrid Cardenas and Emma Watts defeated Jungeun Go and Gracie Chunn 8-0 at No. 1 doubles, while Willard’s Kristen Flynn and Kaytlen Ibarra beat Jensen Vowels and Lauren Laird 8-6.
Joplin’s Cloey Blank and Brynn Driver beat Abby Wade and Alyssa Flynn 8-6 at No. 3 doubles.
In singles, Go beat Watts 8-4, Kristen Flynn defeated Kennedy Schwartz 8-5 and Chunn edged Vowels 8-6.
Joplin’s Laird beat Wade 9-7 at No. 4 singles, but Willard’s Ibarra defeated Blank 9-8 (7-5). Driver defeated Alyssa Flynn 8-6 at No. 6 singles.
Joplin hosts an invite on Friday.
Joplin’s Astrid Cardenas competes during doubles action on Thursday against Willard. Photo by Shawn Fowler.The Joplin Eagles hosted the Willard Tigers on Thursday. Willard won the dual 5-4. Photo by Shawn Fowler.The Joplin Eagles hosted the Willard Tigers on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
By finishing strong in a marathon fourth set, the Joplin High School volleyball team secured its first Central Ozark Conference victory of 2020.
With a solid overall performance, the Eagles defeated the Branson Pirates 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 23-25, 34-32) on Thursday night inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
After winning the first two sets in convincing fashion, the Eagles let the third set slip away.
But the hosts outlasted the Pirates in an intense, hard-fought and crowd-pleasing fourth set that went on and on.
Joplin coach Staci Saunders noted her team simply refused to lose the lengthy fourth set.
“I could not be more proud of our girls,” Saunders said. “When Branson came back, our girls could have just rolled over. We kept battling and battling. I don’t know that we’ve ever gone to 34 points in my time here. It takes some mental toughness to push through in a game like that. We did the little things and worked hard. I think everybody on the court was exhausted, so pushing through and winning that game was huge for us.”
Senior outside hitter Aubrey Ritter led the Eagles (8-4, 1-1 COC) with 19 kills, 18 digs, 11 service points and two kills.
“Aubrey had a heck of a game,” Saunders said.
Despite a sore knee, senior setter Addison Saunders compiled 24 assists, seven digs and seven kills, while Allie Lawrence had 16 digs, 12 service points and nine kills.
“I’m proud of Addison for playing through an injury,” Coach Saunders said. “She was told she should probably rest tonight, but she said no.”
Kaylie Anderson had 17 digs, while Kacy Coss had seven kills and four blocks and Emma Floyd contributed six kills and four blocks. Baileigh Riley had 17 assists, while Mya Johnson added nine digs.
The Eagles had all of the momentum after winning the first two sets, and the hosts held a comfortable 14-6 lead in the third set.
But just when it seemed like the Eagles would secure a straight-set victory, the Pirates stormed back and kept the match going by winning the third set.
Joplin led the fourth set 11-3, but once again, the Pirates kept coming.
Starting at 21-all, the final set was tied again and again, with a number of long rallies and plenty of bodies hitting the floor.
Branson led 31-30, but Joplin’s Coss came up with a key kill for the Eagles.
The final tie score came at 32-all. Joplin’s Ritter had two late kills to finish off the night.
“We played so great the first two sets, but we had a letdown in the third set,” Coach Saunders said. “I have to give Branson credit. No. 25 (Morgan LeBlanc) is effective everywhere on the court. But overall, our defense was much better tonight. I thought we played pretty well against Webb City the other night, but I thought we played even better tonight.”
Branson fell to 14-9-1 and 0-2 in the COC.
The Eagles will be among the area teams competing at Saturday’s Carl Junction Classic.
Aubrey Ritter came up big for the Joplin Eagles during Thursday’s match with Branson. File photo by Shawn Fowler.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Ozark defeated Webb City 3-1 in a Central Ozark Conference volleyball match on Thursday night inside the Cardinal Dome.
The Tigers defeated the Cardinals 25-13, 22-25, 25-22, 25-18.
Maddy Peeples had 16 kills and 12 digs for Webb City, while Brenda Lawrence had 12 kills and Sage Crane had 21 digs.
Kyah Sanborn had 13 digs, Kenzie Storm had five kills and five blocks, Avery Westhoven contributed 16 assists and 10 digs, while Anna Hettinger had 11 assists.
Webb City recognized its seniors before the match.
The Cardinals will compete at the Carl Junction Classic on Saturday.
The Webb City Cardinals (3-1) host the Carl Junction Bulldogs (1-3) at 7 on Friday night in a Central Ozark Conference rivalry clash at Cardinal Stadium.
Carl Junction’s record doesn’t quite tell the whole story, as the Bulldogs have only been outscored 103-97 in 2020.
Webb City coach John Roderique is well aware of that statistic.
“They’ve lost a couple of close ones against quality opponents and they’re a really good team,” Roderique said. “They’re a much-improved team from a year ago for sure. We’ll have to play well.”
The Bulldogs suffered back-to-back 21-20 losses in Week 2 and Week 3 to Carthage and Branson, respectively.
THE CARDINALS
Ranked second in Class 5 by the Missouri Media, Webb City has outscored its opponents 134-69.
Winners of three straight, Cardinals are averaging 349 rushing yards and 66 passing yards per game.
Senior running back Devrin Weathers has compiled 621 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns. Junior Cade Wilson has contributed 205 yards with three scores.
Senior quarterback Cole Gayman has rushed for 185 yards and passed for 230 yards on 11 completions with three touchdowns and one interception. Cohl Vaden has hauled in three passes for 73 yards and Gary Clinton has caught five passes for 63.
Lucas Ott leads the team with 32 tackles, 22 solo, while Brayden Hollingsworth (23), Treghan Parker (21), Roger Carranco (20), Gavin Stowell (15) and Matt McDaniel (15) are other defensive leaders. Hollingsworth has recorded three sacks, while Parker has two interceptions.
THE BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs racked up 501 yards last week in a 49-28 loss to Joplin, with 338 passing and 153 rushing.
Senior quarterback Alex Baker completed 27-of-44 pass attempts with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Noah Southern (103 yards), Colton Bourgault (96) and Drew Patterson (90) led the receiving corps, while Brady Sims led the ground attack with 72 rushing yards.
Carl Junction’s balanced offense will test the Cardinal defense, which has only allowed 38 total points the last three weeks.
“They’re a much more balanced team as far as the run and the pass than what we’ve seen so far,” Roderique said. “Doug (Buckmaster) has always been a really good offensive mind.”
Southern, Jaycob Colgin and Jesse Cassat are leaders of the CJ defense.
The Bulldogs will look to snap a three-game skid.
WEEK 5: CARL JUNCTION AT WEBB CITY
Records: Carl Junction 1-3, Webb City 3-1
Last week: Carl Junction lost to Joplin 49-28, Webb City beat Kickapoo 38-10.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Webb City High School softball team remained perfect in Central Ozark Conference play with a 2-0 win over Nixa on Thursday.
The Cardinals are now 16-1 overall and 6-0 in the COC. Nixa dropped to 7-6 overall and 4-2 in the COC.
Webb City senior Haidyn Berry launched a two-run home run to center in the bottom of the third inning for the game’s only scoring. It was Berry’s 11th homer of the season.
Leadoff hitter Peyton Hawkins and Berry had two hits apiece for the Cardinals. Emalee Lamar added one hit.
Berry earned the pitching victory. She struck out 11 and scattered six hits in the shutout win.
Nixa’s Maddy Meierer took the loss, but she allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out seven.
Emma Vincent had two hits for the Eagles.
In the third, Hawkins singled and went to second on Emma Welch’s sacrifice bunt. Berry then homered to center.
Down 2-0, Nixa had two runners in scoring position with no outs in the fourth, but Berry struck out the next two batters before a ground out to Hawkins at shortstop ended the threat.
The Eagles also threatened in the top of the seventh, as Maya Herman singled and Dakota Hale doubled to put two runners on-base with no outs.
But Berry struck out Morgan Delloma, Chloe Krans and Katie Faulk to end the game.
Webb City will compete at the Warrensburg Tournament this weekend. The Cardinals also have a key COC showdown at Neosho on Tuesday.
