Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

Month: September 2020

SOFTBALL: Neosho wins Lady Pirate Invitational with a 3-0 Saturday

Posted on by Lucas Davis

BRANSON, Mo. — Neosho won all three games on Saturday to take first place in the Branson Lady Pirate Softball Tournament. 

The Wildcats earned a 6-5 win over Joplin in their first contest before defeating Glendale 9-1 and Lebanon 8-0 to wrap up play. 

NEOSHO 6, JOPLIN 5

Joplin scored five runs in the first three innings to build a 5-4 lead before Neosho rallied with a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to earn a 6-5 win Saturday morning.

Neosho’s Brittany Winchester reached first on an error to start the last of the fourth before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a flyout. With two outs, Lili Graue singled to center to bring home Winchester to tie the game at 5-5. 

Neosho’s Abbie Carpenter walked with one out in the last of the fifth before a double by Alivia Campbell put runners on second and third. Maddie Carpenter followed with a fly ball to center field to bring home Carpenter in walk-off fashion with a sacrifice fly to send Neosho to a 6-5 win.

Campbell doubled and had two hits to go along with an RBI to lead Neosho. Graue, Sierra Jones, Carpenter and Winchester all recorded hits. Graue scored twice and drove in one. 

Winchester earned the win in the circle after pitching two scoreless innings in relief, striking out one. Chloe Patterson started and took the no-decision after allowing five runs, three earned, on six hits, two walks and four strikeouts. 

Joplin’s Bailey Ledford finished with two hits, an RBI and a run scored to lead the Eagles. Kami Manning had one hit, one RBI and two runs scored. Izzy Yust, Madisyn Tracy and Abby McGinnis all recorded hits for Joplin.

Jill McDaniel took the loss after allowing six runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks.

NEOSHO 9, GLENDALE 1

Neosho scored three runs in the first inning, one in the second, two in each the third and fourth frames and another run in the fifth inning to cruise past Glendale in the Wildcats’ second game on Saturday.

Graue led Neosho with three hits, including a double, two RBI and two runs scored, while Kaitlyn Killion, who tripled, finished with two hits and two runs scored. Jones added two hits and an RBI, while Trinity Drake doubled and drove in two. 

Winchester earned the win in the circle after allowing one run on six hits, two walks and four strikeouts.

NEOSHO 8, LEBANON 0

After scoring once in the bottom of the first, Neosho pulled away from Lebanon with a six-run second inning en route to the win.

Campbell led Neosho with three hits, including a triple, two RBI and a run scored. Graue tripled on the way to two hits, two RBI and a run scored. Killion had two hits and scored two runs, while McKaylie Forrest had one hit, scored one and drove in two. Maelynn Garrett had one hit, scored a run and drove in one.

Phenix Scott earned the win after holding Lebanon scoreless over three innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. Winchester pitched two scoreless innings in release, striking out one.

Carthage wins Nevada golf invite; Webb City, Joplin take second, third

Posted on by Jason Peake

NEVADA, Mo. — Carthage edged Webb City by three strokes to claim first place at the Nevada Lady Tiger Invitational on Friday at Frank E. Peters Golf Course.
The Tigers finished with a 399, while the Cardinals turned in a 402. Joplin finished third in the team standings with a 424.
Carthage’s Hailey Bryant earned medalist honors with an 11-over-par 83.
Stockton’s Jenna Rickman placed second with an 88, while Webb City’s trio of Sarah Oathout (92), Sydney French (94) and Laya McAllister (96) finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
Carthage’s Shaely Garrison took sixth with a 100. Joplin’s Lindsey Belnap (102) finished seventh, with teammates Emily Delman and Sophia Schwartz tied for eighth with identical scores of 106.
Carthage’s Caitlin Derryberry rounded out the top 10 with a 107.
Full results are below.

NEVADA LADY TIGER INVITATIONAL
At Frank E. Peters Golf Course
(Par 72)
CARTHAGE (399)—Hailey Bryant 83, Shaely Garrison 100, Caitlin Derryberry 107, Aubri Fisher 109, Ava Lacey 112.

WEBB CITY (402)—Sarah Oathout 92, Sydney French 94, Laya McAllister 96, Sophia Coulson 120, Eve Cartwright 136.
JOPLIN (424)—Lindsey Belnap 102, Emily Delman 106, Sophia Schwartz 106, Campbell Waggoner 110, Bella Sotlar 111.
STOCKTON (427)—Jenna Rickman 88, Makayla Walker 108, Caley Dalton 119, Victoria Nail 112, Kaylie Simmons 123.
CARL JUNCTION (465)—Anna Burch 111, Rylee Sprague 113, Kris Smith 117, Jasmine Woerner 124, Chloe Mitchell 125.
BUTLER (468)—Gracee Lesmeister 114, Autumn Cumpton 110, Nadia Mora 128, Machia Bosch 131, Haven Humphrey 116.
NEVADA (479)—Katie Pennington 109, Riley Severence 113, Paige Hertzberg 125, Libby Barrett 132.
PURDY (498)—Danielle Reed 118, Makayla Ash 123, Makenna Orwig 126, Aubrey Knatcal 131.
Individuals—Kim Lopez 115, Avery Neely 126.

SOFTBALL: Joplin splits with Cassville to open Lady Pirate Invitational

Posted on by Lucas Davis

BRANSON, Mo. — Joplin rallied in the sixth inning to win the first of a two-game split with Cassville to open the Branson Lady Pirate Invitational on Friday.

Joplin broke a 4-4 tie with a run in the top of the six in the opener to beat Cassville 5-4. In Game 2, the Wildcats scored first and held serve, holding off the Eagles for a 6-4 win. 

JOPLIN, 5-4

Reece Schroer walked to lead off the top of the sixth before moving to third on a pair of groundouts by Madisyn Tracy and Ashley Phillips. With the score tied at 4-4, Bailey Ledford came through with a two-out single to center field to bring home the go-ahead run to send the Eagles to a 5-4 win.

Jill McDaniel earned the win after allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits, two walks and eight strikeouts in a complete-game effort.

McDaniel added two hits at the plate with an RBI, while Tracy doubled twice, drove in a run and scored a run. Schroer doubled and scored twice.

CASSVILLE, 6-4

Cassville and Joplin traded runs in the first inning before the Wildcats added two runs in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead. Cassville scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning to push the lead to six runs. Joplin rallied with three runs in the bottom of the third but would get no closer before the final out was made.

Ledford, Phillips, Izzy Yust and Kami Manning all registered hits for Joplin. Ledford scored twice, while Manning and Phillips each scored a run.

UP NEXT

Joplin takes on Neosho at 9 a.m. before matching up with Lebanon at noon. Joplin wraps Saturday play in the Branson Lady Pirate Invitational with a contest against Glendale at 1:30 p.m.

FOOTBALL: Joplin snaps two-game skid with 49-28 win over Carl Junction

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Joplin and Carl Junction traded scores early before the Eagles pulled away to snap a two-game losing skid with a 49-28 win over the Bulldogs on Friday at Bulldog Stadium.

“For our guys, to be able to sing the fight song after a win, it means a lot,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. “We had a really hard week of practice. And I told them, it is going to take that every week. … I think proof is in the pudding. If you come out and work your tails off, good things are going to happen.”

Carl Junction (1-3) and Joplin (2-2) traded long scoring drives to start the game before the Bulldogs took a 14-7 lead into the second quarter after an 18-yard touchdown from quarterback  Alex Baker to tight end Noah Southern with 1:09 left in the opening frame.

“Offensively, we did some really outstanding things in the first quarter,” Carl Junction coach Doug Buckmaster said. “Then the game turned into a track meet. We had a very difficult time of stopping Mr. Glades for Joplin, who is an outstanding running back.

Carl Junction’s Alex baker (8) loads up for a pass in the Bulldogs’ game with Joplin on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“Once you don’t score in a game like this, when you don’t finish a drive, and they go and score, it kind of changes the mindset. It makes us try to score faster to maintain the track-meet pace that is going on. We moved the ball well the entire night, but we just had turnovers and penalties.”

Joplin answered early in the second quarter when running back Nathan Glades ripped off a 25-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 14-14 with 11:26 to play.

Joplin’s defense pitched a shutout in the second quarter to allow the offense a chance to gain the advantage on the scoreboard.

“Really, the past two weeks, we haven’t been giving a strong enough effort and we have been playing selfishly,” Joplin defensive end Jacob Prosser said. “We had a really good week of practice, running around and having fun. I guess that just allowed us to do what we needed to do. We were having fun, hitting people hard and it carried over into the second half.”

After forcing the Bulldogs to punt on their first possession, Joplin took the lead on a 1-yard touchdown from Glades, who took the snap on first-down-and-goal in the wildcat formation before Superman diving over the trench battle for the score, to give the Eagles a 21-14 advantage with 6:25 to play in the half.

Prosser sacked Baker on third-down-and-5 on the ensuing Carl Junction drive to force another Bulldog punt. After Joplin turned it over on the following drive, JHS’ Donovyn Fowler picked off a tipped pass from Baker for another defensive stop, sending the Eagles into the locker room with a lead for the first time this season. 

“Once Prosser started getting home on some of his stuff, or at least making them uncomfortable, that helped the defense tremendously,” Jasper said. “That was the first time this year we were able to (have a lead at the half), so it sure felt different. As a coach, you are paranoid about a second-half letdown, but our kids didn’t. They came out and played hard from beginning to end.”

Getting the ball out of the intermission, Joplin wasted no time stretching its lead to two scores. Quarterback Always Wright hooked up with wideout Keaton Renfro for a 51-yard connection, setting up a 5-yard touchdown run from Glades to make the score 28-14 with 11:26 to play.

“We felt like if we could go out and score on the first possession of the second half, it would really put the pressure on Carl Junction and help us defensively,” Jasper said. “I felt like it did that. Offensive, defense and special teams played really well tonight.”

Carl Junction answered with a scoring drive that culminated in a 41-yard touchdown pass from Baker to Cole Stewart with 9:07 left in the third to trim Joplin’s lead to 28-21.

On the ensuing kickoff, Glades fielded the ball at the 18-yard line before cutting his way through to daylight, sprinting his way past everyone on the way to an 82-yard kick return touchdown, his second of the season, to put Joplin back up two possessions, 35-27.

Joplin’s Always Wright stretches for paydirt in the Eagles’ win over Carl Junction on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Glades added a 5-yard touchdown with 5:59 to play in the third quarter to make the score 42-21.

“I think a lot of our (offensive efficiency success) goes to the offensive line, and the perimeter blocking was a lot better,” Jasper said. “Trayshawn and Keaton had really good nights out there. … It feels like we are starting to do more of the little things correctly.”

On the final play of the third quarter, Joplin’s Scott Lowe came up with an interception of Baker with the Bulldogs in the red zone to stall the 10-plus play drive.

Wright found Landen Atherton on a 55-yard completion on the first play of the fourth quarter to get Joplin in Carl Junction territory. Later in the drive, running back Trayquan Peavler ripped off a gain of 27 yards on the ground to set up his first touchdown of the season, a 3-yard rush on first down with goal to go, to give Joplin a 49-21 lead with 10:02 to play.

“This was great, and there are going to be a lot of smiling faces in that locker room tonight,” Peavler said. “Hopefully, we can get back to Joplin football and get some more wins like we know how.”

“I have to give credit to the offensive line for giving me those holes,” Peavler added when talking about his success on the ground in the fourth quarter. “It was just me doing the work after that. My first touchdown was a great feeling.”

Carl Junction’s Kyler Perry added a 12-yard score inside the final minute to get to the final margin.

STAT SHEET

Wright completed 10-of-14 passes for 288 yards and had a 12-yard rushing score, while Glades finished the night with 25 carries for 176 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to go along with an 82-yard kick return touchdown. Trayshawn Thomas led Joplin with five receptions for 140 receiving yards.

Baker completed 27-of-44 passes for 336 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Southern led the Bulldogs in receiving with nine grabs for 103 yards and a touchdown. Brady Sims, who opened the game with a 4-yard rushing score, tallied 72 yards on 17 carries.

UP NEXT

Joplin travels to Willard (0-4).

Carl Junction travels to Webb City (3-1)

Webb City rolls past Kickapoo on Senior Night

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — On the night they were recognized, Webb City’s seniors led the way as the Cardinals rolled to a convincing 38-10 victory over Kickapoo on Friday night at Cardinal Stadium in Week 4 of the 2020 prep football season.

The Cardinals (3-1) recognized their 37 seniors before the non-conference game, although three more home dates are on the schedule. 

“It’s nice to recognize the kids, especially this year because you never know what tomorrow might bring,” Webb City coach John Roderique said of moving up Senior Night. “We certainly wanted to get the seniors recognized.”

And once the contest began, senior quarterback Cole Gayman, senior running back Devin Weathers and senior defensive back Treghan Parker all played key roles in the lopsided win.

“I felt like it was a very workmanlike performance,” Roderique said. “It was a real efficient game from our standpoint. Offensively, we did some good things. I thought Cole did a really nice job. I thought our offense was real efficient. Cade (Wilson) and Devrin both played well. Obviously, if those guys are having a good night then our guys up front are doing a good job.”

Webb City finished with 449 yards of total offense, with 393 rushing and 56 passing. 

Weathers racked up 164 yards on 11 carries, 15 yards per carry, with three touchdowns. Wilson ran nine times for 57 yards, while Gayman added 54 rushing yards on seven carries and also completed 4-of-6 passes.

Parker forced and then recovered a fumble and put two big hits on Kickapoo quarterback Adam Miller in the first half as Webb City built a 28-3 halftime lead.

Seniors Brayden Hollingsworth and Roger Carranco also stood out defensively, with seven and six tackles, respectively, while classmate Cale Stephens added four tackles.

Kickapoo (3-1) finished with 180 yards, 119 rushing and 61 passing. 

Webb City’s defense limited the Chiefs to just 53 rushing yards in the first half.

SHORT NOTICE

The Cardinals and Chiefs agreed to play on short notice after Carthage was forced to pull out of the COC clash due on Wednesday to multiple players quarantining after a student-athlete at CHS tested positive for COVID-19.

“In the fourth quarter, I was thinking about what tonight would have been like if we hadn’t had the opportunity to play,” Roderique said. “I’m very grateful and thankful to Kickapoo for coming down and playing the game. I think it means everything to those kids. Everybody wants a win and everyone wants to be competitive, but the bottom line is everyone just wants to play. That’s what we’ve realized and maybe have a greater appreciation for in high school sports.” 

The teams didn’t have much time to gameplan for each other, but taking the field was definitely better than sitting at home for all those involved.

“We were preparing for Carthage, so it was pretty weird transitioning to Kickapoo in the middle of the week,” Weathers said. “But we were ready to play. We just took care of business.”

GAME RECAP

After the Chiefs went three and out to start the night, the visitors were unable to get the punt off, resulting in great field position for the hosts.

Webb City needed just five plays to go 28 yards, as Wilson charged into the end zone on a 1-yard run at the 8:12 mark of the opening quarter.

After another defensive stop, Gayman connected with fellow senior Mekhi Garrard for a 32-yard touchdown strike on the first play of Webb City’s second drive. Gayman’s two-point conversion made it 14-0.

The Chiefs threatened late in the first quarter, but Miller fumbled near the goal line, with Parker recovering for a touchback.

“The defensive stand and then the turnover in the end zone were huge plays and huge confidence-boosts for the defense,” Roderique said. “We’ve got four games under our belt now. You expect and want to see progress each week, and I think we’re playing better on defense. We keep getting a little better each week.”

Finishing off a 12-play, 80-yard drive, Weathers scored on a 1-yard run with 9:40 left in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 21-0 advantage.

The Chiefs got on the board with 5:34 left in the first half on a 33-yard field goal by Nick Quadrini.

But Weathers scampered into the end zone on a 13-yard run on the ensuing possession, breaking several tackles and changing directions en route to the end zone. 

The speedy Weathers broke free for an impressive 71-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third period, once again changing direction and sprinting past the defense. 

“The play was supposed to go inside,” Weathers said. “I saw I had to go outside. I thought I was going to get maybe 10 yards, but I just made a cut and went the opposite way.” 

“What a magnificent player he’s been,” Roderique said. “You can see his running ability has improved each year and he’s become a little more powerful. He’s a stronger runner this year, and that’s really good to see. He’s paid his dues for sure.” 

Cameron Clark’s 22-yard field goal gave Webb City a comfortable 38-3 cushion with 8:59 remaining.

Webb City’s reserves received lots of playing time in the third and fourth quarters. Kickapoo’s Samias Pickett scored a late 10-yard touchdown for the final margin.

Roderique noted all 37 of his seniors got into the game.

“We got a lot of guys into the game tonight,” Roderique said. “That was the best part.”

One of those players who got into the game late was senior Cail Tingle. His appearance on the field got the crowd fired up and had the Cardinals cheering on the sideline.

“He’s been in our program for a long time, but hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to play,” Roderique said. “You could see the reaction of our players how much it meant to see him get into the game. Every once in a while he’ll tug at my shirt and ask about going in. He’s a good kid. That young man shows up every day and works hard.” 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Webb City hosts Carl Junction in Week 5.

 

WEBB CITY 38, KICKAPOO 10

Kickapoo     0     3    0   7—10 

Webb City  14  14   7   3—38

Scoring Summary

WC: Cade Wilson 1-yard run (Kick failed)

WC: Mekhi Garrard 32-yard pass from Cole Gayman (Gayman run)

WC: Devrin Weathers 1-yard run. (Cameron Clark kick)

KI: Nick Quadrini 33-yard field goal

WC: Weathers 13-yard run (Clark kick)

WC: Weathers 71-yard run (Clark kick)

WC: Clark 22-yard field goal. 

KI: Samias Pickett 10-yard run (Quadrini kick) 

Records: Kickapoo 3-1, Webb City 3-1

Branson pulls away for a 49-15 win over Neosho

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — The Branson Pirates simply had the juice on Friday night, defeating the Neosho Wildcats 49-15.

Branson (2-2) struck early, on an 83-yard pass from Tristan Pierce to Brady Blackwell on the second play of their second drive with 4:13 to go in the first quarter.

Neosho (0-4) answered back quickly with a 77-yard run by Talon Mitchell on the first play of their second drive, tying up the contest, 7-7.

With eight seconds left in the first quarter, Branson’s Cristian Berumen struck from 2 yards out, and after his own PAT kick, the Pirates led 14-7.

After a brief back and forth, Branson struck again with 4:32 to go in the first half on an Ethan Jones 8-yard run to make the score 21-7 going into the half.

The third quarter opened with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Pierce to Blackwell to extend the Branson lead to 28-7 with 10:40 to go in the period. 

Only minutes later, Neosho fumbled — the first of four turnovers in the first six minutes of the half — and the Pirates recovered on their own 5-yard line. After back-to-back penalties pushing them back 15 yards, Branson struck again with Berumen punching it in from the 2-yard line on a second effort — his second TD of the game — with 6:40 to go in the period to make the score 35-7.

After another Wildcat fumble, just 13 seconds later, Pierce hit Blackwell again from 25 yards out for a score, bringing the advantage to 42-7.

As time expired in the third, Branson’s Colsen Conway ran in from the 6-yard line to make the score 49-7.

Neosho’s Noah Reed, with just 4:13 left in the game, put the Wildcats back on the board with an 8-yard run before scoring on the two-point conversion for the final margin of 49-15.

TALE OF THE TAPE

Branson had 52 plays for 473 yards of total offense. Pierce was 13-of-20 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Blackwell had seven receptions for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Beruman had 12 carries for 61 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Neosho had a total of 48 plays for 180 yards, including 175 rushing yards.

UP NEXT

Neosho travels to undefeated Nixa. 

Branson travels to Carthage.

Softball: Webb City rolls in tourney opener, Cards pick up two wins

Posted on by Jason Peake

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What a way to begin a tournament.
Webb City rolled to a dominating 24-1 win over Oak Park in the opener of the Winnetonka Tournament on Friday afternoon.
The Cardinals scored seven runs in the first, nine in the second and eight in the third inning. The game ended after the third inning due to the run-rule.
Everyone got into the act for the Cardinals, who scored their 24 runs on 23 hits.
Alyssa Jennings drove in five runs on two home runs, while Peyton Hawkins went 3-for-4 with four RBI. Kaylyn Gilbert drove in four runs on three hits, while Brynna Cupp, Haidyn Berry and Shae’lee Key all had three RBIs apiece.
Berry and Key also hit homers, while Gilbert had two doubles. Bri Batson and Ripley Shanks had two hits apiece. Emalee Lamar scored three runs and had one RBI, while Hannah Wells drove in one run.
Berry earned the pitching victory. She allowed one run on one hit and struck out two.

WEBB CITY 9, BLUE SPRINGS SOUTH 7
In Friday’s second contest, Webb City earned a 9-7 win over Blue Springs South.
Hawkins homered, scored three runs and had four RBI. Lamar drove in two runs, while Berry had three hits and Batson scored twice.
Berry was the winning pitcher. She allowed two earned runs and struck out five.
The Cardinals improved to 13-0. The tourney continues on Saturday.

Neosho volleyball team raises money for student fighting cancer

Posted on by Jason Peake

When the Neosho Wildcats took the court on Thursday night, they had much more than volleyball on their minds.
The Wildcats held a “Rally for Rylee Night” inside the NHS Gymnasium as a way to raise money for the family of Rylee Schroeder, a NHS student who is currently battling cancer.
“Rylee is a senior here at NHS and she is a doll,” Neosho coach Ann Landrum said. “She has pre-leukemia and is in the hospital. My kids did this on their own. I’d love to take credit for it, but I can’t. The kids thought about somebody besides themselves. They wanted to do something for Rylee. It’s also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.”
A large sign behind the team’s bench read, ‘We Play for Rylee.’
The team placed donation buckets at the concession stand and the school agreed to donate all gate fees to Schroeder’s family.
The event raised more than $500 for Schroeder’s family.
“We talked to Rylee’s folks and they were thrilled and our kids were thrilled to do this,” Landrum said. “Our kids were behind this all day long. It was just so good to see.”

 

Rylee Schroeder

 

NEOSHO OFF TO 4-0 START
The Wildcats remained undefeated in 2020 with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-14) non-conference win over Monett on Thursday night.
The Wildcats are now 4-0.
Neosho’s starting lineup features seniors Savannah Merriman, Brylee King, Melia Robertson, Andi Johnson, Kaylee Butler and Abby Jarvis. Senior Shelby Roberts is another key performer.
“We’ve got a ways to go, but it’s nice to see some success,” Landrum said. “I think these girls have earned it. This is the strongest team we’ve put on the floor here. We’re serving better and our serve-receive is better. It’s the most focused team I’ve had here, not that the kids that came before them didn’t pay their dues because they definitely did. But these girls just want to make everyone proud.”
Juniors on the Neosho roster are Kylee Schmidt, Lexi Laney, Rylee Amato and Lana Yang. Sophomores on the varsity roster are Maddie Ebbinghaus, Capri Williams and Meredith Baldwin.
Landrum noted the Wildcats are receiving solid contributions from a large number of players.
“We’ve got some depth,” Landrum said. “We’ve got depth with our younger kids, too. We’ve got good team chemistry. That’s really darn nice. They have a good work ethic. They want to win. We’re going to play teams that are going to get us, but these girls will keep trying. Our girls won’t be afraid of anybody, they’ll go play them. That’s what we should do.”
In addition to Thursday’s win over the Cubs, Neosho has also earned wins over Seneca, East Newton and Nevada thus far.
The Wildcats have home dates next week with McDonald County on Monday, Republic on Tuesday and Willard on Thursday.

The Neosho Wildcats celebrate a point against Monett on Thursday. The Wildcats are now 4-0 in 2020.

Volleyball: College Heights tops Seneca in five-set thriller

Posted on by Jason Peake

SENECA, Mo. —  College Heights Christian rallied from a two-set deficit to beat Seneca 3-2 (11-25, 23-25, 25-16, 26-24, 15-11) in a non-conference volleyball thriller on Thursday.
The Cougars improved to 5-0.
Seneca’s Jera Jameson had 11 kills, while Kendyl Petty and Parker Long had nine kills apiece and Ellie Barnes added eight.
Also for the Indians, Rylee Darnell had 46 assists, Rylee Nesvold had 33 digs and Braxton Raulston had four aces. Jadeyn Bailey added six kills.

 

Softball: Big third inning leads Neosho past Ozark

Posted on by Jason Peake

OZARK, Mo. — A five-run third inning led Neosho to a 7-1 win over Ozark on Thursday in Central Ozark Conference softball action.
The Wildcats trailed 1-0 when they erupted for a big inning. A pair of insurance runs in the seventh accounted for the final score.
Lili Graue and Liv Campbell had two hits apiece for Neosho, while McKaylie Forrest and Sierra Jones drove in two runs apiece. Maddie Carpenter had one RBI, while Graue and Forrest scored two runs apiece.
Phenix Scott was the winning pitcher. She went four innings and allowed just one run on seven hits. Scott struck out two and walked two.
Brittany Winchester tossed the final three innings. She struck out three and gave up just one hit.
Ozark’s Jordan Foley took the loss. She allowed four earned runs in seven innings and struck out three.
Kenna Mayfield had three hits for the Tigers, while Athena Andrews went 2-for-3. Emily Schmucker drove in Ozark’s lone run with a double.

Tennis: Neosho falls to Branson

Posted on by Jason Peake

Branson defeated Neosho 9-0 on Thursday in Central Ozark Conference tennis action.
Match results are listed below.

Singles
1. Michelle Lindsay lost to Elaina Knipple 8-4
2. Emily Lemus lost to Chase Carlin 8-5
3. Claudia Martensen lost to Macy Scott 8-0
4. Ana Ramirez lost to Graclyn Kemp 8-4
5. Angelica Vynyas lost to Madelyn Faria 8-1
6. Mariana Anaya lost to Madelyn Volz 8-1
Doubles
1. Lindsay/Martensen lost to Knipple/Kemp 8-4
2. Lemus/Anaya lost to Carlin/Volz 8-0
3. Ramirez/Vynyas lost to Scott/Faria 8-0

Joplin tennis team drops dual to Republic

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Joplin High School girls tennis team suffered a 9-0 loss to Republic on Thursday.
In doubles matches, Republic’s Jasmine Howard and Abigail McCord defeated Kennedy Schwartz and Jensen Vowels 8-1, while Sedalia Shumaker and Morgan Lewis topped Brynn Driver and Cloey Blank 8-2.
Lauren Ueligger and Anna Davidson edged Patience Adams and Taaliyah Oates 8-6.
In singles, McCord defeated Schwartz 8-0, while Shumaker beat Vowels 8-0. Lewis defeated Driver 8-4, Uelliger beat Blank 8-2, Davidson defeated Adams 8-3 and Mia Stan beat Oates 8-3.

Volleyball: Thomas Jefferson pulls out close win over Wheaton

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Thomas Jefferson volleyball team defeated Wheaton 3-2 (27-25, 17-25, 12-25, 25-19, 15-12) on Thursday night.
Sonia Carlson led the Cavaliers with 11 kills, while Winni Hiebert added 10 kills and two blocks and Nico Carlson had eight kills and three blocks.
Laynie Solum and Alice MacDonald had seven aces apiece.

SOFTBALL: Nixa pulls away for 9-2 win over Joplin

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NIXA, Mo. — Nixa broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the third inning before pulling away late for a 9-2 win over Joplin on Thursday.

Nixa’s Katie Faulk doubled home Dakota Hale and Morgan Delloma in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead over Joplin (3-9).

Joplin cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth when Liz Snider brought home Bailey Ledford on a sacrifice bunt to make the score 2-1.

Nixa (6-4) pushed the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Maddy Meierer drew a bases-loaded walk. After Phoebe Gardner touched home, Nixa’s Maya Herman followed with a single to left to score Marah Griffen to extend the lead to 5-1. 

Joplin’s Tatum Stogsdill trimmed the lead to 5-2 with an RBI single in the top of the sixth, but Nixa pulled away with four runs in the bottom of the inning with RBI doubles from Gardner and Herman, as well as a two-run double from Meierer.

Meierer earned the win in the circle after allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits, one walk and eight strikeouts in a complete-game effort.

Jill McDaniel took the loss after allowing seven runs, four earned, on 14 hits, three walks and four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Faulk led Nixa with three hits, including two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. Meierer had one hit, two walks and three RBI, while Herman had three hits and two RBI. Gardner and Hale each tallied two hits.

Izzy Yust led Joplin with two hits and a run scored. Snider and Stogsdill each had a hit and an RBI.

UP NEXT

Joplin takes part in the Branson Lady Pirate Invitational over the weekend.

SOCCER: Monett hands Joplin 3-0 loss on Senior Night

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Monett scored midway through the first half and added two more goals in the second half to defeat Joplin 3-0 on Thursday at the JHS Sports Complex.

“We were missing some guys, so we had to think creatively and adjust our gameplan a bit,” Joplin coach Josh Thompson said. “We tried to be more defensive, and I think we did play a lot better on defense. … Going down in the first half, it altered plans a little bit. We had to take a look at halftime to see what we wanted to do.The early goal changed the way that we were looking at the rest of the game.”

Joplin celebrated four representatives in Senior Night ceremonies — Connor Simon, Josh Yarnall, Preston Stockton and Brady Carter.

“Those guys have been with us and contributing for a while,” Thompson said. “I had Connor in middle school, so it is weird seeing him out here (on Senior Night). Josh has been a consummate pro his last four years. Brady was here his freshman year and came back for his senior year. He has done an excellent job on the field, and is really making a big impact in his last year. For Preston, this is his first time back and being eligible from injuries. This was the first time he got to take the field this season, and again, he is one of those guys we have been working with for so long. … They have meant a lot to the program, and we are really glad they are here.”

Monett took the advantage in the 18th minute of action when Roberto Perez found the back of the net to put the Cubs on top 1-0 in the only goal of the first half.

“It was good to get that momentum and find that goal,” Monett coach Cristobal Villa said. “Obviously, we want to score first because it gives us the opportunity to control the pace of the game. It takes the pressure off, and we are not worried about scoring. We did that. We were organized, we were disciplined and we managed it from there on.”

In the 18th minute of the second half, Monett pushed its lead to 2-0 on a goal from Alexis Ramirez. Monett put the game out of reach as time waned in the 37th minute with a goal from Alejandro Garcia to make the score 3-0.

“We talked at halftime and I told the boys they were moving the ball well, but we only had one goal,” Villa said. “We needed to be a little bit more disciplined and organized (in the second half). I wanted them to have a vision of how to move the ball, ‘Where is it going? Who are we sending it to and what are our options?’ And obviously, we needed to find the net. I think they picked up on that a lot better, and we found those two goals in the second half that was able to secure the win.”

Monett improves to 4-2 on the season, while Joplin falls to 3-4.

UP NEXT

Monett hosts Marshfield in a 6 p.m. contest on Monday.

Joplin is at Willard for a 6 p.m. matchup on Tuesday.

 

Volleyball: Joplin tops Springfield Central

Posted on by Jason Peake

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. —  In a final tune-up before conference play arrives next week, the Joplin High School volleyball team earned a 3-0 non-conference win over Springfield Central on Thursday night.

The Eagles topped the Bulldogs 25-20, 25-11, 25-16.

Joplin hiked its record to 7-3. 

Kacy Coss compiled 16 service points, six kills and two blocks for the Eagles, while Angelina Schramm recorded 17 service points and two blocks.

Aubrey Ritter totaled 12 service points, 10 digs, six kills and two blocks, while Addison Saunders contributed 19 assists and seven kills. 

Emma Floyd recorded nine kills and three blocks, while Allie Lawrence contributed eight digs and five kills. Baileigh Riley had 11 assists and seven digs.

The Eagles host Webb City on Tuesday and Branson next Thursday. 

 

Webb City softball remains undefeated with win at Branson

Posted on by Jason Peake

BRANSON, Mo. — The Webb City softball team remained undefeated in 2020 with a 6-0 win over Branson on Thursday. 

The Cardinals are now 11-0 overall and 4-0 in Central Ozark Conference play. Branson dropped to 4-6 and 0-3 in the COC. 

Haidyn Berry earned the win in the circle and improved to 10-0. She struck out eight and scattered six hits.

Hannah Wells had three hits for the Cardinals, while Bri Batson added two hits.

The Cardinals got on the board in the second inning, as Shae’lee Key reached on an error before Wells delivered an RBI single into left field.

Webb City extended its lead with four runs in the fourth. Kaylyn Gilbert and Wells both singled before Batson and Ripley Shanks drove in runs with base hits. 

Later in the inning, Emma Welch added a two-run single to give the Cardinals a 5-0 cushion. 

The Webb City defense turned a double play in the bottom of the fifth to thwart a Branson rally. The Pirates stranded a pair of runners in the sixth.

In the seventh, Batson recorded an RBI single to give the Cardinals a six-run lead. 

The Pirates threatened in the bottom of the seventh, but once again, Berry and the Cardinals got out of the jam unscathed. 

Branson’s Peyton Bonsey took the loss. She gave up 12 hits and five earned runs.

Webb City will compete at the Winnetonka Tournament this weekend. 

 

Prep football: Webb City set to host Kickapoo in Week 4

Posted on by Jason Peake

In a coaching career that has spanned three decades, with 24 at the high school level, Webb City football coach John Roderique has seen and dealt with pretty much everything. 

But 2020 has been an unprecedented year. With that, the hall of fame coach was faced with a completely unfamiliar issue to resolve this week.

In a matter of hours on Wednesday, Roderique and the Webb City Cardinals went from preparing for a highly-anticipated matchup with Carthage to scrambling to find a replacement opponent before reaching an agreement to host the Kickapoo Chiefs.

As a result, Webb City (2-1) will host Kickapoo (3-0) at 7 p.m. on Friday in a non-conference Week 4 matchup at Cardinal Stadium. 

“This week has been a little bit crazy, but you just have to roll with the punches,” Roderique said. “I reminded our guys yesterday that they have to reprogram their minds from what they’ve been thinking the last few days about preparing for Carthage.” 

Wednesday’s whirlwind of events began when the Carthage school district announced a student-athlete at CHS had tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in a large number of football players now in quarantine. 

With that, the rivalry clash between defending state champions was canceled.

Kickapoo had its Week 4 contest with Parkview called off on Tuesday after the Vikings had an outbreak of COVID-19. Defending Class 4 champion Webb City and Class 6 Kickapoo agreed to play on Wednesday afternoon.

Despite a lack of preparation time, Roderique noted he’s definitely pleased his team didn’t have to settle for a bye week.

“It sure beats not playing,” Roderique said. “There are a lot of teams out there that aren’t able to play this week, so we’re thankful we have an opportunity to play. We’re thankful to Kickapoo for agreeing to play on such short notice.”

Roderique noted the situation is far from ideal for both squads, but added his players and coaching staff are doing their best to get ready for an unknown foe.

“It’s hard to get ready for a game in two days, but kids are resilient,” Roderique said. “They handle this kind of stuff really well. I remember Coach (Chuck) Broyles used to tell me, ‘You can practice them and you can practice them, but you just have to put them out there and let them play.’ That’s how I feel about this week’s deal. We’re very limited in our preparation. We just don’t have time to put stuff together and study film. But hopefully we’ve been preparing to play since Day 1.” 

THE CARDINALS

Webb City has outscored its opponents 134-69. Featuring the Central Ozark Conference’s highest-scoring offense to date at 45 points per game, the Cardinals are averaging 334 rushing and 69 passing yards per game. 

Senior running back Devrin Weathers has recorded 474 rushing yards with nine touchdowns. The Kansas State recruit also has a touchdown on a kick return. 

Senior quarterback Cole Gayman and junior running back Cade Wilson have scored two rushing touchdowns apiece. Gayman has also passed for 174 yards, with 121 of those yards coming last week. Cohl Vaden has three receptions for 73 yards with two touchdowns, while Asa Morgan and Gary Clinton are threats in the passing game. 

Defensively, Lucas Ott (26) Treghan Parker (16), Brayden Hollingsworth (15), Matt McDaniel (15), Gavin Stowell (13) and Roger Carranco (13) are leading the team in tackles. Parker has two interceptions. 

On Friday night, Webb City’s seniors will be recognized at 6:25.

THE CHIEFS

The Chiefs are 3-0 after earning Ozark Conference wins over Camdenton (28-7), Lebanon (30-26) and Waynesville (38-18). 

Kickapoo rushed for more than 300 yards last week, with multiple players contributing. Chance Nelson ran for 97 yards last week, while Chandler Taylor added 95. Quarterback Adam Miller passed for 85 yards and ran for 44. 

“They’re off to a really good start at 3-0,” Roderique said of the Chiefs. “They’re certainly a quality team with three quality wins. Their guys look good on film and they’re well-coached. They’ve got good athletes and they have some big kids. You can see those things no matter how much or how little film you watch.” 

THE SERIES

According to the archives on www.webbcityfootball.com, the Webb City-Kickapoo all-time series is tied 3-3.

Webb City has not played Kickapoo since Week 1 of the 2007 season, a 27-0 win for the Cardinals. Webb City also won a matchup with the Chiefs in ’06 and in 1991. Kickapoo won meetings in 1979, ’80 and ’90. 

 

HOW TO WATCH: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/webbcity/

FOOTBALL: Joplin travels to Carl Junction in Week 4

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Joplin is coming off back-to-back losses since Week 2 and 3 of the 2018 season. 

The sledding doesn’t get any easier this week, as the Eagles (1-2) travel to Carl Junction to take on the Bulldogs (1-2). Both Joplin and Carl Junction have had similar seasons to this point, with both teams dropping their last two contests by the narrowest of margins. The Eagles have lost by a combined nine points over the last two games, while the Bulldogs have lost by a combined two points in their last pair of contests.

“CJ can say the same thing on their end, too,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. “They’ve lost by a point the last two weeks. It comes down to a few plays a game, and I talked to our guys and told them that it is conference wide. There are going to be a few plays each game that determines the outcome.

“We have to work hard to be able to make sure that we make those few plays it’s going to take each week because every week it looks like it is going to be a battle. I know Carl Junction is working really hard to do what they need to do, and we are working hard to do what we need to do. It’s going to be a really good, close ball game.”

After suffering its second consecutive loss, a 51-43 defeat to Ozark on Senior Night last week, the Eagles will be relying on the leadership of the 13 seniors to help turn the fortunes back to the positive. 

“We talked with them about how, as coaches, we are facilitators,” Jasper said. “We want this to be the year that they want, and how they want this year to go. In that perspective, they need to take a lot of accountability, not only for themselves, but for the rest of the players if they want the season I know they want. They will have to step up, and they are doing that.”

JOPLIN LEADERS

Quarterback Always Wright has completed 60-of-86 passes for 723 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Running back Nathan Glades has 80 carries for 588 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, adding nine receptions for 116 yards. Wideout Dante Washington has a team-high 19 receptions for 232 yards and four touchdowns, while Keaton Renfro has 12 grabs for 183 yards and a touchdown. Trayshawn Thomas has 12 catches for 103 yards and a score, while Landen Atherton has six receptions for 70 yards and a score.

Defensively, linebacker Scott Lowe leads the Eagles with 46 total tackles, 31 solo, while Jayden Holt has 42 tackles, 27 solo, and one interception. Jacob Prosser and Marcelino Puente each have 22 tackles this season. Luke Vieselmeyer leads Joplin with three interceptions and a forced fumble.

CARL JUNCTION LEADERS

Quarterback Alex Baker has completed 24-of-50 passes for 285 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while Kyler Perry, who filled in for an injured Baker last week, has completed 9-of-20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. Brady Sims has rushed for 131 yards on 26 carries, while Cole Stewart has 12 receptions for 194 yards. Drew Patterson has seven receptions for 85 yards.

“They have playmakers all over the field offensively and defensively,” Jasper said. “(Quarterback Alex) Baker is an outstanding quarterback. (Running back Brady) Sims is a tough, physical runner, and they have speed at receiver. We’ve seen what kind of athlete (Drew) Patterson is when he was quarterback last year and as well as what he’s done at receiver this year.”

Noah Southern leads Carl Junction’s defense with 42 tackles, 27 solo, and interception and a fumble recovery, while Jaycob Colgin has 30 tackles and an interception.Jesse Cassat has 28 tackles. 

“Defensively, they have (Jesse) Cassat on the defensive line, (Noah) Southern at linebacker and a quality group of defensive backs,” Jasper said. “They have a high-quality team.”

PREP FOOTBALL WEEK 4: BRANSON AT NEOSHO

Posted on by Jason Peake

PREP FOOTBALL WEEK 4: BRANSON AT NEOSHO

Records: Branson 1-2, Neosho 0-3

Last week: Branson defeated Carl Junction 21-20; Neosho lost to Carthage 42-7.

Last year: Neosho defeated Branson 21-14.

OUTLOOK: Neosho has been unable to generate much offense thus far, as the Wildcats have been outscored 108-7 this season.

Running back Talon Mitchell scored Neosho’s lone touchdown last week against Carthage. In that one, the Wildcats managed 160 yards of offense. Drayke Perry is another running threat for Neosho, while Logan Whetzell runs the show from the QB position.

Branson has been outscored 88-43 this season. The Pirates held on late against Carl Junction last Friday when the Bulldogs missed an extra-point kick with 18 seconds remaining. With touchdowns from Payton McCormick, Josiah Hutchinson and Cristian Berumen, Branson led 21-0 before allowing 20 unanswered points against the Bulldogs, who were not at full-strength.

HOW TO WATCH: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/neoshohs/

Experienced sports journalists providing great local sports coverage in Southwest Missouri.

Schools

SOMO Sports

SOMO Sports

Learn more about how you can advertise on SOMO Sports!

LEARN MORE

Web design: BigPxl