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GIRLS SWIMMING: Carthage sees success at Winnetonka invite

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.

 

LADY EAGLE CLASSIC: Carthage starts fast in win over Joplin; Branson beats Leavenworth

CARTHAGE GIRLS 56, JOPLIN 31 (SEVENTH-PLACE GAME)

Carthage limited Joplin on the offensive end in the first quarter to gain the advantage and establish the momentum en route to a win in the seventh-place game to open the final day of the Freeman Lady Eagle Classic on Saturday.

The Tigers (2-4) took a 12-point lead into the second stanza and held the Eagles (1-4) to one field goal in the first eight minutes. Joplin made a run to trim the lead to 10 late in the second period before Carthage used a pair of makes from the perimeter to push the lead to 16 by the intermission. The Tigers continued to push the pace in the second half.

“I liked our defensive intensity right from the beginning,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “They run some pretty good sets on offense and our girls were reading the screen action, getting through and communicating. Communication is one of our three main pillars this year, so I was proud of how they came out with it right from the opening tip.”

After Carthage’s Trisha Kanas and Joplin’s Riley Kelly traded 3-pointers early, the Tigers took the momentum with a 12-0 run to close the opening stanza with a 15-3 advantage.

“I liked that we shot in rhythm today,” Moore said. “I think the past couple of games, we haven’t done that as much. Rhythm jumpers go down way more often. We wanted to go inside-out, so we got those early 3s because of penetration. …That was good for us because that’s how we practice. We need to see that for four quarters against the better teams we will see down the road.”

Maggie Boyd and Lauren Choate connected from beyond the arc before Ashlyn Brust drove baseline past a defender for a score at the 3:32 mark. Choate added a score in the paint to push the lead to double digits, 13-3, before Brust penetrated the lane for a layup to wrap the scoring in the first period.

Joplin found its footing offensively in the second period, using a 10-5 run to cut the lead to 10, 23-13, with 54.6 seconds to play. Alissa Owens had six points in the run, while Claire Jasper added a bucket inside before Aiyana Kroll knocked down two at the stripe to wrap the run.

The Tigers refused to allow the Eagles to trim the margin to single digits before the intermission, using back-to-back 3-pointers from Jaidyn Brunnert and Choate to go into the half with a 29-13 advantage.

“Those are a couple of juniors stepping up to hit the shots to calm the tension,” Moore said. “It gets tense when the other team makes a run. So, I was proud of those two for stepping up and comfortably pushing the lead back out for us.”

Carthage stretched its lead to more than 20 points late in the third quarter when Alexis Jenny came up with an 8-0 run on her own to give the Tigers a 42-19 lead inside the final minute. She had a 3-pointer from the top of the key, banked in a trey from the wing and added another make from the floor.

“I am impressed by her maturity over the last week or two,” Moore said of his sophomore. “It’s a big step going from freshman basketball to varsity, coming in as a sub. … Today against Joplin, she got open and her teammates found her in rhythm, and she is a great rhythm shooter. We just need to keep maturing and growing in her confidence.”

Carthage held the 20-point pace for the final eight minutes of play.

The Tigers had eight players register points in the win, with Jenny leading the way with 11 points. Choate, Brust and Kanas each finished with nine points in the win. 

Alissa Owens had 12 to lead the way for Joplin in the scoring department. Ava Wolf had five, while Bailey Owens finished with four in the loss.

Carthage is at Nevada on Thursday.

Joplin is at Glendale on Tuesday. 

 

BRANSON GIRLS 54, LEAVENWORTH (KANSAS) 41 (FIFTH-PLACE GAME)

Branson found itself trailing by the end of the first quarter only for the Pirates to rally and build a lead of their own on the way to a win in the fifth-place game of the Freeman Lady Eagle Classic on Saturday.

Down three after the first period, the Pirates doubled up the Pioneers 14-7 in the second quarter to take a two-possession lead into the intermission. Branson outscored Leavenworth 17-9 in the third quarter to build a double-digit lead the Pioneers wouldn’t rally back from.

Rylie Hagston led Branson with 14 points, while Ellison Mehrhoff finished with 11. Macie Rogers and Taylor Foster each scored nine points in the win.

Leavenworth was led in scoring by Eva Clements’ 12 points, with Kylee West adding 10 points in the loss. Makiya Baker scored eight points. 

ALL-TOURNEY TEAM

Ashley Alverson, Blue Valley North

Brenna Burk, Russellville

Jaliya Davis, Blue Valley North

Taylor Foster, Branson

Kylie Scott, Carl Junction

Aubrey Shaw, Blue Valley North

Shyisha Willis, Russellville

CARTHAGE INVITE: Host Tigers torch the nets early, hold off Cardinals late for tourney title

CARTHAGE, Mo. — For the first time since 2011, the host Tigers are the champions of their own Carthage Invitational boys basketball tournament.

Carthage torched the nets early and never trailed on the way to a 70-59 victory over rival Webb City on Saturday night in the 77th edition of the annual tournament.

The hot-shooting Tigers built a 12-point cushion by the end of the first quarter and the hosts were up by 20 entering the final frame. 

The visiting Cardinals trimmed their deficit to single digits late in the game, but the Tigers never surrendered the lead. As a result, Carthage was the team celebrating with a tourney championship when the night concluded.

“I’m really proud of that group of kids,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. “It’s fun to come to work. We enjoy practice every single day. These kids have been great. Now they get to reap the benefits of what they’ve put in. We hadn’t won this tournament in 11 or 12 years. It wasn’t perfect tonight, but I’m just really proud of all of those kids in the locker room.” 

Carthage came out on fire in the opening frame. The Tigers made five 3-pointers in the first quarter, three from senior Justin Ray and one apiece from junior Trent Yates and sophomore Landon Ray, to take a 21-9 lead.

Webb City stayed within striking distance after senior Barron Duda hit his second trey of the contest, but Justin Ray’s 14th point of the first half gave the hosts a 28-14 advantage.

Carthage’s Kruz Castor scores in the lane against Webb City on Saturday night during the championship game of the Carthage Invitational. Photo by Tyler Wade.

Carthage’s Taylor Stevens-Diggs scored three straight hoops off the bench and the Cardinals received buckets from Joel Hendrix, Joseph DeGraffenreid and Holton Keith late in the second quarter before the Tigers took a 34-21 lead into the break.

Simply put, while the Tigers shot well from the perimeter early in the contest, the Cardinals did not.

“It wasn’t the start we wanted,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “We didn’t shoot well and we didn’t finish plays around the basket. We had good looks. And Carthage has the best player in the area in Justin Ray. He’s as good as anybody in the COC.”

Carthage outscored Webb City 21-14 in the third quarter to take a commanding 55-35 advantage.

Webb City didn’t go down quietly. In fact, the Cardinals outscored the Tigers 24-15 in the fourth quarter.

The visitors trimmed their deficit all the way down to nine at 65-56 with 1:55 left after a hoop from Keith. 

But Webb City simply had too many empty possessions in the fourth quarter, and Carthage converted more than enough free throws late in the game to secure the win.

“Those three guards for Webb City are great,” Morris said. “We had a great game plan and tried to limit them. We tried to take away Barron Duda as much as we could. Credit to our kids for locking into the scouting report and for executing tonight.” 

Webb City’s Eli Pace looks score against the defense of Carthage’s Justin Ray. Photo by Tyler Wade.

Justin Ray poured in 25 points and was named the tourney’s Most Valuable Player. 

Stevens-Diggs scored 16 points and Kruz Castor added 14. Landon Ray scored nine and Yates added six.

The Tigers made 14 of 25 free throws in the game, with 12 makes coming in the second half.

“We’re a team that’s going to shoot a lot of 3s, but I challenged them to get downhill and get to the foul line,” Morris said. “When we got fouled, for the most part we were able to bury our free throws.”

Duda led Webb City with 19 points and Keith added 17. Pace had 10 points and Omari Jackson scored nine.

“It was our fourth game of the week and I think fatigue started to set in, especially with the way we play,” Horn said. “We’ve got some guys who still have limited practices and they’re playing their way into shape. And there may have been some nerves at the start of the game. We had some guys who were playing in a championship game for the first time. But I have to give our guys credit. They kept playing hard. We played through the misses. We’ll get better and more organized.”

Webb City’s Omari Jackson puts up a shot in the lane against Justin Ray.

Morris noted capturing a tourney championship should give his squad a nice confidence boost.

“This can only be good for us leading into a week where we play two of the better teams in the state of Missouri,” Morris said. “We’ve got Springfield Central and Sparta coming up and it should be a good challenge for us.” 

Carthage (3-0) hosts Springfield Central on Tuesday and Webb City (3-1) is at Rogers Heritage on Tuesday. 

The Cardinals and Tigers will meet again in COC play on Jan. 30 inside Webb City’s Cardinal Dome.

 

RAYMORE-PECULIAR 48, JOPLIN 41

Joplin’s late comeback attempt fell short in the tournament’s third-place game.

Raymore-Peculiar used a 12-0 run in the first quarter to take control.

The Panthers, who hit five treys in the opening frame, took a 22-10 lead into the second quarter.

By the break, Ray-Pec held a 28-20 advantage.

Joplin kept coming, limiting the Panthers to five points in the third period.

The Eagles made things interesting late in the game.

After a hoop from Collis Jones and a corner 3-pointer from Brecken Green, the Eagles only trailed by three with 50 seconds left. 

But Ray-Pec’s Ashton Jermain made four key free throws late in the game to seal the win for the Panthers. 

Jermain scored 19 points to lead the Panthers and Brendan Perry added 16.

Fred Taylor led Joplin with 12 points, while Hobbs Gooch and Jones added six points apiece. Tristan Gage scored five for JHS and Carter Harbin had four.

“For three quarters, we were really good defensively,” Joplin coach Nick Pfeifer said. “After a poor first quarter, we had to fight our way back and play from behind the rest of the way. I was proud of the way that we competed, got ourselves back into it, and even had some chances to take the lead late. However, we know that playing incomplete games and only scoring 41 points makes it very difficult. We must be able to take the lessons learned from the tournament and continue to improve.”  

 

NEVADA 52, LEAVENWORTH 43 (OT)

The Nevada Tigers ended the invite on a high note by beating Leavenworth in overtime in the fifth-place game.

The game was deadlocked at 41 at the end of regulation before Nevada outscored Leavenworth 11-2 in the extra session.

“I’m really proud of the grit our guys showed in the second half of this game,” Nevada coach Shaun Gray said. “Shots were not falling and the ball was not bouncing our way, but we stayed the course and continued to grind. Several players stepped up big for us. Our defense was the difference tonight.”

Nevada led 16-11 at the end of the first quarter, but the game was tied at 26 at halftime after a back and forth second period. 

The Pioneers held a 36-31 advantage at the end of the third quarter, but a 3-pointer from Nevada’s Riddick Shook tied the game at 41 late in the contest. 

A last-second trey by Nevada was off the mark and the game went into overtime.

Brice Budd and Kellen Braden both hit 3-pointers early in the extra session to give Nevada the lead for good. 

Budd scored 14 points to lead Nevada (3-3), while Jack Cheaney added 11 points. Gabe Smith scored nine points, while Braden and Shook each scored eight.

“This win is something we can build on, and we are very pleased with our improvements this week,” Gray said. “Anytime you can go 2-1 in Carthage it’s something we’ll take. We’re looking forward to a good tournament next week at Butler.”

In the tourney’s seventh-place game, Fort Smith Southside defeated the Carthage junior varsity 73-49.

 

The Carthage Tigers pose with the championship plaque after winning the 77th Carthage Invitational on Saturday. Justin Ray (0) was the MVP. Photo by Tyler Wade.

CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL

Thursday’s scores

Raymore-Peculiar 60, Southside 33

Webb City 84, Nevada 51

Joplin 57, Leavenworth 48

 

Friday’s scores

Nevada 63, Southside 48

Leavenworth 52, Carthage JV 38

Webb City 55, Raymore-Peculiar 51

Carthage 59, Joplin 42

 

Saturday’s scores

Southside 73, Carthage JV 49 (7th place)

Nevada 52, Leavenworth 43 (5th place)

Raymore-Peculiar 48, Joplin 41 (3rd place)

Carthage 70, Webb City 59 (Title game)

 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Justin Ray, Carthage (MVP)

Barron Duda, Webb City

Ashton Jermain, Raymore-Peculiar

Eli Pace, Webb City

Dylan Pugh, Carthage

Cannon Northcraft, Raymore-Peculiar

Collis Jones, Joplin

Jack Cheaney, Nevada

MJ Morgan, Leavenworth

Alex Roper, Southside

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City, Carthage suffer season-opening setbacks at invite

 

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Webb City and Carthage had their chances late, but both ultimately fell short against squads from Arkansas in their respective opening-round games of the 2023 Lady Tigers Invitational on Thursday night inside the CHS Gymnasium.

Webb City suffered a 55-47 setback to Bentonville, while tourney host Carthage fell 41-33 to Fort Smith Southside.

In Thursday’s other first round action, El Dorado Springs defeated Sunrise Christian 59-56 in overtime and Rolla handled Olathe East 55-35.

 

BENTONVILLE 55, WEBB CITY 47

Featuring several newcomers in key roles, Webb City only trailed by four with 1:30 to play, but the Cardinals were unable to overcome the deficit.

Webb City coach Lance Robbins said he was pleased with his team’s performance. 

“It was our first game of the season, and I thought we looked a little nervous at the start of the game,” Robbins said. “Bentonville is always a solid, well-coached basketball team. We knew they’d had three or four games under their belt, so we just wanted to see where we were at. It was fun to play against somebody. I thought our girls did a great job. We have a lot of new faces out there. I thought everybody stepped up and played to their strengths. We saw a lot of positive things that we can build on.” 

Bentonville closed the first quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 15-7 advantage.

In the second period, Webb City received a trey from senior Malorie Stanley and a bucket from junior Kirra Long to stay within striking distance. But Cambrie Phillips and Anna Lee Kulka both drilled 3-pointers for the Tigers, who held a 27-16 advantage at the break.

The Cardinals began the second half on a spirited and game-changing 11-0 surge, as senior guard Mia Robbins swished back-to-back 3-pointers and freshman forward Addie Burns contributed five points to tie the game at 27-all.

Overall, Webb City outscored Bentonville 23-13 in the third period, as Stanley’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the left wing trimmed her team’s deficit to one, 40-39, entering the final frame.

“At halftime, we talked about just coming out more relaxed,” Coach Robbins said. “I thought we did that in the third quarter. We played with more confidence, we saw some shots go down and we used that energy to fuel us for the rest of the half.”

The Cardinals hung tough until the end but couldn’t get over the hump late in the contest.

Clinging to a one-point cushion, the Tigers finished the game on a 12-5 surge.

Mia Robbins led Webb City with 14 points, 12 coming on four 3-pointers. Stanley also reached double figures with 11 points. She hit a pair of treys.

“Our seniors did a good job,” Coach Robbins said. “They weren’t called on to score as much the last couple of years, but we need them to score more for us this year. They both did a good job of that.”

Burns contributed nine points for the Cardinals and Long had five. 

“Kirra did a good job tonight of distributing the ball,” Coach Robbins noted. 

In addition to Burns, three other freshmen contributed nicely for Webb City, as Adalyn Maxwell and Whitlee Keith scored three points apiece and classmate Abby Sargent had two.

Lee Kulka scored a game-high 26 points for the Tigers and Sadie Steele added 19.

The Cardinals will meet Sunrise Christian in the consolation semifinals at 4 p.m. on Friday.

 

SOUTHSIDE 41, CARTHAGE 33

The host Tigers had their chances late, as they only trailed by six with four minutes to play.

Simply put, Carthage was unable to rally late in the game. 

“Southside was playing its third or fourth game, so they’ve got the first game jitters out of the way, and they’ve got their roles defined a little bit more,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “For us, we know we have some things to fix. We’ll play again tomorrow, and hopefully, we’ll get past the first game issues we saw tonight.”

For the first time in five years, Carthage took the court with a new floor general, as four-year starting point guard Kianna Yates graduated last May.

With that, the Tigers have returning players in new and expanded roles this season. 

“The returners we have are being asked to do more because of graduation,” Moore said. “Maggie’s got to get used to being the full-time varsity point guard. She’s doing well and she’s going to get even better. Lauren is being asked to score more than she has in the past. She’ll do that. Lexa is being asked to score more this year. That adds up to everybody shifting roles. This was our first game, so all of that is still being ironed out.”

Carthage trailed 13-9 at the end of the first quarter.

The Tigers tied the game at 15-all on junior guard Maggie Boyd’s 3-pointer, but the hosts were down one at the break, 17-16.

Boyd’s second trey of the third period trimmed Southside’s lead to three, as the hosts trailed 25-22.

But the Mavericks concluded the third quarter on a 5-1 run for a 30-23 lead.

Southside extended its lead to nine early in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers kept coming.

Junior Jaidyn Brunnert scored in the lane, the visitors responded on the other before CHS junior classmate Ashlyn Brust knocked down a 3-pointer, trimming her team’s deficit to six.

The Mavericks reeled off five straight points to push their lead to 11 and the Tigers had a couple of empty possessions that sealed their fate.

Moore noted there were plenty of positives for his squad.

“Our girls played really hard,” Moore said. “There’s no question about that. Sometimes we need to play a little smarter. And we’re a much-better shooting team than we saw tonight. A lot of shots just didn’t fall. There’s not going to be many games where Lauren Choate doesn’t hit a 3. Again, it was our first live speed action of the season. We’ll get better.” 

Brust scored 11 points to lead the Tigers, while classmate Boyd added 10 points and hit three 3-pointers.

Junior guard Lauren Choate scored seven points, while fellow juniors Brunnert and Lexa Youngblood contributed four and one point, respectively.

Six-foot senior post player Sophia Neihouse scored a game-high 18 points for the Mavericks.

Carthage will meet Olathe East at 5:30 on Friday in the consolation semifinals. 

 

EL DORADO SPRINGS 59, SUNRISE CHRISTIAN 56

Alexis Collins hit a go-ahead runner in the lane with 10.5 seconds left to lift El Dorado Springs to a 59-56 overtime victory over Sunrise Christian Academy in the tourney opener.

After Collins’ hoop, Sunrise Christian missed a last-second field goal attempt and fouled.

Eldo’s Neely Schaaf made 1 of 2 free throws with a second left for the final margin.

The game was deadlocked at 48 at the end of regulation.

McKinli Mays scored 26 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Schaaf added 13.

Sandra Hracka scored 22 points for Sunrise Christian. 

El Dorado Springs takes on Bentonville at 7 on Friday night in the semifinals.

 

ROLLA 55, OLATHE EAST 35

Up five after the opening frame, Rolla used a 23-12 second quarter to take control of Thursday’s nightcap.

Willow Gideon scored 18 points to lead Rolla, while Mariah Watkins added 13.

Corrine Cole scored 16 points for Olathe East. 

Southside and Rolla meet at 8:30 in the second semifinal.

 

WRESTLING: Carl Junction finishes strong, tops Carthage in assembly dual

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction finished strong on the way to a 42-34 dual victory over Carthage on Tuesday afternoon in the Bulldogs’ annual school assembly dual.

Carthage held a 19-point lead after seven bouts, but the Bulldogs won six of the final seven matches to earn the dual victory over their COC rival. 

At 106 pounds, Carthage’s Tanner Putt won by fall over Zane Gunnett. 

Carthage’s Caden Groom won by forfeit at 113.

At 120, Carl Junction’s Carter Foglesong pinned Danny Lopez-Elias and teammate Drake Richardson earned a 7-6 decision over Wyatt Hole at 126.

Carthage’s Aydan Nye claimed a major decision, 14-2, over Camdon Kunkle at 132 pounds.

The Tigers won the next two matches by fall, as Bradyn Tate pinned Cole Beezley at 138 and Dylan Huntley won by fall over Brenden Berry at 144. 

Those wins gave Carthage a 28-9 lead on the scoreboard.

But the Bulldogs recorded four straight wins by fall, as Kale Trosper pinned Joseph Justice at 150, Aaron Dillingham won by fall over Cole Tournear at 157, Dexter Merrell pinned Lenny Teo at 165 and Marcus Lopez-Durman won by fall over Kenneth Pickering-Cornett at 175. 

Those points gave Carl Junction a 33-28 lead.

Carthage’s Alexander Salas-Marquez won by fall over Josh Cassatt at 190, pushing the Tigers back in front on the scoreboard, 34-33.

At 215, Carl Junction’s Tony Stewart defeated Carthage’s David Recinos 6-1 and Carl Junction’s Blake Starks won the heavyweight bout by forfeit, as the Tigers were open. 

Carl Junction is at Joplin on Thursday. 

Carthage hosts Webb City on Tuesday. 

 

DISTRICT FOOTBALL: Webb City advances to quarterfinals with dominant victory over rival Carthage

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — After a dominant victory over a longtime rival, the Webb City Cardinals are headed back to the state quarterfinals.

Top-seeded Webb City rolled from the start on the way to a convincing 42-7 win over third-seeded Carthage on Friday night in the championship game of the Class 5 District 7 tournament at Cardinal Stadium. 

“Tonight we wanted to come out and set the tone early and I think we were able to do that,” Webb City coach Ryan McFarland said. “Our 33 seniors have led us in every practice and workout and they led us tonight. I can’t say enough about the senior class. We’re going to get back to work on Monday. The Carthage game is over and it’s time to move on to whoever we play next.”

Webb City (9-2) will host Grain Valley (10-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday in the quarterfinal round of the state tourney.

In a first half where nearly everything went the host’s way, Webb City built a commanding 27-0 lead by intermission. It was more of the same in the second half, as the Cardinals held a 42-0 advantage late in the game. 

“We kind of got steamrolled tonight for sure,” Carthage coach Jon Guidie said. “Big credit goes out to Webb City. They played a heck of a game. Their kids played hard. They took it to us tonight.” 

Of course, the Cardinals had some extra motivation after falling to the Tigers 20-13 during the regular season meeting on Oct. 6. 

“When we played them last time, for whatever reason, they were more physical than us,” McFarland said. “They played with more energy than we did that night. We’ve talked about that since that game…we can control our energy level and how physical we are.” 

Webb City senior defensive lineman Jace Jones admitted his team was highly-motivated to avenge the loss to the Tigers. 

“We had great preparation in practice this week,” the 6-foot-7, 255-pound Jones said. “We took practice more seriously this time. We knew the season was on the line. I’m so proud of every one of my teammates. We put in the work, effort and preparation and good things happened for us tonight. Overall, our offense and defense played complementary football. The offense would score, and the defense would get a stop. It was a great night.” 

Webb City’s Andrew Elwell is tackled by Landon Bland during Friday’s district title game at Cardinal Stadium. Photo by Israel Perez.

GAME RECAP

After the teams traded interceptions early in the game, Webb City senior running back Omari Jackson scampered into the end zone from six yards out, finishing off a 12-play, 95-yard drive. 

It was the lone score of the first quarter.

The Webb City defense forced a turnover on downs on the first series of the second quarter, setting up the offense with good field position.

The hosts needed just two plays to go 44 yards, as Jackson’s 37-yard touchdown run gave the Cardinals a 13-0 lead with 9:36 remaining in the first half.

After Carthage went three and out, Webb City junior running back Andrew Elwell recorded a 2-yard touchdown run with just under five minutes left in the second period for a 20-0 cushion.

Next, speedy sophomore quarterback Gabe Johnson sprinted past the CHS defense for a 76-yard touchdown run, extending his team’s advantage to 27-0.

“We had some big plays called back due to penalties in the first half, but I think it gave our kids confidence that we have that big play potential,” McFarland said. “We just needed to cut down on our mistakes.” 

Everything continued to go Webb City’s way, as an interception by junior defensive back Andrew Young late in the first half halted a Carthage drive.

After throwing a pair of interceptions in the opening half, Carthage lost a fumble at the start of the third quarter.

The Cardinals added a pair of unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter, as Elwell scored on a 4-yard run and senior quarterback Braden McKee contributed a 6-yard score for a lopsided 42-0 advantage.

Carthage junior quarterback Brady Carlton scored on a 2-yard run with 35 seconds left for the final margin.

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

Led by stellar offensive line play, Webb City recorded 480 yards of offense on 45 plays, with 418 rushing and 62 passing.

Elwell ran 14 times for 126 yards and two scores, while Johnson had 119 rushing yards on just six carries. Jackson ran nine times for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

“Gabe Johnson is a stud,” McFarland said. “He’s getting better and better each week. We got Omari Jackson back last week and he’s a big play guy for us. All of our running backs played really well.” 

The Cardinals recorded 15 first downs to Carthage’s five.

Webb City’s stout defense limited Carthage to 158 yards on 38 plays, 127 on the ground and 31 through the air. 

Carlton recorded 60 rushing yards on 16 carries and Landyn Collins had 42 yards on 11 attempts.

Webb City remained undefeated at home this season, as the Cardinals are now 6-0 on John Roderique Field.

It was the third time in four years the two close rivals met with the season on the line in a district title game. 

Webb City sophomore Slade Hurd carries the ball during Friday’s Class 5 District 7 championship game at Cardinal Stadium. Photo by Israel Perez.

SAYING GOODBYE

Carthage ends the ’23 season with a record of 7-5.

Carthage said goodbye to 10 seniors. The Tigers will return a solid core next fall, as many underclassmen were in big roles this season. 

The Tigers started the fall 0-3 before turning things around and winning seven of eight contests ahead of the district title game.

“I’m very happy with the progress our kids made this year,” Guidie said. “It was a tough situation coming in after losing 11 starters on defense. It took us some time to adjust, but they did. Our kids came around. And that’s a senior class that went 0-9 as freshmen. For those guys to hang in there, and win seven games after a 0-3 start, I’m really proud of those guys.” 

 

DISTRICT TITLE IN YEAR 1 FOR MCFARLAND

The Cardinals captured a district title in Coach McFarland’s first year as the storied program’s head coach, advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time since winning a state title in 2021. 

A Webb City graduate and former assistant, McFarland noted it was a special occasion to see his team celebrating on Friday night. 

“It’s not about me, it’s about the kids,” McFarland said. “When they buy in and do what you ask them to do, day in and day out, you want them to reap the benefits of doing that. That’s probably the biggest part of this. The kids have done everything I’ve asked, so I hope everything works out well for them.” 

 

CLASS 5 DISTRICT 7 TITLE GAME

WEBB CITY 42, CARTHAGE 7

Carthage       0      0       0      7   —  7

Webb City    7     20     15     0   — 42

SCORING SUMMARY

WC: Omari Jackson 6 run (Alex Dunne kick)

WC: Jackson 37 run (Kick failed)

WC: Andrew Elwell 2 run (Dunne kick)

WC: Gabe Johnson 76 run (Dunne kick)

WC: Elwell 4 run (Elwell run)

WC: Braden McKee 6 run (Dunne kick)

CAR: Brady Carlton 2 run (Luis Fuentes kick).

 

RECENT DISTRICT TITLE GAMES

2023: Webb City def. Carthage 42-7

2022: Carthage def. Republic 28-14

2021: Webb City def. Carthage 28-21

2020: Webb City def. Carthage 42-21

 

Webb City sophomore Gabe Johnson is tackled by Carthage’s Trevor Meadows.

 

Carthage junior QB Brady Carlton is tackled by Webb City’s Andrew Young during Friday’s district title game at Cardinal Stadium.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

STATE SWIMMING: Carthage, Monett advance entries to Class 1 finals

 

ST. PETERS, Mo. — The MSHSAA Class 1 Boys Swimming and Diving Championships got underway on Thursday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

The top 16 finishers in each preliminary event advanced to Friday’s finals, with the top eight qualifying for the championship finals and places 9-16 moving on to the consolation finals. 

Carthage and Monett will have entries in Friday’s finals.

 

CARTHAGE

The Carthage Tigers advanced to the consolation finals in four events.

The 200-yard medley relay team of Kellen Frieling, Braxton McBride, Will Wright and Maveric Allphin finished 14th in 1:44. 

Frieling placed 13th in the prelims of the 100 backstroke in 55.32 seconds.

Wright advanced in two individual events, as he placed 16th in both the 100 breaststroke (1:02) and the 200 IM (2:05). 

Also for the Tigers, Frieling was 23rd in the 100 butterfly (56.06), Allphin was 25th in the 100 breaststroke (1:04) and McBride finished 24th in the 50 freestyle (22.92) and 32nd in the 100 free (52.09).

Carthage finished 21st in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:32, with McBride, Frieling, Daryl Martin and Wright competing.

The Tigers finished 30th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:39, with Allphin, Martin, Ben Rogers and Aydan Nye competing.

 

WEBB CITY

Concluding his prep career alongside the state’s best, Webb City senior Micah Brouwer finished 29th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:13 and was also 31st in the 100 breaststroke in 1:06.

The Cardinals finished 28th in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:38, with Adrien Black, Aiden Patterson, Cole Dalton and Steve Kenlee competing.

In the 1-meter diving competition, Webb City’s Grant Humphrey finished 12th with a finals score of 323.45.

 

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Monett senior Ryan Goodson advanced to the finals in two events, as he finished sixth in the 100-yard freestyle (49.25) and 14th in the 50 free (22.2). 

Nevada’s Trace Gould finished 18th in the 100 breaststroke and teammate Kolton Evans was 23rd in the 100 backstroke. 

Monett’s Jonathan Apostol finished 22nd in the 100 breaststroke and 28th in the 200 IM.

Nevada’s 200 medley relay team finished 23rd, with Monett 29th in the same event. 

In the 200 freestyle relay, Monett finished 29th and Nevada was 32nd. The Cubs were also 31st in the 400 freestyle relay.

The Class 1 finals and the Class 2 prelims are scheduled for Friday. 

 

BOYS SWIMMING: Local squads set for state championships

 

The Joplin area will once again be well-represented at the MSHSAA Boys Swimming and Diving Championships. 

Joplin has entries in the Class 2 meet, while Carthage, Webb City, Monett and Nevada will have athletes competing at the Class 1 event. 

The Class 1 meet is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, while the Class 2 event will be held on Friday and Saturday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

 

CLASS 2

JOPLIN EAGLES

The Joplin Eagles will compete in six events at the Class 2 state championships.

Joplin junior standout Nathan Wardlow qualified for the state meet in two individual events, the 500-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke. 

Wardlow is seeded ninth in both events. He’ll also compete on two relays. 

Eagles junior Parker Hinman qualified in the 100 backstroke. 

The Eagles swam qualifying times in all three relays during the regular season.

The 200 medley relay will feature Wardlow, Hinman and seniors Jackson Mordica and Ian Vermillion. 

The team’s 200 freestyle relay consists of sophomore Isaiah Thom, Vermillion, junior Jordan Goins and Mordica.

Joplin’s 400 freestyle relay features Wardlow, Vermillion, Thom and Hinman. 

Relay alternates are juniors Connor Intessimone and Gideon Speer and freshman Owen Mordica.

 

CLASS 1

CARTHAGE TIGERS

The Central Ozark Conference champion Carthage Tigers will be represented in nine of the 12 events at the Class 1 state championships. 

The Tigers qualified for state in all three relays.

Senior Kellen Frieling, junior Braxton McBride and sophomore Will Wright qualified in two individual events apiece.

Frieling will compete in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke, while McBride advanced in both the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle. Wright qualified in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke, while sophomore Maveric Allphin will compete in the 100 breaststroke. 

In addition to Frieling, McBride, Wright and Allphin, seniors Noah Blackford, Ben Rogers and Daryl Martin, juniors Ryan Steinbach, Aydan Nye and Emerson Ixcol and sophomores Carter Yost and Hayden Wilkinson are options and alternates on the three relays. 

 

WEBB CITY CARDINALS

Webb City will be represented in four events. 

Webb City senior Micah Brouwer qualified in two individual events, the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke. 

Sophomore Grant Humphrey will compete in the 1-meter diving competition. 

The Cardinals swam a qualifying time in the 400 freestyle relay, with junior Adrien Black, senior Aiden Patterson, freshman Cole Dalton and senior Steve Kenlee the likely foursome. 

Sophomore Dalton Spence, junior Dagan Chacon, freshman Isaac Shipley and freshman Quentin Custenborder are listed as alternates for the relay.

 

MONETT CUBS

The Monett Cubs will compete in seven events.

For Monett, junior Jonathan Apostol qualified in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke, while senior Ryan Goodson advanced in the 50 free and the 100 free.

The Cubs qualified in all three relays.

 

NEVADA TIGERS

The Tigers will compete in four events. 

Nevada sophomore Trace Gould advanced in the 100 breaststroke and classmate Kolton Evans qualified in the 100 backstroke. 

Nevada qualified in two relays — the 200 and the 200 freestyle.

 

MORE INFORMATION: MSHSAA: Boys Swimming & Diving Championship Information Central

DISTRICT FOOTBALL: Carthage brushes off Raytown South to create rematch with Webb City

 

RAYTOWN, Mo. — Only two points separated Carthage and Raytown South in the district standings before Friday night.

So the Tigers made sure that the point separation on the gridiron was a much different story.

Third-seeded Carthage erased an early two-score deficit and dominated the second half — including a 28-point fourth quarter — to earn a 56-28 road victory over No. 2 Raytown South in the Class 5 District 7 semifinal round.

Junior running back Landyn Collins carried the load for the Tigers, starring with a five-touchdown performance.

The Cardinals (8-3) even made it a one-score game at 28-21 midway through the third quarter before Carthage (7-4) blew the doors off the home side the rest of the way.

The Tigers, leading by the same seven-point lead after three quarters, finished the contest with a 28-7 margin to propel Carthage into an intriguing district title game at Webb City next Friday.

The Tigers didn’t hold a lead until the 18-second mark of the second quarter. In fact, Raytown South raced out to a 14-0 lead, with the second score coming after a surprising onside kick that the home side recovered.

The Cardinals scored on their first two drives—both coming through the air with Sheldon Locke linking up with Iowa State commit Marcus Neal on 51- and 11-yard touchdown completions. Those were two of Neal’s four receiving touchdowns on the day, proving his status as a three-star and DI recruit who plays both ways.

Carthage chipped away offensively and leaned on a stout defense to change the guard in this district semifinal matchup. Tigers junior quarterback Brady Carlton scored on an 11-yard scamper in the first quarter and Collins tallied his first rushing touchdown to make it 14-all with 43 seconds left before the break.

The Tigers managed to get into the end zone once more before visiting the guest locker room after recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Collins rushing for a 7-yard score and a 21-14 halftime lead with 18 seconds left.

Collins continued his momentum with a short touchdown run on Carthage’s first series of the second half, providing a two-score lead at the time. But Neal made a toe-tapping 8-yard reception for his third score on the night, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 28-21 with less than five minutes remaining in the third.

Then, Carthage went into overdrive. Carlton connected with junior receiver Langston Morgan on a 23-yard touchdown before the Tigers recovered their own onside kick, and Collins ran one in from four yards out for a 42-21 lead midway through the fourth.

Neal then proved he wasn’t quite finished, bringing in a 65-yard reception on the near sideline to trim the lead to 42-28 with 7:10 left. But Collins had an answer with a three-yard touchdown run before Morgan recorded a 36-yard pick-6 to put the game out of reach with 2:01 remaining.

Carthage, which started the season 0-3, will play for a district championship next Friday at top-seeded Webb City (8-2). The Tigers handed Webb City one of its two losses 20-13 on Oct. 6 in Carthage.

 

DISTRICT FOOTBALL: Carthage rolls past Smith-Cotton in quarterfinals

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Third-seeded Carthage scored on its first six possessions and took a knee on its seventh en route to a convincing 42-3 victory over sixth-seeded Sedalia Smith-Cotton in the quarterfinals of the Class 5 District 7 football tournament on a chilly Friday night at David Haffner Stadium.

In a clash between Tigers that was played in a steady mist, Carthage built a comfortable 28-3 advantage by intermission on the way to a dominant win.

“That’s how we wanted the game to go tonight,” Carthage coach Jon Guidie said. “We felt like if we didn’t hurt ourselves with penalties and turnovers and if we were really good up front, then we would have success tonight. And we took care of all three of those areas. This win means a lot.” 

Carthage’s ground attack proved tough to contain, as the hosts sustained drives all night.

“We wanted to come in and establish the run game, just like we try to do every week,” Guidie said. “It was working tonight. The offensive line played fantastic tonight. I have to give credit to those offensive line guys tonight.” 

Carthage junior quarterback Brady Carlton scored three rushing touchdowns and passed for another against Sedalia Smith-Cotton on Friday in the district quarterfinals. Photo by Israel Perez.

Carthage went 71 yards on nine plays on the opening drive of the night. Junior quarterback Brady Carlton scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 7:24 remaining in the first quarter to give the hosts an early 7-0 lead.

Smith-Cotton’s Brayden Butts connected a 42-yard field goal to get the visitors on the board.

However, it was Smith-Cotton’s only score of the night, as the Carthage defense pitched a shutout the rest of the way.

“Our defense was fantastic,” Guidie said. “They’ve got a really good running back (Mylan Hawkins) who has put up a lot of yards. He’s pretty elusive. I thought we were able to contain him and not let him get loose. Our kids covered the back end, too. I’m really proud of those guys.” 

The hosts scored 21 unanswered points in the second period.

In fact, Carthage scored on the first play of the second quarter when junior running back Landyn Collins scampered into the end zone from 3 yards out. The touchdown capped a 10-play, 73-yard drive.

The PAT kick by junior Luis Fuentes made it 14-3 with 11:56 left in the second quarter.

Finishing off a 64-yard drive on eight plays, Carlton’s second touchdown of the night, this time from 2 yards out, made it 21-3 with 4:05 remaining in the first half.

After a Smith-Cotton punt, Carthage made it 4-for-4 on first half possessions, as Carlton’s 4-yard touchdown run up the middle with eight seconds left gave the hosts a 28-3 cushion.

After halftime, it was more of the same.

Carthage added a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter for the final margin.

Collins scored on a 1-yard run, finishing off a 12-play drive and giving the host Tigers a 35-3 lead.

With four seconds left in the third quarter, Carlton completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to junior Jackson Hettinger.

That was Carthage’s sixth score on six possessions.

Carthage’s Jackson Hettinger is pictured during Friday’s district quarterfinal matchup with Smith-Cotton. Hettinger hauled in a touchdown pass in his team’s 42-3 win.

Smith-Cotton (2-8) had a turnover on downs with eight minutes remaining in the game before the hosts took over possession and eventually ran out the clock.

With just under 30 seconds to play, Carthage took a knee near the 5-yard line. It was the only time a CHS drive didn’t result in a touchdown all game.

Carthage finished with 358 yards, with 320 rushing and 38 passing. 

Smith-Cotton was limited to 72 yards, 44 rushing and 28 passing.

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Defending district champion Carthage (6-4) will travel to second-seeded Raytown South (8-2) in the semifinals next Friday.

“We don’t know much about them, so we have a lot of work to do,” Guidie commented about his team’s next opponent. “That’s what fun about this time of the year. You get to see some new teams.”

Carthage has built plenty of momentum heading into the district semifinals, as the Tigers have won six of their last seven games. 

“I’m just really proud of these guys,” Guidie said. “I’m happy for our kids and our coaches. When you have success like that, it just builds confidence in the kids. You can see it every single week. They’re not ready to be done yet.”

 

CLASS 5 DISTRICT 7 QUARTERFINALS

CARTHAGE 42, SMITH-COTTON 3

Smith-Cotton   3    0    0    0   — 3

Carthage           7   21    14   0  — 42

SCORING SUMMARY

CAR: Brady Carlton 4 run (Luis Fuentes kick)

SC: Brayden Butts 42 field goal

CAR: Landyn Collins 3 run (Fuentes kick)

CAR: Carlton 2 run (Fuentes kick)

CAR: Carlton 4 run (Fuentes kick)

CAR: Collins 1 run (Fuentes kick)

CAR: Jackson Hettinger 16 pass from Carlton (Fuentes kick).

 

Carthage junior running back Landyn Collins sprints past the Smith-Cotton defense during Friday’s game at Haffner Stadium. Collins scored a pair of touchdowns in his team’s 42-3 win.

 

Carthage’s Noah Norbury is pictured during Friday’s district quarterfinal contest against Smith-Cotton. Carthage won the game 42-3. Photo by Israel Perez.

FOOTBALL: Carthage closes regular season with win

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage ended the regular season on a high note thanks to a strong fourth quarter in a 28-14 win over Willard on Friday at David Hafner Stadium.

Carthage’s Noah Norbury (24) lines up the tackle against Willard’s Gary Walker (5) on Friday. Photo by Tyler Wade.

After a scoreless opening stanza, Carthage and Willard traded touchdowns in the second quarter, but WHS went into the intermission on top 7-6. Both teams traded touchdowns again in the third period, but Carthage converted a 2-point try to send the game into the fourth quarter tied at 14-14. Carthage blanked Willard in the final 12 minutes while finding the end zone twice to secure the victory in the season finale.

Carthage wraps the regular season with a 5-4 record and are the third-seed in the Class 5 District 7 tournament. Carthage hosts (6) Smith-Cotton (2-7) at 7 p.m. on Friday in the opening round.

Carthage QB Brady Carlton broke a scoreless tie with 9:02 to play in the second quarter when he found the end zone from 7 yards out on a keeper for a 6-0 lead following a missed point-after try.

Willard answered on its ensuing possession when QB Russell Roweton kept the ball up the middle on second-and-long for 69 yards before following up with a 10-yard rush to get to the goal line and finding paydirt on the next play to give his Tigers a 7-6 lead over Carthage at the 7:34 mark. 

Carthage’s Jordan Brunnert (23) tackles Willard’s Johnathon Huskisson (20) by the legs from behind on Friday. Photo by Tyler Wade.

Willard struck for a big play again midway through the third quarter when Roweton faked the handoff, dropped back in play action on second down and found Timothy Ruble streaking up the seam for a 42-yard passing score and a 14-6 lead with 5:42 on the clock. 

Carthage knotted things up late in the third when RB Landyn Collins took the shotgun handoff up the middle, breaking tackles into the second level before sprinting his way to a 50-yard touchdown. CHS tied the game at 14-14 on a 2-point conversion when Carlton found WR Jackson Hettinger.

Carthage jumped in front in the fourth quarter after Collins broke free for a 33-yard run down to the Willard 5, with Carlton crossing the goal line from a yard out two plays later for a 21-14 lead with 10:25 left in regulation.

Carthage’s defense forced Willard into a turnover-on-downs in negative territory, with CHS taking over at the WHS 33. Carthage drove the short field and punched it in on a 5-yard run from Collins to ice the game with 4:15 left to play.

DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL: Carthage falls in semifinals

Second-seeded Carthage suffered a 25-9, 25-11, 25-19 loss to sixth-seeded Lee’s Summit in the semifinals of the Class 5 District 7 volleyball tournament on Saturday at Lee’s Summit North High School.  

The Tigers finished the season with a record of 14-17.

Carthage’s seniors are Ava Bourgault and Riann Schwartz.

Lee’s Summit will meet top-seeded Lee’s Summit West in the district title game on Tuesday. 

 

BOYS SWIMMING: Carthage repeats as COC champion; Webb City takes 2nd; Joplin’s Wardlow sets records

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — For the second straight year, the Carthage Tigers were celebrating at the conclusion of the Central Ozark Conference boys swimming and diving championships.

Led by seven event wins, Carthage repeated as COC champs on Tuesday night at the Buck Miner Swim Center on the campus of Webb City High School. The Tigers topped the team standings with 324 points.

“Last year was the first year we’d ever won it, and we graduated four seniors and lost a couple of other kids,” Carthage coach Braden McBride said. “So this really came as a surprise. Joplin has the best swimmer in the conference in Nathan Wardlow. Ozark has Steve Boyce as their coach and he’s won state championships. And I’ve learned so much from Shawn Klosterman. The fact that we won this year’s meet is awesome. It’s not just the guys who earn the medals and get on the podium, we’ve got a lot of guys scoring points. Those guys scoring the seventh, eighth and ninth place points really matter and are big for our program.”

Host Webb City was second in the team standings with 233 points and Joplin took third with 205. 

“I’m pretty happy, we had some good swims,” Webb City coach Shawn Klosterman said. “We had some guys move up and that’s what you always look for. It’s always an inspired meet. Carthage is loaded, so they’re pretty untouchable this year. Joplin has some studs this year, and I thought they were going to get us. We pulled off second place, so we’re happy with that.” 

“Overall, I think there were a couple of events where we could have done a little better, but the guys performed well,” Joplin coach Aaron Stump said. “If we had diving, we would have been closer to second overall. Webb City has that advantage on us. But I’m happy with how the guys performed tonight.” 

Nixa (180), Ozark (93) and Republic (92) rounded out the team standings.

Carthage’s Kellen Frieling won the 100-yard backstroke at Tuesday’s COC Swim Meet. Photo by Israel Perez.

CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Carthage’s Will Wright won the breaststroke at Tuesday’s COC Swim Meet.

The Tigers won two of the three relays and also took first in five individual events. 

“Our boys competed well and they did everything we thought they’d need to do tonight,” Coach McBride said. “It was a great night.” 

Carthage’s 200-yard medley relay team of Kellen Frieling, Braxton McBride, Will Wright and Maveric Allphin took first with a time of 1:47.

The Tigers won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:34, with Braxton McBride, Frieling, Aydan Nye and Wright competing.

Carthage finished second in the 200 freestyle, as Allphin, Daryl Martin, Ben Rogers and Nye recorded a time of 1:42.

Braxton McBride and Frieling each won two individual events.

A junior, McBride won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.15 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 51.71 seconds. 

A senior, Frieling took first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.46 seconds and also captured gold in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.69 seconds.

A sophomore, Wright won the 100 breaststroke in 1:05. Wright also finished second in the 200 IM.

The Tigers received big points in several other events. Allphin finished third in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 50 free, while Martin took fourth in the 100 free and Noah Blackford finished fourth in the 100 backstroke.

Also, Ryan Steinbach took sixth in the both the 200 IM and the 500 free, Emerson Ixcol took sixth in the 100 backstroke, Carter Yost finished seventh in the 200 IM and Rogers took seventh in the 500 free.

“Kellen, Braxton and Will have committed to being year-round swimmers,” Coach McBride said. “They lead us, but they’ve got a lot of other guys with them. It was a total team victory.” 

Webb City’s Dagan Chacon is pictured during the COC Swim Meet.

WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS

Webb City fared well in the relays.

The 200 medley relay team of Cole Dalton, Micah Brouwer, Dalton Spence and Aiden Patterson finished third in 1:54.

Webb City was also third in the 200 freestyle relay, as Steve Kenlee, Spence, Brouwer and Adrien Black recorded a time of 1:43.

The Cardinals were fourth in the 400 freestyle relay, with Black, Kenlee, Dalton and Patterson competing.

Black was the runner-up in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:28, while Brouwer placed second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:07 and third in the 200 IM in 2:16.

Black and Kenlee took fourth and sixth in the 200 freestyle, while Kenlee and Patterson were fifth and seventh in the 100 butterfly. 

Also for the Cardinals, Spence was fifth in both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke, Dalton was fifth in the 100 free, Patterson placed fifth in the 500 free, Cole was fifth in the 100 backstroke and Dagan Chacon finished seventh in the 50 free. 

Webb City’s Grant Humphrey won the 1-meter diving competition, besting Nixa’s Keegan Sandgren for the top spot.

“Adrien had a big meet and our 200 free relay moved up from fifth to third, so I was proud of that,” Klosterman said. “Aiden had a season-best in the 500, so that was big. Grant Humphrey had a great day. He’s a new kid, but he’s proven to be very competitive.

“I’m also glad we got to have a Senior Night, too,” Klosterman said. “And it’s always nice to host this meet. It’s a hectic day, but it’s really nice to have it here.” 

Joplin’s Nathan Wardlow won two events at the COC Swim Meet on Tuesday. Photo by Israel Perez.

JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS

Joplin was led by the standout performance of junior Nathan Wardlow.

Joplin’s Nathan Wardlow reacts to his time in the 500-yard freestyle, which broke a pool record set in 1984.

Wardlow was the COC champion in two events, as he won the 200 individual medley in 2:02 and took first in the 500 freestyle with a record-breaking time of 4:53.

Wardlow set a meet and pool record in the 500 freestyle. The previous pool record (4:55) was set in 1984 by Sean Garretson of Jenks, Oklahoma. The COC record (4:57) was set by Ozark’s Graham Eisenmann in 2022. 

“Nathan has been impressive all year,” Stump said. “I see a lot of drive from him. I saw him kick it into another gear tonight. For him to get that time in the 500 free here, I couldn’t be more impressed.” 

The Eagles had a top-five finish in all three relays.

Joplin’s 200 medley relay team of Wardlow, Jackson Mordica, Parker Hinman and Ian Vermillion finished second in 1:50. 

The JHS team of Wardlow, Isaiah Thom, Vermillion and Hinman took second in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:40.

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

A junior, Hinman was the runner-up in two events, the 100 fly in 59.71 seconds and the 100 backstroke in 1:00. 

Vermillion and Thom finished third and sixth, respectively, in the 50 freestyle, while Jackson Mordica took fourth in the 100 breaststroke.

Also for the Eagles, Vermillion was sixth in the 100 fly, Thom took seventh in the 100 free and Owen Mordica placed seventh in the 100 backstroke. 

 

CENTRAL OZARK CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Team standings: Carthage 324, Webb City 233, Joplin 205, Nixa 180, Ozark 93, Republic 92.

 

Carthage’s Carter Yost is pictured during Tuesday’s Central Ozark Conference swimming and diving championships. Photo by Israel Perez.

 

Jackson Mordica competes for the Joplin Eagles on Tuesday night in Webb City. Joplin finished third in the team standings at this year’s COC Meet. Photo by Israel Perez.

 

The Carthage Tigers pose on Tuesday night after winning the Central Ozark Conference Championships for the second straight season. Photo by Jason Peake.

 

FULL RESULTS: COC results with splits and scores

DISTRICT SOFTBALL: Raymore-Peculiar downs Carthage in semifinals

Fifth-seeded Carthage saw its season come to an end at the hands of top-seeded Raymore-Peculiar in the Class 5 District 7 semifinals at the JHS Athletic Complex on Saturday.

The Panthers used a perfect game in the circle by Kelsie Donaldson and scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning, which was the difference in the game.

“We got ourselves in some tough situations there, but defensively there were two or three innings where we made some big plays that got us out of it and kept us within reach at the end of the game,” Carthage coach Stephanie Ray said. “Where all we had to do was get some runners on and put a ball in play and maybe it’s a different ball game. The whole time, we never felt like we were out of it. Our defense was pretty good outside of that one inning. I just wish we could’ve done a little more at the plate.”

Carthage closes the season with an 18-16 record.

“It was fun coming to practice everyday as well as the games because we have a bunch of kids who love playing softball with each other,” Ray said about her team’s season. “We call it a sisterhood. When we face adversity, they just pick each other up. We had a little lull in the middle of the season and we still find ourselves playing in a 1-0 game here with a heck of a ball club just because they believe and trust in each other and us. They are some of the hardest workers I have ever been around. They show up every single day. Whatever we throw at them, they handle and are ready to move on and get to the game.”

The Tigers graduate seniors Shelby Hegwer, Alexis Smith and Brooklynn Dolon-Main. 

“This is my 10th year at Carthage, but this was my fourth year as head coach, so this is my first class that I’ve been able to coach from freshmen to seniors,” Ray said. “They’ve been great leaders. I’ve been able to watch them grow from little baby freshmen to three full-time starters doing great things for us by the time they are juniors. They have put a mark on the program. They have accomplished things that a lot of people probably didn’t expect from them except us. They bought into what we are trying to do and it’s helped push us in the right direction to where we are notching almost 20 wins a season now, which is a big deal.” 

IN THE CIRCLE

Donaldson pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 15 on the way to the win.

“She did a good job of getting ahead,” Ray said. “She’d throw the fastball off the plate, get ahead and then just kind of move up in the zone on us and get us to chase a little bit more and a little bit more.”

Addie Wallace was saddled with the tough-luck loss after allowing one unearned run on three hits and a walk in six innings.

“Addie threw a great game,” Ray said. “She was getting on top of batters, mixing it up well and hitting her spots. She brought a little today.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

Ray-Pec took the lead on a Carthage miscue in the bottom of the fourth. Carmen Boxberger led off the inning with a walk before stealing second to get into scoring position. Boxberger came around to score later in the inning when a throw behind her from the catcher in an attempted pickoff went into center field to put the Panthers on top 1-0.

Wallace got out of the jam without any more damage coming home after inducing a 5-3 double play.

“Instead of [letting the run that scored affect her] and falling behind in the count, she continued to attack the zone and trust her defense,” Ray said. “Jenna (Calhoon) made a great play with runners on first and second, ground ball, stepped on it and went to first to get us out of it. And it was a great stretch at first base, too.”

The Panthers looked to add insurance in the bottom of the sixth after the first two batters reached to leadoff the inning. Hayden Kurtz flew out to left with a runner on third and one out, with CHS’ Lexa Youngblood gunning down the runner at the plate to preserve the score at 1-0.

“They skied one, she got behind it and threw her out at the plate and our dugout erupted,” Ray said of the play. “That is something where going into the top of the seventh in a one-run ballgame, that play set us up to make a push there. It got us up and really had us thinking we had a chance to go win this game at the end.”

ON DECK

Ray-Pec takes on second-seeded Neosho in the Class 5 District 7 tournament championship game at 5:30 p.m. on Monday at the JHS Athletic Complex.

DISTRICT SOFTBALL: Carthage rallies past Joplin behind big sixth inning

Fifth-seeded Carthage trailed 6-4 heading into the sixth inning before scoring six times with two outs to take control on the way to a 10-6 win over fourth-seeded Joplin in the finale of the opening round of the Class 5 District 7 tournament on Thursday at the JHS Athletic Center. 

“Joplin is a great offensive team and they just come at you and are hard outs from the top of the lineup to the bottom of the lineup,” Carthage coach Stephanie Ray said after the win. “We regained our focus and honed it back in there after they got out ahead of us. We had some opportunities to score after getting runners on base with our speed before we just started getting hits where we needed them in that sixth inning to get those six runs.”

ALL GOOD THINGS

The loss ends Joplin’s season with a 15-14 record, with the Eagles graduating seniors Bailey Ledford (3B), Ashley Phillips (LF), Taryn Casey (RF), Peyton Meadows (LF) and Megan Meeker (RF).

“I am very happy with the way the girls responded throughout that game,” Joplin coach Brenden Schneider said. “Obviously, we can’t give up a six spot because it’s hard to come back from that. But, it’s funny because that’s how the game works. Last time we played them (earlier in the season), we put up a big inning to go ahead in the top of the seventh at their place. … Credit to Carthage for finding a way to have good at-bats and battle all game. The one thing I have always said about Coach Ray’s Carthage teams is they’re extremely tough and always play you hard. Hopefully, next year we will find a way to overcome that stuff and get better.”

“Every single one of those kids has found a way to get better and found a way to help their teammates get better,” Schneider added of his senior class. “Ultimately, it’s a softball program, but it’s also a human-development program. When they leave this place after four years, the one thing we care about more than wins and losses or statistics is, ‘are they better people?’ If they walk off this field as better human beings than when they walked on it for the first time, I feel like our staff has done a pretty good job. We can’t thank those five enough for how they’ve helped turn this program around. We are going to miss all five of them. There is nothing more I can say than thank you.”

RUN WITH TWO

Carthage went into the sixth inning down 6-4 and rallied with six runs touching home with two outs in the frame. Lottie Youngblood brought in the first two runs with a two-run single to center to tie the game at 6-6. Shelby Hegwer flared a ball to right field for an RBI single and a 7-6 advantage. After a Joplin pitching change, Lexa Youngblood put Carthage on top 8-6 with a run-scoring double to right field before Jenna Calhoon dropped a ball inside the foul line down the right-field line in the next at-bat to plate two more runners and wrap the scoring in the inning.

“Anytime we come into the dugout, whether we are down two or even four runs, these girls have always had the ability to score big,” Ray said. “We talked to them before the inning and told them to get a couple and get it even. They went and put six runs up. When their energy is up and they believe, anything is possible.”

HOW THEY GOT THERE

Carthage took the lead in the top of the first inning when Brooklynn Dolon-Main drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field before Joplin answered back in the bottom half of the opening frame with a run-scoring single past shortstop by Jadyn Pankow to tie the game at 1s.

The Tigers clawed back in front, 2-1, in the second inning after Calhoon scored from third on a shallow single to center by Emmy Stark.

The Eagles used a big swing to jump in front in the third inning when Pankow ripped a ball over the wall in center field with a runner on to give Joplin a 3-2 advantage.

Joplin added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth when Abby Lowery drove in a run with a groundout before Libby Munn brought a run home after reaching on an error when a popup on the infield found the turf with two outs and runners on the corners for a 5-2 lead.

Carthage cut the deficit to one in the top of the fifth when Dolon-Main singled to right field to drive in a pair of runs to make the score 5-4.

Joplin answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth when Ledford reached on an infield hit with runners on second and third to score a run and push the lead to 6-4.

IN THE CIRCLE

Addie Wallace earned the complete-game win after allowing six runs, four earned, on 12 hits, a walk and three strikeouts in seven frames. 

“She did a great job,” Ray said. “Early on, we felt like they had her number a little bit. We brought her in the dugout and went over spray charts. She became a student of the game and started studying. She locked back in the second half of the game and went and got some big outs when we needed them.”

Ava Wolf took the loss after allowing nine runs, four earned, on 11 hits, two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Caelyn Bobski allowed one run on four hits and a strikeout in 1 1/3 relief innings.

IN THE BOX

Lottie Youngblood had two hits, two RBI, two runs scored and two walks. Calhoon doubled twice, drove in two and scored once for Carthage. Dolon-Main had two hits and two RBI, while Hegwer had a hit, scored a run and drove in a pair. Avyn Willis and Ashlyn Brust each had two hits and two runs scored. Stark had two hits and an RBI. Lexa Youngblood had a hit, an RBI and a run scored.

Pankow led Joplin with two hits, including a home run, a team-high three RBI and scored a run. Ledford had two hits, scored a run and drove in one. Lowery had a hit, scored a run and drove in one. Munn, who doubled, and Wolf each had two hits, while Maria Loum and Phillips each had a hit and scored a run.

ON DECK

With the win, Carthage improves to 18-15 and takes on top-seeded Raymore-Peculiar at 1 p.m. in the semifinal round on Saturday.

VOLLEYBALL: Carl Junction sweeps Carthage in last home match

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — On a night where a pair of seniors were honored for career milestones as well with it being Pinkout, Carl Junction ended its home portion of the schedule on a high note after defeating Carthage 25-19, 25-22 and 25-21 in a Central Ozark Conference sweep on Tuesday night.

Carl Junction setter Miya Carnes earns an assist in the Bulldogs’ win over Carthage on Tuesday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

“I thought we struggled at times, but we found a way to win,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said after the victory. “That’s what good teams do, so I am proud of them for fighting through that. There were a lot of distractions tonight and I think we lacked a little bit of focus, but at times we did some really good things.”

RECOGNIZING HISTORY

Before the start of the varsity match between the Bulldogs and the Tigers, Carl Junction senior OH/MB Kylie Scott and senior S/RS Miya Carnes were presented with golden volleyballs after each entered hallowed grounds over the weekend in the Lebanon Pinkfest. Helping the Bulldogs to a second-place finish against some of the stiffest competition in the state, Scott surpassed 1,000-career kills and Carnes surpassed 1,000-career assists.

“I am really excited for those kids,” Sharples said. “It’s hard to get 1,000 kills, and you know Miya really only has one full season as our setter under her belt, and to get to 1,000 career assists is pretty amazing.”

GAME ACTION

Carl Junction took control early in the first set and maintained the momentum throughout thanks to its work at the service line. The Bulldogs had service runs of three points or more from senior OH/DS Abigail Wilson, sophomore S/OH Jadyn Howard and Carnes, with Carnes’ run that included a pair of blocks from junior S/RS Karissa Chase—who totaled 12 kills and three blocks in the win—giving CJ a 17-11 advantage. 

“I thought we served really well in the first set,” Sharples said. “We were hitting spots and going after the people we wanted to go after. We kept ourselves in system well and sided out quickly. We just didn’t let them keep going.”

Carl Junction senior Kylie Scott serves up an ace during the win over Carthage on Tuesday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

Carl Junction pushed the lead to 22-16 later in the set on back to back kills by Scott, but a sideout kill from junior Carthage S/RS Jaidyn Brunnert, a block from freshman M London Shepherd and an ace by sophomore S/RS Sadie Comer cut the CJ advantage to 22-19. 

The Bulldogs earned service after a Tigers’ serving error and ended the opening set with a block from Scott and a kill by Howard.

The second stanza was a back-and-forth affair, as Carthage tied the game at 11-11 before each team traded sideouts for nine straight points until CJ used a pair of Tiger errors to build an 18-15 advantage.

Shepherd earned a sideout kill for Carthage before Scott answered with a tip kill to force a sideout. Scott, who finished with 11 kills, 17 digs and a pair of aces, followed up with a three-point service run that included an ace and a block by senior MH Acadia Badgley to give CJ a 22-16 lead.

Carthage used a sideout and three straight attacking errors by the Bulldogs to jump back within two and ultimately cut the lead to one, 23-22, on a kill from Shepherd and a block by junior M Millie Templeman.

The Bulldogs responded with a kill from senior OH Aubreigh Fowler to force a sideout and finished off the set with an ace from Wilson.

Carthage’s Peyton Ray (9) and London Shepherd (19) share a block during the Tigers’ match with Carl Junction on Tuesday.

Mimicking the second game, the final set was evenly matched, with Carthage even holding a 20-19 lead late and looking to force a fourth set. Carl Junction closed out the match by scoring six of the last seven points.

The Bulldogs used a kill and an ace from Carnes, who finished with 31 assists and two aces, to regain the lead 21-20 before a kill from junior OH/RS Peyton Ray tied things back up at 21-all with a kill.

Fowler swung through a kill to force a sideout for CJ, who used a three-point service run from Wilson, who closed the night with 19 digs and two aces, to seal the sweep, which ended with kills from Chase and Fowler.

“That is something I feel like we are doing much better at—focusing on the process and not the score,” Sharples said of her team’s response to adversity in the second and third set.

UP NEXT

Carthage (13-15) is at Republic on Thursday to close out the regular season.

Carl Junction (23-7-2) is on the road in its regular season finale, visiting the COC champion Ozark Tigers (23-3) on Thursday.

“I want to see us come out and be competitive,” Sharples said of what she wants to see from her team as they close the regular season. “We kind of have a little saying—play hard, stay tough and never give up. That is what we are focusing on in every situation.”

Carl Junction’s Aubreigh Fowler earns a kill during the Bulldogs’ matchup with Carthage on Tuesday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

BOYS SOCCER ROUNDUP: Joplin upends Carl Junction; Carthage falls to Ozark

 

JOPLIN 3, CARL JUNCTION 0

Joplin defeated Carl Junction 3-0 on Tuesday night in a Central Ozark Conference clash at the JHS Athletic Complex.

Zeka Ajruloski notched the game’s first goal in the 20th minute, assisted by Ely Montanez.

Adam Badr’s goal in the 42nd minute gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead before Andy Cordova’s goal in the 57th minute accounted for the final margin.

Montanez assisted on all three Joplin goals. 

The Eagles took 20 shots, with 11 shots on goal. Carl Junction managed two shots on goal. 

Joplin goalkeeper Brayden Anderson was credited with two saves. Carl Junction goalie Blake Miller made eight saves.

Joplin will host College Heights (with McAuley Catholic) on Thursday.

Carl Junction hosts Neosho on Oct. 17.

 

OZARK 4, CARTHAGE 3 (OT)

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Ozark’s Caleb Lepant recorded the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in overtime on Tuesday night in a Central Ozark Conference showdown at David Haffner Stadium.

All three of Carthage’s goals were scored by Welle Welle, with the goals coming in the 11th, 48th and 58th minutes.

Alex Williams scored Ozark’s first two goals, with Lepant scoring a game-tying goal late in regulation.

Both teams entered the night undefeated in the COC.

Ozark is now 15-2-2 and 7-0 in the COC, while Carthage fell to 16-2 and 6-1 in the COC. 

Carthage is at Springfield Catholic on Oct. 16.

FOOTBALL: Carthage stuns No. 2 Webb City in Week 7

CARTHAGE, Mo. — As the longest tenured head football coach in the Central Ozark Conference, Carthage’s Jon Guidie has recorded many memorable victories over the years.

But Guidie’s latest coaching win is likely to rank high on his list of significant regular season triumphs. 

Led by a strong rushing attack and a solid defensive effort, Carthage knocked off Class 5 No. 2 Webb City 20-13 on a chilly Friday night at David Haffner Stadium.

It’s safe to say the Tigers entered the matchup as the clear underdog.

“Obviously, this is a huge win over a very good football team,” Guidie said. “It’s a big rivalry. Webb City was red hot coming in. And any time you can beat Webb City, it’s big. I’m just really proud of these kids and the fight they showed tonight. This is a quality win, so we’re just really happy for the kids.” 

The Cardinals and Tigers both entered the Week 7 rivalry matchup with plenty of momentum. 

Webb City had won five straight games, while Carthage was riding a three-game winning streak. With that, something had to give. In the end, it was the host Tigers who kept their streak alive.

Carthage QB Brady Carlton hands off to Landyn Collins during Friday’s game with Webb City at David Haffner Stadium. Photo by Israel Perez.

Simply put, Carthage’s offense was able to sustain drives and keep Webb City’s high-powered offense off the field. In the most glaring statistic of the night, Carthage had more than 32 minutes of time of possession (32:13) to Webb City’s 15:47.

“We took six minutes off the clock on one possession and five minutes off the clock with another drive,” Guidie noted. “You have to do that against a team that has an explosive offense. You have to control the ball and control the clock and our kids were able to do that tonight. We converted some third downs and key fourth downs. Those were big.”

Carthage ran 60 offensive plays to Webb City’s 37. The hosts recorded 18 first downs to Webb City’s nine.

“Offensively, it didn’t feel like we had very many snaps,” Webb City coach Ryan McFarland said. “It was hard to get a feel for what they were trying to do defensively because we didn’t get to run a lot of plays. We were slow to make some adjustments because of the limited snaps we had.” 

The Cardinals entered the night averaging 43 points per game during their winning streak, but the Tigers limited the visitors to two scores, both in the first half. 

“We gave up a big play early, and they have some good kids and some speed,” Guidie said. “I thought our defense tightened up and we were able to get a turnover before the half. That was big. I thought the defense settled down and played really well.”

Carthage improved to 4-3 with a fourth straight win. 

“I’m very happy with this team,” Guidie said. “They’re getting better and gaining confidence and I still think we have a ways to go. It’s very gratifying to coach this group in particular. We’ve got 11 new starters on defense…and we started five sophomores tonight. It’s just very gratifying to see these guys have the success they’ve had.” 

Carthage held a 20-13 lead at halftime, and despite some promising opportunities, neither team scored after the break. 

 

GAME RECAP

Webb City QB Braden McKee hands off to Noah Durman during Friday’s game at Carthage. Photo by Israel Perez.

Webb City’s first drive went 72 yards on seven plays and was capped by junior running back Andrew Elwell’s 3-yard touchdown run at the 9:15 mark of the opening quarter.

Carthage responded on its first series, as senior Darrin Witt recorded a 32-yard touchdown run with 3:17 left in the first period, capping an 11-play, 74-yard drive.

Back in the lineup after missing time with an injury, Webb City sophomore QB/RB/WR Gabe Johnson made his presence known by sprinting past the CHS defense for a dazzling 67-yard score, giving the Cardinals a 13-7 advantage after the PAT kick failed.

“Our guys executed our game plan early in the game,” McFarland said. “It was nice to have Gabe Johnson back because he’s such a big playmaker.”

The Tigers tied it up on junior running back Landyn Collins’ 1-yard touchdown plunge at the 10:07 mark of the second quarter. Webb City’s Brody Eggleston blocked the PAT kick to keep it 13-all. 

The Tigers took the lead for good with 2:53 remaining in the first half by coming through in the clutch. 

Facing fourth and 3, Carthage took a 20-13 lead when Collins hauled in a short pass from junior quarterback Brady Carlton and then broke several tackles on the way to a 42-yard touchdown.

The two teams traded turnovers late in the first half, and both squads turned the ball over on downs to start the second half.

The Tigers continued to eat up a lot of the clock with a time-consuming drive that concluded with another turnover on downs with nine minutes left in the game. 

A couple of untimely penalties hurt Webb City’s potential game-tying drive with just over six minutes to play.

Darrin Witt

Late in the game, the Cardinals recovered a CHS fumble with 1:12 remaining and with about 67 yards to go. A last-second Hail Mary was off the mark, and the Tigers celebrated a hard-fought victory.

“We turned the ball over twice in the second half, but we didn’t let it beat us,” Guidie said. “Maybe that’s a sign of maturity or growing up.” 

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

The Tigers racked up 320 yards of offense, with 266 on the ground and 54 through the air. 

“They’re a very physical football team and they run hard,” McFarland said of the Tigers. “It’s hard to simulate that in practice. We haven’t seen a team just line up and try to run over us the last few weeks. I think they caught us off guard. In the first half, their yards after contact was probably three or four yards per play. They were able to get first downs. I thought we made some adjustments defensively in the second half, and we were able to get some stops.” 

Collins ran 28 times for 107 yards and Carlton had 105 rushing yards on 20 carries. Both players showed the ability to pick up extra yardage after an initial hit on several gains.

“We talked at halftime about how hard Landyn and Brady were running,” Guidie said. “It seemed like they had an extra gear tonight. Getting an extra yard or two was very important when you want to control the ball.” 

Trevor Meadows (six tackles) and Noah Norbury (five tackles) led the Carthage defense.

Webb City finished with 225 yards, 172 rushing and 53 passing.

Johnson ran 10 times for 104 yards to lead the Webb City offense. Senior quarterback Braden McKee completed 3 of 7 passes for 32 yards and Johnson went 3 of 4 for 21 passing yards.

Conner Gayman had 13 tackles for the Cardinals, while Tucker Liberatore had 10. 

Webb City slipped to 5-2 on the season with the setback.

McFarland noted Carthage was the more physical team in the matchup, and added he hopes the loss will provide his squad with extra motivation going forward.

Friday’s contest was the 115th meeting between the longtime rivals since 1920. 

 

WILL THEY MEET AGAIN?

Of course, these two teams are not only conference rivals, but also district foes.

Both squads have been assigned to Class 5 District 7, so a postseason rematch is a possibility.

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Carthage travels to Joplin in Week 8, while Webb City entertains Neosho next Friday night at Cardinal Stadium.

Carthage quarterback Brady Carlton looks to elude the Webb City defense during Friday’s rivalry matchup at David Haffner Stadium. Photo by Israel Perez.

 

Webb City sophomore Gabe Johnson attempts to elude Carthage’s Noah Norbury during Friday’s game at CHS.

 

Carthage running back Landyn Collins looks to avoid the tackle from Webb City’s Conner Gayman on Friday night. Carthage upset No. 2 Webb City 20-13 on Friday. All photos by Israel Perez/SoMo Sports.

 

FULL STATS: Quickie Stats w_ Score Summary 1006[43640].pdf

BOYS SOCCER: Welle’s hat trick leads Carthage past Joplin

 

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Senior forward Welle Welle recorded a hat trick to lead Carthage to a 5-3 victory over Joplin on Tuesday night in Central Ozark Conference soccer action.

Joplin’s Alex De La Torre opened the scoring in the 11th minute, but Welle scored two straight goals, one in the 32nd minute and the second on a penalty kick in the 37th minute.

Henry Hernandez and Welle added goals late in the first half to give Carthage a 4-1 lead.

Joplin’s Ely Montanez converted a penalty kick right before the break, cutting the Eagles’ halftime deficit to two.

Montanez scored in the 71st minute to bring the Eagles within a single goal, 5-4.

But Carthage’s Silas Laytham recorded a goal in the 74th minute for the final margin.

Recording assists for the Tigers were Aldo Sanchez-Cancinos, Henry Laytham, Silas Laytham and Welle.

Joplin’s Brayden Anderson was credited with nine saves.

Carthage took 13 shots on goal, while Joplin had three shots on goal. 

With a 12th straight win, the Tigers are now 15-1.

Carthage will compete at the Kansas City Showcase on Friday and Saturday.

Joplin hosts Springfield Catholic on Monday.

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

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).