The Joplin High School girls tennis team earned a 7-2 victory over Carthage on Tuesday at the JHS athletic complex.
The Eagles pulled out close wins in all three doubles matches and won four of the six singles matches.
At No. 1 doubles, Joplin’s Emma Watts and Kennedy Schwartz edged Isabelle Johnston and Kianna Yates 8-6, while Jensen Vowels and Lauren Laird topped Anayansi Lopez-Rodas and Katie Barton 9-7. Cloey Blank and Brynn Driver defeated Daniela Marquez and Beverly Garcia-Hernandez 8-5.
Watts beat Johnston 8-5 at No. 1 singles, while Carthage’s Yates defeated Schwartz 8-2 at No. 2 singles.
Joplin’s Vowels defeated Lopez-Rodas 8-5 at No. 3 singles and Laird beat Barton 8-0 at No. 4. Carthage’s Marquez beat Driver 8-1 at No. 5 singles, but Joplin’s Blank topped Garcia-Hernandez 8-6 at No. 6.
Joplin hosts Nixa at 4:30 on Thursday. Carthage hosts Republic at 4:30 on Thursday for Senior Night.
Tag: Carthage
Late touchdown lifts Carthage over Carl Junction
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Late in the third quarter, Patrick Carlton had already thrown two interceptions and lost two fumbles. His entire offense had struggled, but the Carthage Tigers trailed by just a touchdown. For one drive, though, the senior quarterback put everything together.
Carlton orchestrated a 16-play, 68-yard march to the end zone, twice converting on fourth down, including the game-winning touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 8 yard line. With 5:53 to play, Carlton found Hudson Moore in the front corner of the end zone to lift Carthage (2-0) to a 21-20 victory over the Carl Junction Bulldogs (1-1) on Friday night.
“He kept his head in the game tonight,” Carthage coach Jon Guidie said. “He showed a lot of poise and a lot of leadership in the huddle, on the sideline. And then when the game was on the line, this kid wanted the football. That throw he made on fourth down and goal, that throw was a big-time throw. Hell, he threw it from the right hash, threw a 12-yard out over there in the (left) corner. That was huge, that says a lot about Patrick right there.”
The lead that throw gave the Tigers was their first of the game as the Bulldogs looked willing and able to hand the defending Class 5 state champions their first loss of the season, even into the final minute.
On its final drive of the game, Carl Junction was in Carthage’s territory within three plays, thanks to back-to-back first-down passes by senior quarterback Alex Baker. Baker, though, was pressured and sacked by sophomore linebacker Eli Sneed, moving the Bulldogs back nearer midfield than the end zone. Three incomplete passes later, CJ had turned the ball over on downs and Carthage bled the final 53 seconds out of the clock.
“They continued to control the ball the entire third quarter,” Carl Junction coach Doug Buckmaster said. “We may have had, maybe, I don’t know, eight or nine, 10 snaps the entire third quarter. But the difference was we were defending the heck out of their run game for the most part, and we put them in those third-and-longs and fourth-and-longs, and then we gave up first downs.”
Carl Junction jumped out to a 13-0 lead on back-to-back pass touchdowns from Baker to Drew Patterson and Cole Stewart. Carthage fumbled the kickoff return after Patterson’s score, and Baker hit Stewart for a 37-yard touchdown on the very next play. The two teams then traded another score each, but Carthage held Carl Junction down and managed 14 unanswered points to escape with the win.
For the second straight week, the Tigers notched a victory despite giving their opponent multiple extra possessions. The kickoff return fumble combined with Carlton’s miscues added up to a five-turnover night. In a 35-14 win over Ozark last week, Carthage gave the ball away four times.
“As a coach, you’re always frustrated and disappointed that your team’s doing this stuff, but at the same time, they’re finding a way to overcome it,” Guidie said. “And so it is negative, but hopefully that becomes a positive later on down the road.”
Carthage will host Neosho next week, while Carl Junction travels to Branson.
Carthage run-rules Seneca
CARTHAGE, Mo. — A seven-run second inning propelled Carthage to a decisive 12-2 victory over Seneca in non-conference softball action on Tuesday at Fair Acres Sports Complex.
Carthage improved to 1-1, while Seneca fell to 0-1.
The Tigers, who suffered a 2-1 loss to McDonald County last Friday in their opener, got the bats going right away.
The Tigers plated two runs in the first, as Landry Cochran doubled, Katie Crowe singled and then Jensyn Elder and Natalie Rodriguez both delivered sacrifice flies.
In the seven-run second inning, Mary Grace Richmond hit a two-run double, Cochran launched a three-run homer, Rodriguez later delivered an RBI double before Elder drove in another run with a ground out, making it 9-0.
The Indians scored two runs on three hits in the fourth. Hunter Beard and Bailey Lannon both had RBI singles.
In the bottom half, Rodriguez hit an RBI single and then Makayla Jennings added a two-run single for a 10-run advantage.
Seneca failed to score in the fifth, and the game ended early due to the run-rule.
Elder was the winning pitcher. She allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out two in three scoreless innings. Kate Potter tossed the final two innings. Sierra Lannon took the loss for Seneca.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Carthage and Seneca will both return to action at the Paige Neal/Christina Freeman softball tourney on Friday at the Joplin Athletic Complex.
Carthage meets Monett at 4, while Seneca takes on Nevada, also at 4.
In other scheduled games on Friday, Carthage takes on Joplin at 5:45 and Carl Junction at 7:30. Seneca meets Webb City at 5:45 and Neosho at 7:30. The tourney wraps up on Saturday.
Carthage cross country team motivated for fall season
Andy Youngworth sees a highly-motivated group each and every day when he watches his Carthage High School cross country team go through preseason workouts.
After the spring track and field season was eliminated due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, Youngworth is certain his Tigers are ready to make up for lost time this fall.
“Other than a couple of road races, most of them haven’t ran in a competitive high school race since either early November or late October,” Youngworth said. “We had a really good offseason. We had several guys that ran on their own when we couldn’t meet as a team. We didn’t get to have a track season, but the work we did in the spring and summer has really set the table for a lot of these guys and girls to have a special season if things work out right.”
Junior Mariques Strickland is the top returner for the Carthage boys. Strickland finished ninth at last year’s Central Ozark Conference meet, 12th at the district meet, 28th at the sectional and 143rd at state.
Strickland finished fourth overall at Joplin’s warm-up meet on Saturday at South Middle School, and Youngworth expects him to be his team’s No. 1 runner.
“Mariques has had a really good offseason,” Youngworth said. “We’ve done a time trial race for 26 years, and we keep a database for it. Mariques just ran the sixth-fastest time overall. That goes back to more than two decades, and we’ve had some good runners here.”
After contributing at the varsity level a year ago, seniors Malcolm Robertson, Ty Lewis and Richard Contreras and junior Joseph Wyrick are also expected to be key performers this fall.
“Our seniors are all four-year guys and they’ve really improved over the years,” Youngworth said.
Newcomers to watch include juniors Joel Pugh and Landen Schrader and sophomores Miguel Solano, Caleb Fewin and Coltyn Herrera.
“Our boys team is really deep,” Youngworth said. “Five or six have separated themselves and we’ve got four or five other guys who are vying for the seventh spot. That’s a good problem to have.”
The CHS girls team will be led by seniors Kimberly Hernandez, Lauren Wilson, Hadley McBride, and Keysli Elias.
“Our senior girls have really done a good job,” Youngworth said. “It’s always awesome when you have girls who hang around for four years. Their leadership has been great.”
Hernandez, who finished 27th at last year’s COC race, has made big strides, Youngworth said.
“She ran a lot on her own and it shows,” Youngworth said. “I think Hadley, Lauren and Keysli have also been really dedicated and we’re looking for good things from them.”
Junior Morelia Reyes and sophomores Diana Pichardo and Lilianna Vasquez are newcomers to watch.
“The girls who came out are working very hard and were committed to the summer offseason program,” Youngworth said. “We have several holes to fill, but the pieces are in place and I think we can be a competitive team.”
The program’s numbers are down a bit on the girls side, Youngworth noted.
CROSS COUNTRY NOTES
Youngworth is the dean of area cross country coaches. This is his 27th season as Carthage’s head coach.
After the Missouri State High School Activities Association expanded classes for a number of sports this fall, there will now be five classes for cross country. Youngworth expects Carthage to compete in Class 5.
Carthage is scheduled to compete at the SWCCCA Meet in Bolivar on Saturday. Races begin at 9 a.m.
The 47th Carthage Invitational is scheduled for Sept. 10 at the Carthage Golf Course.
For more reasons than one, Youngworth noted this should be a memorable season.
“We’re stressing staying healthy and following all of the protocols like taking temperatures every morning and wearing masks when we have team meetings or when they’re stretching,” Youngworth said. “It’s all about taking care of today and just trying to get a little better each day.”
VOLLEYBALL: Carthage earns four wins in Branson
BRANSON, Mo. — Carthage went 4-1 at the Branson Invitational volleyball tournament on Saturday, capturing the Silver bracket’s title.
In pool play, Carthage defeated Fair Grove 25-18, 25-12, Helias Catholic beat the Tigers 25-11, 25-20 and Carthage topped Lebanon 25-18, 25-22.
In Silver bracket action, Carthage beat Republic 25-17, 26-24 and then Mount Vernon 25-18, 25-18.
Carthage hosts McDonald County at 5:30 on Tuesday for Senior Night.
Gall’s explosive night helps Carthage overcome turnovers, start 1-0
CARTHAGE, Mo. — In their first game since being crowned Class 5 football state champions last December, the Carthage Tigers played like a championship team — if one seeing its first game-speed action in nearly nine months.
A seemingly unstoppable Luke Gall, sophomore running back, helped Carthage (1-0, 1-0 COC) — which did not participate in a traditional preseason jamboree due to recommendations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic — overcome four turnovers, three of which came in the red zone. Gall scored all five of his team’s touchdowns to help Carthage beat the Ozark Tigers (0-1, 0-1 COC) 35-14 at David Haffner Stadium on Friday night.
“A big part was the offensive line, the holes were giant,” Gall said. “Just (kept) running my feet, just run hard, that’s pretty much it. I was getting pretty gassed, I’m going to start working on my conditioning.”
He could be forgiven for some fatigue: In just his second varsity start, Gall racked up 259 rushing yards — including an 84-yard dash to the end zone — on 19 carries with the five scores. He continued that conditioning work in-game by also playing extensively at linebacker for the Carthage defense.
“Luke played really, really well,” Carthage coach Jon Guidie said. “You know, he’s a 15-year-old kid. Just a sophomore … I thought he had a great night, he had several carries, several big runs and it’s really great to see because he’s a kid that works his butt off throughout the week and in the weight room. For him to come out and have that type of game to start out with, I’m really proud of him.”
Twice, well within striking distance of a touchdown, Ozark recovered a Carthage fumble, denying the Tigers chances at padding their lead. Carthage’s last drive of the first half ended when Patrick Carlton threw an interception in the end zone. The other turnover came on a low snap that eluded Carlton. Even so, Ozark was limited to two scoring drives and Carthage rode Gall to an offensive outburst.
“That’s stuff that you can clean up and fix,” Guidie said. “And good teams will do that. I thought we were really good last year at ball security and we’ll go back and iron that stuff out. That was Gavin (VanGilder)’s first start, too, at center. And the way these guys play, the fronts they gave us and the stunts they gave us, that’s huge for Gavin to navigate through that stuff, so he’ll continue to grow and get better.”
Carthage will follow up its season-opening win next week with a road matchup with the Carl Junction Bulldogs
