NEOSHO, Mo. — Led by four individual champions, Carl Junction finished second in the team standings at the Central Ozark Conference Boys Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at Neosho High School.
Ozark claimed the team championship with 178.5 points and Carl Junction was second with 155.5.
Nixa (149.5), Neosho (138.5) and Carthage (134.5) finished third, fourth and fifth in the team standings.
Joplin area schools produced seven conference champions and six runners-up.
CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Carl Junction’s Sam Melton wrestles Carthage’s Dylan Huntley on Saturday at the COC tourney. Melton was the conference champion at 113 pounds, while Huntley finished third. Photo by Brennan Stebbins.
Carl Junction had 12 wrestlers finish in the top eight of their respective brackets.
Carl Junction’s conference champs were Lukas Walker (106 pounds), Sam Melton (113), Chance Benford (182) and Cayden Bollinger (220).
Walker earned a 6-2 decision over Ozark’s Damien Moseley and Melton earned a major decision, 8-0, over Ozark’s Caden Harrington.
Benford won by fall over Joplin’s Brayden Thomas and Bollinger edged Willard’s Alex Nunez 3-2.
Carl Junction’s Kameron Bennett took third at 285, while Tony Stewart finished fourth at 170.
Also for the Bulldogs, Max Matthews (120) and Dexter Merrell (145) each placed fifth, while Dylan Frazier (126), Kyran Addington (138) and Arlen Wakefield (152) all finished sixth. Keaton Colburn (132) was eighth.
NEOSHO HIGHLIGHTS
The Neosho Wildcats had one champ and 12 athletes place in the top eight.
Neosho’s individual champion was Eli Zar (170). Zar earned a 9-4 decision over Republic’s Connor Sandridge.
Hayden Crane was the runner-up at 132, while Johnny Chrisco (126), Nate Copeland (138), Bostyn Patterson (145), Trent Neece (152) and Collyn Kivett (160) all placed third.
Also for the Wildcats, Fisher Butler (113) was fourth, DeLeon Ulysses (195) took fifth and Eric Renner (220) was seventh.
Wyatt Black (120) and Gabe Mabery (182) both finished eighth.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
The Tigers had one champion and 10 in the top eight.
Carthage’s Eli Sneed was the champion at 138 pounds. Sneed defeated Ozark’s Nolan Moeller 4-3 in the title bout.
Finishing second in their respective brackets were Bradyn Tate (126), Braxdon Tate (152), Davion King (160) and David Recinos (285).
Winning third-place matches were Dylan Huntley (113) and Christian Brown (120).
Tanner Putt (106) and Kip Castor (132) took fifth, while Brett Rockers (170) was eighth.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
Joplin had 10 wrestlers finish in the top eight, with one champ.
Gunner Price claimed a COC title for the Eagles, as he earned a 4-2 decision over Carthage’s Recinos in the heavyweight title match.
Joplin’s Thomas (182) was the runner-up at 182.
Finishing sixth in their brackets were Brayden White (106), Jack Stanley (160) and Drew VanGilder (170).
Taking seventh place were Toryn Jones (120) and Orion Norris (132), while Alex Short (126), Johnathon Burke (145) and Draven VanGilder (195) all finished eighth.
WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS
The Cardinals had eight athletes finish in the top eight.
Webb City’s Brantley Carter finished fourth at 152 pounds, while Javon White was fourth at 195 and Buddy Belcher took fourth at 220.
Finishing fifth were Colt Taylor (126) and Brenden Berry (138), while Aiden Moore (132) was sixth.
Taking seventh were Trenton Ogle (113) and Liam Taylor (182).
NOTES: Other conference champions were Nixa’s Zan Fugitt (120), Peyton Moore (126) and Brennan Carey (195), Ozark’s Braxton Strict (152), Branson’s Kyshin Isringhausen (132) and Willard’s Caleb Caldwell (145) and Gary Walker (160).
COC Boys Wrestling Tournament
Team scores: Ozark 178.5, Carl Junction 155.5, Nixa 149.5, Neosho 138.5, Carthage 134.5, Willard 117, Republic 91.5, Branson 84.5, Joplin 68, Webb City 60.
LEBANON, Mo. — After building a big lead by halftime, the Joplin girls basketball team put the game away in the third quarter with a 64-21 win over Milan in the third-place game of the Lebanon I44 Lady’s Classic basketball tournament on Saturday.
“I’m extremely proud of the girls and their performance this week at Lebanon,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “Against Milan, we came out and got after them defensively, especially in the first and third quarters. Offensively, we had a balanced attack. The girls did a great job of sharing the ball. I’m extremely proud of the girls for earning third place in a very tough tournament. Hopefully this will build our confidence heading into the heart of our conference schedule.”
Joplin took control of the third-place game from the early onset, building a 10-point advantage by the end of the first quarter. The Eagles held a 31-13 lead by the intermission and put the final touches on the win by outscoring Milan 27-3 in the third quarter.
Nine players scored for Joplin, with Brooke Nice and Ella Hafer leading the way with 11 points each. Emma Floyd added nine points, while Izzy Yust and Riley Kelly both scored eight points. Brynn Driver finished with seven points and Scarlett Floyd scored six.
Cady Pauley led Milan with six points, while Gracie Dickson finished with four points.
NEOSHO, Mo. — The Central Ozark Conference Girls Wrestling Tournament was held on Friday at Neosho High School.
With 10 individual champions, Nixa easily won the team crown with 143 points. With two individual champions, Ozark was second with 61 points.
A number of area athletes fared well.
Joplin’s Ericka Washom was the runner-up at 130 pounds, while teammate Olivia Higdon placed fourth at 135.
For Neosho, Abby Manwiller was the runner-up at 110, Jilian Ramirez took third at 135, Erika Ramirez was third at 235, Skye Holmes placed fourth at 120 and Jamie Patterson took fifth at 115.
Carl Junction’s Mykah Strausbaugh was the runner-up at 194, while Constance Graham (120) and Bryanna McCabe (125) both finished third.
Webb City’s Laney Taylor placed fourth at 130.
COC Girls Wrestling Tournament
Team scores: Nixa 143, Ozark 61, Willard 41, Branson 26, Joplin 18, Neosho 17, Republic 13, Carl Junction 7, Webb City 4, Carthage 0.
LEBANON, Mo. — Joplin trailed 35-30 at halftime before Lee’s Summit West outscored the Eagles 22-9 in the third quarter to take control of the semifinal win in the Lebanon I44 Lady’s Classic on Friday.
“Lee’s Summit West is a good, physical team,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said to SoMo Sports. “They guard hard and shoot the ball very well. The third quarter is what got us tonight. We fell behind early in the first half and battled back to get within 3 at halftime. Back to back turnovers by us to start the second half set the tone for the third quarter. We must continue to work on eliminating those moments that either put the game out of reach or take away our leads.”
Ella Hafer led Joplin in scoring with 16 points, while Brynn Driver finished in double figures with 11. Brooke Nice had nine points and Emma Floyd finished with eight in the loss.
Joplin plays in the third-place game at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS 53, WHEATON 36
WHEATON, Mo. — College Heights girls basketball limited Wheaton to 14 points in the second half to rally for a Ozark 7 Conference win on Friday.
Wheaton took a 22-19 advantage into halftime before College Heights (8-7, 3-0 Ozark7) outscored the Bulldogs 15-6 in the third quarter and 19-8 in the fourth quarter en route to the win.
“The game was very close throughout the first half,” CHC coach John Blankenship said to SoMo Sports. “We played good defense, but we were a little slow on our rotations and closeouts. We got that fixed at halftime. Our defensive intensity really picked up in the second half and we shot really well. That combination allowed us to outscore them 34 to 14 in the second half. Our scoring has been really balanced lately. … Wheaton is a good team, and their coach prepares them well. This was a good conference win for us.”
Addie Lawrence finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and two assists to lead College Heights. Jayli Johnson finished with 11 points and four assists, while Libby Fanning had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Molly Long finished with seven points and nine rebounds for the Cougars.
College Heights takes on Thomas Jefferson to open up the Mercy/Warrior Classic basketball tournament at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
The College Heights boys defeated Wheaton 70-54. The CHC boys (14-3) take on the Carl Junction junior varsity team at 4 on Monday at the Mercy/Warrior Classic.
MCAULEY CATHOLIC GIRLS 66, EXETER 24
Led by a strong defensive effort, the McAuley Catholic girls basketball team rolled from the start in a lopsided 66-24 win over Exeter on Friday night.
The host Warriors led 30-4 at the end of the first quarter and the hosts were up 50-11 at halftime.
“Great defensive game tonight,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “Our defensive pressure allowed us to create offense and layups. We played very well in the first half. We tried to slow things down a bit in the second half and allow some of our reserves to get some game action. Overall, I’m very pleased with our performance.”
Kennedy DeRuy poured in 29 points for McAuley, while Kloee Williamson added 14 points. Also for the Warriors, Lily Black scored nine points and Avery Eminger contributed seven points.
Natalie Crumpler scored 11 points for Exeter.
McAuley, now 14-5 overall and 3-0 in conference play, will host the Mercy/Warrior Classic next week. The Warriors take on Bluejacket at 8:30 on Monday night.
EXETER BOYS 66, MCAULEY CATHOLIC 55
Exeter built a double-digit lead by halftime and held off a rally from McAuley Catholic boys basketball for a win on Friday.
Exeter led 25-15 at the intermission before McAuley cut the lead to six by the start of the fourth quarter. Exeter outscored the Warriors 19-14 down the stretch to seal the win.
Noah Black led McAuley with 16 points.
McAuley takes on Thomas Jefferson in the Mercy/Warrior Classic on Tuesday.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — In a clash between state-ranked squads, Webb City’s boys basketball team suffered a 51-46 non-conference loss to Springfield Catholic on Friday night at Catholic High School.
Catholic is ranked sixth in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, while Webb City is ranked ninth.
After overcoming a double-digit deficit, the Fighting Irish improved to 16-5. Webb City fell to 13-5.
The first half saw both teams trade significant runs. Webb City used a 12-0 run to pull away, only to see Catholic finish the second quarter on a 14-4 spurt.
The Irish outscored the Cardinals 27-19 in the second half.
Webb City led for most of the first half.
The Cardinals scored the final six points of the first quarter on hoops from Cohl Vaden, Kaden Turner and Dante Washington to take an 11-7 lead.
The visitors then recorded the first six points of the second quarter, as buckets from Turner, Trey Roets and Washington made it 17-7.
After the Irish stopped the surge, Vaden hit a pair of 3-pointers for a 23-10 advantage.
But Catholic closed the first half on a 14-4 run to trim Webb City’s halftime lead to three at 27-24.
Catholic started the second half on a 9-1 run to pull ahead for good.
The Cardinals battled foul trouble in the third period, as both Turner and Roets picked up their third fouls.
The Irish took a 39-35 lead into the fourth period.
The Cardinals cut their deficit to two with 2:50 left after a hoop in the lane by Turner, but the Irish would not relinquish their lead down the stretch.
Down three on several occasions late in the game, the Cardinals had a number of empty possessions.
Turner scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Cardinals, while Washington had 12 points and Vaden added 11 points and three assists. Roets scored eight points and pulled down five boards.
Zach Howell scored 14 points to lead Catholic, while Liam O’Reilly had 11 and Ty Lyon contributed 10. The Irish out-rebounded the Cardinals 32-17.
Webb City travels to Willard on Tuesday for a COC contest.
LEBANON, Mo. — Joplin used a stingy defensive effort early to build a double-digit cushion and held off Troy for a 53-49 win to kick off the Lebanon I44 Lady’s Classic basketball tournament on Thursday.
Joplin (8-8) outscored Troy 17-2 in the first quarter to build an early advantage. The Eagles led by 12 points to start the fourth quarter and the Trojans made a run at the lead by outscoring Joplin 18-10 over the final eight minutes. JHS held on down the stretch.
“We got off to a tremendous start tonight,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said to SoMo Sports. “Our defense was outstanding and we were able to get out to an early lead. Troy made some great adjustments and really turned up the pressure in the second half. To our girls’ credit, we were able to weather the storm and hang on for the win. I’m extremely proud of the girls for learning from the Webb City and Branson games and finishing the job.”
Brooke Nice and Brynn Driver each had 14 points to lead the Eagles in scoring. Nice had two 3-pointers. Ella Hafer closed with 13 points, while Emma Floyd added eight in the win.
Alyssa Schulte finished with 15 to lead Troy in scoring, while Maggie Illig and Ava Meyers each closed with 11 points in the loss.
Joplin plays the winner of Richland and Lee’s Summit West at 9 p.m. on Friday.
CARTHAGE GIRLS RALLY PAST SENECA
SENECA, Mo. — Carthage trailed Seneca 35-30 to start the second half before the Tigers rallied in the third quarter to take back the lead before pulling away down the stretch for a 69-54 win on Thursday.
Carthage (9-10) outscored Seneca 14-8 to take a one-point advantage into the final eight minutes. The Tigers won the fourth quarter 25-11.
“It was a great second half by our team tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. “We locked down defensively and really put the clamps on their offense. That triggered our transition offense and we took control of the game with a 20-point separation over the final 16 minutes.”
Lauren Choate had five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points in the win for Carthage. Kianna Yates added 15 points and Landry Cochran finished with 10.
“Lauren Choate knocked down several big 3s tonight and forced them to change their defensive game plan,” Moore added. “Kianna Yates made several great decisions in the open court and found her teammates in scoring situations.”
Aliya Grotjohn poured in a game-high 30 points for Seneca. Hazley Grotjohn added 10 points for the Indians.
Carthage hosts Joplin on Tuesday. Seneca (12-5) hosts its annual tournament next week.
GOLDEN CITY BOYS 64, THOMAS JEFFERSON 50
Golden City scored the first 13 points of the night and never looked back en route to a 64-50 win at Thomas Jefferson on Thursday night.
Capitalizing on Thomas Jefferson’s early turnovers, the Eagles led 26-9 at the end of the first quarter and the visitors held a 44-28 halftime lead.
The Cavaliers kept battling and trimmed their deficit to 12 a couple of times in the second half.
“I was proud of the fight our kids showed,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers told SoMo Sports. “After a slow start like that, it would have been real easy to roll over. Our kids didn’t do that though, they battled hard to keep the game competitive. With several players out again tonight, several guys stepped up and showed a lot of heart. We are going to be a better team down the stretch because of the experience several guys have gained these past couple of weeks.”
Jay Ball scored 20 points and pulled down 21 rebounds. The 6-6 Ball added three blocked shots.
Drew Goodhope contributed 18 points, while Jake Jarrett had six points and four boards. Elias Rincker handed out five assists, while Kaushal Parimi had four points and three steals for the Cavaliers (13-4).
Josh Reeves scored 21 points and hit five treys for Golden City. Reeves reached 1,000 career points in his team’s 64-39 win over Exeter on Tuesday.
Also for the Eagles (13-7), Colby Nelson scored 16 and Elijah Pettengill had 12.
Golden City is at Bronaugh on Tuesday. Thomas Jefferson will compete at next week’s McAuley Warrior Classic.
GOLDEN CITY GIRLS 52, THOMAS JEFFERSON 28
Golden City pulled away after the first quarter. The Cavaliers led 11-10 at the end of the opening period, but the Eagles held a 26-16 lead by intermission.
Golden City’s advantage was 38-19 by the end of the third quarter.
Gabbi Hiebert and Alivia Beard scored nine points apiece for Thomas Jefferson, while Lannah Grigg added eight and Sarah Mueller added two.
Brooke Beerly scored 19 points for Golden City.
The Cavaliers meet College Heights on Monday at McAuley’s Warrior Classic.
MCAULEY CATHOLIC BOYS 52, JASPER 28
McAuley Catholic built a 14-point lead by intermission en route to a 52-28 win over Jasper on Thursday night.
The Warriors improved to 4-14 on the season.
Jeffery Horinek scored 11 points for McAuley, while Jacob Bracich added nine.
Collin Furr scored 12 points for Jasper.
McAuley led 12-8 at the end of the first quarter and the Warriors were up 29-15 at halftime.
Up 41-24 at the end of the third period, McAuley outscored Jasper 11-4 in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
McAuley hosts Exeter for homecoming on Friday night. Warriors coach Tony Witt noted the school will be honoring its 1980-81 team that advanced to the state final four.
MARSHFIELD GIRLS 39, MOUNT VERNON 26
Marshfield led 12-5 right away and later used a 14-7 third period to pull away.
The Mountaineers fell to 8-8.
Cheyenne Bieber and Jolie Prescott scored seven points apiece for Mount Vernon.
Abby McBride led Marshfield with 17 points, while Lauren Leubert had 13.
Mount Vernon hosts Rogersville on Monday.
EAST NEWTON GIRLS 44, CASSVILLE 31
Kylee Cole scored 16 points to lead the Patriots, while Makenna Brasier had 11 and Shaw Coburn added eight.
The host Eagles took second place at the Joplin girls swimming invitational on Thursday at the Missouri Southern aquatic center.
Lebanon took first in the team standings.
Marshfield, Seymour, Hillcrest, Nevada, Lamar, and Lebanon were among the competing teams.
“This team has overcome many struggles this season with injuries and illnesses,” Joplin coach Juliana Hughes said. “However, they still made state- consideration times in all three relays early in the season and have dropped time in individual events tonight. Overall, this season has been my most successful year with the team.”
Joplin’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of Allie Lawrence, Sophia Schwartz, Lily Rakes and Emma Langer took first.
With the same girls swimming, Joplin’s 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relays both finished second.
In individual events, Lawrence took first place in the 100 butterfly and Schwartz was third, while Rakes placed second in the 400 freestyle.
Langer took second and Taegen Smith was fourth in the 100 breaststroke, while Brooklyn Hiller and Izzy Zamanzadeh finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 200 freestyle.
In the 200 IM, Mairi Beranek placed fourth and Smith fifth. Lanee Goodwin finished sixth in the 50 freestyle.
Hughes noted many other Joplin swimmers scored for the team by placing in the top 16 in each event.
Joplin competes at the Southwest Missouri Championships next weekend in Springfield.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage Tigers recorded their 15th win of the season on Thursday night.
The Nevada Tigers definitely made them earn it.
Carthage scored 13 of the final 16 points of the night to secure a hard-fought 66-50 victory over Nevada in a non-conference boys basketball clash.
The hosts were clinging to a six-point cushion with just over three minutes to play when they finished strong with a game-ending 13-3 surge.
“I told our guys in a timeout in the fourth quarter, ‘Not a lot is going our way, but we’re going to grind this one out,'” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. “We were able to speed them up a little bit and get some turnovers late in the game. We need to build on that finish. We’re going to learn lessons from this game.”
Nevada coach Shaun Gray looked on the bright side after the loss.
“I’m really proud of our effort,” Gray said. “Anyone that watched this game knows the final margin wasn’t anywhere near what type of game it was. It was a two-possession game, and with time winding down we felt like we had to extend our defense. Carthage did a good job of making us pay. Coach Morris has done a great job with them. Carthage is a heck of a ballclub and we knew they’d be hard to beat tonight. I thought we gave ourselves a pretty good chance.”
Receiving votes in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association’s Class 6 poll, Carthage hiked its record to 15-3.
Carthage had seven wins all of last season. With that, and with more than a month of the season still remaining, the Tigers have already more than doubled last year’s win total.
“That’s something we just talked about,” Morris said. “As ugly as this game was, we can’t be upset. We’ve got 15 wins. These guys know what we went through last year. We’re getting ready for the Tuesday-Friday stretch of the COC. Some teams succeed and some teams fall off. I think this group is up for the test and I think they’re ready to compete.”
Four players scored in double figures for Carthage. Senior guard Joel Pugh led the way with 22 points, while junior guard Max Templeman added 12 points, sophomore guard Justin Ray had 11 and junior forward Tyler Willis contributed 10.
Nevada (4-15) received 15 points from sophomore Brice Budd and 11 from senior Jerimia Collins. Evan Rea added nine points for Nevada, while Cade Beshore had eight.
There were six ties in the first quarter. A trey from Pugh gave the hosts a 17-14 lead, but Nevada received two hoops inside from Collins and the visitors led 18-17 at the end of the opening frame.
Carthage switched from man defense to a 2-3 zone in the second period, and it held the visiting Tigers to just two points in eight minutes.
“They were getting downhill and driving the ball against us in the first quarter,” Morris said. “We went to a zone and our kids did a good job of rebounding the ball when they missed some shots.”
Carthage, which battled early foul trouble, outscored Nevada 11-2 in the game-changing second quarter.
“They did a good job of switching defenses and it took us a while to adjust,” Gray noted. “We got some good looks, but we couldn’t get anything to fall. They kept us off-balance.”
The third period was nearly even, as Carthage outscored Nevada 17-15 for a 45-35 lead.
Hoops from Pugh and Ray gave Carthage a double-digit cushion early in the final frame, but the visiting Tigers simply wouldn’t go away.
Leo Gayman, Jack Cheaney and Budd all had buckets for Nevada, trimming Carthage’s lead to 53-47 with 3:15 left.
That’s when the host Tigers put the game away with one final spurt.
Caden Kabance made two free throws, Willis had two hoops in the paint off nice assists from Ray before Pugh and Willis made free throws to cap a 9-0 run.
Budd knocked down a 3-pointer for Nevada, but Clay Kinder hit two foul shots and the 6-foot Ray threw down a one-handed dunk in transition for a final exclamation point.
Both coaches noted they can take positives away from Thursday’s clash.
“I think early on in the game we allowed Nevada to play much harder than we did,” Morris said. “Really for the whole game they played harder than our guys. I wasn’t happy with how we played early in the game, but I thought we played much harder in the second half.”
“We have absolutely made progress,” Gray said. “We won two of four games last week. We feel like we’re making good strides. We had a rough start to the season. We made improvements over the Christmas break and we feel like we took another step forward in January. We just have to keep on that upward trajectory.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Carthage hosts Joplin on Tuesday night in COC action. Nevada hosts Monett on Tuesday in Big 8 play.
After dropping three of its last four contests, including a lopsided home loss to Kickapoo on Tuesday, Joplin got back to playing a brand of basketball it is more familiar with on the way to a 70-42 win over East Newton on Thursday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
Joplin’s All Wright attacks the basket in the Eagles’ win over East Newton on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
While the offense was busy putting up points in transition, Joplin built a 24-10 lead by the end of the first quarter and pushed it to more than 20 by the intermission thanks to a stringent effort on the defensive end. The Eagles didn’t slow down in the second half, building a 27-point lead in the third quarter and putting it in cruise control down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
“Tuesday’s game was hard to take,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said. “I wanted to see how they’d bounce back. … We showed spurts tonight of really good basketball, which I thought would happen. We kind of got sloppy here and there, but (their) play showed me that they really want to do this. We can enjoy this win, then we have to get ready for Carthage next week.” The win moves Joplin to a 13-5 record, with the Eagles traveling to Carthage on Feb. 1 to get back into Central Ozark Conference play. East Newton falls to 12-8 and hosts Cassville on Feb. 1.
SCORING LEADERS
Joplin finished with three players in double-figure scoring, led by All Wright’s game-high 18 points. LT Atherton added 12 and Brantley Morris finished with 10. Whit Hafer finished with eight points, while Always Wright finished with seven. Terrance Gibson closed with six points. Gabe Bergen led East Newton in scoring with 17 points. Kelton Sorrell finished with five points.
GAME ACTION
Joplin wasted little time taking control of the game, scoring the first nine points of the contest and ultimately started the opening quarter on a 15-2 run. Atherton accounted for six on the points, while All Wright converted from the perimeter in the early onset to highlight the run.
“Right now, my vision for the program is to be a team that presses to get up and go,” Schaake said about the early surge. “We can do it in moments, so I said to them, ‘We might as well try it now and continue to do it going forward.’ I thought it got us energy and bouncing around more. I kind of wish we had finished better—we should have had a few more buckets—but I will take it.”
Joplin’s Brantley Morris knocks down a perimeter jumper in the Eagles’ win over East Newton on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
The Eagles pushed the first-quarter lead to 24-6 on a Junior Gilbert 3-pointer before consecutive East Newton scores from Bergen to close out the quarter trimmed Joplin’s lead to 24-10 to start the second period.
After both teams traded buckets early in the second period, Joplin scored nine straight points to push its lead to 23 points, 35-12, near the two-minute mark. Hafer started things off with a baseline dunk and a bucket on the inside before a driving score by Always Wright off a turnover. Morris knocked down a 3-pointer to close the run.
“We have to sustain that (defensive effort longer),” Schaake said. “In basketball, when you get a big enough lead, you start picking up some bad habits. In that stretch, that was really good defense.”
The Eagles ultimately took a 38-16 lead into the intermission after Always Wright buried an NBA-range 3-pointer from the wing at the sound of the horn.
Robert McFarland and Bergen scored out of the break to trim East Newton’s deficit to 18, but Joplin used a 12-3 run to push the lead to 27 with 2:30 left in the third period.
All Wright had a score off the drive and a 3-point from the wing off an East Newton turnover to start the surge. Atherton added four points and Morris converted from the perimeter to make the score 52-25.
The Eagles cruised to the finish line.
Joplin’s LT Atherton shoots from mid-range in the Eagles’ win over East Newton on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho built an eight-point lead to start the fourth and found itself in a shootout down the stretch on the way to a win over Lamar on Tuesday.
The Wildcats took a 38-30 lead into a fourth quarter that saw a combined 52 points scored, with Neosho coming out on top. The win moves the Wildcats to 14-5 on the season, guaranteeing a winning season for the program for the second time since 2010. It is also coach Zane Culp’s 50th win of his career.
“It was kind of an ugly win, but we played great defense through three quarters,” Culp said to SoMo Sports. “K’dyn (Waters) had a huge second half offensively and really carried us. I am proud of Kael (Smith)’s tenacity. He had a great game on both ends.”
Waters finished with a game-high 31 points, while Smith closed with 12. Isaiah Green added seven, and Brock Franklin finished with five points.
Mason Gastel had 13 points, while Connor Shoff and Gunnar Dillion each finished with 11 points. Joel Beshore scored 10 and Ian Kgugi finished with eight points.
Neosho is at Carl Junction on Feb. 1.
WHEATON BOYS 69, MCAULEY 66 (2OT)
WHEATON, Mo. — McAuley Catholic found themselves on the wrong side of a double-overtime dogfight with Wheaton on Tuesday.
The Warriors took control with a 14-7 lead after the first quarter before Wheaton rallied to take a six-point lead by half. McAuley rallied to tie the contest by the start of the fourth. Each team scored 18 in fourth and eight in the first overtime period before Wheaton outscored the Warriors 7-4 in double overtime.
“I am proud of the effort our guys brought tonight,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said to SoMo Sports. “They could have given up after getting down in the first half, but they responded in the third quarter. Even though this one ended in a loss, there were a ton of positives.”
Rocco Bazzano-Joseph led McAuley with 13 points, while Michael Perrigon and Jeffery Horinek each finished with 15 points in the loss.
Wheaton’s Kelton Park led all scorers with 32 points, while Blake Morgan added 15 in the win.
McAuley is in action next at Jasper on Thursday.
CARL JUNCTION GIRLS 63, PARKVIEW 49
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Three players scored in double figures as the Carl Junction girls basketball team defeated Parkview 63-49 on Tuesday night.
Destiny Buerge scored 25 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Kylie Scott added 18 points and Klohe Burk had 16 points.
Tara Masten led the Vikings with 21 points.
The Bulldogs outscored the Vikings 21-13 in the first period and took a 39-24 lead into the break.
Carl Junction led 51-35 at the end of the third quarter.
The Bulldogs are at Glendale on Thursday.
MCAULEY GIRLS 38, WHEATON 19
WHEATON, Mo. — McAuley Catholic girls basketball built a four-point lead by halftime before holding Wheaton to seven points total in the second on the way to the win.
The Warriors led 16-12 at the intermission and pushed the lead to eight to start the fourth. McAuley blanked Wheaton over the final eight minutes, pulling away with an 11-0 run in the period.
“What a great team effort tonight!,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said to SoMo Sports. “Every girl on my bench stepped up and contributed in one way or another. Our defensive intensity was terrific, especially when it mattered the most at the end of the game. We understand that defense has to be an emphasis as we enter conference and district play. I was very pleased with our energy tonight!”
Kennedy DeRuy had 13 points to lead McAuley in scoring, while Lily Black finished with 10 points. Avery Eminger closed with six points and Kloee Williamson had four.
Allison Whitman had 10 points to lead Wheaton.
McAuley is at Jasper on Thursday.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS 74, VERONA 16
The Cougars took control early in this one. College Heights led 18-5 at the end of the first quarter and the Cougars were up 45-12 at halftime.
Addie Lawrence scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Cougars, while Ava Lett added 11 points.
College Heights is now 7-7 and 2-0 in conference action.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage earned a 68-12 victory over Webb City on Tuesday in a Central Ozark Conference wrestling dual.
The Tigers are now 6-2 in duals.
Carthage won by forfeit at 106 pounds and 120.
Winning matches by fall for Carthage were Bradyn Tate (126), Kip Castor (132), Eli Sneed (138), Grey Petticrew (145), Davion King (160), Gabe Lambeth (170), Brett Rockers (182) and David Recinos (285).
At 113, Carthage’s Dylan Huntley won by technical fall, 16-1.
Carthage’s Braxdon Tate earned a 5-2 win over Brantley Carter at 152 pounds.
Webb City’s Javon White won by fall over Landyn Collins at 195. The Cardinals won by forfeit at 220.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — As the final event of the Central Ozark Conference Swimming and Diving Championships began on Tuesday night, the scenario was simple for the Webb City Cardinals and Carl Junction Bulldogs.
For the close rivals, the 400-yard freestyle relay would decide the conference championship. In a thrilling conclusion, it was the host Cardinals who finished strong.
Webb City won the last event of the evening to claim the championship at the COC Meet at the Buck Miner Swim Center.
Webb City’s 400 free relay team of Skylar Powell, Camryn Klosterman, Avery Mitchell and Sophia Whitesell took first place in 3 minutes, 53 seconds. The Cardinals won the event after being seeded fifth.
“I about threw up,” Webb City coach Shawn Klosterman said of watching the final race play out. “Honestly, I was expecting a really big swim and then still being second. It was really fun to watch. It was very exciting. It was pretty cool to see. It was just miraculous that it came down to the last relay.”
Webb City’s 400 freestyle relay of Skylar Powell, Camryn Klosterman, Avery Mitchell and Sophia Whitesell secured the COC crown for the Cardinals.
With the late push, Webb City finished with 293 points, while Carl Junction had 289.5.
“It’s hard to believe actually,” Coach Klosterman said of claiming the COC crown. “Carl Junction has so much state-level power. I knew the only way we could do it was with depth and diving. Carl Junction had some big swims and we were just trying to match them the whole way.
“We looked at the psych sheets and we tried to calculate all the scores throughout the meet,” Klosterman added. “We figured where we should be, and when we got three divers to score, we thought the meet would be dead even between the two teams. I was actually tracking who was out-performing their seeds the whole way. It looked like Carl Junction was out-performing their seeds all the way up to the 500 free. I still thought we had a shot. They went from fifth to first in the 200 free relay, which was huge. But we kind of held on until the last relay.”
After 11 events, Carl Junction held a slim lead over the Cardinals for the top spot in the standings. The Bulldogs finished fourth in the final event.
“If we were second in that last relay, it still wouldn’t have been enough unless Carl was all the way back in sixth place, which was pretty unlikely,” Klosterman noted. “So the only way to win the meet was winning that last relay. I was astonished we did.”
The Bulldogs were attempting to win the meet for a third straight season. This year, Carl Junction settled for second place.
“We have to chase Webb after diving every year,” Bulldogs coach Stephanie Miller said. “They went 1-2-3 in diving and we had to come from behind. But to end up just a few points behind, I’m thrilled. There were pool records set here and the COC is phenomenal. I gave out more medals to my girls tonight than I can count. We just came up a few points short. I’m really proud of my girls and I love the girls from Webb. I’m happy for them.”
The Webb City Cardinals pose after winning the COC Swimming and Diving Championships on Tuesday night.
WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS
In a great start to the meet, Webb City went 1-2-3 in the 1-meter diving competition. Mia Barone was the champ, with Kelli Tollefson second and Breanna Woods third.
“Diving is always an advantage for us, but all of our girls had zero experience before this year,” Klosterman said. “Getting them ready for this one was important. It’s amazing they got there.”
Webb City’s Avery Mitchell competes during the COC Meet on Tuesday. Photos by Israel Perez.
In addition to winning the 400 freestyle relay, Webb City placed second in the 200 medley relay in 2:02, with Klosterman, Makenzie Storm, Whitesell and Ella Holt competing.
The 200 freestyle relay finished third, with Powell, Hally Philpot, Holt and Mitchell swimming.
The Cardinals received solid contributions from a number of athletes.
A junior, Whitesell won the 500 freestyle in 5:33 and was the runner-up in the 200 individual medley (2:18).
A senior, Storm was the runner-up in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:14.
Powell placed third in the 100 freestyle and took fourth in the 50 free. Klosterman placed fourth in the 100 butterfly and was fifth in the 200 IM, while Mitchell placed fourth in the 100 free and fifth in the 50 free.
Alix Davis finished sixth in the 100 backstroke and Philpot took sixth in the 100 breaststroke.
CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Carl Junction’s Chloe Miller
The Bulldogs won five events.
The team of Skyler Sundy, Abigail Wilson, Chloe Miller and Alanza Montez took first in the 200-yard medley relay in 1:54.
The Bulldogs also won the 200 freestyle relay, as Montez, Carsyn Smith, Sundy and Miller finished with a time of 1:43.
A sophomore, Miller won two individual events. Miller was the champion in both the 50 freestyle (25.17 seconds) and the 100 free (54.95). The time in the 100 free is a pool record.
A junior, Sundy won the 100 backstroke in 1 minute even and also tied for second in the 50 free. Sundy’s time in the backstroke was a pool record.
Carl Junction’s Abigail Holcomb competes during Tuesday’s COC Meet at Webb City. Photo by Israel Perez.
Madeleine Garoutte placed third in the 100 butterfly, while Smith took third in the 100 backstroke and Wilson was third in the 100 breaststroke.
The Bulldogs finished fourth in the 400 free relay, with Elyanna Dogotch, Smith, Garoutte and Wilson competing.
Also for the Bulldogs, Wilson and Sophia Holcomb finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 200 IM, while Holcomb was sixth in the 100 butterfly and Kennedy Johnson was sixth in the 500 free. Montez took seventh in the 100 free.
Coach Miller noted she was proud of her team’s showing.
“My daughter Chloe showed up in the 100 and that was nice to see,” Coach Miller said. “She won the 50 and that was great. Skyler was amazing, too. Our relays…we can’t wait to take them to state. I think today was a good confidence-builder for them. We’re ready to go to state.”
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
The Tigers placed fourth in the standings with 157 points.
Carthage junior Madison Riley won two events in record-setting fashion.
Riley was the champion in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:01 and also touched the wall first in the 100 butterfly in 1:00.94. Both are meet records.
Pictured is Carthage’s Madelyn Kennedy.
Carthage’s 200 freestyle relay team of Cassidy Smith, Aubree Santillan, Hope Fultz and Riley took second in 1:47.
The Tigers were third in the 400 free relay, with Riley, Smith, Fultz and Santillan competing.
Ava Lacey finished third in both the 200 freestyle and the 500 free for the Tigers, while Santillan was fourth in both the 200 IM and the 100 backstroke.
Smith finished sixth in the 100 freestyle and Victoria Martinez placed seventh in the 100 fly.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
Joplin was sixth in the standings with 93 points.
Joplin’s Megan Walser competes during Tuesday’s COC Meet.
The Eagles were third in the 200 medley relay in 2:14, with Sophia Schwartz, Emma Langer, Allie Lawrence and Lily Rakes competing.
Joplin’s 200 free relay finished sixth, with Langer, Schwartz, Rakes and Lawrence swimming. The Eagles were also sixth in the 400 free relay, with the same foursome competing.
Lawrence finished fifth in the 100 fly and Langer was eighth in the 100 breaststroke.
Also for Joplin, Megan Walser was eighth in both the 200 IM and the 500 freestyle and Mairi Beranek was 10th in the 100 backstroke.
COC Swimming & Diving Championships
Final team scores: Webb City 293, Carl Junction 289.5, Ozark 190, Carthage 157, Nixa 141.5, Joplin 93, Republic 57.
Joplin’s Lily Rakes competes at the COC Meet on Tuesday night in Webb City. All photos by Israel Perez/SoMo Sports.
AMORET, Mo. — Jay Ball converted a putback with 3.8 seconds remaining to lift the Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers to a 60-59 win over Miami (Amoret) on Tuesday night.
After Ball’s hoop, the Cavaliers came up with one last defensive stop, as Miami’s last-second shot bounced off the glass and out.
“Jay Ball obviously had a big night for us, but the entire team fought through a ton of adversity to find a way to win,” Cavaliers coach Chris Myers said. “Good teams find a way to win even when they have an off night. I was proud of our kids finding a way to win.”
Ball had a night to remember. The 6-foot-6 Ball poured in 38 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and blocked four shots.
Drew Goodhope added 13 points with three steals, while Elias Rinckher contributed six points and five boards. Jake Jarrett had five rebounds and three points.
Nick Dusenberry scored 20 points for Miami and Micah Link added 13.
The Cavaliers improved to 13-3.
TJ GIRLS EARN 3RD WIN
Propelled by a strong finish, Thomas Jefferson’s girls earned a 41-33 win over Miami.
It’s the team’s third victory of the season.
After trailing at halftime, Thomas Jefferson outscored Miami 18-10 in the second half.
Gabbi Hiebert scored 15 points to lead the Cavaliers, while Lannah Grigg added 12 and Tannah Grigg chipped in seven.
Abby Talley scored 19 points for the Eagles.
Thomas Jefferson led 12-7 at the end of the first quarter but trailed 23-19 at the break.
The Cavaliers led 29-24 at the end of the third period. TJ then outscored Miami 12-9 in the fourth quarter.
Kickapoo opened the game on a large scoring run and Joplin never recovered as the Chiefs went on to defeat the Eagles 83-54 on Tuesday in non-conference action inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
“I have to do better for them,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said. “Whatever it is that caused that start, that is on me. I’ll take responsibility and that is for me to fix.”
The loss is the third in four games for the Eagles, who fall to 12-5 on the season. Joplin hosts East Newton on Thursday.
“I want to see how bad they want it,” Schaake said when asked how he wants to see his team respond to their first sign of adversity on the schedule. “We will see how badly they want (to improve) tomorrow at practice. We have to get refocused. I told them there was going to be a time where they went through this and how they respond means everything to me. If you want to be a team that can potentially do some things, you have to fight through stuff like this.”
Kickapoo opened the game with all of the momentum, outscoring Joplin 14-2 over the first four-plus minutes of action before the game was delayed nearly 40 minutes after someone activated a fire extinguisher in the boys bathroom. The delay forced both teams into the locker room while the gym was aired out and the floor was swept and mopped.
Brayden Shorter highlighted the opening surge for the Chiefs with three 3-pointers, while Harrison Doennig added a pair of scores inside.
“We gave them clean looks for no reason,” Schaake said about the Chiefs’ start. “We talked about who could shoot (Shorter), and you look up and he has nine points and it’s 14-2. But, that’s on me. Once they got rolling, they just kept going.”
After play resumed, Kickapoo closed the first quarter with a 21-7 lead. Shorter and Trae Oetting knocked down 3-pointers midway through the second period to push the Chiefs’ lead to 31-13 with 4:25 on the clock.
Joplin’s Always Wright answered with a deep 3-ball from the wing before All Wright drove inside for a score to trim the lead to 31-18.
Kickapoo closed the first half with a 6-2 run on buckets from Doennig, Zaide Lowery and Oetting to push the lead to 19 by the intermission, 43-24.
Oetting knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner to open the second half, giving the Chiefs a 22-point lead.
Joplin whittled the lead down to 14, 54-40, with 3:56 on the clock after a pair of charities from All Wright, but Kickapoo responded by closing the third on an 8-3 run to push the lead back to 19 heading into the fourth quarter, 62-43.
Kickapoo scored the first seven points of the final period of play to push its lead to 69-43, setting the tone for the remainder of the game. Lowery highlighted the early scoring with a three-point play, while Oetting added a basket on the break.
SCORING LEADERS
Shorter led Kickapoo with 22 points, 12 coming on 3-pointers. Oetting finished with 19 and Lowery had 17 in the win. Doennig closed with nine.
Always Wright and All Wright led Joplin in scoring with 16 points each. Quin Renfro closed with eight points, while Brantley Morris and Terrance Gibson each had six.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Webb City High School boys basketball team improved to 13-4 on the season with a 60-54 non-conference win over Hillcrest on Tuesday night.
The Cardinals led from start to finish in the game.
Webb City led 14-9 at the end of the first quarter and the Cardinals were up 23-20 at halftime.
After a high-scoring third period, one that saw the Cardinals outscore the Hornets 24-20, Webb City held a 47-40 lead.
Hillcrest outscored Webb City 14-13 in the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals never relinquished their lead.
Four players scored in double figures for Jason Horn’s Cardinals. Dante Washington led the way with 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting, while Kaden Turner added 11 points.
Trey Roets and Cohl Vaden contributed 10 points apiece for the Cardinals, who made 23-of-39 field goal attempts (59 percent).
Coby Allen and Braxton Baker scored 12 points apiece for Hillcrest (4-10). The Hornets made 24-of-52 shots (46 percent).
SHELDON, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson built an insurmountable lead by the intermission on the way to a win over Sheldon on Monday.
The Cavaliers (12-3) built a 14-point lead after the first quarter and pushed the margin to 34-10 by halftime before holding serve in the final two quarters on the way to the win.
“We were short handed again tonight with four of our top eight kids out with injury or sickness,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said to SoMo Sports. “With that being said, our guys really stepped up and took care of business tonight. It was exciting to see Ethan (Reneger) and Benji (Carroll) score their first-career varsity baskets. Kip Atteberry also had a career-high 15 tonight filling in at the PG position. We’ve had to overcome several obstacles this season. I’m really pleased with our team’s growth and the direction we are heading.”
Drew Goodhope led TJ in scoring with 24 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists. Jay Ball finished with a double-double after scoring 16 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. He added seven assists and six blocks. Atteberry had 15 points, five steals and seven assists. Elias Rincker had six points and 11 boards.
William Chapman led Sheldon with 18 points.
SHELDON GIRLS 60, THOMAS JEFFERSON 58
SHELDON, Mo. — The Thomas Jefferson girls held a double-digit lead late before Sheldon rallied for the win on Monday.
The Cavaliers built a 46-33 lead heading into the fourth quarter before Sheldon rallied in a big way, outscoring TJ 27-12 over the final eight minutes of action to complete the comeback bid.
Sarah Mueller had a career-high 20 points for Thomas Jefferson, including three 3-pointers. Gabbi Hiebert had four 3-pointers on the way to 18 points, while Lanna Grigg added 10 points to give the Cavaliers three players in double-figure scoring.
Thomas Jefferson is at Miami, Oklahoma, on Tuesday.
GALENA GIRLS 48, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 46
The College Heights girls basketball team battled to a four-point cushion to start the fourth quarter before Galena, Kansas, outscored the Cougars 12-6 down the stretch in the final eight minutes on the way to the win.
The Cougars had a chance with a go-ahead 3-pointer at the end, but the shot was no good. CHC falls to 6-7 on the year and hosts Verona in Ozark 7 action on Tuesday.
“Galena is a very solid team,” CHC coach John Blankenship said to SoMo Sports. “Mia Sarwinski is very quick, athletic and difficult to guard. … Unfortunately, we had a scoring drought in the fourth quarter with only six points, and that was the difference in the game. We needed to finish and didn’t, but I am very proud of my team. They played extremely hard tonight.”
Addie Lawrence led College Heights with 15 points, while Jayli Johnson had nine points. Libby Fanny had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
NEVADA GIRLS 59, SMITH-COTTON 36
Competing at the Clinton Tournament, Nevada used a 19-7 second quarter to take control.
Clara Swearingen scored 19 points to lead the Tigers, while Maddy Majors added 15. Both players made three 3-pointers.
Nevada (12-5) meets Warrensburg at 4:30 on Wednesday at the Clinton Tournament.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Down double figures in the final frame, the Webb City girls basketball team finished the game on a spirited 15-0 surge to claim a 55-50 non-conference victory over Logan-Rogersville on Monday inside the Cardinal Dome.
The Wildcats, who led by as many as 14 points in the game, held a 50-40 advantage in the fourth quarter.
But the Cardinals rallied with 15 unanswered points to earn the come-from-behind win.
During the late spurt, Kate Brownfield hit a 3-pointer and made 1-of-2 free throws and Kenzie Robbins converted an old-fashioned 3-point play after an offensive rebound.
Next, Sami Mancini and Kenzie Robbins both turned steals into layups the other way, giving the Cardinals a 51-50 lead with 41 seconds remaining.
After the Wildcats had an empty possession, Webb City’s Mia Robbins sank two free throws with 26 seconds left to give the hosts a three-point cushion.
The Wildcats turned the ball over on the ensuing possession before Kenzie Robbins added two more free throws for the final margin.
Brownfield and Mancini scored 12 points apiece to lead the Cardinals, while Ripley Shanks had 10 points and Kenzie Robbins added nine points. Mancini also contributed 14 rebounds and seven assists. Brownfield had six rebounds, while Kenzie Robbins had three steals.
Webb City (8-8) made 20-of-47 field goal attempts (43 percent).
Gracie Kirby scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Wildcats, while Ali Icenhower and Kierra Clark added 10 points apiece.
The Wildcats went 17-for-46 from the floor (37 percent).
The Wildcats scored the first 12 points of the night, but the Cardinals finished the first quarter on a 9-2 run to pull within five at 14-9.
Rogersville went up 14 in the second quarter before Webb City cut its deficit to nine at the break, as the Wildcats held a 28-19 halftime lead.
The Cardinals trailed 44-33 at the end of the third quarter, but the hosts outscored the Wildcats 22-6 in the fourth period.
The only lead change of the game came on Kenzie Robbins’ layup with 41 seconds left.
Webb City’s girls will compete at the Camdenton Shootout on Saturday.
Led by four individual champions, Carl Junction won the Pacific Invitational Wrestling Tournament this past weekend.
The Bulldogs finished on top of the team standings with 223.5 points. Whitfield was second with 213 and Washington took third with 189. There were 12 full teams competing at the invite.
Taking first place in their respective brackets for the Bulldogs were Lukas Walker (106 pounds), Sam Melton (113), Tony Stewart (170) and Cayden Bollinger (220)
Finishing second were Carter Foglesong (106), Lucas Watkins (160) and Chance Benford (182). Kameron Bennett placed third at heavyweight.
Finishing sixth in their brackets were Max Matthews (120), Kyran Addington (138), Arlen Wakefield (145) and Dexter Merrell (152).
CARTHAGE TAKES THIRD AT PLATTE COUNTY
The Carthage Tigers finished third in the team standings at the Platte County Invitational.
The top five teams were Helias (264.5), Platte County (243.5), Carthage (232), Smithville (222.5) and Oak Grove (220.5). There were 12 full squads competing.
Carthage’s Dylan Huntley was the champion at 113 pounds after going 6-0 at the invite.
Also for the Tigers, Eli Sneed was the runner-up at 138 pounds, while Grey Petticrew took third at 145 and Davion King was third at 160.
JOPLIN COMPETES IN COLUMBIA
Joplin’s wrestling team competed at the Columbia Hickman Tournament over the weekend.
The Eagles were 14th in the team standings with 93.5 points. There were 24 teams competing.
Joplin’s Brayden Thomas finished third at 182 pounds, while Gunner Price was fifth at 285 and Draven VanGilder finished seventh at 195.
Hickman also hosted a girls tournament.
Joplin’s Ericka Washom was the runner-up at 130 pounds, while Rylie Ward was fifth at 110, Coryaunna Mueller was seventh at 115 and Gwyn Loyd took eighth at 141.
SENECA WINS BIG 8 MEET
Seneca won the Big 8 Conference Meet for the third straight season.
The Indians finished with 398 points to finish on top of the standings, while Marshfield was second (370.5) and McDonald County finished third (268).
Seneca’s individual champions were Keatin Burleson (113), Brady Roark (120), Andrew Manley (138) and Gabriel Commons (170).
Taking second were Brayden Thiel (132) and Dane Napier (182), while Caden Thompson (106), Jeremy Williams (152) and Nash Crane (195) all finished third.
Jesse Bantock (126), Nolan Napier (145) and Nick Stephens (220) finished fourth, while Lincoln Renfro (160) and Jacob Gravner (285) placed fifth.
Claiming individual titles for McDonald County were Blaine Ortiz (126), Levi Smith (152) and Samuel Murphy (220).
Other individual champions at the meet were Monett’s Simon Hartline (106) and Harrison Merriman (285), Cassville’s Akhilleus Arguelles (132) and Marshfield’s Damian Dockery (145), Mathew Derecichei (160), Dusty Stevens (182) and Ben Wirtel (195).
The Big 8 also recently held a girls conference meet.
Local athletes winning their respective brackets were Seneca’s Kirsten Bruegel (141) and Isabella Renfro (174), Monett’s Mary Jastal (100) and Emily Hinojosa-Martinez (159), Cassville’s Kelsey Harris (110), Annie Moore (115), Kailey Artherton (120), Hailey Roark (130) and Faith James (135) and Nevada’s Taylor Thompson (194) and Claire Pritchett (235).
Marshfield was the team champion (197) and Cassville was the runner-up (162). Nevada (122) and Seneca (106) finished third and fourth in the 11-team field.
CHANUTE, Kan. — After fighting their way past two state-ranked opponents on their way to the championship, Carthage came up short of the title.
The Tigers fell to the Bishop Miege Stags, 77-57, bringing home second place in the 50th annual Ralph Miller Classic.
The Ralph Miller Classic, touted as one of the toughest mid-season tournaments in the state of Kansas, hosted four top-15 ranked teams in their respective state and class.
Carthage coach Nathan Morris speaks with an official during the championship game of the Ralph Miller Classic on Saturday night at Chanute High School in Chanute, Kansas. Photo by Huntyr Schwegman.
“If this doesn’t get you ready for what you’re gonna see in your conference and district games, then I don’t know what will,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said of the Ralph Miller Classic as a whole. “For us to come over here and beat two state-ranked teams and go toe-to-toe with another one, we’ll take that.”
Sophomore Justin Ray, juniors Max Templeman and Clay Kinder, and seniors Caden Kabance and Joel Pugh took the floor to start for Carthage.
The Tigers were on their game early, knocking down four 3-pointers on the way to a 16-point first quarter, trailing by just three. Carthage’s 9-for-20 performance from deep was good for 44% on the night.
“I feel like we came out and shot the ball well to start the game,” Morris said. “Our kids did an excellent job executing the scouting report.”
The second quarter is where things started to get interesting.
After two Tigers took an elbow to the face on the same play, and a crowd uproar from numerous missed calls against Bishop Miege, Carthage started to slip. Although he was visibly, and audibly, frustrated with the officials during the game, Morris refuses to blame a loss on officiating.
Carthage’s Joel Pugh puts up a jumper against Bishop Miege during the championship game of the Ralph Miller Classic on Saturday at Chanute High School. Photo by Huntyr Schwegman.
“I think the game got a little wild there for a little bit,” Morris said. “I told our guys in the locker room… continue to do what you’re taught to do and how you’re coached, and I thought our kids did a good job of keeping their head in the basketball game.”
Even as the Stags tried to pull away, Carthage held it together until the intermission. The half ended with the Tigers on the Stags’ heels, 32-28.
“I didn’t think we played very well in the second quarter, and to only go down four was huge for our basketball team,” Morris said.
Bishop Miege hit a hot streak after halftime, out-scoring Carthage 25-11 in the third frame on the way to a score of 57-39 with just eight minutes to play.
Pugh led the Tigers on offense, notching a team-high 23 points.
Templeman added 16 points, while Kinder had 11.
Although Carthage managed three players in double-digits, bench production was non-existent.
Carthage struggled on the boards in this matchup, allowing numerous offensive rebounds by the Stags.
This, alongside their inability to contain Bishop Miege’s transition game, ultimately led to the squad’s demise.
“I feel like the game was played extremely physically, and it kinda wore us down as the game went on,” Morris said. “I felt like we gave up way too many easy baskets.”
With a 2-1 showing at the Ralph Miller Classic, Carthage sits at 14-3 overall.
UP NEXT: Carthage returns home to Southwest Missouri to resume action next Thursday, when they host the Nevada Tigers.
“I think we need to go back and get our kids healthy and get their legs back under them,” Morris said.
RALPH MILLER CLASSIC TITLE GAME
Bishop Miege 77, Carthage 57
Carthage 16 12 11 18 – 57
Bishop Miege: 19 13 25 20 – 77
CARTHAGE: Joel Pugh 23, Max Templeman 16, Clay Kinder 11, Justin Ray 5, Caden Kabance 2.
BISHOP MIEGE: Christian Bowen-Webb 28, Daegan Jensen 16, Mack Martin 8, Aidan Wing 8, Kellan Boylan 8, Xavier Hall 7, Team 2.
Carthage’s Max Templeman attempts a layup against Bishop Miege on Saturday night at during the championship game of the 50th Ralph Miller Classic at Chanute High School. Photo by Huntyr Schwegman.
Carthage’s Tyler Willis puts up a shot from in close against Bishop Miege on Saturday night at Chanute High School. Photo by Huntyr Schwegman.
The Carthage Tigers pose with the runner-up plaque at the conclusion of the Ralph Miller Classic. Photo by Huntyr Schwegman.
LANCER CLASSIC: McAuley, College Heights girls suffer losses to end tourney play
CHEROKEE, Kan. — Columbus took control early and the Titans defeated McAuley Catholic 47-33 on Saturday in the girls third-place game of the Lancer Classic at Southeast High School.
Columbus held a 25-14 advantage at halftime and the Titans led 37-21 after three periods of play.
The Warriors won the fourth quarter 12-10, but it wasn’t enough.
“We didn’t have one of our best games,” McAuley coach Mike Howard told SoMo Sports. “We were just outplayed today in almost all areas of the game. Columbus had a good game plan and they executed it well. They made several shots against our defense and out-hustled us. We struggled to execute on the offensive end and turned the ball over way too many times.”
Lily Black scored 12 points to lead the Warriors, while Kennedy DeRuy added 11 and Avery Eminger had seven.
“One bright spot was junior Lily Black,” Coach Howard said. “She finished with 12 points on 60% shooting, 12 rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots.”
Sophomore guard Kloee Williamson missed a second straight game with an illness.
Three Titans scored 11 points—Katy Mooney, Grace Major and Lily Mooney.
McAuley (12-4) is at Wheaton on Tuesday.
RIVERTON HOLDS OFF COUGARS
CHEROKEE, Kan. — Riverton’s girls held on late and edged College Heights Christian 42-37 in the fifth-place game of the Lancer Classic on Saturday.
“A poor shooting game was our downfall today,” College Heights coach John Blankenship told SoMo Sports. “There were times we executed our offense well, but missed easy shots. We shot 24% from the field and went 5-for-21 from the foul line. It’s tough to win games shooting like that. We work hard on our defense in practice. It’s a point of emphasis and something we make part of our team identity. That very commitment to defense kept us in the game.”
Riverton led 12-6 at the end of the first quarter and the Rams were up 20-12 at intermission.
College Heights outscored Riverton 11-7 in the third period. The Rams won the close fourth quarter 15-14.
“We managed to knock down a few 3s in the second half and cut the lead to one point,” Blankenship said. “I was proud of how hard our team fought back in the second half. Our defense usually gives us a chance on nights when our offense struggles, but missing 16 free throws was too much to overcome.”
Addie Lawrence scored 16 points to lead College Heights, while Jayli Johnson had seven steals.
The Cougars (6-6) host Galena at 6 on Monday at OCC.
WEBB CITY GIRLS FINISH STRONG IN TOURNEY FINALE
ROGERSVILLE, Mo. — Webb City’s girls ended the Lady Wildcat Classic on a positive note.
Down five early in the fourth quarter, Webb City finished the contest on a 10-2 run to claim a 45-40 victory over Branson in the tourney’s seventh-place game on Saturday at Logan-Rogersville High School.
Webb City trailed 30-28 at the end of the third quarter and the Pirates led 33-28 early in the fourth period.
A trey from Kirra Long and a hoop in the paint from Kenzie Robbins tied the game at 35 with six minutes to play.
A pair of short jumpers near the foul line from Sami Mancini and a 3-pointer from the left wing from Kate Brownfield gave the Cardinals a 42-38 lead with 2:20 remaining.
The Pirates pulled within two on a hoop from Gracie Jaeger, but Mancini’s hoop with a minute left gave Webb City a four-point cushion.
Both teams had empty possessions before Long made 1-of-2 free throws for the final margin.
Webb City (7-8) hosts Rogersville at 7 on Monday night.
THOMAS JEFFERSON BOYS END CLASSIC WITH COMEBACK WIN
LIBERAL, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson’s boys basketball team overcame a 15-point deficit and earned a 65-60 victory over Liberal in the Tony Dubray Classic’s third-place game on Saturday night.
Cavaliers coach Chris Myers noted his squad battled foul trouble and also had to overcome Liberal’s hot-shooting in the first half.
Liberal was up 37-28 at halftime. The Cavaliers outscored the Bulldogs 19-6 in the third quarter. Thomas Jefferson won a back and forth fourth period 18-17.
Jay Ball scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had three blocked shots for Thomas Jefferson. Tyler Brouhard scored 17 points and had four assists, while Drew Goodhope contributed 12 points and four assists. Also for TJ, Elias Rincker chipped in nine points.
Liberal’s Caleb Suschnick scored 22 points, while Kale Marti added 14 and Payton Morrow had 12.
Thomas Jefferson (11-3) is at Sheldon on Tuesday.
RIVERTON BOYS 62, MCAULEY CATHOLIC 31
CHEROKEE, Kan. — Riverton outscored McAuley 21-9 in the first quarter and never looked back in the Lancer Classic’s seventh-place game.
The Rams took a 36-18 lead into halftime and then put the game away with a 22-8 third period.
Kable Reichardt and Noah Black scored eight points apiece for McAuley.
Loch North scored 17 points for Riverton and Jamey Richardson added 12.
