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Day: December 1, 2021

BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: Neosho’s returning junior class to lead the way for Wildcats in 2021-22

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — After graduating Landon Austin, Chase Flynn and Dalton Brodie, the Neosho Wildcats will be relying on three key returners to take over the reins and improve upon last year’s 13-13 season that ended in the district championship round.

“We expect to go out and compete in every game,” fourth-year Neosho coach Zane Culp said of his expectations for 2021-22. “Our goal is to be over .500 and finally get over the hump after losing in the district final three years in a row.”

The Wildcats will be relying heavily on their junior class this season, including the top three returners with experience—Brock Franklin, a 5-foot-8 point guard, 6-1 G Carter Fenske and 6-1 G Isaiah Green. Franklin averaged three points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists last season, while Fenske averaged 5.7 ppg last season, while Green put up 7.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and two steals per game a season ago.

“He is going to be our point guard this year after starting all 26 games last year,” Culp said of Franklin. “He is also one of our best defenders and a bulldog on the court at all times. I expect him to be one of our leaders and our heartbeat on the floor. … (Carter) was our best shooter last year. He made 44 3s while only averaging 11 minutes per game. We expect him to have a big year offensively and expand his role from last year. … Isaiah is one of our best all-around players. He not only fills up the stat sheet in all categories, but he is also one of the best defenders that usually guards the other team’s best player.”

Also expected to have a bigger role this season is returning junior Kael Smith, a 6-2 forward.

“Kael came on late last season and gave us a big spark,” Culp said. “He is one of the most skilled big men we’ve had in a while and has a great feel for the game. He is going to be a big part of what we do every possession on defense and offense.

“This group of juniors have always played well together and have always been successful up until this point. We are excited for them to translate that into a varsity season.”

New faces at the varsity level this season include junior 6-0 F Jared Siler, junior 6-4 C Carter Baslee, junior 5-10 G Michael Day and senior 6-5 G K’dyn Waters.

“I think depth and athleticism will be our strengths,” Culp said. “We have guys that can do lots of different things from handling the ball to running the floor, shooting the 3, taking people off the dribble and crashing the boards.”

Of course, with only a handful of players returning with extensive varsity minutes, experience will be the biggest obstacle for the Wildcats this season. 

“The biggest obstacle we will have to overcome is our lack of varsity experience and only having one senior,” Culp said. “We are confident guys will grow as players as the season goes along. We expect big things from all our players just in different capacities. Everyone will have a vital role to play in our team’s success.”

Neosho opens the season on the road in a matchup with Aurora on Dec. 2. After taking part in the Pea Ridge Tournament from Dec. 9-11, Neosho will take on Monett in its home opener on Dec. 14.

PREP WRESTLING: Joplin tops Webb City in season opener

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Joplin defeated Webb City 45-28 in a prep wrestling dual on Tuesday night inside the Cardinal Dome. 

It was the season opener for both squads.

At 106 pounds, Webb City’s Tyler Pearish earned an 11-2 major decision over Braden White.

Both teams were open at 113.

Webb City’s Jake Cottingham won by fall over Toryn Jones at 120, but Joplin’s Freddy Cerrato-Martinez pinned Tyler Allen at 126.

At 132 pounds, Webb City’s Aiden Moore won by fall over Alex Short, while Joplin’s Orion Norris pinned his opponent at 138. 

Joplin’s Johnathon Burke won by fall over Carson Farmer at 145, but Webb City’s Hunter England pinned Ben Hedrick at 152. 

At 160, Webb City’s Brantley Carter pinned Ethan Bentz before Joplin’s Elijah Neville earned an 11-7 decision over Aiden Rose at 170.

Joplin’s Drew VanGilder won by forfeit at 182.

Joplin’s Brayden Thomas won by fall over Liam Taylor at 195, while Draven VanGilder pinned Matt Cook at 220.

Joplin’s Gunner Price won by forfeit at 285.

Joplin is at Carl Junction on Thursday night. Webb City will host Diamond and Monett on Dec. 9.

Note: Joplin’s girls wrestling team defeated Webb City 12-9 on Tuesday. Match results were unavailable.

GIRLS HOOPS: Liberal pulls away from Thomas Jefferson

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Liberal started quick before pulling away late for a 50-29 win over Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs took control of the contest in the first quarter after outscoring the Cavaliers 13-9. Liberal took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter and outscored Thomas Jefferson 19-6 down the stretch to earn the win.

Tannah Cassatt and Sarah Mueller each scored eight points to lead the Cavaliers in scoring. Presley Long added seven points,, while Lannag Grigg finished with six.

Taylor Swarnes finished with 19 points to lead Liberal. Lainey Simpson finished in double figures with 10 points, while Abby Barton finished with nine points.

Thomas Jefferson is in action next at Diamond on Dec. 6.

PREP WRESTLING: Carl Junction opens season with win over Carthage

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction wrestling opened the season on a high note after defeating Carthage on Tuesday.

Carl Junction avenged a season-opening loss from a year ago in a big way, defeating Carthage 34-29 to start the year 1-0.

Wrestling at 170 pounds, CJ’s Lucas Watkins defeated Carthage’s Gabe Lambeth by fall at 1:09 in the third period. Carter Foglesong earned a fall 58 seconds into the first period over CHS’ Aydan Nye in the 106 match, while Kameron Bennett wrestled at 285 and earned a fall over Carthage’s Jesua Coquij by fall 1:31 into the first period. Carl Junction’s Lukas Walker won by fall over the Tigers’ Wyatt Hole 30 seconds into the second period. At 120, CJ’s Drake Richardson earned a 9-2 decision over Emerson Ixcol, while Dylan Frazier earned a fall over Carthage’s Cody Reeves 1:39 into the first period.

Carthage’s Luke Gall won by technical fall (17-0) 32 seconds into the third period over Cayden Bollinger at 220 pounds. Bradyn Tate also won by technical fall (16-1) 1:42 second into the third period over Max Matthews at 126 pounds. Wrestling at 138, Byron Lopez earned a win by fall over Keaton Colburn 1:31 seconds into the first period. Carthage’s Eli Sneed defeated Samuel Cory by fall 1:21 into the first round at 145 pounds. Braxdon Tate won at 152 by fall over Dexter Merrell 1:48 in the first period. At 160, Davion King earned a win by gall 1:27 into the second period over Tony Stewart.

Carl Junction is at Joplin on Thursday, while Carthage hosts Cassville on Dec. 7.

GEM CITY CLASSIC: Thomas Jefferson earns opening win; McAuley’s rally comes up short

Posted on by Lucas Davis

DIAMOND, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson built and early cushion before pulling away from Sarcoxie, while McAuley Catholic’s late rally came up short against Lighthouse Christian in opening round action of the Gem City Classic on Tuesday.

EARLY SURGE SENDS THOMAS JEFFERSON PAST SARCOXIE

Top-seeded Thomas Jefferson built a 10-point lead after the first quarter and never wavered in a 53-42 win over eighth-seeded Sarcoxie to open the Gem City Classic on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers outscored the Bears 15-5 in the opening eight minutes to take control of the game. Thomas Jefferson pushed the lead to 33-16 by the intermission before Sarcoxie slightly cut into the lead the final two quarters.

Thomas Jefferson improves to 3-0 on the season with the win.

Caden Myers finished a double-double to lead the Cavaliers, totaling 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Jay Ball added 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks, while Drew Goodhope had nine points and five assists. Tyler Brouhard had five points and five boards.

Sarcoxie was led in scoring by Terio Asterio, who finished with 11 points. Tyler Cupp had nine, while Garret Smith finished with eight points.

Thomas Jefferson is in action against fourth-seeded Diamond in the semifinals of the Gem City Classic at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

 

MCAULEY CATHOLIC’S RALLY COMES UP SHORT

Sixth-seeded McAuley saw a first-half lead vanish in the third quarter and rallied back before coming up short in a 52-49 loss to third-seeded Lighthouse Christian in the opening round of the Gem City Classic.

The Warriors (0-2) built a 27-19 lead by the intermission over Lighthouse Christian before the Chargers outscored McAuley 19-0 in the third quarter to take a 38-19 advantage. The Warriors rallied back to outscore Lighthouse Christian 22-14 in the fourth quarter but came up just shy of forcing overtime.

“Obviously, it was a less than ideal third quarter and I am disappointed in the loss, but extremely proud of my guys,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said to SoMo Sports. “These guys showed a lot of heart and courage to fight their way back into it being down 11 to start the fourth.  We know what we are capable of, we just need to concentrate on playing four quarters.  We are going to learn from it and be better because of it.”

Noah Black led McAuley with 21 points, while Will Schmidly scored 15 and Cade Bethea had 12 for Lighthouse Christian.

McAuley takes on Galena at 7:30 on Thursday in the Gem City Classic.

CJ CLASSIC: Carl Junction, Nevada advance to championship game with semifinal victories

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction and Nevada will meet for a tournament championship after both squads earned semifinal victories on Tuesday night at the 45th annual CJ Classic. 

Nevada started fast and held off Parkview 64-58 before Carl Junction shook off a slow start to upend Seneca 59-42.

“I’m just really excited for our girls and for our program,” Nevada coach Blake Howarth said. “A year ago, we were playing for seventh place in this tournament. Hats off to our girls. That shows the improvement they’ve made. They’ve worked hard and they’ve earned this and I’m overwhelmed. I know the girls are excited for the championship game on Thursday.” 

The championship game is slated for 8:30 on Thursday night.

“It always feels good to be in the championship,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “Nevada has a lot of weapons. They have a lot of kids who can score and who can shoot it. They’re quick and they can press. We’re going to have to play really well. I think our girls will be ready for the challenge.” 

 

CARL JUNCTION 59, SENECA 42

The tourney hosts had to overcome a bit of a sluggish start. 

Led by Aliya Grotjohn’s six points, Seneca held a 9-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

But the Bulldogs looked like a different team as soon as the second period began. Carl Junction scored the first 15 points of the second quarter and outscored Seneca 21-2 overall in the frame to take control. 

“It was a little bit of a slow start, but it was just settling in,” Shorter said of what changed in the second quarter. “We forced some things and pressed a little bit in the first quarter. We were trying to get going by doing too much. But when we let the game come to us, shots started falling. It was a good run for sure.”

Carl Junction junior guard Destiny Buerge scores in the lane against Seneca on Tuesday night. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

During the second quarter surge, junior guard Destiny Buerge swished three treys, Kylie Scott scored on a drive through the lane, Buerge went coast-to-coast for a layup and Anna Burch converted two free throws to give Carl Junction a 23-9 lead.

The Indians stopped the spurt with a hoop from Hazley Grotjohn, but the Bulldogs then scored six straight points to end the first half, as Scott converted in the paint off a nice feed from Klohe Burk to give Carl Junction a 29-11 halftime advantage.

The Bulldogs blew the game open by starting the third period on a 12-2 run for a 41-13 advantage. 

Carl Junction’s lead was 45-20 entering the fourth quarter and the outcome was never in doubt the rest of the way. 

“Defensively, we looked a lot better tonight,” Shorter said. “I thought the kids played really hard tonight and played smart. We got some good things out of our defense and it always helps when shots fall.”

Ranked sixth in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, Carl Junction is now 2-0. 

Buerge led the Bulldogs with 22 points. She hit five 3-pointers. A junior guard, Burk added 10 points for Carl Junction, while sophomore forward Scott contributed nine points. 

A senior guard, Aliya Grotjohn scored 19 points for the Indians (2-1), while freshman guard Hazley Grotjohn added 10 points. 

Carl Junction’s Kylie Scott puts up a contested shot in the lane against Seneca on Tuesday night.

NEVADA 64, PARKVIEW 58

The Tigers built an 18-point lead by the early stages of the second period, but the Vikings rallied to pull within single digits in the final frame. 

In the end, the Tigers did more than enough to advance to the tourney’s championship game. 

Nevada sophomore guard Clara Swearingen looks to score in the lane against Parkview sophomore Jestiny Worley. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Sophomore guard Clara Swearingen scored 26 points to lead the Tigers (3-0), while junior guard Maddy Majors added 19 points and junior forward Abbey Heathman had 13. 

Tara Masten scored 21 points to lead Parkview (2-1), while Leah Reichert added 11 points. 

Utilizing good ball movement and shooting well from the floor, the Tigers led 20-5 at the conclusion of the opening frame. Swearingen scored eight points in the first quarter, while Majors and Heathman had six apiece.

A hoop in the lane by Swearingen and a 3-pointer by Majors gave Nevada a comfortable 25-7 cushion and it looked like the game was going to get out of hand. 

But the Vikings got back into the game with an 11-0 run. A pair of mid-range jumpers from Majors stopped Parkview’s spurt, and by the break, Nevada’s lead was 31-22. The Vikings closed the first half on a 15-6 surge. 

Swearingen drilled a trey at the end of a back and forth third period to put Nevada up 53-41.

Parkview trimmed its deficit to 62-56 with 2:42 remaining after a putback by Brooklynn Masten and a layup by Tara Masten. 

But the Tigers never relinquished their lead down the stretch. 

“We were able to hold them off,” Howarth said. “I think that was on me. We got off to a great start. I took the foot off the gas too quickly by making a lot of subs. I should have let the flow of the game continue to happen.” 

Parkview and Seneca will play for third place at 7 on Thursday.

 

Seneca’s Aliya Grotjohn shoots a jumper against the defense of Carl Junction’s Dezi Williams. All photos by Shawn Fowler.

 

Nevada’s Maddy Majors scores in the lane against Parkview on Tuesday night. Nevada and Carl Junction will meet for the CJ Classic title at 8:30 on Thursday night.

 

Seneca’s Zoei Dodson is trapped by Carl Junction’s Destiny Buerge and Klohe Burk during Tuesday’s game.

CJ CLASSIC: Joplin beats McDonald County; Neosho falls to Springdale

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Joplin shook off a slow start and pulled away in the second half to a 53-33 win over McDonald County, while Neosho fell in an early hole against Springdale and never recovered in a 42-27 loss in the consolation semifinals of the CJ Classic on Tuesday.

 

JOPLIN 53, MCDONALD COUNTY 33

After a slow-moving first half, Joplin gained some cushion in the third period before building an insurmountable lead in the final quarter on the way to the win over McDonald County in the CJ Classic consolation semifinals on Tuesday.

“In the first half, I thought we looked very timid and played a lot like we did last night,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “We just didn’t trust what we were supposed to do. In the second half, we simplified things and just went out and did our jobs. We couldn’t even get lined up where we needed to be in our sets in the first half. Once we were able to do that in the second half, we were able to get some easy looks offensively. It also opened things up outside. Defensively, I thought we really clamped down and limited their looks.”

Free throws also played a major role for Joplin’s struggles and success on offense. In the first half, the Eagles were 6-of-16 shooting from the charity stripe. Joplin made 11-of-14 attempts from the line in the second half.

“We really challenged them at halftime,” Coach Floyd said. “We are too good of a shooting team to be 6-of-16 from the line, and we let them know it. We also turned the ball over way too much in the first half. To the girls’ credit, they really stepped up and made an adjustment.”

Joplin trailed 7-6 after the first quarter before taking a 21-20 lead into halftime. It was in the third quarter where the Eagles gained some separation from the Mustangs.

Brooke Nice opened the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers to spark a 6-1 Joplin run, giving the Eagles a 27-21 advantage. 

“Brooke is such a good shooter,” Coach Floyd said. “She made a couple off the inbounds. They were really worried about that pass back inside to Emma or Ella, which opened her up outside. Once her shot goes in, she is going to end up hitting three or four.”

Joplin carried that momentum in the fourth quarter, sporting a 33-28 lead after McDonald County’s Reagan Myrick earned a steal for a fast-break score with two seconds left to end the third.

Riley Kelly sparked Joplin out of the break, converting inside to get the scoring started in the fourth before she knocked down a 3-pointer off the assists from Ella Hafer to push the lead to 10 for the first time, 38-28.

“I can’t say enough about Riley coming in off the bench as a freshman,” Coach Floyd said. “We just told her, ‘Welcome to big girl basketball’. She came in and played her tail off, doing some good things for us.”
Joplin put the game away moments later when the Eagles hit their stride on both ends of the floor with a 13-0 run. 

“We went to our press and mixed up a little bit of what we were showing to force some turnovers and get some easy looks,” Coach Floyd said. “Even in the halfcourt, we were playing with a lot more energy. Coming out of last night, that was the biggest focus tonight—playing with energy and effort. I told them last night that I wasn’t coaching effort anymore. I felt like I didn’t have to do that at all tonight. The girls really stepped up, especially in the third and fourth quarter.”

Brynn Driver started the run with an old-fashioned three-point play before Emma Floyd grabbed an offensive rebound, was fouled on the way back up and knocked down the two ensuing free throws. Hafer added two makes at the stripe before she added a fast-break score off a McDonald County turnover to make the score 47-30. Floyd added two more free throws and added a score inside to push the lead to more than 20 points for the first time, 51-30, with time dwindling.

SCORING LEADERS

Nice led Joplin with 15 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, while Kelly scored 11 and Hafer 10. Floyd finished with eight points, and Driver added seven in the win.

Nevaeh Dodson and Addy Leach each scored seven points to lead the Mustangs. Samara Smith finished with six and Jacie Frencken had five.

UP NEXT

Joplin takes on Springdale in the consolation finals with a 5:30 p.m. tip on Thursday.

 

SPRINGDALE 42, NEOSHO 27

Springdale started fast to build a double-digit lead by halftime before pulling away down the stretch for a win over Neosho in the consolation semifinals.

Springdale took control of the contest in the first quarter after outscoring Neosho 15-7. The Bulldogs took an 11-point, 21-10, lead into the intermission before holding serve in the second half.

Springdale was led in scoring Aubriana Wilson and Adriana Hernandez, who each had 10 points in the win. Carolinda Hudson added nine points.

Beclynn Garrett led Neosho with nine points, while Karlee Ellick finished with eight points. Reagan McInturff added five points.

Neosho plays McDonald County at 4 p.m. on Thursday in the seventh-place game.

PREP WRESTLING: Carthage returns six state qualifiers and bevy of experience in 2021-22

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage wrestling returns 11 varsity members, including six state qualifiers from a year ago, to give the Tigers a bevy of experience to rely on as they head into the 2021-22 season.

“Our goals this season are the same as every season,” Carthage coach Kenny Brown said. “We want to continue to improve throughout the course of the season to give us the best opportunity to challenge for a district championship and set ourselves up for a run during the state tournament.”

Even though the Tigers graduated four seniors from last year’s 9-1 squad, Carthage is back with enough experience to expect just as good a season as a year ago, if not better.

Carthage’s list of returners are highlighted by seniors Eli Sneed (138 pounds) and Braxdon Tate (145), junior Grey Petticrew (152), Davion King (160) and Luke Gall (195) and sophomore Bradyn Tate (120 pounds).

Sneed had a 35-11 record last season, was the Central Ozark Conference champ and was a state qualifier, while Tate went 26-9 and was a state qualifier at 152 pounds.

“Eli really came into his own last year,” Brown said. “For the first time in high school, he pulled a little weight and was actually wrestling at a better weight class for his height. His wrestling took off and surprised quite a few kids.

“Braxdon wrestled up a weight class last year and at times, struggled with the strength of the larger kids coming down to 152. This year, he is planning on pulling down to 145. He is tall and his length gives his opponents a lot of trouble.”

King finished last season with a 40-6 record, was the district champ and finished fifth at the state tournament wrestling at 145 pounds, while Gall was 32-6 as the district champion at 182 pounds, qualifying for the state tournament. Petticrew went 15-12 at 160 pounds.

“Davion placed fifth last year at state and, unfortunately, ran into the state champion in quarterfinals,” Brown said of his junior class. “Davion has worked on putting on weight for football this summer and will be bumping up to 160 this year. … There’s not much I can say about Luke that hasn’t been said about him in the football articles this fall. He is a tremendous athlete and very dedicated. … Grey is another one of my boys who wrestled up from his natural weight class last year. He was a district finalist at 160, and we look for him to put up even better stats this season down at 152.”

Bradyn Tate finished with a 25-6 record last year as a freshman at 113 pounds. He was also a qualifier for the state tournament.

“Bradyn had a very consistent season for us last year,” Brown said. “Moving up a weight class, we are looking for more of the same with the hope of putting up more bonus-point wins with a year of varsity experience under his belt.”

Also expected to contribute at the varsity level this year are seniors Christian Brown (126 pounds), Brett Rockers (170/182; 19-10 record last year), Kanen Vogt (220; 22-7) and Cristian Salas (285), juniors Kip Castor (126; 21-21) and Gabe Lambeth (170-182) and sophomores Dylan Huntley (106; 8-8) and Josh Griffith (113; 16-4 at 106).

“Christian has been on JV the past three years and should finally be getting his chance in the varsity lineup,” Brown said. “He had a good camp this season and we are needing him to step up and produce like a senior. … Cristian Salas has been a 220 for the past three years. He has put on some weight over the past year and we need him to transition to the 285 role for us.”

Carthage opens the season with a dual at Carl Junction on Nov. 30.

“We should have another successful season,” Brown said. “We are going to be a very strong dual team with very minimal holes.”

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