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Month: December 2023

BOYS HOOPS: Nevada earns blowout win for 7th place at Butler tourney

Posted on by Jason Peake

BUTLER, Mo. — With a solid overall performance, Nevada’s boys basketball team defeated University Academy Charter 58-26 in the seventh-place game of the Butler Tournament on Saturday afternoon. 

The Tigers built a 36-15 halftime lead.

“I’m proud of the way our guys showed up and with the energy we brought,” Nevada coach Shaun Gray said. “There was no let down or feeling sorry for ourselves (after two straight losses). Our guys brought defensive intensity from the tip and that fueled our 36-point first half.”

The Tigers held a 54-21 lead by the end of the third quarter on their way to the lopsided win.

“In the second half we focused more on our halfcourt defense and were able to limit the Gryphons to 11 total points,” Gray noted. “It was really nice to see all 14 guys get extended minutes and to see 10 guys score. Our main rotation guys were enthusiastic and very supportive of their teammates when the roles were flipped, and they were manning the bench for longer than normal portions of the game. That togetherness and family attitude is another thing that makes these guys so special and fun to be around every day.”

Brice Budd scored 19 points to lead Nevada. 

“Brice Budd led our defensive effort and his energy also led to several transition buckets,” Gray said. “He also played well off of two feet in the paint and took advantage of University Academy’s lack of size.”

Also for the Tigers, Jack Cheaney scored eight points, Mason Majors had seven and Gabe Smith and Alex Ast contributed five points apiece. Rounding out Nevada’s scoring were Sean Simmons (4), Uche Mba (3), Kellen Braden (3), Riddick Shook (2) and Montgomery Palmer (2).

“Our bench guys played great in extended minutes,” Gray said. “And our 3-point defense was solid, holding University to only one 3-point goal.”

Nevada is now 4-5 on the season, and Gray noted there’s still work to do.

“Areas to improve on would be our court vision, seeing the open man sooner, and also our free throw shooting,” Gray said. “It’s something we have to correct in order to win big and close games.”

Nevada travels to Harrisonville (6-3) on Tuesday. 

“We are excited to get to work Monday in preparation for a Tuesday game against district opponent Harrisonville, who is off to a great start this season,” Gray said. 

BOYS HOOPS: Carthage struggles from perimeter in loss to Sparta

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage struggled from the perimeter from the onset and couldn’t climb out of the early hole, with Class 3 seventh-ranked Sparta never relinquishing the lead in a 43-33 win on Friday night in the Tigers’ final home game of the 2023 year.

“His game plan was phenomenal,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said of Sparta coach Deric Link. “They have played some smaller schools, so we weren’t really sure how they were going to come in and defend us. Their matchup zone with (Jacob Lafferty) in the middle really affected us. I thought we were unsure against it early on, and I don’t think the shots that we took early were confident shots that our group is used to taking. Later in the game, we had better rhythm shots but I think at that point, we were mentally and physically exhausted fighting against their matchup zone.”

Sparta (7-0) found its footing on the offensive end early against the Tigers, outscoring Carthage 12-7 in the first period to take the momentum. 

Walker Loveland (four points) and Jacob Lafferty (eight points, including one 3-pointer), a 6-foot-5 forward, combined to score all of the Trojans’ points. 

It was a struggle on the offensive end for Carthage (3-2), which started off cold from the perimeter in the first half, failing to convert several open looks outside, particularly in the opening stanza. 

“That is a team we need to be,” Morris said about his team knocking down open looks from range when given the opportunity. “We started out hot against Webb City (in the Carthage Invitational championship game) but we didn’t start hot tonight and I think it affected us. … We were a little timid to start and were playing from behind the whole night and never really got into a rhythm.”

Carthage did get a 3-ball from junior Trent Yates in the first quarter, coupled with a score on the inside by senior Jack Ryder, but looked for other ways to improve the scoring output in the second period to prevent the game getting out of reach. That meant doing the dirty work—rebounding, coming up with 50-50 balls and getting the ball inside.

“We changed it up offensively and got the ball to the middle and attacked,” Morris said. “I was proud of their effort in the second quarter, and again down the stretch in the fourth. It was two teams battling like crazy.”

Sparta pushed its lead to a half-high eight points, 20-12, off an offensive rebound and a putback from LeeAnthony Mayes before Carthage with less than three minutes to play before Carthage answered with a floater on the drove from senior Justin Ray, a score on a baseline drive from junior Kruz Castor and a make from the charity stripe to cut the deficit to 20-17 with 90 seconds left in the half, ultimately trailing five at the intermission, 22-17.

The Trojans pushed the lead to nine twice in the third quarter, including taking a 35-26 lead into the final eight minutes after closing the third period on a 6-0 run with two buckets from Lovelnd and a hoop from Lafferty. 

“This was the first game where I saw some mental fatigue on our guys’ faces,” Morris said. “I think we got a little defeated by the shots that we normally take, and practice over and over and over at game speed, that weren’t falling.”

Sparta scored the first basket two and a half minutes into the fourth quarter on a bucket from Lafferty to push the lead to double digits for the first time.

Carthage cut the lead to seven, 37-30, on a four-point play from Ray, who was fouled on a 3-ball in transition and made the ensuing and-1 free throw, with 5:06 left in regulation, but that was the final field goal from the Tigers until Ray made another 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:07 left to again cut the deficit to seven, 40-33, but that would be as close as Carthage would get to the lead.

“They played at their pace,” Morris said of the limited scoring in the fourth quarter. “They did what they wanted to do and kind of forced us into situations we weren’t comfortable in.” 

Despite the struggles on offense, Morris was pleased with the Tigers on the defensive end. Carthage held Sparta, which averages 68.5 points per game, to a season-low 43 points. 

Lafferty, who was held to less than 30 points for the first time this season, finished with a game-high 24 points and was the only Trojan to score in double figures. Loveland and Mayes each had six

Ray finished with a team-high 14 points, while Yates also finished in double figures with 10 points. 

Carthage takes part in the Hy-Vee 12 Courts of Christmas Shootout 

HOOPS ROUNDUP: Seneca boys top Neosho; McAuley boys beat NEVC; CHC girls fall to Diamond

Posted on by Lucas Davis

SENECA BOYS 70, NEOSHO 45

SENECA, Mo. — Seneca started fast and never looked back in a convincing win over Neosho on Friday.

Seneca (3-3) outscored Neosho 21-8 in the opening stanza and carried that momentum throughout the game.

The Indians led by 14 at the intermission and played with the cushion in the second half. 

Ethan Altic led Seneca with a game-high 20 points, with 12 coming in the second half. Morgan Vaughn had 18 points in the win.

Gavyn Hoover finished with eight for the Indians.

Ty Harris led Neosho (3-3) with 15 points, nine in the first half.

Collier Hendricks, Kanten Smith and Colton Southern each added eight points in the loss.

Seneca hosts Crane on Tuesday.

Neosho hosts Aurora on Monday.

 

MCAULEY BOYS 46, NORTHEAST VERNON COUNTY 30

McAuley Catholic boys basketball limited Northeast Vernon County to five points in the first quarter to build a double-digit lead the Warriors would never relinquish in a win on Friday.

McAuley pushed the lead to 17 points by the start of the fourth quarter en route to victory.

The Warriors, which have won three of their last four games, was led in scoring by Michael Parrigon’s 13 points, including two 3-pointers.

Alex Bohachick scored 10 points to finish in double figures.

McAuley takes part in the 41st Annual Southwest Boys Holiday Tournament with a matchup against Monett on Dec. 27.

 

DIAMOND GIRLS 54, COLLEGE HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN 37

DIAMOND, Mo. — The College Heights Christian girls basketball team suffered a 54-37 setback to a solid Diamond squad on Friday night. 

“Diamond is an excellent team that has height, speed, and athleticism,”” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “I have nothing but praise for Diamond. They are a dynamic team. They are well-coached, and it’s no wonder they are off to such a great start to their season with that many great athletes.” 

Diamond led 28-15 at halftime en route to the victory. 

“Grace Frazier and Lauren Turner are difficult to defend, but they demand your primary focus on defense,” Blankenship said. “However, they are a well-rounded team and have other scorers. We were 0 for 6 from 3-point range in the first half. It could have been much closer had we hit some of those 3-pointers.”

Blankenship noted his team continued to battle in the second half.  

“We made it a point to get the ball into the post in the third quarter and Libby Fanning responded with nine points in the third quarter,” Blankenship noted. “We also shot 4 for 8 from 3-point range in the second half.”

CHC’s Fanning recorded a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Also for the Cougars, Maddy Colin scored five, Karly Dorris and Allie Stoute added three points and Ava Lett, Jesalin Bever, Kinley Marsh and Molly Long contributed two points apiece. 

College Heights (2-6) travels to Pierce City on Monday.

“They are 6-1, but I fully expect my girls to bounce back and play extremely well,” Blankenship said. “We will see a change in the style of our play moving forward that will benefit the team. I’m excited to see how they do on Monday.”

Diamond is now 8-1 on the season. The Wildcats host Liberal on Tuesday.

 

BOYS HOOPS: Webb City rolls to home victory over Cassville

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Webb City Cardinals ended a two-game skid in a big way.

Propelled by a huge second quarter, Webb City cruised to a convincing 81-43 victory over Cassville on Friday night inside the Cardinal Dome.

It’s safe to say the Cardinals got well at home after road losses at Carthage and Rogers Heritage.

“It was good to be back at home,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “We had a rough stretch of two games. We played two good opponents, including a rival in a championship game. You could tell fatigue was setting in and we weren’t as sharp as we needed to be. It was good to play at home and get some confidence back.”

The Cardinals (4-2) were clinging to a 24-16 advantage at the end of the first quarter, as the Wildcats stayed within striking distance.

But the Cardinals picked up the defensive pressure and sped up the game. As a result, the hosts began the second period on a game-changing 14-2 surge for a 38-18 lead. 

During the spurt, Gabe Johnson and Holton Keith both knocked down 3-pointers before the hosts converted several steals into easy transition layups thanks to their defensive pressure.

“Early on, Cassville played well and did a good job of bothering some of our shots,” Horn said. “We thought our pace would wear on them. We knew we needed to play up-tempo. We were able to get some steals and defensive rebounds and get out ahead and get a lot of easy looks.”

Overall, Webb City outscored Cassville 30-8 in the one-sided second quarter for a commanding 54-24 halftime advantage.

“That’s our second 30-point quarter and we’ve had a 29-point quarter, so that shows we can be explosive,” Horn said. “We want to see that for four quarters, maybe not at the 30-point range, but we don’t want to see any droughts like we had in our last two games.”

Webb City held a comfortable 75-38 lead by the end of the third quarter and the final outcome was never in doubt in the final frame.

“This is a game we can build on,” Horn said. “Everything offensively will get better. Our timing will get better, and our legs will get better with time. We’re going to get a lot more practice time from here on out and I think we’ll clean up a lot of things. I think we’ll be a much-better team down the stretch.” 

Junior guard Holton Keith scored 21 points to lead the Cardinals. Keith, who scored 19 points in the first half, also had seven steals. 

“He did a good job of playing defense with his hands wide and he did a good job of getting in the passing lane,” Horn said of Keith. “He was picking passes off and he was finishing. He’s shooting the ball well from 3. He’s worked on his release and his layups.” 

Also for the Cardinals’ balanced attack, senior Barron Duda scored 16 points, sophomore Trae Turner had 10 points and senior Omari Jackson and junior Eli Pace contributed nine points apiece. 

Johnson chipped in six points and five steals.

The Cardinals made 48 percent of their field goal attempts (33 of 68). Webb City was credited with 22 steals.

Cassville (4-4) received 13 points and 11 rebounds from Eli Stokes and 12 points from Simon Gates. 

The Wildcats hit 15 of 33 shots (45 percent) but had 39 turnovers to Webb City’s seven.

Webb City hosts Seneca (3-3) on Thursday.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

HOOPS ROUNDUP: Joplin boys, girls fall to Lee’s Summit; Nevada boys lose pair at Butler Tourney

Posted on by Lucas Davis

LEE’S SUMMIT BOYS 46, JOPLIN 40

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Joplin fell into a double-digit hole by halftime and was unable to overcome it in a loss to Lee’s Summit on Thursday.

The Eagles (1-5) led by one after the first eight minutes before the Tigers (4-2) outscored joplin 17-4 in the second period to go into the locker room on top 23-11.

Joplin cut the deficit to 31-27 by the start of the fourth, but Lee’s Summit staved off the Eagles’ comeback bid down the stretch to preserve the win.

“Another instance in which we did enough defensively to give ourselves a chance to win the game,” first-yearJoplin coach Nick Pfeifer said. “A slow start and some costly turnovers down the stretch really hurt us. I am encouraged by the effort and the way we competed as a team, but we are still looking for guys to produce consistently on the offensive end.”

Whit Hafer led Joplin with 15 points, including four 3-pointers, while Collis Jones and Brecken Green each scored six in the loss. Trenton Gage and Cooper Williams each scored four.

Gatlin Brody had 14 and Jaylen Lockhart finished with 10 to lead Lee’s Summit in scoring.

Joplin hosts Kickapoo on Dec. 22.

 

LEE’S SUMMIT GIRLS 51, JOPLIN 26

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Lee’s Summit outscored Joplin 31-9 in the first half to build an insurmountable lead on the way to a win on Thursday.

The Eagles (1-6) won the third quarter 11-10 and lost the fourth quarter 10-6.

Adriana Benassi led the way for Lee’s Summit (7-1) with 18 points, while Avery Rausch and Ryann Arnold each scored nine in the win.

Alissa Owens and Ashley Phillips each scored seven points to lead Joplin, with Brylee Strickland closing the game with six in the loss.

Joplin takes part in the Waynesville Route 66 Shootout over the weekend.

 

NEVADA BOYS DROP A PAIR AT BUTLER TOURNEY

BUTLER, Mo. — After suffering losses on Tuesday and Thursday at the Butler Tournament, the Nevada boys basketball team will meet University Academy for seventh place at the event at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

On Thursday night, Butler defeated Nevada 53-48.

Butler led 24-20 at halftime and the Bears were up 40-34 at the end of the third quarter. 

Nevada won the fourth quarter 14-13, but it wasn’t enough.

Jack Cheaney scored 22 points to lead the Tigers (3-5), while Brice Budd added 11 and Gabe Smith had six.

Carter Trumbore scored 24 points for Butler (6-2).

St. Michael the Archangel beat Nevada 61-41 on Tuesday. 

The Tigers trailed 41-33 at the end of the third quarter, but were outscored 20-8 in the final frame.

Cheaney scored 14 points for the Tigers, while Budd added nine and Uche Mba had eight.

GIRLS HOOPS: Carthage earns road win at Nevada

Posted on by Jason Peake

NEVADA, Mo. — A pair of second half spurts led Carthage to a 46-39 win over Nevada in a non-conference girls basketball clash on Thursday night inside Wynn Gymnasium.

In a clash between Tigers, the visitors had a 14-0 run in the third quarter and a 9-0 surge in the fourth quarter.

“It was a great team effort tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “It takes all five players on the court to guard their best player and we did an amazing job of that, despite her still scoring 29 points. I’m really proud of how our girls executed the game plan offensively and defensively tonight. If we continue to play defense this well and our shooting picks up a notch, we will be a fun team to watch!”

Nevada led 6-5 at the end of the low-scoring opening period.

Carthage tied the game at 14 after a bucket from Lexa Youngblood and two free throws from Lauren Choate.

Senior guard Clara Swearingen scored all 12 of Nevada’s second-quarter points and the hosts held an 18-16 halftime advantage.

A Pittsburg State signee, Swearingen scored 15 points in the first half.

Carthage put together a game-changing 14-0 run in the third quarter to take a 30-21 lead. 

Swearingen’s trey cut her team’s deficit to six entering the fourth quarter, 30-24.

Next, the visitors scored nine unanswered points in the fourth period for a 39-26 advantage with four minutes to play, and Carthage would not relinquish its lead down the stretch.

Choate led Carthage with 18 points, while Jaidyn Brunnert added 12 points, Youngblood had eight and Maggie Boyd contributed five. 

“Lauren Choate shot the ball well and continues to put the pressure on other teams with her ability to shoot the deep three and take defenders off the dribble,” Moore said. “Maggie Boyd played awesome on both ends of the court for us. It’s a lot to ask of a player to guard their best player and run our offense as the point guard. She did that for the entire game and that was the difference tonight. Jaidyn Brunnert also flashed an inside and outside threat for us tonight as she scored a career-high 12 points. She gave us great energy on both ends of the court as well.”

Nevada’s Swearingen poured in a game-high 29 points, hitting seven 3-pointers. Lakyn Applegate added eight points for Nevada.

Carthage improved to 3-4 and Nevada fell to 4-4.

Nevada hosts Girard, Kansas, on Friday.

Carthage hosts Raymore-Peculiar next Thursday.

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: Farmington tops McDonald County in title game; Webb City falls short in 5th place game

Posted on by Jason Peake

ANDERSON, Mo. — Farmington (Arkansas) defeated McDonald County 77-36 in the championship game of the 2023 Lady Mustang Classic on Wednesday night.

Farmington built a 26-8 lead by the end of the first quarter en route to victory.

In the third-place game, Springdale defeated Providence Academy 68-53.

For fifth place, Bentonville West edged Webb City 51-47.

 

BENTONVILLE WEST 51, WEBB CITY 47 (5TH PLACE)

Webb City fell short in the tourney’s fifth-place game. 

The Cardinals led 47-46 in the fourth quarter, but they had several empty possessions late in the game. The Wolverines scored the final five points of the contest, as Chandler Perry made a layup and Rachel Gandy knocked down a 3-pointer.

Webb City held a 31-24 halftime advantage, and the Cardinals were up 41-38 at the end of the third quarter.

Kirra Long scored 10 points to lead the Cardinals, while Jenna Schulz and Malorie Stanley contributed seven points apiece. 

Webb City (2-6) travels to Pittsburg, Kansas, on Monday and then hosts Seneca on Tuesday. 

 

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC

Wednesday’s scores

Bentonville West 51, Webb City 47 (5th place)

Springdale 68, Providence Academy 53 (3rd place)

Farmington 77, McDonald County 36 (Title game)

 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Reece Shirey, Farmington

Hannah Moss, Farmington

Zoey Bershers, Farmington

Carlie Martin, McDonald County

Dakota O’Brien, McDonald County

Charleen Hudson, Springdale

Karolina Kiraga, Providence

Hallie Ford, Bentonville West

Malorie Stanley, Webb City

Kylie Scott, Carl Junction

 

GIRLS SWIMMING: Carthage wins Joplin invite; host Eagles take 2nd

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Led by eight event wins, Carthage won the Joplin Invitational girls swim meet on Tuesday.

The Tigers compiled 291 points and the host Eagles finished second with 255 points.

Hillcrest, Nevada, Thomas Jefferson and Greenwood rounded out the team standings.

 

CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Carthage won the 200 medley relay in 2:16, with Aubree Santillan, Olivia Manning, Caelyn Samuelson and Kamryn Dininger competing.

Carthage’s 200 freestyle relay team of Santillan, Dininger, Samuelson and Manning took first in 2:04.

Dininger, Santillan and Manning took first in two individual events apiece.

Dininger won the 50 freestyle with a time of 30.78 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 1:08.

Santillan and Samuelson finished first and second in the 200 freestyle with their times of 2:34 and 2:53, respectively. Santillan also took first in the 100 backstroke in 1:15.

Manning won the 200 IM in 2:44 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:25. 

Samuelson and Anne Kennedy took second and third in the 100 butterfly. 

Kennedy was fourth in the 100 backstroke and Rylee Wallace placed fifth in the 400 free.

The Tigers were fourth in the 400 freestyle relay, with Kennedy, Wallace, Jocelyn Yost and Alexis Fosdick competing.

 

JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS

Joplin’s Kiki Thom won the 100 butterfly in 1:20 and she was the runner-up in the 50 freestyle with a time of 30.79 seconds.

Gwen Zamanzadeh took first in the 400 freestyle with a time of 6:42. She also placed third in the 200 freestyle.

Emma Marshall was the runner-up in the 400 freestyle (7:02). 

Joplin’s 400 freestyle relay team of Thom, Izzy Zamanzadeh, Gwen Zamanzadeh and Brylea Smith finished second in 5:27.

The Eagles placed third in the 200 medley relay, as Izzy Zamanzadeh, Smith, Thom and Gwen Zamanzadeh recorded a time of 2:35.

Izzy Zamanzadeh placed third in the 100 backstroke and Smith took fourth in the 100 butterfly.

Joplin was fifth in the 200 free relay, with Emma Taylor, Evelyn Watson, Kylea Thullesen and Kennedy Kelley competing.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGHLIGHTS

Thomas Jefferson’s Kat Pruitt and Natalie Carroll finished second and third, respectively, in the 200 IM. Pruitt recorded a time of 2:44 and Carroll finished in 2:46.

The Cavaliers finished fourth in the 200 freestyle relay, with Pruitt, Sophia Stinnett, Emalee Ro and Carroll competing.

Ro was sixth in the 50 freestyle.

 

NEVADA HIGHLIGHTS

Nevada’s 400 freestyle relay team of Payton Bales, Chloe Morris, Avery Ogle and Mary Kate Russell took first in 5:03.

The Tigers finished second in the 200 medley relay, as Bales, Ogle, Russell and Morris recorded a time of 2:34. 

Nevada was also second in the 200 freestyle relay, with Bales, Morris, Ogle and Russell competing.

Maddie Jeffries finished fourth in the 50 free and Miah Edmunds was fourth in the 100 freestyle.

 

JOPLIN INVITATIONAL

Final team standings: Carthage 291, Joplin 255, Hillcrest 154, Nevada 144, Thomas Jefferson 93, Greenwood 71.

 

The Carthage High School girls swim team won the Joplin Invitational on Tuesday. Courtesy photo.

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: McDonald County will meet Farmington in title game

Posted on by Jason Peake

ANDERSON, Mo. — Overcoming a double-digit deficit, the McDonald County girls basketball team defeated Bentonville West 51-50 in overtime in a semifinal contest of the Lady Mustang Classic on Tuesday night.

With the win, the host Mustangs will meet Farmington at 8 p.m. on Wednesday in the tourney’s championship game.

Farmington defeated Springdale 54-42 in the other semifinal.

On Tuesday night, McDonald County trailed 21-10 at the end of the first quarter. 

But the Mustangs won the second period 17-5 to take a 27-26 lead at halftime.

The hosts had to come from behind again, as Bentonville West held a 38-33 advantage at the end of the third quarter.

The game was tied at 46 at the end of regulation before the Mustangs outscored the Wolverines 5-4 in the extra session.

Dakota O’Brien scored 15 points to lead Mac County (7-1), while Carlie Martin added eight points, Carlee Cooper and Jamie Washam had seven points apiece and Roslynn Huston scored six.

Hallie Ford scored 17 points to lead Bentonville West.

In Wednesday’s other games, Webb City meets Bentonville West at 3:30 for fifth place and Springdale and Providence Academy will clash in the third-place game at 5 p.m.

In the opener of the Mustang Classic, McDonald County’s boys will take on RUSH at 6:30 ahead of the girls title game.

 

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC

Tuesday’s scores

Webb City 46, Carl Junction 32

Farmington 54, Springdale 42

McDonald County 51, Bentonville West 50 (OT)

 

BOYS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Neosho wins home opener; McAuley tops Exeter; Carthage falls to talented Central; Webb City, TJ suffer losses

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO BOYS 65, MONETT 51

NEOSHO, Mo. — Utilizing a balanced attack, the Neosho High School boys basketball team improved to 3-2 on the season by beating the Monett Cubs 65-51 on Tuesday in the home opener.

Neosho led 19-16 at the end of the close first quarter, and the Wildcats extended their lead to 33-25 by halftime. 

Neosho took a 48-39 advantage into the final frame before outscoring the Cubs 17-12 in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats had four players score in double figures.

Senior Collier Hendricks and sophomore Kaiden Asberry scored 13 points apiece to lead Neosho. Asberry hit four 3-pointers and Hendricks made two. 

Two others reached double figures for the Wildcats, as junior Kanten Smith scored 11 points and classmate Ty Harris added 10. Senior Colton Southern added eight points.

Three players scored in double figures for the Cubs, as Ian Waterman had 15, Evan Witt scored 12 and Landyn Brandt added 11.

Neosho is at Seneca on Friday. 

Monett (1-5) is at Hollister on Friday.

 

MCAULEY BOYS 56, EXETER 44

EXETER, Mo. — McAuley held Exeter to single-digit scoring over the first three quarters on the way to building an insurmountable cushion en route to the win.

The Warriors led 12-7 after the first quarter before taking a 27-17 lead into the intermission. McAuley outscored Exeter 17-8 in the third quarter and paced the way down the stretch. 

McAuley had two players score in double figures.

Michael Parrigon had 20 points to lead the Warriors in scoring, while Bradley Wagner finished with 12 points.

Connor Taffner had nine points on three 3-pointers in the win.

McAuley hosts Northeast Vernon County on Friday.

 

SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL BOYS 74, CARTHAGE 55

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage’s boys basketball team suffered a non-conference loss to state-ranked Springfield Central on Tuesday night. 

Ranked sixth in Class 6 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, Central led 22-15 by the end of the first quarter.

The Bulldogs hit three treys early in the second quarter during a 12-2 run that extended their lead to 34-17.

Overall, Central outscored Carthage 17-11 in the second quarter for a 39-26 halftime advantage.

The Bulldogs held a 60-43 lead by the end of the third period. 

The fourth quarter was nearly even, 14-12 in favor of the visitors.  

Carthage was led by senior guard Justin Ray’s 22 points. Ray hit four 3-pointers. 

Carthage junior Taylor Stevens-Diggs added 10 points, while junior Trent Yates scored eight and junior Dylan Pugh had seven. 

Tyrique Brooks scored 22 points to lead Central, while Keion Epps added 19. 

Carthage (3-1) hosts Class 3 No. 7 Sparta (6-0) on Friday night.

 

ROGERS HERITAGE BOYS 66, WEBB CITY 43

ROGERS, Ark. — Webb City’s boys suffered a non-conference road setback on Tuesday. 

The game was deadlocked at 28 at halftime, but Heritage outscored the visitors 38-15 in the second half. 

The hosts won the third quarter 19-7 and the fourth period 19-8.

Barron Duda scored 13 points to lead the Cardinals, while Holton Keith added nine and Eli Pace and Joel Hendrix contributed six points apiece.

Ben Manuel scored a game-high 22 points for Heritage and Bryson Jackson added 19.

Webb City (3-2) hosts Cassville on Friday night.

 

JASPER BOYS 48, THOMAS JEFFERSON 18

Jasper held a three-point lead after the first quarter before outscoring Thomas Jefferson 40-13 the rest of the way en route to the win.

The Cavaliers hold a 2-7 record, while Jasper improves to 4-3 following the win.

Jack Twiss, who knocked down two 3-pointers, had 10 points to lead Thomas Jefferson in scoring. Kohl Thurman added four, while Jackson Radius had three points and Spencer Long with one.

Gage Hall (14) and Wyatt Durman (10) each scored in double figures to lead Jasper in the books. 

Thomas Jefferson is at Pierce City on Jan. 5.

BOYS HOOPS: Carl Junction rallies back from early hole to beat Seneca in double OT

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction spent nearly the entire game fighting back from an early deficit before tying the contest late and going on to win 73-68 in double overtime against Seneca on Tuesday.

The Indians (2-3) used a strong spurt at the end of the first quarter to gain the momentum before pushing the lead to double digits early in the second period. The Bulldogs (4-2) made several runs at the lead before finally clawing back to tie the game late in regulation to force overtime. While one extra period wasn’t enough to decide the game, Carl Junction took the momentum in the second overtime period and never gave it up en route to the win.

“I thought our kids fought really hard,” Carl Junction coach Justin Pock said. “There were times where I didn’t think we were as crisp as we needed to be, especially early on. It took us a while to get out of the gates. They kept chipping away and kept fighting, and we’ve seen over the last two ball games that our team will fight no matter what the score is. … When it came together, it was all about heart and hustle.”

A SECOND HELPING OF OVERTIME

After both teams combined for two free throws and two scores from the floor in the first OT, Carl Junction’s Cooper Vediz and Seneca’s Morgan Vaughn traded makes out of the break before Wyatt McAfee drove baseline for a score and a 66-64 advantage in favor of the Bulldogs with 2:45 left.

After a pair of misses at the stripe for Seneca, Carl Junction pushed the lead to 67-64 with 1:44 on the clock after a 1-for-2 showing at the foul line from Quin Kennedy. 

Seneca got a corner 3-ball with 50 seconds left from Zane Grotjohn to tie the game at 67-all before Vediz pushed CJ back in front 69-67 with a bucket. 

Seneca trimmed the deficit to 69-68 after making one of two free throws with 27 seconds left before CJ extended the lead back to three, 71-68, on two charities by Jett Hocut.

The Bulldogs iced the game after an empty possession by the Indians in the waning seconds, which led to a rebound from Aidan Beachner, an outlet pass to Vediz, and a fast-break score in the closing seconds to clinch the win.

“I thought we had some good rebounds,” Pock said when asked what stood out in that second overtime. “Quin (Kennedy) had a really good rebound and I thought (Aidan) Beachner did a great job with that last rebound to seal it. We had some guys attack, and then Cooper (Vediz) and Jett (Hocut) hit some big free throws for us.”

HOW THEY GOT THERE

Seneca used the first surge of the game to take the momentum, closing the first quarter on a 9-2 run.

With Seneca leading 10-8 near the four-minute mark, a bucket inside from Morgan Vaughn off the assist from Jace Schulte started the run before Gavyn Hoover added a bucket on the drive. Vediz pulled up from midrange for a jumper before Schulte knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Gabe Sikes added a transition basket in press break with 15 seconds left to send Seneca into the second period holding a 19-10 advantage. 

Sikes added another bucket inside at the start of the second period to push the Indians’ advantage to double digits for the first time.

Carl Junction fought back to cut the deficit to one thanks to a 10-0 run near the midway point, with Brody Pant earning a steal and score on the break to kick things off before adding a three-point play after drawing a foul and converting the ensuing and-1 free throw. Jett Mills followed with a second-chance score inside and a 3-pointer from the top of the key to cut the score to 23-22 with 3:16 left to play in the first half.

“Seneca is a good team, but we just had to get some things going,” Pock said of his team’s first surge to climb back into the game. “We just needed to see some shots fall and pick up our defense a little bit.”

Seneca had an answer to close the first half, scoring 11 of the next 13 points thanks to eight points from Grotjohn—which included a pair of NBA-range 3-pointers from the top of the key and the wing—to push the lead back up to 34-24 with less than 40 seconds to play in the second period.

Carl Junction used a score on a baseline drive from Deacon Endicott and a buzzer-beating 3-ball from Vediz at the volleyball line to end the first half trailing 34-29.

Carl Junction spent the second half trying to regain the lead, meandering around a two-possession deficit until McAfee scored on a drive with 1:20 left in regulation and Pant added two free throws with 40 seconds left to tie the game at 59-59, ultimately sending it to the first overtime.

“I think when we step on the floor, we always have a belief we are going to win,” Pock said of his team’s resiliency in the second half. “They don’t always know how it’s going to happen, but the guys continue to do what they need to do. They fought hard every possession until we made some shots and got some good things going.”

SCORING LEADERS

Vediz scored 22 to lead Carl Junction in scoring. Endicott and Pant had 13 each, while Kennedy closed with 11. McAfee finished with eight.  

Vaughn finished with 17 points to lead Seneca in scoring, while Grotjohn had 15, including three 3-pointers. Hoover had 12—10 in the second half. 

UP NEXT

Carl Junction takes part in the Mustang Classic on Thursday, hosted by McDonald County.

Seneca hosts Neosho on Friday.

WRESTLING: Carthage boys upend Joplin; Eagles win girls dual

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Carthage’s boys wrestling team earned a 44-27 dual victory over Joplin on Tuesday night.

At 106 pounds, Carthage’s Tanner Putt won by fall over Lucas Allen and Caden Groom pinned Joplin’s Gabriel Kabutha at 113.

Carthage’s Uziel Teo won by fall over Jacob Porter at 120 and teammate Wyatt Hole pinned Joplin’s Dylan Houston at 126.

Joplin’s Andrew Burke won by fall over Mason Pugh at 132 pounds, but Carthage’s Bradyn Tate pinned Jacob Close at 138.

At 144, Joplin’s Toryn Jones earned a 7-6 decision over Dylan Huntley, but Carthage’s Israel Perez defeated Ben Hedrick 8-5 at 150. 

Joplin’s Johnathon Burke won by fall over Keagon McCoy at 157, while Carthage’s Lenny Escobar earned a technical fall, 17-2, over James Clemens at 165.

At 175, Joplin’s Andrew Esterline earned an 8-4 decision over Joshua Hill and Ethan Bentz defeated Carthage’s Alexander Salas-Marquez 4-2 at 190.

Carthage’s David Recinos pinned Johnny Williams at 215 and Joplin’s Josiah Hazelwood won by forfeit at 285.

 

JOPLIN GIRLS 36, CARTHAGE 24

In the girls dual, Joplin defeated Carthage 36-24. 

At 135 pounds, Carthage’s Irish Lee won by fall over Elizabeth Gibson.

At 140, Joplin’s Ericka Washom won by fall over Arianna Medrano.

Carthage won by forfeit at 100, 115 and 125. 

Joplin won by forfeit at 130, 145, 155, 170 and 235. 

Both teams were open at 105, 110, 120 and 190.

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: First half surge leads Webb City past Carl Junction

Posted on by Jason Peake

ANDERSON, Mo. — Webb City scored the final 10 points of the first half and never trailed after intermission on the way to a 46-32 win over Carl Junction on Tuesday in a consolation bracket contest of the 2023 Lady Mustang Classic at McDonald County High School. 

Up nine at the break, Webb City outscored Carl Junction 18-13 in the second half.

Carl Junction led 13-11 at the end of the first quarter, with junior forward Dezi Williams scoring 10 points in the opening frame.

The Bulldogs led 19-18 after two straight hoops from senior forward Kylie Scott, but the Oral Roberts signee picked up her third foul and had to go to the bench. 

Webb City closed the first half on a game-changing 10-0 run, with two buckets from Addie Burns and one apiece from Malorie Stanley, Jenna Schulz and Adalyn Maxwell. 

With the late surge, the Cardinals held a 28-19 halftime advantage.

Scott scored the first basket of the second half, but then picked up her fourth foul of the contest on an offensive foul call.

The Cardinals outscored the Bulldogs 9-5 in the low-scoring third quarter for a 37-24 lead.

The Bulldogs scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, but Scott fouled out with just over six minutes left on another charge call on a drive through the lane.

Carl Junction pulled within seven with three minutes left after a pair of buckets inside from Williams, but Webb City scored the final eight points of the game for the final margin.

Eight players scored for Webb City’s balanced attack, as Stanley and Burns recorded 11 points apiece and Abby Sargent added nine. 

Williams scored 14 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Scott added 12 points in limited minutes. 

Webb City (2-5) will play Bentonville West in the tourney’s fifth place game at 3:30 on Wednesday. 

Carl Junction (4-4) will return to action next Tuesday at home against McDonald County. 

 

FOOTBALL: Joplin area players named all-state by Missouri Football Coaches Association

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Joplin area was well-represented on the Missouri Football Coaches Association’s all-state teams for 2023. 

In Class 6, Joplin senior running back Quin Renfro was a first team all-state selection.

Also for Curtis Jasper’s Eagles, senior tight end Whit Hafer, senior offensive linemen Dontrell Holt and senior linebacker Jonathan Williams were second team selections.

Webb City and Carthage had multiple players selected in Class 5.

Webb City senior offensive lineman Shaun Hunt was listed on the Class 5 first team. 

Second team picks were Carthage senior offensive lineman Edward Carreto and Webb City senior linebacker Christian Brock.

Listed on the third team were Carthage juniors Landyn Collins (RB), Karson Murray (WR/TE) and Langston Morgan (DB) and Webb City senior defensive lineman Tucker Liberatore and junior defensive back Andrew Young.

In Class 4, Carl Junction senior linebacker Johnny Starks and Nevada senior offensive lineman Talan Chandler were first team selections.

Also for Nevada, junior running back Jack Cheaney and senior linebacker Henry Campbell were listed on the second team. 

Also selected second team all-state in Class 4 were McDonald County seniors Toby Moore (OL), Jayce Hitt (DL) and Josh Pacheco (DB).  

State runner-up Seneca had eight players selected to the Class 3 all-state team.

First team picks for the Indians were senior running back Jackson Marrs, senior offensive lineman Brian Bigbee, senior linebacker Morgan Vaughn and senior defensive back Blake Hurn. 

Seneca senior Gavyn Hoover (athlete) was a second team pick, while senior Ethan Altic (WR), sophomore Jace Renfro (OL) and junior Nolan Napier (DE) were third team selections.

Mount Vernon junior running back Braden Dodson and Aurora senior linebacker Jose Ibarra were listed on the third team.

Class 2 state champion Lamar had 10 players selected.

On the first team offense were seniors Chase Querry (WR), Ian Ngugi (athlete), Aiden Loveall (OL) and Ayden Forst (OL). 

On the first team defense were seniors Rourke Dillon (DL) , Trace Wooldridge (DE) and Khiler Nance (LB) and juniors Alex Wilkerson (DB) and Mario Delapena (DL). Nance was named the Class 2 Defensive Player of the Year.

Ngugi was a second team pick as a kick returner and senior running back Logan Kish was a third team selection.

Lamar’s Jared Beshore was the Class 2 Coach of the Year. 

Sarcoxie senior punter Garrett Smith was a first team all-state pick in Class 2.

In the 8-man division, Lockwood junior running back Nik Thieman was a first team pick and teammates Miles Neely (OL) and Hank Eggerman (LB) were listed on the second team. 

Liberal had two players selected to the third team, senior wide receiver Quincy Bazal and senior linebacker Brodie Wilson.

 

FULL ALL-STATE TEAMS: 

Missouri Football Coaches Association – ALL-STATE (wildapricot.org)

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: Farmington pulls away from Carl Junction

Posted on by Lucas Davis

ANDERSON, Mo. — Farmington (Arkansas) started fast and never looked back in an 80-34 lopsided win over Carl Junction in the opening round of the Lady Mustang Classic hosted by McDonald County on Monday.

The returning Class 4A state champion Cardinals got hot from 3-point land early and used their prowess from range as the catalyst in the win over the Bulldogs. 

Farmington sank six 3-pointers in the first quarter, including three triples from Reese Shirey and two from Hannah Moss, and finished the opening stanza on a 10-0 run to take a 28-13 lead into the second period.

Farmington limited CJ to four points in the second quarter, with the Cardinals closing the first half on a 20-0 run to push the advantage to 50-17.

Opening the second half, Farmington started with three straight makes from the perimeter—two from Moss and one from Zoey Bershers—to make the score 59-17, kicking off its cruise of the second half.

Shirey led Farmington with 13 points, while Moss had 12. Kaycee McCumber finished with 10 and Marin Adams had nine.

Kylie Scott, an Oral Roberts signee, led Carl Junction in scoring with 16 points, while DeShaye Buerge closed with seven. 

Farmington takes on Springdale (Arkansas) in the second round at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, while Carl Junction battles Webb City at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday in consolation play.

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: Despite solid effort, Webb City falls to Springdale

Posted on by Jason Peake

ANDERSON, Mo. — Despite a solid effort, Webb City’s girls basketball team suffered a 64-45 setback to Springdale (Arkansas) on Monday in an opening-round contest of the 2023 Lady Mustang Classic at McDonald County High School.

Springdale improved to 7-1, while Webb City fell to 1-5.

Ignited by a full-court press, Springdale scored nine unanswered points at the end of the first quarter to take a 19-7 lead.

Down 25-11, Webb City used a 9-2 run to pull within seven, with Malorie Stanley, Abby Sargent and Kirra Long contributing points during the surge.

At the break, the Bulldogs held a 29-20 advantage.

A trey from Stanley trimmed Webb City’s deficit to nine at 35-26, but Springdale closed the third quarter on a 14-2 surge for a 49-28 cushion.

The Cardinals put together a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs never relinquished their lead.

A senior guard, Stanley led the Cardinals with 16 points. 

Also for the Cardinals, Sargent scored nine points, Jenna Schulz added eight and Addie Burns had five.

Webb City is playing without a key performer, as senior guard Mia Robbins is out of action after suffering an injury in the final game of the Carthage Invitational.

Three players scored in double figures for the Bulldogs, the champions of this year’s Carl Junction Classic. Charleen Hudson scored 19 points, while Kaiya McCoy added 16 and Jakayla Bunch had 15.

Webb City will meet either Farmington or Carl Junction at 4:30 on Tuesday in a consolation bracket contest. Carl Junction was slated to play Farmington on Monday night.

There are three games slated for Tuesday overall, including McDonald County vs. Bentonville West at 7:30 p.m.

 

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC

Monday’s scores

Springdale 64, Webb City 45

Providence Academy 50, Bentonville West 26

Farmington 80, Carl Junction 34

GIRLS SWIMMING: Carthage sees success at Winnetonka invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Carthage High School girls swim team finished sixth out of 27 teams at the Winnetonka Holiday Invitational over the weekend.

The Tigers finished in the top three of five different events.

Carthage’s 200-yard medley relay team of Aubree Santillan, Olivia Manning, Caelyn Samuelson and Kamryn Dininger finished second in 1:59.

The Tigers were third in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:49, with Manning, Santillan, Samuelson and Dininger swimming.

Santillan was the runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:04 and Manning took second in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:09.

In the 200 IM, Manning placed third with a time of 2:24 and Santillan was eighth in 2:29.

Samuelson took 12th in the 100 butterfly in 1:11 and Dininger finished 13th in the 50 freestyle in 27.79 seconds.

Carthage’s 400 freestyle relay team of Dininger, Samuelson, Anne Kennedy and Alexis Fosdick finished 14th in 4:38.

 

BOYS HOOPS: Neosho wins tourney finale

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

PEA RIDGE, Ark. — Neosho’s boys basketball team defeated Clarksville 43-38 on Saturday at the Battle at the Ridge tournament hosted by Pea Ridge High School.

The Wildcats led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter, but they were outscored 11-3 in the second half for a 21-19 halftime deficit. 

The third quarter was even and ended with the Wildcats trailing 28-26.

Neosho outscored Clarksville 17-10 in the fourth quarter to earn the win.

Kaiden Asberry led Neosho with 13 points, while Ty Harris added 10 points. Collier Hendricks and Brodie Arthur scored nine points apiece in the win. 

Neosho coach Zane Culp noted the Wildcats were short-handed, as Kanten Smith missed the game due to ACT testing.

“We had guys step up and contribute,” Culp said. 

Neosho (2-2) hosts Monett on Tuesday.

GIRLS HOOPS: College Heights takes 3rd at Winter Classic

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

COLUMBUS, Kan. — The College Heights Christian girls basketball team defeated Southeast 50-32 in the third-place game of the first MOKAN Winter Classic on Saturday.

College Heights was led by Libby Fanning’s 26 points, 16 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots.

Also for the Cougars, Allie Stout scored nine points and grabbed three steals, Jesalin Bever compiled seven points, five rebounds and three steals, Kinley Marsh contributed five points and Ava Lett recorded three points, five boards and three assists.

College Heights (2-5) travels to Diamond on Friday. 

In the MOKAN Winter Classic’s girls title game, Liberal defeated Columbus 52-33.

WRESTLING: Seneca wins CJ Classic, host Bulldogs take 4th

Posted on by Jason Peake

Seneca was the top team at the 2023 CJ Classic wrestling tournament on Saturday.

The Indians won all five duals at the event. Seneca defeated Willard by forfeit in the title match. The Indians defeated Carl Junction 42-38 in the semifinals.

Carl Junction finished fourth in the final team standings, as the Bulldogs fell to Fort Zumwalt South 57-24 in the third-place match. 

Bolivar beat Fayetteville 41-36 for fifth place and McDonald County topped Blue Springs 51-30 for seventh place.

Match by match results of the CJ Classic dual tournament can be found at the link below.

 

SENECA RESULTS

Seneca def. McDonald County 53-24

Seneca def. Bolivar 51-17

Seneca def. Willard 43-30

Seneca def. Carl Junction 42-38

Seneca def. Willard 1-0 (title match)

 

CARL JUNCTION RESULTS

Carl Junction def. Blue Springs 42-33

Carl Junction def. Fayetteville 66-15

Fort Zumwalt South def. Carl Junction 49-21

Seneca def. Carl Junction 42-38

Fort Zumwalt South def. Carl Junction 57-24 (3rd place)

 

MCDONALD COUNTY RESULTS

Seneca def. McDonald County 53-24

Willard def. McDonald County 48-27

McDonald County def. Bolivar 37-32

McDonald County def. Fayetteville 47-28

McDonald County def. Blue Springs 51-30 (7th)

 

CJ CLASSIC FULL RESULTS: CJ Classic 2023 (trackwrestling.com)

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