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Month: September 2023

GIRLS TENNIS ROUNDUP: Thomas Jefferson completes undefeated regular season; Neosho tops Carthage

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON 9, LAMAR 0

The Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers completed an undefeated regular season by beating Lamar 9-0 in a girls tennis dual on Tuesday.

Tom Brumfield’s Cavaliers are now 11-0 ahead of postseason play.

On Tuesday, the Cavaliers swept all six singles matches.

Alison Ding defeated Chelsey O’Sullivan 8-1, Jeanna Jeyaraj beat Elliana Griffith 8-3, Esther Yang topped Chloe Vaughan 8-3, Warda Morsy defeated Brenna Morey 8-3, Mayson Solum handled Emma Forst 8-0 and Kyla Yang beat Isabel Osborne 8-3.

In doubles, Ding-Jeyaraj defeated Alyssa Mitchell- O’Sullivan 8-2, while Yang-Yang beat Forst-Ashlynn Ball 8-0 and Morsy-Solum topped Kye Riggs-Madalyn Swatosh 8-0.

Individual district tourney play begins on Friday at both Thomas Jefferson and Millennium Family Fitness. Start time is 9 a.m.

 

NEOSHO 5, CARTHAGE 4

NEOSHO, Mo. — Pulling off several close wins, the Neosho Wildcats picked up their first Central Ozark Conference win of the season by beating Carthage 5-4 on Tuesday night.

In singles, Neosho’s Keely Keeton edged Kailie Layman 8-6, Emma VanDorn nipped Logan Lee 9-7 and Francisca Ruiz defeated Claire Giett 8-4.

Carthage’s Madeleine Goetzinger defeated Angel Lee 8-0, while Emma Seedorf beat Neosho’s Sydnee Minton 8-3.

In a key match at No. 6 singles, Neosho’s Abigail Coutu defeated Rachel Martin 9-8 (7-4).

At No. 1 doubles, Neosho’s Keeton-VanDorn got past Layman-Giett 9-8 (7-4).

Carthage’s Lee-Martin beat Ruiz-Lee 8-4 at No. 2 doubles, and the Tigers won the No. 3 doubles match, as Goetzinger-Seedorf defeated Minton-Coutu 8-5.

Individual district tournament play begins on Friday.

 

VOLLEYBALL: Webb City earns clean sweep over rival Carthage

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — After suffering a pair of disappointing setbacks last week, the Webb City Cardinals needed to bounce back.

On Tuesday night, they did just that.

Webb City earned a confidence-building 3-0 victory over rival Carthage in a Central Ozark Conference volleyball matchup inside the Cardinal Dome. 

The Cardinals defeated the Tigers 25-15, 25-18, 25-16.

Webb City was coming off a loss to Rogers (Arkansas) in the semifinals of the Carl Junction Classic. The Cardinals also dropped a COC match to Carl Junction last week.

“This is a good win to build some confidence for our kids,” Webb City coach Rhonda Lawrence said. “Rogers was a tough game for us on Saturday, but it was a quality opponent. That’s the kind of team we needed to see. But hopefully tonight we got some confidence back.” 

Webb City is now 15-3 overall and 3-1 in the COC.

The 1-2 punch of sophomore middle/right side hitter Jaeli Rutledge and senior outside hitter Aubree Lassiter led the Cardinals. Rutledge recorded 14 kills and three blocks, while Lassiter had 10 kills and four digs. 

“I think Carthage had a hard time handling both of them,” Lawrence said of her dynamic duo. “They’re both six foot girls, so that makes a big difference.

“Aubree can be deceptive at the net,” Lawrence added. “Teams think she’s hitting across and she’ll hit it on a straight line. Jaeli has really been elevating her game. We’ve got her swinging a little faster and her touch is higher than most of the kids we play against. She’s contacting the ball at a high level. Her quicker swing has made her more effective.”

Webb City had to overcome an early five-point deficit in the first set.

“We’ve been fighting this all season, letting teams get ahead of us,” Lawrence said. “We came back strong, but that’s something we have to work on. They like coming from behind, but we can’t do that against some of the teams we’re getting ready to see in the conference. And that bit us in the butt against CJ last week, too.”

The visitors stayed within striking distance in the early stages of the second and third sets before the Cardinals grabbed the momentum for good with significant scoring runs.

“You go into every game wanting to win and wanting to battle,” Carthage coach Chloe Allmoslecher said. “I felt like we battled for moments, but finishing was our issue tonight. We battled in every set to 15 points, but the last 10 didn’t go our way. You can’t let a couple of hitters stop you from winning the game.”

Carthage stormed out of the gates in the opening set, taking a quick 5-0 lead after a kill from junior Jaidyn Brunnert.

But the Cardinals regrouped, and the set was tied 8-8.

With Lassiter and Rutledge leading the way, Webb City pulled away, leading 15-9 and 20-13.

Late kills from Lassiter, junior Kirra Long and Rutledge gave the Cardinals the first set, 25-15. 

Overall, Webb City finished the opening set on a 17-7 run.

The Tigers hung tough early in the back and forth second set, as the score was deadlocked at 15.

But that’s when the Cardinals grabbed the momentum, using an 8-0 surge to pull away.

Rutledge had a stretch with two kills and two blocks at the net during the spurt. 

Carthage trailed early in the third set, but the Tigers rallied with junior Millie Templeman serving, tying the set at 8-all and going up 10-8 after a kill from sophomore Sadie Comer.

The third set was tied at 12 when Webb City once again gained all of the momentum, using a 7-0 burst to go up 19-12.

From there, the Cardinals wouldn’t be denied, as Rutledge hammered home a big kill and junior Mia Lenker served an ace to finish off the match in straight sets.

Allmoslecher noted her team gave a good effort, but simply wasn’t able to stop Webb City’s momentum.

“You can’t let teams go on seven or eight point runs,” Allmoslecher said. “You have to shut them down after two or three points and get the ball back. That’s going to be a focus of ours going forward.”

In addition to Rutledge and Lassiter, Webb City’s Lenker had six kills and seven digs, while senior Makayla Mayes had four kills. 

Sophomore setter Savannah Crane handed out 29 assists, while senior libero Sophia Crane recorded a team-high 28 digs. 

Carthage senior outside hitter Ava Bourgault had six kills, while Templeman had five kills, Brunnert had four kills and junior Peyton Ray had three kills.

Comer had a team-high 16 digs, while Riann Schwartz had 10 digs and Bourgault had nine. Comer had 11 assists and Brunnert added eight.

Both teams have COC road matches on Thursday, as Webb City is at Nixa and Carthage (11-13, 2-2 COC) is at Willard.

The regular season is quickly winding down, something Allmoslecher is well aware of.

“We’ve only got five regular season games left,” Allmoslecher said. “I’ve been proud of the girls. There’s been a lot of growth this year. We have to keep pushing and see where it takes us at the end.” 

For the Cardinals, a key COC clash awaits on Thursday against Nixa (17-3, 3-1 COC).

Lawrence hopes her team can keep things rolling.

“We’ll see what happens,” she said. 

 

VOLLEYBALL: CHC beats Golden City; Seneca falls to Gravette

Posted on by Lucas Davis

 

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS 3, GOLDEN CITY 1

GOLDEN CITY, Mo. — College Heights went on the road and defeated Golden City 25-16, 25-14, 20-25 and 25-23 on Monday.

Bailey Peeples had 16 kills, while Maddy Colin had 33 assists, 14 digs, six kills and three aces. Lilly Plassman finished with 35 digs and four aces. Toryn Fink had eight kills, while Katie Moss and Christa Miller had 13 digs each. Allie Sout had six aces.

College Heights is at East Newton on Tuesday.

 

GRAVETTE 3, SENECA O

SENECA, Mo. — Gravette defeated Seneca 25-17, 25-9 and 25-2 on Monday. 

Jera Jameson led the Indians with 11 kills, 11 digs and an ace, while Anna Adkins closed with 18 assists and an ace. Ella Graham had 13 digs and an ace.

Valencia Araujo had foukills, while Olivia Leonard had three kills.

Seneca hosts Cassville on Tuesday.

SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Webb City rallies for 5th straight win; Neosho breezes past Cassville; Nevada no-hits Carthage

Posted on by Lucas Davis

 

 

WEBB CITY 5, LEBANON 1

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Webb City won its fifth straight game by beating Lebanon 5-1 on Monday.

Webb City improved to 17-7 overall.

The Cardinals trailed early in Monday’s non-conference clash before plating runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings. 

Lebanon (9-15) took a 1-0 lead in the second on Gracie Gilby’s home run, but the visitors would not score again.

The Cardinals tied it up in the third when Sydney Strickland tripled to right-center and then scored on a throwing error. 

Webb City took the lead for good with two runs in the fourth. Karsyn Cahoon singled and later scored on Jensyn Pickett’s RBI double to left. Pickett came home on Strickland’s groundout for a two-run lead.

Dawsyn Decker’s RBI single and Abby Sargent’s run-scoring groundout extended Webb City’s lead to 5-1 in the sixth.

Webb City’s Laney Taylor earned the complete-game victory. She gave up one run on five hits and struck out four. 

Lebanon’s Kamryn Luthy took the loss after surrendering five runs, four earned, on eight hits and three walks in six innings. 

Strickland and Kylee Sargent had two hits apiece for the Cardinals. 

Also of note, Webb City went 3-0 at this past weekend’s UCM Tournament, as the Cardinals earned wins over Lafayette County (16-0), Warrensburg (8-4) and Holden (8-7).

Webb City hosts Ozark on Tuesday in a COC clash.

 

NEOSHO 12, CASSVILLE 1 (5 INNINGS)

NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning to take control and added four more in the second before a three-run fourth allowed the Wildcats to end the game via run rule after five innings on Monday.

Olivia Emery earned the complete-game win after allowing a run on five hits and nine strikeouts in five innings.

Taylor Smith took the loss after allowing nine runs on nine hits, a walk and a strikeout in two innings.

Neosho’s five-run first inning included a sacrifice fly from Carleigh Kinnaird, an RBI single from Journey Arnall and Emery as well as a run-scoring double by Avyn Blair.

Kinnaird added an RBI double to kick off the scoring in the fourth inning before Kaylynn Pruitt came up with a pinch-hit RBI single to center field. Arnall capped the inning with a two-run home run to center to make the score 9-0.

Kinnaird doubled home a run to open the bottom half of the fourth inning, with Arnall and Emery adding RBI singles later to wrap the Wildcats’ scoring. 

Arnall finished with three hits, including a homer, a team-high four RBI and two runs scored to lead Neosho at the plate. Kinnaird doubled twice, drove in three and scored twice. Beclynn Garrett finished with two hits and scored a team-high three runs.

Neosho (20-5) hosts Joplin on Tuesday.

 

NEVADA 4, CARTHAGE 0

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Nevada earned a win over Carthage on Monday with Peyton Eaton pitching a no-hitter for Nevada.

Eaton struck out nine and walked just one in seven innings. She went the distance on 66 pitches.

Ella Heathman, Kaleigh Johnson and Addison McInroy drove in one run apiece for Nevada.

Addie Wallace took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits. She struck out three. 

 

GIRLS TENNIS: Lamar knocks off Neosho

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

LAMAR, Mo. — Lamar defeated Neosho 9-0 in a girls tennis dual on Monday.

In singles action, Lamar’s Alyssa Mitchell edged Keely Keeton 8-6, Chelsey O’Sullivan topped Emma VanDorn 8-3, Elliana Griffith defeated Francisca Ruiz 8-5, Chloe Vaughan beat Sydnee Minton 8-0, Brenna Morey nipped Abigail Coutu 9-8 (7-2) and Emma Forst defeated Lauren Nageotte 8-1.

In doubles, Mitchell-O’Sullivan edged Keeton-VanDorn 9-8 (7-5), while Griffith-Morey beat Ruiz-Nageotte 8-3 and Vaughan-Forst topped Minton-Coutu 8-3.

Neosho meets Carthage on Tuesday in the regular season finale. 

The Wildcats will compete at the individual district tournament on Friday at Kickapoo.

GIRLS TENNIS: Cavaliers remain undefeated with close win over Bulldogs

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

In a matchup between the Joplin area’s top girls tennis teams, Thomas Jefferson defeated Carl Junction 5-4 on Monday at the Joplin Athletic Complex courts.

Carl Junction’s Naiyah Wurdeman is pictured during Monday’s dual against Carl Junction. Photo by Israel Perez.

The Cavaliers kept their perfect record intact with the close victory, improving to 10-0.

The Bulldogs fell to 13-3. 

Thomas Jefferson won two of the three doubles matches.

At No. 1 doubles, Carl Junction’s Naiyah Wurdeman and Jenna Besperat defeated TJ’s Allison Ding and Jeanna Jeyaraj 8-3. Wurdeman and Besperat are returning state qualifiers in doubles.

At No. 2 doubles, Thomas Jefferson’s Esther Yang and Kyla Yang beat Isabel Read-Brooklin Leggett 8-4, while Warda Morsy and Mayson Solum defeated Emily Rice-Brooke Jasperson 8-5 at No. 3 doubles.

At No. 1 singles, Wurdeman defeated Ding 8-4 and Besperat beat Jeyaraj 8-2 at No. 2 singles.

TJ’s Esther Yang defeated Read 8-4 at No. 3 singles, while Morsy topped Rice 8-2 at No. 4 singles. 

Carl Junction’s Leggett defeated Solum 8-5 at No. 5 singles, but TJ’s Kyla Yang beat Jasperson 8-3 at No. 6 singles.

Both teams conclude the regular season on Tuesday, as Carl Junction is at Willard and Thomas Jefferson hosts Lamar. 

The Cavaliers and Bulldogs could meet again in the postseason, as district tournament play begins next week.

The Cavaliers are the host school for Class 2 District 7. The district also features Barstow, Belton, Carl Junction, Notre Dame de Sion, Webb City and Willard.

 

Thomas Jefferson’s Mayson Solum is pictured during Monday’s dual against Carl Junction. Thomas Jefferson defeated Carl Junction 5-4. All photos by Israel Perez/SoMo Sports.

 

Thomas Jefferson’s Allison Ding is pictured during Monday’s match against Carl Junction. The Cavaliers edged the Bulldogs 5-4 to remain undefeated.

 

Carl Junction’s Jenna Besperat is pictured during Monday’s dual with Thomas Jefferson.

 

Thomas Jefferson’s Warda Morsy hits a forehand against Carl Junction on Monday.

 

Carl Junction’s Emily Rice hits a forehand against Thomas Jefferson on Monday at the Joplin Athletic Complex.

 

Carl Junction’s Brooke Jasperson hits a backhand against Thomas Jefferson at the Joplin Athletic Complex. Photo by Israel Perez.

 

Thomas Jefferson’s Jeanna Jeyaraj hits a backhand during her match against Carl Junction.

BOYS SWIMMING: Tigers, Eagles take 1st, 2nd at Monett

Posted on by Jason Peake

MONETT, Mo. — Led by five event wins, the Carthage High School boys swim team took first place at Saturday’s Monett Invitational. 

Carthage finished with 392 points and Joplin finished second in the team standings with 277 points. 

Rounding out the team standings were West Plains (270), Monett (201), Camdenton (153), Hillcrest (139), Lebanon (121), Waynesville (110), Marshfield (106), Greenwood (97), Nevada (91) and Seymour (16).

 

CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Carthage’s standout duo of Kellen Frieling and Braxton McBride each won two individual events.

A senior, Frieling won the 200-yard freestyle in 2:01 and the 100 backstroke in 57.83 seconds.

A junior, McBride won the 50 freestyle in 22.95 seconds and took first in the 100 free in 51.29 seconds.

Carthage’s 400 freestyle relay team of McBride, Will Wright, Aydan Nye and Frieling took first place in 3:33.

The Tigers finished second in the 200 medley relay, with Frieling, McBride, Wright and Maveric Allphin competing.

Carthage was also second in the 200 freestyle relay, with Allphin, Daryl Martin, Ben Rogers and Nye competing.

Finishing third in their individual events were Nye (200 free) and Wright (200 IM, 500 free). Allphin placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke. 

 

JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS

Joplin’s 200-yard medley relay team of Nathan Wardlow, Jackson Mordica, Parker Hinman and Ian Vermillion took first with a time of 1:47.

Wardlow won a pair of individual events, the 200 IM in 2:03 and the 500 freestyle in 5:01.

Joplin’s 400 freestyle relay team of Wardlow, Isaiah Thom, Vermillion and Hinman took second.

The Eagles finished third in the 200 freestyle relay, with Jordan Goins, Owen Mordica, Jackson Mordica and Thom competing.

Hinman and Vermillion finished second and third in the 100 butterfly, while Hinman also placed third in the 100 backstroke.

 

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Nevada’s Trace Gould won the 100 breaststroke in 1:04 and teammate Kolton Evans was the runner-up in the 100 backstroke.

Monett’s Jayden Apostol took second in the 100 breaststroke and Ryan Goodson was third in the 50 free.

The Cubs finished third in the 400 freestyle relay.

 

VOLLEYBALL: Carl Junction falls to Rogers in CJ Classic title game

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — It is only fitting that the final match on a grueling day filled with nearly 12 hours of volleyball should go three sets, with that final set reaching extra points.

Unfortunately for Carl Junction, it was Rogers, Arkansas, with its hand raised after the dust settled in the Dr. Jeffrey Knutzen CJ Classic title game, with the Mounties earning a 25-19, 24-26 and 27-25 victory over the host Bulldogs on Saturday.

“I thought we competed really hard and did some great things,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said. “We can take that and build from just being on either side of that—learning how to fight through it when things aren’t necessarily going your way and getting tough. I feel like we just take this and build on it. (Rogers) is a great team. So, if you have to lose, you want it to be to a good team like that. But, we also get better by playing teams like that. That was great volleyball, right there.”

After beating West Plains in the semifinals of the Gold Bracket, Carl Junction traded points in the opening set with Rogers, who took down Webb City in the other semifinal matchup. It wasn’t until the Mounties scored the final five points of the set—with Bella Jones earning a block, while Macey Tauai and Brooklynn Weaver earned kills—that either team held an advantage. 

Carl Junction responded by jumping out to a 7-2 lead in the second set thanks to a pair of kills from Karissa Chase and a block by Kylie Scott before Scott earned another kill shortly after and added two points in service to give CJ a seven-point lead at 16-9. 

The Bulldogs’ lead was trimmed to one, 20-19, late in the second set when Rogers used a service error to force a sideout before Weaver went on a four-point run. Dahana Tuomala had a kill and a block, while Dyllan Chandler and Olyvia Hall filled out the run with blocks as well.

Rogers proceeded to score five of the next seven points, with Scott earning sideout kills twice for CJ, to take a 24-22 lead.

Facing elimination, Chase earned a block to give Abigail Wilson service. Wilson ripped off the final three points, which included an ace and a kill by Chase, to rally the Bulldogs back for a second-set win to force a winner-takes-all third set.

“(Karissa Chase) really came on in that match and they didn’t have an answer for her and she just kept banging,” Sharples said. “I was excited for her to take over a match like that.”

Rogers jumped out to a 9-5 lead in the final set before a kill from Scott and a four-point run in service by Miya Carnes—filled out with kills from Chase and Aubreigh Fowler as well as an ace—rallied the Bulldogs back to a 10-9 advantage.

The lead went back and forth before Carl Junction used a 6-1 run, including three straight kills by Scott, to put the Bulldogs on top 19-17.

Carl Junction led 22-19 before a sideout led to a three points in service from Hall, with Jones earning two kills, giving the Mounties a 23-22 lead.

A service error on Rogers and a kill from Chase put CJ back in front, with Tauai and Chase then trading kills to make the score 25-24 in favor of Carl Junction.

Tauai forced another sideout with a kill and added a block on the next point to give Rogers the lead, with the Mounties finishing off the set and match moments later. 

“This is a good test for the middle of the season,” Sharples said about hosting the all-day tournament. “It is good for us to have to be mentally tough in situations and I feel like today is a day that makes you mentally tougher,”

Carl Junction is 16-4 on the season and hosts Neosho on Tuesday in Central Ozark Conference action.

VOLLEYBALL: Joplin goes 1-2 at quadrangular

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. —The Joplin High School volleyball team went 1-2 at the Lee’s Summit North quadrangular on Saturday.

Joplin defeated Kearney 12-25, 25-12, 15-11.

Lee’s Summit North defeated Joplin 27-26, 25-13 and St. Michael’s the Archangel topped the Eagles 25-14, 27-26.

For the day, Joplin senior outside hitter Bailey Owens compiled 25 kills, 13 digs and two blocks, while junior setter Adalynn Noirfalise had 41 assists and 12 digs.

Seniors Raelin Calderon and Janiah Vaughn contributed nine kills apiece for the Eagles. 

Joplin (4-12) is at Republic (16-4) on Tuesday. 

CROSS COUNTRY ROUNDUP: Joplin, Webb City compete at Gans Creek; McAuley runs at Rim Rock Farm

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

GANS CREEK CLASSIC

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Joplin and Webb City were among the state’s cross country teams competing at the Gans Creek Classic on Saturday.

The large meet is considered a state preview, as it features some of the best teams in Missouri and is held on the state meet course.

Competing in the Gold Division, Joplin senior Ian Horton finished ninth with a time of 15 minutes, 52 seconds.

Webb City’s Evan Stevens finished 20th in 16:13, Joplin’s Grey Edwards was 22nd in 16:14 and Webb City’s Mason Hedger was 45th in 16:43.

Webb City’s other top finishers were Spencer Kendall (63rd), Noah Lankard (83rd), Andrew Dawson (92nd), Fenton Rice (106th) and Dakota Grove (171st).

The Cardinals finished seventh out of 43 full teams.

Rounding out Joplin’s lineup were Chance Tindall (168th), Noe Fischer (191st), Brady Honeycutt (294th), Jayden Miller (317th) and Aidan Koch (324th).

The Eagles were 23rd in the team standings.

There were 356 runners in the boys race.

Lincoln College Prep’s Isaac Rivera (15:15), Platte County’s Andrew Johnson (15:19) and Rock Bridge’s Andrew Hauser (15:33) were the top three finishers.

On the girls side, Joplin’s Katherine Schaefer finished 25th in 19:44 and Webb City’s Brooke Hedger placed 31st in 19:56.

Webb City’s Emily Countryman finished 47th in 20:26 and Joplin’s Allie Keizer was 74th in 20:50.

Also competing for Webb City were Amelia Antillon (83rd), Emma McKinzie (101st), Olivia Klotz (134th), Brooke Collard (166th) and Rachel Miller (217th).

Rounding out Joplin lineup were Averi Burks (92nd), Mia Grubbs (135th), Kyrie Britton (138th), Meridyth Mai (205th), Annabelle Rutledge (207th) and Lydia Crabtree (236th).

Webb City finished 13th in the team standings, with Joplin 18th. There were 35 full squads and 288 runners in the girls race.

Lafayette’s Natalie Barnard took first in 17:48 and Harrisonville’s Kayleigh Norris was second in 18:10.

BLUE DIVISION

In the Blue Division, East Newton’s Chase Sorrell finished second with a time of 16:25. Herculaneum’s Sam Vaughn took first in 16:17.

Carthage’s Eddy Fuentes finished 19th in 17:06 and teammate Javen Byrd was 65th in 18:18.

In the Blue Division’s girls race, Carthage’s Maggie Boyd finished 27th in 21:03 and East Newton’s Brooklyn Blanchard was 38th in 21:30.

Carthage’s second finisher was Jenna Wilson (100th).

There were 293 runners in the boys race and 279 runners in the girls race.

WHITE DIVISION

Competing in the White Division, Monett’s Kash Adams finished 21st in the boys race with a time of 17:58 and Monett’s Mary Jastal finished 29th in 22:40 in the girls race.

   

RIM ROCK FARM CLASSIC

LAWRENCE, Kan. — McAuley Catholic’s cross country team competed at the Rim Rock Farm Classic on Saturday.

“We ran well despite the continued start and stop of the meet,” Warriors coach Andy Youngworth said, noting the meet was delayed several times due to lightning. “The course is very tough and has been the host of the NCAA Championships in the past. It was a great experience for our kids to compete against kids from all over the Midwest.”

Competing in the Blue Division, McAuley’s Michael Parrigon finished eighth with a time of 16:55.

Wichita Collegiate’s Will Meyer won the race in 16:16.

Also competing for the Warriors were Trae Veer (79th), Will Mollnow (136th), Connor Taffner (193rd), Cliff Nolan (262nd), Max Anreder (296th) and Grant Horinek (304th).

There were 330 runners in the boys race. 

In the girls race, McAuley’s Olivia Parrigon finished 37th in 21:58.

Also competing for the McAuley girls were Marbellie Villanueva (207th), Riley Sears (234th) and Samantha Perrin (235th). McAuley senior Kendall Ramsey did not compete due to an illness.

There were 258 runners in the girls race.

 

BOYS SOCCER: Joplin beats Battle, falls to Helias

Posted on by Jason Peake

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Joplin High School boys soccer team defeated Battle 6-3 on Friday at the Richard Wilson Classic.

Andy Cordova scored a pair of goals for the Eagles, while Ely Montanez, Blanton Garrigan, Alex De La Torre and Adam Badr had one goal apiece.

Badr had two assists, while Montanez had one assist.

Joplin managed 15 shots, with 12 shots on goal. 

Battle took 14 shots, 10 on goal. 

Joplin goalkeeper Brayden Anderson made seven saves.

 

HELIAS CATHOLIC 2, JOPLIN 0

The Eagles dropped Saturday’s tourney game to Helias Catholic.

Helias scored once in each half, with Coen Loethen recording a goal in the first half and Luke Hynes logging the second goal.

The Eagles did not have a shot on goal, while the Crusaders managed six shots on goal.

Joplin’s Anderson made four saves.

 

FOOTBALL: High-flying Tigers soar past Mount Vernon, move to 5-0

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Nevada Tigers parlayed a powerful rushing attack and timely defensive takeaways into a 55-34 defeat of the visiting Mount Vernon Mountaineers to remain undefeated.

“This was a hard-fought victory,” said Nevada head coach Wes Beachler. “The final score is not indicative of what took place. I thought it was just a really good game that matched two good teams.”

Nevada (5-0) entered Friday night’s matchup as the No. 7 ranked team in Class 4, while the Mountaineers (4-1) rolled into town as the No. 7 ranked team in Class 3. 

Boasting a defense that had yielded just 34 points through four games, the Mountaineers were unable to contain Jack Cheaney, as the junior tailback racked up more than 300 yards of combined offense. Cheaney’s monster performance was accentuated by a 72-yard touchdown romp down the left sideline, staking the Tigers to a 28-14 lead late in the first half. 

The Mountaineers answered with a quick-strike drive that covered 60 yards in just 20 seconds, capped off by Calvin Dawson’s 25-yard touchdown reception to trim the deficit to 28-21 at the half. 

Nevada Tiger tailback Jack Cheaney bolts past Mount Vernon defenders for a big gain during the second half of Friday night’s 55-34 victory at Logan Field. Cheaney electrified with 301 yards of total offense and four touchdowns. Courtesy photo by Brandi Redman.

The Tigers opened the second half with a methodical scoring drive that chewed up nearly six minutes of clock, with Cheaney finding paydirt on a 6-yard rushing score. An off-target extra point left the Tigers with a 34-21 advantage. 

The Mountaineers moved quickly downfield, and on fourth down from midfield, quarterback Gavin Johnston linked up with Ryder Dampf for a 50-yard touchdown strike. After a missed extra point, the Mountaineers trailed 34-27 late in the third.

Facing a fourth-and-goal, Nevada sophomore signal-caller Kellen Braden eluded several Mountaineer defenders as he rolled to his left and scored on the five-yard run. The Tigers led 40-27 after a failed 2-point play. 

Nevada lineman Talan Chandler makes a tackle in the backfield during Friday’s victory at Logan Field. Chandler, a senior, has committed to play for Deion Sanders at the University of Colorado. Courtesy photo by Brandi Redman.

The double-digit lead was short-lived, as Juliun Hernandez hauled in a 12-yard touchdown reception with 10:25 remaining in regulation. 

Trailing 40-34 and back in possession, an ill-advised pass by Johnston as he was being pulled to the ground, resulted in an interception returned for a 20-yard touchdown by lineman Bryan Mendez. 

“We got some big stops when we needed to,” Beachler said. “There was some adversity and challenges tonight.”

Leading 48-34 late in the fourth, Cheaney put the cherry on top with a 43-yard scamper to the end zone.

“Jack is a phenomenal running back with great vision,” Beachler said. “He sees the field well and knows when to cut back and change direction. Players like Jack can turn not-so-great calls into pretty good calls.”

While Nevada’s secondary grappled with busted coverage throughout the contest, Beachler credited Mount Vernon for its strong passing attack. 

“Their receivers were hitting spots well and (Johnston) was throwing in rhythm, so they were tough to stop,” he said. “Conversely, we were running the ball really well most of the night.”

The Mountaineers also faced early adversity, losing All-State running back Braden Dodson to injury. Dodson, who entered the contest averaging 8 yards per carry, returned in the second half —but only on the defensive side of the ball.  

After losing 19 of 20 games between the 2018 and ‘19 seasons, Beachler has orchestrated an impressive turnaround. 

“I’m just happy for the players in the program,” he said. “It’s been a total buy-in, and I’m just proud of the way they play the game, and practice and prepare.”  

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Tigers hit the road next Friday for a matchup with Big 8 East foe Cassville (3-2). Mount Vernon, meanwhile, hosts Springfield Catholic (0-5).

 

Nevada safety Brice Budd grabs an interception during the first half of Friday night’s victory at Logan Field. Courtesy photo by Brandi Redman.

FOOTBALL: Winning the turnover battle fuels No. 4 Nixa past No. 10 Joplin

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Fourth-ranked Nixa took an early lead and never relinquished it with a relentless rushing attack on the way to a 35-27 win over 10th-ranked Joplin in a Central Ozark Conference powerhouse matchup in Class 6 action on Friday at Junge Field. 

Nixa gained 390 yards of offense, with RB Dylan Rebura carrying the ball 25 times for 159 yards and RB Malachi Rider gaining 105 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, on the way to handing Joplin its second straight loss in a season for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

Joplin QB Hobbs Gooch avoids a tackle in the loss to Nixa on Friday. Photos by Israel Perez

“I just feel bad because I thought our kids played their hearts out,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. “Outside of a couple of turnovers, we played really well.

“Nobody likes to lose. We wanted to win the ball game. Are we happy with tonight and that we lost? No. Are there a lot of positives to take away from tonight? Yes. I told the kids I am putting this one square on my decision making. I will learn from tonight and get better, just like I expect them to.”

TURNOVER BATTLE

Nixa won the always-important turnover battle, 3-1. Joplin fumbled it twice inside the red zone and was picked off just before the half that led to a Nixa score.

“We have to take care of the football,” Jasper said. 

WELCOME BACK

Joplin welcomed back senior RB Quin Renfro to the starting lineup. Renfro, a South Dakota State commit, injured his back during the Week 1 win over Branson and missed the next three games before returning to action in Week 5. Renfro led the Joplin offense (397 yards on 49 plays) in his first game back in action with 17 carries for 177 yards and two scores.

“He ran hard all night,” Jasper said about having Renfro back in the backfield. “He did a fantastic job. I thought our offensive line blocked their tails off tonight and played much better this week than they did last week.”

GAME ACTION

Joplin TE Neil Bartsow dives for the goal line after a long reception to set up a JHS rushing score. Photo by Israel Perez.

After both teams traded three-and-outs, Nixa got the first big play and it made the most of it. QB Nate Uber found WR Spencer Ward on a screen pass on third down before Ward broke the first tackle and sprinted his way to a 67-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 7:10 on the clock in the opening period.

Joplin answered immediately, marching down the field in just 1:58 seconds of game clock before an 18-yard pass from QB Hobbs Gooch (15-of-21 passing, 181-2-1) to TE Neil Barstow set up a 1-yard touchdown run from Renfro to tie the game at 7-7 with 5:12 left in the first quarter.

Nixa found little resistance ripping off chunk gains on the ground during its third drive, with Rebura capping the possession off with an 11-yard touchdown run at the 11:16 mark of the second period to give NHS a 14-7 advantage. 

Joplin was driving and looking to match Nixa’s score before Renfro fumbled the ball near the NHS 20-yard line and LB Elijah Frazier returned the ball down to the JHS 29-yard line.

Nixa looked to capitalize on the turnover with a pump fake leading to a 29-yard third-down touchdown pass, only to see the play negated by a holding call, with NHS forced to punt shortly after. 

Joplin’s Davin Thomas finds the sideline for a big gain in the loss to Nixa on Friday. Photo by Israel Perez.

On the next possession, Joplin was driving before a personal foul penalty and a sack led to a third-down-and-26. Gooch heaved a pass downfield and found WR Jett Beal for a 30-yard gain and a first down. The big play through the air set up a big play on the ground, as Renfro atoned for the fumble on the previous series with a 22-yard touchdown run after getting to the near sideline and breaking several tackles on the way to the score, his third of the evening.

Joplin went for the 2-point try after a Nixa penalty on the PAT, with the pass falling incomplete to keep Nixa in front 14-13 with 3:19 left in the first half.

Joplin’s defense forced a three-and-out punt but a costly turnover by the offense when Gooch was picked off on second down by Ward, who returned it 34 yards down to the JHS 1-yard line.

On the next play, Rider found paydirt to give Nixa a 21-13 lead into the half.

“I got greedy before halftime,” Jasper said. “Knowing we were getting the ball out of the half, I was trying to do a two-for-one. Their kid had a heck of a punt to pin us deep. I should have just gone into halftime. Instead, we make a turnover and they get another score. Honestly, that’s the difference in the ball game.”

Joplin was forced to punt on the opening series of the second half and Nixa built a two-score lead when Rider found the end zone for the second time on an 8-yard run with 6:12 left in the third quarter to cap an 80-yard drive, with every yard coming on the ground.

Joplin was driving into Nixa territory before Renfro was stripped of the football near the 20-yard line with less than five minutes to play in the third quarter. 

Joplin returned the favor on the next when DB Chavis Coleman stripped Rebura for a turnover, Nixa’s first of the game and of the season. 

Renfro then ripped off what appeared to be a 65-yard touchdown run that was called back on a pancake block resulting in a holding call. Joplin wouldn’t be denied, as Gooch later found Barstow for an 8-yard touchdown pass to trim the JHS deficit to 28-20 with 8:47 left in the game.

Nixa again marched down the field on the ground before Rider broke several tackles on the way to a 22-yard touchdown with four minutes left to push the Nixa lead to 35-20.

Joplin got on the board one more time with 1:39 left in regulation after Gooch found WR Aidan Sampson for an 8-yard touchdown.

UP NEXT

Joplin (3-2) hits the road for a matchup with Republic (4-1) in Week 6.

 

FOOTBALL: Carthage rallies past Neosho in second half; Wildcats’ Hughes surpasses 5,000 passing yards

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — Carthage’s winning streak against Neosho on the gridiron survives another season. 

Barely. 

The Tigers tallied four second-half touchdowns and surrendered just one score on their way to a 35-21 victory over the Wildcats Friday night at Bob Anderson Stadium.

Carthage QB Brady Carlton looks for running room early in the contest against Neosho. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

Carthage hasn’t lost to Neosho since the 2008 season. 

After trailing 14-7 at the break, Carthage rattled off a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 21-14 lead on Neosho, thanks to junior quarterback Brady Carlton’s 5-yard run and a Rudy Perez 6-yard touchdown reception from Carlton, and another two scores in the fourth.

Carthage, which improved to 2-3, held Neosho to a single touchdown in the second half, and junior defensive lineman Trevor Meadows forced a fumble and recovered it to set the Tigers up for Jackson Hettinger’s 22-yard touchdown pass from Brady Carlton to give the visitors a crucial two-score lead.

Neosho’s Quenton Hughes looks for rushing room in the Wildcats’ loss to Carthage on Friday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

Then, the Carthage defense answered the bell once again when sophomore defensive back Braxton Ralston corralled an interception and returned it 33 yards after teammate Joey Czahor tipped the pass near the goal line with just 1:03 left, helping secure the win.

The Wildcats got out to a 14-0 lead with two big-play touchdowns courtesy of the QB Quenton Hughes and WR Hudson Williams connection.

The duo linked up for a 60-yard touchdown score less than a minute into the contest that vaulted Hughes past the 5,000-yard career passing mark in the process. 

After the Neosho defense stuffed Carthage three times within the 5-yard line, Hughes tossed two 33-yard passes to Williams—the second going for a score and 14-0 advantage.  

Junior receiver Langston Morgan and junior running back had the other Carthage touchdowns. Morgan hauled in a 43-yard reception from Collins via a halfback pass to make it 14-7, and Collins rushed in a 5-yard score for the final tally of the contest.

Neosho junior running back Denver Welch scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to knot the score at 21-21 midway through the fourth quarter and before the Tigers’ defense clamped down.

Carthage stays on the road and plays Ozark next Friday, while Neosho (0-4) takes the trip to Branson (2-3). 

FOOTBALL: Branson beats Carl Junction in battle of coaching brothers

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — When the clock hit zeroes Friday night in Carl Junction, Bulldogs head coach Todd Hafner and his brother, Branson head coach Aaron Hafner, shared the same feeling.

“I’m glad this game is over,” Aaron Hafner said after the game, “We’re really, really close. Neither one of us were looking forward to this game, I’m going to be honest with you—but at the end of the day, it’s about our kids. It’s not about us.”

“I mean it’s just hard,” CJ coach Todd Hafner said, “It’s hard. I feel terrible for our kids, and I know he feels terrible that I feel terrible. I’m sad for our kids, but it took a well-played game to win. Neither team was going to give this one away.”

The Branson defense stifled Carl Junction all night, spoiling the Bulldogs’ homecoming game 21-7 Friday.

“It was a really physical game. I knew it was going to be,” Aaron Hafner said, “Our kids played really well as far as assignment football, and being physical at the point of attack. When you do that, you have a chance to do some good things.”

After a Carl Junction punt on their first possession of the game, Branson drove 53 yards for a touchdown on its first drive to take a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

The Bulldogs were aiming to respond on the ensuing drive, but that series ended with Branson’s Zyere Fair intercepting a pass by CJ QB Dexter Merrell inside the 5-yard line and keeping the score at 7-0 Pirates heading to the second quarter.

Carl Junction found their first points in the second quarter, with a clutch throw from Merrell to WR Jett Mills. Merrell connected with Mills in the end zone on fourth-down-and-3 from the 15 to knot the score at 7s with less than eight minutes remaining until halftime.

Branson quickly found its way into the red zone on the next drive, but Carl Junction’s Aidan Beachner recovered a Pirate fumble to halt the drive and give the home team their first chance to take the lead.

The Bulldogs put together a solid drive following the turnover but ultimately turned it over on downs deep in Branson territory to keep the game tied 7-7 at the break.

Branson dipped into the bag of tricks late in the third. On fourth-down-and-5 from the Carl Junction 34-yard line, QB Luke McCormick tossed it out to RB Gage Depee, who pulled up and threw to a wide open WR Teagan Asbury behind the defense for a 34-yard touchdown strike.

“We didn’t want to kick a field goal in that spot and we didn’t want to punt,” Aaron Hafner said of the play call, “Our kids executed, and obviously, that was a big play in the game.”

After a missed PAT, the Pirates were back in front 13-7 going to the final period

Early in the fourth quarter, Branson added to its leads with another touchdown—this one on the ground. Javen Finkbone scored from 8 yards away and the Pirates converted on a 2-point try to push the lead to 21-7 with 8:46 remaining in the game. 

Carl Junction had a chance to pull within one score on their next drive but Branson stopped the Bulldogs on fourth down inside the 10, with a pass from Merrell to Jaxton Wobken being ruled incomplete in the end zone.

“Offensively, we weren’t great tonight. We really weren’t,” Todd Hafner said, “We missed a couple open plays. I don’t want to take anything away from Branson, but I don’t think we executed well on offense tonight.”

The Pirates took over possession and ran out the clock to secure the 14-point victory.

UP NEXT

Branson (2-3) hosts Neosho, while Carl Junction (1-4) hits the road for a COC matchup against Nixa.

“Todd and I are ready to move forward with our seasons,” Aaron Hafner said, “They have a nice ball club. He’s done a heck of a job in year one. They’re not playing like a team that’s in year one under a new head coach. I’m looking forward to watching them and rooting for them the rest of the season.”

 

FOOTBALL: Webb City rolls to homecoming win

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Playing in front of a large homecoming crowd, Webb City rode a strong defensive effort and a big second half to a dominant 38-0 victory over Ozark on Friday night on John Roderique Field at Cardinal Stadium.

With a fourth straight win, Class 5 No. 2 Webb City hiked its record to 4-1. 

In a stellar performance, the Webb City defense pitched a shutout, forcing seven punts and limiting Ozark’s spread offense to just 78 yards on 34 plays. 

“I have to give credit to our defensive coaches (Trey Derryberry and Aaron Davied),” Webb City coach Ryan McFarland said. “Those guys coordinate the defense. We’ve talked about keeping the defense simple and letting the kids make plays. That’s something we’ve preached all summer long. They’ve done a phenomenal job and our kids show up every Friday night and just play their tails off.” 

Clinging to a 14-0 lead at halftime, the Cardinals reeled off 24 unanswered points in the second half to turn a two-score game into a blowout. 

The Cardinals finished with 507 yards of total offense, with 309 on the ground and 198 through the air. 

Webb City’s offense played without several key performers, including do-it-all sophomore Gabe Johnson and seniors Breckin Galardo and Omari Jackson, but managed to get going in the second half.

“Gabe Johnson didn’t play tonight and we’ve got a lot of guys out, so we’re trying to find our identity on offense,” McFarland said. “We played five running backs tonight and we played three quarterbacks. We’re trying to figure out what their strengths are and how to put them in the best positions to be successful. That will probably be the plan moving forward until we get some guys back.”

In what was the lone score of the opening period, Webb City took a 7-0 lead with 4:58 left in the first quarter when junior QB Jackson Lucas connected with junior running back Noah Durman on an 18-yard touchdown pass.

The Cardinals punted and lost two fumbles in the first half, but the Webb City defense kept the Tigers in check. 

Trailing 7-0, Ozark’s best scoring chance came with just under four minutes left in the first half, but a 29-yard field goal attempt was off the mark.

In a key swing of momentum, the Cardinals scored just before the break to take a two-score lead.

Facing fourth down and 19 on the 29-yard line with just three seconds on the clock, senior QB Braden McKee completed a screen pass to junior running back Andrew Elwell, who weaved his way through the defense and into the end zone to give the hosts a 14-0 lead.

The Cardinals were able to generate much more offense after intermission.

Alex Dunne’s 25-yard field goal at the 8:26 mark of the third period gave the Cardinals a 17-0 advantage.

After Andrew Young’s interception, Webb City extended its lead to 24-0 on Durman’s 1-yard touchdown plunge. The score was set by a nice gain on the ground by Lucas.

Webb City’s senior tight ends got into the act late in the game.

Homecoming King Drew Vonder Haar hauled in a 65-yard touchdown reception with 4:09 left in the third period before Jonah Spieker closed out the scoring by charging into the end zone on a 5-yard run with just over 10 minutes to play.

“We really wanted to get our tight ends involved tonight,” McFarland said. “Drew had the big touchdown catch and that was nice to see. Jonah is our blocking tight end and I told him this week he was going to get some carries. It was nice to get him involved.” 

Webb City only punted once all night and recorded 28 first downs to Ozark’s five.

Durman (75 yards), Lucas (54 yards), Elwell (51 yards) and Slade Hurd (49 yards) carried the load on the ground.

Lucas completed 5 of 6 passes for 119 yards, while McKee passed for 57 yards on six completions. 

Vonder Haar had 72 receiving yards, while Elwell and Joseph DeGraffenreid added 32 yards apiece.

A senior, Dunne made all five of his PAT kicks to go along with the field goal.

A newcomer to Webb City this fall, Dunne has now converted 16 of 18 PAT kicks this season.

“He moved in back in February and he’s been a blessing,” McFarland noted. “We couldn’t find a consistent kicker last year. It’s nice to know when you cross the 25-yard line you can kick a field goal if you have to.”

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Webb City (4-1) travels to Willard (3-2) next Friday night. Willard suffered a 21-20 loss to Republic on Friday.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

FOOTBALL: Seneca dominant in win over Monett, starts season 5-0

Posted on by Lucas Davis

SENECA, Mo. — The Seneca Indians continued their dominant start to the football season on Friday night, moving to 5-0 with a 56-0 victory over the Monett Cubs at Seneca High School.

The Indians, ranked No. 2 in Class 3 after earning a 14-point road win over Class 2 No. 1 Lamar one week prior, dominated the Class 4 Cubs (0-5) from start to finish as they jumped out to a 40-0 halftime lead and forced a running clock for the entirety of the second half.

Seneca logged its fourth shutout victory of the season and has outscored its opponents 227-14 through the first five weeks. The Indians are off to a 5-0 start for a second consecutive year.

After opening the game with a defensive three-and-out, the Indians drove 85 yards in eight plays to score the game’s first touchdown on a 2-yard run by running back Jackson Marrs. The drive featured a heavy dose of the rush attack as well as a 33-yard pickup on a pass from quarterback Gavyn Hooper to Morgan Vaughn.

The Cubs drove into Seneca territory later in the first quarter before turning the football over on downs. Seneca took advantage of the takeaway with a 63-yard pass play from Hooper to WR Ethan Altic, which set up a 13-yard touchdown run by Marrs to give the Indians a 14-0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter.

Just a few minutes later, The Indians struck again when tight end Hagen Ginger hauled in a play-action pass from Hoover for a 36-yard touchdown that gave the home team a 20-0 lead with 9:19 showing the second stanza.

The final five minutes of the second half saw three more Seneca scores, including a 6-yard touchdown scamper by Marrs, an electric 80-yard touchdown pass from Hooper to Altic and a 5-yard touchdown run by Roman Miller.

The Monett offense was limited to just a pair of first downs and was forced to punt five times in the first half.

The Indians received the kickoff to open the second half and proceeded to find the end zone for a seventh consecutive drive after marching 71 yards in under six minutes of game clock. Miller recorded his second score of the night on a 37 yard run through the heart of the Monett defense for a 48-0 lead.

Seneca logged its final score of the night on the second play of the fourth quarter when RB Hunter Hanes capped a 71-yard drive with a 4-yard score plunge.

UP NEXT

Seneca will play host to Reeds Spring next Friday while Monett seeks its first win of the season at home against East Newton. 

 

SCORING SUMMARY

Monett 6 34 8 8 — 56

Seneca 0 0 0 0 — 0

FIRST QUARTER

Sen—Jackson Marrs 2 run (kick fail)

SECOND QUARTER

Sen—Marrs 13 run (Gavyn Hoover run)

Sen—Hagen Ginger 36 pass from Hoover (kick fail)

Sen—Hoover 6 run (Marrs run)

Sen—Ethan Altic 80 pass from Hoover (pass fail)

Sen—Roman Miller 5 run (pass fail)

THIRD QUARTER

Sen—Miller 37 run (Brodie Probert run)

FOURTH QUARTER

Sen—Hunter Hanes 4 run (Probert run)

 

GIRLS GOLF: Cameron wins 3rd straight Nevada invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

NEVADA, Mo. — Nevada junior Emree Cameron Emree won her third straight Nevada Lady Tiger Invitational on Friday with her 1-under-par 35 at the Frank E. Peters Municipal Golf Course.  

Stockton shot a team total of 210 to win the team competition over El Dorado Springs (217) and Nevada (218).

After Cameron, Butler’s Haven Humphrey was the runner-up with a 46, while El Dorado Springs’ Lanie Wolfe took third (47) and Frontenac’s Ruth Frederick was fourth (47).

Nevada’s Paige Hertzberg finished fifth with her 48 and was recognized on Senior Night.  

Rounding out the top 10 were Stockton’s Vanessa Nail (50) and Kendra Bishop (51) and El Dorado Springs’ Sage McCullough (53), East Newton’s Erika McMillian (53) and Frontenac’s Kayle Hensley (53).

The event was reduced to just nine holes due to the weather. 

VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Webb City sweeps Willard; Joplin plays well in defeat; TJ, Seneca, McAuley all victorious

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY 3, WILLARD 0

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Bouncing back nicely from Tuesday’s loss to rival Carl Junction, Webb City defeated Willard 25-15, 25-20, 25-17 on Thursday night inside the Cardinal Dome. 

The Cardinals improved to 10-2 and 2-1 in the Central Ozark Conference. 

Aubree Lassiter led the Cardinals with 14 kills and six digs, while Jaeli Rutledge added six kills and Kirra Long had five.

Savannah Crane handed out 22 assists from the setter position, while libero Sophia Crane recorded a team-high 22 digs. 

Also for the Cardinals, Jadyn Catterson had eight digs and Mia Lenker had five aces.

Webb City will be among the teams competing at this Saturday’s Carl Junction Classic.

 

BRANSON 3, JOPLIN 1

Despite a solid effort, Joplin suffered a 3-1 setback to visiting Branson on Thursday in COC play inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

The Pirates defeated the Eagles 27-29, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21.

“I’m proud of our effort and our fight tonight,” Joplin coach Staci Saunders said, noting the Eagles played much better than they did on Tuesday night. 

Bailey Owens led Joplin with 29 kills, eight digs and two aces, while Raelin Calderon contributed 11 kills and six digs.

Phia Vogel had a team-high 17 digs, while Adalynn Noirfalise had 39 assists and 12 digs. 

Janiah Vaughn chipped in six kills and three digs, while Lucy Erisman contributed five digs.

Joplin (3-10, 0-3 COC) will compete at this weekend’s Lee’s Summit North Tournament.

 

SENECA 3, MCDONALD COUNTY 1

ANDERSON, Mo. — Seneca went on the road to earn a 25-22, 17-25, 25-20 and 25-15 win over McDonald County in Big 8 West Conference action on Thursday.

“We found a great rhythm tonight and the girls worked very well together as a team,” Seneca coach Rachel Ayo said. “It was a great win and I am excited to see how this brings us into our busy three-game week next week.”

Jera Jameson led Seneca with 18 kills, three aces, a block assist and block kill, while Anna Adkins finished with 28 assists, two block assists and three aces. Ella Graham finished with 15 digs and Valencia Araujo closed with 12 digs. Danessa Macy had four aces. 

Seneca hosts Gravette on Monday. 

 

MCAULEY 3, PURDY 2

PURDY, Mo. — McAuley Catholic dropped the first two sets before rallying back for a 24-26, 25-27, 26-24, 25-22 and 15-8 win over Purdy on Thursday.

“It took us a while to get into a groove,” McAuley coach Sarah Nangle said. “We are dealing with two starters who were also sick.”

Kloee Williamson had 18 kills and eight aces to lead the Warriors, while Avery Gardner had 11 kills in the win.

McAuley improves to 5-10-4 on the season and hosts Wheaton on Tuesday.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON 3, SOUTHWEST 1

Thomas Jefferson defeated Southwest 25-13, 20-25, 25-18, 25-18.

The Cavaliers are now 14-3 overall and 3-0 in conference play. 

 

Other scores

Ozark def. Carthage 25-18, 25-18, 25-16

Nixa def. Carl Junction 25-19, 25-17, 25-21

Monett def. East Newton 25-21, 26-24, 19-25, 20-25, 15-5

GIRLS TENNIS ROUNDUP: Thomas Jefferson upends Aurora; Neosho drops COC match

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON 9, AURORA 0

The Thomas Jefferson girls tennis team improved to 9-0 on the season by beating Aurora 9-0 on Thursday.

In singles matches, Alison Ding defeated Kloey Boyd 8-1, Jeanna Jeyaraj beat Libby Sawyers 8-0, Esther Yang topped Adeline Patillo 8-2, Warda Morsy defeated Jaydn Venable 8-0, Mayson Solum handled Verin Shirley 8-0 and Kyla Yang beat Brianna Henson 8-2.

In doubles, Ding-Jeyaraj defeated Boyd-Sawyers 8-2, while Yang-Yang beat Patillo-Shirley 8-0 and Morsy-Solum topped Venable-Esmeralda Botello 8-0.

Thomas Jefferson meets Carl Junction on Monday.

 

WILLARD 8, NEOSHO 1

Neosho’s lone win of the dual came at No. 4 singles, as Angel defeated Willard’s Allyson Essary 8-4.

Keely Keeton, Emma VanDorn, Francisca Ruiz, Sydnee Minton and Abigail Coutu dropped their singles matches.

The Tigers won all three doubles matches, as Alyssa Flynn-Katelyn Long defeated Keeton-VanDorn 8-1, Jacey Wilson-Madeline Polites beat Ruiz-Lee 8-4 and Essary-Briana Mauschbaugh topped Minton-Coutu 8-3.

Neosho will compete at Friday’s Nixa Invitational. 

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