Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

Month: September 2021

PREP FOOTBALL: Quick start not enough for Neosho; Nixa earns 54-20 win

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

NEOSHO, Mo. — A quick six-play, 79-yard drive got the Neosho Wildcats on the board first during Saturday night’s Central Ozark Conference matchup with the visiting Nixa Eagles. 

The impressive start wasn’t enough for the Wildcats, as Nixa defeated Neosho 54-20 at Bob Anderson Stadium. 

The early score was followed up by an interception by Neosho junior Isaiah Green two plays later, and the Wildcats looked like they were ready to surprise the Eagles. But a defensive penalty negated the interception. 

“We’ve been preaching to start faster all year,” explained Neosho coach Brandon Taute. “To see us come out and start fast is a big jump for our team.” 

Neosho’s Marcus Duncan looks to bring down Nixa’s Spencer Ward on Saturday night at Bob Anderson Stadium. All photos by Israel Perez.

Nixa (4-1) didn’t let the Wildcats (0-5) build any more momentum as they followed up with a three-play, 63-yard drive that was capped by a 49-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Connor Knatcal to sophomore Rylan Michel. 

“They’ve been a good offensive team all year,” Nixa coach John Perry said of Neosho’s quick start. “We knew that’d be a challenge to start with.” 

The Wildcats had opportunities to keep themselves in the game, but two untimely holding penalties killed their next drive. 

Neosho senior Noah Reed would intercept an Eagle pass on the second play of the next drive, but another penalty (defensive pass interference) kept the Eagles’ drive alive. Four plays later, sophomore Spencer Ward found paydirt from 10 yards out to give the Eagles a 13-7 lead. 

“Nixa is one of the best teams in the state,” Taute said. “You can’t have self-inflicted wounds. We shot ourselves in the foot too many times tonight.” 

Neosho QB Quenton Hughes hands off to Jared Siler against Nixa on Saturday night. Nixa won the game 54-20 and improved to 4-1.

Even though penalties held them back, the Wildcats appeared to have a little success with their game plan.

Neosho moved the ball well on the following drive with a 12-play drive to try to answer, but ultimately ended up turning the ball over on downs. 

“We tried to get the ball out of his hands quickly,” Taute said of his sophomore quarterback Quenton Hughes’ first start. “He did a great job but they forced us to have to drive the length of the field. We weren’t able to do that consistently tonight.” 

Neosho appeared to hold off Nixa on the following drive, but the Eagles executed a 24-yard fake punt rush by senior Jaden Aven to keep the Nixa drive alive. Four plays later, it was Knatcal again with a 3-yard, play action touchdown pass to sophomore Jayden Antonelli. Nixa led 20-7. 

Neosho’s next two drives failed to gain much steam as they punted both times. 

Nixa put seven more points on the board just before the half as Knatcal threw a perfect fade to junior wide receiver Kael Combs with 21 seconds left in the half. 

“Connor throws the ball really well,” Perry said of his young quarterback. “He is getting better every single day.”

The Eagles put the pedal down in the second half as they went 53 yards in three plays during their second drive of the half. Knatcal threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Michel to take a 34-7 lead. 

The Eagles wouldn’t let Neosho back into the game, shutting the Wildcat’s next drive down in four plays. 

A short punt gave the Eagles the ball in Neosho territory at the Wildcat 45. Five plays later Ward stomped into the end zone to give the Eagles a commanding 41-7 lead. Ward would follow it up with another 8-yard touchdown run with 2:46 left in the third quarter to extend the Eagle lead. 

“Our young kids are great,” Perry explained. “Ward (who is filling in on full-time duty due to injury) is electric.” 

Neosho’s junior Jared Siler would add a touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to bring the score to 47-13 (blocked extra point attempt), but it was all but over for the Wildcats. 

Both teams added points late in the game, with Brock Franklin scoring for the Wildcats, to bring the final tally to 54-20. 

Neosho will travel to Carl Junction (2-3) next week and Nixa will host Ozark (1-4).

 

Neosho’s Isaiah Green attempts to avoid Nixa’s Antonio Perez during Saturday’s game in Neosho.

 

The Nixa defense converges on Neosho’s Isaiah Green on Saturday night. Nixa earned a 54-20 win over the Wildcats.

PREP VOLLEYBALL: Carl Junction wins Dr. Jeffrey Knutzen CJ Classic; Hylton sets Bulldog ace record

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — After a long day of volleyball that started at 8:30 in the morning, the Carl Junction Bulldogs wrapped up the Dr. Jeffrey Knutzen CJ Classic volleyball tournament with a 25-16, 25-21 win in the Gold Bracket championship over Rogers on Saturday.

“We started off a little bit slow this morning, but I don’t think you want to start off hot,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said. “You kind of want to build on your day and that is what we did. We continued to get better and by the end of the day, we were playing our best volleyball we could have played today. I don’t think it’s our best volleyball, but the best we could play today.”

History was also made on Saturday, as Carl Junction senior Jessa Hylton etched her name in the record books during CJ’s 25-10, 25-16 win over Neosho in pool play. Hylton had three aces against Hollister in the opening pool play match to tie the Bulldog career record of 135 held by Katelyn Joyner (2008-10). Hylton added an ace in service against the Wildcats to stand alone in the record books. She finished with 12 total aces throughout the tournament and currently sits at 144.

“It is really awesome,” Hylton said about having her name in the CJ record books. “I just feel like my teammates push me every time I serve. I always hear them support me, pushing me to get better. I feel like they’re the ones who allowed me to set this record. I am thankful for that.”

“Jess has always been a great server,” Sharples said. “She is very effective and when she goes after it, it is a hard ball to pass. I am really excited for her to get that record.”

TIDBITS

This was the second straight season the Bulldogs won the CJ Classic. Even more impressive, the Bulldogs didn’t lose a single set in the six matches they won on Saturday.

“I think we have an opportunity to do some really great things this year,” Sharples said of her team. “If we stay healthy and everybody is playing at the level they can play, I think we can compete with anybody.”

“This is our first time going back-to-back, so I am hoping they continue it next year,” Hylton said. “This is a big deal for us and I am very proud of our team. If we can keep continuing to get better, we are going to keep progressing towards big things in the future.”

QUEENS OF THE COURT

Carl Junction advanced to the championship of the Gold Bracket after starting the day with pool play wins over Hollister (25-14, 25-10), Neosho and Pittsburg (25-7, 25-16) before earning a 25-20, 25-12 win over Heritage in the quarterfinals and a 25-19, 25-12 win over Springfield Central in the semifinals.

The Bulldogs played neck and neck with the Mountaineers in the first game of the championship before a three-point service run from Destiny Buerge gave CJ a 13-8 advantage. Hylton added a kill moments later that was followed by an ace from Kylie Scott to push the lead to 16-8. 

The lead improved to 18-10 on a kill from Maggie Brown before Carl Junction used a four-point service run by Hylton that included two aces to build a 24-14 lead. Logan Jones finished off the first game with a kill.

Rogers jumped out in front 6-1 to start the second set before Carl Junction cut the lead to 8-7 on two aces from Hylton and a kill from Buerge. The Bulldogs took their first lead of the second set, 11-10, on an ace from Ellie Lawson.

With the Mountaineers up 17-16, a kill from Buerge, Hylton and Buerge again gave Carl Junction a 19-17 lead they’d never relinquish. Hylton added two more kills in the waning stages, while Scott, Jones and Karissa Chase also added kills on the way to the Bulldogs clinching the title game.

“That was key,” Sharples said about the Bulldogs ability to win the championship in two games. “We need to take control of matches and make sure we don’t get ourselves in situations we don’t want to be in.”

Hylton finished the CJ Classic with 44 kills, 12 aces, 12 digs and five blocks, while Jones added 120 assists, 12 aces, 22 kills, 14 digs and three blocks. Buerge had 47 digs and 25 kills, with Scott adding 21 kills and eight blocks. Olivia Vediz had 45 digs in the libero spot.

 

TIGERS FALL IN THE GOLD SEMIFINALS

Carthage clinched a berth to the Gold Bracket after earning wins over Nevada (25-16, 25-16) and McDonald County (25-6, 25-12) and splitting with Central (25-13, 14-25) in pool play. Taking on Webb City to open bracket play, Carthage earned a straight-set win (26-24, 25-22) to advance to the semifinals against Rogers, where the Tigers fell in three sets to the Mountaineers 17-25, 25-13 and 22-21.

“I thought that we played great,” Carthage coach Bradyn Webb said. “I thought that we competed every single game, and that is really what I ask of them—give 100 percent because you don’t want to finish a game and regret how you played.”

“I think that was a big confidence booster for us,” Webb added about the Tigers’ win over Webb City. “We do need to win a big game in order to get better, and that was a big game for us. Our girls were fired up about it, and we had the mindset of going in that it was not an option to lose. We played like that and it paid off for us.”

Sydnee Dudolski led Carthage with 45 kills, 11 aces and 26 digs to go along with three blocks in the tournament. Mia Camarillo added 31 kills, two digs and two sets, while Sophie Shannon had 20 kills and six blocks. Raven Probert finished with 141 assists and 22 digs and eight aces, with Olivia Bourgault added 41 digs and seven assists at the libero spot.

 

WEBB CITY AND JOPLIN FALL IN QUARTERFINALS

After qualifying for the Gold Bracket, Webb City and Joplin both fell in the tournament quarterfinals.

Webb City earned wins over Aurora (25-23, 25-13), Carl Junction Black (25-17, 25-15) and Heritage (25-19, 25-15) in pool play before squaring off against Carthage in the opening round of bracket play. The Tigers walked away with a win in two sets to end the Cardinals’ tournament appearance.

“We played well a lot of times in the morning,” Webb City coach Rhonda Lawrence said. “It took us a while to get started, but then we got going in pool play. We just went out (against Carthage) and tried to play with them. When you play not to lose, you’re going to lose. They know that, but we didn’t have the energy. That is on us and this is something we will have to work on.”

Kate Brownfield led Webb City with 31 kills, 16 digs, five aces and a block, while Kenzie Storm added 26 kills, 20 digs and five blocks. Kyah Sanborn had 75 assists and 20 digs, with five aces. Sophia Crane had 40 digs.

“I thought Kate Brownfield made a lot of plays consistently,” Lawrence said. “Defensively and offensively, she was our most go-to player. … She had to step up, and her serve receive looked better than it normally does. She is carving her own little path.”

Joplin finished pool play with a win over Hillcrest (25-17, 25-19) before splitting with Rogers (23-25, 25-11) and West Plains (25-23, 14-25). The Eagles matched up against Central in the quarterfinals, with the Bulldogs earning a 25-19, 25-13 victory.

“We are growing a little bit every time we play,” Joplin coach Desiree Felker said. “Central is a good team and they do some things very well. I wish things could have gone the other way, but we played hard. We are slowly putting things together. I keep challenging them every day to get better, and I think we are.”

Allie Lawrence led Joplin with 20 kills, 19 digs and a block, while Abby Edwards and Angelina Schramm each added 15 kills. Edwards finished with 19 digs, while Schramm closed with 10 aces, two blocks and 17 digs. Bailey Owens added 12 kills and five blocks. Paisley Parker had 54 digs to Joplin. Abby Hembree had 36 assists and nine digs, with Kaya Cooper adding 28 assists and 12 digs.

 

NEOSHO TAKES SECOND IN BRONZE BRACKET; MCDONALD COUNTY FALLS IN SEMIFINALS

Neosho split with Pittsburg (25-19, 24-26) and Hollister (20-25, 25-16) and lost to Carl Junction 25-10, 25-16) and played in the Bronze Bracket. The Wildcats opened with a 25-18, 18-25 and 25-21 win over McDonald County in the quarterfinals before falling to Aurora in the Bronze finals 25-18, 24-26 and 25-17.

The Mustangs lost to Central (25-12, 25-16) and Carthage (25-6, 25-12) before earning a 25-9, 27-26 win over Nevada in pool play

 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

MVP; Jessa Hylton, Carl Junction

Logan Jones, Carl Junction

Destiny Buerge, Carl Junction

Kylie Scott, Carl Junction

Ryley Martin, Rogers

Madison Rhea, Rogers

Sydnee Dudolski, Carthage

Olivia Bourgault, Carthage

Coco Buschhorn, Central

Mili Sylvester, Central

Angelina Schramm, Joplin

Emily Young, Hollister

Malia Fossee, Heritage

Ashton Judd, West Plains

Faith McGowin, Pittsburg

CROSS COUNTRY: Bulldogs, Tigers compete at Rim Rock Farm Classic

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Cross country teams from Carthage and Carl Junction competed at the Rim Rock Farm Classic on Saturday at Rock Chalk Park. 

Competing in the Crimson Division, Carl Junction’s Collin Emmert finished fifth with a time of 16:28. 

Carthage’s Mariques Strickland finished 23rd with a time of 17:04 and teammate Miquel Solano was 42nd in 17:39. 

Joseph Wyrick of Carthage finished 64th in 18:00, while Brock Feken of Carl Junction was 70th in 18:06. 

Also competing for Carthage were Eddy Fuentes (87th), Caleb Fewin (121st), Michael Lanyon (148th) and Landon Schrader (202nd).  

Also running for CJ were Jack Lawson (103rd), Caleb Graham (162nd) and Kellen Badgley (169th).

GIRLS 

Carl Junction’s Ally Montez finished 40th in the girls Crimson Division race with a time of 21:23. 

Also competing for the Bulldogs were Hannah Franks (68th), Sadie Burchett (83rd) and Alexis Carpenter (88th).

Carthage’s girls competed in the Blue Division.

Carthage’s Maggie Boyd finished 27th in 21:41, while teammate Katy Witherspoon was 51st in 22:31.

Also running for the Tigers were Alyssa Williams (138th), Kaylee Reyes-Donis (181st) and Jennifer Rodas (182nd).

 

CROSS COUNTRY: Campbell breaks school record, Joplin boys take fourth in top division at Gans Creek

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

COLUMBIA, Mo.  — On a memorable day for the Joplin High School cross country program,  Hobbs Campbell broke the school record for a 5K and the Eagles finished fourth in the top division at the Gans Creek Classic. 

A junior, Campbell crossed the finish line in 15 minutes, 39.9 seconds on Saturday. He placed 17th in the Gold Division while taking over the top spot in the JHS record book. Andrew Beard ran a 15:46 at the Chile Pepper Festival in 2001. 

Athletes from Joplin and Webb City competed in the Gold Division, which featured large schools from the state.

Hobbs Campbell poses with JHS coach Dustin Dixon after breaking the school record on Saturday in Columbia. Campbell finished 17th in the top division with his time of 15:39. Submitted photo.

On the same course that will host the state championships, Joplin’s boys finished fourth in the team standings with 218 points. The top three teams were Festus (105), Rock Bridge (105) and Kickapoo (136). 

“There were 101 teams in attendance and we finished fourth among most of Missouri’s best teams,” Joplin coach Dustin Dixon said. “We’re making steps in the right direction.” 

Also competing for the Eagles were Evan Matlock (34th), Nicholas Horton (52nd), Ian Horton (60th), Zaben Barnes (69th), Chance Tindall (202nd) and Max Russell (238th). 

Webb City finished 18th in the standings.

Leading the Cardinals were Dustin Brockmiller (42nd) and Roman Borboa (63rd). Also running for Webb City were Evan Stevens (88th), Jose Banda-Antillon (168th), Blake Vaughan (170th), Mason Hedger (174th), Samuel Weller (212th) and Daunte Smiles (281st).

 

GIRLS GOLD DIVISION

In the girls race, Webb City’s Abi Street placed 17th with a time of 19:03.

Joplin’s Jennalee Dunn finished 28th in 19:31, Webb City’s Riley Hawkins was 30th in 19:39 and Joplin’s Allie Keizer finished 47th in 20:01. 

Also competing for Webb City were Alanna Bundy (98th), Isabelle Lopez (136th), Lauren Kuechler (160th) and Elliett Capron (183rd). 

Also running for Joplin’s girls were Sage Mitchell (96th), Jackaline Triplett (161st), Meridyth Mai (171st), Avery Burks (172nd) and Masyn Briggs (173rd). 

Webb City finished 17th in the team standings and Joplin was 20th. The top three teams were St. Teresa’s Academy, Rock Bridge and Lafayette (Wildwood). 

More than 2,000 runners competed in the event’s 10 races.

Abi Street of Webb City competes at the Gans Creek Classic on Saturday. Street was the top local female finisher in the Gold Division. Photo by Cody Thorn.

 

FULL RESULTS: Gans Creek Classic (HS) (pttiming.com)

CROSS COUNTRY: Neosho squads see success at East Newton invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

GRANBY, Mo. — The Neosho High School cross country teams had a stellar showing at the East Newton Invitational on Saturday. 

Neosho’s boys captured the team championship, while the girls squad finished second.

BOYS 

The Wildcats and the host Patriots both finished with 48 points, with Neosho claiming first place and East Newton taking second via the tie-breaker. 

New Covenant’s Tanner Talley took first in 15:37 and Neosho’s Kaden Cole was the runner-up with a time of 15:44. 

East Newton’s Kelton Sorrell finished third in 15:58, while his teammates Gabe Bergen and Chase Sorrell were fifth and sixth, respectively. 

Southwest’s Christian Long finished seventh and Lamar’s Pierce Heins was eight. Southwest’s Caden Uthe, Purdy’s Bryce Ozbun and Neosho’s Carson Newell placed ninth, 10th and 11th. 

Lamar’s Cameron Bailey was 13th and Neosho’s Connor Jordon was 14th. Lamar’s Blaine Breshears and East Newton’s Isaac Bales were 15th and 16th.

Neosho’s Harry Slinkard finished 19th, while teammate Gabriel Mabrey was 23rd and Bryce Hall finished 26th. 

Lamar’s Quintin Webb was 20th, McDonald County’s Hunter Leach finished 29th, Neosho’s Brandon Doyle was 30th and East Newton’s Mason Silva finished 31st.

Webb City’s Shane Winters was 33rd and teammate Ryne Burgess finished 37th. 

McAuley’s Phillip Motazedi and Drew Zeb finished 55th and 56th, respectively, while Armando Alberto was 71st.

GIRLS 

Republic (34) and Neosho (49) were the top two teams. 

Parkview’s Lilah Genel took first in 18:50, while Republic’s Mihane Nambara was second in 18:57. 

Neosho’s Chloe Wood finished third in 19:19, while Lamar’s Kiersten Potter took fourth (19:38). 

Neosho’s Riley Kemna finished sixth (19:54), while East Newton’s Alonna Eytcheson placed 10th (21:28).

Neosho’s Bailey Miller finished 11th, East Newton’s Gracie Johnson was 16th and Lamar’s Mikayla Madison placed 17th. 

Neosho’s Makenna Davis and Lakyn Prough were 18th and 19th, while teammate Adrianna Adams was 21st. 

East Newton’s Elizabeth Barratt was 22nd, Webb City’s Emily Countryman finished 24th, Lamar’s Abigail Diggs was 25th, Southwest’s Cally Bowyer was 26th and McDonald County’s Clara Horton took 27th.

Neosho’s Jayden Adams finished 28th, Wheaton’s Lakeisha Wise was 29th and Webb City’s Rachel Miller finished 30th. 

For College Heights Christian, Madelynn Jordan finished 40th, Madi Carson was 42nd and Jayli Johnson was 49th. 

 

EAST NEWTON INVITATIONAL

Boys team scores: Neosho 48, East Newton 48, Lamar 69, Republic 83, Galena 171, McDonald County 173, Webb City 196, School of the Ozarks 232, Parkview 270, McAuley Catholic 271, Reeds Spring 306, Wheaton 317, Diamond 331. 

Girls team standings: Republic 34, Neosho 49, Parkview 93, East Newton 107, Spokane 139, McDonald County 161, Webb City 167, Reeds Spring 195.

PREP SOFTBALL: Carl Junction suffers loss at Glendale

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Carl Junction softball team was unable to generate much offense on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs were limited to one hit in a 12-1 non-conference setback at Glendale. 

Carl Junction’s lone run crossed the plate in the second inning. Dezi Williams doubled to left and Tavia Rodriquez reached on an error. 

Williams scored on Jamie Fabozzi’s ground out.

The Falcons scored two runs in the first, three in the second, two in the third and five in the fifth for the run-rule. 

Hannah Cole was charged with the loss. She allowed five earned runs on nine hits.

Glendale’s Anna Baker was the winning pitcher. She gave up one hit and one walk and struck out two.  

Glendale’s Meegan Randell drove in three runs on two hits, while Alli Norris had two hits and two RBI.

Carl Junction (2-19) is at Joplin (11-12) at 4:30 on Tuesday.

PREP SOFTBALL: Elder’s stellar outing leads Carthage past Camdenton

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARTHAGE, Mo. — A dominant outing in the circle from Jensyn Elder led Carthage to a 1-0 victory over Camdenton on Saturday in a non-conference softball clash at the Fair Acres Sports Complex.

A senior, Elder struck out 16, walked only one and scattered three hits in the complete-game shutout. Elder threw a first-pitch strike to 17 of 25 batters. 

The lone run of the game crossed home in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Ashlyn Brust singled to left and scored on Kate Potter’s two-out triple to right.

Carthage had seven hits. Presley Probert went 2-for-3, while Natalie Rodriguez, Brooklynn Dolon-Main, Elder, Potter and Brust contributed one hit apiece.

Camdenton’s Cayden Vonsande took the loss but only allowed one run. She struck out five. 

Carthage is now 13-11. The Tigers host Nevada at 4:30 on Monday.

PREP FOOTBALL: No. 3 Joplin routs Willard 56-7 to move to 5-0

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Joplin quarterback Always Wright accounted for five total touchdowns while the JHS defense allowed a single score in four quarters to lead the Class 6 third-ranked Eagles past Willard 56-7 on Friday at Junge Field.

“We enjoy being around each other, and not just the coaches or players but the whole group,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said when asked about the chemistry his football team is showing this year. “They are a loose group for sure. There are times I scratch my head, but I enjoy every second I am with them. I am going to relish it.”

Joplin’s offense totaled 459 yards on the way to eight total touchdowns, while the Eagles’ defense limited Willard to 96 total yards of offense and forced the Tigers to punt six times.

“They came out and ran some stuff that they hadn’t shown on film and I thought we did a good job lining up to it, understanding our assignments and tackling well,” Jasper said. “Both sides of the ball are playing off each other well. … The guys are executing well (on offense). … It is nice to have all of those chess pieces.”

The win pushes Joplin to 5-0 on the season, while the loss sends Willard to 0-5. Joplin is in a tie atop the Central Ozark Conference with Carthage (5-0), while also holding the second ranking in Class 6 District 3 with 43.34 points. Lee’s Summit North (5-0) is first in the district rankings with 45.91 points.

GAME ACTION

After a quick series on defense that ended in a three-and-out for the Tigers, Joplin’s offense took over at their own 49 and needed just three plays to find the end zone in less than 1:30 of game action.

Wright had all day in the pocket to throw on first down before finding WR Terrance Gibson up the middle for a 42-yard completion down to the 9. After an 8-yard run to the 1 by WR Bruce Wilbert, RB Quinton Renfro carried the ball across the goal line for a score.

“They are our backbone,” Wright said about Joplin’s play on defense. “They are playing great right now.”

Joplin’s Bruce Wilbert returns a punt deep into Willard territory during the Eagles’ win on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Willard got near midfield on the ensuing drive before being forced to punt, with Wilbert returning the ball 50 yards to the Tigers’ 28. On the ensuing Joplin drive, Wright scrambled right on third-and-long and took it to the house, breaking multiple tackles at the goal line, for a 26-yard touchdown to push the lead to 14-0 with 4:24 left in the opening quarter.

Willard got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, aided by a couple of penalties by Joplin, when Owen Bushnell scored from 2 yards out to make the score 14-7 with 10:02 left in the first half.

Joplin answered quickly as Wright, who bought enough time floating around the pocket to smoke a brisket, heaved the ball downfield on third down to Gibson, who went over a nearby defender before taking it to the house for a 77-yard touchdown to make the score 21-7 with 8:15 to play in the first half. 

“I could have eaten a bowl of cereal back there real quick,” Wright said with a laugh. “Without my offensive line, a lot of these plays don’t happen. I love those guys to death. … I knew I could trust Terrance to go deep. He’s a big receiver, so I know I have a lot of room to throw it up to him and let him go and get it.”

“It was kind of crazy because I didn’t think he was going to make that throw,” Gibson said. “The play got busted so I just ran deep, cut him and cut again and Always just threw it high enough to where I could get it.”

Wright added his third touchdown of the game on the following Joplin drive, scrambling right for 16 yards for a score to push the lead to 28-7 with time dwindling in the second quarter.

The Eagles didn’t slow down in the second half, as Joplin marched down the field on the opening drive before Wright found tight end LT Atherton for a 9-yard touchdown on third-and-goal to make the score 35-7.

After a Tiger punt, the fifth of the game to that point, Wright broke loose on the ground again for a 52-yard rushing score to push the lead to 42-7 and start the running clock. 

Chavis Coleman added a 5-yard rushing touchdown with 6:49 to play before Kaden Gilmore scored from 12 yards out to wrap the scoring for the Eagles. 

Joplin’s Terrance Gibson goes up for a deep reception that went for a 77-yard touchdown in the Eagles’ win over Willard on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

STATS

Wright completed 12-of-15 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns and carried the ball four times for 95 yards and three touchdowns. 

“I thought our offensive line did a great job of protecting him and he did a really good job of moving around in the pocket,” Jasper said of his quarterback. “He didn’t force anything. … We have seen defenses try to do two different things—try to cover well and force him to pull it down and tackle him, or bring people on every play and try to get the ball out of his hands. I think Always handles both pretty well.”

Gibson caught two passes for 118 yards and a score, while Atherton caught two passes for 21 years and a touchdown. Drew VanGilder rushed seven times for 69 yards, while Renfro added nine carries for 56 yards and a touchdown.

UP NEXT

Joplin hits the road for a matchup with Republic (3-2) on Friday.  

PREP FOOTBALL: Wilson scores 4 TD, Webb City bounces back with 41-6 win at Carl Junction

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — When the Webb City Cardinals took the field on Friday night at Bulldog Stadium, it’s safe to say they were highly-motivated to rebound from last week’s disappointing setback.

And despite missing two key performers, the Cardinals looked like a team on a mission. 

Senior running back Cade Wilson scored four touchdowns and Webb City’s defense didn’t give up a touchdown as the Cardinals earned a 41-6 Central Ozark Conference victory over Carl Junction in Week 5 of the 2021 prep football season.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Wilson noted the Cardinals desperately wanted to get well after last Friday’s tough loss at Carthage.

“We showed we can bounce back,” Wilson said. “It was a great week of practice honestly. All the seniors have been on everyone after last week. We’ve all just bounced back. We all have one goal…everyone knows what that is.” 

Wilson ran for a touchdown in each of the four quarters. 

“Cade’s an experienced guy and he was out there giving it everything he had,” Webb City coach John Roderique said. “But it all starts up front. Let’s make no mistake about that. It always starts up front. I thought we did a good job of controlling the line of scrimmage.” 

Webb City’s Cade Wilson is tackled by Carl Junction’s Chance Benford on Friday night at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Israel Perez.

Ranked fifth in Class 5 by the Missouri Media, Webb City improved to 3-2. 

“I thought we played better,” Roderique said. “I still scratch my head about last week, but the kids did what they needed to do tonight. We created some turnovers on defense. Offensively, we did a good job. We’ve watched Carl Junction play outstanding on defense against everyone they’ve played. I thought our guys did a good job against a really stout defense.”

Webb City was without two starters, as senior quarterback Cohl Vaden missed the game for undisclosed reasons and senior running back and leading rusher Dupree Jackson is currently out of action after having hand surgery. 

Webb City QB Landon Johnson is brought down by Carl Junction’s Carter Kennedy. Photo by Israel Perez.

Junior Landon Johnson filled in at QB for the Cardinals, while classmate Max Stovern started in place of Jackson.

“I thought Landon did a fantastic job,” Roderique said. “Those situations can be tough for a kid. But he did a nice job.” 

“LJ’s played quarterback before and when he’s in there, I have faith in him 100 percent,” Wilson said. “And Max stepped up tonight. He helped me get those four touchdowns.”  

Webb City led 14-3 at halftime and 21-6 at the end of the third period en route to victory. Defensively, Webb City allowed just two field goals. 

“Our defense played really well,” Roderique said. “It was more of a bend but don’t break deal. It was a good bounce-back game for the defense.” 

Wilson wasn’t the only Cardinal to perform well on Friday night. 

Junior wide receiver and defensive back Dante Washington made an impact in various ways. He hauled in a touchdown pass, grabbed an interception and also had a number of stellar kick returns. 

“He’s a pretty dynamic kid,” Roderique said. “It was a pretty good night for him. It was nice to see him have some success.” 

The Class 4 Bulldogs fell to 2-3. 

Carl Junction coach Doug Buckmaster said he was pleased with the play of junior quarterback Nathan Planchon, who is starting in place of the injured Kyler Perry. Buckmaster also noted there are still areas of concern at this point of the season. 

“We needed to improve as a football team tonight, and I think our quarterback, Nathan Planchon, made a big step up from where he was a week ago,” Buckmaster said. “I think we took a big step forward in our passing game. We did very well in the passing game for the most part. We just didn’t have the running game to complement it. Unfortunately, we did turn the ball over a couple of times in the second half. But we moved the ball a lot tonight. We had multiple opportunities to put points on the board, but we just really struggled getting the ball in the end zone. That’s primarily due to a lack of a running game between the tackles. We’ve got to get better at running the football between the tackles. Hopefully we can fix that.”

Webb City senior running back Cade Wilson sprints to one of his four touchdowns on Friday night at Carl Junction. Photo b Israel Perez.

GAME RECAP

Wilson’s 3-yard touchdown run with 2:48 left in the first quarter gave Webb City a 7-0 lead.  A nice punt return by Washington and a penalty on the Bulldogs set up the lone score of the opening frame. 

Carl Junction got on the board with 7:37 remaining in the first half when Xavier Perkins converted a 27-yard field goal. 

The Cardinals responded on the second play of the ensuing drive, as Wilson sprinted past the defense 57 yards.

The Bulldogs had a scoring chance just before the half, but a pass from the 3-yard line fell incomplete. 

“We had an opportunity to score right before the half, but unfortunately we didn’t make a play,” Buckmaster said. “Those things happen. We just didn’t get it done.”

After the break, Webb City had a turnover on downs before Carl Junction’s Perkins knocked in a 33-yard field goal, trimming his team’s deficit to 14-6.

But the Cardinals extended their lead to 21-6 when Wilson scored his third TD of the game, this time on a 4-yard run at the 6:29 mark of the third period.

Wilson added a 16-yard touchdown scamper to start the final frame, giving the visitors a 28-6 advantage. 

Washington hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Johnson with 6:23 left and had an interception moments later. 

Webb City’s Billy Wolfe put the finishing touches on the win with a 47-yard pick-six with just under two minutes to play. 

Buckmaster noted there were positives in the loss.

“We’re a good defensive football team,” Buckmaster said. “When we can put some points on the board, we’re going to be a tough out for a lot of people. We just need to cash in on our opportunities. I am proud of our kids. We’re competitors. We’re lacking in numbers and depth this year. But we’ll compete. We don’t play anyone in our own classification until the playoffs and we may play the toughest schedule in the state of Missouri. And I believe we got out of here without losing anybody to injuries and that’s big to get through this stretch healthy after having Carthage, Joplin and Webb City in three of four weeks.” 

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

Webb City compiled 337 yards of offense, with 271 rushing and 66 passing.

Wilson ran 14 times for 149 yards. Omari Jackson ran five times for 53 yards, while Stovern had 28 yards on eight carries. Johnson ran six times for 27 yards.

Johnson completed five passes for 66 yards with one TD and one INT. 

Washington caught two passes for 49 yards. He also had a 36-yard kick return and a 35-yard punt return. 

Cooper Crouch averaged 38 yards on three punts. 

Lucas Ott was credited with nine tackles, while Kaylor Darnell had eight and Brentan Wilson had six. 

Carl Junction had 303 yards, 268 passing and 28 rushing. 

Planchon completed 21 of 42 pass attempts for 256 yards. He was picked off three times. Dexter Merrell caught eight passes for 106 yards, while Ayden Bard had two receptions for 66 yards and Dalton Mills hauled in six passes for 54 yards.

Chance Benford was credited with five tackles for the CJ defense.  

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Webb City hosts Branson next Friday, while Carl Junction hosts Neosho in Week 6. 

 

WEBB CITY 41, CARL JUNCTION 6

Webb City       7    7     7    20— 41

Carl Junction  0    3     3    0 — 6

SCORING SUMMARY

WC: Cade Wilson 3 run (Cooper Crouch kick)

CJ: Xavier Perkins 27 field goal. 

WC: Wilson 57 run (Crouch kick)

CJ: Perkins 33 field goal. 

WC: Wilson 4 run (Crouch kick)

WC: Wilson 16 run (Crouch kick)

WC Dante Washington 14 pass from Landon Johnson (Crouch kick)

WC: Billy Wolfe 47 interception return (Kick failed)

 

Webb City’s Kaylor Darnell attempts to tackle Carl Junction’s Dexter Merrell during Friday’s game. All photos by Israel Perez.

 

Webb City’s Cooper Crouch (49) and Kaylor Darnell (1) converge on Carl Junction QB Nathan Planchon on Friday.

 

Webb City’s Kaylor Darnell stops CJ’s Dexter Merrell on Friday night.

PREP FOOTBALL: Kabance’s big night lifts Carthage over Branson as Tigers stay unbeaten

Posted on by Lucas Davis

BRANSON, Mo. — The only drama in Carthage’s 42-14 win over Branson at Pirate Stadium on Friday night had nothing to do with the scoreboard. Just before halftime, junior running back Luke Gall, a key driver of the Tigers’ offense and a force at linebacker for the defense, limped off the field to the sideline.

Tigers’ coach Jon Guidie, though, said he simply wanted to be careful with his two-way star.  

He did return to the game, though with Carthage leading 35-0, he carried the ball just once in the second half and played one series on defense. 

“(Gall)’s fine,” Guidie said. “Just trying to be as careful as we can with everybody.”

As they have all season, the Tigers started fast, scoring on just their second play of the game as Cale Patrick dove into the end zone for a senior quarterback Caden Kabance pass and a 30-yard touchdown reception. 

Carthage scored on its next four consecutive drives to take a 35-0 lead into halftime. 

Gall, typically the Tigers’ bellwether on offense, was outdone by Kabance, even before the former was forced to the sideline, though Gall found the end zone twice before exiting the game. 

Kabance put up 179 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns, while chipping in 102 yards and the touchdown to Patrick through the air. Gall finished with 100 yards on 10 carries and his two touchdowns, giving him 15 in just five games this season.

“Caden had some nice, big runs and Luke had some fantastic runs, too,” Guidie said. “He was Luke, just didn’t get a whole lot of carries tonight. But yeah, just having both those guys, kind of a one-two punch, and then we were able to throw on top of that, Caden had a nice touchdown pass. Just really proud of both those kids.”

Meanwhile, Branson managed just two first downs by halftime as the Carthage defense continued its season-long dominance. In fact, the only time Branson got into Carthage territory against the Tigers’ first-string defense was at 7:09 in the third quarter, helped by a defensive pass interference penalty. 

Including the win over the Pirates, the Tigers give up just a shade over 11 points per game on average this season. That’s compared with 46.4 points on offense Carthage is now averaging. Even so, Guidie said his team is staying focused on its larger goals and not thinking about the way it has arrived at its unblemished record.

“I don’t know if this is good or bad, but we certainly weren’t jumping up and down and going nuts there after that win,” he said. “I think our kids felt like they could have played a little bit better and could have executed a little bit better. And I think it’s probably a good sign that they’re certainly not satisfied with where we’re at or how we played despite the score tonight.” 

Next week, Carthage will entertain the Willard Tigers, 0-5 on the season, before a Sept. 28 matchup with fellow unbeaten Joplin at Junge Field.  

GIRLS TENNIS: Joplin takes second at own invite; Carl Junction finishes third

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

The host Eagles were the runner-up at the Joplin Invitational girls tennis dual tournament on Friday at the JHS court.

Glendale took first place, with Joplin second, Carl Junction third and Logan-Rogersville fourth.

The Eagles earned wins over Carl Junction and Rogersville and suffered a loss to Glendale. 

“Overall, we had a great showing in doubles, which will always give us a better chance to win matches when we can get the lead early and confidence up,” JHS assistant coach Richard Perry said. “Everyone was able to get wins for the team at some point during the day, and that is great for them. I’m pretty happy with second place because this was a tough group of schools to deal with. Many of the matches today could have gone either way, which many times isn’t the case.”

Joplin defeated Rogersville 5-1.

In doubles, Joplin’s Astrid Cardenas and Emma Watts defeated Cayenne Martin and Caitlyn Archer 6-3, while teammates Abry Stayton and Mya Ndedi-Ntepe beat Madelynn Jared and Liz Mullins 6-2.

Rogersville’s Nadia Simon and Lydia Coryell beat Cloey Blank and Brynn Driver 6-4 at No. 3 doubles. 

In completed singles matches, Joplin’s Stayton beat Jared 6-0, Ndedi-Ntepe defeated Mullins 6-1 and Blank handled Simon 6-0. 

“We were able to start off the day hot,” Perry said. “We got a 2-1 lead from doubles. We went straight into Abry, Mya and Cloey in singles and they were all able to cruise to victory, giving us a fast win to start the day. Mya was playing with all the hustle in the world. She didn’t want to concede a single point, even when she was already way ahead, which is what I like to see.”

Next, Joplin earned a 5-1 win over Carl Junction.

In doubles, Cardenas and Watts defeated Jenna Besperat and Nicole Sherwood 6-2. Carl Junction’s Naiyah Wurdeman and Emmy Higgins defeated Stayton and Ndedi-Ntepe 7-5 at No. 2 doubles, while Joplin’s Blank and Driver beat Valeria Alamina-Poor and Alyssa Graves 6-2.

In completed singles matches, Watts topped Besperat 6-2, Blank edged Higgins 6-4 and Driver defeated Graves 7-5.

“I was a bit nervous going into this match because I knew our last meeting earlier this week could have gone either way,” Perry said. “Carl had also just played close to a very good Glendale roster so I thought today was going to be a real fight. We came out much stronger overall in doubles than we did on Tuesday. I felt better going into singles with another 2-1 lead, but the girls obviously felt amazing because we were able to sweep through three singles matches in a row with Brynn and Cloey winning close ones. I was really happy for Cloey because she has had trouble in singles all year and she lost to Emmy earlier this week and it wasn’t very close. Today was Cloey’s day and she battled the whole time and together. Brynn and Cloey were able to get us three out of the five points needed. Emma got the last point for us in convincing fashion. She wanted to prove she could do better against Jenna than what she did on Tuesday.”

In the dual that decided the tourney championship, Glendale defeated Joplin 5-2.

Joplin won the No. 1 doubles match, as Cardenas and Watts beat Chloe Stenger and Ann Beatty 6-4. 

At No. 2 doubles, Glendale’s Letizia Carradori and Olivia Edwards topped Stayton and Ndedi-Ntepe 6-0. Joplin’s Blank and Driver topped Liliana Strang and Alyssa Akin 6-3 at No. 3 doubles.

However, Glendale won four singles matches to secure the win. Edwards beat Ndedi-Ntepe 6-2, Strang topped Blank 6-1, Akin defeated Driver 6-2 and Stenger won by forfeit when Cardenas withdrew. 

“Astrid was going into this match with some back pain but she said she wanted to push through it for the doubles match to give us a good chance to compete,” Perry said. “She did just that. She and Emma got their 19th straight win of the season and have yet to lose a match. Brynn and Cloey also got a nice win in doubles giving us another 2-1 lead going into singles. 

“Unfortunately our singles didn’t play out as well. Astrid’s back was hurting too much to finish her match and the other girls playing came up short,” Perry said. “Emma and Abry were winning their matches when we ended up pulling them off.”

In other matches, Glendale defeated Carl Junction 5-4.

The Bulldogs won all three doubles matches. 

Besperat and Sherwood won the No. 1 doubles match 6-4, Wurdeman and Higgins earned a 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles and Alamina-Poor and Graves won 7-5 at No. 3.

Sherwood defeated Beatty 6-3 at No. 3 singles, but Glendale won the other five singles matches.

Carl Junction beat Rogersville 5-4.

The Bulldogs won two of three doubles matches. Besperat-Sherwood beat Martin-Mullins 6-1 and Alamina-Poor and Graves defeated Simon-Coryell 7-6 (7-3). Wurdeman and Higgins suffered a 6-4 loss.

Wurdeman, Besperat and Alamina-Poor won singles matches against the Wildcats to pull out the win.

In the other dual, Glendale defeated Rogersville 5-0.  

 

The Joplin High School girls tennis team is pictured after taking second place at the Joplin Invitational on Friday. Submitted photo.

GIRLS GOLF: Nevada wins own invite, Carthage takes second

Posted on by Jason Peake

NEVADA, Mo. ­— For the first time in 17 years, the hosts won the Nevada Lady Tiger Invitational at the Frank E. Peters Municipal Golf Course. 

Nevada recorded a team score of 375 on Friday, 10 strokes better than second place Carthage (385).

Rounding the team standings were Webb City (400), Joplin (425), Carl Junction (457), Stockton (458) and Butler (459). 

“Words cannot describe how proud I am of these ladies,” Nevada coach Brian Leonard said. “To win our tournament after 17 years was a very emotional time for me.” 

Nevada freshman Emree Cameron was the individual medalist with a 71 and Carthage senior Hailey Bryant was the runner-up with a 75.

Webb City’s duo of Laya McAllister (92) and Sydney French (94) placed third and fourth, respectively. 

Nevada’s Katie Pennington (97) and Riley Severance (98) were fifth and sixth, while Webb City’s Sophia Coulson (99) finished seventh. 

Carthage’s Caitlin Derryberry (100) finished eighth, while Carthage’s Aubri Fisher (101) and Joplin’s Lindsey Belnap (101) and Kenna Haley (101) tied for ninth place.

Joplin’s Sophia Schwartz finished 14th with a 108, while Carthage’s Ava Lacey and Nevada’s Pagie Hertzberg tied for 15th with scores of 109. 

Carl Junction’s Anna Burch was 17th with a 111, while Carthage’s Shay Gaddis finished 19th (112).  Carl Junction’s Alex Teeter tied with Butler’s Keera Brockman for 20th with 114s. 

 

PREP FOOTBALL WEEK 5: WEBB CITY AT CARL JUNCTION

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY AT CARL JUNCTION

Records: Webb City 2-2, Carl Junction 2-2

Last week: Webb City lost to Carthage 42-14; Carl Junction lost to Joplin 44-6.

Last year’s meeting: Webb City defeated Carl Junction 28-14.

OUTLOOK: Both teams are looking to bounce back from lopsided losses while also attempting to get back above .500. 

Webb City is averaging 40 points per game while allowing 31. Now ranked fifth in Class 5 by the Missouri Media, the Cardinals never got on track against Carthage. Webb City had four turnovers and a pair of turnover on downs last week, and the Cardinals were limited to 179 rushing yards after averaging more than 330 in the first three weeks.

Webb City senior QB Cohl Vaden ran for 136 yards with two touchdowns and also passed for 111 yards last week.

Carl Junction is scoring 20 per game and allowing 23. In last week’s loss to Joplin, Carl Junction had 213 yards of offense, 143 passing and 70 rushing.

With the exception of last week’s game at Joplin, the CJ defense has been impressive early in the season. The Bulldogs held Willard to 13 points and Branson to seven. Carl Junction also held Carthage scoreless in a half before surrendering 28 points after the break in Week 2. Doug Buckmaster’s Bulldogs have also had to deal with injuries at the quarterback position.  

 

HOW TO WATCH: https://www.kneo.org/sports.html or http://www.citylinktv.com/channel/carl-junction-tv/ 

PREP FOOTBALL WEEK 5: Willard at Joplin

Posted on by Lucas Davis

WILLARD AT JOPLIN

Records: Willard 0-4, Joplin 4-0

Last week: Ozark def. Willard 52-0; Joplin def. Carl Junction 44-6

Last year’s meeting: Willard def. Joplin 32-20

OUTLOOK: Joplin will be looking for a little revenge this time around against Willard. Last season, the Tigers earned their first win of the season against the Eagles with a 32-20 win. Joplin has already avenged two losses from a year ago in wins over Nixa and Ozark in Week 2 and 3.

The Eagles’ offense has been led by QB Always Wright, who has thrown for 959 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions on 76 completions. Wright has also picked up 161 yards rushing and three more scores on the ground in four games. Quin Renfro (273 yards, three TDs) and Drew VanGilder (208 yards, two TDs) lead the backfield. Joplin has five players over 100 yards receiving and two of those players over 200 yards—WRs Hudson Moore (256 yards, three TDs), Terrance Gibson (203 yards, two TDs), Bruce Wilbert (113 yards, two TDs) and tight ends LT Atherton (179 yards, five TDs) and Jack Stanley (121 yards).

Joplin’s defense is coming off its strongest performance of the season after allowing less than 200 yards of offense to Carl Junction, while forcing the Bulldogs into six punts, two turnovers on interceptions as well as a turnover on downs. 

Joplin currently sits in a tie atop the Central Ozark Conference with Carthage, with both schools sporting a 4-0 record. Nixa is 3-1, while Republic, Carl Junction, Branson and Webb City are Republic, Carl Junction, Nixa and Webb City are all 2-2.

HOW TO WATCH: https://foxsportsjoplin.com/; 

 

BOYS SWIMMING: Carthage takes third at Seymour

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

The Carthage High School boys swim team finished third at the Seymour Invitational on Thursday. 

West Plains took first place with 308 points, while Monett was second with 269 and Carthage placed third with 255.

Rounding out the team standings were Waynesville (135), Camdenton (134.5), Marshfield (122) and Seymour (12.5).

Carthage’s Landon White and Will Wallace finished first and second, respectively, in the 100-yard butterfly. White touched the wall at 1:04.99, with Wallace finishing in 1:05.66. 

The Tigers finished second in the 400 freestyle relay, as Kellen Frieling, Braxton McBride, Wallace and Ezekiel Ramirez recorded a time of 3:56. 

Carthage’s 200-yard medley relay team of Frieling, McBride, White and Ramirez finished third in 1:54. 

Finishing third in their individual events for the Tigers were McBride (200 freestyle) and Ramirez (100 breaststroke).

Carthage’s fourth-place finishers were Ramirez (200 IM) and Noah Blackford (100 backstroke).

Finishing fifth in their events were Frieling (200 IM and 100 freestyle), McBride (500 freestyle) and Wallace (100 backstroke).

Carthage’s 200 freestyle relay team of Wallace, White, Trey Nye and Blackford finished fifth. 

 

MONETT HIGHLIGHTS

Monett’s Matthew Fillinger was the champ in both the 200 IM (2:12) and the 100 freestyle (52.22), while Jackson Dearing won the 200 freestyle in 2:08 and Isaac Lindsey took first in the 100 backstroke (1:04).

Monett won the 200 medley relay in 1:52, with Lindsey, Jayden Apostol, Fillinger and Ryan Goodson competing. 

PREP VOLLEYBALL: Carthage falls short at Nixa 

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

NIXA, Mo. — The Carthage High School volleyball team suffered a 3-0 setback at Nixa on Thursday night.

In a Central Ozark Conference clash, the Eagles defeated the Tigers 25-22, 25-12, 25-14.

Carthage fell to 8-10 overall and 0-2 in the COC with the loss.

Sydnee Dudolski and Mia Camarillo had eight kills apiece for Bradyn Webb’s Tigers, while Abby Holderbaum added three kills and Tasha Schrader had two.

Raven Probert handed out 12 assists. 

Riann Schwartz and Olivia Bourgault had four digs apiece for Carthage, while Dudolski had three. Probert, Ava Bourgault and Tess Schrader had two digs apiece.

Carthage will be among the teams competing at Saturday’s Carl Junction Invitational.

GIRLS TENNIS: Joplin claims COC road win at Willard

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WILLARD, Mo. — With a strong finish in singles play, Joplin defeated Willard 5-4 in a Central Ozark Conference girls tennis dual on Thursday. 

And to the JHS coaching staff, the victory was a big one.

“Tonight was our prove it night,” JHS assistant coach Richard Perry said. “Willard is a good team and is a good baseline for knowing how good we really are. This gives us a good shot to host a Kansas City school for districts, which would be a great home court advantage. I’m very proud of the girl’s grit today, with some of them having to turn around to win their singles matches after tough doubles losses. And last year when we played Willard we lost a close 5-4 match, this year we were able to get the better of them.” 

The Eagles earned one win in doubles, as Astrid Cardenas and Emma Watts defeated Alice Go and Gracie Chunn 8-1.

At No. 2 doubles, Willard’s Kristen Flynn and Kaytlen Ibarra defeated Abry Stayton and Mya Ndedi-Ntepe 8-4. Willard also won the No. 3 doubles match, as Alyssa Flynn and Evie Sly beat Cloey Blank and Brynn Driver 8-1.

“Brynn and Cloey had a bad start in their doubles match and it really wasn’t looking good going into singles with a 1-2 disadvantage,” Perry noted. 

Joplin won four singles matches to secure the dual win.

At No. 1 singles, Cardenas earned a hard-fought 9-8 (7-3 tie-breaker) win over Go. Watts defeated Kristen Flynn 8-2 at No. 2 singles and Stayton beat Chunn 8-2 at No. 3 singles.

Willard’s Alyssa Flynn defeated Ndedi-Ntepe 8-1 and Ibarra edged Blank 9-8 (7-3). At No. 6 singles, Joplin’s Driver beat Sly 8-0.

“We have had trouble in these tough singles matches, but today the girls proved they could get the win by doing whatever they had to,” Perry said. “Brynn and Cloey really showed they could play much better than than they had in doubles, with Brynn getting a very solid win by just dominating every point. Cloey had an intense match and came up just short, which was a similar replay from when she played her last season. Emma and Abry were stellar in their singles matches, getting two quick wins for us. Mya had a tough matchup with a girl that could really hit the ball well.”

The deciding win for the Eagles came when Cardenas came from behind to win the No. 1 singles match.

“Astrid had the match of the night,” Perry said. “After Emma, Abry and Brynn brought us to a 4-3 lead we just had Astrid and Cloey playing their singles matches. Astrid was down 7-3 in her match but was able to turn up her game. During the change-over I just told her that she could bring home the win and a shot of hosting a district match. With the added motivation and the cheers of her teammates, Astrid was able to turn up her game and went up 8-7 in the match, winning five games in a row. She came up short in that last game so it went into a tie-breaker. When they started that tie-breaker I could just tell Astrid was going to win. Her body language was more positive than her opponent and she had the momentum. She won a quick 7-3 tie-breaker to clench the team the match.”

Joplin is hosting an invitational on Friday.

PREP SOFTBALL: Neosho finishes strong in win at Branson

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

BRANSON, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats definitely finished strong in Thursday’s 19-4 Central Ozark Conference softball victory at Branson.

The Wildcats were up 7-3 when they erupted for 12 runs in the top of the seventh inning to blow the game open. 

Neosho plated its 19 runs on 14 hits.

Labette Community College recruit Lili Graue went 5-for-6 with five RBI to lead the Wildcats, while Maddie Carpenter drove in five runs on three hits, including a pair of doubles. 

McKaylie Forrest, Abbie Carpenter and Beclynn Garrett all had two RBI apiece for Neosho. Tatiyana Douglas scored four runs, while Graue, Forrest and Abbie Carpenter scored three runs apiece. 

Neosho’s Chloe Patterson went three innings in the circle, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out three. 

Carleigh Kinnaird pitched the final four frames to earn the win. She scattered three hits, gave up two runs and struck out three. 

Branson’s Peyton Bonsey took the loss after allowing 10 runs, seven earned, on 10 hits with five strikeouts. 

Sierra Dailey and Langley Miller had two hits apiece for the Pirates. 

Neosho, now 11-7 overall and 3-3 in conference action, is at Webb City on Tuesday. 

GIRLS TENNIS: College Heights knocks off Neosho

Posted on by Jason Peake

College Heights Christian earned a 9-0 win over Neosho in a non-conference girls tennis dual on Thursday. 

In singles, CHC’s Jem Kionisala defeated Jasmine Martinez 8-3, Hannah Bass beat Lyndsey Doke 8-0 and Natalie Brueggemann defeated Alex Olsbo 8-0.

College Heights’ Ella Bishop beat Georgia Housh 8-0, Jeanna Smathers topped Keely Keeton 8-1, while Avery Baker defeated Sydnee Minton 8-0.

In doubles, Kionisala-Brueggermann beat Martinez-Doke 8-2, Bass-Baker defeated Olsbo-Housh 8-1 and Bishop-Smathers handled Keeton-Minton 8-0.

Neosho travels to Lamar on Monday. 

College Heights hosts Monett on Friday. 

PREP VOLLEYBALL: Seneca falls to Aurora in three sets

Posted on by Lucas Davis

SENECA, Mo. — Aurora earned a 25-22, 26-24 and 27-25 win over Seneca on Thursday night.

The loss gives the Indians a 5-4 record on the season.

Rylee Darnell and Brylee Sage combined for 28 assists for the Indians, while Darnell added nine kills, two aces and a block. Ellie Barnes added four kills, two blocks and three block assists. Parker Long finished with eight kills, 20 digs, two aces and two block assists. Braxton Raulston added six kills, 16 digs and three aces, while Jera Jameson finished with 12 digs and six aces.

Seneca is in action in the Strafford Tournament on Saturday.

 

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