Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

Month: September 2020

Cross Country: Carthage boys win team title at Nixa

Posted on by Jason Peake

NIXA, Mo. — With five runners in the top 15, Carthage’s boys captured the team championship at the Riann Lubinski Invitational on Tuesday.
Carthage (53), Nixa (81) and Lamar (114) were the top three teams in the large school division. There were 13 full teams, with Neosho finishing sixth and Carl Junction eighth.
The Tigers’ pack of Mariques Strickland, Malcolm Robertson, Miquel Solano and Coltyn Herrera finished eighth through 11th, respectively, while Richard Contreras was 15th.
Carthage’s Ty Lewis finished 19th.
Lamar’s Joe Kremp finished first in 16 minutes, 10 seconds. Neosho’s Kaden Cole took third in 16:30, with Lamar’s Ethan Pittsenbarger fifth (16:39). Carthage’s Strickland finished in 16:48.
Carl Junction’s Collin Emmert finished 13th.
On the girls side, Nixa (39), Ozark (61) and Neosho (129) were the top three teams.
Nixa’s Alicen Ashley took first in 19:15, while Lamar’s Kiersten Potter was sixth in 20:42.
Carl Junction’s Hannah Franks finished 13th, Carthage’s Kimberly Hernandez was 15th, Neosho’s Bailey Miller and Riley Kemna finished 17th and 19th, respectively.

Riann Lubinski Invitational
(At Nixa)
Large School Division
Boys standings: Carthage 53, Nixa 81, Lamar 114, Branson 120, Ozark 128, Neosho 155, Willard 156, Carl Junction 217, Republic 255, Monett 258, Parkview 259, Marshfield 313, McDonald County 339.
Girls standings: Nixa 39, Ozark 61, Neosho 121, Harrison 157, Branson 161, Lamar 163, Carl Junction 189, Parkview 191, Marshfield 193, Willard 198, Monett 211.

 

FULL RESULTS: https://mo.milesplit.com/meets/390365-riann-lubinski-invitational-xc/results/701227/formatted#.X2tcNWhKhPZ

Volleyball: McAuley knocks off Thomas Jefferson

Posted on by Jason Peake

McAuley Catholic defeated Thomas Jefferson 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-8) in prep volleyball action on Tuesday.
The Warriors improved to 9-6, while the Cavaliers slipped to 6-8.
The Cavaliers received four kills, three aces and two blocks from Winni Hiebert, while Sonia Carlson had four kills.
Both teams are at home on Thursday, as McAuley hosts Purdy and Thomas Jefferson hosts Liberal.

Tennis: Webb City picks up dual win over Neosho

Posted on by Jason Peake

Webb City defeated Neosho 7-2 in a prep tennis dual on Tuesday.
At No. 1 singles, Neosho’s Michelle Lindsey defeated Kinzlea Smith 9-7.
Webb City won the other singles matches, as Kirsalyn Hood edged Emily Lemus 9-7, Danecca Heffren defeated Claudia Martensen 8-4, Taylor Yockey beat Ana Ramirez 8-0, Delaney Duke defeated Angelica Vynyas 8-2 and Shelby Ensminger beat Mariana Anaya 8-4.
At No. 1 doubles, Webb City’s Smith and Heffren defeated Lindsey and Lemus 8-4, while Neosho’s Martensen and Ramirez defeated Hood and Ensminger 8-6 at No. 2. Webb City’s Yockey and Duke beat Anaya and Jasmine Martinez 8-2 at No. 3 doubles.

 

Volleyball: Neosho drops home match with Republic

Posted on by Jason Peake

NEOSHO, Mo. —  Republic defeated Neosho 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-21) on Tuesday in prep volleyball action.
Neosho’s Savannah Merriman recorded 13 assists, nine kills and four digs, while Shelby Roberts had 14 service points, eight kills, four aces and two blocks.
Also for the Wildcats, Abby Jarvis had 11 service points, Melia Robertson had 11 digs and Kaylee Butler had 15 assists.
Kaemyn Bekemeier led the Tigers with 14 kills, while Kailey Manes had 15 digs.
Neosho (9-2-1) hosts Willard (15-1-1) on Thursday.

Tennis: Joplin beats Carl Junction

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Joplin High School tennis team defeated Carl Junction 6-3 on Tuesday night.
The Eagles won all three doubles matches.
At No. 1, Joplin’s Astrid Cardenas and Emma Watts, both now back in action, defeated Nicole Sherwood and Mariah Barnett 8-1.
Jensen Vowels and Lauren Laird beat Hannah Clinage and Hope Sponsel 8-4 at No. 2 doubles, while Cloey Blank and Brynn Driver defeated Jenna Besperat and Valeria Alamina-Poor 8-4.
At No. 1 singles, Watts edged Sherwood 7-5. Vowels won the No. 2 singles match over Clinage, 6-0.
Laird beat Barnett 6-1, while Carl Junction’s Sponsel defeated Blank 6-2. Besperat defeated Driver 6-4, while Carl Junction’s Alamina-Poor edged Patience Adams 7-6 (7-5).
Joplin hosts Willard on Thursday.

Volleyball: Webb City tops Joplin in COC showdown

Posted on by Jason Peake

Webb City earned a straight-set victory over Joplin in a Central Ozark Conference volleyball showdown on Thursday night.

But the Eagles made the Cardinals earn it. 

In three hard-fought sets, Webb City defeated Joplin 25-22, 25-18, 25-20 inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

“They made us work for it,” Webb City coach Rhonda Lawrence said. “We haven’t seen any competition (for a week) since we’ve had some time off. We needed a game under our belt. We were sluggish coming out and didn’t get to the pace that we usually play at. The speed of the game wasn’t as fast as we’re used to at the start. We turned it up a little bit, and that’s when we started being more successful. We need to be the aggressor for sure.”

Joplin coach Staci Saunders said she was proud of her team’s effort against a solid opponent. 

“I thought our effort was there,” Saunders said. “I thought our girls played their hearts out. I think our girls left everything they had on the court. I’m very proud of our effort. If we play like that, we’ll beat some people. But our girls are disappointed because that’s a rivalry. We gave ourselves a chance at the end.” 

Senior outside hitter Maddy Peeples recorded 11 kills and 10 digs for the Cardinals, while sophomore outside hitters Brenda Lawrence and Kate Brownfield contributed 13 and eight kills, respectively. 

Webb City’s Avery Westhoven had 18 assists and 11 digs and Kyah Sanborn handed out 19 assists and had eight digs. The Cardinals (9-1-1) played without senior setter Anna Hettinger. Also for the Cardinals, Kenzie Storm had four kills and three blocks, while Abby Stork contributed eight digs. Senior libero Sage Crane had 17 digs.

Senior outside hitter Aubrey Ritter recorded 15 digs and eight kills to lead the Eagles (7-4), while senior setter Addison Saunders contributed 15 assists, six service points and four kills.

Allie Lawrence added eight kills and six service points for Joplin, while Baileigh Riley handed out 11 assists. Also for the Eagles, Kaylie Anderson had 16 digs, Kacy Coss and Angelina Schramm had five kills apiece and Emma Floyd had two blocks. 

Joplin’s Allie Lawrence hits at the net against Webb City. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

Joplin led the first set 14-10. The score was tied at 20, but Webb City grabbed the momentum late in the set, as kills from Lawrence and Storm finished it off.

The Cardinals led 20-12 in the second set before a late kill from Peeples and a Joplin hitting error gave the set to the visitors.

“It’s always nice to have that go-to player,” Lawrence said of Peeples. 

With Crane serving, Webb City scored the first six points of the third set. A pair of kills from Peeples gave the Cardinals an 18-15 advantage. 

But the Eagles fought back, as kills from Coss and Addison Saunders tied the set at 19. Joplin briefly took a 20-19 lead, forcing Coach Lawrence to take a timeout.

The Cardinals then scored six straight points to end the night, with a late ace from Sanborn and a block from Ella Cates key to the late surge. 

“We were not being the aggressor,” Lawrence said. “We made some silly mistakes. We just needed to stay aggressive and stay after it.” 

Coach Saunders noted Peeples proved tough to contain at the net.

“Maddy Peeples is an all-state hitter for a reason,” Saunders said. “She’s stinking good. Our game plan was to try and get a block on her…she had some clean hits. We need to improve our defense. We just have to keep working.”

Saunders also gave Webb City’s defense credit.

“We did not have one ace tonight,” Saunders said. “Sage Crane does an excellent job back there and Maddy Peeples also does a great job passing. We didn’t have one ace all night and that’s usually our bread and butter. We try to out-serve and out serve-receive our opponent, but it’s hard when they’re such good passers.” 

Both teams return to action on Thursday, as Joplin hosts Branson and Webb City hosts Ozark.  

District assignments
Joplin will compete at the Class 5 District 12 tournament in Carthage with the hosts, Lee’s Summit West and Raymore-Peculiar.
Webb City will host the Class 4 District 11 tournament, with Bolivar, Carl Junction and Nevada also competing.

 

Joplin’s Addison Saunders and Kacy Coss block at the net against Webb City’s Brenda Lawrence on Tuesday night. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

Pictured is Joplin’s Kaylie Anderson. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

Joplin’s Angelina Schramm hits at the net against Webb City’s Kyah Sanborn and Maddy Peeples.

Home runs and a stellar outing from Berry lifts Webb City past Carl Junction for Senior Night win

Posted on by Lucas Davis

WEBB CITY, Mo. — It was quite a Senior Night for Webb City’s Haidyn Berry, who struck out a career-high 17 batters while homering at the plate as the Cardinals defeated Carl Junction 8-0 on Tuesday.

“Haidyn is a true leader on the field both in the circle and at the plate,” Webb City coach Shauna Friend said. “She has a lot of respect for her teammates, and they have a lot of respect for her. She really dominated in the circle tonight.”

Joining Berry from the diamond in the Senior Night ceremonies were Alyssa Jennings and Bri Batson. Webb City softball managers Kylee Bard and Ashlynn Boyd were also recognized.

“Alyssa is crucial in our outfield,” Friend continued. “She is always upbeat and a good teammate. She is just a lot of fun to be around. Bri took on a new position this year to play third and she has done a great job. I am really proud of her for taking that on and doing her best. As a group, they are just great people. 

“And I can’t forget my two managers who are seniors because they run this show. They are just phenomenal. All five of them do a great job of being role models to the younger players. I couldn’t be prouder.”

The Cardinals move to 15-1, 5-0 COC on the season, while Carl Junction falls to 4-7.

“We definitely haven’t peaked yet, which is a good thing,” Friend said. “We are off to a great start. The girls are hitting the ball hard and swinging the bat well. Defensively, we are improving every game. We are in a really good position right now.”

“Haidyn is a really good pitcher, and we knew that coming in,” Carl Junction coach Zak Petty said. “I thought we fought well at the beginning. … We struck out 17 times, and that can’t happen if you want to be successful. We need to have a little better approach at the plate.”

After two scoreless innings, Carl Junction’s Bryn Neria led off the top of the third with a bunt single. Sammie Sims followed with a single falling just past the second base bag, with Neria taking third and Sims moving to second on the throw to third to put two runners in scoring position. Kalyssa Hagston followed by reaching first on a fielder’s choice bunt to load the bases with no outs.

Berry settled in to strike out the next three batters she faced in order to keep the game scoreless.

“That is just her attitude, honestly,” Friend said. “She is just a competitor. She was just not letting that run score, and that is just how she is.”

“We just needed to realize the situation and adjust our approach,” Petty said. “When we get into two-strike counts, we don’t adjust a lot, and that is something that we need to learn to do. We need to put the ball in play and see what happens. Strikeouts are too easy on the defense. That is something they will learn from and bounce back. I am pretty confident in that.”

In the bottom half of the inning, Webb City took the momentum after Peyton Hawkins ripped a ball over the wall in center for a two-run home run, scoring Hannah Wells, who walked to lead off the inning. Two batters later, with two outs, Berry yanked a ball on a line to left of the wall for a solo home run to put the Cardinals on top 3-0.

“We definitely needed a spark there, and Peyton gave it to us,” Friend said. “It was a slow start in the first two innings. We weren’t finding the pitches we needed to be swinging at. The second time through (the order), that turned around and Peyton was the key there to give everybody some relief, allowing them to relax at the plate and just sit back and wait on a pitch to drive.”

Webb City added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Batson started the scoring with a sacrifice bunt to score Shea’lee Key to make the score 4-0. Hawkins followed with her second two-run homer of the game, this time to left-center, to push the lead to 6-0.

Jennings got in on the long-ball fun, hitting a two-run home run to right-center in the bottom of the sixth inning to wrap the scoring.

“The great thing about this offense is there is potential for a long ball all the way through the lineup,” Friend said. “That is definitely a strong trait of this offense, being able to come up with some RBIs at any given moment.”

Berry earned the win after scattering four hits without allowing a walking and striking out 17 in a complete-game effort.

“This was one of her best games in the circle for sure,” Friend said. “I am very pleased with her performance.”

Saedra Allen took the loss after allowing eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits, seven walks and seven strikeouts.

“Saedra has turned into just a really good pitcher,” Petty said. “We have 100 percent confidence in her when she is out there. … There is a reason why she pitches these games against district and conference opponents.”

Hawkins led Webb City with two hits, two runs scored and four RBI, while Jennings had two hits, scored once and drove in a run. 

Sims, Hagston, Allison Plumlee and Neria all recorded hits for Carl Junction.

UP NEXT

Webb City hosts Nixa at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Carl Junction hosts Neosho at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

SOFTBALL: Ozark defeats Joplin 12-3

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Ozark built an 11-0 lead en route to a 12-3 win over Joplin on Tuesday.

The Tigers scored two runs in the second and third innings before hanging three runs on the board in the fourth frame. After a four-run top of the fifth by Ozark to build the lead to 11-0, Joplin (4-14) scored three times in the bottom of the inning. Ozark added a run in the seventh. 

Jordan Foley earned the win after pitching four scoreless innings on three hits, a walk and two strikeouts. 

Jill McDaniel took the loss after allowing 11 runs, two earned, on eight hits, two strikeouts and a walk.

Izzy Yust, who doubled, and Liz Snider each had two hits to lead Joplin. Bailey Ledford and McDaniel each tallied hits. McDaniel had the Eagles’ lone RBI.

UP NEXT

Joplin hosts Republic at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Missouri Media prep football rankings released

Posted on by Jason Peake

With the new classifications set, the Missouri Media has released its first prep football rankings of the 2020 season.
Only teams that have played games this season are eligible for the rankings.
The rankings are compiled by a 9-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The panel is made up of Dion Clisso, PrepsKC; Cody Thorn, The Examiner; Dave Kvidahl, STLHighschoolsports.com; Tom Rackers, Jefferson City News-Tribune; Chris Parker, Ozone Sports; Brandon Zenner, The St. Joseph News-Press; J.B. Connoley, KRES radio; Matt King, The Daily Journal; Jason Peake, SOMO-Sports.com; Brian Rosener, Poplar Bluff Daily American Republic.

In Class 6, Joplin (2-2) is ranked eighth. The Eagles are the defending runner-up.
Carthage (3-0) and Webb City (3-1) are ranked first and second, respectively, in Class 5. The Tigers are the defending champion, while the Cardinals won a title in Class 4 last year. Webb City just bumped up to Class 5 this week.
Mount Vernon is ranked third in Class 3, while Lamar is ranked third in Class 2.

The entire rankings are below.

 

MISSOURI MEDIA FOOTBALL RANKINGS

Statewide high school football rankings, as compiled by a 9-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. First-place votes in parenthesis.

CLASS 6
Rank, team, Rec., Pts.
1. Raymore-Peculiar (9), 4-0, 99
2. Liberty (1), 4-0, 88
3. Nixa, 4-0, 81
4. Rockhurst, 2-2, 62
5. Francis Howell, 2-1, 48
6. Lee’s Summit West, 3-1, 41
7. Holt, 3-0, 38,
8. Joplin, 2-2, 35
9. Fox, 4-0, 21
10. Rock Bridge, 4-0, 17
Also receiving votes: Kickapoo (3-1), 13; Lee’s Summit North (2-2), 7

CLASS 5
Rank, team, Rec., Pts.
1. Carthage (6), 3-0, 96
2. Webb City (2), 3-1, 87
3. Jackson (2), 4-0, 81
4. Grain Valley, 4-0, 60
5. North Kansas City, 3-1, 54
6. Battle, 2-1, 44
7. Platte County, 3-1, 31
8. Fort Zumwalt North, 3-1, 28
T9. Farmington, 4-1, 22
T9. Ozark, 3-1, 22
Also receiving votes: Raytown (2-2), 11; Belton (3-0), 9; Washington (3-1), 5

CLASS 4
Rank, team, Rec., Pts.
1. Jefferson City Helias (6), 4-0, 94
2. West Plains (3), 4-0, 93
3. Hannibal (1), 3-0, 64
4. Bolivar, 3-1, 60
5. Smithville, 3-1, 57
6. Festus, 4-0, 55
7. Lincoln College Prep, 2-1, 41
8. Moberly, 4-0, 27
9. St. Dominic, 3-1, 25
10. Winnetonka, 4-0, 23
Also receiving votes: Center (3-1), 4; Savannah (1-1), 4; Kearney (2-2), 2; Warrensburg (3-1), 1

CLASS 3
Rank, team, Rec., Pts.
1. Blair Oaks (7), 4-0, 97
2. Odessa (2), 4-0, 91
3. Mt. Vernon, 4-0, 74
4. Valle Catholic (1), 4-0, 73
5. Kennett, 4-0, 42
T6. Cassville, 3-1, 38
T6. Centralia, 3-0, 38
8. Oak Grove, 3-1, 33
9. Buffalo, 4-0, 26
10. Southern Boone, 3-1, 20
Also receiving votes: Park Hills Central (2-0), 8; St. Francis Borgia (2-2), 6; Maryville (2-2), 4

CLASS 2
Rank, team, Rec., Pts.
1. Palmyra (5), 4-0, 94
2. Lafayette County (2), 4-0, 84
3. Lamar (1), 3-1, 70
4. Lutheran St. Charles (1), 3-1, 69
5. St. Pius X (1), 4-0, 56
6. Clark County, 3-1, 54
7. Butler, 4-0, 28
8. Lexington, 4-0, 25
9. Monroe City, 3-1, 23
10. Duchesne, 3-1, 22
Also receiving votes: Warsaw (3-0), 18; Highland (3-1), 3; New Madrid County Central (3-1), 3; East Prairie (3-1), 1

CLASS 1
Rank, team, Rec., Pts.
1. Mid Buchanan (8), 4-0, 97
2. Hayti (1), 3-0, 81
3. Thayer (1), 3-1, 78
4. Milan, 4-0, 64
5. Windsor, 4-0, 57
6. Westran, 4-0, 40
7. East Buchanan, 3-0, 39
8. Marionville, 4-0, 31
9. Adrian, 3-1, 18
10. Skyline, 3-1, 17
Also receiving votes: Marceline (3-1), 10; Crest Ridge (3-1), 4; South Harrison (3-1), 4; Cabool (3-1), 3; Lockwood (3-1), 3; Harrisburg (2-2), 2; Pierce City (3-1), 2.

**Only teams that have played games this season are eligible for rankings.**

PSU, other MIAA schools working together to put out a football schedule

Posted on by Lucas Davis

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Missouri Western State University, the University of Nebraska-Kearney and Pittsburg State University announced a non-conference scheduling alliance on Monday that will allow the three Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association member institutions to play a partial 2020 football schedule beginning in late October.

The “scheduling alliance” was created following the cancellation of the 2020 football season by the MIAA and the 2020 NCAA Division II fall championships by the NCAA to create an avenue for the Griffons, Lopers and Gorillas student-athletes to play a limited number of games this fall.

In the scheduling alliance, MWSU, UNK and Pitt State will each play two games against one another while filling out the remainder of their schedules with other NCAA-II and FCS institutions.

“We are excited to make this announcement today and be able to bring football back for the 2020 season,” PSU athletic director Jim Johnson said in a press release. “I am thankful to Josh Looney at Missouri Western and Marc Bauer at Nebraska-Kearney for all their efforts in making this possible.

“At this time, we believe it is possible to play football in our community and we are planning this with the interest of the physical and mental wellness of our student-athletes at the forefront. We believe, for many reasons, it is in the best interest of our institution, our community and our fan base to have football this fall.

“There is still room to add a fifth game to our schedule on Nov. 21. We are working to secure a second home game to be played at Carnie Smith Stadium that day.”

Pittsburg State will host UNK at Carnie Smith Stadium on Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. The Gorillas and MWSU will face one another at St. Joseph on Nov. 7 at 3 p.m., while the Lopers and Griffons will meet at Kearney at 1 p.m. on Nov. 21.

Pittsburg State has additional non-conference match-ups scheduled Nov. 14 at Nacogdoches, Texas against FCS member Stephen F. Austin (4 p.m.) and Nov. 28 at Canyon, Texas against D2 member West Texas A&M (time TBA).

UNK has additional non-conference match-ups scheduled Nov. 7 in Kearney against Chadron State (time TBA) and Nov. 14 at Rapid City, S.D., against South Dakota Mines at 2 p.m.

MWSU will travel to Conway, Ark., on Oct. 31 to face FCS member Central Arkansas at 3 p.m. and will travel to Canyon, Texas to take on West Texas A&M on Nov. 14 (time TBA).

Tennis: Neosho drops dual to Nixa

Posted on by Jason Peake

Nixa defeated Neosho 9-0 in girls tennis action on Monday.
Match results are below.

Singles
1. Michelle Lindsay lost to Arabella Cosgrove 8-0
2. Emily Lemus lost to Olivia Engelman 8-0
3. Claudia Martensen lost to Megan Brassard 8-2
4. Ana Ramirez lost to Anna Martens 8-3
5. Angelica Vynyas lost to Mallory Yeary 8-2
6. Mariana Anaya lost to Jenelle Schmidly 8-0

Doubles
1. Lindsay/Lemus lost to Cosgrove/Martens 8-4
2. Martensen/Vynyas lost to Engelman/Brassard 8-1
3. Anaya/Jasmine Martinez lost to Yeary/Schmidly 8-1

NO SURPRISE: Webb City football bumps up to Class 5

Posted on by Jason Peake

When the news arrived on Monday morning, John Roderique was not surprised.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association released its new classifications and district assignments for the fall 2020 season, and Roderique’s Webb City football team was listed in Class 5’s District 6.

After years of being a perennial power in Class 4, the defending champion Cardinals bumped up a class.

“The last couple years we’ve been thinking we might bump up,” Roderique said. “It wasn’t really a surprise this year because they changed the format as far as how they calculate the districts. It is what it is. It will just be a different group of teams we’ll play. We’ve always played those Class 5 teams in the COC. It will obviously be a step up (in competition) if we can advance past the district. But if you can win our district, you’ll be well-prepared.” 

The change is due to the MSHSAA bylaw that passed a couple of years ago. 

“They wanted the differential to be as small as it could be,” Roderique said.   

Also competing in Class 5’s District 6 are Carthage, Branson, Neosho, Ozark and Republic, all members of the Central Ozark Conference.

With that, fans may get a Carthage-Webb City postseason matchup after the regular season meeting was canceled due to virus-related issues at CHS. 

The two schools have been meeting on the gridiron for 100 years now. Of course, District 6 features last year’s Class 4 and Class 5 state champions. 

“We haven’t been in a district with Carthage in a long time, so that’s the biggest change,” Roderique said. “It will be different. But it just adds to the rivalry. There aren’t a lot of years where you have two defending state champions in the same district.”

Competing against Class 5 competition is nothing new for Webb City, as the COC has had five members (Carthage, Branson, Ozark, Nixa, Republic) competing in Class 5 for years. Joplin and Nixa are now both in Class 6. 

Before the COC expanded, Webb City regularly scheduled larger schools, including Rockhurst and Springdale Har-Ber.

There are eight districts in Class 5, with 51 total teams. There were 36 teams in Class 5 last year.

THIS ‘N THAT

Carl Junction is now the only Class 4 school competing in the COC. 

The championship picture will look much different in Class 4 this year. Ladue, Camdenton and Platte County are other teams that bumped up to Class 5 this year. 

Webb City beat Platte County in last year’s Class 4 championship game and the Cardinals beat both Camdenton and Ladue en route to the title game. Ladue won the Class 4 championship in ’18. 

Class 3 now features defending state champion Odessa, last year’s Class 3 runner-up Cassville, along with last year’s Class 2 champion Lutheran North and last year’s Class 2 runner-up Ava. Also of note, Valle Catholic is now in Class 3 as well. It’s safe to say Class 3 is loaded. 

The state’s largest 32 schools are in Class 6, including Joplin and Nixa. 

Nine of those teams, including DeSmet and CBC, haven’t even played a game yet this season. 

Only two teams in Class 6’s District 1 have played thus far, with only half the teams in District 2 having competed. 

How will this impact the postseason? Will several teams receive byes in their respective district tournaments or will MSHSAA adjust the district assignments? 

Only time will tell. 

 

McDonald County’s Allman wins third straight golf tourney; Carthage claims team title on home course

Posted on by Jason Peake

CARTHAGE, Mo. — As the summer months progressed, and as the school year quickly approached, McDonald County’s Lily Allman anxiously wondered if she’d get a senior season on the links. 

Like the countless other high school athletes from across the country, Allman could only wait for the verdict. 

“It was nerve-racking this summer,” Allman said. “I played in a lot of summer tournaments, so I tried to stay focused on that because no one knew what was going to happen. I played as much as I could in case we didn’t have a season.”

Eventually, good news arrived, and the prep golf season is underway.

Now, Allman is determined to make the most of the 2020 fall season. 

And thus far, she’s doing just that. 

A multi-year standout for the Mustangs, Allman earned medalist honors at the 10th annual eCarthage.com Invitational girls golf tournament on a near perfect Monday at the Carthage Golf Course. 

“I’m just glad we’re able to play,” Allman said. “I just try to take each tournament one at a time because you never know what could happen. I’m just thankful and I feel blessed that I’m able to play this year. And so far, the season’s been good.”

As far as Allman’s performance on Monday, good would be an understatement.

Allman carded an impressive 2-under-par 69, seven strokes better than the runner-up.

“I actually got off to a rough start today,” Allman said. “But my coach told me to take it one shot at a time and I think I did a good job of doing that. I just tried to relax and go play golf. As soon as I got that mindset, it was a better day.” 

Allman made seven birdies and shot par on seven other holes en route to her personal best score.

“I told her, ‘This year you will post a score under-par’ and she did,” Mustangs coach Darryl Harbaugh said. “She started off today with a bogey and then a double-bogey on the first two holes. She was mad and ready to throw down. I told her to calm down and just play her game. Then she got on a roll. She made a heck of a birdie and made a couple of nice putts on the back nine. I don’t think she three-putted today. She did great.”

Pictured is McDonald County’s Lily Allman.

Allman is off to a stellar start to her senior year, as she’s now won three invites in as many weeks.

She took first place at the Carl Junction invite last week at Briarbrook Golf Course with a 75 and also topped the leaderboard at Joplin’s invite two weeks ago at Schifferdecker Golf Course with a 78. 

Earlier in the season, Allman placed third at Marshfield’s tournament and sixth at Springfield Catholic’s invite. 

“Technically, she started off the season a little slow,” Harbaugh said. “In the first few tournaments, she found a couple of things to work on and places she can improve. And you don’t have to tell her anything twice because she’s always working on her game. And her hard work is paying off. She’s playing great and she’s having a great year.”

In 2019, Allman captured district and sectional titles before finishing 31st at the Class 2 state tournament.

Allman noted she’s highly-motivated to end her prep golf career on a high note.

After the conference tourney on Sept. 29, McDonald County will compete at the Class 3 District 3 tournament in Springfield, where a trip to state will be on the line. This year’s Class 3 state tournament will be held at Twin Hills in Joplin. 

“My goal is to compete and do well at districts and to go on to state,” Allman said. “I’d love to be all-state. I just want to do the best I can and let the results take care of itself.” 

“I hope she doesn’t put too much pressure on herself the rest of this year,” Harbaugh said. “You can only control one shot at a time. But she knows that.”

CARTHAGE WINS TEAM TITLE, JOPLIN TAKES SECOND

With three golfers in the top nine, the host Carthage Tigers claimed the team championship with a four-person score of 366. 

Carthage’s Hailey Bryant was the runner-up with a 5-over-par 76. Bryant made three birdies. Shaely Garrison took seventh place with a 92 and Caitlin Derryberry was ninth with a 95. Aubri Fisher’s 103 rounded out the team scoring. 

Competing as an individual, Carthage’s Kim Lopez finished eighth with a 95. 

“I thought they all played pretty good,” Tigers coach Lowell Catron said. “Hailey’s score is pretty good. Shaely, Caitlin and Aubrey all had their best rounds, so that was good to see. And we’re getting Rylee Scott back tomorrow, so we’re looking forward to that. We’ll keep teeing it up and we’ll keep trying to play as good as we can.” 

The Carthage Tigers pose with the first-place plaque on Monday.

 

The Joplin Eagles finished second in the team standings with a 395.

“I’m so proud of the girls,” Eagles coach Shannon Neill said. “We’re definitely seeing improvements. We still need to work on the short game for sure.” 

Joplin’s Emily Delman placed fourth with a 90 and Campbell Waggoner took 10th with a 98. 

Also for the Eagles, Sophia Schwartz shot a 99, Bella Sotlar turned in a 108 and Lindsey Belnap shot a 109.

After Allman and Bryant, Webb City’s Sarah Oathout placed third, with Joplin’s Delman fourth, Seneca’s Kaitlyn Soden fifth and Webb City’s Laya McAllister sixth. All four girls carded 90. 

Area teams will compete at Cassville on Thursday.  

The Joplin Eagles pose with the second-place plaque on Monday at the Carthage Golf Course.

 

eCarthage.com Girls Golf Invitational 

At Carthage Golf Course

(Par 71)

CARTHAGE (366)— Hailey Bryant 76, Shaely Garrison 92, Caitlin Derryberry 95, Aubri Fisher 103, Ava Lacey 123.

JOPLIN (395)— Emily Delman 90, Campbell Waggoner 98, Sophia Schwartz 99, Bella Sotlar 108, Lindsey Belnap 109. 

MCDONALD COUNTY (402)— Lily Allman 69, Jolie Stipp 105, Anna Mead 108, Fayth Ogden 120, Kyla Moore 123. 

WEBB CITY (416)— Sarah Oathout 90, Laya McAllister 90, Sydney French 102, Eve Cartwright 134, Sophia Coulson 135. 

SENECA (440)— Kaitlyn Soden 90, Madison Babbitt 111, Britany Adcock 116, Olivia Clark 123, Daylynn Carradine 127.

NEVADA (443)— Katie Pennington 100, Riley Severance 109, Libby Barrett 114, Paige Hertzberg 120. 

CARL JUNCTION (449)— Anna Burch 105, Jasmine Woerner 112, Rylee Sprague 116, Chloe Mitchell 116, Kris Smith 121.

MONETT (478)— Claire Nation 112, Jisell Canales 114, Alondra Areolla 118, Jenna Spencer 134.  

Individuals: Kim Lopez 95, Abbi Feagan 114, Kelsie Lilly 134. 

 

COC Football standings after Week 4

Posted on by Jason Peake

Central Ozark Conference football standings

Nixa              4-0
Carthage      3-0
Webb City    3-1
Ozark             3-1
Branson        2-2
Joplin           2-2
Republic        2-2
Carl Junction 1-3
Neosho          0-4
Willard          0-4

Aug. 28 scores
Joplin 41, Webb City 40
Carl Junction 29, Willard 12
Carthage 35, Ozark 14
Republic 21, Neosho 0
Nixa 42, Branson 6

Sept. 4 scores
Webb City 45, Neosho 0
Nixa 35, Joplin 34
Carthage 21, Carl Junction 20
Republic 27, Willard 8
Ozark 26, Branson 16

Sept. 11 scores

Ozark 51, Joplin 43

Carthage 42, Neosho 7

Webb City 49, Republic 28

Branson 21, Carl Junction 20

Nixa 42, Willard 6

Sept. 18 scores

Joplin 49, Carl Junction 28

Webb City 38, Kickapoo 10

Branson 49, Neosho 15

Nixa 35, Republic 7

Ozark 42, Willard 14

Sept. 25 games
Joplin at Willard
Carl Junction at Webb City
Branson at Carthage
Neosho at Nixa
Ozark at Republic

Swimming: Webb City wins Monett invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

MONETT, Mo. — Webb City captured the team championship at the Monett Invitational swim meet on Saturday at the Monett Area YMCA.
The Cardinals finished on top of the team standings with 346 points, while Carthage (276) Marshfield (266), and Nevada (252) finished second, third and fourth, respectively. There were nine teams in attendance.
“We were short a couple of key guys so I was pleased that we were still able to take the win,” Webb City coach Shawn Klosterman said.
Webb City’s team of Ethan Shipley, Micah Brouwer, Steve Kenlee and Cody Herndon won the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3 minutes, 59 seconds.
The Cardinals finished fourth in the 200 medley relay, as Judah Ritchie, Zion Wood, Brouwer and Shipley competed. Webb City was sixth in the 200 freestyle relay, with Steve Kenlee, Jonathan Kenlee, Herndon and Wood swimmings.
Shipley placed second in the 100 freestyle and third in the 200 freestyle, while Jonathan Kenlee finished second in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:08, with Steve Kenlee fifth in the same event (1:11).
Steve Kenlee took  fourth in the 500 free, with Aiden Patterson eighth. Brouwer was fourth in the 200 individual medley and Wood was seventh. Herndon finished fifth in the 100 free.
Brouwer and Wood were fourth and fifth in the 100 breaststroke, while Ritchie finished seventh in the backstroke.
Webb City’s Carson Forcum and Logan Thibault finished first and second, respectively, in the 1-meter diving competition.

CARTHAGE RESULTS
Carthage’s Ezekiel Ramirez finished second in the 200 freestyle, while Kellen Frieling and Eli Cox placed third and fourth in the backstroke.
Cox and Landon White were third and fourth in the 100 butterfly.
Will Wallace finished fifth in the 200 IM, with Frieling sixth. Wallace was also fifth in the 500 free, while Aaron Vang was fifth in the 50 free.
Gibson Huelat and Ramirez finished sixth and seventh in the breaststroke.
The Tigers placed third in the 200 medley relay, with Frieling, Ramirez, White and Cox competing.
Carthage was also third in the 200 freestyle relay, with Ramirez, Frieling, Cox and White swimming.

MONETT RESULTS
Monett’s Matthew Fillinger won the 200 individual medley in 2:16, while Andrew Kranz took first in the 100 freestyle (55.23). The Cubs were second in the 200 medley relay.

NEVADA RESULTS
Nevada standout Ben Hines won the 100 butterfly in 56.76, while Cody Leung won both the 200 freestyle (1:52) and the 100 breaststroke (1:03).
Nevada won both the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relays. Karter Evans was second in the 50 free.

Monett Invitational
Team standings: Webb City 346, Carthage 276, Marshfield 266,  Nevada 252, West Plains 231, Monett 194, Waynesville 161, Hillcrest 43, Parkview 9.


MSHSAA releases new classifications, district assignments; Webb City football moves to Class 5

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Missouri State High School Activities Association has released new classifications and district assignments for the 2020 fall season.
Volleyball, softball, girls tennis, girls golf and cross country all have expanded classes this year.

In the biggest change for football, Webb City is moving up to Class 5.

A sport-by-sport look at the new classifications and district assignments is below.

FOOTBALL
Joplin is in Class 6 District 3 with Kickapoo, Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit North, Lee’s Summit West, Nixa, Raymore-Peculiar and Rockhurst.
As expected, Webb City bumped up to Class 5 this year. The Cardinals are in Class 5 District 6 with Carthage, Branson, Neosho, Ozark and Republic.
This means fans may get a Carthage vs. Webb City postseason game after the regular season meeting was canceled due to virus-related issues at CHS. This district features two defending state champions.
Ladue, Camdenton and Platte County are other teams that bumped up to Class 5 this year.
Class 4 District 5 features Carl Junction, Hillcrest, Rogersville, Marshfield, McDonald County, Monett and West Plains. Nevada is in District 6 with Bolivar, Harrisonville, Helias Catholic, Marshall and Warrensburg.
Class 3 District 6 features Aurora, Cassville, Hollister, Mount Vernon, Reeds Spring and Seneca. Class 2 District 4 consists of Clever, East Newton, El Dorado Springs, Lamar, Sarcoxie and Stockton.
Class 1 District 4 consists of Ash Grove, Cabool, Diamond, Greenfield, Lockwood, Marionville, Miller and Pierce City. 8-Man District 1 features Jasper, Liberal, Appleton City, Archie, Drexel, Northwest, Osceola and Rich Hill.

VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball has expanded to five classes this year.
Joplin, Carthage, Lee’s Summit West and Raymore-Peculiar are in Class 5 District 12.
In Class 4, District 10 features Neosho, Monett, McDonald County and Branson, while District 11 consists of Carl Junction, Webb City, Nevada and Bolivar.
Class 3 District 12 consists of Aurora, Cassville, East Newton, Lamar, Mount Vernon and Seneca. Class 2 District 10 features Diamond, Pierce City, Purdy, Sarcoxie and Southwest.
Class 1 District 8 features College Heights, Exeter, McAuley Catholic, Thomas Jefferson, Verona and Wheaton, while District 9 has Everton, Golden City, Greenfield, Jasper, Liberal and Lockwood in it.

SOFTBALL
Softball has also expanded to five classes.
Class 5 District 6 consists of Joplin, Carthage, Springfield Central, Kickapoo, Nixa, Ozark and Republic.
Class 4 District 6 features Branson, Carl Junction, Glendale, McDonald County, Monett, Neosho, Parkview and Webb City.
In Class 3, Seneca, Cassville and Aurora are among the teams in District 4, while Nevada is in District 5.

CROSS COUNTRY
There are now five classes for cross country.
Joplin and Carthage are in Class 5, while Webb City, Carl Junction, Neosho, McDonald County, Nevada and Monett are in Class 4.
Seneca is among the teams in Class 3, while College Heights, McAuley and Thomas Jefferson are in Class 1.

GIRLS TENNIS
There are now three classes for tennis.
Joplin and Carthage are in Class 3 District 6 with Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit North, Lee’s Summit West and Raymore-Peculiar.
Class 2 District 6 features Carl Junction, Webb City, Neosho, Hillcrest, Parkview, Republic and Willard.
College Heights, Thomas Jefferson, Monett and Mount Vernon are in Class 1 District 11.

GIRLS GOLF
Golf has expanded from two to four classes this year.
Joplin is in Class 4 District 3, while Carthage, Webb City and McDonald County are among the teams in Class 3 District 3. The Class 3 state golf tournament will be held at Twin Hills in Joplin.
Carl Junction is in Class 2 District 3 with Nevada, Cassville and Monett.

BOYS SOCCER
Joplin and Carthage are in Class 4 District 12 with Nixa and Republic.
Class 3 District 12 features Carl Junction, McDonald County, Neosho and Webb City.

BOYS SWIMMING
Joplin remains the lone area school in Class 2, as Carthage and Webb City are among the teams in Class 1.

Volleyball: Carl Junction takes third at Springfield Classic

Posted on by Jason Peake

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. —  The Carl Junction volleyball team finished third at the Springfield Classic on Saturday.
The Bulldogs went 3-1 at the event, improving to 7-2 overall.
In pool play, Carl Junction beat Glendale 25-22, 25-15 and Ozark 25-19, 27-25.
In the semifinals, Kickapoo defeated Carl Junction 20-25, 25-23, 29-27.
For third place, Carl Junction beat Ozark 18-25, 25-23, 25-20.
Carl Junction’s Salma Lewis and Logan Jones were named to the all-tournament team.
The Bulldogs travel to Carthage on Tuesday night.

Volleyball: Cavaliers, Warriors fall in TJ tourney semifinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

The host Cavaliers fell just short of playing for the championship at their own Thomas Jefferson Invitational volleyball tournament on Saturday afternoon.
In the tourney semifinals, Pleasant Hope defeated Thomas Jefferson 26-24, 25-18.
Thomas Jefferson’s Winni Hiebert compiled eight kills, four aces and a block, while Sonia Carlson had three kills. Mary Nguyen and Alice MacDonald had two aces apiece.
Golden City defeated Pleasant Hope 25-15, 25-23 in the event’s championship match.
McAuley Catholic also fell in the tourney’s semifinals, as Golden City defeated the Warriors 2-0.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS
The event began on Friday.
In Purple Pool play, Thomas Jefferson defeated Sheldon 25-9, 25-9.
Laynie Solum and MacDonald served five aces apiece for the Cavaliers, while Hiebert had three kills and two blocks. Nico Carlson, Sonia Carlson and Kayley Ball had two kills each.
The Cavaliers also defeated McAuley 26-24, 25-17.
Hiebert had six kills and two blocks, while Sonia Carlson contributed four kills. Nico Carlson added two kills and a block.
McAuley defeated Sheldon 25-9, 25-11 in another pool play match.

Webb City takes third at Winnetonka softball tourney

Posted on by Jason Peake

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —  After suffering a loss for the first time in 2020, the Webb City Cardinals rebounded nicely later in the day by winning the third-place game of the Winnetonka Softball Tournament on Saturday. 

Webb City defeated Staley 8-5 to end the two-day tourney on a high note. 

The Cardinals, who lost to Liberty North 11-7 in Saturday’s semifinals, are now 14-1. 

In the third-place game, Staley led 4-1 when Webb City scored seven unanswered runs, with three in the third, one in the fifth and three more in the sixth. The Falcons got a run back in the top of the seventh before the Cardinals recorded the final out.

Webb City senior Haidyn Berry earned the win in the circle after allowing just one earned run. She struck out six, scattered six hits and walked one.

Alyssa Jennings and Hannah Wells led Webb City’s offense, as both players drove in three runs on two hits. Jennings hit two home runs, while Emalee Lamar also homered for Shauna Friend’s Cardinals.

Emma Welch, Kaylyn Gilbert and Berry all contributed two hits apiece. Berry drove in two runs, while Gilbert scored twice. 

Staley’s Hailey Herman took the loss. She gave up eight runs, all earned, on 12 hits. She struck out three and walked four. 

Haili Klusman hit a two-run home run for the Falcons. 

LIBERTY NORTH 11, WEBB CITY 7

After 13 straight wins to start the fall campaign, the Cardinals fell for the first time. 

Liberty North plated four runs in both the third and sixth innings en route to victory. The Cardinals rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn’t enough. 

Jennings went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while Welch, Lamar and Shae’lee Key had two hits apiece. Welch and Wells drove in two runs apiece, while Lamar homered. Peyton Hawkins, Gilbert and Lamar each had one RBI. 

Berry gave up seven earned runs on 13 hits in her first loss, striking out three and walking two. 

Katie Chester went 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored for Liberty North. Kiana McDowell was the winning pitcher. She allowed 12 hits and six earned runs. 

NOTES: Rock Bridge beat Liberty North 11-0 in the tourney’s championship game.

Webb City hosts Carl Junction at 4:30 on Tuesday. 

Pittsburg State football to play Stephen F. Austin State

Posted on by Lucas Davis

The Pittsburg State Gorillas football program will take on Stephen F. Austin State at Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas on November 14, 2020. 

The MIAA announced the suspension of all fall athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic on Aug. 14. 

“Though the conference football season is canceled, we are committed to assembling an abbreviated non-conference schedule,” said Pittsburg State’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jim Johnson in a press release. “This is important for next season, for our seniors who’ll soon leave us, and for our community. We look forward to it.”  

For new head coach Brian Wright and his staff, any opportunity to compete is very welcome.   

“This season is not what we planned, but our coaches and athletes have adapted and we’ve stayed prepared,” said Wright in the release. “Giving our athletes a chance to play the game they love, test themselves, and put in the work to stay game-ready for next season is our top priority. I’m happy for them, for our coaches, and for our fans.” 

Pittsburg State will announce a total of no more than five non-conference games in the next few days. Plans are underway for two home games at Carnie Smith Stadium. Pittsburg State Athletics will work with the Crawford County Health Department and the Bryant Student Health Center to determine crowd capacity and spectator virus mitigation measures, with details being announced as they are determined.  

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