The Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers still haven’t dropped a dual match this fall.
And with their latest victory, the Cavaliers not only extended their season, but they also acquired some new hardware for the trophy case.
Top-seeded Thomas Jefferson defeated second-seeded Mount Vernon 5-2 on Wednesday evening in the championship match of the Class 1 District 10 girls tennis tournament at the TJ courts.
Thomas Jefferson improved to 13-0 in dual matches en route to capturing the program’s third straight district championship.
Cavaliers coach Tom Brumfield noted the Mountaineers made his squad earn the victory.
“I was feeling really good after doubles, but then it got a little tight there during singles play,” Brumfield said. “We won the first set in all of those matches, but then things tightened up. Mount Vernon did a great job. They stayed with it and didn’t give us anything easy. They kept plugging away and we really had to earn those wins. Our girls played well overall too. This was really an enjoyable match to watch.”
The Cavaliers began Wednesday’s district title match on a positive note, as the hosts won two of the three doubles contests.
At No. 1 doubles, Thomas Jefferson’s Allison Ding and Jeanna Jeyaraj defeated Isabella Mosley and Allison Schubert 8-5. Thomas Jefferson’s Kyla Yang and Mayson Solum beat Vicki Moore and Molly Burk 8-4 at No. 2 doubles.
At No. 3 doubles, Mount Vernon’s Adelynn Hall and Audrey Bittle edged TJ’s Jessica Joseph and Warda Morsy 9-8 (7-4 tie-breaker).
The first to five wins match ended after the Cavaliers won three singles matches.
In completed singles matches, Ding defeated Mosley 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, while Mount Vernon’s Moore beat Jeyaraj 1-6, 6-4, 10-7 at No. 2.
Thomas Jefferson’s Yang defeated Schubert 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3 singles, while teammate Solum beat Bittle 6-2, 6-4 at No. 6.
With those wins secured, the Cavaliers ended the night posing with the district championship plaque.
Next, the Cavaliers will meet District 11 champion Bolivar on Monday in the sectional round of the Class 1 state tournament.
Brumfield noted it’s been a stellar season thus far for his undefeated Cavaliers.
“We’re having a great season,” Brumfield said. “What they’ve done is not easy. They’ve been able to get up for every match and they’ve played well. Our next match won’t be easy. We can compete with them, but we can’t be scared.”
INDIVIDUAL SECTIONALS
Host Thomas Jefferson has three entries at Friday’s individual sectional tournament—singles players Ding and Jeyaraj and the doubles team of Yang-Solum.
Mount Vernon’s doubles team of Schubert-Mosley will also compete at the sectional, along with two singles players from Harrisonville and a pair of doubles teams from Bolivar.
Carthage was the team champion and Joplin was the runner-up at the Springfield Duals swim meet on Tuesday.
Carthage had 294 points to top the team standings, while Joplin was second with 211.5 points.
Monett (172.5), Kickapoo (164), Marshfield (119), Nixa (99) and Seymour (13) rounded out the team standings.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
Carthage junior Kellen Frieling won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5 minutes, 48 seconds. Will Wallace was the runner-up in the same event with a time of 5:53.
Braxton McBride placed second in two events, the 200-yard freestyle (1:58) and the 100 breaststroke (1:09).
William Wright was the runner-up in the 200 individual medley in 2:16.
Frieling was third in the 200 IM, Eli Cox finished third in the 50 free and fourth in the 100 free and Noah Blackford took third in the 100 backstroke.
Trey Nye finished fourth in the 200 free, Ryan Steinbach took fourth in the 500 free and Maverick Allphin was fourth in the 100 breaststroke.
The Tigers took second in the 200 medley relay, as Frieling, Wallace, Wright and Cox finished second with a time of 1:50.
Carthage’s 400 free relay team took second, with Frieling, Cox, Wallace and McBride swimming a time of 3:40.
The team of McBride, Wright, Daryl Martin and Landon White finished third in the 200 free relay.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
Zane Newman took first in two events, the 50 freestyle in 23.2 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 52.24 seconds.
Nathan Wardlow won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:13 and also tied for second in the 100 freestyle in 53.45 seconds.
Parker Hinman took second in the 100 backstroke and also placed third in the 200 freestyle.
Jackson Mordica finished third in the 100 breaststroke, while Ian Vermillion was fourth in the 100 butterfly and fifth in the 100 backstroke.
Joplin’s 200 medley relay team of Hinman, Wardlow, Vermillion and Newman took second with a time of 1:50.
The JHS team of Hinman, Vermillion, Newman and Wardlow placed third in the 400 free relay.
The Eagles were seventh in the 200 freestyle relay, with Isaiah Thom, Jackson Mordica, Connor Intessimone and Jordan Goins competing.
MONETT HIGHLIGHTS
Matthew Fillinger won the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:57. He tied for second in the 100 free.
Jayden Apostle took first in the 100 breaststroke in 1:09.
Monett won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:40, with Ryan Goodson, Spencer Hurt, Apostle and Fillinger competing.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Webb City handled Neosho 3-0 on Tuesday night in Central Ozark Conference volleyball action inside the Cardinal Dome.
The Cardinals defeated the Wildcats 25-15, 25-17, 25-8.
Freshman middle blocker Jaeli Rutledge led the Cardinals with nine kills and two blocks.
Brenda Lawrence recorded eight kills and seven digs, while Kate Brownfield added eight kills, six digs and three aces.
Aubree Lassiter and Kirra Long contributed four kills apiece.
Kyah Sanborn had 30 assists and eight digs from the setter position, while libero Sophia Crane had a team-high 14 digs.
Webb City is now 21-3-1 on the season. Neosho fell to 9-10-3.
Both teams return to action on Thursday, as the Cardinals are at Republic and the Wildcats are at Ozark.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS SWEEPS VERONA
College Heights made quick work of Verona after defeating the Wildcats 25-9, 25-17 and 25-23 on Tuesday.
The win improves the Cougars’ record to 17-6-1 on the season.
Lauren Ukena had 10 service points, 10 digs and eight kills in the win. Libby Fanning added nine kills, while Ava Masena finished with 12 digs. Maddy Colin had 12 digs and 21 assists.
College Heights is at McAuley on Thursday.
CARTHAGE TOPS BRANSON
BRANSON, Mo. — Carthage earned a five-set win over the host Pirates.
The Tigers beat the Pirates 25-20, 15-25, 25-21, 16-25, 15-13.
Carthage (8-16-2, 2-3 COC) is at Nixa on Thursday.
MCAULEY FALLS TO GOLDEN CITY
McAuley was on the wrong end of a 25-12, 25-13 and 25-15 loss against Verona on Tuesday.
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction faced a strong resistance from Joplin in nearly every set but found a way to come through when it mattered most as CJ finished off the Eagles with a 25-21, 22-25, 25-19 and 25-13 win while celebrating Senior Night on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs took a close opening set before the Eagles evened things up with a tightly-contested second set. After Carl Junction again earned a narrow win in the third set, the Bulldogs got out to a sizable lead in the final set on the way to the match win.
“I thought in the second set (Joplin) kind of increased their intensity and we decreased ours,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said. “I talked to them a little bit about getting to that next level and not being OK with playing average volleyball. I thought in the third and fourth set, we were serving really aggressively and kept ourselves in system and did some nice things.”
“We did a lot of things really well tonight at the net and defensively,” Joplin coach Desiree Felker said. “We changed our lineup a bit to get Serafina (Auberry) the ball a bit more, which worked in our favor several times tonight. There were a few miscues with our rotation tonight that cost us at key moments as a result of us changing it, though. Bailey Owens had a great night at the net and Jayla Hunter did a great job holding down the back row for us.”
SENIOR NIGHT
Carl Junction honored four soon-to-be-graduating student-athletes on Senior Night—Lo Jones, Destiny Buerge, Jocelyn Brown and Adia Kennedy.
“They came in pretty quickly and made impacts at a high level,” Sharples said of her four seniors. “Des and Lo played varsity from freshman year up, and Adia and Jocelyn made immediate impacts even at the JV level and have come in and made a great impact on varsity this year. They’re great leaders, and not just on the volleyball court. They’re really involved in school and are leading in the classroom by being great students. I couldn’t ask more from them.”
GAME ACTION
Carl Junction opened the first set as the aggressor, scoring the first four points on Jones’ service. Jones had an ace, Buerge a kill and Karissa Chase added a kill and a block. That would be the biggest margin of the game until the closing points.
Joplin rallied back and played evenly with the Bulldogs for much of the first set, including tying the game at 16-16 on an ace from Abby Hembree.
Carl Junction took the momentum from there. An attack error forced a sideout before Chase picked up five points in service, including back to back aces, to push the CJ lead back out at 22-16. Jones, Kylie Scott and Aubreigh Fowler added kills in the run before the Bulldogs went on to complete the opening-set win.
The second set was even tighter than the opener. Neither team took the momentum and played within several points of each other the entire game. Joplin’s first taste of breathing room came on a kill from Bailey Owens to give the Eagles a 22-20 lead. Joplin held that two-point margin until Serafina Auberry was able to cap the second game with a kill to even the match.
The back-and-forth style of play continued in the third set, with the Bulldogs taking the advantage late on a sideout kill from Scott, an ace from Fowler and another kill from Scott to push the lead to 19-15. Joplin scored the next two before Carl Junction ended the game shortly after.
“That was huge to come back after letting a set slip away from you,” Sharples said.
Carl Junction was able to build a bit of a cushion early in the fourth set, using a block from Jones and a kill from Scott during Fowler’s service to push the advantage to 13-6. The lead went to 16-8 on a kill from Kennedy. Chase earned a kill to give the Bulldogs a 20-10 lead and a Scott kill put the score at 23-12 before CJ finished the match off moments later.
“Our ball control was a little better,” Sharples said about her team’s ability to jump out to a lead in the fourth set. “I thought we were passing kind of tight most of the night. In the fourth set, we kind of kept ourselves off the net better so we could run our offense.”
STATS
Scott, who recently received an athletic offer from the University of Hawaii, finished with 17 kills and 16 digs, while Buerge, who announced her commitment to Pittsburg State University during the Senior Night ceremonies, was right behind with 14 kills and 14 digs to lead the Bulldogs. Jones, who is committed to Arkansas, finished with 43 assists, two aces and two blocks. Brown finished with nine digs, while Kennedy had four kills and three blocks. Chase had four kills, four blocks and four aces, and Abigail Wilson adedd nine digs.
Owens had 10 kills and a block for Joplin, while Abby Hembree and Auberry each had six kills. Hembree added 11 assists and four digs and Auberry added 11 digs. Paisley Parker had five kills, three aces and eight digs. Jayla Hunter had a team-high 17 digs, while Abby Edwards finished with nine digs. Adalynn Niorfalise had 13 assists.
CASSVILLE, Mo. — Several local squads fared well at the Cassville Cross Country Invitational on Tuesday.
East Newton’s Chase Sorrell won the boys race in 16:23.
Rounding out the top five were Monett’s Julio Cruz, Cassville’s Caleb Leach, Lamar’s Pierce Heins and Neosho’s Carson Newell.
Finishing sixth through 10th were McDonald County’s Hunter Leach, Lamar’s Cameron Bailey, Carl Junction’s Jack Lawson, Monett’s Victor Salas and Galena’s Colton Ellingsworth.
Carl Junction’s second finisher was Isaac Willoughby, who placed 17th. McDonald County’s Lane Pratt was 23rd and Neosho’s Gabriel Mabrey took 27th.
McAuley Catholic’s trio of Trae Veer, Phillip Motazedi and Joe Staton finished 37th, 38th and 39th, respectively. Other top performers for the Warriors were Drew Zeb (50th) and Connor Taffner (62nd).
College Heights Christian’s top performers were Corban Thomas (68th) and Josiah Thomas (72nd).
Lamar (75), Cassville (125) and Neosho (143) were the top three boys teams. There were 17 full squads, with 23 total teams in attendance.
In the girls race, Lamar’s Kiersten Potter took first in 20:06.
Rounding out the top five were Cassville’s Jolie Evans, Neosho’s Riley Keman and Chloe Wood and Gravette’s Julia Whorton.
College Heights Christian’s Jayli Johnson finished sixth, with Mount Vernon’s Rylee Simons, Monett’s Sadie Camp, Cassville’s Dakotah Anderson and Tori Mitchell rounding out the top 10.
Neosho’s Lakyn Prough and Carl Junction’s Alexis Carpenter finished 14th and 15th, while CJ’s duo of Klohe Burk and Bailey Feken were 18th and 19th.
CHC’s Marla Anderegg placed 20th, while CJ’s Audrey Fletcher and Sadie Burchett were 22nd and 23rd. McDonald County’s Kate Cheney took 25th.
Seneca’s Dalisia Reed finished 34th and Mac County’s Anna Price was 37th.
Also competing for College Heights were Jesalin Bever (29th), Madelynn Jordan (47th), Madi Carson (58th), Emmy Carson (71st) and Emily Winters (83rd).
Competing for McAuley were Samantha Perrin (85th) and Miriam Kramer (86th).
Cassville (74), Carl Junction (92) and Gravette (112) were the top three girls teams.
There were 11 full squads on the girls side, with 21 teams competing.
The Joplin Eagles made the Carthage Tigers sweat for about 20 minutes of playing time during the second half of their Central Ozark Conference match on Tuesday night, until Carthage junior Welle Welle put in a header off an Eric Garcia corner for a 3-1 lead with 6 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in regulation.
Welle apparently put in his third goal of the match as time expired, but the referee did not count it because he said Welle did not get off his kick before the buzzer, resulting in a 3-1 win for the Tigers.
“We didn’t do a very good job of finishing tonight,” Carthage coach Jacob Osborne said. “We had at least, I don’t know how many, three or four chances that we should have put away and we didn’t. We had time, we were able to get our heads up, just didn’t place the ball where we needed to and put it too close to the keeper.
“Joplin, they always play us tough. Since we let them hang around, once they got that goal, that made it scary and they really amped up the pressure. Our kids did a good job too to bounce back after that and to get back under control and start to play again, because there for a pretty big stretch there we struggled.”
Carthage built a 2-0 halftime lead thanks to a goal from Welle and assist from Edson Lopez nearly 14 minutes in and a header from George Laytham with an assist by Danilo Lopez at 8:46 before the half.
Early in the second half, Joplin cut the deficit in half with a goal by Adam Badr and assist by Adam Montanez.
“We were a shell of ourselves in the first half, unrecognizable from the standard that we set for ourselves,” Joplin coach Josh Thompson said. “The second half, I think the team responded well to our adjustments and we stopped playing scared. We were able to get Carthage on their back foot for a little bit in the second half, which was a good change, but it just wasn’t quite enough.
“We definitely had several opportunities that would have evened it up. The balls were maybe two or three inches either direction. Their keeper did a great job, and their defenders back there had good deflections, good blocks. We definitely had the type of pressure that we were seeking to put on them, for a good stretch there in the second half.”
Carthage finished with a 26-24 advantage overall in shots and Carthage senior Julio Lopez and Joplin freshman Toby Ipsen each finished with 12 saves.
“We had our freshman keeper in there today,” Thompson said. “This was his biggest varsity experience so far. Our senior keeper Andrew Jordan wasn’t 100 percent today. Proud of him for being able to step into those shoes and perform well. Then, second half, the defense was able to figure out some of their issues, resolve a lot of them, and put a very good attacking team shut down for a little while.”
Carthage improved to 12-2 overall and 5-1 COC, and the Tigers extended their winning streak to seven entering Thursday’s match at home against Kickapoo.
“Second district game we’ve had this year and that made it extra important because we only have three district games before we actually get to the district tournament,” Osborne said of the win Tuesday. “That makes all the district games important.
“Saturday was big, playing Lee’s Summit West. They’re one of the favorites in our district, and getting a win, it was a very tough game. It was good to be able to step on the field and see that we can play with them.”
Joplin, meanwhile, dropped to 9-5 overall and 3-3 COC, and the Eagles return home this weekend to host their annual varsity invitational tournament.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Autumn Kinnaird hit the game-winning single to center in the bottom of the 12th inning to give Neosho a thrilling 4-3 victory over Carthage on Tuesday in the Central Ozark Conference finale for both teams.
The Wildcats led 3-1 when the Tigers plated two runs in the sixth inning.
Neither team scored until the hosts ended the game in the 12th.
Grace Johnson started the bottom half of the 12th with a single to right before Baylie Bowers reached on a bunt single.
On a 2-2 count, Autumn Kinnaird drove in the game-winning run with a single.
Autumn Kinnaird went 3-for-5 with three RBI, while Beclynn Garrett, McKaylie Forrest and Johnson contributed two hits apiece.
A shortstop, Beclynn Garrett doubled and drove in a run. A second baseman, Johnson scored twice.
Chloe Patterson went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out three.
Carleigh Kinnaird was the winning pitcher. She tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 11 and giving up just one hit.
Carthage’s Ashlynn Jackson was charged with the loss. She allowed four runs, two earned, on 11 hits in 11 innings. Jackson struck out five.
Jenna Calhoon had three hits for the Tigers, while Lexa Youngblood and Jackson had two hits apiece.
Brooklyn Dolon-Main, Calhoon and Jackson drove in runs.
Neosho is now 21-4 overall and the Wildcats went 7-2 in conference play, good for second place.
Carthage fell to 16-13. The Tigers went 4-5 in the COC.
Carthage is hosting its annual softball tourney this weekend.
Neosho will compete at the Rolla Tournament this weekend.
WILLARD 7, CARL JUNCTION 2
WILLARD, Mo. — The game was tied after three innings, but Willard scored five unanswered runs to earn the Central Ozark Conference victory over the Bulldogs.
Willard improved to 14-14 and finished 5-4 in the COC. Carl Junction fell to 9-16. The Bulldogs went 1-8 in conference action.
Hannah Cole took the loss after allowing six earned runs on 12 hits in six innings.
Carl Junction’s Hannah Cantrell, Sammie Sims and Georgia Arnold had two hits apiece. Both of Sims’ hits were doubles.
Madi Olds and Sims had the lone RBI for the Bulldogs.
Willard’s Abigail McMillin earned the win. She struck out six and scattered seven hits in seven innings.
Alyson Miller went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI to lead the Tigers.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Joplin Eagles definitely concluded conference play on a positive note.
Joplin scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning to earn a 3-2 victory over Webb City on Tuesday in the Central Ozark Conference softball finale for both squads.
It was Joplin’s first win over Webb City since Oct. 8 of 2015.
“That’s a great win,” Joplin coach Brenden Schneider said. “It’s been a long time coming for these girls. Webb City has a great tradition, so it’s nice to come here and find a way to win. I’m very proud of the girls.”
After five scoreless innings, both teams pushed across two runs in the sixth inning.
The Eagles manufactured the go-ahead run in the intense seventh inning against Webb City reliever Karsyn Cahoon.
Jadyn Pankow reached on an infield single, with Carlie Howard pinch-running. Howard took second on a wild pitch and went to third on Riley Kelly’s groundout.
Next, Izzy Yust slapped a grounder to short, and Howard beat Jensyn Pickett’s throw home, giving the visitors a 3-2 cushion.
The Cardinals went down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
“Our girls could have laid down after giving up two runs in the sixth, but they didn’t,” Schneider said. “They responded. That’s been our thing all year…we find a way. I’m extremely proud.”
Joplin, ranked fourth in Class 5 by the Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association, hiked its record to 22-9 overall. The Eagles finished 5-4 in the COC.
The Cardinals, who featured five freshmen in Tuesday’s starting lineup, slipped to 16-17 overall and finished 5-4 in conference games.
Webb City coach Shauna Friend noted she was proud of her team’s effort.
“I’ve been proud the last two nights,” Friend said, noting a 3-1 loss to McDonald County one night earlier. “We’ve come out and played hard and competed really well. We’d love to come out on the other end of things, but we just couldn’t get enough run support. We just needed to string some hits together. But our girls fought hard tonight, so I’m proud of that.”
Joplin senior Jill McDaniel delivers a pitch to the plate against Webb City on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
Joplin senior right-hander Jill McDaniel earned the pitching victory with a solid performance in the circle. A Highland Community College commit, McDaniel limited the Cardinals to two runs on five singles and two walks while striking out six.
“The thing I was really happy with was she only walked two batters,” Schneider said. “She’s just been a warrior. She was hurt for a while and she found a way to come back. She’s proven herself. She can pitch with anybody as long as she’s in the right frame of mind.”
Four Eagles recorded two hits apiece—Bailey Ledford, Pankow, Kelly and Kirsten McMillen.
Sophomore right-hander Laney Taylor started in the circle for the Cardinals. She went 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on nine hits while striking out two in a no-decision. Cahoon took the loss after allowing one run on one hit in 1 2/3 innings.
Alex Maturino, a freshman outfielder, had two of Webb City’s five hits.
The Eagles threatened in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but Taylor maneuvered out of trouble all three times.
“We did some things today that we don’t normally do,” Schneider noted. “We got thrown out at the plate three times. Credit to their shortstop on one of those. She made a phenomenal play. But we’ve got to be smarter on the basepaths. We’ve got some things to clean up.”
Joplin finally broke through in the sixth.
With one out, McMillen singled before McDaniel reached on Webb City’s lone error of the game, putting runners on second and third.
Maria Loum drove in the first run with a fielder’s choice, with McMillen scoring on a close play at the plate. Ledford followed with a run-scoring single up the middle for a 2-0 advantage.
Webb City responded in the bottom half.
The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out after Lily Hall singled and Dawsyn Decker and Pickett drew walks. Next, Maturino delivered a game-tying, two-run single through the left side.
McDaniel retired the side to keep the game deadlocked before the Eagles rallied in the seventh.
“I feel like we’re doing a lot better at competing until the end, and hopefully that carries into districts,” Friend said.
Webb City’s Lily Hall makes the catch against Joplin.
Webb City ends the regular season on Saturday with a non-conference doubleheader against Kickapoo and Class 5 No. 1 Rock Bridge. The Cardinals are the host of the Class 4 District 7 tournament.
Joplin concludes the regular season on Thursday at former Ozark Conference foe Waynesville. The Eagles will compete at the Class 5 District 5 tournament next week.
With the postseason quickly approaching, Schneider likes where his team is at.
“These last two wins, 2-1 over Glendale and 3-2 tonight, are great wins to get before we head to the district tournament,” Schneider said. “It’s good for us to be in these situations. You never know what the district tournament is going to bring. It’s a crazy atmosphere. It’s been good to see us in challenging situations against good teams like Webb City. We hope to have a good game on Thursday and then regroup a little bit. We need to find a way to hone in on the things we need to work on before the district tournament.”
District tourney seeds and brackets are expected to be released on Wednesday.
Joplin second baseman Maria Loum tosses to first base after fielding a grounder against Webb City on Tuesday. Photos by Shawn Fowler.
Joplin shortstop Izzy Yust fires a throw to first base during Tuesday’s game with Webb City.
Webb City’s Laney Taylor delivers a pitch to the plate against Joplin.
Webb City’s Jensyn Pickett makes contact against Joplin on Tuesday. All photos by Shawn Fowler/SoMo Sports.
Top-seeded Thomas Jefferson defeated fourth-seeded Aurora 5-0 on Tuesday in a semifinal contest of the Class 1 District 10 tournament.
In doubles action, Thomas Jefferson’s Allison Ding and Jeanna Jeyaraj defeated Olivia Ray and McKenna Bradley 8-1, while Kyla Yang and Warda Morsy topped Kloey Boyd-Emily Gearhart 8-3 and Jessica Joseph and Mayson Solum defeated Adeline Patillo-Libby Sawyers 8-0.
In completed singles matches, TJ’s Jeyaraj beat Boyd 6-0, 6-0 and Yang defeated Gearhart 6-0, 6-2.
In the other semifinal, second-seeded Mount Vernon topped third-seeded College Heights Christian 5-0.
Thomas Jefferson takes on Mount Vernon in the district title match at 2:30 on Wednesday at the TJ courts.
