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Day: January 26, 2022

HOOPS ROUNDUP: Neosho boys hang on for win; CJ, McAuley and CHC girls all victorious

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO BOYS 63, LAMAR 57

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.

The Cougars travel to Wheaton on Friday. 

PREP WRESTLING: Carthage tops rival Webb City

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

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. 

 

GIRLS SWIMMING: With thrilling finish, Webb City edges Carl Junction for COC crown

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

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.

 

Pictured is Carl Junction’s Tea Kosmajac.

 

PREP HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson squads earn wins; Ball’s big night leads Cavs to victory

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

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. 

Thomas Jefferson hosts Golden City on Thursday. 

 

BOYS HOOPS: Joplin falls in early hole in loss to Kickapoo

Posted on by Lucas Davis

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. 

BOYS HOOPS: Webb City earns road win at Hillcrest

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

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). 

Webb City is at Springfield Catholic on Friday.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

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