LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Second-seeded Joplin saw its season come to an end after the Eagles fell 21-0 to top-seeded Lee’s Summit North in the Class 6 District 3 title game on Friday.
The Broncos (11-1) scored 14 unanswered points in the second quarter and held the Eagles scoreless thanks in large part to turning Joplin over twice in the first half. Neither team garnered much offense in the second half until Lee’s Summit North found the end zone late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
“We talked about how tough Class 6 is, and obviously this is one of the better teams in it,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. “We hung with them all the way. We just couldn’t get things going offensively. I am really proud of our kids and how hard they played.”
With the loss, Joplin finishes the season with a 10-2 record, making it to its third district title game in four years. The Eagles graduate 27 seniors.
Joplin RB Drew VanGilder evades a tackle in the Eagles’ loss to Lee’s Summit North on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
“We had an up-and-down season last year and this group really poured into the offseason and really poured into each other,” Jasper said of his senior class. “They were going to make sure that didn’t happen again, and it didn’t. We only had two losses on the season and they were both to really good football teams. And, we beat some really good football teams, including Nixa twice, and that is hard to do. They have a lot to be proud of, and not just wins and losses. They have a lot to be proud of in what they did as a part of this program, making sure things were done the right way so we can continue to build this program off their contributions.”
GAME ACTION
After a scoreless first quarter, Lee’s Summit North QB Tre Baker got the Broncos deep in the red zone with a 22-yard completion to Devin Blayney down to the 8-yard line on the first play of the second period.
Three plays later on third-down-and-goal from the 1, Baker’s second effort on a QB sneak was enough to get the ball across the goal line for a touchdown to give Lee’s Summit North a 7-0 lead with 10:03 left in the first half.
Joplin’s next drive ended in an interception from QB Always Wright — the second turnover of the game for the Eagles to that point — and two plays later, Baker hooked up with Blayney for a 62-yard touchdown to give the Broncos a 14-0 lead with less than eight minutes to play in the first half. Joplin ultimately lost the turnover battle 5-1.
“You can’t give a team like that extra possessions,” Jasper said. “We gave them way too many.”
Joplin’s Always Wright scrambles out of the pocket during the Eagles’ loss to Lee’s Summit North. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
The turnover bug bit Joplin again early in the second half. After the Eagles blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt by the Broncos, Wright was picked off for a second time three plays later to give Lee’s Summit North the ball in Joplin territory.
“(Lee’s Summit North’s) front five were really good,” Jasper said when asked what gave his offense trouble. “They have a lot of speed defensively, too. They were playing a lot of games up front, a lot of stunts and twists. And they are good at it because that is what they do. … With as long and as athletic as they are, it was giving us fits.”
Near the end of the third quarter, Lee’s Summit North was forced to punt near midfield only to see the punt return muffed by the Eagles, with the Broncos recovering at the 1-yard line. Fortunately, the JHS defense didn’t waver, as Joplin recovered a Lee’s Summit North fumble on the very next play to give the Eagles the ball back on their own 1-yard line.
Lee’s Summit North sealed the win late in the fourth quarter when Baker found Tanner Howes for an 8-yard touchdown near the two-minute mark to make the score 21-0.
Lee’s Summit North will take on Christian Brothers College in the semifinals round of playoffs next week.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — There’s an old adage that states, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
The well-known expression definitely rang true for the Webb City Cardinals on Friday night.
Overcoming an early 14-point deficit with an inspired effort, second-seeded Webb City knocked off top-seeded and previously undefeated Carthage 28-21 in the championship game of the Class 5 District 6 tournament at David Haffner Stadium.
The game was deadlocked at 21 when Webb City senior quarterback Cohl Vaden scored the game-winning touchdown with 27 seconds left.
“It feels good to get a win like that,” Vaden said. “The feeling is crazy. I lost my nana in the past year and that’s what I was thinking about (after the late TD). And with all of Webb City behind me, that was really fun. This means everything to us.”
Webb City (8-3) captured a district championship for the 22nd straight season and the Cardinals will host Lebanon (10-1) in next Friday’s quarterfinals.
“There have been a lot of great players and a lot of great coaches that have been here in 22 years,” Webb City coach John Roderique said. “People always want to talk about that and I think that puts a lot of pressure on our players. But we’re really proud of it…no question. I would have never guessed that it would have happened.”
The district title streak was clearly in jeopardy early in the contest, as the hosts took advantage of two Webb City turnovers to take a 14-0 cushion.
At the 6:35 mark of the first period, the Tigers had all of the momentum and a two-score lead.
But the Cardinals finished strong, outscoring the Tigers 28-7 the rest of the way.
Carthage handled Webb City 42-14 on September 17.
Of course, another old saying states, “It’s always tough to beat a team twice in one season.”
“When we played here before, we weren’t a very good football team,” Roderique said. “Through the course of the season we’ve become a little bit better. I told them, ‘It’s like life, you have to show up and battle everyday. It’s not going to be easy…you’re going to have setbacks. You have to keep battling. That’s what life is about.’ We try to make this game a microcosm of life. Our kids kept battling. We were able to make one more play than they did tonight. And I thought we played a lot harder than we did earlier in the season. And we found some things we could do.”
Vaden said the humbling regular season setback to the Tigers gave the underdog Cardinals plenty of extra motivation.
“We had a chip on our shoulder,” Vaden said. “It gave our guys something to go for.”
Carthage coach Jon Guidie noted the Cardinals won the battle in the trenches in Friday’s rematch.
“I thought they (Webb City) were definitely the more physical team up front on both sides,” Guidie said. “Our defense played fantastic. Our defense played well enough to win the football game. Offensively, we were not the same team up front that we have been. We missed a few opportunities, we had some guys open and we missed some shots. That happens sometimes.”
STELLAR SEASON ENDS FOR TIGERS
Carthage ends a stellar season at 10-1. The Tigers, ranked second in Class 5, went undefeated through the always-tough Central Ozark Conference.
“This group of kids is one of the most special groups I’ve ever coached,” Guidie said. “And I’ve been coaching for 29 years. So that says a lot. I miss them already to be honest. I love them and I’d do anything for them. I hope they don’t view tonight as a reflection on the season they had. What they did this year was very special.”
The Tigers had 13 seniors on this year’s roster.
GAME RECAP
Webb City fumbled on the second play from scrimmage, with the Tigers recovering with great field position.
Senior Caden Kabance’s 1-yard QB keeper capped a 33-yard drive and gave the Tigers an early 7-0 cushion.
Next, the Cardinals lost a fumble on the first play of the ensuing drive, with Carthage’s Max Williams picking up the loose ball and sprinting 33 yards to the end zone. The scoop and score gave the Tigers a 14-0 cushion.
“I couldn’t imagine our start would be that bad,” Roderique said. “That’s what we’re most proud of…overcoming that and just getting the game tied.”
The Cardinals responded nicely to the early adversity.
Capping a 9-play, 67-yard drive, Webb City’s Cade Wilson scored on a 1-yard plunge to get the visitors on the board with 3:16 remaining in the first quarter.
Webb City tied it up with 11:28 left in the second period on a nifty 38-yard touchdown strike from Vaden to Dante Washington and Dupree Jackson’s 2-point conversion.
The 14-14 score held up at the break and neither team scored in the third quarter.
Vaden’s 4-yard QB keeper gave Webb City a 21-14 lead with 6:36 left. Vaden’s 49-yard scamper on third and 43 set up the score.
After failing to score on six straight possessions, Carthage tied it up on Luke Gall’s 24-yard run and the PAT kick by Chris Mejia with 5:08 left.
Following a Webb City punt, Carthage lost a fumble, with Lucas Ott forcing it and Cooper Crouch recovering with 3:22 left.
Finishing off a methodical 8-play, 40-yard drive, Vaden’s QB keeper from 3 yards out with 27 seconds left was the game-winner.
A last-second hail mary by the Tigers was picked off by Washington.
The Tigers had been averaging more than 43 points per game. The Cardinals held them to one score after the first quarter.
“Our coaches have done a great job on the defensive side,” Roderique said. “They had our kids prepared. And the kids made the plays on the field. What a great effort by our defense.”
NAMES & NUMBERS
Webb City finished with 327 yards on 61 plays, with 240 yards on the ground and 87 through the air.
Wilson ran 25 times for 146 yards, while Vaden had 66 yards on 12 carries. Vaden completed 4 of 11 passes, with three to Washington (65 yards) and one to William Hayes (22 yards).
Defensively, Kaylor Darnell was credited with nine tackles and Brentan Wilson had seven stops.
Carthage had 286 yards on 48 plays, with 247 rushing yards and 39 passing.
Gall ran 18 times for 133 yards, while Kabance added 98 yards on 16 carries. Kabance completed 3 of 10 passes, with Cale Patrick (26 yards), Hudson Moore (12 yards) and Gall (1 yard) with one reception apiece.
Antony Deleon had nine tackles for the Tigers, while Micah Lindsey and Zach Lansford had eight tackles apiece.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City will entertain Lebanon on Friday in the quarterfinal round.
Lebanon hammered Glendale 56-26 for the District 5 championship.
The Cardinals beat the Yellowjackets 42-14 in last year’s quarterfinals.
WEBB CITY 28, CARTHAGE 21
Webb City 6 8 0 14—28
Carthage 14 0 0 7 —21
SCORING SUMMARY
CAR: Caden Kabance 1 run (Chris Mejia kick)
CAR: Max Williams 33 fumble recovery (Mejia kick)
WC: Cade Wilson 1 run (Kick failed)
WC: Dante Washington 38 pass from Cohl Vaden (Dupree Jackson run)
ST. PETERS, Mo. — Webb City and Carthage were among the teams competing at the MSHSAA Class 1 Boys Swimming & Diving Championships on Thursday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.
The Class 1 prelims were held on Thursday. The top 16 in each swimming event advanced to Friday’s finals, with the top eight heading to the championship finals and places 9-16 qualifying for the consolation finals.
The 1-meter diving competition, a single-day event, was also held on Thursday.
WEBB CITY RESULTS
Webb City’s top performer was Carson Forcum, a senior who placed 14th in the 1-meter diving competition with a score of 335.4. Teammate Eric Keeling was 28th.
As far as the swimming events, the Cardinals finished 23rd in the 200-yard medley relay in 1:47, with Judah Ritchie, Micah Brouwer, Zion Wood and Ethan Shipley competing.
Webb City’s team of Emiliano Vasquez, Wood, Cody Herndon and Shipley finished 24th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:35.
The Cardinals were 27th in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:34, with Vasquez, Herndon, Steve Kenlee and Shipley competing.
Brouwer finished 23rd in two events, the 200 individual medley (2:09) and the 100 breaststroke (1:05).
Shipley finished 27th in the 200 freestyle in 1:55 and Wood was 31st in the 100 breaststroke in 1:06.
CARTHAGE RESULTS
Carthage’s 200 medley relay team of Kellen Frieling, Braxton McBride, Eli Cox and Ezekiel Ramirez finished 21st in 1:46.
The team of Ramirez, McBride, Cox and Frieling finished 24th in the 400 freestyle relay (3:32).
The Tigers were 29th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:36, with Ramirez, McBride, Cox and Will Wallace competing.
Frieling finished 17th in the 100-yard backstroke in 57.9 seconds.
MONETT RESULTS
The Monett Cubs also competed in Class 1.
Monett’s Matthew Fillinger finished 11th in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:03 and will compete in the consolation finals on Friday. Fillinger was also 23rd in the 100 freestyle.
The Cubs finished 21st in the 400 freestyle relay, with Jayden Apostol, Jackson Dearing, Ryan Goodson and Fillinger competing.
CLASS 2 BEGINS FRIDAY
Joplin has six athletes attending Friday’s Class 2 meet—senior Wyatt Satterlee, juniors Jacob Glenn and Zane Newman, sophomores Jackson Mordica and Ian Vermillion and freshman Nathan Wardlow.
The Eagles will compete in the prelims of the 200 medley relay, 500 freestyle (Wardlow), 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
A number of local athletes will compete at the MSHSAA Boys State Swimming & Diving Championships this week in St. Peters.
The Class 1 event begins on Thursday and concludes on Friday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex. The Class 2 meet begins on Friday and wraps up on Saturday.
CLASS 1
Webb City has 10 athletes attending the meet—seniors Carson Forcum, Ethan Shipley and Zion Wood, juniors Cody Herndon, Edgar Kramer, Judah Ritchie and Emiliano Vasquez and sophomores Micah Brouwer, Eric Keeling and Steve Kenlee.
The Cardinals will compete in the following events: 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle (Shipley), 200 individual medley (Brouwer), 200 freestyle relay, 100 breaststroke (Brouwer, Wood), 400 freestyle relay and diving (Forcum, Keeling).
Carthage has eight athletes attending—seniors Ezekiel Ramirez and Declan O’Brien, juniors Will Wallace, Landon White and Eli Cox, sophomores Noah Blackford and Kellen Frieling and freshman Braxton McBride.
The Tigers are entered in the following events: 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 100 backstroke (Frieling) and 400 free relay.
Monett is sending 11 athletes to state—seniors Jackson Dearing, Andrew Dixon, Turner Goodson, Andrew Kranz and Isaac Lindsey, juniors Matthew Fillinger and Lincoln Johnson, sophomores Ryan Goodson and Sandeep Maharjan and freshmen Jayden Apostal and Spencer Hurt.
The Cubs will compete in the 200 medley relay, 100 freestyle (Fillinger), 200 IM (Fillinger), 200 free relay and the 400 free relay.
CLASS 2
Joplin has six athletes attending in Class 2—senior Wyatt Satterlee, juniors Jacob Glenn and Zane Newman, sophomores Jackson Mordica and Ian Vermillion and freshman Nathan Wardlow.
The Eagles will compete in the 200 medley relay, 500 freestyle (Wardlow), 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
The early signing period kicked off for Joplin on Wednesday when four student-athletes realized their dreams by signing letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the college level.
Senior baseball player Ethan Guilford inked his intent to play for Missouri Southern, while Madisyn Tracy signed on to play softball at William Penn. Emma Floyd is playing basketball at William Woods, while Allie Lawrence will be a dual-sport athlete while competing in track and field and volleyball at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis.
“It means a lot because I have always wanted to compete in collegiate sports while getting a good education,” Lawrence, a pharmaceutical science major, said to SoMo Sports. “It means a lot to compete at this high of a level knowing that many high school kids don’t get this opportunity. I’m super thankful for this opportunity.”
It is often a difficult choice for student-athletes when deciding upon a college to attend. For Guilford, who is majoring in business, the opportunity to play for a powerhouse Southern baseball program in the MIAA Conference while staying home at Joplin didn’t make his decision difficult at all.
“It feels great to know that here in a year after my senior baseball season that I will be going to a program that truly cares about the game,” Guilford said of his commitment to the Lions. “My biggest supporters will be at every single home game. I know that I will always have support staying local, and my family can continue to see me play throughout my career.”
Tracy, a biology major, knew William Penn was the destination for her early on, and it wasn’t just one factor that made her mind up either. And it wasn’t just about the softball program. Nearly every aspect she came across when looking into William Penn, including the personability of coach Mike Christner, made it an easy choice for her.
“Coach (Mike) Christner has a great program going,” Tracy said. “I was attracted to their drive to compete. Not to mention, I loved the campus and the PAC center. Their biology program is also one thing that was a deciding factor. My other biggest deciding factor was the handwritten note Coach Christner mailed to me about a week after my visit. It talked about how he loved talking to my parents and thought I would be a great addition to the team. I had never had a coach do that before and it really sealed the deal for me.”
Floyd, an exercise science major, has been playing basketball for much of her life, and as the daughter of a coach, she has an appreciation for the game many student-athletes do not. That is why Floyd is so grateful for her opportunity to continue her basketball career at the collegiate level, with her dad (Joplin coach Luke Floyd) having a prominent role in her success.
“Honestly, it means so much to me to be able to play basketball at the collegiate level,” she said. “I have been around basketball my whole life and I am just super excited to get to play it a little longer. I am so grateful for the opportunity.
“I am super grateful for all the coaches and people who have supported me and pushed me to be the best I can be. Thank you for pushing me to get me to where I am today. I want to thank my family and teammates for always having my back and being my support system. I especially want to thank my dad for being the best coach and dad combo that I could ask for. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.”
WEBB CITY, Mo. — With friends, family, teammates and coaches looking on, seven Webb City High School seniors made their college decisions official at a signing ceremony on Wednesday inside the Cardinal Dome.
Aubree Brouwer signed to swim at North Carolina State, while Makenzie Storm inked to join the women’s rowing team at Kansas State.
Sisters Peyton Hawkins (softball) and Riley Hawkins (track/cross country) both signed with Missouri Southern, while Emma Welch will play softball at Labette Community College.
Soccer standouts Anea Bemo and Tristan Barroeta both put pen to paper to attend William Jewell.
AUBREE BROUWER
An elite swimmer who had many NCAA Division I offers, Brouwer is taking her talents to NC State.
“I have been working towards this for a long time, so it feels good to finally make it official,” Brouwer said. “I loved the atmosphere at NC State. It feels like a family. I had great conversations with the coaches and felt valued. The athletes on the team are extremely hard-working, but also a very fun group. Being able to swim at one of the fastest college programs in the nation is truly an honor. I can’t wait for the high level of competition that it will bring. I also love the city, Raleigh, and all of the things available there.”
Representing the Springfield Aquatics club team, Brouwer competed in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer.
Brouwer, who has trained year-round, has aspirations of competing at the Olympic Trials in the future.
“I’m thankful for my time with Springfield Aquatics these past couple of years and the opportunities it has given me,” she said. “I have grown so much from training with my teammates and my coach, Thomas Baumann.”
Brouwer has been swimming competitively since she was 6-years-old, getting her start with the Webb City-based Berzerker Swimming club team.
MAKENZIE STORM
After competing in volleyball and swimming during her prep career, Storm will be joining K-State’s rowing program.
“I’m so excited that I get to go to such an amazing school and compete at a high level,” Storm said. “The new opportunity and challenge this presented was too good not to pursue. I went on an official visit and I felt like I fit in with the team very well and connected with the coaches. I am honored to be given this opportunity to try a new sport at this level and excited to see where I can go.”
Women’s rowing has been an NCAA Division I sport at Kansas State since the 1996-97 school year.
PEYTON HAWKINS
An all-state shortstop who played a key role in the Webb City softball program’s recent success, Peyton Hawkins is staying close to home to suit up for the Lions.
“I’ve had the goal of playing college softball for as long as I can remember,” Hawkins said. “Being able to play at the next level is big, but getting to be a Lion is even bigger.”
Hawkins noted she chose MSSU because it’s close to home and she felt a connection to the coaching staff and team members.
“Playing college softball has been a dream of mine since I started playing,” Hawkins said. “To be able to make that dream come true is a huge accomplishment. I had coaches and players push me everyday, so to see my hard work pay off is such a good feeling.”
In 2021, Hawkins hit .413 with team-highs of 45 hits, 34 runs scored and eight home runs to go with 32 RBI.
RILEY HAWKINS
Just days after finishing eighth at the Class 4 state cross country meet, standout distance runner Riley Hawkins inked with MSSU.
“It really means a lot to be able to sign with Missouri Southern,” Hawkins said. “I’ve always dreamed of competing at the college level, so I’m glad to be able to have this opportunity, especially to be able to sign at the same school as my twin sister.
“I knew from the start I wanted to stay pretty close to home, but my main deciding factor was the team,” Hawkins added. “I met the girls and knew immediately that MSSU would be a great fit for me.”
Hawkins, who finished fourth at the conference and district meets as a senior, thanked her coaches and teammates for helping her progress into the runner she is today.
“I’ve had the privilege to be coached by Coach (Dustin) Miller, who has really helped shape me into the runner I am today,” she said. “I’ve also been blessed with amazing teammates who helped me along the way.”
EMMA WELCH
Like Peyton Hawkins, Welch is an all-state performer who played a key role as the Webb City softball team earned a state runner-up finish last year and a district championship this season.
An outfielder, Welch is heading to Parsons, Kansas, to play for the Labette Cardinals.
“It is a dream come true,” Welch said of playing at the next level. “Everything felt just right at LCC. I have worked for this since little league and all the hard work is paying off. The girls were very welcoming (at LCC) and fun to be around. It felt like home.”
Welch noted playing for a successful program like Webb City was definitely beneficial.
“My time in high school put my goals into perspective, helped me grow and helped me achieve my goals,” she said. “Playing softball here shaped my work ethic and my love for the sport. I loved being a Cardinal so much I had to be a Cardinal for another two years.”
Welch, a center fielder who missed part of her senior season due to injury, hit .292 with 14 runs scored and 10 RBI this past fall.
ANEA BEMO
A standout forward who scored 26 goals and had 10 assists last spring, Bemo played a big role as Webb City advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tourney for the first time in program history.
And ahead of her senior season, Bemo made her decision to attend William Jewell official.
“It’s really exciting to be able to play a sport that I love while making it official,” Bemo said. “I had some teammates that committed to this school and they really wanted me to check out the school. I went on a visit and really loved the campus. Ultimately, it was the head coach that was the deciding factor for me because he made me feel like I belonged there.”
Bemo, who has garnered multiple postseason accolades, including all-state recognition, noted she’s looking forward to the challenge of college soccer. She added her time in high school has helped her develop as a student-athlete.
“I’ve been able to develop grit, determination, time management and many other attributes that will help me in college,” she said.
TRISTAN BARROETA
Like Bemo, Barroeta is a soccer standout who decided on signing with William Jewell.
Barroeta, a midfielder and winger, said signing a letter of intent was a good feeling.
“I feel like everything I have done up to this point has been worth it,” he said. “I’m happy to make my family, especially my parents, proud. It’s only the first step in my college journey and I can’t wait for the opportunities that await. I just want to thank my parents, my sister, God and everyone that has helped me get to where I am today. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
William Jewell just felt right, Barroeta added.
“The coaching staff was amazing and the energy at practices and games was high,” he said, adding he was attracted to the campus setting as well. “All the guys were motivating and wanted me to be the best player I can be.”
Barroeta scored 29 goals and dished out 10 assists as a senior for Nick Harmon’s Cardinals. Barroeta added signing to play at the next level has been a longtime goal.
“It’s hard to explain with words what it means to me,” he said. “All the hard work I’ve put in has paid off and gotten me here. I know that God has a plan for me and I’m looking forward to this path I’m on. Being part of Webb City Soccer taught me a lot. It showed me how to work hard and be patient. It taught me about values and work ethic. Webb City isn’t a big soccer town, but I have learned that it doesn’t matter what you have, it matters what you do with what you have.”
The Nevada Tiger football team has turned tragedy into triumph this season.
With the stage set for Nevada to play Friday night for its first district championship since 1998, no one could have blamed the team had such a lofty result not been achieved.
Tragedy struck the program on the first official day of practice in mid-August when it was shaken by the unexpected passing of 49-year-old linebackers coach Will Downing.
“It was a pretty rough start emotionally for our kids,” said Nevada coach Wes Beachler. “But they responded well — continued to get better, worked hard, and do things the right way. And I’m very proud of everything that they’ve been able to overcome, to continue to make themselves better football players each week.”
The hits kept coming, as Nevada lost senior tailback/outside linebacker Eli Cheaney in the opener to a season-ending injury.
“That kind of put a damper on our spirits,” Beachler said. “You don’t foresee injuries in Week 1 to really good players.”
Nevada High junior tailback Avious Steadman eludes a tackle during the second half of Nevada’s triple overtime playoff victory over Bolivar. Courtesy photos by Brandi Redman.
But the Tigers couldn’t be held down, winning six of their first seven en route to one of the best starts in program history. Their only loss during that stretch came in Week 4 to (Class 2) No. 1 ranked Lamar, in the tradition-rich “Silver Tiger” rivalry game.
In jumping out to the 6-1 start, Nevada put up video game-like numbers, averaging more than 46 points per contest.
A Week 8 home showdown with Big 8 Conference foe McDonald County had the feel of a playoff matchup, and didn’t disappoint. The Tigers, however, were edged in the shootout thriller, 39-34. Rather than allowing that to be a momentum-stalling loss, they instead drubbed a solid Aurora Houn’ Dawgs squad on Senior Night, 41-16.
Beachler noted that after coming off down years in 2018 and ’19, the current and previous senior classes have been integral in changing the culture of the program.
“Our seniors have continued the culture-building in the way we want things to be done, that last year’s seniors established,” Beachler said.
Beachler said that the team’s mantra this season is “Every player, every play.”
“Which we’ll probably keep for a long time,” he said. “Do things right, and play to the best of your ability every play.”
The team’s adversity-filled journey was accentuated this past Friday with a 40-38 triple-overtime triumph over visiting Bolivar in the second round of the MSHSAA Class 4 playoffs. Prior to that No. 2 seed Nevada (9-2) flattened No. 7 East Kansas City in the opening round of the playoffs, 64-6.
With a district title now at stake, Nevada will look to its power ground-attack to lead the way Friday night against top-seeded Lincoln College Prep (10-0).
Nevada lead-back Avious Steadman Jr. has racked up over 1,700 yards on the ground, to go along with 23 rushing touchdowns. Additionally, Steadman is averaging a whopping 12.9 yards per carry. With 100 rushing attempts on the season, fellow junior tailback Case Sanderson is rolling up 7.8 yards per pop, while downhill bruiser Jordan Johnson has also chipped in major contributions as he nears the 100 carry plateau.
“We just like to spread it around,” Beachler said, as the Tigers are averaging 345 rushing yards per game, on 8.6 yards per carry. “It’s not like we had big numbers against a couple bad teams. We’ve put up good rushing numbers against everybody.”
Beachler said Lincoln Prep boasts the best team speed his program has faced in recent memory.
“They’re incredibly fast,” he said. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen linebacker and secondary units that are as fast as this team is. It will be a big challenge for us, but I wouldn’t count our kids out of anything.”
When comparing strength of schedules, Nevada has the clear edge. A publication recently ranked the Tigers as having the 12th toughest schedule in Class 4.
“Four of the seven teams in the Big 8 West division are playing for a district championship Friday night,” Beachler said. “It’s a pretty strong conference when over half of your teams are playing for a district title this week.”
Having engineered major turnarounds at several other stops during his three-decade career roaming the prep sidelines, this year’s Tiger football squad may very well be Beachler’s masterwork, taking into account that the program dropped 19 of 20 games during the 2018 and ’19 campaigns.
“This one means a lot,” Beachler said. “Probably as much, if not more, than any other. Just because of the way the kids did not give up, kept fighting, and restored the pride in the program. We started with the ‘Restore the Roar’ theme after the 1-9 season, then we dropped down to 0-10. Instead, they said we can fix this and make it right — and they helped the program turn the corner. They’ve handled so much adversity so well.”
ELI’S ADVERSITY
Despite having to observe from the sideline, Cheaney has kept a positive attitude all season.
“He still comes to practice quite a bit, and does everything he can in the weight room, despite having his ankle in a boot,” Beachler said. “Still being involved and being at every game, his presence just helps to lift the kids. He’s continued to be a leader.”
Nevada High senior tailback Eli Cheaney looks to outrun a bevy of Logan-Rogersville defenders in the season-opener.
Cheaney said he intends to do everything he can to help the team.
“It’s still awesome just to be out there on the sidelines,” he said, “getting excited with the team and feeling the energy. It’s almost just as much fun as being out there on the field.”
Cheaney said the team has exceeded his expectations.
“I knew we would be really good this year, but I wasn’t expecting this much,” he said. “But it makes sense, because most of these kids were starting as freshmen or underclassmen. So having those three to four years of varsity experience is really showing now.”
QB BESHORE
While Cade Beshore was a starting varsity cornerback last year as a sophomore, he served as backup to starting signal-caller Dylan Beachler.
“Cade was willing to accept that role and be unselfish,” Wes Beachler said. “He learned a lot — learned all he could while he was waiting his turn. And that’s really shown.”
Beachler noted that the program had struggled with the passing game in recent years, following the departure of three-year varsity starter Braeden Hinton in 2017. Over the following two seasons, Nevada quarterbacks combined for just four touchdown passes and eight interceptions, to go along with a sub-40 completion percentage.
“And last year, we kind of came out of that with eight touchdown passes and only three interceptions,” Beachler said.
Nevada Tiger junior quarterback Cade Beshore lunges into the end zone against Bolivar.
Beshore has helped the Tigers continue forward on the upward trajectory at the quarterback spot, as the junior QB has tossed 13 touchdowns to just three interceptions. In completing 53 percent of his passes, Beshore is nearing 1,000 yards on the season, and would be the first Tiger to eclipse that mark since Hinton in ’17.
“We hang our hat on the running game, but Cade’s been real opportunistic and has made good decisions,” Beachler said. “So we’ve put the ball in the air this year a little more than we typically would.”
Beachler said the past two seasons have been thoroughly enjoyable for him as a coach.
“Everything from how the kids get along with each other to how their parents have raised them,” he said. “There’s just a lot of factors that have resulted in having a really fun team to coach the last two years.”
O-LINE
Beachler lauded the offensive line as a major reason for the team’s offensive exploits. The line features Logan Smith (R-Tackle), Skylur Mashek (R-Guard), Jackson Dryer (Center), Kenneth Johnson (L-Guard), and Lukas Higgins (L-Tackle). Also instrumental are tight ends Kartman Highly and Drew Beachler, and fullback Zade Lee.
“They’ve been really consistent,” Beachler said. “They’re not huge, but they’re solid in their technique, and work together pretty well as a unit.”
PAYING HOMAGE TO DOWNING
Beachler reflected on a discussion he had with his good pal Will Downing.
“We were talking about character and culture and Will said ‘I thought you changed the character of the program when you first came back (in 2017), but it takes a while to change the culture.’ And I said, ‘Well, it takes a group of kids to change the culture.'”
Beachler said Downing was invaluable to the program.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever had an assistant coach like Will, that just understood what needs to be done, and what the expectations are for a program that’s trying to rebuild,” Beachler said.
Downing’s background as an Army colonel was particularly helpful, Beachler noted.
“He came up with our motto ‘Every player, evey play.’ He just understood that everybody had a hand in it, from the kids that play scout team to assistant coaches. Everybody has a part — everybody has a role to play. He was a very team-oriented guy.”
Beachler said Downing was greatly impactful with the players.
“He had a strong rapport with the kids, and the kids all respected him because of his good rapport,” Beachler said. “And also his ability to discipline and motivate kids. Just a really strong man on and off the field.”
Cheaney said he took Downing’s tragic passing pretty hard, as he was also coached by Downing for a few years during his little league baseball days.
“It was rough,” Cheaney said. “But I think it also helped bring the team together, even though it was such a terrible thing.”
Below is a quick look at area district championship games. All games are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday.
CLASS 6 DISTRICT 3
Joplin (10-1) at Lee’s Summit North (10-1)
OUTLOOK: Second-seeded Joplin advanced to the district title game by beating third-seeded Nixa 24-13. Top-seeded Lee’s Summit North knocked off defending state champion and fourth-seeded Raymore-Peculiar 21-14 in last week’s district semifinals.
Lee’s Summit North is ranked third in Class 6 by the Missouri Media, while Joplin is ranked fifth.
Currently only eight teams remain in Class 6. The winner of this game advances to the state semifinals, where they’ll meet either CBC or SLUH on Nov. 19.
CLASS 5 DISTRICT 6
Webb City (7-3) at Carthage (10-0)
OUTLOOK: The longtime rivals meet with the season on the line for a second straight season. In last year’s title game, Webb City knocked off Carthage 42-21 to extend the program’s district championship streak to 21.
The top-seeded Tigers won this year’s regular season meeting over the second-seeded Cardinals 42-14. The rematch will determine who advances to the quarterfinals. Carthage is ranked second in Class 5, while Webb City is ranked fourth.
The Carthage-Webb City winner will take on either Lebanon or Glendale on Nov. 19.
CLASS 4 DISTRICT 6
McDonald County (10-1) at West Plains (9-1)
OUTLOOK: Kellen Hoover’s Mustangs have set a school record for wins in a season. The previous best was eight wins in 1965.
Second-seeded McDonald County handled sixth-seeded Hillcrest 48-21 last week, while top-seeded West Plains pounded fourth-seeded Logan-Rogersville 52-0. The Zizzers have put up more than 50 points in their last four games.
West Plains is ranked fourth in Class 4, while McDonald County is ranked eighth. The winner of this game advances to the quarterfinals on Nov. 19 to play either Hannibal or Jefferson City.
CLASS 4 DISTRICT 7
Nevada (9-2) at Lincoln College Prep (10-0)
OUTLOOK: Second-seeded Nevada beat third-seeded Bolivar 40-38 in three overtimes last Friday to advance, while top-seeded Lincoln Prep beat fifth-seeded Harrisonville 41-14.
Nevada is battle-tested in the Big 8, as three of their conference opponents will also play for district championships — McDonald County, Seneca and Lamar.
Lincoln College Prep is ranked sixth, while Nevada is ranked 10th.
The winner of this game meets either Smithville or Excelsior Springs in the quarterfinal round.
CLASS 3 DISTRICT 6
Seneca (7-4) at Mountain Grove (8-2)
OUTLOOK: Fourth-seeded Seneca upset top-seeded Aurora 13-12 last Friday. The Indians scored 13 unanswered points after intermission.
Third-seeded Mountain Grove defeated seventh-seeded Reeds Spring 28-12 in the semifinals.
The two teams have one common opponent, as the Indians defeated Cassville 27-0 and the Panthers beat the Wildcats 21-7. Seneca has won four of its last five games.
The Seneca-Mountain Grove winner will take on either Mexico or Blair Oaks in the quarterfinals.
CLASS 2 DISTRICT 4
Fair Grove (11-0) at Lamar (10-0)
OUTLOOK: Defending state champion Lamar had little trouble last week, as the top-seeded Tigers beat fourth-seeded East Newton 48-6. Second-seeded Fair Grove topped sixth-seeded Mount Vernon 47-0.
These are the top-ranked teams in Class 2 by the Missouri Media, with Lamar first and Fair Grove second.
Lamar owns wins over three teams playing in district championship games — Nevada, McDonald County and Seneca.
The winner of this game advances to the quarterfinals on Nov. 19, where they’ll meet either Ava or Liberty-Mountain View.
HOW TO WATCH: All of Friday’s district championship games can be viewed online for a $10 fee at https://www.mshsaa.tv/
ETG Sports & Events Center in Joplin hosted Rumble in the Heartland on Saturday night.
The event, promoted by Skip Stewart, featured pro and amateur boxing, along with several amateur kickboxing and mixed martial arts bouts.
In a pro boxing featured bout, Donnie Reeves earned a unanimous decision over James Roach after six rounds of lightweight action.
The judges scored it 60-53, 60-53 and 59-54 in favor of Reeves, who fights out of Hannibal, Missouri. Roach is from Grove, Oklahoma.
In a heavyweight pro boxing bout, Jody Linthicum of Joplin earned a first-round technical knockout over John Kiser of Leavenworth, Kansas.
In amateur kickboxing action, Jason Love of Joplin earned a second-round TKO over Cody Beck in a heavyweight clash, while Arkansas native Zerek Zumwalt won via split decision over Anthony Tolbert in a cruiserweight bout. Two judges scored it 29-28 in favor of Zumwalt, while the third judge scored it 29-28 in favor of Tolbert, a Cassville native.
Also, Nikki Jeffrey won an amateur MMA bout in the bantamweight division.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Only three runners finished ahead of Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry at the MSHSAA Class 1 Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Gans Creek Cross Country Course.
A junior, Atteberry crossed the line fourth overall with a time of 17 minutes, 3 seconds.
West Nodaway’s Riley Blay was first (16:05), while Plato’s David Held was the runner-up (16:29) and Hermitage’s Bennett Mantooth placed third (16:34).
Atteberry earned a state medal for his effort.
It was a huge improvement from a year ago for Atteberry. At the 2020 meet, Atteberry finished 51st in 18:45.
Also in Saturday’s Class 1 state meet, McAuley Catholic freshman Michael Parrigon finished 38th in 18:17 and was the second local finisher after Atteberry. McAuley’s Phillip Motazedi was 65th (18:50).
CHC BOYS TAKE SIXTH
The College Heights Christian boys finished sixth in the Class 1 team standings with 173 points.
Hermitage (61), Oak Ridge (132), Wellsville-Middleton (155) and Valle Catholic (162) were the top four teams, with Van Buren (165) fifth.
For the Cougars, Rolen Sanderson was 44th in 18:23, Caleb Quade took 54th in 18:46 and Derrick McMillan was 56th in 18:47.
Also for CHC, Corbin Thomas finished 84th, Jace Edwards was 92nd, Brayden Youngberg finished 117th and Steven Calandro was 118th.
CLASS 1 GIRLS
In the Class 1 girls race, Thomas Jefferson’s Sarah Mueller finished 35th in 22:27 and McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey was 37th in 22:32.
Thomas Jefferson’s Macie Shifferd finished 68th in 23:26 and teammate Mia Grubbs was 86th in 23:55.
From the region, Liberal’s Abby Barton took 25th in 21:48.
CLASS 2 GIRLS
College Heights had runners competing in the Class 2 girls race. Jayli Johnson finished 39th (21:40) and Madi Carson was 131st (24:28).
CLASS 2 BOYS
Stockton won the boys team title with 87 points. Stockton’s Aaron Bradshaw was 19th, Colby Adams was 25th, Max Brown was 26th, Dakota Duncan took 32nd and Braden Postlewait was 52nd.
Southwest’s Christian Long was 15th in the Class 2 boys race with a time of 17:03 and teammate Caden Uthe was 24th. Purdy’s Bryce Ozbun finished 33rd.
CLASS 3 HIGHLIGHTS
East Newton’s boys had three medalists, as Gabe Bergen was eighth (16:27), Kelton Sorrell took 10th (16:34) and Chase Sorrell was 13th (16:36).
The Patriots finished third in the team standings with 127 points. Herculaneum was first with 95 and Maryville was second with 122.
In the Class 3 girls race, Lamar’s Kiersten Potter finished 13th in 19:34 and Aurora’s Kaci Singer was 26th (20:15).
Jennalee Dunn’s final time running for Joplin provided yet another time she reset the Eagles’ school record.
In her final race, Dunn finished in 18 minutes, 36.1 seconds to break the record for the final time and nearly dropped a minute off the previous mark of 19:22 during the MSHSAA Class 5 Cross Country State Championships held Friday at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.
Her time this year allowed her to take 14th place, a few spots up after taking 18th last year and a noticeable drop in time from 19:11.9.
“It feels good to be all-state again,” Dunn said. “It has been a rough year. I was just going out and seeing how I could run and really try to enjoy the run and make it my last, best race. It feels really good. It was my last race, I wanted to make sure I ran the best I could the whole time. I didn’t want to have regrets afterwards.”
Joplin coach Dustin Dixon poses with Hobbs Campbell at Friday’s medal ceremony.
Dunn was in 28th place at the one kilometer check point but steadily started moving up the leaderboard. With 1K left, she moved up from 20th to 16th and then a 3:37.3 split on the final kilometer was her second fastest time – behind a 3:31.9 to open the race.
Teammate Allie Keizer took 96th place for the Eagles, jumping 18 spots over her final 1K in the race.
The Joplin boys had seven runners there and took ninth place overall.
Junior Hobbs Campbell earned an all-state medal by placing 14th – like Dunn.
He ran 15:45.1 and peaked at 10th place at one point in the race – but that came after he made a strategic move.
“It was way faster than last year and it was very hectic,” he said. “At the very beginning, I was super boxed in and I had to come to a complete stop and go around people and try to pass people. I went out there and I wanted to be near the top and I was something like 13th (place) and then 10th and then after the 3K, I started hurting really bad. I was just trying to finish after that.”
Three other runners finished in the top half of the field of 159 runners: sophomore Ian Horton (49th), senior Zaben Barnes (64th) and Nick Horton (73rd).
An example of how much faster this year’s field was: Ian Horton’s time of 16:18.7 would’ve been 26th last year and Nicholas Horton’s time of 16:31.3 would’ve been 36th.
Neosho’s Kaden Cole is pictured during Friday’s Class 5 race.
“We had a great day, I was hoping we’d place a little higher than nine but you look at how the boys ran, out of the seven, we had four set lifetime bests and two ran within five seconds of their personal record,” Joplin coach Dustin Dixon said. “We ran about as well as you could hope. The other teams ran better. We were in seventh (place) in the 4K but dropped but it was close. We were 40 points from fifth. I’m really proud. They had a great year. We won four meets and the conference for the first time. We had a great year.”
Neosho’s Kaden Cole was in the group of leaders early on in the race and the senior finished in sixth place.
An all-state performer last year, Cole has made big improvements over the past three years. His debut at the state meet ended with a 131st place finish.
Cole was 14th early on but then worked his way into 10th then ninth over a 2K stretch. He closed with a 3:02.9 split, his second fast split on the 5K and moved up three spots.
Remember, remember the fifth of November when second-seeded Joplin ousted third-seeded Nixa from Class 6 District 3 tournament with a 24-13 win in the semifinals at Junge Field.
After Joplin handed Nixa its first loss of the season on Sept. 3 in Week 2, it seems quite poetic that Joplin also gave Nixa its final loss of the season in the district semifinals on Friday.
Joplin RB Drew VanGilder gives Joplin its first lead of the game with a first-quarter touchdown in the district semifinal win over Nixa. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
In a low-scoring first half, Joplin (10-1) and Nixa (8-3) went into the intermission tied at 10-10. Nixa struck first in the second half with a field goal late in the third period only for Joplin to score 14 unanswered points on the way to victory.
“It was a huge win,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. “Our kids played fantastic. All three phases of the game did an amazing job.”
Joplin advances and travels to face top-seeded Lee’s Summit North, which defeated fourth-seeded Raymore-Peculiar 21-14 in the other district semifinal matchup, in the Class 6 District 3 title game on Nov. 12. This is the third district title game appearance in four years for Joplin, and its first since 2019.
“We are in a really tough district, and we are very fortunate to playing for the championship,” Jasper said. “We knew whoever we faced, it was going to be a good team. But, that is Class 6 football all the way through. We relish that opportunity, and we relish that we get to spend seven more days together fighting for a common goal. We’re going to enjoy every moment of it.”
Joplin’s offense finished with 354 yards on 64 plays. Running back Quinton Renfro led Joplin’s offense with 106 yards rushing and a touchdown on 28 carries, while RB Drew VanGilder added nine carries for 38 yards and a touchdown. QB Always Wright had seven rushes for 85 yards and a touchdown, while completing 14-of-19 passes for 125 yards.
“Everyone kept asking me what the difference was going to be in this game,” Jasper said. “I thought it was going to come down to who was the more physical team. That started up front, and I thought both with our offensive and defense lines were more physical than theirs.”
Nixa came into the game scoring nearly 40 points a game, but was limited to 13 points and 300 yards of offense on 53 plays.
“We have an experienced defensive coordinator who knows what he is doing,” Joplin LB Robert Kelly said of DC Nick Reid and the game plan for Nixa. “We practiced this stuff all week. This is our defense. We are for real. We are the real deal.”
Joplin’s Donovyn Fowler makes a stop to prevent a touchdown in the win over Nixa on Friday, Photo by Shawn Fowler.
Nixa QB Connor Knatcal completed 22-of-35 passes for 242 yards, while Austin McCracken caught five passes for 30 yards. WR Kael Combs had six receptions for 86 yards, while RB Dylan Rebura finished with 34 rushing yards on nine carries.
GAME ACTION
Nixa took the initial lead on the opening possession when PK Kaleb James capped a 12-play drive with a 40-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 6:44 left in the opening period.
Joplin responded with a double-digit drive in return, marching 65 yards on 13 plays with VanGilder punching it in up the middle from 4 yards out to give his team a 7-3 lead with 2:25 left on the clock.
Nixa looked to make it two drives with points before Joplin came up with a goal-line stand at the start of the second quarter to hold on to the early lead.
Nixa went to the air during its second drive before Rebura picked up 9 yards on first down deep in Joplin territory to give NHS a second-down-and-1 from the JHS 3-yard line. Rebura was stuffed on two consecutive runs before the fourth-down pass fell incomplete.
“Nixa is a good team, and they did some really good thing offsensively,” Jasper said of his defense’s stop. “We didn’t give up the big play. We kept making them lineup and snap the ball again. It was huge. Hats off to the kids for making those plays and the coaching staff for preparing them.”
Nixa eventually regained the lead late in the first half when Knatcal hooked up with McCracken on a slant over the middle for a 12-yard touchdown to make the score 10-7 with 3:35 to play in the second period. The score capped a 13-play drive for Nixa that started at its own 29-yard line.
Joplin had enough time to drive down deep into Nixa territory before PK Joseph Ipsen tied the contest at 10-10 after knocking through a 28-yard field goal as time expired in the second period. His fifth make this season.
Nixa got on the board first in the second half when James connected for a 28-yard field goal to give NHS a 13-10 lead with 2:08 left in the third quarter. Joplin looked as if it forced a turnover just two plays earlier when Kelly came up with a strip sack, but it was called an incomplete pass despite the ball moving backwards after Kelly hit the quarterback.
Joplin LB Robert Kelly (51) squares up to make a tackle in the win over Nixa on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
Joplin eventually regained the lead when Renfro capped a four-minute drive with a rushing touchdown from a yard out to give JHS a 17-13 lead with 10 minutes left in the game.
Joplin’s defense forced Nixa into a turnover on downs near midfield with less than seven minutes to play, and the offense took advantage.
“We played fairly mistake free,” Jasper added about his defense. “It was a very clean game, and when you’re playing the caliber of teams such as Nixa, you have to play mistake-free ball, especially on the mental side.”
Joplin took possession at the Nixa 46 and bled the final six-plus minutes off the clock before Wright found room four a 4-yard touchdown on fourth-down and goal with three seconds remaining to ice the win.
“Offensively, they were going to try and keep a roof over us and limit our big plays,” Wright said. “We knew that coming in. It was really won in the trenches. The most physical team won. The defense played second to none tonight. I really appreciate our defense because they help out the offense a lot.”
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Webb City’s boys and girls both had two all-state runners at Friday’s MSHSAA Class 4 Cross Country Championships.
Abi Street and Riley Hawkins placed fifth and eighth in the girls race, running 18:44 and 18:58, respectively.
According to Coach Dustin Miller, it is the first time the Cardinals have had multiple girls all-state and it is the first time since 2003 the girls have had an all-state runner.
Webb City coach Dustin Miller hugs Riley Hawkins during Friday’s medal ceremony in Columbia. Submitted photos.
A unique twist, that runner, Kim (Boman) White, will have a daughter that will be a freshman next year at Webb City.
How did the team celebrate the success?
With friends and teammates dressed as the Pink Power Ranger, T-Rex and Chewbacca, among other Halloween costumes that got used only a few days later than normal.
“It’s been a tradition since I was in eighth grade and probably before that,” Hawkins said. “It is so fun all of our teammates and classmates come and support us. It makes us feel good.”
The Cardinals’ third runner, Alanna Bundy, was 40th and the team placed sixth overall.
“Realistically we couldn’t have been fourth, we could’ve been fifth, but I’m proud of the ladies,” Miller said. “They ran more relaxed than we have. This is the first time I had a girls team show up in a big important meet and compete to their ability.”
Dustin Brockmiller
The Cardinals boys finished fifth (171), coming up 12 points behind Ladue Horton Watkins (159) for the fourth and final trophy. Webb City was the state runner-up last year.
With three runners from last year’s team gone, Dustin Brockmiller stepped up to earn his first all-state medal, while Roman Borboa moved up from 21st last year to 19th this year. Evan Stevens, a sophomore, took 36th after placing 59th last year.
“It was pretty awesome, we have only gotten two all-staters at once and that was last year,” said Borboa. “Dustin worked his way up. I never expected him to be up here with me.”
Carl Junction had three runners at the state meet and Collin Emmert brought home a state medal for the second year in a row.
Emmert was 18th last year but ran nearly 30 seconds faster this year and was 21st.
Lexi Carpenter was 82nd, three spots ahead of teammate Hannah Franks for the Bulldogs’ girls squad.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage Tigers took care of business on Friday night.
Now, a rematch with the rival Webb City Cardinals awaits.
Top-seeded Carthage handled fifth-seeded Willard 42-20 on Friday night in a semifinal contest of the Class 5 District 6 tournament at David Haffner Stadium.
Carthage will host Webb City at 7 next Friday night in the district championship game.
The Tigers defeated the Cardinals 42-14 on Sept. 17. Of course, Webb City knocked off Carthage in last year’s district championship game.
Ranked second in Class 5 by the Missouri Media, Carthage scored 35 unanswered points in the first half en route to the lopsided victory.
Luke Gall scored a pair of touchdowns in the opening half, a 70-yard scamper and a 12-yard run. Caden Kabance’s QB keeper from 2 yards out made it 21-0.
In the second quarter, Kabance’s 4-yard run and Gall’s 6-yard sprint gave the Tigers a commanding 35-0 advantage.
Willard’s Owen Bushnell scored on a 2-yard run with 3:13 left in the third period before Carthage’s Cale Patrick ran for a 53-yard touchdown, giving the hosts a 42-6 lead.
Willard scored twice in the fourth quarter, a 2-yard run by Bushnell and a 22-yard pass from Russell Roweton to Trey Pulford.
Coming off last week’s win over Neosho, Willard ends the season with a record of 1-10.
Carthage will take a 10-0 record into next Friday’s district title game.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — With a solid overall performance on both sides of the ball, second-seeded Webb City knocked off third-seeded Republic 35-7 in a semifinal contest of the Class 5 District 6 tournament on Friday night at Cardinal Stadium.
“I thought we looked pretty solid,” Webb City coach John Roderique said. “We’re real proud of our guys. It wasn’t real flashy. Republic has really gotten after people on both sides of the ball this year. It was a tough, physical game. That’s exactly what we expected. Hats off to Republic…you talk about a team that has vastly improved from Week 3. They have a lot to be proud of.”
Ranked fourth in Class 5 by the Missouri Media, Webb City led 21-0 at the half before adding 14 unanswered points in the third quarter.
“We took care of business,” Webb City senior quarterback Cohl Vaden said. “We had two weeks to prepare, so our guys had a lot of focus tonight. And we want to be at our best at this time of the season.”
Webb City’s Dupree Jackson attempts to elude the Republic defense on Friday night at Cardinal Stadium. Photos by Israel Perez.
The Cardinals scored on all of their possessions in the opening half.
On the other hand, Republic’s first half possessions ended with an interception, a turnover on downs and a missed field goal.
“Defensively, you have to be in a bend but don’t break mode against these guys,” Roderique said. “I felt like we did that. They got some first downs and I’m sure they had more snaps than we did in the first half. But we were able to convert and get points on the board on our possessions.”
With Friday’s win, Webb City (7-3) advanced to the district championship game, where they’ll travel to No. 1 seed Carthage (10-0) next Friday.
“This is what you hope for and this is what you practice for,” Roderique said. “This is what we talk about all the time. It’s nice to get an opportunity to play another game. You just want to extend the season as long as you can. We’re playing an undefeated team and probably the best team in Southwest Missouri, so we’ll have our work cut out for us for sure.”
A 44-yard touchdown run by Webb City senior running back Cade Wilson was the lone score of the first quarter.
The Tigers were threatening on their first drive, but Webb City’s Brentan Wilson grabbed an interception.
The Cardinals went up 14-0 with 10:30 left in the first half on Dupree Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown plunge. A 27-yard pass from Vaden to Trey Roets set up the score.
After Republic’s turnover on downs, Webb City extended its lead to 21-0 on Cade Wilson’s 2-yard touchdown run.
The Tigers missed a 30-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the first half.
The hosts took a 28-0 lead with 5:56 remaining in the third quarter when Jackson sprinted to an 18-yard touchdown run.
The Webb City defense converges on Republic’s Cole Gimlin during Friday’s game at Cardinal Stadium.
A few plays after he picked off a pass, Webb City junior Dante Washington hauled in a 16-yard touchdown reception from Vaden to give the Cardinals a comfortable 35-0 cushion.
Republic’s Avery Moody ran for a 58-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
Webb City compiled 313 yards of offense, with 228 on the ground and 85 through the air.
Jackson ran 15 times for 103 yards and two scores, while Cade Wilson had 11 carries for 85 yards and two TD.
Wilson surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season.
“He’s not a very big guy, but he’s got the heart of a lion,” Roderique said of Wilson. “I’m just proud of him.”
Vaden completed four passes, with three to Washington (58 yards) and one to Roets (27 yards). Washington also converted five PAT kicks.
Republic (6-5) finished with 276 yards, with 212 rushing and 64 passing. Moody ran 29 times for 160 yards and also completed two passes.
DISTRICT TITLE GAME AWAITS
The Cardinals will have an opportunity to capture a 22nd straight district championship.
Carthage topped Webb City during the regular season en route to an undefeated run through the Central Ozark Conference.
Of course, next week’s rematch will determine who advances in the state tournament.
“This is what we all wanted,” Vaden said. “I think it’s going to be a fun game.”
WEBB CITY 35, REPUBLIC 7
Republic 0 0 0 7—7
Webb City 7 14 14 0—35
SCORING SUMMARY
WC: Cade Wilson 44 run (Dante Washington kick)
WC: Dupree Jackson 1 run (Washington kick)
WC: Wilson 2 run (Washington kick)
WC: Jackson 18 run (Washington kick)
WC: Washington 16 pass from Cohl Vaden (Washington kick)
REP: Avery Moody 58 run (Marco Donjuan kick)
Webb City’s Dante Washington runs after a catch on Friday night. Washington had a touchdown reception and an interception.
Webb City senior Cade Wilson scored two touchdowns against Republic on Friday night. Wilson also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season. Photos by Israel Perez/SoMo Sports.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage saw its impressive run through the district tournament come to an end on Thursday after top-seeded Kickapoo scored twice in the first half and added another goal early in the second half on the way to a 3-0 win over the sixth-seeded Tigers in the Class 4 District 5 championship game at David Haffner Stadium.
“I am very proud of the way we played,” Carthage coach Jacob Osborne said. “We went through the three seed and went through the two seed, and both of those games were come-from-behind wins (in overtime). We were the lowest seed still left in the state in any district, and that wasn’t a surprise to me. It was kind of a half joke when the seeding came out, but I told my assistants that we were the best sixth seed in the state and that was before the tournament started.”
Carthage’s Walter Mejia Cancinos works the ball around a Kickapoo defender on Thursday in the district championship. Photo by Israel Perez.
Carthage closes the year with a 14-10 record while making it to its first district title appearance since 2017.
“They didn’t give up,” Osborne said about his team’s season. “They had heart and had belief, they just fell a little short.”
Carthage graduates seniors Emanuel Juarez, Chris Lopez-Carreto, Dani Morales Hernandez, Andrew Grimm, Adrian Garrido Reyes, Clismer Lopez-Carreto, Walter Mejia-Cancinos, Keneth Paxtor Mejia, Luis Mejia Rodas, Jonathan Coreas Perez and Tyler Jacob Howard.
“It’s a very good group, a very talented group,” Osborne said of the senior class. “I am disappointed for them. I wanted to see them get that district title. There are going to be some very tough kids to replace on the field.”
Kickapoo will play District 6 champion Blue Springs on Nov. 13.
The Chiefs jumped in front of Carthage just past the midway point of the first half when Nicholas McDiarmid gained possession in close and fired the ball to the back of the net for a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute of action.
The Chiefs moved up 2-0 when Liam Olson converted for a goal in the 34th minute to send Kickapoo into the intermission with a two-goal lead.
Kickapoo tripled up the lead inside the first minute of play in the second half when Landon Keisker found the back of the net to push the lead to 3-0.
Carthage’s Chris Lopez Carreto looks to pass in the Tigers’ loss to Kickapoo on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.
“The game got really choppy,” Osborne said. “In the second half, there was really no flow to it at all, which played right into their style. They are a foot taller than us across the board and have speed all over the field. If we are playing set pieces, just launching the ball up the field, that is an advantage for them. It made it so we couldn’t play our normal style of short, quick passes to move the ball.”
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — In the final act of the 2021 season, the College Heights Christian boys soccer team posed for photos with a newly-acquired plaque.
It just wasn’t the piece of hardware they’d hoped for.
Top-seeded College Heights Christian with McAuley Catholic suffered a 4-0 loss to third-seeded Fair Grove in the championship game of the Class 1 District 6 tournament on Thursday at Bulldog Stadium.
With the win, Fair Grove (13-8-1) advanced to the quarterfinals to meet Laquey (10-13-1) on Nov. 13.
For the Cougars, who settled for the runner-up plaque, a stellar season came to an end.
“We came out a little nervous, but these guys fought the entire time,” College Heights coach Scott Yount said. “I’m proud of them. Just looking over Fair Grove’s roster, they’ve got several seniors and several juniors. If you look at my roster, you’re going to see lots of freshmen and lots of sophomores. It was a very young team and they gave a good showing in this tournament. And I think you’re going to see an even better showing next year.”
College Heights went 13-5 this fall.
“I kept calling it a miracle season,” Yount said. “Hopefully they’ll take all the things they learned about what it means to be a man. They did well. I’ve never seen a team with more unity than this one. It was painful to lose, but I know they fought like men.”
Fair Grove scored three unanswered goals in the first half.
Junior forward Jaxon Rowden scored twice in the opening 40 minutes, first in the fifth minute and again in the 24th minute.
Fair Grove’s Jackson Anderson had the second goal, knocking in a rebound in the 19th minute.
The Cougars had a number of scoring chances late in the first half, but they were unable to break through.
Freshman midfielder Michael Parrigon’s header in front of the goal following a corner kick was just off the mark with 11 minutes left in the first half. CHC misfired on a shot on-goal two minutes later.
In the second half, the Eagles went up 4-0 in the 47th minute on Joshua Orr’s goal.
The Cougars had several opportunities in the second half, but the hosts could never get on the board. Sophomore striker Rolen Sanderson recorded three shots on-goal late in the match, while Parrigon had one shot on-goal.
Fair Grove goalkeeper Elijah Merillat made a number of impressive saves to earn a clean sheet.
“We knew from watching the New Covenant game that he could be pretty good,” Yount said. “I don’t think they tested him as much as we did. He definitely showed up. A goalie can make a game.”
College Heights junior goalie Benjamin Thomas made six saves.
CHC with McAuley will lose three seniors to graduation—Max Sitton, Jack Meadows and Wyatt Stout. The lone senior who started on Thursday was Sitto, a midfielder.
As Yount noted, the Cougars will return nearly their entire starting lineup next season.
“They’re going to be a little faster and a little stronger next year,” Yount said. “That’s the idea.”
The College Heights Christian with McAuley Catholic boys soccer team poses with the district runner-up plaque on Thursday night.
BOLIVAR, Mo. — Top-seeded Neosho knocked off second-seeded Bolivar 3-1 in the championship game of the Class 3 District 6 boys soccer tournament on Thursday at Bolivar High School.
Neosho (13-4) advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament, where they’ll take on District 5 champion Glendale (24-3) on Nov. 13 at a site to be determined.
Juan Perez scored Neosho’s first goal with 30 minutes remaining in the first half before the Liberators recorded an equalizer with 10 minutes left in the opening half.
A goal from Gabriel Zapete gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead in the 37th minute.
Neosho added a goal in the second half for the final margin.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Kickapoo outscored Joplin 2-0 in the second half to earn the win in the opening game Class 4 District 5 semifinal contest before Carthage rallied in overtime past Nixa in the second semifinal contest to cap the night at David Haffner Stadium.
CARTHAGE RALLIES FOR WIN OVER NIXA IN OVERTIME
Second-seeded Nixa jumped out in front early before sixth-seeded Carthage rallied on the way to a 2-1 win in overtime in the district semifinals.
After falling to Nixa 9-1 on Oct. 19 in the regular season, the Tigers wanted another chance at the Eagles. On Tuesday, they got that chance and made the most of it.
“From a competitive side, losing 9-1 to Nixa two weeks ago—we wanted another shot at them,” Carthage coach Jacob Osborne said. “That might sound weird, but that was the first time since I have been the head coach that we were mercy ruled. … We knew that wasn’t us and that we wanted another chance at them. The kids showed up playing with full heart in both (district tournament) games so far. Their minds are where they need to be, which is what I have been telling them all season—when their minds are on the game and they have their full focus, we are very difficult to beat.”
Carthage forward Neyzer Ramos Garcia works the ball up field in the the Tigers’ overtime win in the district semifinals over Nixa on Tuesday at David Haffner Stadium. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
With the win, Carthage improves to 14-9 and will battle top-seeded Kickapoo (19-6-1) in the Class 4 District 5 championship round at 6 p.m. on Thursday at David Haffner Stadium.
“It is going to be tough,” Osborne said. “They’ve had a great season and they are playing well. When we played them earlier on in the season, I thought we were the better team in the first half and they were the better team in the second half. They came out with a 2-0 win. We are going to have to battle again. We are going to have to show up and play a full 80.”
Nixa struck from distance early in the contest when Kaleb James launched a shot from 35 yards out near the far hash lines for a goal in the eighth minute of play to make the score 1-0. Carthage had several early chances on offense with attacks at game-tying shots, but the Tigers couldn’t find any luck between the posts before heading into halftime trailing by a goal.
“I was pleased with the first half,” Osborne said. “I thought we were the better team. Every stat was backing it up except for what was on the scoreboard. I told them, we are going to get chances. When you get your chance, put it in.”
Going into the second half trailing, it was important for the Tigers to get on the scoreboard quickly, and Carthage did just that in the 46th minute of action when forward Neyzer Ramos Garcia found the back of the net to tie the score 1-1.
“That was huge because the early goal takes the pressure off,” Osborne said. “That let us relax a little bit and let us play instead of having that on our back to where we are constantly looking at the clock. Getting that early goal was huge.”
That was the last time a goal was scored in regulation, as 14 more minutes expired off the clock with each team trading possessions with nothing to show for it before the game ultimately went into timed sudden-death overtime.
Like they did in the district opener against Ozark, Carthage had a flair for the dramatics in the extra period as midfielder George Laytham stole a pass and fired a shot from just beyond 20 yards away that went over the hands of outstretched Nixa goalie Logan Elmer for the golden goal to end the contest with 4:20 left to play.
“We don’t quit, and earlier the year that wasn’t the case,” Osborne said. “Two weeks ago, we quit. That is something we’ve had to talk about throughout the season. We are finally learning.”
“He is a big-time player for us,” Osborne added about Laytham. “It’s weird, with his size, and everybody else being so small, he sticks out. But at the same time, I think it is more the coaches who notice how much he brings to our team. He is not a defender, but he cuts off so much defensively for us in the midfield.”
KICKAPOO DOWNS JOPLIN WITH BIG SECOND HALF
Kickapoo struck first before Joplin tied the game late in the first half only to see the Chiefs score two unanswered goals in the second half on the way to a 4-1 win in the district semifinals.
“It was such a close game,” Joplin coach Josh Thompson said. “That second goal was a momentum changer. Whoever got it was going to have a huge advantage. We just weren’t lucky enough to get that bounce our way.”
Joplin bounced back from an eight-win campaign in 2020 to finish with a 16-7 record in 2021.
Joplin’s Luciano Reyes heads the ball in the second half of the Eagles’ loss to Kickapoo in the district semifinals. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
“Since I have been here, looking at it as a whole-season picture, this is the best we’ve held together,” Thompson said. “It is a great group of guys. Every day has been awesome, and I think that says a lot about how we were able to get to 16 wins. And we even let a couple get away from us that we would like to have back. From top to bottom, this was a group effort. It is a good family to be a part of.”
The Eagles graduate seniors Grayson Stovern, Gabriel Deleon, Roberto Reyes, Eric Nelson, Abraham Montanez and Noah Pearson.
“I think all of those guys helped carry our momentum for the season,” Thompson said. “They wanted it so bad and they really did lead this group throughout the year. This year was their year to take charge, and they did that. I am proud of them.”
Kickapoo got on the board late in the first half when forward Corbin Clay found the back of the net on a rebound goal in the 27th minute of action for a 1-0 lead.
Joplin was able to tie the game up at 1-1 with less than five minutes to play before halftime when forward Luciano Reyes converted in the 36th minute off the assist from forward Gabriel Deleon, sending the contest into the intermission knotted up.
“We needed it,” Thompson said of Reyes’ goal. “It’s all about how you respond. All year, we were a great team at responding well, especially Luciano.”
After giving the Chiefs the lead in the first half, Clay struck again for Kickapoo in the 52nd minute from in close off the assist from Landon Keisker to make the score 2-1.
Clay pushed the lead to 3-1 after going top shelf on a penalty kick in the 64th minute of play to complete the hat trick.
Kickapoo’s Zachary Clark struck from in close just minutes later to give the Chiefs a 4-1 advantage with less than 16 minutes to play.
