SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson’s Ian Ding and Tyler Brouhard have advanced to the semifinal round of the doubles bracket at the MSHSAA Class 2 Boys Tennis Championships.
The Cavaliers went 2-0 on Thursday at the Cooper Tennis Complex.
In the opening round, Ding and Brouhard defeated Branson’s Garrett Beckham-Nathan Bartram 6-1, 6-4.
In the quarterfinals, Ding and Brouhard beat Grain Valley’s Carter Compton-Kade Compton 6-3, 6-3.
“I’m very proud of the guys,” Cavaliers coach Tom Brumfield said. “They won their first two matches without dropping a set. They faced some good teams today and played well. Tomorrow will get even tougher.”
The Cavaliers will meet Ladue’s Brian Tokarczyk and Amit Kadan in Friday’s semifinals.
The winner of that match will advance to the championship match, where they’ll meet either Barstow’s Robert King-Richard King or Parkway West’s Kai Daudsyah-Winston Gao. The semifinal losers will meet for third place.
In singles action, Thomas Jefferson sophomore Prithvi Nagarajan went 1-2 and saw his season come to an end.
Platte County’s Gavin Nichols defeated Nagarajan 6-4, 7-5 in the first round.
In the consolation bracket, Nagarajan beat Hannibal’s Parker Terrill 6-0, 6-0 to keep his season alive.
But Nagarajan suffered a season-ending setback to Barstow’s Sankeerth Gandhari, 6-4, 6-0.
“Prithvi played very well against some tough opponents,” Brumfield said. “It was a great showing from him for his first time there…plus being a sophomore.”
NEOSHO, Mo. — The Webb City Cardinals hadn’t forgotten what transpired a year ago.
After falling short in last year’s district title game, the Cardinals left no doubt this time around.
Second-seeded Webb City rolled to a 12-1 win in five innings over fourth-seeded Carl Junction for the Class 5 District 7 championship on Wednesday night at Roy B. Shaver Field.
After falling to Glendale 2-0 in last season’s district title game, the Cardinals admitted they were highly-motivated to be the team celebrating this year.
“Absolutely there was extra motivation,” Webb City senior Jeremiah Leaming said. “We talked about it yesterday in practice. We beat them 14-2 and then we lost 2-0 in the district championship game. We used that as motivation to come out here and get it done.”
“It’s something we’d talked about,” Cardinals coach Flave Darnell added. “We lost to Glendale 2-0 and that stung because we beat them pretty handily during the regular season.”
The Cardinals outscored their opponents 30-1 in this year’s district tourney. Coach Darnell noted his team appears to be peaking at the right time of the season.
Jeremiah Leaming celebrates after driving in a run early in Wednesday’s district title game. Photo by Israel Perez.
“We’ve had our ups and downs during the year,” Darnell said. “We played a lot of really good teams this year. We always want to be as good as we can be in May. We played really good in this tournament. Giving up one run in three games…you’re going to win a lot of games doing that. This was a great team win.”
Webb City (19-15) will travel to the District 8 winner (Platte County or Smithville) on May 28 in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament.
After knocking off top-seeded McDonald County on Monday, the Bulldogs (13-17) were unable to pull off another upset.
“They’re a really good team and they were fortunate to have a lot of good pitching left,” Carl Junction coach Jake Stevenson said. “We knew we were going to be in a battle offensively. The mindset was that we may have to play small ball a little bit. We had to come up with timely hits and play really good on defense. I have to give credit to Webb City. They’re a good team and they hit the ball well and took us out of our game.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Stevenson added. “We put the ball in play and showed some grit. It didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but these guys have so much to be proud of for sure.”
GAME RECAP
The Cardinals wasted little time in setting the tone for the night, as they plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
“We know playoff baseball is a different feel,” Darnell said. “We knew if we could put up a zero and then score some runs in the first it would be big. When you score first, whenever that is, it puts the other team on their heels.”
In the opening frame, Eric Fitch and Cy Darnell singled before Cade Wilson moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. After Kenley Hood walked, William Hayes delivered a run-scoring single into left before Leaming added a two-run single to right.
“Eric and Cy have been great table-setters for us all year,” Coach Darnell said. “When they go, we score runs. They went today and it was good to see.”
Webb City senior Cooper Crouch was the winning pitcher on Wednesday in the district title game at Neosho.
Drew Massey’s RBI double to left field got the Bulldogs on the board in the third, but Webb City answered with six runs on seven hits in the bottom half to blow the game open.
Leaming and Aidan Brock contributed run-scoring singles before Kaylor Darnell added an RBI groundout. The Cards were far from done. Fitch followed with an RBI single and another run scored on an error. Cy Darnell’s run-scoring single made it 9-1.
Webb City put the game away with three runs in the fourth for a 12-1 advantage.
Hayes singled, Leaming was hit by a pitch and two runs came home on Brock’s liner up the middle before McQuade Eilenstein added a sac fly.
“We preached getting on top of the ball, not trying to do too much and just move runners,” Leaming said. “That won the game for us.”
The game ended after the Bulldogs failed to score in the top of the fifth.
“This is awesome,” said Leaming, who drove in three runs. “We’ve worked so hard this season. It’s been a roller-coaster season. I’m just happy that we won a district championship. This feels great.”
NAMES & NUMBERS
Webb City recorded 15 hits. Hayes had three hits, while Fitch, Cy Darnell, Hood, Leaming and Brock had two hits apiece.
Senior right-hander Cooper Crouch was the winning pitcher. A Crowder College signee, Crouch gave up three hits and three walks and struck out three in four innings.
“We always like our chances when Cooper is on the mound,” Darnell said. “We felt confident coming in.”
Walker Sweet recorded the final three outs.
Logan Eck, Kyler Perry, Jordan Woodruff and Massey had CJ’s lone hits. Carl Junction stranded eight on-base, including two in the top of the first.
Eck, Woodruff and Gaige Carson handled the pitching duties for the Bulldogs.
Carl Junction’s departing seniors are Hunter Cantrell, Shane Diksin, Dalton Mills, Cole Wilson, Darris Hill, Perry and Woodruff.
THIS ‘N THAT
Pictured is Webb City’s Kolton Eilenstein.
For the fifth time in eight years, Webb City’s baseball program has captured a district championship.
Webb City was in a district championship game for the sixth time in eight years. The Cardinals won three straight district titles from 2015-17, won another title in ’19 and fell to Glendale in last year’s title game. There was no season in ’20 and the Cardinals failed to advance to a district title game in ’18.
Carl Junction was in a district title game for the first time since 2019, when they lost to Monett. Carl Junction last won a district championship in 2016. Of course, Coach Darnell was leading the Bulldogs at that time.
STEVENSON MOVING ON
It was Stevenson’s final game as CJ’s head coach. Stevenson is taking an assistant principal position in the Carl Junction school district.
Carl Junction Superintendent Dr. Phillip Cook will be taking over the reins of the CJ baseball program next season.
Stevenson noted he was proud the Bulldogs were able to advance to a district title game.
“It’s a testament to our seniors,” Stevenson said. “There hasn’t been a lot of opportunities since we’ve been in Class 5 to play for a district championship. We came up a game short, but I’m proud of these guys. They’ve been a blast to coach.”
Carl Junction’s Logan Eck delivers a pitch to the plate against Webb City on Wednesday night. All photos by Israel Perez.
Missouri state golf action concluded on Tuesday, with several local golfers wrapping up their play in the second of the two-day tournaments. Below is a roundup of all the local student-athletes in action.
CLASS 5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Joplin’s Hobbs Campbell finished in a tie for 62nd after scoring a second-round 84 to total 167 at Dalhousie Golf Club. Harry Satterlee was disqualified upon completion of his second round of play.
Rockhurst’s Will King shot a 69-72—141 and Staley’s Bryson Oots scored a 70-71—141 to tie for first place in the individual standings. Chaminade’s John Guerra took third with a 73-71—144.
Rockhurst won the team championship by 15 strikes over Priory with a 295-300—595.
CLASS 4
NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — In Class 4 action, Carl Junction’s Jack Spencer earned all-state honors after finishing in a tie for seventh place after matching his Day 1 score with a second-round 76 to shoot a 152 at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club.
Neosho’s Xander Woodward carded a 79 in the second round to total 164 and finish in a tie for 32nd.
Webb City’s Keegon Dill shot an 83 on the first day and duplicated that number on the second day for a 166 total to finish in a tie for 43rd. CJ’s Zach Wrensch shot an 84 in the second round to finish in a tie for 43rd with a 166 as well.
Jacob Teeter scored an 83 in the second round to finish in a tie for 51st for the Bulldogs with a 168.
Webb City’s Levi Lassiter shot an 85-90—175 to place in a tie for 70th.
Bolivar’s Aiden Asby took first with a 73-71—144, while Lutheran South’s Andrew Hennen shot a 74-71—145 to take second place. Fort Zumwalt South’s Joseph Friedel placed third with a 74-75—149.
Webster Groves won the team title by eight strokes over Lutheran South with a 333-303—639.
CLASS 3
SEDALIA, Mo. — Nevada’s Owen Swearingen closed his second round with a 75 after an opening-round 70 to finish in a tie for third place with Father Tolton Regional’s Christian Rischer with a 145, one stroke off the lead, to earn all-state honors at the Sedalia Country Club.
Monett’s Jaxon Bailey earned all-state honors after tying for sixth place with a 72-75—147.
Also for the Cubs, Jacob Hoyt tied for 42nd after shooting a 84-86—170. David Southard tied for 51st with an 85-88—173. Clay Butterworth closed with a 93 to shoot a 196 and finish in 81st.
Seneca’s Elijah Olson tied for 59th with a 90-86—176, while Jace Wilson carded a 94-94—188 to place 74th.
Hallsville’s Logan Cox (71-73—144) and Samuel Schoeberl (70-74—144) tied for first.
Father Tolton Regional won the team state title by 14 strokes over Bishop LeBlond with a 295-292—587.
CLASS 2
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Sarcoxie’s Eli Ellis scored a 91 to finish with a 178 to finish in a tie for 28th at the Columbia Country Club.
Matthew Swayne shot a 96 to finish with a 195 in a tie for 54th for the Bears.
Lamar’s Koen Littlejohn finished with a 103 in the second round to post a 196 to place in a tie for 58th.
Pierce City’s Tyler Johnson (98-99—197) and Ashton Medlin (101-39—197) tied for 62nd and Mount Vernon’s Carter Meirick (104-103—207) placed 68th.
Hermann’s Trigg Lindahl earned medalist honors with a 70-78—148, while California won the team title with a 332-339—671.
CLASS 1
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — McAuley Catholic’s Rocco Bazzano-Joseph finished in a tie for 20th place to lead area golfers after carding a 86-87—173 at Rivercut Golf Course.
Evan D’Amour tied for 34th with a 92-87—178 for the Warriors. Vincent Martinez shot a 113-110—223 to finish 80th.
Thomas Jefferson’s Jacob Jarrett took 42nd place after a 95-92—187, while Jack Tyrrell finished in a tie for 44th for the Cavs with a 96-94—190. Luke Miller carded a 98-95—193 to finish in a tie for 49th. Caden Myers closed with a 98 in the second round to shoot a 198 for 57th place.
Purdy’s Brady Garner finished 71st with a 111-96—207.
College Heights’ Logan Decker took 82nd with a 122-125—247.
Westran’s Logan Bain took medalist honors with an 81-75—156, while Cole Camp took the team title by three strokes over Marceline with a 335-343—678.
Fourth-seeded Webb City won a penalty kick shootout 3-0 to knock off fifth-seeded Parkview on Monday night in a quarterfinal contest of the Class 3 District 6 girls soccer tournament at Cardinal Stadium.
Converting PKs for Webb City were Anea Bemo, Piper Chapman and Austyn Mickey.
Webb City goalkeeper Delaney Duke earned the clean sheet.
In other action at Cardinal Stadium, top-seeded Branson defeated eighth-seeded McDonald County 8-0.
Kaylor Alms recorded a hat trick for the Pirates, while Hadley Houston and Chloe Grimm added two goals apiece. Abigail Jones added one goal for Branson.
In matches at Carl Junction’s Bulldog Stadium, second-seeded Carl Junction beat seventh-seeded Hillcrest and third-seeded Willard topped sixth-seeded Neosho 7-0.
The semifinals are set for Wednesday in Carl Junction. Webb City takes on Branson at 5:30 and Carl Junction meets Willard at 7.
The district title match is slated for noon on Saturday.
MCAULEY ADVANCES TO TITLE GAME
In Monday’s semifinals, top-seeded Greenwood beat fourth-seeded Fair Grove 8-0 and third-seeded McAuley Catholic (with College Heights) beat second-seeded Mountain View-Liberty 6-1.
McAuley Catholic will meet Greenwood at 6 on Wednesday in Springfield for the district championship.
SEASON ENDS FOR JOPLIN, CARTHAGE
Girls soccer teams from Joplin and Carthage saw their respective seasons end in the quarterfinals of the Class 4 District 5 tournament this past Saturday.
NEOSHO, Mo. — The Carl Junction Bulldogs survived and advanced.
Fourth-seeded Carl Junction let an early slip away, but the Bulldogs responded late to earn a thrilling 5-4 victory in 10 innings over top-seeded McDonald County on Monday night in a semifinal contest of the Class 5 District 7 baseball tournament at Roy B. Shaver Field.
The Bulldogs held a four-run cushion, only to see the Mustangs tie it up in the bottom of the seventh. But the underdog Bulldogs scored the lone run of extra innings in the 10th to earn the right to play another game.
“That was a really fun high school baseball game and I’m glad we came out on top,” Carl Junction coach Jake Stevenson said. “I have to give a lot of credit to Kevin Burgi and McDonald County. They’re a really good team. And I have to give all the credit to our players and our coaching staff. Our guys stayed composed and they took advantage of their opportunity tonight.”
The Bulldogs (13-16) will meet second-seeded Webb City (18-15) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the district championship game.
Lucas Vanlanduit delivers a pitch for Carl Junction against McDonald County on Monday. Vanlanduit drove in the game-winning run in the 10th inning. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
“It’s awesome for these guys,” Stevenson said of being in a district title game. “We got bumped up to Class 5 a couple of years ago, so it’s great just to have this opportunity on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot of work to do at practice tomorrow and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to play on Wednesday.”
Carl Junction will compete for a district title for the first time since 2019, when they lost to Monett.
The fourth-ranked Mustangs end a stellar season with a record of 22-9. That’s a school record for wins for the Mustangs, who also secured their first-ever Big 8 title this spring.
“We’re not upset because we lost, we’re sad because the season is over,” Mustangs coach Kevin Burgi said. “We’ve had a great year. The three seniors (Levi Helm, Cole Martin and Colton Ruddick) who played their last game tonight did nothing but buy in and play as hard as they could for four years. Levi was tremendous on the mound today. Cole had some big at-bats…he sparks the offense. Colton gave us some really good at-bats as well. I’m proud of those guys.”
The Bulldogs got off to a great start against the favored Mustangs.
Carl Junction pushed across three runs in the first inning against Weston Gordon on three hits and a walk. Jordan Woodruff delivered an RBI single and Shane Diskin contributed a two-run single for an early three-run cushion.
The Bulldogs added a run in the third on Drew Massey’s sacrifice fly for a 4-0 advantage.
“Our kids were ready to play,” Stevenson said. “We had that feeling when we got on the bus today. The guys were ready to compete. I’m proud of them.”
Held in check through the first four frames, McDonald County plated two runs in the fifth.
Cole Martin singled, Cross Dowd doubled and Isaac Behm walked to load the bases. Destyn Dowd drew a walk to get the Mustangs on the board. After a pitching change, Tucker Walters was plunked with the bases loaded, trimming Mac County’s deficit to 4-2.
The score held up until the bottom of the seventh. Down to their final three outs, the Mustangs rallied for two runs. Levi Helm singled and Behm doubled. After an out, a miscue in the field allowed a run to score.
With two outs, the tying run scored from third on a wild pitch. The Bulldogs got the final out to send the game into extra innings.
“We knew 4-0 wasn’t safe,” Stevenson said. “We knew they’d battle back. But when they tied it up, I thought our kids could have quit or went away. They continued to fight and be resilient. And we’ve had some tough times this year and we’ve had our backs against the wall at times this year. I feel like some of those moments prepared us for a game like tonight.”
McDonald County had the bases loaded with no outs in the ninth, but the Bulldogs and relief pitcher Diskin somehow escaped unscathed, as a strikeout, a pop out and a ground out up the middle ended the threat.
The Bulldogs plated the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th. Logan Eck and Kyler Perry both walked before Woodruff singled to load the bases with one out. Lucas Vanlanduit then came through in a big way, as he lifted a sac fly to right, giving the Bulldogs a 5-4 advantage.
The Mustangs went down in order in the bottom half of the frame, and the Bulldogs celebrated a memorable victory.
“Coach Stevenson has done a great job at Carl,” Burgi said. “He got his guys ready to play. There’s not a lot of things for our guys to hang their heads about. We couldn’t get the bats going early, but we had our chances late. That’s the game of baseball. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.”
NAMES & NUMBERS
Woodruff was the lone Bulldog to record two hits.
Vanlanduit went 4 2/3 innings on the mound, allowing two earned runs on six hits and four walks. He struck out seven.
Diskin pitched the final 5 1/3 innings to earn the win. He gave up two runs, none earned, on two hits and three walks while striking out four.
Mac County’s Gordon went two innings and surrendered three runs, two earned, on three hits and two walks.
Helm pitched 7 1/3 innings, striking out 13 and allowing one hit and one walk. Behm recorded two outs and gave up one hit. Helm had three hits for the Mustangs, while Martin had two.
The Carl Junction Bulldogs upset No. 1 seed McDonald County 5-4 in 10 innings on Monday in a Class 5 District 7 semifinal. All photos by Shawn Fowler.
Top-seeded Marion C. Early scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn a walk-off win over College Heights in the semifinals of the Class 2 District 12 Tournament on Monday.
The Cougars scored three runs in the top of the first to take the initial lead before building a 7-2 advantage through four and a half innings following a four-run fifth. The Panthers climbed back into the game with three runs in the fifth inning to time the lead to 7-5 before walking off with three runs in the seventh.
College Heights closes the season with a 6-13 record and graduates senior Nicholas Brueggemann.
Jacob Presley started and took a no-decision after allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts in five innings. Hadan Madewell allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits, a walk and a strikeout in one relief inning. Triston Bruegman earned the win in relief with two strikeouts in one scoreless inning.
Smoke Ezell started and took a no-decision for CHC after allowing five runs, two earned, on six hits and three strikeouts in six innings. Brueggemann allowed one run on two hits, a walk and strikeout in 1/3 of an inning, while Liam Nelson took the loss after allowing two runs on a hit and a walk in relief.
Jayce Walker had three hits, including a double, and scored two runs for CHC at the plate. Brueggemann had two hits and scored a run, while Caleb Evans had two hits, including a double, and drove in three runs.
CLASS 1 DISTRICT 7
(3) EXETER 6, (2) MCAULEY CATHOLIC 1
HURLEY, Mo. — Third-seeded Exeter scored five runs in the third inning to fuel a 6-1 win over second-seeded McAuley Catholic in the Class 1 District 7 semifinals at Hurley High School on Monday.
The Warriors end the season with a 6-9 record and graduate seniors Declan Berkstresser and Kevin Tran.
Corey Hilburn earned the win after allowing one run on one hit, seven walks and eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Wyatt Lemons pitched 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Gretzky Lee pitched 1/3 of an inning relief.
Kable Reichardt was saddled with the complete-game loss after allowing six unearned runs on five hits, two walks and 12 strikeouts in seven innings.
Zach Lee had two hits and scored two runs to lead Exeter offensively.
Bradley Wagner and Kendall Jones each had hits for McAuley, with Jones scoring the lone run. Michael Parrigon walked twice and had an RBI.
Third-seeded Ozark scored a single tally in the third inning and added an insurance run in the fifth while keeping Carthage out of the run column in a 2-0 win in the final game of the Class 6 District 6 Tournament’s opening round on Monday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
“We always ask our kids to play and compete from innings one through seven, and I think they did that today,” Carthage coach Luke Bordewick said. “(Starting pitcher) Kaden Arr kept us in it and was lights out, getting us out of a couple of big jams. … Offensively, we had our chances. That is what we want Carthage baseball to be—competing the entire game.”
Carthage’s season ends with a 7-23 record and the Tigers graduate seniors Parker Copeland, Landon Parker, Zach Geter, Logan Carmickle, Kanen Vogt, Nate Norbury, Kaden Arr, Caden Kabance, Braxdon Tate and Sylas Browning.
“They are such good kids,” Bordewick said. “Gish dang, they are such a great group of kids. They make it a joy to come to the ballpark every day. For me personally, they helped me rediscover my love for the game. … They made it fun day in and day out. I told them after the game that I think they saved me as a coach. I wasn’t looking at walking away, but last year was a tough year. This year, I just can’t thank them enough for it. They are competitors and they grinded all year. It just didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but I can’t thank them enough for it.
“This group loves baseball. They love coming out and competing every single day. Over the course of a 32ish game season, it can be a grind. These kids never got down, stuck with it and believed they were going to be in it at the end of the year and they were.”
Brody Baumann pitched a complete-game shutout for the win, scattering two hits, walking one and striking out seven in seven innings.
Arr took the tough-luck complete-game loss after allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits, a walk and six strikeouts in six innings.
“He has been like that for us all year and his entire pitching career at Carthage,” Bordewick said. “He is a guy who is going to give his best 100 percent of the time. He really dove into the pitcher-only role this year and it showed. Stellar performance against a really good Ozark team.”
Ozark took the game’s first lead in the bottom of the third inning when Cooper Buvid singled to center field with a pair of runners on to plate Brock Dodd for a 1-0 advantage.
Ozark pushed the lead to 2-0 in the last of the fifth inning after Devyn Wright led the frame off with a single before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly from Buvid.
Like so many times this year, Carthage didn’t go down without a fight, threatening in the top of the seventh with Carmickle starting the inning off with a single before Browning reached on an Ozark error. Baumann responded with a strikeout, a pop up and a groundout to end the threat and the game.
Wright had two hits and scored a run, while Buvid had a hit and drove in two for Ozark.
Carmickle and Bradyn Tate each had hits for Carthage.
Ozark takes on second-seeded Kickapoo at 6:30 p.m. in the district semifinals on Tuesday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
OTHER ACTION
Top-seeded Nixa (31-3) opened the day with a 12-2 win in six innings over eight-seeded Springfield Central (6-17). Nixa and fourth-seeded Republic play at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Second-seeded Kickapoo (25-7) earned a 7-4 win over seventh-seeded Lebanon (10-16) in the third game of the day.
NEOSHO, Mo. — The Webb City Cardinals are back in a familiar position — playing for a district championship.
Led by stellar pitching, and by manufacturing just enough offense, second-seeded Webb City knocked off third-seeded Neosho 2-0 in a semifinal contest of the Class 5 District 7 tournament on Monday at Roy B. Shaver Field.
The Cardinals are in the district finals for the sixth time in eight years, including the second straight season.
“It’s great to be playing for a district championship,” Cardinals coach Flave Darnell said. “We’ve been waiting for this for a year. We’re super excited, but we know we’re going to face a good club. We’re going to come back here and play really well on Wednesday. We’re excited and we’ll see what happens.”
The Cardinals (18-15) will meet Carl Junction (13-16) at 6 on Wednesday for the district championship.
Webb City’s Gavin Stowell delivers a pitch against Neosho on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
With the season on the line, Webb City senior southpaw Gavin Stowell threw a gem. A Highland Community College signee, Stowell hurled 5 2/3 scoreless innings, limiting the Wildcats to two hits and three walks while striking out eight.
“I could not be happier for Gavin,” Darnell said. “He pitched big when he needed to pitch big. He had kind of an up and down season, but he’s been on a steady incline with each outing. When he’s in the zone, he’s super hard to hit. When Gavin can throw his fastball for a strike, he’s hard to score runs on.”
Senior right-hander Cooper Crouch recorded the final four outs and did not allow a baserunner.
“Cooper has prepared himself to be a big-game pitcher,” Darnell said of the Crowder College signee. “We feel real good when he’s on the mound.”
The Cardinals broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third. Brantley Carter doubled to left, with Kolton Eilenstein pinch-running.
Eric Fitch grounded out, but the throw to third from first got away, allowing Eilenstein to score the game’s first run.
“Kolton is a beast on the bases and he can disrupt and put pressure on teams when he’s on base,” Darnell said.
Webb City added a single tally in the fourth.
Kenley Hood singled and Aidan Brock was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Kaylor Darnell ripped a run-scoring single into left field, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
“That was a big two-out hit by Kaylor, so that was good to see,” Coach Darnell said.
The Wildcats threatened in the sixth, but left two stranded. Eli Zar reached on an infield single and Wyatt Shadwick walked with two outs. Crouch came in and induced an inning-ending fly ball off the bat of Quenton Hughes.
The hard-throwing Crouch struck out the side in the seventh.
Fitch, Hood, Hayes, Kaylor Darnell and Carter had one hit apiece for the Cardinals.
Zar and Hughes had the lone hits for the Wildcats, who finished 14-16.
Neosho coach Bo Helsel noted his squad simply couldn’t generate much offense.
“Their lefty threw well,” Helsel said. “We had guys in scoring position several times, but we just couldn’t get that one big hit. I think if we could have got one run early it would have been a whole different game and maybe we would have swung it with more confidence. But you have to tip your cap. He threw a lot of strikes and his off-speed stuff was working.”
Austin Rodriquez pitched well in defeat for the Wildcats. A junior right-hander, Rodriquez gave up one earned run on five hits and struck out six in six innings.
“I didn’t know what to expect out of him to be honest,” Helsel said of his starting pitcher. “We planned on throwing a few different guys. But Austin was keeping everything down in the zone and he threw a lot of strikes. His curveball was working. He grinded because they had the leadoff hitter on a lot. But he grinded and kept us in the game. I thought he did a great job today.”
Neosho said goodbye to four seniors—Reese Miller, Matthew Velasco, Carson Williams and Ryland Foster.
After the program’s winningest season since 2015-16, the Wildcats will return a solid core next spring.
“Going from four wins to 14 wins is a big jump,” Helsel said. “Our mentality was better this season. The guys bought in. We still have a lot of things we can get better at. But overall, the team mentality was different this year and it showed. We were in a lot of competitive games and hopefully that pays off next year. We’ll have eight seniors next year and I think we’ll be very competitive. We’ll have a good core coming back for sure.”
Cooper Crouch and the Webb City Cardinals defeated Neosho 2-0 in the district semifinals on Monday. Photos by Shawn Fowler.
The 2022 MSHSAA Boys Golf Championships began on Monday.
Below is a quick look at how Joplin area athletes fared on Day 1 of their respective state tournaments. The state tourneys conclude on Tuesday.
CLASS 5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Joplin’s Harry Satterlee carded a 3-over-par 75 in the opening round of the Class 5 state tournament at Dalhousie Golf Club. Satterlee is tied for 14th place.
Joplin’s Hobbs Campbell finished the first day of competition with an 83 and is tied for 52nd place.
CLASS 4
NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Carl Junction’s Jack Spencer is tied for eighth place after carding a 4-over-par 76 on the first day of the Class 4 tourney at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club.
Carl Junction’s Zach Wrensch is tied for 33rd with an 82 and Webb City’s Keegon Dill is tied for 40th with an 83.
Carl Junction’s Jacob Teeter, Webb City’s Levi Lassiter and Neosho’s Xander Woodward all carded 85 and are tied for 58th.
CLASS 3
SEDALIA, Mo. — Nevada’s Owen Swearingen is tied for first place after the first day of the Class 3 tourney at Sedalia Country Club.
Swearingen, LeBlond’s Samuel Schoeberl and Blair Oaks’ Dylan Bryan all shot an even-par 70.
Monett’s Jaxon Bailey is in fifth place after turning in a 72. Monett’s Jacob Hoyt is tied for 38th with an 84. Monett’s David Southard is tied for 40th (85).
Seneca’s Eli Olson is tied for 58th with a 90 and teammate Jace Wilson is tied for 72nd with a 94.
Monett’s Clay Butterworth is in 82nd place with a 103.
CLASS 2
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Sarcoxie’s Eli Ellis is tied for 21st after carding an 87 at Columbia Country Club.
Lamar’s Koen Littlejohn is tied for 44th (93), Pierce City’s Tyler Johnson is tied for 54th (98), Sarcoxie’s Matthew Swayne is tied for 57th, Pierce City’s Ashton Medlin is tied for 64th (101) and Mount Vernon’s Carter Meirick is in 70th place (104).
CLASS 1
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Athletes from Thomas Jefferson, McAuley Catholic and College Heights began play at the Class 1 tourney at Rivercut Golf Course.
McAuley’s Rocco Bazzano-Joseph is tied for 20th after carding 86 and teammate Evan D’Amour is tied for 34th after shooting 92.
Thomas Jefferson’s Jake Jarrett is tied for 44th (95) and teammate Jack Tyrrell is tied for 46th (96).
TJ’s Luke Miller is tied for 54th (98) and Caden Myers is tied for 59th (100).
Purdy’s Brady Garner is tied for 77th (111)
McAuley’s Trey Martinez is in 81st place (113) and College Heights Christian’s Logan Decker is in 82nd (122).
Fourth-seeded Republic scored runs in the second, third and fourth inning to build a lead while keeping fifth-seeded Joplin at bay on the way to a 5-0 win in Class 6 District 6 Tournament action on Monday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
The Tigers (16-13) plated a pair of runs in the second to take the lead before adding two two-out runs in the third and another two-out run in the fourth to build a 5-0 lead, which turned out to be all the offense needed to earn the win.
“At the end of the day, we have to be able to swing it better to give ourselves a chance,” Joplin coach Kyle Wolf said after the loss. “I thought we competed on the mound and did some good things defensively but when you’re struggling to score runs, it’s hard to get any mojo going. Credit to their pitcher, he kept us off balance and never gave us a chance to feel good about anything in the box. … It wasn’t for lack of effort, but we just couldn’t get things going for us.”
Joplin closes the season with a 14-15 record and graduates seniors Bodee Carlson, Isaac Meadows, Tyler Schumann, Ethan Guilford, Kyler Stokes and Joe Jasper.
“I told them it hurts right now, but don’t lose sight of the fun things that happened this year, too,” Wolf said about those close to the season. “It’s hard right now and it’s easy to think back on losing your last game, but the reality is that happens to every team in the state except for one. I think there is a lot more to this game than that, and we had some big wins this year and had a lot of fun.”
“It’s hard every year,” Wolf added about his senior class leaving. “You grow a bond with these guys and go through a lot with them. To see the season end is hard. All of these guys have gone through a lot and showed a lot of resilience throughout their career to play in their last game. I am proud of them. I love them. They will always be an Eagle and if they need anything, I am always here.”
The Eagles, who totaled two hits and left five base runners on in the loss, threatened in the top of the second before leaving two batters on base and again in the top of the sixth before leaving a pair of runners in scoring position.
“(Republic starting pitcher Cole Iles) just did a great job with his breaking ball—being able to spot it up and throw it in any count,” Wolf said. “Then he would mix in his fastball to keep you off balance and not know for sure what was coming.”
Iles earned the complete-game shutout win in seven frames, scattering two hits, two walks and striking out four strikeouts.
Guilford took the loss after allowing five runs on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Brady Mails didn’t allow a run in 1 2/3 inning relief. Justin McReynolds allowed one hit and struck out one in 2/3 of an inning.
Republic struck first with two runs touching the plate in the bottom of the second inning. After a single from Trace Harrington and back to back hit-by-pitches loaded the bases with one out, Gunner Ellison singled to left-center field to score a pair for a 2-0 lead.
The Tigers doubled up on the Eagles in the bottom of the third inning after a two-out walk was followed up by a two-run home run by Harrington to make the score 4-0.
Republic went to work with two outs again in the last of the fourth inning when Connor Sandridge drew a two-out walk, stole second and came around to touch home on a double off the wall in left field by Gavyn Beckner to push the lead to 5-0.
Harrington had two hits, including a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Ellison had a hit and drove in two runs.
Guilford and Tyler Schumann each had hits for Joplin.
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. — College Heights Christian, Thomas Jefferson Independent and McAuley Catholic all had athletes secure state berths by finishing in the top-four of their respective events at sectional track meets on Saturday at School of the Ozarks.
CLASS 1 SECTIONAL 4
Highlighted by three wins in the relays, the College Heights boys advanced to state in six events and finished second in the team standings with 60 points. Hermitage was first with 85.
The Cougars won the 4×100 relay in 45.83 seconds, with Zach Beaty, Colsen Dickens, Ethan Ukena and Matt Williams competing.
College Heights also took first in the 4×200, as Beaty, Dickens, Caleb Quade and Ukena recorded a time of 1:35. CHC’s 4×400 recorded a winning time of 3:38 and featured Beaty, Dickens, Derrick McMillan and Quade.
Also for College Heights, Dickens finished second in the 400 (52.8) and Ukena was the runner-up in the triple jump (40-11.75).
Williams placed fourth in the 100-meter dash in 11.94 seconds. A sophomore, Williams just missed advancing in the 200, as he finished fifth.
Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry advanced to state in three individual events. The junior won the 1600 in 4:39, took first in the 3200 in 10:33 and finished second in the 800 in 2:03. Cavaliers coach Junior Joseph said Atteberry set new school record times in both the 800 and 1600.
TJ’s Elias Rincker finished third in the 300 hurdles in 45.09 seconds to advance.
McAuley Catholic did not have a state-qualifier on the boys side. Michael Parrigon just missed advancing in the 1600, as he finished fifth. Parrigon was also sixth in the 800 and Joe Staton was sixth in the pole vault. McAuley’s 4×400 and 4×800 relays both finished eighth.
Thomas Jefferson’s girls advanced in four events.
Thomas Jefferson’s 4×100 relay team of Avery Hocker, Nico Carlson, Gabbi Hiebert and Alivia Beard finished third in a school record time of 54.27 seconds. The Cavaliers also finished third in the 4×800, with Macie Shifferd, Samantha Seto, Mia Grubbs and Sarah Mueller recording a time of 11:51.
TJ’s Avery Hocker was the runner-up in the triple jump (31-11.5) and Lannah Grigg placed third in the discus (85-8),
McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey placed third in the 3200 with a time of 13:41. A sophomore, Ramsey was also seventh in the 1600.
In other boys highlights, Lockwood’s Connor Lewandowski won the 100-meter dash, Liberal’s Caleb Suschnick was the triple jump champ and Jasper’s Juan Rivera won the pole vault.
On the girls side, Liberal’s Abby Barton won the 800 and Jasper’s Crystal Smith won both hurdles races and the high jump.
CLASS 2 SECTIONAL 3
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. — College Heights Christian’s girls competed at the Class 2 Sectional 3 meet hosted by School of the Ozarks. The Cougars had state-qualifiers in six events.
College Heights junior standout Addie Lawrence won two individual events.
Lawrence crossed the line first in the 200-meter dash in 26.3 seconds and also took first in the 400-meter run in 58.16 seconds.
The Cougars also won two relays. The CHC team of Jayli Johnson, Lawrence, Lauren Ukena and Emily Winters won the 4×200 in 1:48. College Heights’ 4×400 relay won in 4:10 and featured Johnson, Lawrence, Ukena and Katie Moss.
Also for the CHC girls, Johnson was third in the 400 (1:01) and Ukena took fourth in the 300 hurdles (51.39).
CHC’s girls just missed qualifying in the 4×800, as Marla Anderegg, Madelynn Jordan, Moss and Winters finished fifth.
College Heights finished fourth in the team standings with 62 points. Skyline (84), Spokane (72) and Blue Eye (67) were the top three teams.
In other girls highlights, Sarcoxie’s McKenna Bass and Miller’s Payten Richardson finished second and third, respectively, in the 100-meter dash. Sarcoxie’s Madison Chrisman took second in the 100 hurdles and Diamond’s Jernie DeWitt was the runner-up in the triple jump. Pierce City’s Hayden Kramer placed third in the discus and Sarcoxie’s Nikki Roth was fourth in the javelin.
In boys highlights, Miller’s Beau Hall won the 100, while teammate Brenden Thom took first in both the 200 and 400. Diamond’s Chase Housh was second in the 400, while Sarcoxie’s Gabreal Price was the runner-up in the javelin. Sarcoxie’s Jaron Malotte placed third in both the 110 hurdles and the pole vault and Sarcoxie won the 4×100 relay.
The MSHSAA Class 1-2 Track & Field Championships are May 20-21 in Jefferson City.
East Newton’s boys and Lamar’s girls were the team champions at the Class 3 District 6 track meet on Saturday at Lamar High School.
Seneca, Mount Vernon, Cassville and Aurora all had sectional qualifiers.
The top four in each event advanced to next weekend’s sectional in Hollister.
SENECA
Seneca’s girls team will be well-represented at the sectional meet.
Isabella Renfro was the runner-up in the shot put, while Rylee Darnell and Katelyn Fyock placed third and fourth in the high jump. Fyock also qualified in both the long jump (third) and triple jump (fourth).
Cambry Long placed fourth in the 400, while Danessa Macy was fourth in the 100 hurdles.
The Seneca girls placed third in the 4×200 relay, with Kamryn Fox, Makenzie French, Addyson Jones and Macy competing.
EAST NEWTON
East Newton’s boys claimed the team championship with 134 points.
The Patriots won the 4×400 relay and took third in the 4×800.
Kelton Sorrell won the 800 and the 3200 and was second in the 1600. Chase Sorrell won the 1600 and took second in both the 800 and 3200.
Gabe Bergen won the 300 hurdles and was the runner-up in the 400 and the 110 hurdles.
Nathan Evey was the district champ in the pole vault, while Michael Crowe was second in the high jump and Dominic Shaw placed second in the discus and fourth in the shot put.
For the East Newton girls, Alyssa Coffey was third in the discus.
LAMAR
The Lamar boys were second in the team standings with 127 points.
Lamar’s boys won three relays (4×100, 4×200, 4×800) and were third in the 4×400.
Trace Willhite won the discus and the javelin. Tyson Williams was third in the discus and Austin Wilkerson was fourth in the javelin.
Terrill Davis was second in the long jump, Joel Beshore placed third in the 300 hurdles and fourth in the 100-meter dash, Thomas Gammon was third in the 400 and Blaine Breshears took third in the 800 and fourth in the 1600.
The Lamar girls compiled 122 points to win the team title. Clever was second with 111.
The Lamar girls were first in the 4×100, first in the 4×200 and third in the 4×400.
Phajjia Gordon won the shot put and the discus and took second in the javelin.
Marcy Miller was the runner-up in both the high jump and triple jump and also placed fourth in the javelin.
Kyleigh Talbott was second in the 100, Kiersten Potter placed second in the 3200 and third in the 1600, while Elise Ferris was second in the long jump.
MOUNT VERNON
Wyatt Cordray won the 110 hurdles and took second in the 300 hurdles. Earl Trimble was fourth in the pole vault.
Kadence Krempges won the girls pole vault, Nina Cowherd took third in the 100 and Hunter Gaddy took fourth in the shot put.
The Mountaineers were second in the 4×100.
CASSVILLE
Cassville’s boys took second in the 4×800 relay and were fourth in the three other relays (4×100, 4×200, 4×400).
Bradan Dickinson won the shot put, Eli Pickett finished second in the boys pole vault, while Caleb Leach took third in the 1600 and Peter Littlefield was fourth in the 800 and the high jump.
For the Cassville girls, Annie Moore was the runner-up in the pole vault, while Riley Morris took second in the discus.
Jolie Evans and Tori Mitchell finished third and fourth in the 800. Aaliyah Franklin was third in the shot put and Landry Parnell finished third in the javelin.
The Cassville girls won the 4×800 and took third in the 4×400.
AURORA
Aurora’s Daunte Floyd finished fourth in the triple jump.
For the Aurora girls, Maisie Phillips won the 300 hurdles, Makena Hall took third in the triple jump and placed fourth in both the long jump and the 100 hurdles.
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — With their overall team depth on full display, Webb City’s girls and boys finished first and second, respectively, in the final team standings at Saturday’s Class 4 District 6 track meet at Bulldog Stadium.
With 10 top-two finishes, the Webb City girls compiled 149 points. Marshfield was second with 131 points and Carl Junction took third with 115.5.
“I think the girls exceeded expectations in a lot of areas today,” Webb City coach Dustin Miller said. “They flipped the script in a few events and I know there were a lot of PRs. They’ve got a lot of momentum right now and I’m really proud of the ladies’ effort today.”
On the boys side, Webb City finished second in the team standings with 130 points. Willard took first with 193.
“I’m really proud of the guys,” Miller said. “We evaluated it coming in and we knew Willard had a really strong group. Willard had a heck of a meet and we had a great meet, too. We qualified everything we wanted to. We qualified in everything we were supposed to and we had kids qualify in the hurdles that weren’t supposed to. I’m really proud of how we performed today.”
The top-four in each event qualified for next weekend’s sectional meet in Waynesville.
Both Webb City squads advanced in 13 events. The girls will have 16 sectional entries, with the boys at 15.
“It was hot and we’re not used to it yet, but I’m proud of the effort,” Miller said. “We’ll see what happens next week. We’re excited for the challenge.”
In addition to the Cardinals, Carl Junction, McDonald County and Monett all had numerous sectional qualifiers.
Webb City’s Abi Street and Riley Hawkins are pictured during Saturday’s district track meet at Carl Junction. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS
The Webb City girls had five first-place finishes and five second-place finishes.
Riley Hawkins was a double winner for the Cardinals, as the Missouri Southern signee won the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 22 seconds and took first in the 1600 in 5:39. Hawkins also placed second in the 3200.
Hawkins’ teammate Abi Street won the 3200 in 12:05 and was the runner-up in the 1600 (5:42).
“Just another day at the office for Riley,” Miller said. “Abi Street looked better than what she has in both the 1600 and 3200.”
Webb City’s Dawsyn Decker won the javelin with a toss of 125-7.
The 4×800 relay team of Sophia Crane, Izzy Lopez, Alanna Bundy and Elliett Capron took first in 10:32.
Webb City’s team of Essence Robinson, Lopez, Hawkins and Bundy finished second in the 4×400 relay, while the Cardinals were third in the 4×200, with Robinson, Hally Philpot, Kylie Jennings and Chase Stilley competing.
Ripley Shanks was the runner-up in the pole vault (9-8.5) and Aubree Lassiter took second in the discus (106-2).
Robinson took third in the long jump and the 400, Stilley placed third in the high jump, while Bundy finished third in the 800 and Sami Mancini finished fourth in the shot put.
Pictured is Webb City’s Grayson Smith. A junior, Smith won the pole vault at the Class 4 District 6 meet on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
Webb City’s boys had a top-four showing in 13 events, with four champs and seven runners-up.
Webb City’s Grayson Smith won the pole vault with a new personal best and school record mark of 16-4.75.
“Grayson going five meters in the vault was huge,” Miller said. “He’s come back from his injury well and he’s been vaulting really well in practice. He really wanted five meters today and he got it. He had a PR and is tied for first in the state. He’s top 20 in the nation right now and he’ll have a shot to improve upon that going forward.”
Webb City had two of the top four in the pole vault, as Justin Allen took fourth (12-11.5).
“I know Justin can be an all-stater if things go right,” Miller noted.
The Cardinals were first and second in the javelin, as Trey Roets took first (155-1) and Lucas Ott was a close second (154-3).
“It was big for our guys to go 1-2,” Miller noted.
Evan Stevens won the 3200 with a time of 10:04, while Roman Borboa was the runner-up in two events, the 800 (1:59) and the 1600 (4:30).
William Wolfe finished third in the high jump, while Noah Moss took third in the 110 hurdles.
Finishing fourth in their events were Nathaniel Miller (discus) and Jadon Brisco (300 hurdles).
Webb City advanced in all four relays.
The 4×800 relay team of Jose Antillon, Daunte Smiles, Mason Hedger and Stevens took first in 8:27.
The Cardinals were second in the three other relays.
Webb City’s 4×100 and 4×200 relays featured Jordan Thornburg, Wolfe, Dupree Jackson and William Headrick, while the 4×400 consisted of Headrick, Antillon, Smiles and Wolfe.
Carl Junction freshman Sydney Ward was the district champion in both the 100-meter dash and the 200. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Carl Junction’s girls won five events and advanced in 10. They’ll have 13 entries at the sectional.
Ally Montez won both hurdle races. A senior, Montez took first in the 100 hurdles in 14.88 seconds and won the 300 hurdles in 45.42.
Carl Junction freshman Sydney Ward won the 100-meter dash in 12.11 seconds and finished first in the 200 with a time of 25.18.
Montez and Ward were part of another event win.
The Bulldogs won the 4×400 relay in 4:08, with Ward, Emily Rice, Delaney Harris and Montez competing.
Carl Junction senior Olivia Vediz finished second in both the long jump (16-8.75) and the triple jump (34-1.5).
Finishing fourth in their events for the CJ girls were Acadia Badgley (pole vault), Sloan Uebinger (100 hurdles), Sadie Burchett (1600), Loren Lee (discus) and Hannah Cantrell (long jump, triple jump).
For the CJ boys, Quin Kennedy took second in the high jump (5-8.75) and Parker Epperson finished fourth in the triple jump (40-1.25).
MCDONALD COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS
McDonald County’s Joshua Pacheco placed third in the triple jump and fourth in the 400, while Logan Harriman was third in the discus and Andrew Moritz took fourth in the javelin.
The Mustangs finished third in both the 4×200 (Pacheco, Dominic Cervantes, Samuel Barton, Esteban Martinez-Olvera) and 4×400 (Hunter Leach, Cervantes, Martinez-Olvera and Pacheco) relays.
For the Mac County girls, Mariana Salas was second in the javelin, while Sosha Howard placed third in the triple jump and Corina Holland was fourth in the 400.
The Mustangs finished fourth in the 4×800 relay, with Anna Price, Clara Horton, Madison Burton and Melysia McCrory competing.
MONETT HIGHLIGHTS
For the Monett girls, Vayla Smith was the champion in the 400 with a time of 1:02.
Monett’s girls took second in the 4×200 relay, with Ashtyn Blakey, Smith, Jenna Herald and Karlee McCallister competing. McCallister finished third in the javelin and was fourth in the 100.
On the boys side, Monett’s Konner Poynter had a memorable day. A junior, Poynter won both the 200 (22.68) and 400 (51.47) while also taking second in the 110 hurdles and placing third in the 100 (11.35).
Class 4 District 6
Girls team standings: Webb City 149, Marshfield 131, Carl Junction 115.5, Bolivar 69, Rogersville 65.5, McDonald County 56.5, Willard 51, Monett 46.5, Hillcrest 42.
Boys team standings: Willard 193, Webb City 130, Marshfield 99, Bolivar 73, McDonald County 64, Hillcrest 62, Monett 47, Rogersville 38, Carl Junction 32.
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The Joplin High School boys track and field team is in the midst of a stellar season.
If any proof was needed, it was on display on Saturday at the Class 5 District 6 track meet at Carl Junction’s Bulldog Stadium.
One week after capturing a conference championship, the Eagles added a district title to their memorable season’s list of accomplishments.
“It’s been a great season,” Joplin coach Nick Reid said. “They showed up and competed hard today. We got some points in some areas we weren’t expecting to. They showed up and did well. The beauty of winning the team event is it takes every point, whether that’s first, fourth or eighth. They all count.”
Led by six event wins, Joplin compiled 119.5 points to top the team standings. Ozark was second with 101.75.
At the district meet, the top-four in each event advanced to next week’s sectional meet in Waynesville.
The Eagles advanced 12 entries to the sectional, with 11 events represented.
Joplin’s Donovyn Fowler and Hobb Campbell were double winners.
Joplin senior won two individual events, the long jump and triple jump, at Saturday’s district meet at Carl Junction. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
A senior, Fowler once again won his signature events, the long jump and triple jump. In the triple jump, Fowler recorded a winning leap of 48-9, nearly six feet better than the runner-up. He won the long jump with a mark of 23-8.25.
Fowler, an Oklahoma signee, also advanced in the 200-meter dash by finishing third in 22.9 seconds. Fowler advanced in four events overall, as he ran a leg of the qualifying 4×100-meter relay.
A junior, Campbell won the 800-meter run in 1:57 and crossed the line first in the 1600 in 4:20.
Campbell, who also plays for Joplin’s golf team during the spring, finished fourth in the 3200.
Joplin junior Hobbs Campbell is pictured during Saturday’s district track meet at Carl Junction. Photos by Shawn Fowler.
Joplin senior Donovahn Watkins won the shot put with a heave of 57-10.5 and finished second in the discus (145-6). In the same event, Dontrell Holt advanced by finishing third.
Like they have all season, Fowler, Watkins and Campbell came up big for the Eagles.
“Those three have done great all year,” Reid said. “They typically win their events and score a lot of points for us.”
The Eagles won the 4×800-meter relay in 8:09, with Evan Matlock, Ian Horton, Zaben Barnes and Nicholas Horton competing.
Joplin’s 4×100 relay (Fowler, Davin Thomas, Luke Vieselmeyer, Orion Norris) and 4×200 relay (Tayshaun Palmer, Vieselmeyer, Thomas, Norris) both took third to advance.
The JHS boys have won five meets this season—Carthage, Joplin, Webb City, COC and districts.
Coach Reid gave credit to his assistant coaches for their hard work.
“Our assistant coaches do a great job of working with the kids every day,” Reid said. “They get our kids going and get them prepared for these meets.”
The Joplin girls recorded a top-four finish in seven events, including two victories.
“We had quite a few girls get through to sectionals, including some relays and individuals,” Reid said. “Our girls showed up and did a great job.”
Joplin’s 4×200 relay team of Allie Lawrence, Abigayle Lowery, Amaya Montgomery and Brynn Driver took first in 1:47.
Jennalee Dunn advanced in two individual events. A senior, Dunn crossed the line first in the 800 in 2:20. She was the runner-up in the 1600 with a time of 5:09.
Driver was second in the 400 in 1:02 and Maria Loum was the runner-up in the pole vault (9-8.5).
Advancing with fourth-place finishes were Loum (100 hurdles) and Lawrence (200).
TIGERS, WILDCATS ADVANCE
Carthage and Neosho also had sectional qualifiers.
Carthage’s Joey Hettinger was the district champ in the girls high jump after clearing 5-3.25.
Lilly Holmes placed third in both the discus (100-6) and shot put (33-6.75).
Carthage’s girls finished third in the 4×100, with Aven Willis, Sydnee Dudolski, Lexa Youngblood and Hettinger running.
The Tigers were fourth in the 4×400, with Willis, Youngblood, Ashlyn Brust and Maggie Boyd competing. Carthage’s 4×800 relay team of Morelia Reyes-Perez, Ava Bunner, Grace Brown and Boyd took fourth.
For the Carthage boys, Micah Lindsey was the runner-up in the shot put (50-3.5) and took third in the discus (143-9), while Miquel Solano finished fourth in the 800.
The Tigers finished third in the 4×400 relay, with Braxton McBride, Solano, Tyler Burt and Landen Schrader competing. Carthage was fourth in the 4×200 (Schrader, Taye Witherspoon, McBride, Cooper Jadwin).
Neosho’s Tyrese Hill won the 200 in 22.8 seconds and took second in the 100-meter dash (11.06). Kaden Cole was second in the 1600 (4:22) and Isaiah Green was second in the triple jump (42-11.75).
Also for the Wildcats, Eric Bebie finished third in the 110 hurdles, Jared Siler placed fourth in the high jump and Izaiah Hill took fourth in the 400.
Neosho’s boys were fourth in the 4×100, with Brock Franklin, Siler, Evan Haskins and Hill competing.
For the Neosho girls, Madilyn Ebbinghaus was second in the 200 (26.91), Riley Kemna placed third in the 3200 with a time of 11:50 and Beclynn Garrett finished fourth in the javelin with a toss of 112-4.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Top-seeded McDonald County wasted little time imposing its will on eighth-seeded Ruskin, pushing across crooked numbers in the second, third and fourth innings on the way to a 15-0 win in four innings in the final game of the Class 5 District 7 opening round at Roy B. Shaver Field on Saturday.
“That is kind of what we wanted,” McDonald County coach Kevin Burgi said after the win. “We wanted to piece together good at-bats. Even in the first inning, I know we didn’t have anything to show for it, but I liked what I saw. We wanted (the entire lineup) to put together quality at-bats and I was happy with what I saw.”
The Mustangs advance to take on fourth-seeded Carl Junction at 6 p.m. on Monday in the district semifinals.
“I am expecting a really good baseball game,” Burgi said of his semifinals matchup. “They are really well coached, dominate routine plays, throw strikes and put good at-bats together. When you are playing a team like that, you know Coach (Jake) Stevenson will have them ready.”
Cross Dowd, who also doubled at the plate and scored a run, earned the win after allowing one hit, walking one and striking out five in two scoreless innings of work. Rylan Armstrong struck out three in one relief inning, while Angel Ruiz allowed two hits and struck out one in an inning of relief.
“We got to throw some guys and I was really happy with what I saw from all of them,” Burgi said. “We knew Cross was going to throw strikes because he has done that all year, but I was excited to see the other guys come in and have success, too.”
Donsha Finley took the loss after allowing 12 runs, eight earned, on eight hits, four walks and strikeout in three innings.
McDonald County started the scoring with five runs crossing the plate in the second inning. Weston Gordon stepped into the box with the bases full of Mustangs and delivered a three-run triple to left-center for a 3-0 lead. Fisher Sanny followed with a triple to left field to plate another run. Cole Martin wrapped the scoring in the frame with a sacrifice fly.
“You just want your kids to get comfortable,” Burgi said of his team’s approach at the plate. “That is the biggest thing when it’s win or go home. You want your guys to be comfortable and getting out to a lead helps that. Once we got the lead, I thought we played pretty well.”
The Mustangs didn’t let up in the next half inning, pushing across seven more runs to take complete control with a 12-0 lead. Destyn Dowd and Gordon had back to back run-scoring singles before Sanny delivered a two-run single to center field to push the lead to 9-0. McDonald County added three unearned runs later in the inning to extend the lead to double digits.
MCHS added insurance to the lead in the fourth inning when Sanny picked up an RBI with a groundout. A second run came home on a passed ball and Martin ended the game shortly after with an RBI single to left to bring home the 15th run.
“It’s senior leadership,” Burgi said when asked about his team’s ability to avoid complacency with a big lead early. “I don’t have to say anything. It’s all those guys. It has been a really, really good year and they have been outstanding.”
Gordon and Sanny, who both tripled and had four RBI apiece, and Destyn Dowd each had three hits to lead the Mustangs. Gordon scored three runs, while Sanny also scored a run. Dowd scored twice and drove in one. Martin had one hit, drove in two and scored a run.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Second-seeded Webb City went full blitzkrieg against seventh-seeded Grandview with a 12-run opening frame on the way to a 16-0 three-inning win in the opening round of Class 5 District 7 play on Saturday at Roy B. Shaver Field.
The Cardinals (16-14) brought home 12 runs on eight hits in the opening frame to take complete command before adding four additional runs in the second, while blanking the Bulldogs (7-17) in their only three at-bats.
“I thought we swung the bats really well,” Webb City coach Flave Darnell said. “We had good approaches, put good swings on fastballs and put the ball in play so good things could happen. Twelve runs in the first inning really set the tone, and it was good to see.”
Webb City advances to take on third-seeded Neosho at 4 p.m. in the district semifinals on Monday.
“Neosho is a good team and they are going to be ready to go,” Darnell said. “We won 1-0 with them last time we played, so hopefully we can swing the bats a little better.”
The Cardinals went to work out of the gates with a leadoff triple from Eric Fitch, who touched home on a wild pitch during the next at-bat. Cy Darnell doubled for back to back extra-base hits and came around to score two batters later on a double steal, with Cade Wilson taking second. Wilson stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeremiah Leaming to push the lead to 3-0. Back to back two-out errors by Grandview allowed another run to score before Kaylor Darnell doubled to right to plate a run. After a sixth run came home on another Bulldog error, Fitch stepped into the box again and doubled to left for an RBI and his second extra-base hit of the inning. Not to be outdone, Cy Darnell followed with an inside-the-park home run to make the score 9-0. Leaming added an RBI single before William Hayes wrapped the scoring with a two-run single to right.
“I felt like we have really been swinging the bat well lately,” Darnell said about the output in the first inning. “We talk a ton about being as good as we can come May. We looked pretty good today I thought. We are going to keep grinding it out with practice tomorrow and be ready for Monday.”
After a 1-2-3 inning on defense, the offense continued to swing the hot stick as Cy Darnell doubled home a run before Kenley Hood singled through the left side to score a run and push the lead to 14-0. Leaming followed with a two-run triple to center field to push the lead past the 15-run mercy rule, with the Bulldogs again going down in order in the top of the third to end the game quickly.
Kaylor Darnell started and earned the win after pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings on one hit, one walk and three strikeouts. Leaming pitched 1 2/3 scoreless relief innings, striking out one.
Fitch, who doubled and tripled, and Cy Darnell, who doubled twice and homered, both finished with three hits and three runs scored to lead the offensive onslaught. Darnell had three RBI, while Fitch drove in one. Leaming, who tripled, and Hood each had a pair of knocks, with Leaming driving in four and scoring once and Hood scoring twice and adding an RBI.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Fourth-seeded Carl Junction battled strong pitching while playing from behind through the first four innings before tying the game at 2-2 in the fifth frame and pushing across five runs in the sixth innings en route to a 7-2 opening-round Class 5 District 7 win over fifth-seeded Raytown South on Saturday at Roy B. Shaver Field.
“That lefty for Raytown South (Hunter Burford) is really, really good,” Carl Junction coach Jake Stevenson said. “He kind of took us out of our game by controlling the run game at first base, and he got the strikeouts when he needed them. … We made sure to tell our guys to keep staying with our approach, and I think they did that. When it was time to chase him when they gave us an opportunity to strike, we took advantage.
“In playoff baseball, it’s real simple. You have to go 1-0 and scratch, claw and fight to get there, and our guys did that today. We are happy and fortunate to come back and play on Monday.”
Carl Junction (11-15) takes on top-seeded McDonald County in the district semifinals on Monday at Roy B. Shaver Field. Kyler Perry started and earned the win after allowing two unearned runs on four hits, a walk and seven strikeouts in six innings of work. Lucas Vanlanduit pitched a scoreless inning in relief, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out one.
“Kyler Perry was really good today,” Stevenson said. “He has been our guy in a lot of big games for us this year and he showed up today ready to pitch and I am proud of him. He is a senior and did what we needed him to do.”
Hunter Burford started and took a no-decision after allowing two unearned runs on one hit, six walks and seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Tre Judd took the loss after allowing four runs on one hit and two walks without recording an out. Loyola allowed one run on one hit in 2/3 of an inning.
Raytown South (9-11) took the initial lead with a run scoring on a CJ throwing error in the second inning before the Cardinals went up 2-0 in the top of the fifth when Judd singled up the middle with two outs to plate a runner from third.
The Bulldogs rallied back hard in the bottom of the fifth inning when Cole Wilson, who walked, and Dalton Mills, who doubled, scored on a throwing error by Raytown South to tie the game at 2-2.
An inning later, Carl Junction loaded the bases with one out before Mills drew a walk to force in the go-ahead run. Another run came in on a hit-by-pitch before a sac fly from Arlen Wakefield gave the Bulldogs a 5-2 advantage. Kyler Perry followed with a two-run single to center field to wrap the scoring.
“Whoever can get to the bullpen and grab the momentum is probably going to win the game,” Stevenson said of his team’s late offense. “I was proud of our guys for that. I saw guys looking to attack something in the zone, attack strikes. I thought our guys stayed locked in all game long. It was a good team win.”
Mills had a double, two walks, drove in a run and scored twice, while Wilson had a hit and scored two runs. Perry drove in two on one hit.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Third-seeded Neosho and sixth-seeded Pembroke Hill traded crooked numbers throughout the middle innings with the Wildcats holding off the Raiders late for a 7-6 opening-round win in Class 5 District 7 action on Saturday at the friendly confines of Roy B. Shaver Field.
Neosho (12-15) took control with a 5-1 lead through two innings before Pembroke Hill scored three times in the third and two more runs in the top of the fourth for a 6-5 advantage. The Wildcats responded in turn with a three-run bottom of the fourth inning to jump back in front 8-6. The Raiders pushed across a run in the sixth, only for NHS to match the single tally in the bottom half on the way to the win.
“A win at this time of the year is a win,” Neosho coach Bo Helsel said. “Our boys battled. We have been in close games all year long but we haven’t been coming out on top. That grind that we put in throughout the season shows we have the mentality to stay in the game. … We are going to get better and will be ready for our next game.”
Neosho, which won its first district game since 2017, plays second-seeded Webb City in the district semifinals on Monday.
“It is the first time in the eight years I have been here that we have hosted districts,” Helsel said. “This is the first postseason game we’ve got to play in front of our fans and they showed up and were loud.”
Kael Smith started and took a no-decision after allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits, three walks and a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings. Carson Williams earned the win in relief after allowing one run on four hits in 3 1/3 innings. Austin Rodriguez allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings.
Eli Sitzer took the loss in relief after allowing four runs on four hits, three walks and four strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
The Raiders took the lead for the first time in the top of the fourth on back to back RBI doubles from Phillip McMillin and Spencer Hendren to make the score 6-5.
Eli Zar tied the game back up for Neosho in the bottom half with an RBI single to right. Wyatt Shadwick followed with an RBI triple to center field to give the Wildcats the lead for the final time, 7-6. Quenton Hughes wrapped the scoring in the frame with a single to center to play Shadwick and push the lead to 8-6.
“I think having a bunch of juniors and a couple of seniors playing goes a long way,” Helsel said. “Guys kept stepping up and hitting the ball hard all over the park. That was impressive for us to do that.”
Zar had a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate, which included a home run, and finished with five RBI and one run scored. Shadwick had two hits, an RBI and scored a run. River Brill had two hits, including a double, scored three times and drove in one.
MILLER, Mo. — College Heights used a walk-off double from Joshua Anderson to earn an 8-7 win over fifth-seeded Jasper in the opening round of the Class 2 District 12 Tournament at Miller High School on Friday.
The Cougars (6-12) took a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning before the Eagles (7-13) scored a pair of runs to tie the contest and send it into extra innings. Both teams traded four-run innings in the eighth frame to send it to the ninth where CHC’s Kelton Welch led off with a walk before stealing second to get into scoring position. With one away, Anderson doubled to left field to bring home the winning run in walk-off fashion.
College Heights takes on top-seeded Marion C. Early at 4 p.m. on Monday at Miller High School in the district semifinals.
Nicholas Brueggemann started and took a no decision after allowing six runs, two earned on six hits, a walk and a strikeout in two innings. Ben Thomas allowed one run on four hits, a walk and seven strikeouts in six innings of relief. Smoke Ezell earned the win in relief after allowing one hit in one scoreless inning of work.
Gavin Wampler started and took a no-decision after allowing four runs on four hits, five walks and six strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. Clay Brown took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits and two walks in one inning.
Caleb Evans, who doubled, had two hits, an RBI and a run scored, while Anderson matched him with two hits, including a double, one RBI and one run scored to lead the Cougars at the plate. Brueggemann had a hit, two RBI and a run scored, while Liam Nelson had a hit, three walks, an RBI and a run scored.
Xander Metcalf had three hits and two runs scored, while Wampler Braden Rush, Seth Haddock and Hayden LeMasters each had two hits.
The Webb City-based Berzerker Swimming club team held a signing ceremony on Thursday night inside the Buck Miner Swim Center for four student-athletes who will swim at the collegiate level.
Neosho’s Tristan Clanton signed with Florida Southern, Monett’s Jack Rosebaugh inked with William Jewell, Pittsburg’s Travis Griffing put pen to paper to swim at Quincy University in Illinois and Tristen Wells from Southeast High School in Cherokee, Kansas, signed with Old Dominion.
“Four seniors in one year, that’s a pretty big deal for the club,” Berzerker Swimming head coach and director Shawn Klosterman said. “Everybody here knows this is one of the toughest sports. These guys have put in a lot of hard work. And every one of these guys has a long drive here. They’ve done double workouts, along with lifting. This is something they’ve earned. I wish that all four guys get to go and have an amazing four-year experience. It’s a tremendous honor. We wish them all the best.”
The four athletes didn’t participate in high school swimming — either because their high school doesn’t offer the sport (Clanton, Wells) or because they’re home schooled (Rosebaugh, Griffing).
But as Klosterman noted, all four athletes worked hard to accomplish their goal of becoming a collegiate swimmer.
Old Dominion is an NCAA Division I school, while Florida Southern, William Jewell and Quincy are D-II schools.
Berzerker Swimming head coach and director Shawn Klosterman introduces college signees Tristan Clanton, Tristen Wells, Travis Griffing and Jack Rosebaugh at Thursday’s signing ceremony inside the Buck Miner Swim Center in Webb City. Photo by Jason Peake.
“Our kids were ready to play,” Stevenson said. “We had that feeling when we got on the bus today. The guys were ready to compete. I’m proud of them.” 
The Cardinals broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third. Brantley Carter doubled to left, with Kolton Eilenstein pinch-running. 
