DIAMOND, Mo. — McAuley Catholic closed out the Gem City Classic in style, rallying back late for a 46-42 win over Sarcoxie on Friday.
After the Warriors took a 14-9 lead after the first quarter, Sarcoxie responded by outscoring McAuley 23-8 over the second and third quarters to hold a 32-22 lead heading into the final eight minutes of play. The Warriors rallied back down the stretch to outscore the Bears 24-10 on the way to their first win over the season.
“I’m extremely proud of this team’s ability to bounce back from the loss last night,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “Give Sarcoxie credit, we did not respond well against their defense in the middle quarters. We found ourselves down again after three quarters, but these guys showed a lot of heart in the fourth to get back in it. We could have folded but kept battling. I was extremely please with our poise down the stretch. With an inexperienced team like we have, we showed a lot of maturity late in the 4th quarter. We grew up as a team tonight.”
Noah Black led McAuley in scoring with 16 points, while Jeffery Horinek finished with 10.
Tyler Cupp had 21 points to lead Sarcoxie.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Despite graduating six grapplers from a squad that went 11-0 a season ago, Neosho wrestling still has plenty of experience returning for the upcoming 2021-22 season.
“My goal for this team is to put the time and effort in to reach the goals they have set for themselves and our team,” Neosho coach Jeremy Phillips said to SoMo Sports. “Take the proper ownership for us to make our goals a reality. In the end, I want to have no regrets and look back on the progress we made and be proud. I expect for us to work, grow and overcome adversities, and as a result—live up to our motto by the end and be tough.”
The Wildcats lost six seniors from last year’s squad that totaled a record of 160-32 as well as one state title and three second-place finishes from a year ago. But, with the Neosho program consistently proving the ability to produce no matter the circumstances, it’s no surprise the Wildcats have several returners with plenty of success in their prep careers to lead the way for the upcoming season.
“Our experience definitely lies in the tradition of Neosho wrestling,” Phillips said. “We will continue to work from the top to the bottom of our lineup to be competitive and contribute to the goals of our team.”
The top returners for Neosho are juniors Eli Zar, Raymond Hembree, Hayden Crane and Trent Neece.
Zar, a junior wrestling at 160/170, finished with a 36-8 record a year ago and finished second place at the state meet, while Hembree, also a junior, finished 41-7 last season and also earned a second-place showing at state while wrestling at 120 pounds. Crane, a senior, wrestles at 132-138 and is coming off a 39-10 record from a year ago that included a third-place finish at state. Neece, a senior who competes at 152/160 finished 31-12 last season while taking first in districts and qualifying for the state tournament .
“There are always question marks,” Phillips said. “We are working with high school kids—much more than technique that has to be addressed to be successful. I never want to doubt but you never know until you start competing and see exactly what areas need the most attention. I always say we must be hungry (passionate to improve) and healthy to be where we want to be in the end.”
Also expected to make an impact for Neosho at the varsity level this year are seniors Nate Copeland (145 pounds; 20-20 record last season), Cade Daniel (170/182; 9-11) and Eric Renner (220; 12-12), junior Collyn Kivett (170/182; 22-8), sophomores Jonny Chrisco (126/132; 18-22) and Jack Lankford (126/132; 9-2) as well as freshmen Fisher Butler (113), Logan Cass (106), Trey Hardin (152/160) and Bostyn Patterson (145/152).
Neosho opens the season with the 34th Annual Neosho Wrestling Tournament on Dec. 4.
MONETT, Mo. — Carthage opened the season on a high note with a 55-45 road win over Monett on Friday.
Carthage held a 19-16 lead after the first quarter before extending the lead to 22-15 by the intermission. The Tigers’ advantage remained at seven heading into the fourth quarter, where Carthage outscored the Cubs 13-10 down the stretch to preserve the win.
“We are really proud of the fight and execution in stretches of the game that our guys showed tonight,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said to SoMo Sports. “You could definitely tell that this was our first game and that Monett had one under their belt already. We had a ton of 50/50 balls not go our way tonight at points when I thought we may pull away. Credit part of that to the grit of the Monett players and Coach Land—they are a tough bunch that will make some noise in the Big 8.
“I really thought our bench was the difference in the game. Logan Carmickle, Sylas Browning, Britt Coy and Clay Kinder were all great at different times in the win for us.”
Joel Pugh led the way for the Tigers with 22 points, including three 3-pointers. Max Templman knocked down a pair of 3-balls on the way to 16 pints, while Justin Ray added nine points and Tyler Willis finished with four.
The Tigers host the 75th Carthage Invitational this weekend, kicking off the tournament with a 7 p.m. matchup against Fort Smith Southside on Thursday.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Miller caught fire from the perimeter early in a 48-24 win over host Carthage on the final day of pool play in the Lady Tigers Basketball Invitational on Friday.
The Cardinals were simmering from 3-point range almost from the opening tip, with their first four shots all coming from the perimeter for a quick 12-0 run. Carthage whittled the lead down to 10 early in the third period before Miller closed the quarter with a sizable run to put the game out of reach.
“We didn’t have the energy I expected us to have on either end of the floor from the start,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “That is disappointing because this was a matchup where there were a lot of friends and relatives between the two teams, so I didn’t think energy would be a problem. … The lack of energy led to lax turnovers and making bad decisions defensively that allowed them open shots. Those are things we need to learn from. We need to learn that in a 32-minute game, we need to be ready in minute one and not wait until the second quarter to play hard.”
Miller opened the game on a 12-0 run thanks to a corner 3-pointer from Kaylee Helton before Claudia Hadlock took over with the next nine points all on makes from beyond the arc. Turnovers plagued the Tigers early and proved to be the catalyst for Miller’s momentum swing, with Carthage turning the ball over prior to three of the four makes from range by the Cardinals.
Maggie Boyd ended the early run with a 3-pointer of her own before Miller scored the next seven points, all by Hadlock, to push the lead to 19-3. Boyd answered again inside to trim the lead to 19-5 by the end of the first period.
“We just didn’t defend them well tonight,” Moore said. “We went over the scouting report pretty significantly in practice. We didn’t really execute it properly. That allowed them some open looks, and to their credit, they knocked down their open looks.”
A low-scoring second quarter played in favor of the Tigers, who outscored the Cardinals 6-3 to trim the lead to 23-11 by halftime. Kianna Yates, Sophie Shannon and Landry Cochran each had two points for the Tigers in the period.
“We made some adjustments in the break after the first quarter to shore up our press to kind of cover their press break,” Moore said about his team’s play on defense in the second quarter. “We demanded that they play harder and they did that. I am really proud that the girls can execute when we make changes.”
Carthage’s defensive intensity continued in the early portions if the third period, with the Tigers whittling the lead down to 10, 24-14, on a 3-pointer from the wing by Raven Probert off the assist by Yates, but Miller answered with an 11-0 run to close out the third period with a 35-14 to essentially put the game out of reach. Helton highlighted the run with a driving score and a 3-ball from the corner.
SCORING LEADERS
Hadlock led all scorers with 24 points, including four 3-pointers. She scored 16 points in the first quarter. Helton finished with 16 points.
Boyd led Carthage with eight points, while Cochran finished with four.
UP NEXT
Carthage takes on Waynesville in the fifth-place game at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Webb City matches up with Har-Ber at 12:30 p.m. in the third-place game, while Miller takes on Sunrise Christian at 2 in the championship game.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — In a game that appeared all but over just minutes earlier, Webb City needed an interception near the goal line as time expired to preserve a historic victory.
With a late defensive stand, Webb City held on for a thrilling 26-21 victory over Holt on Friday night in the MSHSAA Class 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field.
“I’ve never been more proud of a group,” Webb City coach John Roderique said. “They’ve come so far from the beginning to the end. These kids were so resilient and tough. Hats off to them. I’m just so proud of our players and coaches. These kids got to fulfill a lifelong dream.”
It’s Webb City’s 16th state championship, the most in state history. Before Friday, Valle Catholic and Webb City were tied with 15 titles apiece.
“Someday, we’ll look back and say that’s pretty amazing,” Roderique said. “It says a lot about our program. But it’s not something we talk about every day.”
Webb City head coach John Roderique consoles Holt Indians’ Austin Bone (53) following the Indians’ 26-21 loss to the Cardinals on Friday in the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. [Don Shrubshell photo]The Cardinals were 4-3 at one point this season, and it’s safe to say not many people outside of Webb City expected this year’s group to capture another trophy.
“Six to eight weeks ago, we never thought we’d be in this position of playing in this game,” said Roderique, who has now led his alma mater to 13 championships, the most by a football coach in state history. “You always want to be playing your best football when the district tournament arrives. Our kids really believed. During that week we adopted a mantra. I remember making the comment, ‘Why not us?’ I could see something in our kids’ faces.”
The Cardinals end the season at 11-3. It’s Webb City’s first title in Class 5.
“This means a lot,” Webb City senior lineman Buddy Belcher said. “I’ve wanted to win a state championship since I was a little kid.”
GAME RECAP
Webb City’s Dupree Jackson (28) is tackled by Holt’s Zakhi Johnson (2) and Isaiah Slaughter (31) during the third quarter of the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. The Cardinals defeated the Indians 26-21. [Don Shrubshell photo]Holt took an early 7-0 lead on Kyle Wuebbeling’s 23-yard touchdown run up the middle.
The Cardinals answered on their opening offensive series. Webb City marched 65 yards on 14 plays to tie the game. The drive was capped by Cade Wilson’s 1-yard plunge.
It was 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.
With another methodical and time-consuming drive, Webb City took a 14-7 lead with 7:35 left in the second quarter on Dupree Jackson’s 3-yard touchdown run and Dante Washington’s PAT kick.
The two teams traded turnovers, but neither team could take advantage. With that, the Cardinals had a one-score lead at intermission.
Webb City’s Lucas Ott (48) tackles Holt Indians’ quarterback Frank Merrell (4) during the fourth quarter on Friday in the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. The Cardinals defeated the Indians 26-21. [Don Shrubshell photo]Webb City manufactured a nearly eight-minute drive after the break. The series was finished off by Jackson’s 6-yard scamper. The PAT was off the mark, and the Cardinals led 20-7 with 4:22 left in the third period.
Next, Webb City’s Kaylor Darnell recovered a Holt fumble on the ensuing drive. It was caused by Gavin Stowell.
A few plays later, Wilson sprinted 13 yards to the end zone. The 2-point conversion failed, but the Cardinals went ahead 26-7 at the 1:25 mark of the third quarter.
Webb City appeared to be in position to put the game away on the next series, but a Cohl Vaden pass was picked off by Caden Duke near the end zone.
Roderique blamed himself for the play.
“Terrible call,” he said. “That’s on me.”
Holt scored twice in the final frame, as Jackson Smith hauled in an 18-yard touchdown pass with 2:32 left before the Indians recovered an onside kick.
Isaiah Slaughter’s TD reception from 31 yards came with 1:46 left and trimmed Webb City’s lead to 26-21.
Webb City was unable to run out the clock. The Cardinals punted with 1:20 left.
Webb City head coach John Roderique talks to his crew during the second quarter on Friday. [Don Shrubshell photo]Braxton Surber had a key sack on the last drive for the Webb City defense. The Indians moved the ball to the 28-yard line. On the final play, Frank Merrell’s potential game-winning pass was intercepted by Jackson on the 3-yard line as the final horn sounded. “Our defense had a chance to win the game for us and they did,” Roderique said.
Roderique also credited Holt for making things interesting late in the game.
“They competed on every down,” he said. “Those guys are gritty. Hats off to those guys. What a battle.”
The Indians suffered their first loss of the season after 13 wins.
NAMES & NUMBERS
Webb City compiled 342 yards, with 277 rushing and 65 passing.
A senior running back, Cade Wilson had 162 yards on 31 carries with two touchdowns. Jackson finished with 104 yards on 21 carries.
Vaden completed 5 of 12 passes for 65 yards. Brentan Wilson, a senior linebacker, made six tackles to lead the Webb City defense.
For a large part of the night, Holt could never get its defense off the field, as the Cardinals sustained drives again and again. Webb City’s time of possession was 32:19, while Holt’s was 15:41.
Holt finished with 328 yards, 186 passing and 142 rushing. Wuebbeling ran for 120 yards, while Merrell passed for 173 yards on 13 completions.
FINAL THOUGHT
As Friday night’s postgame press conference finished up, Roderique noted this year’s group will always have a special place in his heart.
“Cade Wilson sums up this team,” Roderique said. “None of them are big enough, fast enough, strong enough. But I’ll remember their will to win and their will to prepare to win. I’m going to have great feelings about this team. I love these guys, no matter what happened tonight. This is a special group. We had fun every day. We wish we could keep playing.”
The Webb City Cardinals celebrate their 26-21 championship win over the Holt Indians Friday when the teams played in the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. [Don Shrubshell photo]Webb City Cardinals players and coaches say a prayer following their 26-21 win over the Holt Indians Friday when the teams played in the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. [Don Shrubshell photo]Webb City’s Dupree Jackson (28) blocks for Cade Wilson (8) as he runs the ball during the third quarter Friday when the Webb City Cardinals played against the Holt Indians in the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. The Cardinals defeated the Indians 26-21. [Don Shrubshell photo]Holt Indians’ Frank Merrell (4) makes a pass before he is tackled by Webb City’s Lucas Ott (48) during the second quarter Friday when the Webb City Cardinals played against the Holt Indians in the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. The Cardinals defeated the Indians 26-21. [Don Shrubshell photo]Holt Indians’ Scott Ginnever (83) can’t reach a pass from quarterback Frank Merrell (4) during the second quarter Friday when the Webb City Cardinals played against the Holt Indians in the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. The Cardinals defeated the Indians 26-21. [Don Shrubshell photo]Webb City’s Braeden Jakson (72) celebrates Cade Wilson’s (8) touchdown during the third quarter Friday when the Webb City Cardinals played against the Holt Indians in the Cass 5 Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. The Cardinals defeated the Indians 26-21. [Don Shrubshell photo]
Carthage High School hosted its annual All-Relays Meet on Thursday at the Fair Acres Family YMCA.
Joplin was among the teams competing.
“This meet is a fun one because every event is a relay and the new athletes aren’t quite as nervous learning the sequence of how a meet operates,” Joplin coach Juliana Hughes said.
Joplin finished second in four different events—the 200-yard backstroke yard relay, the 600 freestyle relay, the 400 medley relay and the 300 free relay.
Sophia Schwartz, Brooklyn Hiller, Lily Rakes and Mairi Beranek competed in the backstroke relay, while Schwartz, Hiller, Megan Walser and Allie Lawrence made up the 600 free relay. Swimming the medley relay were Taegen Smith, Rakes, Lawrence and Emma Langer.
Raelin Calderon, Avery Bermudez, Lanee Goodwin and Hiller saw the 300 free relay.
The Eagles also placed third in the 200 breaststroke relay (Smith, Hiller, Rakes, Langer), the 200 freestyle relay (Schwartz, Walser, Lawrence, Langer), the 500 freestyle relay (Lawrence, Beranek, Walser, Rakes), the 200 medley relay (Beranek, Smith, Lawrence, Langer) and the 400 freestyle relay.
“I’m excited to get the year started on such a positive note,” Hughes said. “Many of the girls swam their fastest times tonight based on their split. They will only progress from there, too.”
Thomas Jefferson won three events. The Cavaliers won the 200 breaststroke relay in 2:33, the 200 free relay in 1:57 and the 400 medley relay in 5:09. Sarah Mueller, Emalee Ro, Jenna Trimble and Natalie Carroll competed in all three events.
Thomas Jefferson was second in the 200 medley relay, with Carroll, Ro, Mueller and Trimble swimming.
Carthage won four events—the 400 medley relay, the 200 backstroke relay, the 200 butterfly relay and the 600 freestyle relay.
Ava Lacey, Cassidy Smith, Madison Riley and Hope Fultz made up the medley relay, while Joey Hettinger, Alexis Fosdick, Anne Kennedy and Lacey swam the backstroke relay.
Riley, Victoria Martinez, Molly O’Brien and Sydney Parks swam the fly relay and Riley, Smith, Lacey and Fultz were on the freestyle relay.
The Tigers were second in the 200 breaststroke relay, the 500 free relay and the 400 free relay.
Nevada’s Avery Morris, Avery Ogle, Chloe Morris and Abbi Baldwin won the 200 medley relay in 2:16.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A repeat wasn’t meant to be for the Lamar Tigers.
Lutheran St. Charles scored the game-winning touchdown with six seconds left to earn a 33-27 win over Lamar in the MSHSAA Class 2 Show-Me Bowl on Friday at Faurot Field.
The back and forth thriller was deadlocked when the Cougars took over with 2:45 remaining. Lutheran St. Charles marched 64 yards on nine plays. The drive was capped by a 2-yard touchdown plunge by Arlen Harris Jr.
Lamar coach Jared Beshore noted he was extremely proud of his team’s effort after a loss that could be described as heartbreaking.
“Our guys like to call ourselves The Brotherhood,” Beshore said. “We played in full belief of our brotherhood tonight. We gave everything we had. There were good things that happened in the game and bad things that happened in the game. But they never quit. I love this team and I love coaching these guys. They showed today why they’ve been successful.”
Lamar got on the board with five minutes remaining in the first quarter on Joel Beshore’s 1-yard run. Jose Juarez’s kick made it 7-0.
The Tigers went up 13-0 on the first play from scrimmage to start the second period when Joel Beshore connected with Trace Willhite for a 62-yard touchdown strike.
The Cougars swung the momentum in a hurry by making the most of two Lamar turnovers.
One play after recovering a Lamar fumble, Lutheran St. Charles QB Aaron Coffey completed a 62-yard TD pass to Kaleb Mays.
The Cougars took a 14-13 lead with 4:23 remaining in the second quarter after CJ Holloway scooped up a Tiger fumble and sprinted 50 yards to the end zone.
Lutheran St. Charles scored on the opening drive of the third period, as Arlen Harris Jr. scampered 6 yards, to pull his team ahead, 21-13.
Logan Crockett’s 13-yard touchdown run pulled the Tigers within two with 1:51 left in the third period. The two-point conversion failed, however.
The Tigers re-took the lead with 8:47 left on Crockett’s 1-yard plunge and the two-point conversion, a pass to Willhite.
That gave Lamar a 27-21 cushion.
The lead didn’t last long, as Charles Young returned the kick 88 yards to the end zone. The PAT was blocked, keeping the score tied with 8:33 left on the clock.
“That was huge, it was such a game-changer,” Cougars coach Arlen Harris Sr. said of the special teams play.
“They have some big-time playmakers,” Coach Beshore said of the Cougars. “They got us a couple of times, but I thought we did a nice job for the most part.”
After Lamar was forced to punt with just over three minutes to play, the Cougars put together the game-winning drive.
Lamar had 401 yards of offense, with 271 rushing and 130 passing. Joel Beshore ran 20 times for 99 yards, Crockett had 63 yards on nine carries. Willhite ran seven times for 58 yards and Austin Wilkerson had 56 rushing yards on nine attempts.
Joel Beshore completed 14 of 22 passes. Willhite caught two passes for 64 yards.
Lutheran St. Charles (12-2) had 267 yards, with 197 passing and 70 rushing. Coffey completed 13 of 19 passes. Mays had four catches for 118 yards. The Cougars captured their first state championship.
Coach Beshore noted he was proud of his team for overcoming adversity throughout the season, including a couple of injuries in the title game.
Of course, Lamar beat St. Pius X in last year’s title game in what was Coach Beshore’s first year at the helm. That was Lamar’s eighth championship.
Lamar saw its winning streak halted at 23. This year’s squad finishes with a 13-1 record and a state runner-up plaque.
“It meant quite a bit to come back to the state championship game and represent our town,” Lamar senior lineman Jake Polodna said. “We’re brothers. We’ve been playing together since we were in second or third grade. We made a lot of memories together. We represented everything Lamar stands for.”
