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Month: October 2022

DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL: Seneca beats Mount Vernon for program’s first district title

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Seneca volleyball has been in the hunt for its first district title in program history for quite some time.

On Tuesday, the second-seeded Indians accomplished that goal after earning a 18-25, 25-23, 25-20 and 25-16 win over fourth-seeded Mount Vernon (17-14-2) in the Class 3 District 12 title match to earn the right to be called district champions.

“It means a lot to this program,” Seneca coach Rachel Ayo said. “These girls have worked their butts off all season. They knew they were capable of doing great things this year. To see them come out and actually accomplish those things—honestly, it’s every coach’s dream. You want your program to do well and to succeed, and I can’t imagine a better group of girls to lead this program to its first district title for Seneca.”

WHAT’S NEXT

With the district title under their belts, the Indians (17-9-1) now play in the sectional round of the Class 3 state tournament. To make it an even more memorable experience, Seneca is hosting its first ever game in the state tournament. The Indians welcome Mountain Grove (27-7) for a 6:30 p.m. matchup on Thursday at Seneca High School.

“It is just crazy to think about,” Ayo said with a big smile. “I just don’t know. It’s just crazy. It’s crazy.”

GAME ACTION

Seneca jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the opening set after a five-point service run from senior Braxton Raultson—which included an ace, two kills from senior Parker Long and a kill each from Raulston and senior Amber Garrison—but the Mountaineers answered right back with a seven-point run in service from freshman Averee Swillum that was highlighted by an ace and two kills from freshman Hali Stokes to give MVHS a 13-9 advantage. Mount Vernon stayed in front and pushed the lead to 21-14 on a kill from sophomore Cheyenne Bieber, who added two more kills as each team traded sideouts until the Mountaineers closed out the first set.

Despite the opening-set loss, Coach Ayo had full confidence her team would respond because of the experience the Indians have had playing extended matches this season. Four of Seneca’s first five wins came in five sets to start the season, with several four and five-set matches sprinkled in along the way.

“Knowing that our team has the stamina and determination to finish out those long matches—and I may not want to go into those long matches—but I at least know if it comes to that point, we can step up, finish and get the job done instead of rolling over and not finishing the match.”

The second set saw Seneca jump out to a 12-5 lead after a Garrison block, Raulston kill and Long ace but Mount Vernon used several errors on the Indians coupled with kills from senior Jordan Duncan and Stokes and an ace from Swillum to tie the game at 17s. Raulston added three kills and junior Jera Jameson had two more down the stretch to send SHS to the win.

Seneca and Mount Vernon started the third set much like they ended the final set, a back-and-forth contest that saw the Indians holding a 14-12 lead before scoring the next eight out of 11 points to go up 22-15. Jameson had a kill, while senior Brylee Sage added a kill and a block. Jameson finished off the third-set win with a block to give Seneca a 2-1 advantage.

The Indians started fast in the fourth set, building a 6-1 initial lead on a five-point service run from Raulston—with an ace, two kills from Long and a kill from Jameson included—before going up 9-2. 

Mount Vernon used a 7-2 run to trim the lead to 11-9, but Seneca didn’t waver—scoring seven of the next nine points to push its lead back up, 17-10. Long had two aces and a kill, while junior Louzella Graham also added an ace to highlight that stretch of play. Jameson and Long added back-to-back kills for a 20-14 lead before two more kills by Long pushed the advantage to 22-16. Seneca clinched the final set on consecutive blocks from Jameson and Garrison.

“It was nice to have a lead because volleyball is such a mental game,” Ayo said about jumping out in front. “If you can start out leading and can hold onto that lead, that is a huge mental advantage to your team. I think that was huge.”

STATS

Sage finished the night with 41 assists and two blocks, while Long closed with 17 kills, 16 digs and three aces. Jameson added 16 kills and two blocks, while Raulston had 20 digs and three aces.

“These girls mean a lot,” Ayo said. “This is my third year here and I have had them since they were sophomores or younger. I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls to coach. It is going to be sad to see them go whenever the season ends, but I am ready to go out with a bang, though. I think we have a good chance to do some great things.”

DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL: College Heights overpowered by Jasper in district title match

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Jasper Eagles never trailed during a dominant 3-0 win (25-17, 25-19, 25-14) Tuesday evening over the College Heights Christian Cougars for the Class 1 District 11 title at the Thomas Jefferson Fieldhouse.

Jasper went on a 5-0 run early in the first set to go ahead 12-6 and then a 4-0 run later on after the Cougars trimmed it to 18-15.

Jasper and College Heights traded more punches and runs in the second set, as the Cougars overcame a 6-2 deficit early on to earn a 20-17 score after their 4-0 run. 

Jasper sophomore middle hitter Crystal Smith ended the Cougars’ run with a kill and the Eagles’ three straight points gave them a six-point cushion late in the set with only two points to go for 25.

College Heights Christian’s Addie Lawrence is pictured during Tuesday’s district title match against Jasper. Photo by Derek Livingston.

College Heights earned three tie scores early in the third set before Jasper built a commanding 21-8 lead with a 13-0 scoring run.

“Jasper played great,” College Heights coach Mary Colin said. “They played great, and we knew they would. They’re a good team. They’re fun to watch. They’re fun to play. We prepared for them and we had the tools in our tool belt. We just came out on the wrong side.”

College Heights’ Lauren Ukena and Addie Lawrence finished with 11 and 10 kills respectively. Maddy Colin led the Cougars with 24 assists, Ava Masena made nine digs and five different Cougars served one ace.

College Heights finished the season 23-10-2 overall.

“I just told the girls they had a great season,” Coach Colin said. “Lots of great stats. They’re a fun group of kids. They’re in there encouraging each other. They love this game, but even as much as they love this game, they love each other so it’s not just the game that ended today, it’s their volleyball family that ended. We already miss each other. We want to see each other tomorrow and seasons come to an end and that’s part of the journey. This was a great journey with some great kids.”

College Heights seniors Ukena, Masena, Lawrence, Lindsay Griesemer, Marley Woodford and Sophia Wilkins played their final high school games on Tuesday.

“I’m standing here with Hannah Graham, who was their junior high coach,” Coach Colin said. “One of the seniors hugged her and said we’ve had you since we were in seventh grade, which is true. That’s going to happen at a small school. We get to watch them for six years, not just four years. They have come along and when they were young in high school, they took their turn watching the older girls and when it was their turn, they stepped in and they played some great volleyball.”

Jasper improved to 25-8-3 overall with a 3-1 record against College Heights this season and the Eagles will play host Drexel (28-5) in a Class 1 sectional match on Thursday.

 

College Heights Christian’s Elizabeth Fanning hits a kill at the net against Jasper on Tuesday night. Photo by Derek Livingston.

 

Ava Masena serves for the College Heights Christian volleyball team on Tuesday against Jasper on Tuesday at Thomas Jefferson. Photo by Derek Livingston.

 

CHC’s Lindsay Griesemer passes to a teammate on Tuesday. All photos by Derek Livingston.

 

Elizabeth Fanning attempts to block Livia Dumm’s kill attempt.

DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL: Webb City claims second straight district crown with win over rival Carl Junction

Posted on by Jason Peake

WILLARD, Mo. — For the second straight season, and for the third time in four years, the Webb City Cardinals have captured a district championship.

In a clash between familiar foes, top-seeded Webb City defeated second-seeded Carl Junction 3-0 on Tuesday night in the championship match of the MSHSAA Class 4 District 6 volleyball tournament at Willard High School.

The Cardinals beat the Bulldogs 25-19, 25-17, 25-12.

“I’m feeling great and I’m just super proud of the kids,” Cardinals coach Rhonda Lawrence said. “They’ve been very intentional all season and it showed again tonight. Carl Junction is always a tough team and we knew they were going to bring it. Tonight was another great hard-fought fight. The rivalry continues, and I’m just happy we’re on top for two years in a row.” 

Webb City (31-4-2) will host Helias Catholic (29-6-3) at 1 p.m. on Saturday in a quarterfinal contest of the state tournament.

“I’m super excited,” Lawrence said. “We’ve never got to host before. We’ll be packing the Dome for sure. We just need to stick to what we do best. We do a lot of things really well and we can’t be too worried about what’s coming at us.”

The Webb City Cardinals celebrate Tuesday’s win.

Coach Lawrence confirmed to SoMo Sports that this is the first time in school history that a Webb City volleyball team has surpassed 30 wins in a season. 

“I can’t say enough about how much these girls have grown and improved since last year,” Lawrence said. “They’ve bought in and that’s why we’re where we’re at tonight. I’m pretty proud of them. We’ve made a lot of history this year.” 

It was the fourth straight season the Cardinals and Bulldogs have met for a district championship. Webb City won last year’s meeting and the matchup in 2019, while Carl Junction won the clash in ’20. The Bulldogs also knocked off the Cardinals in the district semifinals in ’18.

Webb City won both of the matchups with the Bulldogs in the regular season — the conference clash and the championship match of the CJ Classic. 

Of course, it’s never easy beating the same team three times in one season. Lawrence noted that scenario provided extra motivation for Tuesday’s win-or-go-home matchup. 

“We were fired up for that,” Lawrence said. “It’s hard to beat someone three times, but we knew we’d already beat them twice and we should rely on that for confidence. We knew they didn’t have Lo (Jones) in our first match with them and then she had just gotten back the second time we played them. But it does help to play against a team that you see a lot. You know what’s coming at you. And these kids have played against each other since they were little.” 

Carl Junction was playing for a district title for the seventh straight season, but the Cardinals simply had too much firepower.

Always a key to victory, Webb City was the first team to 15 and to 20 in all three sets.

“That’s always a big thing,” Lawrence said. “Getting to 15 first and getting to 20 first makes a huge difference. Volleyball is a mental game and I feel like we attacked tonight. We are multifaceted from where we can attack from…that’s what I love about this team. It makes us hard to defend and hard to shut down.”

In the opening set, the Cardinals took a 10-6 lead after kills from senior outside hitter Brenda Lawrence and junior outside hitter Aubree Lassiter, along with a solo block from Lassiter.

The Bulldogs stayed close with kills from junior Kylie Scott and sophomore Karissa Chase, but the Cardinals finished the first set on a 6-2 run.

The Cardinals led 9-7 in the second set when they gained all of the momentum and used an 11-3 run to take a 2-0 lead. 

During a key stretch, Webb City sophomore Kirra Long recorded a block at the net, Lassiter slammed a kill and the Bulldogs committed three straight attack errors.

Webb City took control of the third set early with an 8-1 lead, but the Bulldogs didn’t go down without a fight, as CJ pulled within two at 10-8 on Scott’s kill.

But the Cardinals wouldn’t be denied. Freshman middle hitter Jaeli Rutledge hammered home a kill and junior libero Sophia Crane served an ace before late kills from Lassiter and senior outside hitter Kate Brownfield secured the set and match victory. 

Lassiter and Brenda Lawrence recorded 10 kills apiece for the Cardinals, while Rutledge had seven kills and Brownfield added six kills to go along with seven digs. 

Crane had a team-high 11 digs, while senior setter Kyah Sanborn handed out 30 assists and added six digs. Jenna Noel, another senior, had five digs.

Scott led the Bulldogs with nine kills, while senior outside hitter Destiny Buerge recorded 10 digs and eight kills. 

Senior setter Logan Jones handed out 25 assists for the Bulldogs, while junior defensive specialist Sara Buchele added seven digs, junior Aubreigh Fowler had three blocks and Chase chipped in six kills. 

Carl Junction ends the season at 22-11-2. 

“When you win 22 matches, you’ve had a good season,” Bulldogs coach Cheryl Sharples said. “And we finished in the top 16 in Class 4. I’m proud of my kids and the work they put in this year.” 

The Bulldogs said goodbye to seniors Jones, Buerge, Adia Kennedy and Jocelyn Brown.

“Our seniors have been a big part of our program since their freshmen year,” Sharples noted. “They have contributed to over 100 wins in their careers.” 

An all-state performer who will continue her volleyball career at Arkansas, Jones concluded her stellar prep career as the program’s all-time leader in assists.

 

Notes: Helias Catholic defeated Jefferson City 3-2 for the District 5 title. 

Saturday’s quarterfinal winner will advance to the state Final Four in Cape Girardeau on Nov. 3-4.

 

The Webb City Cardinals pose with the district championship plaque and bracket on Tuesday night at Willard High School. Photo by Jason Peake.

 

DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Webb City, CJ advance to district finals matchup; Seneca tops Nevada in five sets; Diamond beats Lamar

Posted on by Lucas Davis

WEBB CITY AND CARL JUNCTION TO FACE FOR DISTRICT TITLE

WILLARD, Mo. — Familiar foes will once again meet for a district championship. 

Top-seeded Webb City defeated fourth-seeded Glendale 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-14) and second-seeded Carl Junction beat third-seeded Branson 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-18) in the semifinals of the Class 4 District 6 volleyball tournament on Monday night at Willard High School.

The Cardinals (30-4-2) and Bulldogs (22-10-2) will square off at 6 p.m. on Tuesday for the district championship.

It’s the fourth straight season the Cardinals and Bulldogs have met for a district title.

Webb City won last year’s meeting and the matchup in 2019, while Carl Junction won the clash in ’20.  

In Monday’s straight set win over the Falcons, Webb City’s Aubree Lassiter recorded 10 kills, nine digs, four aces and two blocks, while Kate Brownfield added nine kills and eight digs.

Jaeli Rutledge contributed nine kills and three blocks, while Brenda Lawrence added seven kills and five digs.

Webb City setter Kyah Sanborn had 29 assists and 13 digs, while Sophia Crane recorded a team-high 25 digs from the libero position. Jenna Noel contributed eight digs, while Kirra Long chipped in two kills. 

With Monday’s win, Carl Junction advanced to a district title match for the seventh straight season. 

Kylie Scott finished with 13 kills and seven digs for the Bulldogs, while Destiny Buerge had 12 kills, 12 digs and two blocks. Lo Jones added 32 assists, seven digs and two blocks. Jocelyn Brown finished with 11 digs, while Sara Buchele had four aces and Adia Kennedy closed with three blocks.

 

SENECA SURVIVES AGAINST NEVADA IN SEMIFINALS

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — It was a true back-and-forth match with Seneca surviving against Nevadan 25-21, 23-25, 25-16, 15-25 and 15-7 in the Class 3 District 12 semifinal action on Monday.

With the win, the second-seeded Indians (16-9-1) advance to the district championship with a matchup against the host and fourth seed, Mount Vernon (17-13-2) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Parker Long had 16 kills, 12 digs and four aces, while Brylee Sage finished with 33 assists and two aces to lead Seneca. Jera Jameson added nine kills and five blocks, with Braxton Raulston adding 11 digs and eight kills. Tatum White finished with 10 kills and two aces, while Ella Graham closed with 11 digs.

 

DIAMOND TOPS LAMAR FOR DISTRICT TITLE

GRANBY, Mo. — Second-seeded Diamond rallied from a two-set deficit and knocked off top-seeded Lamar 3-2 in the championship match of the Class 2 District 11 tournament on Monday at East Newton High School.

The Wildcats beat the Tigers 13-25, 22-25, 26-24, 25-9, 15-10.

Diamond (23-9-4) will meet either Fair Grove or El Dorado Springs on Thursday in the quarterfinals. 

 

  

 

BOYS SOCCER: Joplin blanks Parkview on Senior Night

Posted on by Lucas Davis

The Joplin Eagles scored three goals in the first half and five in the second to earn an 8-0 win Monday night over the visiting Parkview Vikings during the Eagles’ home finale.

Joplin senior Luis Alvarado passes upfield in the Eagles’ win over Parkview on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Five different Eagles scored goals and three players finished with two each; seniors Luis Cordova, Luciano Reyes, and Adam Montanez scored twice each, and sophomore Adam Badr and senior Grayden Cravens had one goal each, while senior goalkeeper Andrew Jordan finished with a shutout.

“Our goal this year is to be an efficient and deadly team in the final third,” Joplin coach Josh Thompson said. “I think whenever you have this many guys who are able to finish in the box, good things happen. We’re able to spread the ball around, and the stats are indicative of that.”

The teams played in steady rain for nearly 60 minutes of the match and the Eagles netted half their goals after the rain had slowed down.

“Not this season, but we’ve got 11 seniors out here that every year we’ve had at least two games that are in this type of weather or worse,” Thompson said. “That’s one of the advantages of having an experienced squad. They’ve been out here on this field in these conditions, but in 33- or 32-degree weather right on the line so they’re ready for it.”

Joplin honored their seniors before the match Monday.

Joplin senior Adam Montanez fights for possession during the Eagles’ win over Parkview on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“They were my first group being a head coach with these guys,” Thompson said. “Being able to grow as a head coach along with them as players out here, it’s been a tremendous experience. I’ve known a lot of these guys since they were in middle school, and it’s just been a fun ride. This is the type of team coaches wait a long time for and it doesn’t happen often.”

The Eagles improved to 15-6 overall entering their regular-season finale Tuesday on the road against Central Ozark Conference opponent Branson.

“We have Branson at Branson tomorrow, then we’ll head up to Lee’s Summit and play Lee’s Summit West on Saturday,” Thompson said.

Joplin senior Justin Kilafwa steals a pass during the Eagles’ win over Parkview on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

With a win Tuesday, the Eagles can match their 16 wins from last season.

The Eagles are the sixth seed in a Class 4 District 6 field with six teams that have a winning record (top seed Rockhurst, No. 2 Lee’s Summit, No. 3 Lee’s Summit West, No. 4 Raymore-Peculiar, and No. 5 Carthage in addition to the Eagles).

“Looking at some of the other districts, I think from top to bottom we are certainly the hardest one or one of the hardest ones,” Thompson said. “There’s no easy way through this bracket.”

The Eagles are in pursuit of their first district title in boys soccer since 2018, when they won a pair of 3-2 matches against Republic and Springfield Central to come away with the Class 4 District 11 title.

FOOTBALL: Missouri Media releases latest rankings

Posted on by Jason Peake

Below are this week’s Missouri Media statewide high school football rankings, as compiled by a 10-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.  

The panel is made up of Dion Clisso, PrepsKC; Cole Young, PrepsKC; Dave Kvidahl, STLHighschoolsports.com; Tom Rackers, Jefferson City News-Tribune; Chris Parker, Ozone Sports; Joe Andrews, Warrensburg Star Journal; Tommy Rezac, KFEQ St. Joseph; J.B. Connoley, KRES radio; JC Reeves, Southeast Missourian/semoball.com; Jason Peake, Somo-Sports.com.

 

MISSOURI MEDIA RANKINGS

First-place votes in parenthesis.

CLASS 6
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Liberty North (9), 9-0, 99, 1
2. CBC (1), 8-1, 91, 2
3. Lee’s Summit North, 8-1, 80, 3
4. Nixa, 8-1, 58, T5
5. Troy, 7-2, 53, 4
6. Joplin, 7-2, 50, T5
7. Marquette, 8-1, 40, 7
8. Blue Springs South, 6-3, 31, 9
9. Staley, 7-2, 23, NR
10. Seckman, 8-1, 11, NR
Dropped out: No. 8 DeSmet, No. 10 Rock Bridge
Also receiving votes: DeSmet (4-5), 7; Rockhurst (5-4), 7

CLASS 5
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Carthage (9), 8-1, 99, 1
2. Francis Howell (1), 9-0, 91, 2
3. Holt, 8-1, 70, 4
4. Camdenton, 8-1, 63, 3
T5. Lebanon, 8-1, 54, 5
T5. Webb City, 6-3, 54, 6
7. Fort Osage, 7-2, 36, 10
8. MICDS, 8-1, 32, 7
9. Eureka, 8-1, 24, 9
10. Oak Park, 7-2, 18, 8
Also receiving votes: Jefferson City Helias (7-2), 5; Grain Valley (7-2), 4

CLASS 4
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Kearney (9), 9-0, 99, 1
2. St. Mary’s (1), 7-2, 91, 2
3. Smithville, 8-1, 76, 3
4. Center, 9-0, 73, 4
5. Union, 9-0, 56, 5
T6. Hannibal, 7-2, 46, 6
T6. Hillsboro, 8-1, 46, 7
8. Rockwood Summit, 8-1, 33, 8
9. Nevada, 7-2, 14, 10
10. Vashon, 6-2, 10, 9
Also receiving votes: West Plains (6-3), 6

CLASS 3
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Cardinal Ritter (10), 9-0, 100, 1
2. Valle Catholic, 9-0, 90, 2
3. Pleasant Hill, 8-1, 80, 3
4. Lutheran St. Charles, 6-3, 69, 4
5. Maryville, 6-3, 52, 7
6. Lutheran North, 5-4, 47, 5
7. Savannah, 8-1, 39, T8
8. Park Hills Central, 8-1, 32, T8
9. St. Pius X, 6-3, 26, 6
10. Reeds Spring, 7-2, 15, 10

CLASS 2
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Blair Oaks (10), 9-0, 100, 1
2. Lafayette County, 9-0, 89, 2
3. Lamar, 8-1, 76, 4
4. Seneca, 8-1, 63, 3
5. Richmond, 8-1, 62, 5
6. Bowling Green, 9-0, 53, 6
7. MV-Liberty, 9-0, 43, 7
8. Macon, 8-1, 31, 9
T9. Centralia, 7-2, 15, 8
T9. New Madrid County Central, 8-1, 15, 10
Also receiving votes: Lift for Life (6-3), 1; Holden (6-3), 1; Trenton (8-1), 1

CLASS 1
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
1. Monroe City (6), 9-0, 96, 1
2. East Buchanan (4), 8-1, 94, 2
3. Marionville, 9-0, 75, 3
4. Gallatin, 9-0, 71, 4
5. Mid Buchanan, 8-1, 61, 5
6. Lincoln, 8-1, 53, 6
7. Scott City, 8-1, 38, 8
8. Adrian, 7-2, 20, 7
T9. Ash Grove, 7-2, 10, NR
T9. Cole Camp, 7-2, 10, NR
Dropped out: No. 9 St. Vincent, No. 10 Portageville
Also receiving votes: Duchesne (5-4), 9; Portageville (7-2), 7; Butler (7-2), 4; Putnam County (7-2), 2

BOYS SWIMMING: Joplin competes at Springfield invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

Joplin was among the 24 schools who competed at the Springfield Invitational on Saturday.

The Eagles finished 13th in the team standings.

Joplin’s Nathan Wardlow placed seventh in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:07. 

Wardlow finished 11th in the 100 backstroke with a time of 58 seconds. 

Parker Hinman was 13th in the 200 IM (2:15) and 16th in the 100 backstroke (1:00).

Zane Newman finished 14th in both the 50 freestyle (23.5 seconds) and the 100 free (52.35).

Joplin’s 400 freestyle relay team of Newman, Ian Vermillion, Hinman and Wardlow took 12th with a time of 3:39.

The Eagles finished 13th in the 200 freestyle relay, as Wardlow, Isaiah Thom, Vermillion and Newman recorded a time of 1:38.

Joplin finished 14th in the 200 medley relay in 1:54, with Hinman, Jackson Mordica, Thom and Jordan Goins competing.

Joplin will be among the teams competing at the SWMO Championships on Friday and Saturday. 

 

DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Webb City, Carl Junction advance; Neosho suffers season-ending setback

Posted on by Jason Peake

CARDINALS, BULLDOGS ADVANCE

WILLARD, Mo. — Top-seeded Webb City and second-seeded Carl Junction both cruised to straight set victories in the quarterfinal round of the MSHSAA Class 4 District 6 tournament on Saturday at Willard High School.

Webb City defeated eighth-seeded Parkview 25-6, 25-6, 25-11, while Carl Junction topped seventh-seeded McDonald County 25-2, 25-9, 25-10.

In Monday’s semifinals, the Cardinals (29-4-2) will take on fourth-seeded Glendale (16-12-3) at 5 p.m. and the Bulldogs (21-10-2) will play third-seeded Branson (19-11-3) at 7.

In Saturday’s win, Webb City’s Kate Brownfield recorded eight kills, eight digs and five aces to lead the Cardinals, while Brenda Lawrence served nine aces to go along with five kills. Jaeli Rutledge added eight kills, while Aubree Lassiter contributed five kills.

Webb City’s Kyah Sanborn compiled 20 assists and five digs from the setter position. 

In Carl Junction’s win over the Mustangs, Karissa Chase recorded nine kills and four blocks, Destiny Buerge had seven kills and Kylie Scott contributed seven digs and six kills.

CJ’s Jocelyn Brown had eight digs and Adia Kennedy recorded four blocks, while senior setter Lo Jones handed out 29 assists. 

Also of note, Carl Junction’s coaching staff told SoMo Sports that Brown had 22 consecutive service points in the opening set. 

The Mustangs concluded the season with a record of 9-22-2.

In Saturday’s other action, Glendale defeated fifth-seeded Hillcrest 3-0 (27-25, 25-18, 25-18) and Branson topped sixth-seeded Willard 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-20).

The district title game is scheduled for 6 on Tuesday night. 

 

SEASON ENDS FOR NEOSHO

REPUBLIC, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats saw the 2022 season come to an end on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Class 5 District 6 tournament at Republic High School.

Second-seeded Kickapoo defeated seventh-seeded Neosho 3-0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-10).

The Wildcats went 9-18-4 this fall. 

In other action at the tourney, top-seeded Nixa beat eighth-seeded Waynesville 3-0 (25-7, 25-7, 25-10), fourth-seeded Republic topped fifth-seeded Lebanon 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-16) and third-seeded Ozark knocked off sixth-seeded Springfield Central 3-0 (25-12, 25-9, 25-8).

College Heights sweeps McAuley Catholic in district semis

Posted on by Lucas Davis

The College Heights Christian Cougars will play for their third district championship in a row after their 3-0 win (25-19, 25-10, 25-15) on Saturday against McAuley Catholic in the Class 1 District 11 semifinals at the Thomas Jefferson Fieldhouse.

College Heights’ Addie Lawrence swings through a kill during the Cougars’ win over McAuley in district action on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Second-seeded College Heights improved to 23-9-2 on the season entering Tuesday’s district title match against top-seeded Jasper (24-8-3).

Jasper defeated Liberal 3-0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-9) in the first semifinal match Saturday.

College Heights started out a little bit slow Saturday, but the Cougars found a rhythm late in the first set that carried over into the second and third sets.

“It was a super fun match,” College Heights coach Mary Colin said. “I thought the girls played really good. Three of them took the ACT (Saturday), so we kept joking that their brains, they came in mentally fatigued. They weren’t as energetically hyped as normal, but I thought they were still very consistent and serious about getting the job done.

“There were a couple mishits at first, which I like to blame on the vision of being in an ACT and your eyes are so tired. After that, for sure, we started getting some rhythm.”

College Heights used a 4-0 run late in a tight first set to go ahead 24-18 and the Cougars closed it out 25-19 after exchanging side-outs with the Warriors.

McAuley’s Kloee Williamson earns a kill in the district matchup with College Heights on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

College Heights started out slow in the second but put together a few scoring runs — highlighted by a 7-0 early in the set that put the Cougars into the lead and a 5-0 that gave them a lead by 10 points at 18-8 — that produced a 25-10 set for the Cougars.

College Heights again saw McAuley Catholic take an early lead in the third, but the Cougars finished it off 25-15 with 5-0 and 3-0 runs giving them the lead for good at 5-3 and 8-4.

Maddy Colin finished the match with six kills, 23 assists, six digs and one ace, Addie Lawrence added 14 kills, Lauren Ukena picked up four kills, nine digs and three aces, Libby Fanning had two kills and two blocks, Lindsay Griesemer had 10 digs, Marley Woodford made four kills, Ava Masena made 10 digs and served two aces, Katie Moss had one assist and two digs, and Lilly Plassman added one assist and four digs.

The five-match stretch in late September and early October that College Heights played without Lawrence has benefited the Cougars after her return to the lineup Oct. 6 in their conference match against McAuley Catholic.

McAuley’s Lily Black raises for a block attempt in the Warriors’ matchup with College Heights in district action on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“For sure, Addie gets a lot of reps and when she was gone, the other girls got a lot of reps,” Coach Colin said. “I think there was one match when Lauren got set 77 times and Lindsay got set 60 times, so they went from maybe 25 touches to a whole lot more touches. I would definitely say the entire team improved offensively while she was gone because they were getting more touches. Now, she’s back and they’re still stepping up.

“I thought they all played really good today, and we had all to do something special in this moment. Like there was this one ball, I call it Plinko when it hits the ceiling, and it dinks around and Maddy’s coming, and she couldn’t get to it. At the last second, she yelled help and there were two girls waiting on it. That’s good teamwork.”

College Heights and Jasper have become familiar opponents during the past two seasons.

Tuesday marks their fourth match of this season with Jasper winning two of three against College Heights in matches played within a two-week stretch in September.

Jasper defeated College Heights 2-0 in the Jasper and the Lamar tournaments, while College Heights won a regular match in five sets on Jasper’s home court.

Last season, College Heights took all three matches against Jasper, including a five-set match for the Class 1 District 9 championship.

“Jasper’s so good,” Coach Colin said. “So good. They are fun to watch. They are solid all the way around. It’s going to be a great match. It is going to be kill for kill, and both teams are going to be in it to win it. It’s going to be a fun match.”

McAuley Catholic, meanwhile, finishes the season 21-15-2 overall, and the Warriors tripled their wins total from the previous 7-18-1 season.

The Warriors’ 21 wins this season are their most since the 24-win district championship team in 2018.

“I wish that we would have gone at least four, at least taken one game from College Heights,” McAuley Catholic coach Sarah Nangle said. “It would have been fun. Honestly, I’m not at all upset with my girls. I thought they battled hard, especially having to deal with losing our libero (senior JoJo Wheeler) in that third set. It forced them to come together.

College Heights’ Ava Masena passes the ball in the win over McAuley in district play on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“I’m proud of them. We’ve had a great season, better than last year, and it stinks the seniors went out the way they did not being able to make it any farther, but I’m excited and hopeful for next season already.”

Wheeler and fellow senior Lily Black each played their final matches for the Warriors.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON FALLS TO LIBERAL IN QUARTERS

Thomas Jefferson’s season came to an end in the Class 1 District 11 quarterfinal round on Friday when the fifth-seeded Cavaliers lost 25-11, 11-25, 25-21, 16-25 and 15-12 in a five-set thriller. 

Thomas Jefferson closes the year with a 12-17-1 record.

Lannah Grigg led the way with 18 kills, 17 digs, seven aces, three blocks and two assists, while Macie Shifferd had 13 digs, four kills, two assists and an ace. Mary Nguyen finished with 13 digs, 12 assists, three kills and an ace, while Nico Carlson had 20 digs, six kills and four assists. Gabbi Hiebert had five kills, six digs, two assists and a block. Marley Flanagan had four digs, with Alexis Stamps adding seven digs, two kill, five assists and three aces. Maggie Sutton had 13 digs and two aces, while Yasmina Mokhtar had six digs.

FOOTBALL: Joplin rallies past Neosho in the second half on the way to a win in finale

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Class 6 No. 5 Joplin played from behind for much of the first half before flipping the script in the second half and pulling away to a 68-43 win over Neosho on the back of a monster performance from junior RB Quin Renfro on Friday at Junge Field on Senior Night. 

The Wildcats took the first possession for a touchdown and never surrendered the lead while heading into halftime with a 28-27 advantage. Joplin scored out of the break to take the lead and never looked back, riding a big second half from the defense and a huge night on the ground en route to the win in the regular season finale.

“I am proud of our guys,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. “It was an uncharacteristic game for us in a lot of ways, but we got done what we needed to do. I am excited that the regular season is done and we have a new season to prepare for. We will take care of our bumps and bruises tomorrow, evaluate and learn from this game and get ready for the playoffs.”

SENIOR NIGHT

With it being the final regular season home game, Joplin honored 22 players and one manager in Senior Night ceremonies.

“It’s a group of kids who are just working hard together and want to play for the name on the front of the jersey,” Jasper said. “That is special, and I told them that. We are only guaranteed seven more days of football. We are going to have to earn another seven days after that.”

STATS

Joplin running back Quin Renfro makes a tackler miss before picking up a first down. Renfro rushed for 312 yards and eight touchdowns in the win. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Joplin finished the night with 585 yards of offense on 66 plays, with Renfro closing with a monster game. Renfro rushed 33 times for 312 yards and eight touchdowns, which is a new Joplin record previously held by former RB Isaiah Davis. Senior RB Drew VanGilder picked up 48 yards on nine carries, while sophomore WR Davin Thomas caught three passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. Joplin senior WR Terrance Gibson caught six passes for 96 yards, while junior QB Hobbs Gooch completed 12-of-18 passes for 223 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

“It all comes down to the offensive line,” Renfro said. “We have the two best tackles in the state, the two best guards in the state, the best center and the best tight end in the state. I would put them up against anybody. They are the hardest-working group I’ve ever played with. Those are their touchdowns. It’s all them. It wasn’t me.”

“He has put himself up against the rest of the running backs in the conference,” Jasper said about Renfro. “I think that comes with his hard work. He has a different leadership style, definitely different than I have, but it is very effective. The guys up front love blocking for him and playing hard for him. It is fun to see him grow as a leader because that is a tough role. Leadership can be lonely, but he just keeps working hard and cheering on his teammates. Football is a long season and he has gotten better each week.”

Neosho closed the game with 249 yards of offense on 80 plays. Junior QB Quenton Hughes completed 22-of-44 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Senior RB Jared Siler gained 142 yards and two scores on 34 carries. Senior WR Isaiah Green caught 13 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. 

“I am extremely proud of our kids,” Neosho coach Brandon Taute said. “They weren’t intimidated by anything. They played really well against a ranked Class 6 football team. We hung toe to toe with them in the first half. It was just those first few minutes of the second half that are so important. That is kind of where we made a living in our wins this year, taking advantage of those first couple of minutes in the second half. Credit to Joplin for flipping the script on us. They won those first few minutes in the second half and that was the difference in the game.”

DISTRICT UPDATE

Neosho RB Jared Siler breaks a tackle on the way to a first-down run in the Wildcats’ loss to Joplin on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Joplin came into the game as the fourth seed (39.21) in Class 6 District 3, with Nixa (44.48), Lee’s Summit North (44.36) and Kickapoo (40.43) on top of the Eagles in the standings. While there is a chance for a shakeup at the top, as of now, Joplin will be hosting fifth-seeded Raymore-Peculiar on Friday at Junge Field in the district tournament opener.

“From the outside looking in, you could say that we’ve overachieved in the regular season,” Jasper said. “But, we are 7-2 and those two losses, when you look back, are really going to sting, which is a good thing because that tells us how far we’ve come.”

Neosho is the fourth seed in the Class 5 District 6 tournament and will host fifth-seeded Willard (0-9) on Friday at Bob Anderson Stadium.

“I want to continue to get better at the things we are doing,” Taute said when asked what he wants to see from his Wildcats as they enter the postseason. “We get to go back home and play in front of our home crowd one more time, so that is exciting. It always comes down to us executing our system and being fundamentally sound.”

GAME ACTION

After Neosho and Joplin each scored touchdowns on the opening drives—with Green catching a screen pass in the flat from Hughes before using a block, turning up field and breaking a tackle on the way to a 20-yard score and JHS’ Renfro scoring on the ground from 7 yards out—the Wildcats jumped back out in front for a second time, this time thanks to a big play on defense.

Joplin TE Whit Hafer rumbles down the sideline before being tackled at the 1-yard line. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Gooch scrambled in the backfield to avoid pressure before heaving a second-down-and-1 pass towards the near hash mark down the field, with the ball getting picked off by Neosho DB Bostyn Patterson and returned for a 77-yard pick-6 touchdown to give the Wildcats a 14-7 lead with 5:09 on the clock in the first quarter.

Joplin once again responded to tie the game up at 14-14 when Gooch found TE Whit Hafer for a 21-yard reception to set up a 1-yard touchdown run from Renfro with 2:52 to play in the opening period. 

The Wildcats didn’t flinch, taking the final 2:52 off the clock in the first quarter and the first 59 seconds off the start of the second period before Siler punched it in from a yard out on third down to give Neosho a 21-14 lead.

For the third straight drive, Joplin was forced to play from behind. For the third straight drive, Joplin drove down the field for a game-tying touchdown, which came on a 4-yard run from Renfro, who wears No. 3 on his jersey, for his third touchdown of the game to tie things up at 21-all with 7:26 to play in the first half. 

The Eagles’ defense came up with its first turnover of the game on the ensuing Neosho drive when a third-down pass from Hughes over the middle of the field was tipped in the air by senior LB Draven VanGilder, who laid out to make the diving interception to give the Joplin offense possession near midfield.

The turnover didn’t end up in points the other way, as Neosho forced Joplin into a 35-yard field goal into the win that was off the upright and no good.

Neosho QB Quenton Hughes drops back to pass in the Wildcats’ loss to Joplin on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

The Wildcats used another big play on defense to take the lead once more when a one-handed interception by DB Collyn Kivett in the flat went the other way for a 30-yard touchdown, the second pick-6 of the first half, to give Neosho a 28-21 advantage with 2:06 left on the clock.

“That is huge for us heading into the playoffs,” Taute said. “Our defense has forced a couple of turnovers the last couple of weeks. We know we can score. When we can put both of those things together, I think we are a pretty good football team.”

Joplin rallied back quickly for a touchdown just before the half on a 5-yard rushing score from Renfro, his fourth TD of the first half, but the point-after try was no good, preserving a 28-27 lead by the Wildcats into the intermission. 

The Eagles got the ball out of the locker room and Renfro continued with his big night, picking up gains of 10, 10 and 32 yards before capping the drive with a 9-yard rushing score. Gooch scored on rushing to the far pylon on the ensuing two-point conversion to give Joplin a 35-28 lead over Neosho, the Eagles’ first of the game, with 10:16 to play in the third quarter.

After Joplin forced a turnover-on-downs on the defensive end when LB Jonathan Williams sacked Hughes on fourth-down-and-5, with JHS taking possession at its own 34, Thomas broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown reception on fourth-down to give the Eagles a 41-28 lead.

The Eagles’ defense continued its strong play in the second half when Collis Jones picked off Hughes on the ensuing NHS possession and returned the ball 45 yards for a touchdown to give Joplin a 48-28 lead with 3:25 left in the third quarter.

Joplin sophomore WR Davin Thomas heads to the goal line in the Eagles’ win over Neosho in the season finale at Junge Field. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Neosho added a one-yard score from Siler and Renfro added his sixth touchdown from a yard out to bring the score to 55-35 with 11 minutes left.

Joplin’s Blake Farmer came up with a punt block, which led to a 12-yard rushing score from Renfro moments later to push the lead to 61-35 with 10 minutes to play.

Green caught his second touchdown of the game with 7:30 left in the game to trim the score to 61-43 before Joplin answered back with a 4-yard score by Renfro for the eighth time this game. 

“Tonight, we just played as a unit—as a team,” Renfro said on his team’s win to close the regular season. “Everybody was hyping up everybody on both sides of the ball. When we play as a complete unit, it is really scary. … This gives us a lot of momentum and was an important win heading into the postseason.”

CROSS COUNTRY: Atteberry, Johnson repeat as Ozark 7 champs; McAuley boys, CHC girls win team titles

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry and College Heights Christian’s Jayli Johnson repeated as the individual champions and the College Heights girls and McAuley Catholic boys captured the team titles at the Ozark 7 Conference Cross Country Championships on Friday at Missouri Southern’s Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.

It’s the second straight team championship for the CHC girls, while the McAuley boys won a conference title for the first time. 

Thomas Jefferson senior Kip Atteberry won the boys race at the Ozark 7 Meet. Photos by Shawn Fowler.

TJ’S ATTEBERRY SETS NEW PR 

It’s safe to say Kip Atteberry was pleased with his performance.

A senior standout at Thomas Jefferson, Atteberry set a new personal best time of 16 minutes, 40 seconds en route to cruising to a first-place finish in the boys 5K. 

“It feels great to PR,” Atteberry said. “I came out with a different strategy this time. I decided I was going to book it for the first mile and then see where it went from there. And I really know this course well and that helps a lot. I always know where I’m at.”

Atteberry, competing on a familiar home course, had a large group of TJ students waiting to congratulate him just seconds after he crossed the finish line all alone. His time was 20 seconds better than he recorded at last year’s event.

“I’m really happy,” Atteberry said. “I’ve got my friends here this time. It was huge to see my friends here. And since this is the Ozark 7 race, I know all of these guys. So I feel really good. It was a great atmosphere.”

“I’m really proud of Kip,” Thomas Jefferson coach Clayton Carnahan said. “He’s been working hard to get a PR for a while. We’re trying to work up to state at this point, where we think he can be a top three contender.” 

Thomas Jefferson had the top two finishers in the boys race, as freshman London Rodriguez was the runner-up in 17:53. TJ’s Braden Honeywell-Lynch took seventh in 19:05 to give the Cavaliers three medalists.

“I’m really proud of how our team has supported each other this year,” Carnahan said. “I think they’ve continued to improve because of all the hard work they’ve put in.”

Pictured is McAuley Catholic’s Michael Parrigon.

MCAULEY BOYS WIN FIRST TEAM TITLE

The McAuley boys made history by securing the program’s first conference title in cross country.

The Warriors, with five runners in the top eight and all seven in the top 14, finished with 26 points. Thomas Jefferson was second (42) and College Heights (58) was third. There were three teams with full squads.

“One of our team goals was to win a conference championship,” Warriors coach Andy Youngworth said. “We’d never won one. There’s not even a board on the wall at the school for cross country yet. So I told our kids they had to win something before we get a plaque up there. I’m happy for our guys. We’ve got four seniors and they’ve worked really hard. They committed to the offseason program. We ran pretty well today…not great. We didn’t run our best race of the year, but we trained really hard this week.”

McAuley’s Michael Parrigon led the way by placing third in 18:16. Finishing fourth, fifth and sixth were Trae Veer, Phillip Motazedi and Joe Staton, while Drew Zeb was eighth. 

Also finishing in the top 18 for the Warriors were Alex Bohachick (13th), Connor Taffner (14th), Cliff Nolan (15th), Grant Horinek (16th) and Kable Reichardt (18th). 

College Heights Christian’s Colton McMillan and Josiah Thomas finished ninth and 10th, respectively, to earn medalist recognition. CHC’s Caleb Quade and Steven Calandro were 11th and 12th.

“We’re running some good times and we’re getting better,” College Heights coach Phillip Jordan said. “We’re trying to put ourselves in a position where maybe we can qualify next week.”

 

JOHNSON REPEATS, LEADS CHC GIRLS TO TEAM TITLE

A senior at College Heights, Jayli Johnson repeated as Ozark 7 girls champion by touring the course in 21:37. 

“I’m pleased,” Johnson said. “It was definitely a goal to repeat, but I knew I just needed to go out there and do my best. It’s my senior year, so it’s a little sad that this is my last season. I’m just thankful for the season we’ve had and I’m thankful for all the time we’ve spent together.” 

Johnson said her race strategy was simple.

Pictured is Jayli Johnson. Johnson won her second straight Ozark 7 title.

“I really wanted to go out harder than I usually do,” Johnson said. “I knew there was some good competition today and I knew I needed to start well. I just kept pushing myself. I went out quickly and just hoped I could maintain it.” 

College Heights sophomore Marla Anderegg was the runner-up in 21:40 and McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey took third in 23:05.

CHC’s Jesalin Bever and Madelynn Jordan finished fourth and fifth, while Thomas Jefferson’s Sarah Mueller was sixth. Rounding out the top 10 were Wheaton’s Lakeisha Wise, McAuley’s Marbellie Villanueva, TJ’s Samantha Seto and CHC’s Madi Carson. 

College Heights finished with 19 points and McAuley was second with 38. They were the lone full squads.

“I thought we were prepared and ready to go out and compete and defend our conference championship,” Coach Jordan said. “I thought our top three girls ran very well. Jayli is a senior and she’s used to being in big races. And she knows how to win. Marli ran one of her best races of the year and she continues to get better. Jesalin and Madelynn also ran very well. We had some other kids who weren’t feeling well, but they fought through it, so I’m proud of all of them.”

Mueller and Seto gave the Cavaliers two medalists.

“I’m really proud of Sarah and Samantha,” Carnahan said. “They’ve both been nursing injuries this whole season. I think they’re finally feeling stronger.”

The Warriors also had two medalists in Ramsey and Villanueva.

“This was the first time ever our girls had a full team at the conference meet,” Youngworth said. “I was proud of them. Kendall’s had three volleyball matches this week. She’s been busy. But I’m happy that Kendall and Marbellie were medalists. It was a pretty good day for our program overall. Our middle school girls won and our boys were second. So, as a program, we’re getting there.” 

 

FULL RESULTS: https://mo.milesplit.com/meets/496184-ozark-7-conference-meet-2022/results#.Y1M8ZtfMJD9

 

McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey is pictured during Friday’s Ozark 7 Meet. Photos by Shawn Fowler. Ramsey finished third in the girls race.

 

College Heights Christian’s Marla Anderegg is pictured during the Ozark 7 Meet. Anderegg was the runner-up in the girls race.

 

McAuley’s Trae Veer and Phillip Motazedi finished fourth and fifth, respectively, at the Ozark 7 Meet. The Warriors won the team championship.

 

College Heights Christian’s Colton McMillan and Josiah Thomas are pictured during Friday’s Ozark 7 Meet. All photos by Shawn Fowler.

 

Thomas Jefferson’s Sarah Mueller finished sixth in the girls race.

FOOTBALL: Carthage routs Willard in regular-season finale, clinches COC share

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WILLARD, Mo. — The Carthage Tigers scored touchdowns on six of their first seven possessions in the first half en route to a commanding 55–14 turbo clock victory Friday night over the winless Willard Tigers at Tiger Stadium.

Carthage scored 21 points in the first quarter, 20 in the second, and one touchdown each in the third and the fourth.

Ranked first in Class 5 by the Missouri Media, Carthage finished the regular season 8-1 overall and in the Central Ozark Conference, and they clinched their share of the conference title with Nixa.

Carthage earned the top seed and bye into the semifinals in Class 5 District 6 and they are waiting on the winner of next week’s district quarterfinal contest between No. 4 Neosho (4-5) and No. 5 Willard (0-9). Neosho defeated Willard 79-72 to open the season.

Willard’s opening drive on Friday started out promisingly when junior quarterback Russell Roweton broke loose for a 45-yard run into Carthage territory on a third-down play.

However, a holding penalty derailed Willard and Carthage forced a turnover on downs.

On Carthage’s first play from scrimmage, senior quarterback Cooper Jadwin capitalized on a block near midfield for a 64-yard run down to the Willard 8.

On the next play, outstanding senior running back Luke Gall scored his first of three touchdowns with an 8-yard run.

A holding penalty and four consecutive incomplete passes resulted in Carthage’s only failure to score a touchdown in their first seven possessions.

Senior receiver Jadason Davis-Maxey scored on a 28-yard TD run on a jet sweep and Gall scored on a 56-yard run from a low direct snap and busted play into one of the longer plays from scrimmage all night.

In the second quarter, senior Hudson Moore caught 24-yard and 5-yard touchdown passes from Jadwin and Gall scored his third and final TD of the night with a 1-yard run.

Willard’s eight first-half possessions resulted in a turnover on downs, a punt, a punt, turnover on downs, turnover on downs, a punt, a Clay Kinder interception at midfield and a punt.

Davis-Maxey returned the second-half kickoff 85 yards for his second TD of the night.

Willard scored on a pair of long passing plays, while Carthage’s offense ran off more than 18 minutes off the clock with two possessions.

Carthage put together a 16-play, 79-yard scoring drive that devoured 11 minutes, 46 seconds off the clock, including the final 8:45 of the third and the first 3:01 of the fourth.

Sophomore quarterback Brady Carlton capped off the game’s longest possession with a 1-yard TD run.

Carthage’s last possession did not produce any more points, but it left Willard with very little time on the clock.

Carthage scored 56 points against Republic to open the season and 55 against Willard to end the regular season on a high note, both wins their highest-scoring nights so far this season.

The Tigers enter the postseason on a six-game winning streak.

FOOTBALL: Strong third quarter propels Webb City to Senior Night win

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — A dominant third quarter propelled Webb City to a convincing 56-14 win over Branson on Friday night at Cardinal Stadium.

On Senior Night, Webb City was clinging to a two-score lead at halftime. 

But the Cardinals took full control with a one-sided third period, outscoring the Pirates 21-0 in the quarter by using big plays on offense and a pair of fourth down stops on defense.

“Coming out of halftime, and getting the ball, the big thing is you want to get points on the board and establish the second half,” Webb City coach John Roderique said. “It couldn’t have worked out any better. We scored on the first play of the first drive of the second half and the first play of the second drive. The defense got the ball back for us pretty fast and good things happen when you can do that. We really got the momentum going on our side.”

Ranked sixth in Class 5 by the Missouri Media, Webb City concludes the regular season with a record of 6-3.

The defending Class 5 state champion Cardinals have locked up the No. 2 seed for the Class 5 District 6 tournament, which means a first-round bye next Friday.

Roderique noted the importance of the bye week.

“You work on the fundamentals and you start getting some things together on who you might be playing and you go from there,” Roderique said. “Last year was the first bye week we’ve had. And honestly, I thought it was a huge week for us as far as what happened after that.” 

Webb City senior wide receiver William Hayes stiff arms Branson’s Marshall Storm during Friday’s game at Cardinal Stadium. Photo by Israel Perez.

GAME RECAP

The regular season finale got off to a stunning start, as the Pirates scored on the first play of the game. 

However, the Cardinals responded with three unanswered scores to pull away.

“You always tell the kids that one play isn’t going to define the game,” Roderique said of Branson’s early score. “I thought our offense did a good job of coming back and going to work. That was a big deal. I think it set the tone for the rest of the game.” 

Webb City got on the board on junior running back Omari Jackson’s 3-yard touchdown run. 

One play after Colton Gordon recovered a Branson fumble, the Cardinals took the lead for good when senior quarterback Landon Johnson completed a 28-yard touchdown strike to classmate Eli Miller. 

Lucas Ott’s pick-six from 20 yards out extended Webb City’s lead to 21-7. On the play, Branson QB Luke McCormick was hit by A.J. Bash as he attempted a pass and Ott was there to grab the ball out of the air and scamper into the end zone.

The Pirates answered with a 46-yard touchdown pass from McCormick to Patrick English before Webb City junior Breckin Galardo scored on a 1-yard touchdown plunge, giving the Cardinals a 28-14 lead at the break.

The third quarter was all Webb City.

Breckin Galardo picks up a big gain on the ground.

The hosts wasted little time in extending their lead in the second half. On the first play of the third quarter, Galardo sprinted to a 68-yard touchdown run.

After the Webb City defense forced a turnover on downs, Jackson scored on the following play on a 63-yard sprint.

The Cardinals once again stopped the Pirates on a fourth down and one play, forcing another turnover on downs.

“Those were huge,” Roderique said of the defensive stops. “I thought those were two great defensive plays…two great effort plays. That’s when we started playing complementary football. The defense gets a stop and the offense scores quick. I think that got us some confidence and really got the momentum going on our side.” 

Jackson’s 14-yard run touchdown run made it 49-14 late in the third period, putting a final exclamation point on a lopsided quarter.

Ethan Baird’s 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter accounted for the final score.

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

Webb City finished with 421 yards, with 344 on the ground and 77 through the air.

Galardo ran for 153 yards on just nine carries, while Jackson finished with 100 rushing yards on six carries.

Christian Brock finished with seven tackles, while McQuade Eilenstein had six and Kaylor Darnell and Ott recorded five stops apiece.

Branson finished with 214 yards of total offense, 158 rushing and 56 passing. Cade Grimm ran eight times for 109 yards.

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

After a week off, Webb City will host a district semifinal on Nov. 4 against an opponent to be determined (likely Republic or Parkview).

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

 

Webb City QB Landon Johnson looks to elude the Branson defense on Friday night. All photos by Israel Perez.

 

Branson QB Luke McCormick looks to pass while under pressure from Webb City’s AJ Bash.

 

Webb City defeated Branson 56-14 on Friday night in the regular season finale and Senior Night.

DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: CHC sweeps Bronaugh; McAuley rallies; Joplin and Carthage fall

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Second-seeded College Heights opened the Class 1 District 11 volleyball tournament in style, sweeping seventh-seeded Bronaugh before McAuley Catholic closed the opening day with a four-set win over sixth-seeded Sheldon on Thursday at Thomas Jefferson High School. 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS SWEEPS BRONAUGH

College Heights made quick work of its quarterfinal round matchup with Bronaugh in the district tournament, knocking off the Wildcats in straight sets with a 25-5, 25-7 and 25-12 sweep.

“It was fun and the gym was kind of quiet because it was so early in the evening,” CHC coach Mary Colin said after the win. “That was OK because the girls are fine with that. We hit the ball well and finished with 25 kills and 25 aces as a team. The girls kept the ball in play and did a good job scoring.”

With the win, the Cougars (22-9-2) advance to the semifinal round with a matchup against third-seeded McAuley Catholic at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. 

“This team is not only fun to coach, but they are fun to watch,” Colin said. “I want them to enjoy playing and have fun. I want them all to have their best night together. So, hopefully they all click at the same time, and it’s near the end of the season so I think that will happen for them.”

Addie Lawrence led the Cougars with 14 kills, six aces in service and a dig. Maddy Colin finished with 25 assists, two aces and a kill. Libby Fanning finished with six kills, while Lauren Ukena had five kills, seven aces and three digs. Ava Masena finished with eight aces and two digs. Lindsey Griesemer had three aces, two kills, an assist and three digs.

“Maddy mixed it up and went to the middle when she needed to, or went to Lindsey over to the right when she needed to,” Coach Colin said about the offensive output. “They could have softened up just to keep it inbounds, but I felt like they still swung with power.”

College Heights jumped out to an 8-3 lead off a Lawrence kill before she stepped to the service line for a seven-point run that consisted of three aces to push the lead to 14-3. Ukena, Fanning and Griesemer each added kills.

Moments later, Griesemer went on an eight-point service run to close out the win. She had four aces in the run, with Ukena and Marley Woodford earning kills.

The Cougars opened the second set much like they closed the first, with Ukena scoring the game’s first 10 points in service to build a commanding lead. Ukena had five aces in the run and Lawrence contributed four kills. With the score at 10-3, College Heights scored 10 of the next 11 points for a 21-4 advantage on the way to the win.

CHC and Bronaugh had a 3-3 score in the third set before Masena scored 10 straight points in service, with the first four coming in the form of aces, to take all of the momentum quickly and ultimately sending the Cougars on to the sweep. Libby Fanning and Lawrence each had two kills in the run. 

“Serving accurately is really good, but they’re also being really aggressive servers,” Coach Colin said about her team’s ability at the service line in the win. “It is fun to watch them serve where they are supposed to, and it’s really fun to watch them get some aces out of it.”

MCAULEY RALLIES PAST SHELDON

After dropping the opening set, third-seeded McAuley Catholic defeated sixth-seeded Sheldon 24-26, 25-5, 25-21 and 25-14 in the Class 1 District 11 quarterfinal round on Thursday.

With the win, the Warriors improve to 21-14-2 on the season and match up with third-seeded College Heights in the semifinal round on Saturday.

Lily Black had eight kills and 11 assists to lead the Warriors, while Kloee Williamson had seven kills, five aces and eight digs. JoJo Wheeler finished the win out with nine digs.


JOPLIN AND CARTHAGE FALL IN QUARTERFINALS

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Joplin and Carthage each saw its respective season come to an end on Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the Class 5 District 7 volleyball tournament hosted by Lee’s Summit West High School. 

Joplin fell 25-23, 25-18 and 25-12 to Lee’s Summit North (12-21) to finish the season with a 16-17-1 record.

Carthage fell 25-11, 25-14 and 25-15 to St. Teresa’s Academy to close the season with a 9-21-2 record. 

No other information was available at the time of publication.

 

STATE SOFTBALL: Seneca falls to powerhouse Fatima in quarterfinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

SENECA, Mo. — The Seneca Indians’ deepest run in softball since 2006 came to an end with a 9-0 loss against the 31-win Fatima Comets in the Class 3 state quarterfinals on Thursday night within the Seneca Athletic Complex.

Fatima scored five runs in the second inning and four in the fourth, while Fatima pitcher Taylor Baumhoer retired 19 straight Indians to end the game after Callie Rhoades’ double in the first. Baumhoer struck out seven straight from the fourth through the sixth.

Fatima’s Kinzey Woody hit a two-run double in the second and a three-run homer in the fourth.

Seneca’s Abby Jamros delivers a pitch to the plate against Fatima on Thursday in the Class 3 quarterfinals. Photo by Israel Perez.

Fatima tallied a combined 10 hits in the second and fourth and three in the other five innings.

Meanwhile, Rhoades proved to be Seneca’s lone runner against Baumhoer and the Comets.

Baumhoer struck out 14 Seneca hitters with two in the first, one in the second, three in the third, two in the fourth, three in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.

“They’re a very good team, and I thought our girls battled and competed,” Seneca coach Jeff Sill said. “They’re ranked No. 1 in the state for a reason. We saw that, but I’m proud of the way that we played.

“I wish that we put more balls in play, of course. We didn’t collapse after that big inning they had, and we scrapped and fought. I’m proud of that.”

Seneca finished the season 12-19 overall, but please keep in mind the Indians started their season with 11 straight losses against predominantly Class 4 and Class 5 opponents like Joplin, Carthage, McDonald County, Webb City and Carl Junction.

The Indians were 12-8 over their final 20 games.

Seneca went on a hot streak in the district tournament, defeating Logan-Rogersville 13-3 in the quarters, Versailles 11-6 in the semifinals and Cassville 1-0 for the district title. That same Cassville team defeated Seneca 8-2 only eight days before their rematch.

“We got to play in the district title game, and won that,” Sill said. “We got to face this Fatima team. They stuck together through the year. It was a tough schedule to start the year, playing in the Joplin tournament and playing some tough teams and our conference (Big 8) is tough. That sets us up to play games like this.”

Seneca seniors Maci Brown, Liberty Cornell, Bailey Lannon and Daylin McKnight played their final high school game Thursday.

“We’ve got four good seniors,” Sill said. “They all love the game, play the game hard, and they’re not going to do anything flashy. They just do what they’re asked to do, play smart softball, and they’re just a good group to coach. I’m proud of what they gave the team throughout their career, their four years here, and their leadership.”

The Indians’ roster also featured younger players like sophomores Rhoades and Kahli Fields and freshman Abby Jamros. Rhoades earned all-conference and all-district first team on the infield, Fields all-district first team and all-conference second team in the outfield and Jamros all-district first team at pitcher.

“We’ve got some underclassmen that got to experience this, and know how it works,” Sill said. “We can still do it, if we start off 0-11 or whatever, it’s how we’re playing at the end. It was a good season for them.”

Fatima improved to 31-3 on the season, and the Comets will play Westminster Christian Academy (20-6) in the semifinals Friday, Oct. 28, at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.

 

Seneca’s Bailey Waddell takes a cut against Fatima on Thursday night. All photos by Israel Perez.

 

Callie Rhoades hauls in a pop-up against Fatima. Seneca suffered a season-ending 9-0 loss to the top-ranked Comets on Thursday.

 

Seneca’s Maci Brown attempts to secure chopper during Thursday’s game against Fatima. All photos by Israel Perez.

VOLLEYBALL: Carthage upends Neosho in regular-season finale

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — The visiting Carthage Tigers and the host Neosho Wildcats both entered their Tuesday night match looking to end a losing streak and head into district play on a winning note.

Carthage finished the regular season 9-20-2 overall and 3-6 Central Ozark Conference with a 3-1 win (25-17, 20-25, 25-16, 25-18) over Neosho stopping the Tigers’ slide at four straight.

“It’s great,” Carthage coach Chloe Allmoslecher said. “That’s exactly what you want. I think there were things we capitalized on tonight that were things we’re trying to improve on like finishing and having the lead and keeping it and closing the gap, all the things that we did tonight. It obviously feels good stepping into district competition Thursday getting a win.”

Neosho finished 9-17-4 overall and 0-9 COC with four straight losses entering postseason. The Wildcats last won a match in their home tournament Oct. 1 against Seneca, and they have been 0-9-2 since that victory with a pair of ties in tournament competition.

“It was just controllable errors,” Neosho coach Jessica Walton said. “We kept giving them points. We were playing a little too timid and I would rather make errors being aggressive. We were trying to play too safe, and I also think it’s hard when you beat a team in the summer and then you come back and play them at the end of the season.

“We’ve had a tough end of the season, especially looking at districts as well. It’s hard sometimes for high school girls to change that mindset, but they still have some fight in them.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth. I was hoping that our varsity could get a couple COC wins this season, and we have increased our record. I will say that we are excited about our JV team. They have a lot of fight and they’re scrappy as all get-out, so I think Neosho has a good future ahead of them.”

Carthage used a 5-0 run in the first set Tuesday to gain the lead for good in the set and the Tigers closed it out 25-17 with the last five points.

Neosho answered back in the second set and the Wildcats claimed it 25-20 by scoring eight of the last 11 points with back-to-back kills from senior Capri Williams giving the home team momentum headed into the third set.

Carthage took control of the third, however, and scored 10 of the last 14 points in the set, including five straight to win it 25-16.

Carthage jumped out strong in the fourth with a 8-0 run giving the Tigers a 12-6 lead and they did not look back with a 25-18 final set.

“It was a solid win tonight,” Allmoslecher said. “They took a set from us, but it was still a competitive set. They’ve taken a set from a lot of good teams this year, and that’s what I told the team going into it. They’re a scrappy bunch and we need to stay focused. We were expecting that, but I’m glad the other three sets we could capitalize and finish strong.”

Carthage plays the third-seeded St. Teresa’s Academy (13-11-1) in the Class 5 District 7 quarterfinals Thursday at Lee’s Summit.

“We seen them at a tournament,” Allmoslecher said. “They are definitely a good opponent. We are excited to match up with them again. We’re playing some of our best volleyball right now, and I couldn’t really say that the last time we played them. Every team’s probably improving at this point, but we’re ready to see them on Thursday.”

St. Teresa’s defeated Carthage 2-0 (25-17, 25-15) back on Sept. 17 in a tournament hosted by Lee’s Summit West.

Before the match Tuesday, Neosho honored seniors Williams, Karlee Ellick, Delaynie Kelly, Meredith Baldwin, and Ukrainian foreign exchange student Mariia Yakubova.

“It’s the best senior group I’ve ever coached,” Walton said. “Their maturity, the way they’ve handled adversity, the way they’ve treated the underclassmen. They’ve never used their seniority, they’ve been equal, and they have been so positive with all these girls. I know they have left a huge legacy, and they will be greatly missed.”

The Wildcats have the seventh seed in the Class 5 District 6 tournament hosted by Republic, and they draw No. 2 Kickapoo (26-8) in the quarterfinals Saturday.

SOFTBALL: All-Class 5 District 5 team released

Posted on by Jason Peake

ALL-CLASS 5 DISTRICT 5 SOFTBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Jordan Foley, Ozark

Maddy Meierer, Nixa

Allison Scott, Kickapoo

Sara Sweaney, Nixa

Natalie Morgan, Ozark

Emmalee Essary, Republic

Phoebe Gardner, Nixa

Beclynn Garrett, Neosho

Jadyn Pankow, Joplin

Savannah Hughes, Ozark

Bailey Ledford, Joplin

Kelsie Batey, Ozark

Karlie Facklam, Kickapoo

Taylor Akers, Kickapoo

Autumn Kinnaird, Neosho

Landry Cochran, Carthage

Andrey Carlton, Ozark

Abby Lowery, Joplin

Rylee Harper, Nixa

 

SECOND TEAM

Jill McDaniel, Joplin

Ashlynn Jackson, Carthage

Carleigh Kinnaird, Neosho

Callie Muldoon, Kickapoo

Riley Kelly, Joplin

McKaylie Forrest, Neosho

Jenna Calhoon, Carthage

Izzy Yust, Joplin

Taryn Hagardt, Kickapoo

Gracie Woods, Republic

Ashlyn Brust, Carthage

Jenna Belcher, Republic

Harper Jane Simpson, Nixa

Chloe Krans, Nixa

Katie Vaughan, Kickapoo

Avery Elliott, Ozark

Karissa Roberts, Ozark

Annabelle Garhardt-Hobbs, Republic

SOFTBALL: All-Class 4 District 7 team released

Posted on by Jason Peake

ALL-CLASS 4 DISTRICT 7 SOFTBALL TEAM 

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers: Neveah Dodson, McDonald County; Peyton Eaton, Nevada; Kilee Wilson, Monett; Laney Taylor, Webb City.

Catchers: Ella Heathman, Nevada; Madi Olds, Carl Junction; Liz Rhuems, Webb City.

Infielders: Jacie Frencken, McDonald County; Reece Anderson, Willard; Sammie Sims, Carl Junction; Kirstin Buck, Nevada; Caylee Holcomb, Nevada; Carlee Cooper, McDonald County; Alyson Miller, Willard.

Outfielders: Kara Phillips, Nevada; Reagan Myrick, McDonald County; Maddie Mettlach, Monett; Ryleigh Palmer, Carl Junction.

DP/UT: Abby McMillin, Willard.

 

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers: Hannah Burks, Willard; Kiley Spencer, Carl Junction.

Catchers: Jaz Rennison, Willard.

Infielders: Hannah Cantrell, Carl Junction; Kylee Sargent, Webb City; Skyler Burns, Nevada; Kacee Jenkins, Bolivar.

Outfielders: Teresa Dawn, Nevada; Alex Maturino, Webb City.

DP/UT: Jenna Herald, Monett. 

 

BOYS SOCCER: Joplin blanks Mac County

Posted on by Jason Peake

ANDERSON, Mo. — The Joplin High School boys soccer team earned a 3-0 win over McDonald County on Wednesday night.

Luciano Reyes scored in the 15th minute for the lone goal of the first half.

Joplin’s Adam Montanez recorded a goal in the 50th minute, with Azziel Palma assisting.

Palma’s goal in the 58th minute, which was assisted by Alvarado Cordova, made it 3-0.

Joplin goalkeeper Andrew Jordan made three saves.

The Eagles took seven corner kicks to Mac County’s three.

Joplin (14-6) hosts Parkview on Monday and travels to Branson on Tuesday to close out the regular season.

McDonald County (5-11) is at Aurora on Tuesday and at Webb City on Thursday to conclude the regular season slate. 

 

STATE SOFTBALL: McDonald County falls short in quarterfinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

KEARNEY, Mo. — The McDonald County Mustangs fell one win short of the Final Four.

Kearney defeated McDonald County 6-4 on Wednesday night in a quarterfinal contest of the MSHSAA Class 4 state softball tournament.

Kearney (24-8) will meet Warrenton (16-8) in the semifinals on Oct. 27 in Springfield.

McDonald County ends the season with a record of 23-10.

The visitors scored the game’s first three runs.

The Mustangs pushed across a single tally in the first inning, as junior shortstop Carlee Cooper doubled and later scored on Jacie Frencken’s RBI single into right field. 

A junior third baseman, Frencken launched a two-run home run to center in the third inning to give the Mustangs a 3-0 cushion.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the bottom half of the third on Macelyn Morrow’s RBI single and a passed ball that allowed Morrow to charge home. 

Kearney tied it up in the fourth after a double and a Mac County error.

Cooper blasted a solo home run to left-center in the fifth, giving the Mustangs a 4-3 lead.

But the Bulldogs answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Brooke Paalhar drove in the tying run with a single to left before Jadyn Barnes scored from third on a passed ball.

Kearney extended its lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth, as Ryleigh Van Emmerik smacked a run-scoring single up the middle. 

The Mustangs put the tying runs on base in the seventh, but they were unable to score.

Nevaeh Dodson was charged with the loss. A junior who has been named the Big 8 Pitcher of the Year, Dodson allowed three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six in six innings. 

Dodson, Cooper and Frencken had two hits apiece for the Mustangs’ six hits. Frencken, the Big 8 Player of the Year who drove in three runs, was intentionally walked in her final two at-bats.

Alyssa Quick started in the circle for Kearney, and she allowed four runs on five hits in five innings. Katelynn Landewee pitched the final two frames, allowing no runs on one hit.

McDonald County’s departing seniors are Alexis Abbott, Ashleigh Dornon, Reagan Myrick, Amanda Pacheco, Maggie Pratt and Analisa Ramirez.

 

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