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Month: December 2020

GIRLS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Carthage and Carl Junction earn wins on Monday; Short-handed CHC girls fall to Strafford

Posted on by Lucas Davis

FULLERTON, YATES LEAD CARTHAGE TO WIN

Carthage, Mo. — Hailey Fullerton led Carthage to a big first quarter and Kianna Yates finished strong to lead the Tigers to a 63-51 win over Springfield Central on Monday.

“Hailey Fullerton had a hot start and Kianna Yates closed the door on the Central girls tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. “We played good team defense to contain their post players, and we did our best to contain Makaiya Brooks and make her earn all 26 of her points.”

Fullerton, who finished with a team-high 22 points, scored 14 points in the first quarter and helped Carthage (6-2) to a 37-30 lead at halftime. Lauren Wilson scored seven of her 10 points in the third quarter, and Yates led the Tigers down the stretch with 11 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter to close out the win.

Makaiya Brooks led Central with a game-high 26 points.

Carthage hosts McDonald County Thursday.

 

HYLTON LEDS CARL JUNCTION DOWN THE STRETCH IN WIN OVER GIRARD

GIRARD, Kan. — Carl Junction took a 40-39 lead over Girard into the fourth quarter when Jessa Hylton scored nine points in the final eight minutes to lift the Bulldogs to a 54-50 win over the Trojans on Monday. 

Hylton finished with a game-high 23 points, including a game-high five 3-pointers. Destiny Buerge scored 14 points in the first half to pace Carl Junction (5-2) and finished second in scoring with 17. 

Jaada Valley led the Trojans with 15 points, while Faith Poland finished with 12 in the loss.

Carl Junction hosts Springdale at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

 

STRAFFORD DEFEATS SHORT-HANDED COLLEGE HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN

Strafford outscored College Heights Christian 32-16 in the first half on the way to a 67-33 win on Monday.

Sophia Ferking led Strafford with 16 points, while Lauren Jones added 12 points. Emma Mullins added 11 points and Mattie Walker finished with 10.

College Heights (6-1), who played without two starters on Monday in the team’s first loss, was led in scoring by Grace Bishop’s 14 points. Catie Secker added eight points, while Klohe Burk finished with seven. 

College Heights is at Southwest Washburn with a 6 p.m. tip on Thursday.

Girls Swimming: Carthage takes third at Winnetonka

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Carthage High School girls swim team finished third at the Winnetonka Holiday Invitational on Saturday.
Staley took first with 411.5 points, while Notre Dame de Sion was second with 328 and Carthage finished third with 316. There were 18 teams in attendance.
The Tigers took first in two of the three relays.
Carthage’s team of Madison Riley, Cassidy Smith, Nadya Housh and Hope Fultz took first in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 2:01.
Riley, Fultz, Housh and Smith won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:58.
The Tigers were second in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:51, with Ava Lacey, Aubree Santillan, Victoria Martinez and Fultz competing.
Riley won the 100 backstroke in 1:03 and she placed second in the 100 butterfly, with Housh seventh in the same event.
Smith placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke, with Mackenzie Polley ninth.
Housh finished sixth in the 200 individual medley, with teammate Santillan eighth.
Lacey finished fifth in the 200 freestyle and eighth in the 100 backstroke, while Santillan was fifth in the 100 backstroke.
Smith was seventh in the 50 freestyle, Elena Wright and Olivia Wright finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the 500 freestyle, while Fultz finished ninth in the 100 free.

Wrestling: Carthage wins Farmington Duals

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

The Carthage High School wrestling team went 4-0 and took first place at the Farmington Duals on Saturday.
Tigers coach Kenny Brown told SoMo Sports the team was without three key performers, two due to ACT testing and another due to injury.
Carthage defeated Warrenton 66-3
Brett Rockers won by fall at 170 pounds, while Kip Castor (126) and Davion King (145) won decisions. The Tigers won nine matches by forfeit.
Carthage defeated Hannibal 42-22.
Winning matches by fall were Dagan Sappington (132), Eli Sneed (138), King, Kanen Vogt (220) and Malachi Housh (285). Joshua Griffith (106) and Bradyn Tate (113) won decisions.
Carthage beat Farmington 37-30.
Carlos Reyes (120), Grey Petticrew (160), Luke Gall (182) and Vogt (220) all won by fall. King earned a major decision, 12-2, while Gabe Lambeth earned a 4-2 decision at 152.
Carthage defeated Pacific 49-21.
Winning by fall for the Tigers were Sneed, Petticrew, Gall and Vogt.
Reyes earned a 7-2 decision at 120, while Sappington recorded a major decision, 13-3, at 132.
The Tigers are now 7-0 in duals this season.
Carthage hosts Joplin at 6 on Tuesday night.

Area football players named all-state by Missouri Football Coaches Association

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Missouri Football Coaches Association has released its all-state teams for 2020.

CLASS 6
Joplin’s Alex Curry (OL) and Nathan Glades (kick returner) were first-team all-state selections.
Glades was listed on the second-team as a running back.

CLASS 5
Webb City’s Devrin Weathers (RB), Grant Goltra (OL) and Treghan Parker (DB) were first-team picks. Webb City’s Eli Goddard (LB) was a second-team pick, while Gary Clinton (TE) and Zetthew Meister (OL) were third-team selections.
Carthage’s Patrick Carlton (QB) and Aiden Logan (OL) were named to the first-team offense. Luke Gall (LB) and DJ Witt (DB) were on the second-team defense.

CLASS 4
Carl Junction’s Cole Stewart (WR) was a first-team selection, while Jesse Cassatt (DE) was a second-team pick and Noah Southern (LB) was listed on the third team.
Monett’s Harrison Merriman (OL) was a second-team pick, while Nevada’s Jace Lee (LB) was a third-team selection.

CLASS 3
Cassville’s Jericho Farris (RB), Jaiden Reibert (OL), Patrick Dunker (DL), Zach Coenen (LB) and Drake Reese (K) were first-team selections, while Zach Carney (OL) was a third-team pick.
Seneca’s Nick Arrasmith (LB) and Mount Vernon’s Mason Ballay (DB) were second-team picks.

CLASS 2
Lamar’s Case Tucker (QB), Logan Crockett (RB), Mason Gastel (WR), Tucker Torbeck (OL), Blaine Shaw (OL), Rylan Wooldridge (DL), Trace Willhite (DE), Robert Lawrence (LB) and Austin Wilkerson (DB) were all first-team selections. Joel Beshore (DB) was a second-team pick.
East Newton’s Tanner Youngblood (P) was a third-team selection.
Lamar’s Tucker was the Class 2 Offensive Player of the Year, Wooldridge was the Defensive Player of the Year and Jared Beshore was Coach of the Year.

CLASS 1
Lockwood’s Lane Dunlap (LB) was a first-team pick, while Spencer Neal (DL) and Max Schnelle (DB) were second-team selections.
Pierce City’s Chanse Ford (RB) and Cody Hyde (DL) were third-team selections.

Girls Swimming: Carl Junction wins Red Bird invite, host Cardinals take third

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Carl Junction captured the team championship at the Red Bird Invitational girls swim meet on Saturday at the Buck Miner Swim Center.
The Bulldogs compiled 288 points to top the team standings, while Rock Bridge took second with 226 and the host Webb City Cardinals were third with 196 points. There were 12 teams in attendance.

CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS

Emma Lacey took first in two events. She won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 26.71 seconds and touched the wall first in the 100 breaststroke in 1:14.
Chloe Miller was the runner-up in the 100 butterfly in 1:05. Miller also took third in the 500 freestyle (5:43).
Skyler Sundy was the runner-up in the 100 backstroke (1:06) and also took third in the 200 individual medley (2:30).
Abigail Wilson and Madeleine Garoutte finished second and third in the 100 breaststroke, while Carsyn Smith was third in the 100 backstroke.
Sophia Hensley was sixth in the 100 butterfly and Kiley Brenneis was ninth. Garoutte and Hensley were sixth and seventh in the 200 IM.
Smith, Abigail Holcomb and Kennedy Johnson finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 200 freestyle.
Alanza Montez and Bryn Neria were eighth and 10th in the 50 free, while Montez and Wilson finished eighth and ninth in the 100 free. Holcomb and Johnson were eighth and ninth in the 500 free.
Carl Juntion finished second in all three relays.
Sundy, Wilson, Miller and Lacey competed in the 200 medley relay, while Montez, Smith, Hensley and Wilson competed in the 200 freestyle relay.
Swimming the 400 freestyle relay were Sundy, Miller, Hensley and Lacey.

WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS

Sophia Whitesell finished second in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:27. She also finished fourth in the 500 freestyle (5:45).
Skylar Powell finished fourth in both the 50 freestyle and the 100 free.
The team of Hally Philpot, Avery Mitchell, Makenzie Storm and Skylar Powell finished third in the 200 freestyle relay.
The Cardinals were fourth in the 200 medley relay, with Ella Holt, Storm, Whitesell and Mitchell competing.
Webb City’s Kyndie Crockett, Philpot, Powell and Whitesell finished fourth in the 400 freestyle relay.
Storm and Mitchell were sixth and seventh in the 100 breaststroke, while Holt took seventh in the 100 backstroke
Hannah Ross and Olivia Honey finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 200 freestyle.
Philpot was ninth in the 50 free and 10th in the 100 free. Holt was 10th in the 200 IM.
Nikki Hensley (272.4) and Kyndie Crockett (261.7) took first and second in the diving competition.

JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS

Joplin finished eighth in the standings.
The team of Lily Rakes, Brooklyn Hiller, Megan Walser and Lilly Mills finished sixth in the 400 freestyle relay.
The Eagles finished eighth in the 200 medley relay, with Rakes, Taegen Smith, Ava Perrin and Mya Johnson competing.
Joplin was also eighth in the 200 freestyle relay, with Lilly Mills, Smith, Brooklyn Hiller and Johnson swimming.
Smith was 10th in the 100 breaststroke and Walser was 10th in the 200 free.

 

RED BIRD INVITATIONAL

Final team standings: Carl Junction 288, Rock Bridge 226, Webb City 196, Hickman 160, Tolton Catholic 123, Broken Arrow 93, Lebanon 67, Joplin 45, Greenwood 32, Hillcrest 24, Battle 8, Marshfield 1.

CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL: Host Tigers fall to West Plains late; Leavenworth outlasts Carl Junction; Nixa defeats Ray-Pec in championship game

Posted on by Lucas Davis

WEST PLAINS RALLIES TO DEFEAT CARTHAGE

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage built an 11-point third-quarter lead only to see West Plains rally back to earn a 56-54 win in the fifth-place game of the 74th Carthage Invitational on Saturday.

“We played better,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. “We executed well in the first few quarters. They were missing a ton of shots early. We decided to switch things up … but they did a great job of adjusting. 

“Even in our losses, we were able to score points in stretches, but then we would go cold. If we can figure out how to put that together for a full basketball game, we’ll be able to put some points up. We’re just not paying attention to all the little details that go into a basketball game right now.”

The Tigers (1-2) held a 35-33 lead with 4:27 to play in the third period before using a 9-0 run to push the lead to 11, closing out the quarter with a 44-35 advantage. Silas Templeman started the run with a score inside before Max Templeman scored four straight for Carthage. Joel Pugh knocked down a 3-pointer to close the run. 

West Plains opened the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run to tie the game at 46-46 with 4:24 to play. Carthage’s Patrick Carlton fouled out at the 5:38 mark before Daegan Green and Taylor Harrison knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to knot things up.

Carthage cut a five-point deficit, 56-51, to two when freshman Justin Ray sank a deep 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left to make the score 56-54. Ray earned his first start of the season and finished with 11 points.

“Justin earned himself his first start today,” Morris said. “He is a kid who does absolutely everything the correct way. If he makes a mistake, he learns from it. He has been around basketball a long time. I am really happy for him. We put him in some tough positions, but hopefully that will pay off down the line for a 14 year old to get that experience.”

West Plains missed two free throws with 3.2 ticks remaining, but the ensuing half-court heave for the Tigers fell short as the final horn sounded.

Pugh scored 14 to lead Carthage, with Max Templeman adding 12. Silas Templeman scored eight and Carlton finished with seven.

Harrison finished with a game-high 18 to lead West Plains, while Bristol Wood finished with 16.

UP NEXT

Carthage travels to Springfield Central for a 7:30 tip on Dec. 15.

 

LEAVENWORTH OUTLASTS CARL JUNCTION

Leavenworth and Carl Junction took a 33-33 tie into the fourth quarter before the Pioneers outscored the Bulldogs 16-13 in the final period to earn a 49-46 win in the seventh-place game of the Carthage Invitational.

Alex Baker led Carl Junction (0-6) with 14 points, while Kyler Perry finished with nine. Josh Cory added eight points and Blake Poorman scored six.

JJ Darthard and Jalen Vaughan each scored 12 to lead Leavenworth, while Eddie McLaughlin scored 11. 

UP NEXT

Carl Junction travels to Seneca for a 7:30 tip on Dec. 15

 

NIXA STARTS FAST TO BEAT RAY-PEC IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Nixa limited Raymore-Peculiar to five points in the first quarter and seven in the second on the way to a 32-12 advantage by halftime. The lead was too large for a Panthers comeback, with the Eagles pulling away to a 52-34 win in the championship game of the Carthage Invitational.

Jason Jones led the way for Nixa with 15 points, while Colin Ruffin and Jaret Nelson each scored 10.

Iryn Allen led Ray-Pec with 14 points.

 

CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL: Nevada holds off Joplin in third-place game

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Nevada earned a third-place finish in the 74th Carthage Invitational after holding on for a 47-39 win over Joplin on Saturday.

The Tigers (4-2) jumped out to an early nine-point lead after the first quarter and remained in front into the intermission with a 22-18 advantage. Joplin’s defensive effort strengthened out of the break, using an early run to gain the lead midway through the third period. Nevada rallied to regain the lead before the start of the fourth, and held on down the stretch to clinch the win.

“It’s a really good tournament with high-quality teams,” Nevada coach Shaun Gray said. “Anytime you can come away 2-1, you’re happy with that. … It was good to bounce back today and get a win against Joplin.”

Logan Applegate led Nevada with a game-high 25 points, while Ben Hines added eight and Lane McNeley seven.

All Wright led Joplin with 15 points, while Always Wright finished with 14. LT Atherton added six in the loss.

“One bright spot through the whole tournament, and he probably won’t get a lot of credit, is LT Atherton,” Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. “He is a war horse in there. He became much more of a threat on the block. He can do that, and we have to continue to develop that.”

Nevada opened the contest with the momentum, getting a 3-pointer and a fast-break score from McNeley followed by a 3-pointer from Applegate to jump it to an 8-0 lead and an eventual 12-3 cushion after the first quarter.

“It was big for us to build some confidence after struggling yesterday,” Gray said. “It just goes back to the fact that when you defend at a high level and get stops, it makes the offensive end easier. We want to be a team who hangs our hat on being really tough defensively, and then using those stops to feed us at the other end. I thought we did that well early in the game.”

The Tigers methodically pushed their lead to 10 points, 21-11, through the first five minutes of action in the second.

Joplin (3-2) closed the second period with a 7-1 run, trimming the deficit to 21-18 by halftime. Atherton had a score inside and All Wright knocked down a 3-pointer to fuel the run.

Success at the free-throw line was an issue for Joplin in the first half. The Eagles went to the charity stripe 11 times, but only converted six times.

“This one was really a five to six-point game and we had opportunities at the line, even late, to extend the game more,” Hafer said. “Free throws are crucial.”

The Eagles opened the second half with a strong defensive intensity, holding the Tigers scoreless for the first several possessions before ultimately limiting Nevada to one free throw in the first six minutes of action. During that span, Joplin went on a 7-1 run to take a 25-23 lead. 

“We came out and started face guarding in the second half,” Hafer said. “We defended everywhere else (away from Applegate) much better. We kept guys in front of us and we rebounded. When you do that, you have a chance because we can attack downhill when we can get out in transition. Applegate did a good job of neutralizing that later.

“That’s the (defensive) segment we are going to look at because now they have shown they are capable. Now, it’s ‘how do we do that for four quarters?’”

Always Wright grabbed a defensive board and went coast to coast for a layup on the break to start the run. Atherton grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback score at the 4:48 mark to tie the game at 22-22, and Always Wright drained a 3-pointer moments later to put the Eagles on top 25-23 with three minutes left in the quarter.

Applegate, who accounted for all of Nevada’s 10 points in the second quarter as well as all nine points in the third, closed out the period with a 3-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Tigers a 31-27 lead with eight minutes left to play.

“The fact that he can score at all three levels is important,” Gray said. “We talk a lot about not wanting to settle for perimeter shots because we have guys who are good perimeter shooters, and that’s the main part of their game. For Logan, himself, that’s probably one of the biggest strengths of his game as well.  If you want to score by attacking the basket, he is the guy who has to lead the way. He was big for us.”

All Wright drilled a 3-ball to open the fourth, cutting the Nevada lead to 31-30. Both teams traded baskets until the Tigers built a small cushion following a Hines inside score and a 3-pointer from Logan McNeley off the assist from Applegate to put Nevada up 40-33 with three minutes to play. 

Joplin struggled to get many open looks down the stretch in the half-court offense, allowing Nevada to build up a 6-2 run in the waning minutes to clinch the win.

“I think we are still finding our way (offensively),” Hafer said. “We are trying to find that balance. We have different guys getting varsity time now, playing a lot of different kids each night to figure out who can step up. … I was proud of how hard we played.”

UP NEXT

Joplin hits the road for a matchup with Springfield Central on Dec. 18.

Nevada travels to Bishop Miege for a 3:30 matchup on Dec. 19.

 

LADY EAGLE CLASSIC: Mount Vernon tops Carl Junction in title game; Carthage takes third

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Mount Vernon overcame an early double-digit deficit and rode a big second half to a 47-29 come-from-behind victory over Carl Junction in the championship game of the 24th annual Freeman-Lady Eagle Classic on Saturday afternoon inside Joplin High School’s Kaminsky Gymnasium.

After trailing by 12 early in the game, the Mountaineers finished strong, outscoring the Bulldogs 30-8 in the second half. 

“It was a tale of two halves,” Mount Vernon coach Grant Berendt said. “They’re a very good team. Coach (Brad) Shorter has done an amazing job with that program. They know how to win games. I’m very proud of our kids. I think this is a really big win for us. This is something we can take and build on.”  

In other action, Carthage defeated Leavenworth 71-40 for third place and McDonald County edged Joplin 36-34 for fifth place.

MOUNT VERNON 47, CARL JUNCTION 29

The Bulldogs led 24-17 early in the third quarter, but the Mountaineers finished the game on a 30-5 run.

“I think we ran out of gas,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “You could see that we got a little tired. We had a great effort in the first half. We played really hard and we were getting some good looks. We were able to get baskets from our motion offense. We started turning the ball over in the second half and I think our youth showed. And Mount Vernon hit some big shots. They’re a very good basketball team. But I was really proud of our kids’ effort.” 

The Bulldogs got off to a great start, taking a 16-4 lead after Jessa Hylton’s free throws and Kylie Scott’s putback. 

The Mountaineers (4-0) responded with a 13-2 run, capped by a corner trey from Ellie Johnston and a pair of free throws from Missouri Southern recruit Lacy Stokes. 

Destiny Buerge drilled a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 21-17 advantage at intermission. 

Carl Junction led by seven early in the third period when the Mountaineers put together a game-changing 15-0 run.

Johnston hit three 3-pointers during the spurt, including a buzzer-beater to end the frame, while Stokes, Raegen Boswell and Allie Schubert all had hoops during the burst, giving Mount Vernon a 32-24 lead heading into the fourth quarter. 

The Bulldogs struggled taking care of the ball and also dealt with foul trouble throughout the second half, as Buerge picked up her fourth foul on a charge call late in the third period. 

Johnston’s trey from the right wing pushed Mount Vernon’s lead to 38-27 with 4:15 to play. 

“In the first half, I felt like we didn’t get some shots to fall that we typically do,” Berendt said. “I told them to keep shooting. We needed to be patient offensively, and we got some shots to fall in the third quarter. We rebounded the ball better and got the lead and then extended it.” 

A senior guard, Johnston scored 17 points and hit five 3-pointers to lead the Mountaineers, while classmate Stokes added 14 points.

Hylton scored 11 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Buerge and Scott finished with eight points apiece. Hannah Lee’s two points rounded out CJ’s scoring. Buerge and Hylton both fouled out in the fourth quarter. 

Carl Junction is now 4-2 after going 2-1 at the event.

“It was a good week for us,” Shorter said. “We picked up a couple of wins. And making it to the championship game was important for us.” 

CARTHAGE 71, LEAVENWORTH 40

Carthage ended the tourney on a high note, as all nine players scored and the Tigers hit 10 treys.

“From 1 to 9, our kids were offensively aggressive,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “Defensively, they were focused and tried to lock in.” 

Three players scored in double figures for the Tigers, as Hailey Fullerton had 18 points, Kianna Yates added 14 and Lauren Wilson chipped in 10. 

Raven Probert just missed double-digits with nine points on three treys, while Sophie Shannon added seven and Brinna Ream added six. 

Aleshia Jones scored 20 points to lead Leavenworth. 

Fullerton’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave Carthage a 20-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Tigers took a 32-21 lead into the break. 

After the Pioneers scored the first hoop of the third quarter, Carthage responded with a 17-0 run to take a comfy 49-23 lead. 

Fullerton, Raven Probert and Presley Probert all drained treys in the final frame to put the finishing touches on the convincing win. 

“They actually came out and scored the first basket and then we had a nice run after they scored,” Moore said. “They made adjustments on their press break and it took us some time to figure that out. But our girls are really smart about knowing where they’re supposed to transition and rotate. I’m proud of the fact that once they made an adjustment, our girls immediately responded. We’ve been focusing on answering runs with runs of our own.” 

After winning two out of three at the event, the Tigers are now 5-2.

“It was three good basketball games for us,” Moore said of the week. “I liked our intensity and our scoring output. And we put up 71 on a pretty good team today. We’re pretty proud of our start to the season.” 

MCDONALD COUNTY 36, JOPLIN 34

The tourney finale was deadlocked after three periods of play and went down to the wire. 

Joplin trailed by four with a minute to play, but Brooke Nice hit a 3-pointer and Emma Floyd made 1-of-2 free throws to tie the game at 34 with 48 seconds left.

The two teams then traded turnovers before McDonald County’s Adasyn Leach scored in the paint with four seconds left. Joplin’s last-second heave was off the mark. 

“Our girls did a good job at the end,” Mustangs coach Sean Crane said. “We still have to figure out how to take care of the ball better and make layups. But we did a good job of coming through when it mattered. We had some young ladies step up. This tournament was pretty tough. We played a very good CJ team and a very good Carthage team. And Joplin is always a battle for us.”  

Samara Smith scored 15 points to lead the Mustangs (3-4), while Kristen Penn added seven and Leach had six. 

Brynn Driver led Joplin with 12 points, while Emma Floyd had 10 and Nice added seven. Serafina Auberry scored three points and Isabella Yust had two for the Eagles (3-5). 

 

LADY EAGLE CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Aleshia Jones, Leavenworth

Kianna Yates, Carthage

Hailey Fullerton, Carthage

Destiny Buerge, Carl Junction

Jessa Hylton, Carl Junction

Ellie Johnston, Mount Vernon

Lacy Stokes, Mount Vernon

PREP HOOPS: Carthage earns first win of the season against Carl Junction

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage built a nine-point lead in the second half and staved off a Carl Junction rally to earn a 47-41 win in the consolation bracket of the Carthage Invitational on Friday.

The Tigers (1-1) and Bulldogs (0-5) played at a back-and-forth pace in the first half, with Carthage taking a 21-16 advantage into the break. The Tigers’ lead grew to nine early in the third before Carl Junction ultimately tied the game two minutes into the fourth quarter. Carthage never allowed Carl Junction to gain the lead down the stretch on the way to the first win of the season.

“I told these guys that we need to find a way to string together a full basketball game,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. “We have to buy into what we are selling and understand that we aren’t built to play in a half court for 32 minutes. We can’t speed it up for a four-minute increment and then not speed it up the rest of the game. … We are a better basketball team than that, and we need to wake up and show it.

“We will take a win. Our kids just need to understand that we need to take all of the good points and all of the bad points and learn from it.”

Carthage’s Joel Pugh lines up a 3-pointer in the Tigers’ win over Carl Junction on Friday in the Carthage Invitational. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Max Templeman led Carthage with 14 points, while Joel Pugh was right behind with 13. Justin Ray and Patrick Carlton each scored eight.

Alex Baker and Blake Poorman each scored nine to lead Carl Junction, while Kyler Perry, Sincere Williams and Josh Cory each scored seven.

Carthage pushed its lead to a game-high nine points early in the third quarter after a 3-pointer from Carlton and a mid-range bucket from Ray to make the score 29-20.

Carl Junction responded with a 7-0 run fueled by a pair of baskets from Cory to trim the margin to 29-27 with less than two minutes to play in the third.

“I felt like we played really hard and the effort was always there,” Carl Junction coach Justin Pock said. “We played a lot harder than we did yesterday. If we play that hard every night, good things are going to happen.”

Carl Junction’s Blake Poorman scores inside against Carthage on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

The Tigers extended the lead to six, 33-27, by the end of the period after four straight points from Templeman to close the quarter.

Carl Junction opened the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run to come all the way back to tie the game at 35-35 with six minutes left in regulation. Perry had an old-fashioned three-point play to start the run, and Cory scored inside to close the run and tie the game.

“The kids didn’t ever get down on themselves or think it was out of hand,” Pock said. “They had to scratch and claw to get back in the game, and they did a good job of that. I was proud of the effort. There were a couple of times where we just didn’t execute. That is what we have to get better at.”

Despite the nine-point cushion evaporating, Carthage never gave up the lead, as Pugh connected from the perimeter to put the Tigers back up three, and Templeman added a score on the break with 3:52 to play to push the lead to five, 43-38. 

Williams scored on the drive, drew the foul and made the and-one free throw to cut the lead to two on the next trip down the court only to see Templeman connect on a 3-pointer at the other end to answer.

Baker drilled a 3-pointer in response for the Bulldogs, but Carthage closed out the win with a pair of free throws and an inside score from Carlton inside the final minute.

“When we needed some big-time plays, they were made,” Morris said. “I just wish it wouldn’t have come to that.”

Carthage takes on West Plains in the fifth-place match at 12:30 p.m., while Carl Junction and Leavenworth square off in the seventh-place game at 11 a.m.

CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL: Nixa’s size gives Joplin problems in semis; Nevada falls to Ray-Pec

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NIXA’S SIZE PROVED TO BE THE DIFFERENCE IN WIN OVER JOPLIN

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Joplin raced out to an early lead after the first quarter before the interior size advantage ultimately led Nixa to a 76-55 semifinal win in the 74th Carthage Invitational on Friday.

“I have to give (our team) a little bit more of a fighting chance in terms of how we need to guard,” Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. “We had some things we were wanting to do, and we didn’t execute very well. That lands on me for the most part. (Nixa) is such a well-balanced team, it’s kind of ‘pick your poison’. … We started digging down a little more late but the game got away from us because we didn’t get back in transition or do anything on the glass. Those are things we have to do.”

Joplin took an 11-10 lead with 3:20 to play in the first quarter on a Carson Wampler 3-pointer and finished out the period on an 8-3 run to lead 19-15 heading into the second quarter. Always Wright had five points, including a triple, and Brue Wilbert added a 3-pointer.

Nixa scored the first two baskets to start the second, tying the game at 19-19. There were three ties and three lead changes over the next three minutes of action, but it was Nixa who finished the half out in front after TJ Sorgenfrei scored on a reverse layup and Kaleb Wofford grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback basket to give NHS a 36-31 lead at halftime.

“Late in the first half, we wore down,” Hafer said. “We had a little bit of a lead, and we didn’t get matched up in transition three possessions in a row, or run back in transition, and boom, boom, boom. Good teams like Nixa will make you pay in a hurry for that. That changed the game.”

Nixa methodically added to the lead throughout the third quarter thanks to the play of 6-foot-4 Jaret Nelson and 6-6 Jason Jones, who combined to score 12 points in the period while also providing work on the glass and defensively. Jones finished with a team-high 24 and Nelson added 16.

Nixa’s lead heading into the fourth quarter was 56-48, and it stretched to 15 points after NHS opened the final period of play with a 7-0 run to build a 63-48 cushion. Jones scored in the paint, with Nelson adding two baskets inside to fuel the game-sealing run.

“That is a very good team, and they are missing arguably their best player,” Hafer said about what his team will take from this matchup in preparation for a rematch with COC-rival Nixa later in the season. “They are way ahead where most teams are at this juncture in the season with the level they are playing at. … They are a great measuring stick for us because we should be better the next time we play them. … They are going to be hard to beat for a lot of teams.”

Joplin Freshman All Wright absorbs contact on a drive to the hoop in Joplin’s loss to Nixa at the Carthage Invitational on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

A bright spot for Joplin in the loss was the play of freshman guard All Wright, who finished the game with a game and career-high 25 points. Wright knocked down a game-high six 3-pointers, and scored 13 of his points in the third quarter. Junior Always Wright finished with nine points, while Wampler added six and LT Atherton scored five.

“Offensively, he was great,” Hafer said of All Wright’s breakout performance. “We know that about All and we have been waiting for that to happen. He has been scoring moderately, but tonight, he really had it going. 

“A big part of that is how much attention Always (Wright) gets. What will probably show up later is the assists from Always. … I was pleased with Always because he was aggressive tonight and willing.”

Nixa takes on Ray-Pec in the Carthage Invitational championship game at 3:30, while Joplin and Nevada square off in the third-place game at 2.

RAY-PEC TAKES CONTROL IN 2ND QUARTER IN WIN OVER NEVADA

Raymore-Peculiar extended a three-point first-quarter lead to 14 by the intermission to set the tone in a 70-42 win over Nevada in the semifinals of the 74th Carthage Invitational.

“We love playing teams like this, teams that are going to push us,” Nevada coach Shaun Gray said. “We have a ballclub with a lot of 3-point shooters, and that’s a big part of our offense. We have to find some balance. It can’t be a live-by-the-3, die-by-the-3 type of scenario for us night in and night out. … We really have to find better balance on the offensive end of the floor.”

The Panthers (3-0) started the second quarter with a 15-12 lead and limited the Tigers (3-2) to three points in the second period on the way to a 29-15 advantage at the break. 

“We have to be able to sustain our defensive effort,” Gray said. “I thought in the first quarter we executed well on the defensive end. As the game wears on and becomes more physical, we have to pick up our defensive stamina.”

Ray-Pec was relentless out of the break, outscoring Nevada 25-13 in the third period to build an insurmountable 54-27 cushion. 

Logan Applegate led Nevada with 14 points, while Cade Beshore and Logan McNeley each added nine in the loss. Ben Hines finished with seven.

Iryn Allen led Ray-Pec with a game-high 33 points. Myles Sutton added 12, and Tucker Miller closed with 10.

Ray-Pec faces Nixa in the Carthage Invitational championship game at 3:30, while Joplin and Nevada square off in the third-place game at 2.

 

LADY EAGLE CLASSIC: Carl Junction, Mount Vernon will meet for tourney title

Posted on by Jason Peake

After recording much different victories, Carl Junction and Mount Vernon advanced to the championship game of the 24th annual Freeman-Lady Eagle Classic. 

In what were de facto semifinal contests, Carl Junction handled McDonald County 55-22, while Mount Vernon edged Leavenworth 54-46 on Friday night at Joplin High School’s Kaminsky Gymnasium. 

As a result, the Bulldogs and Mountaineers will meet for the tourney championship at 1 on Saturday.

“It always feels good to be in a championship game,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “And with such a young team it’s a good feeling.” 

Of course, the Bulldogs and Mountaineers are former Big 8 Conference foes.

“Since I’ve been at Mount Vernon, this will be our first time playing Carl Junction,” Mount Vernon coach Grant Berendt said. “We jamboree together every year, so we see them there. Coach Shorter does a heck of a job there. We know their kids will play very physical and they are off to a really good start. I think it will be a fun game and I think it will be a good game for people to come watch.” 

Saturdays’ third-place game between Carthage and Leavenworth is slated for 2:30 p.m., while the fifth-place game between Joplin and McDonald County is scheduled for 4. 

CARL JUNCTION 55, MCDONALD COUNTY 22

Clinging to a 10-point cushion at intermission, the Bulldogs outscored the Mustangs 30-7 in a one-sided second half.

“I challenged them at halftime,” Shorter said. “A lot of our issues are passing and catching. I thought we cleaned that up a lot in the second half. We were stronger on the catches and we were stronger with our passes. And we weren’t so nonchalant or lackadaisical with the ball. We were stronger with the ball and we were a much-better ball club for sure.” 

Sophomore guard Destiny Buerge scored 22 points to lead the Bulldogs (4-1), while freshman Kylie Scott added nine points and junior Jessa Hylton added seven. Also for the Bulldogs, Hali Shorter scored six, Hannah Lee and Anna Burch scored four points apiece and Ellie Lawson had three.

Kristen Penn scored five for the Mustangs (2-4), while Caitlyn Barton, Carlee Cooper and Samara Smith all chipped in four points apiece. 

The Bulldogs led 10-6 at the end of the first quarter, with Buerge scoring eight during the opening period. 

Carl Junction scored the first nine points of the second quarter to take a 19-6 lead. During the surge, the Bulldogs used their full-court press to convert steals into layups again and again.

The Mustangs stopped the burst when Penn buried a 3-pointer and Reagan Myrick scored in the lane, but the Bulldogs extended their lead to 25-11 on Scott’s hoop in the paint, Buerge’s corner trey and Hylton’s free throw.

By the break, the Bulldogs led 25-15.

The Bulldogs outscored the Mustangs 19-4 in the game-changing third period.  A pair of 3-pointers from Hali Shorter and a trey from Lawson gave Carl Junction a comfy 39-17 lead. Buerge’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the left wing extended Carl Junction’s advantage to 44-19 entering the fourth quarter. 

Carl Junction caught fire from the perimeter after the break, as the Bulldogs connected on seven 3-pointers, with four different players contributing treys. 

“I felt like we had more energy in the second half,” Shorter said. “It was good to see us get some easy ones from layups.”

MOUNT VERNON 54, LEAVENWORTH 46

This one was close all the way. 

The Pioneers led 18-17 at the end of the first quarter, but the Mountaineers took a 33-29 lead into the break. 

Despite foul trouble, Mount Vernon’s lead was 40-36 at the end of the third quarter. The Mountaineers outscored the Pioneers 14-10 in the final frame to secure the close win. 

Mount Vernon’s Lacy Stokes scored 18 points, while teammates Ellie Johnston and Cameryn Cassity added 13 points apiece. The Mountaineers (3-0) made 17-of-37 attempts at the charity stripe. 

Leavenworth’s Aleshia Jones scored 21 points. 

“A win is a win,” Berendt said. “They’re a very well-coached team and they play really, really hard and they have a go-to scorer (Jones). They were physical. Our kids are trying to get there. I’m changing our lineup up a little bit. We’re still finding a rotation that fits us. A win is a win at this point.” 

 

Football: Local players named to SWMFCA all-state teams

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Southwest Missouri Football Coaches Association has released its all-state teams.
In Class 5-6, Webb City’s Devrin Weathers was named the Offensive Player of the Year, while Webb City’s Treghan Parker was the Defensive Player of the Year. Nixa’s John Perry was Coach of the Year.
Joplin, Webb City and Carthage all had several players selected to the Class 5-6 team.
Players selected to the First Team Offense were Joplin’s Alex Curry (OL) and Nathan Glades (RB), Webb City’s Grant Goltra (OL) and Zetthew Meister (OL), Weathers (RB) and Gary Clinton (TE) and Carthage’s Patrick Carlton (QB) and Aiden Logan (OL).
Listed on the Second Team Offense were Joplin’s Always Wright (QB) and Carthage’s Luke Gall (RB), Hudson Moore (WR), Lucas Neuenswander (TE) and Caleb Calvin (K).
Honorable Mention Offense selections were Joplin’s Davis Ramsey (OL), Trayshawn Thomas (WR) and Keaton Renfro (WR), Webb City’s Buddy Belcher (OL) and Cole Gayman (QB), Carthage’s Ian Ketchum (OL) and Garrett Lilienkamp (OL) and Neosho’s Kaden Decker (OL) and Drayke Perry (RB).
Listed on the First Team Defense were Joplin’s Glades (returner) and Jayden Holt (DB), Webb City’s Eli Goddard (LB) and Parker (DB) and Carthage’s Micah Lindsey (DL), Lucas Neuenswander (DE), Luke Gall (LB) and DJ Witt (DB).
Second Team Defense picks were Joplin’s Donovahn Watkins (DL), Scott Lowe (LB) and Webb City’s Matt McDaniel (DE) and Weathers (returner).
Honorable Mention Defense selections from the area were Joplin’s Jacob Prosser (DL), Webb City’s Jaystin Smith (LB) and Shane Noel (DB), Carthage’s Zach Lansford (LB) and Justin Sneed (DB) and Neosho’s Marcus Duncan (DL) and Jacob Fry (LB).

BULLDOGS SELECTED IN CLASS 4
Several Carl Junction athletes were recognized in Class 4.
Carl Junction’s Ethan Howard (OL), Cole Stewart (WR), Noah Southern (WR) and Alex Baker (QB) were First Team Offense selections.
Second Team Offense selections were Jesse Cassatt (OL) and Brady Sims (RB), while Reese Bonjour (OL) and Drew Patterson (WR) were listed on the Honorable Mention Offense.
Listed on the First Team Defense was CJ’s Jesse Cassatt (DE), while Southern (LB) and Jack Colgin (DB) were on the Second Team Defense. Listed on the Honorable Mention Defense from CJ were Hunter Row (DE), Trentyn Lehman (DB) and Myles Derfelt (DB).

MSHSAA releases new classifications, district assignments

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Missouri State High School Activities Association released its new classifications and district assignments for the winter sports on Friday.

GIRLS AND BOYS BASKETBALL

McAuley Catholic and Thomas Jefferson are in Class 1 District 7 with Bronaugh, Hume, Northeast Vernon County, Rich Hill and Sheldon.
College Heights Christian is in Class 2 District 12 with Greenfield, Jasper, Liberal, Verona and Wheaton.
Teams in Class 3 District 12 are Diamond, Miller, Pierce City, Purdy, Sarcoxie and Southwest (Washburn).
Class 4 District 12 features Seneca, East Newton, Aurora, Cassville, Mount Vernon and Reeds Spring.
Class 5 District 12 features Carl Junction, Webb City, Nevada and Harrisonville.
Class 5 District 11 features Neosho, Monett, McDonald County and Logan-Rogersville.
Class 6 District 12 features Joplin, Carthage, Kickapoo and Republic.

WRESTLING

Class 3 District 6 features Carl Junction, Neosho, Webb City, Hillcrest, McDonald County, Parkview and Willard.
Class 4 District 5 features Carthage, Springfield Central, Joplin, Kickapoo, Nixa, Ozark, Republic and Waynesville.
Seneca is in Class 2 District 5 with Buffalo, Cassville, Hollister, Logan-Rogersville, Monett and Reeds Spring.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Carl Junction and Webb City are in Class 1, while Joplin and Carthage are in Class 2.

Girls basketball: Webb City suffers home loss to Miller

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Miller defeated Webb City 56-32 on Thursday night in non-conference girls basketball action inside the Cardinal Dome.
Miller improved to 5-1, while Webb City fell to 1-4.
Three players scored in double figures for Miller, as Claudia Hadlock had 16, while Payten Richardson had 11 and Kaylee Helton added 10.
Jaydee Duda scored 17 points for Webb City, with 11 coming in the final frame.
Miller led 28-6 at the half and 38-14 at the end of the third quarter.
Webb City is at McDonald County on Tuesday.

Wrestling roundup: Joplin tops Cassville, Webb City earns two dual wins

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Joplin High School wrestling team defeated Cassville 57-22 on Thursday night.
Joplin’s Sam Melton (106 pounds), Alex Short (113), Trace Sargent (120) and Rocky Walker (126) all won by forfeit.
Cassville won the next four matches.
Cassville’s Matthew Whittenburg pinned Josiah Vaughn at 132, Gabe Hunter won by fall over Johnathon Burke at 138, Jadon Ewing pinned Reese Macios at 145 and Jake Anthonysz earned a major decision, 14-4, over Jack Stanley at 152.
Joplin’s Brenden Mynatt pinned Donald Pettyjohn at 160, while Joplin’s Drew Van Gilder (170), Draven Van Gilder (182), Aiden Short (195) and Scott Lowe (220) all won by forfeit.
In the heavyweight bout, Joplin’s Gunner Price earned a 5-2 decision over Zach Coenen.

Joplin’s Gunner Price celebrates his victory over Cassville on Thursday night. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

WEBB CITY WINS TWO DUALS
Webb City defeated Diamond 57-24.
Webb City’s Bobby Pearish (113), Brenden Berry (132), Hunter England (145), Brayden Hollingsworth (170), Roger Carranco (182) and Kole Carr (285) all won their matches by fall.
Jacob Ott defeated Jayce Taylor 5-4 at 195.
Winning by fall for Diamond were Cody Behler (152), Kendal King (160) and Ty Douglas (220).
Webb City also beat Monett 45-36.
Recording pins for the Cardinals were Pearish, Colt Taylor (120), England, Cooper Heilbrun (160), Hollingsworth and Carranco.
Ott defeated Ethan Umfleet 5-4 at 195.
Monett’s Ben Bluel (132), Matthew Bahl (138), Elias Barrientos (152), Joe Korasick (220) and Harrison Merriman (285) all won by fall.

 

Joplin’s Jack Stanley is pictured during Thursday’s wrestling dual with Cassville. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL: Carthage falls to Ray-Pec in season opener; Nevada defeats Carl Junction

Posted on by Lucas Davis

RAY-PEC PULLS AWAY FROM HOST CARTHAGE

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Making its season debut, Carthage held with Raymore-Peculiar for the first eight minutes of action before the Panthers methodically pulled away for a 73-55 win in the opening round of the 74th annual Carthage Invitational. 

“We are one of the few teams in the state of Missouri that had not played a game yet,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. “It is a long basketball season. In the grand scheme of things, I’m not worried about what happened with Ray-Pec on December 10th. … We have a lot of games to get better and I know these guys will.”

Carthage converted from the perimeter on its first four baskets of the game, with Joel Pugh knocking down a pair before Patrick Carlton sank two triples to give the Tigers a 12-8 lead through the first four minutes.

“We have more guys in the program this year that can shoot,” Morris said. “There will be nights where we live by (the 3) and die by it. But this group has bought into that, and we will get better.”

The Panthers closed the first quarter with a 19-16 advantage before pushing the lead to 26-18 through three minutes of the second period. Iryn Allen, who led Ray-Pec with a game-high 30 points, had four points in the 7-2 run and Robert McClemore added a 3-pointer.

Pugh knocked down another 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 28-23 before the Panthers again stretched the lead out to 10, 38-28, by the intermission, with Jaden Reddell converting an old-fashioned three-point play with 7.5 seconds left in the half.

“I think we hit some early shots to keep us in it, but their physicality and size started to wear (on us) a little bit,” Morris said. “I told our guys that we are going to have to find a way to deal with it. We play against teams in the COC that have physical kids. We are obviously a young basketball team, so we are going to have to figure it out on the fly. … I think our guys will get there.”

Ray-Pec extended the lead to 21, 61-40, to start the fourth quarter, but Carthage didn’t go away quietly. The Tigers used a 12-1 run to open the fourth, cutting the lead down to 62-52 with 4:20 to play. 

“That is who we can be,” Morris said of his team’s start to the fourth. “We will be a group who will try to pressure teams. … There will be nights where that is what we hang our hat on. We have to work on it and get better at it. I just told them to channel that.”

The Panthers didn’t allow the Tigers to get any closer, pushing the lead back out near the 20-point margin by time the final horn sounded.

Carthage takes on Carl Junction at 5:30 on Friday in the consolation bracket.

 

NEVADA JUMPS OUT IN FRONT EARLY IN WIN OVER CARL JUNCTION

Nevada limited Carl Junction to two field goals in the first quarter to set the tone in a 59-33 win over the Bulldogs in the opening round of the Carthage Invitational.

“Nevada is a good team, and we have to execute when we play good teams,” Carl Junction coach Justin Pock said. “I don’t feel like we executed tonight. We had trouble getting into our offense and a had lot of self-inflicted wounds—bad decisions and not moving much.”

Nevada outscored Carl Junction 18-6 in the first period and pushed the lead to 20-plus by the intermission. Nevada held that margin throughout the remainder of the contest.

“We have to be able to move without the basketball,” Pock said. “We have to start valuing possessions with the basketball more. … I think after this game, the best thing about it is we turn around and play tomorrow.”

Sincere Williams led Carl Junction with 10 points, while Jaden Cherry finished with eight. Isaiah Hefner and Josh Cory scored five each. 

Logan Applegate led Nevada with a game-high 27 points. Ben Hines added 11, and Lane McNeley finished with eight.

Carl Junction takes on Carthage at 5:30 on Friday.

“We have to go back out and play a tough Carthage team in their own tournament,” Pock said. “It doesn’t get any easier.”

“We see teams that we are going to see down the line,” Pock said about the value of playing in the Carthage Invitational. “We see that we cannot make these mistakes against these good teams because they will capitalize. … It’s a competitive tournament with really good teams in it. I think you only get better by playing really good competition.”

 

NIXA CRUISES PAST LEAVENWORTH

Nixa jumped out to an early lead and finished with three players in double figures on the way to a 72-36 win over Leavenworth to open the Carthage Invitational. 

Nixa built a 20-point lead by halftime and cruised in the second half behind a team-high 16 points from Jason Jones. Colten Berry added 15 points, while Jaret Nelson finished with 13.

Ty Bennett led Leavenworth with 10 points, while KaiKuan Darthard scored eight. 

Leavenworth takes on West Plains at 4 on Friday.

LADY EAGLE CLASSIC: Carl Junction tops Carthage, Joplin falls to Leavenworth

Posted on by Jason Peake

Carthage’s last-second field goal attempt was off the mark, and Carl Junction survived for a hard-fought 52-51 win over the Tigers on Thursday at the 24th annual Freeman-Lady Eagle Classic inside Joplin High School’s Kaminsky Gymnasium.

In the nightcap, an improved effort was not enough for the hosts, as Joplin suffered a 60-43 setback to Leavenworth.

Pool play concludes Friday, as Carl Junction plays McDonald County at 5:30 and Mount Vernon takes on Leavenworth at 7. 

CARL JUNCTION 52, CARTHAGE 51

After trailing at the end of the third period, Carl Junction scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter and the Bulldogs came up with a late defensive stop to secure an intense victory against their Central Ozark Conference foe. 

“It was a good win,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “That’s a really good team. They’re going to make some noise in the COC.” 

“It was a game of short spurts and runs,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “They made a run to get the lead and then we came right back. That shows the maturity of our team. They answered the call. I’m proud of our team’s effort.” 

Carl Junction’s Destiny Buerge draws a foul in the lane against Carthage’s Sophie Shannon during Thursday’s game. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Carl Junction sophomore guard Destiny Buerge scored a game-high 28 points. Buerge made nine field goal attempts, including three from long distance. She also made 7-of-9 free throws. 

Jessa Hylton added 10 points for the Bulldogs (3-1), while Kylie Scott had eight. Hali Shorter scored four, while Hannah Lee contributed two points. 

Carthage senior Hailey Fullerton scored 25 points to lead the Tigers (4-2). Fullerton converted 10 field goals, including three 3-pointers. She also made 2-of-4 foul shots. 

Brinna Ream added eight points for the Tigers and Kianna Yates had seven. Sophie Shannon scored four, while Raven Probert, Katie Crowe and Presley Probert scored two points apiece and Lauren Wilson had one point. 

The first half ended with the score deadlocked at 18. The Bulldogs led 23-18 when the Tigers put together an 8-0 run to take a 26-23 advantage. 

The two teams traded the lead late in the third period, with Carthage taking a 36-35 advantage into the fourth quarter. 

The Bulldogs rattled off the first 11 points of the final frame, as Buerge hit a trey and a midrange jumper, Scott scored inside, Hylton made a layup and then Buerge converted a steal into a hoop in transition. 

Carthage was down six with 45 seconds remaining, but the Tigers didn’t quit.

Fullerton hit one free throw, Yates drilled a 3-pointer and then Fullerton scored in the paint, tying the game with 20 seconds left.

The Bulldogs, who had a number of empty possessions down the stretch, received a free throw from Buerge with 12 seconds left to go up one.

On the final play of the game, Yates missed a contested jumper. The Carthage bench thought Yates was fouled. 

“They blew the whistle on their end on what was a questionable call and then they didn’t blow the whistle on our end,” Moore said. “I didn’t like the non-balance of that. But we went 9-of-17 from the free throw line. If we shoot our free throws better, we’re not in that situation at the end of the game. And we had too many turnovers.”

Shorter said he was proud his team was able to do enough to pull out the close win. 

“I thought we looked a little tired at the end of the game,” Shorter said. “Our kids had a good stretch there late in the third and early in the fourth quarter where we went on a run. We had some possessions late where we got the looks we wanted, but we also had some turnovers at inopportune times. But our kids played hard. They did some good things.” 

Carthage returns to action on Saturday against an opponent to be determined. 

Carthage’s Hailey Fullerton scored 25 points on Thursday.

LEAVENWORTH 60, JOPLIN 43

Citing big improvements from the night before, Joplin coach Luke Floyd said he was pleased with his team’s performance.  

“I’m very proud of the effort,” Floyd said. “They came out and competed really hard tonight. There are some little things we need to clean up. But from the opening tip to the final buzzer, I thought we played hard and did some really good things. We moved the ball better and made some baskets. We played better team basketball.” 

Junior guard Brooke Nice scored 14 points and hit three 3-pointers to lead the Eagles (3-4), while junior forward Emma Floyd added 11 points. 

Also for Joplin, Isabella Yust scored six, Brynn Driver had five, Lily Pagan scored four and Serafina Auberry added three.

Leavenworth’s Aleshia Jones poured in 25 points, while Monece Thomas added 12 and Jariah Wright had 10. 

Coming off a disappointing 54-12 loss to Mount Vernon on Wednesday, Joplin hung tough early on Thursday, trailing 12-10. 

The Pioneers took a double-digit lead at 25-15 before Nice’s 3-pointer from the top of the key cut Joplin’s deficit to 33-26 at the break.

The hosts were within seven after buckets from Yust and Pagan, but the Pioneers would not be denied. Leavenworth led 56-40 late in the game en route to victory.  

“Leavenworth did a great job with the dribble-drive,” Coach Floyd said. “Early on, I thought we did a good job of containing them. In the second half, we wore down a bit and they were able to get to the bucket and get some second-chance points they weren’t getting in the first half. We kept battling. I could not be more proud of the girls’ effort tonight.” 

Joplin will return to action on Saturday against an opponent to be determined.

 

Joplin’s Emma Floyd looks to score in the lane against Leavenworth on Thursday night. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

Joplin’s Brynn Driver looks to score in the lane against Leavenworth. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL: Joplin earns complimentary win over West Plains in the opening round

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARTHAGE, Mo. — A strong defensive effort coupled with a relentless offensive attack propelled Joplin to a 64-36 win over West Plains in the first round of the 74th Carthage Invitational. 

Holding a one-point lead after the first quarter, Joplin’s defense limited West Plains to 13 points combined in the second and third quarters. During that time, the Eagle offense extended the lead to 24 points to start the fourth, building an advantage too large for any sort of a comeback.

“I felt really good about the defense starting in the second quarter,” Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. “We didn’t start with as much energy as we wanted. … In the half court, we just started making it hard for them to make passes, forcing them to become dribblers. West Plains is a big, strong team. So, if you let them be deliberate and run their offense, they’re going to find what they want.”

Never going unnoticed, Joplin (3-0) had a tremendous day from the perimeter, finishing the win out with 11 3-pointers as a team. The Eagles were led in scoring by junior Always Wright, who finished with a game-high 29 points, including a team-high five 3-balls.

“He is a dynamic player,” Hafer said. “If you allow him to get into a rhythm and start shooting it, it’s really hard (for other team’s to defend). We got him into pick-and-roll situations, and we made the extra pass. Guys did a really good job of finding him. … They know what Always is capable of when he gets into rhythm.”

Freshman All Wright finished with 13 points, while senior Dominick Simmons hit three 3-pointers on the way to nine points. Sophomore Dante Washington added eight in the win.

Joplin advances to the play COC-rival Nixa in the second round with a 8:30 matchup on Friday.

“It is similar to last year,” Hafer said. “We both won on the first night and played each other on the second night. We were able to win that one, and then they got us later in the year. … They are a good team. We get an idea of what we need to do tomorrow night to really compete and have a chance to be a part of a COC championship again. These kids need that, a high level of competition so we know the errors we really need to hone in on as the year continues.”

Joplin took a 13-12 lead into the second quarter before a solid defensive effort led to several transition baskets by the Eagles to push the advantage to 31-18 by the intermission.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Simmons and Always Wright to open the second gave Joplin a 19-12 advantage. Following four free throws from the Zizzers’ Bristol Wood, the Eagles closed the first half on a 12-2 run to head into the break with all of the momentum. Always Wright had seven points in the run, while Joe Jasper added a layup on the break before Simmons added another 3-ball.

The defensive effort didn’t slow down out of the break, with Joplin limiting West Plains (2-1) to six total points in the period, allowing the offense to create a 50-26 lead to start the final eight minutes of play.

“They came out a little flatter (in the second half) offensively,” Hafer said. “We kind of got the game at the speed we wanted. We were able to force some turnovers, get out and run and when we ran, a lot of those became getting to the paint, kicking out to walk-up 3s for Always that he was able to knock down. Everything we do will be predicated on our ability to defend and rebound.”

With a 33-22 lead, the Eagles scored 10 unanswered points to make the score push the lead to more than 20 for the first time, 43-22. Dante Washington started the run with a fast-break score before LT Atherton earned a steal that led to a Simmons 3-pointer on the other end. All Wright scored on a baseline drive and Always Wright finished the run with a 3-pointer from the wing with 1:50 to play in the third.

Joplin closed out the third with baskets from both Wright brothers to take a 50-26 cushion into the fourth, where the Eagles pushed the lead to 30 on the way to the opening-round win.

Girls Basketball: Mount Vernon, Carthage earn big wins at Lady Eagle Classic

Posted on by Jason Peake

Mount Vernon and Carthage cruised to lopsided victories on the opening night of the 24th annual Freeman Lady Eagle Classic girls basketball tournament.

In a Wednesday night doubleheader inside Joplin High School’s Kaminsky Gymnasium, Mount Vernon defeated Joplin 54-12, while Carthage beat McDonald County 61-31. 

 

MOUNT VERNON 54, JOPLIN 12

The Mountaineers led 15-11 at the end of the first quarter before outscoring the Eagles 39-1 the rest of the way.

“We hadn’t played in 15 days,” Mount Vernon coach Grant Berendt said. “We had Thanksgiving break and a week off and had a game get canceled due to COVID. We were ready to play. I knew the first quarter could be a little ugly for us because we had to get our timing back and our legs back. And this was the first time any of our girls played in this gym. I told them it’s a little longer than our gym. 

“I thought we bailed them out with some fouls early, but then we settled down,” Berendt added. “I really loved our defense from the first quarter on. We tried to set the tone there.” 

After scoring 11 points in the first frame, Joplin managed just one free throw in the second period. The hosts went scoreless in both the third and fourth quarters. 

“I’ve got to do a better job of putting our girls in a position to succeed,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “The girls can play hard, but I have to do a better job of making us successful. The girls played hard, but this is on me. I didn’t put our girls in a position to win.” 

Senior guard Ellie Johnston poured in 25 points to lead the Mountaineers, while Missouri Southern recruit Lacy Stokes added 13. The 5-foot-8 Johnston scored 15 points in the first half. 

“We rely a lot on Ellie and Lacy to get us going offensively,” Berendt said. “It was good to see Ellie set the tone offensively.” 

Also for Mount Vernon, Reagan Boswell added seven, Kandence Krempges scored six and Jolie Prescott chipped in three. 

Brooke Nice and Emma Floyd scored six points apiece for Joplin. Nice hit a pair of treys in the first quarter. Emma Floyd had one field goal to go with four free throws. The Eagles are competing without the services of the injured Ella Hafer. 

Up four at the end of the first quarter, Mount Vernon outscored Joplin 18-1 in the second period. The Mountaineers won the third quarter 15-0 before scoring six unanswered points in the final period. 

“They are a good, well-coached group,” Coach Floyd said of the Mountaineers. “Their guards are very quick and they have quick hands. I have to do a better job of getting us prepared to take care of the ball and to perform under pressure.”

Mount Vernon (2-0) returns to action with a matchup against Leavenworth at 7 on Friday.

Joplin (3-3) meets Leavenworth at 7 on Thursday.

“The good thing is we get a chance tomorrow to come back and redeem ourselves,” Floyd said. “We just have to come out and compete. If we compete and get beat, so be it.”

 

CARTHAGE 61, MCDONALD COUNTY 31

Ignited by its pressure defense, Carthage used a 13-2 run in the first quarter to take control. 

“That’s what we want to do,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said of the fast start. “We want to get out early in our 55 (full court pressure). It’s hard for people to practice what we do in that with our speed. And Hailey Fullerton is a really intimidating person to put on the ball and make someone have to throw around her. We’re trying to force bad passes over a 6-1 girl and that can lead to easy buckets.” 

The 1-2 punch of Hailey Fullerton and Kianna Yates led the Tigers, who improved to 4-1. 

A 6-1 senior forward, Fullerton scored 16 points, while Yates, a 5-4 sophomore point guard, added 15. 

The Tigers had three players score in double figures, as senior forward Brinna Ream scored 11 points off the bench. 

“Brinna gave us great energy in the post,” Moore said. “She got some good buckets that took them from being able to pack in on everybody else. She missed a week of practices and she hasn’t got her basketball legs. This was easily her best game so far. That was a great effort from her tonight.” 

Also for Carthage, Katie Crowe scored six, Lauren Wilson had five, Landry Cochran and Sophie Shannon scored three apiece and Presley Probert added two points. 

The Tigers led 17-8 by the end of the first quarter. Ream scored seven straight points for the Tigers off the bench to give Carthage a comfortable 26-10 advantage.

By the break, the Tigers led 34-17. 

The Tigers were able to get a number of easy hoops from in close while the Mustangs focused their defense on Fullerton.

“They had to come out of that because we took advantage,” Moore said. “We put Hailey on one side and ran a play opposite of her. They didn’t have help side defense and we got easy buckets. The idea that Kianna can get us into those sets and run our stuff without Hailey being our primary option is good for us.” 

Cochran’s 3-pointer gave Carthage a 53-23 lead with 2:15 remaining in the third period and the game’s outcome was never in doubt in the final frame. 

“I wanted to see how much energy we could bring,” Moore said. “I thought we did that initially, but I thought we lost some momentum in the middle. I thought we made a good run in the third quarter. That showed the maturity of our team.” 

Caitlyn Barton scored 12 points to lead McDonald County (2-3). 

Carthage takes on Carl Junction at 5:30 on Thursday, while McDonald County plays Carl Junction at 5:30 on Friday. 

 

Wrestling roundup: Carthage improves to 3-0, Neosho earns two wins, Seneca edges Carl Junction 

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

The Carthage High School wrestling team improved to 3-0 in duals with a pair of wins on Tuesday night at Cassville High School.  

Carthage defeated Miami, Oklahoma, 75-6, and the Tigers beat Cassville 66-12.

Against Miami, Carthage’s Joshua Griffith (106), Bradyn Tate (113), Carlos Reyes (120), Christian Brown (126), Eli Sneed (138), Davion King (145), Braxdon Tate (152), Grey Petticrew (160), Alexis Vasquez (220) and Kanen Vogt (285) all won their matches by fall. 

Obed Gonzalez won a 13-7 decision at 195, while Dagan Sappington (132) and Luke Gall (182) won by forfeit. Miami’s Keedin Crockett won by fall at 170 for his team’s lone win. 

In the win over Cassville, Carthage’s Sappington, Sneed, Brett Rockers (170) and Bradyn Tate all won by fall. King defeated Cassville’s Gabe Hunter 5-4 at 145, while Braxdon Tate earned a 7-0 decision over Jake Anthonysz at 152. The Tigers won six matches via forfeit. 

Cassville’s Brody Barbee (195) and Zach Coenen (285) won their matches by fall.

The Tigers will compete at the Farmington Duals on Saturday. 

NEOSHO EARNS TWO WINS

In a triangular match at Nixa, Neosho defeated Joplin 60-18 and the Wildcats edged Nixa 42-36.

Against Joplin, Neosho’s Raymond Hembree (113), Landon Kivett (126), Nate Copeland (138), Eli Zar (145), Cayden Auch (182), Eric Holt (195) and Jacob Fry (220) all won by fall. At 132, Neosho’s Hayden Crane earned a 6-0 decision over Josiah Vaughn. Trent Neece defeated Drew VanGilder 10-3 at 170. 

Joplin’s Sam Melton pinned Wyatt Black at 106, while Gunner Price won by fall over Nikolas Olivares at heavyweight. 

In the close win over Nixa, Neosho’s Black, Zar, Kivett, Neece, Auch, Holt and Jeremiah Larson (285) all won by fall.  Nixa won by fall at 113, 120, 126, 132 and 138. At 220, Nixa’s John Gholson earned a 7-3 decision over Jacob Fry. 

Nixa defeated Joplin 60-21. Recording wins by fall for Joplin were Melton at 106 and Brenden Mynatt at 160. Drew VanGilder and Price also won matches.  

SENECA 41, CARL JUNCTION 36

Earning wins by fall for the Indians were Brayden Thiel (126), Andrew Manley (132), Clayton Swadley (145), Gabriel Commons (170) and Jakob Tate (285). Lincoln Renfro won by technical fall at 152. 

Recording wins by fall for Carl Junction were Max Matthews (113) and Chance Benford (160). 

In the dual’s closest matches, Carl Junction’s Javon White defeated Dane Napier 3-0 at 182, while teammate Brennan Carey earned a 7-5 decision over Nick Arrasmith at 220. 

NEVADA 39, WEBB CITY 33

Webb City’s Hunter England (145) and Roger Carranco (182) earned wins by fall, while Brenden Berry won a decision at 132. 

Recording wins by fall for the Tigers were Kynndrick Brooks (113), Braylin Brooks (120), Mokey Dawn (126), Tyler Longobardi (152), Logan Smith (220) and Skylur Mashek (285). Zade Lee defeated Cooper Heilbrun 13-10 at 160. 

 

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