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GIRLS HOOPS: College Heights falls to Northeast

Posted on by Lucas Davis

In a tightly contest game from wire to wire, Northeast (Kansas) held on for a 46-43 win over College Heights on Monday.

“Northeast-Arma had a strong second half and played very well, especially making their free throws down the stretch,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “We did a poor job of denying their point guard the ball and ended up having to foul her. She hit seven of her last nine free throws. We struggled shooting tonight. We shot 30 percent from the floor and 47 percent from the foul line. Even with good defense, it’s hard to win shooting that poorly.

“It’s always difficult to lose a one-possession game. One more block out, one less turnover, one more shot made changes the outcome of the game. With that said, I’m proud of my team. They played hard tonight. We are a very young team, and they are learning and improving quickly.”

College Heights was led in scoring by Libby Fanning, who finished with a double-double after scoring 16 points and pulling down 22 rebounds. Addie Lawrence scored 11 points and closed with six boards.

College Heights plays Golden City at Ozark Christian College on Tuesday.

HOOPS ROUNDUP: College Heights sweeps matchup with McAuley

Posted on by Lucas Davis

COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS 43, MCAULEY 40

College Heights built a slim lead in the first quarter and held on to it through the final horn for an Ozark 7 win over McAuley on Friday.

College Heights (13-8, 5-2 Ozark 7), winners seven times in the last eight games, opened the game outscoring McAuley 11-6 in the first period and held a- six-point lead at the intermission. The Warriors cut the lead to four to start the fourth quarter and tied the game late, but a late-3-pointer from CHC’s Maddy Colin and a follow-up score by Jaylie Johnson put the Cougars up five on the way to the win. 

“I have so much respect for what Coach (Mike) Howard has done with his team,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “They always play hard and defend well. We have played so many times over the last few years, and we know each other’s system quite well. That makes it really hard for our teams to execute. It’s not just a matter of knowing each other’s offenses. 

“There were several momentum swings. We built a couple of seven or eight-point leads and then McAuley would make a run to close the gap. It was close the entire game. … It was that kind of back-and-forth game that could have gone either way.”

“I’m very proud of my team for the improvement they showed since the last time we played College Heights,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said to SoMo Sports. “Less than a week ago, we turned the ball over 30 times and gave up 26 offensive rebounds against them. Tonight, we only had 11 turnovers and only gave up 10 offensive rebounds. We trusted each other and played as a team. … If we can keep improving and growing as a team, it will definitely be beneficial going into districts.”

Addie Lawrence had 12 points to lead College Heights in scoring, while Johnson and Libby Fanning each finished with 10 points.

Kennedy DeRuy had a game-high 19 points, while Lily Black finished with 11 points in the loss. Avery Eminger finished with eight points for the Warriors.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS 63, MCAULEY 32

College Heights held a first-quarter advantage and ballooned the lead throughout the game en route to a Ozark 7 win over McAuley on Friday.

The Cougars (19-4, 5-0 Ozark 7) held a six-point lead after the first period before College Heights pushed the margin to 16 by the intermission. College Heights scored 15 in the third period and 12 in the fourth while holding McAuley (5-19, 0-5 Ozark 7) to 12 points total in the second half. 

Miller Long led College Heights with 14 points, while Hagen Beck and Curtis Davenport each finished with nine points.

Noah Black led McAuley with eight points.

 

BOYS MERCY/WARRIOR CLASSIC: College Heights wins tourney title; Thomas Jefferson takes 3rd; McAuley ends tourney with win

Posted on by Lucas Davis

COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS HOLD OFF PROVIDENCE IN CHAMPIONSHIP WIN

College Heights opened the 2021-22 season with a double-digit road loss at Providence Academy on Nov. 19. What better way to see how you’ve progressed as a team than a rematch nearly two and a half months later?

College Heights’ Miller Long fights through traffic for a basket during the Cougars’ win over Providence Academy in the Mercy/Warrior Classic championship game on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

That was the situation the Cougars were facing as they squared off with the Patriots once more, this time in the 39th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic boys championship game on Saturday.

College Heights (17-3) gained the first real separation in the game after closing out the first quarter on a scoring run and starting the second just as strongly while building a double-digit lead early in the second period that carried to the intermission. The Patriots (15-9) whittled the lead to two possessions to start the fourth quarter and cut the advantage to two points with three minutes to play, but the Cougars refused to give up the lead down the stretch and held on for a 57-51 win to clinch the tournament championship.

“I’d say we’ve progressed a lot since November,” College Heights coach Eric Johnson said after the win. “That was a good measuring stick for us to see how far we have come. They are a good ball club and have beat some good teams. They have some big kids and are a real challenge for us. They are very good competition, so we are pleased with the win.” 

GAME ACTION

College Heights and Providence traded baskets in the early onset before the Patriots used back-to-back 3-pointers from Carter Keen near the four-minute mark to build a 13-9 lead. 

The Cougars responded by scoring the final seven points of the opening period to take a 16-13 lead. Hagen Beck started things with a bucket before Ethan Meeks and Curtis Davenport had consecutive tip-ins to close out the period with the Cougars in front by three.

CHC’s Curtis Davenport attacks the basket in the Cougars’ win over Providence Academy in the Mercy/Warrior Classic championship game. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

College Heights opened the second period on a 11-4 run to push the lead to double digits for the first time, 27-17. Meeks had a post score, while Ethan Adel added a 3-pointer before a bucket from Caleb Quade. Miller closed the spurt with a back-cut layup, drawing a foul and making the and-1 charity for a three-point play with 5:23 left in the first half.

“We needed to get the ball inside and we had some offensive rebounds there, too,” Johnson said about his team’s play to close the first quarter and start the second. “I think Curtis had a couple there. Caleb Quade did a good job off the bench with a key rebound and putback. It was a team effort.”

Quade closed out the first half with an offensive rebound and putback coupled with a free throw with 24 seconds left to give CHC a 36-23 cushion at the half.

The Patriots started the third quarter on a 14-4 run to trim their deficit to 40-38 with less than three minutes to play in the period. Five different players scored during the surge, with Cooper Laney’s five points leading the way.

College Heights took a six-point lead into the fourth quarter after closing the third on a floater from Ben Thomas. 

The Cougars pushed the lead back to 10 points after Davenport jump-stopped in the lane for a basket off the glass and a 3-pointer from the wing by Long off the assist by Adel to make the score 51-41 with 5:41 to play.

The Patriots responded by making a run at the lead, scoring eight straight points with a 3-pointer from Laney and buckets inside from Isaac Woodward and Preston Green to trim the score to 51-49 with 2:57 left.

College Heights’ Ethan Adel looks for room to drive during the Cougars’ win over the Patriots in the Mercy/Warrior Classic championship game. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“That was a good lesson for us,” Johnson said. “You have to take care of the basketball and not get careless with it and let teams back in the game. … If you want to go anywhere in the postseason, you have to take care of the ball.”

Long knocked down a baseline floater on the next possession before Davenport made two foul shots with 26 seconds left to give CHC a 55-49 lead on the way to the win.

“This is key because when you get into the postseason, you are going to play good teams like this,” Johnson added about the win. “You better learn things (from these games) like taking care of the ball and limiting your turnovers. And you better rebound and hit your free throws. Little things like that are going to win you games.”

SCORING LEADERS

Long had a game-high 18 points to lead CHC, while Davenport finished with 12 points. Meeks had eight in the win and Beck finished with seven.

Laney finished with 13 points, while Keen and Corban Mora both closed with 12.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

MVP – Miller Long, College Heights

Curtis Davenport, College Heights

Corbin Mora, Providence Academy

Preston Green, Providence Academy 

Drew Goodhope, Thomas Jefferson

Jaron Malotte, Sarcoxie

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON BOYS ROUT SARCOXIE IN THIRD-PLACE GAME

Thomas Jefferson used a staunch defensive effort to build an early lead and never looked back on the way to a 70-38 win over Sarcoxie in the boys third-place game of the Mercy/Warrior Classic.

The Cavaliers (14-5) used a 15-0 run in the first quarter to put a stranglehold on the lead. Thomas Jefferson essentially put the closing touches on the win in the third quarter, pushing the advantage to more than 30 points, which caused a running clock over the final eight minutes of action.

“We were really trying to drive a couple of points home today from a team standpoint,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “We wanted to put four quarters of basketball together because that is what it is going to take to beat good teams and win a lot of these big games coming up for us. We’ve been in some big games the last couple of years and I hope that fire is in their belly.”

GAME ACTION

Thomas Jefferson led 5-4 before ripping off the final 15 points of the opening period to balloon the lead to 20-4. Jay Ball opened the run with a bucket inside before four straight points from Drew Goodhope. 

The final three field goals of the run were fueled by turnovers forced by the Cavs. Caden Myers earned a steal that turned into a bucket by ball before Tyler Brouhard earned a steal that ended up as a 3-pointer from Myers from the wing to push the lead to 17-4. Jake Jarrett added another steal the wound up as a 3-ball by Goodhope the other way with 27 second left to wrap the scoring in the quarter.

“Our defense was big all night really,” Coach Myers added about the close to the first quarter. “Yesterday’s loss, I hope, lit a little fire in our belly. We had a little shootaround before we came over here today and talked about some things we needed to improve on. The boys took it to heart and really came out and executed the game plan well tonight.”

Thomas Jefferson built a 19-point lead by the intermission and put the game out of reach late in the third quarter, using an 11-0 run highlighter by perimeter scoring to push the lead to more than 30 for the first time in the game.

Goodhope started it off with a 3-pointer before adding a pair of makes at the foul line. Brouhard splashed home a 3-pointer from the wing before Goodhope buried a perimeter jumper from the wing to make the score 54-22 with less than 90 seconds to play in the third quarter.

“That is exactly what we talked about going into the second half of this game,” Coach Myers said. “We had a 19-point lead over them earlier in the year in the Diamond Tournament during the second week of the season and we let them back in the game after that. We hounded at halftime about showing everyone how we have grown as a team. The boys came out and did what they had to do in the third.”

The Cavaliers cruised to the final horn with a running clock in their favor over the final eight minutes of action.

SCORING LEADERS

Goodhope finished with a game-high 24 points to lead Thomas Jefferson in scoring, knocking down a game-high six 3-pointers in the win. Myers finished with 15 points in the win and Ball added 12 to give the Cavs three players in double figures. Brouhard finished with seven points in the win.

Garrett Smith closed with 12 points to lead the Bears in scoring, while Terio Asterio finished with nine points on three 3-pointers.

 

MCAULEY BOYS KNOCK OFF BLUEJACKET

The McAuley Catholic boys wrapped its Mercy/Warrior Classic appearance on a high note, defeating Bluejacket 63-20 on Saturday.

McAuley doubled up Bluejacket in the first quarter 19-8 and pushed the lead to more than 20 by the intermission. The Warriors held Bluejacket to five total points in the second half on the way to the win.

Joe Staton led McAuley with 15 points, while Rocco Bazzano-Joseph added nine points in the win. Jeffery Horinek closed with eight and Bradley Wagner added seven points. 

GIRLS MERCY/WARRIOR CLASSIC: College Heights girls defeat McAuley for third place; Providence wins championship

Posted on by Lucas Davis

COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS DEFEAT MCAULEY FOR THIRD PLACE

College Heights built a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter and held off McAuley’s late run on the way to a 36-31 win in the girls third-place game on Saturday.

Neither team held more than a one possession lead through the first half, but the Cougars (10-8) closed the third quarter strong and held a six-point advantage heading into the final eight minutes. CHC recorded the first three buckets of the fourth to build a double-digit lead before McAuley rallied in a big way to trim the lead to three points with less than 90 seconds to play. College Heights recovered and held off the Warriors in the closing seconds.

“It is always a challenge playing McAuley because they know us so well and we know them so well,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “We got off to a rough start, both teams did, but we missed so many layups tonight and shot 21 percent from the field and still won the game. … That speaks volumes to our defense. We preach defense and practice defense. The kids came out, kept them in check until we gained a little offensive rhythm in the third quarter and that helped out a lot.”

“Anytime we are playing College Heights, we know it’s going to be a battle and because we play each other so much that we know everything about them and they know everything about us,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “It is basically who is going to take care of the ball and who is going to put forth the most effort. I thought our girls played with a lot of effort, but we just couldn’t take care of the ball. Anytime that you have more turnovers than you do points [34], it’s never going to be a good outcome.”

GAME ACTION

McAuley scored the first basket of the second half on a Kennedy DeRuy bucket to tie the game at 17s, but College Heights scored the next six points to build the first real separation of the contest. Jayli Johnson earned a steal for a layup on the break before she knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing to highlight the spurt.

“We got into some passing lanes, got a few steals and actually knocked down a couple of layups,” Blankenship said of his team’s play in the third quarter. “Whenever you can get a couple quick turnovers like that, I feel like it makes us pick up the intensity even more on defense. But, it was just about finishing shots. If we can finish shots with our defense, we can play with most teams our size.”

The Cougars carried that six-point lead into the fourth quarter and converted the first three baskets of the final period to take a 34-21 advantage. Addie Lawrence started the quarter off with a 3-pointer before Johnson scored on the break before driving in for a hoop to make the score 34-21 near the four-minute mark.

The Warriors refused to go away without a fight, as McAuley rattled off the next 10 points to trim the deficit down to 34-31 with 1:27 left in regulation. Avery Eminger scored inside to start the surge before DeRuy recorded a three-point play and a 3-pointer off a turnover to cut CHC’s lead to 34-29 with 2:02 left. Avery Gardner earned a steal on the inbound pass and found DeRuy under the basket for a score to trim the lead to three.

“The first thing I mentioned in the locker room after the game, because I always try to start with something positive, is that they have relentless heart and effort,” Howard said. “You will never see our girls quit. They play hard until the end of the game. I thought that they did an amazing job in the fourth quarter to get back into the game. We switched it up defensively and started pressuring full court to create some turnovers, which led to those baskets. … Those girls kept fighting to the very end. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

College Heights answered with a basket by Lawrence inside the final minute to hold off McAuley and seal the win.

“We did not do a good job of keeping our poise and we panicked under the pressure a little bit,” Blankenship said of his team’s play down the stretch. “But we did what we had to do and finished down the stretch. We have some things we need to clean up in practice next week.”

SCORING LEADERS

Johnson led College Heights with 14 points, while Lawrence finished with nine points. Libby Fanning finished with six points in the win.

DeRuy finished with a game-high 18 points to lead McAuley in scoring. Eminger closed with seven points and Lily Black had four.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

MVP-Julieth Rivera, Providence Academy

Lydia Shaddox, Providence Academy

Marcy Miller, Lamar

Josey Adams, Lamar

Jayli Johnson, College Heights

Kennedy DeRuy, McAuley

PROVIDENCE ACADEMY DEFEATS LAMAR TO WIN GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

Providence Academy built a nine-point lead by the intermission and carried that pace throughout the second half on the way to a 64-52 win over Lamar in the Mercy-Warrior Classic girls championship game on Saturday.

The Patriots outscored the Tigers 17-9 in the first quarter and pushed the lead to nine by halftime. Providence won the third quarter and held Lamar at bay down the stretch to preserve the championship win.

Karolina Kiraga and Lydia Shaddox each had 14 points to lead Providence in scoring. Julieth Rivera added 11 points to give the Patriots three players in double figures.

Marcy Miller finished with 14 points and Zavrie Wiss closed with 13 to lead Lamar in scoring.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON GIRLS 44, BLUEJACKET 16

The Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team captured fifth place and earned its fifth win of the season by beating Bluejacket 44-16 on Saturday at the Mercy-Warrior Classic.

Thomas Jefferson built a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter at 17-7. The Cavs led 26-10 at halftime and were up 38-11 by the end of the third quarter.

Gabbi Hiebert scored a game-high 21 points for Thomas Jefferson, while Lannah Grigg added 14 points. 

On Friday, Thomas Jefferson’s girls beat Carl Junction’s junior varsity 47-34.

Hiebert scored 19 points for the Cavs, while Grigg added 10 and Nico Carlson contributed seven. DeShaye Buerge scored 13 points for the Carl Junction JV. 

MERCY/WARRIOR CLASSIC: CHC boys advance to championship; CHC and McAuley girls fall in semifinals

Posted on by Lucas Davis

FOURTH-QUARTER SURGE SENDS CHC BOYS PAST TJ; JOHNSON EARNS WIN 650

After a seesaw battle through the first three quarters, College Heights used a 15-0 scoring run in the fourth period on the way to a 64-53 non-conference win over Thomas Jefferson on Friday in the semifinals of the 39th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic.

Neither team held a lead greater than five points through the first half. Thomas Jefferson (14-5) held a seven-point advantage with three minutes left in the third before College Heights (17-3) rallied, with both teams exchanging the lead four times to head into the fourth with a one-point game. The Cougars took advantage in the final eight minutes, using a 15-0 scoring run over five minutes to steal the momentum for good in the win.

“I know Thomas Jefferson had three days off, but it looked like we had six days off,” said College Heights coach Eric Johnson, who notched his 650th career win as a head coach on Friday. “We missed a lot of easy shots in the first half, and (Thomas Jefferson) plays hard and they play well. Our press hurt them in the fourth quarter and we were able to get some turnovers and score. It was a struggle and I don’t think we played very well, but (Thomas Jefferson) is always tough and so well-coached that they always make it difficult for the other team.”

“We battled, and for the most part, we executed the game plan until the fourth quarter,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “I told the guys after that you can’t execute a game plan against a good basketball team for three or three and a half quarters. It has to be a full game if you want to beat good teams. We talked about learning from that and putting it all together.”

College Heights advances to face Providence in the boys championship game, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Thomas Jefferson takes on Sarcoxie in the third-place game set for 4:30.

SCORING LEADERS

Ethan Meeks finished with 18 points to lead the way for College Heights, while Curtis Davenport finished with 17 points in the win. Miller Long closed the game with 12 points.

Caden Myers and Luke Miller led Thomas Jefferson with 12 points each, while Jake Jarrett also finished in double figures with 10. Drew Goodhope scored nine points in the loss. 

GAME ACTION

Back to back 3-pointers from Myers and Goodhope gave Thomas Jefferson its first seven-point advantage of the second half with 4:48 on the clock in the third quarter, which was the largest lead of the game by either team to that point.

Trailing 37-30 shortly after, College Heights rallied with eight straight points to take the lead back, 38-37, with two minutes to play. Hagen Beck started the run with an inside score before Davenport and Long converted three-point plays to take the lead.

Jarrett scored inside to give the Cavaliers the lead before Ethan Adel answered with a 3-pointer for the Cougars on the other end to get his team back in front 41-39. Myers and Davenport exchanged buckets to keep CHC in front before Myers closed out the third period by banking in a half-court shot at the buzzer to send the Cavs into the fourth on top 44-43.

“You have the (Ozark 7) Conference rivalry side of it, but you also have the private school rivalry, or the Newman Road rivalry is what some people call it,” Myers added about how fun it is when CHC and TJ match up. “It is always fun to coach against Coach Johnson. He has been doing it a long time. It’s fun to see his teams execute, and they always do a great job of it.”

Jarrett splashed a 3-pointer to kick off the fourth to put TJ in front 47-43, but College Heights took over from there. The Cougars rattled off 15 unanswered points to take the lead back and build a nine-point cushion in the process.

“Putting the press on them forced them into some turnovers and forced shots,” Johnson said when asked what the catalyst for the fourth-quarter surge was. “We picked up the pace on defense and that was the key to it.”

Long knocked down a corner 3-pointer before grabbing his own miss for a baseline floater on the next trip to put College Heights on top 48-47. Meeks added back to back scores inside before Adel answered with two straight buckets, the second coming off a steal in the backout. Meeks closed the run with two free throws at the 2:56 mark to put CHC up 58-47.

The Cougars held that pace through the final horn.

 

MCAULEY GIRLS FALL TO LAMAR IN SEMIFINALS

Lamar went to the early press, forcing McAuley into several turnovers as the Tigers built a double-digit lead on the way to a 55-40 win in the Mercy/Warrior Classic girls semifinals.

Lamar used an 11-0 run early and eventually held a 16-point lead in the first quarter. McAuley was able to trim the lead to single digits early in the fourth quarter, but Lamar responded with a quick spurt to put the game out of reach. 

“The first quarter was not good for us,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “It’s partially their fault, but I will take part of the blame, too. I don’t think I prepared them enough for the pressure Lamar put on us. Our girls have to learn to handle that pressure. We’ve played in a few games this year where teams have been more physical than us and in those games, we struggle. Anytime you turn the ball over 28 times, you are not going to win.” 

Lamar takes on Providence in the girls championship game at 6 p.m. on Saturday. McAuley battles College Heights in the third-place game at 3 p.m.

GAME ACTION

Zavrie Wiss scored the first two buckets of the early spurt for Lamar before Ella Harris and Josey Adams added baskets inside to push the Tigers’ lead to 10-1. Wiss knocked down a 3-pointer to close the run.

After a 3-ball from McAuley’s Kennedy DeRuy, Ashlyn Stettler and Wiss scored in the paint before Adams sank a perimeter shot to push the lead to 20-4 with 1:08 on the clock. 

Avery Eminger and Kloee Williamson added buckets for the Warriors to close out the first period.

“We just couldn’t break their press,” Howard said. “We didn’t do a good job of getting open. Our girls didn’t go to the ball or set screens and made it difficult on the inbounder. As far as offensively, they were putting a lot of pressure on our guards. Anytime they do that, we like to spread the floor out for our guards. … I feel like we made the adjustment after the first quarter and were able to play with them for the rest of the game.”

Lamar played with the lead for the rest of the first half, going into the intermission with a 28-17 advantage, with the margin moving to 13 points to start the fourth quarter.

The Warriors made a run at the lead to open the final eight minutes of play. McAuley scored the first six points of the period on a drive by Williamson, two charities by Lily Black and an inside bucker from Eminger to trim the deficit to 41-32, but nine points would be as close to the lead as the Warriors would get. 

The Tigers used a 7-2 response to push the lead back to 14 points and ultimately put the game out of reach.

SCORING LEADERS

Josey Adams led Lamar with 12 points, while Wiss finished with 11 points. Harris and Marcy Miller each finished with 10 points for the Tigers. 

Williamson led McAuley with 17 points, while Eminger closed with 10. DeRuy finished with seven. 

“She has a lot of fight in her and she has a lot of heart,” Howard said of Williamson’s performance. “Anytime she feels like she is being pressured a lot, she wants to be aggressive and attack it. She is very fast and can use her speed to get around defenders. I was very proud of her for being aggressive, taking the lead and creating some things that weren’t there. She put the team on her back a little bit there as far as scoring goes in the second half of the game.”

 

PROVIDENCE GIRLS PULLS AWAY FROM COLLEGE HEIGHTS DOWN THE STRETCH

Providence built a double-digit lead in the second period and never surrendered it on the way to a 60-29 win over College Heights Christian in the Mercy/Warrior Classic semifinals.

The Cougars (9-8) trailed by six heading into the second period when an 11-0 surge by the Patriots led to a double-digit lead by the intermission. Providence pushed the lead to 20 in the third quarter and never wavered down the stretch.

“We played hard and we played well in spurts,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “It’s hard to measure yourself against a team like that. They are very athletic and they are well coached. … We just couldn’t get back in the game. We didn’t shoot the ball as well as we normally do, but some of that is a credit to their defense.”

Providence matches up with Lamar in the girls championship at 6 p.m. on Saturday. College Heights takes on McAuley Catholic in the third-place game at 3 p.m.

SCORING LEADERS

Julieth Rivera led Providence with 13 points, while Lydia Shaddox closed the game with 12 points. Abigail Russell added 10. 

Jayli Johnson led College Heights in scoring with nine points, while Addie Lawrence had six. Lauren Ukena and Molly Long each finished with four points.

GAME ACTION

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with Providence holding a 16-10 advantage after closing the period on a 6-1 run.

The Patriots distanced themselves from the Cougars thanks to an 11-0 run to open the second period of play, building a 27-10 lead in the process. Rivera highlighted the run with six points, while Elise Snow added a 3-pointer. 

“They are a very athletic and very quick team,” Blankenship said. “They jumped out into the lanes in our pick-and-roll offense. They got a few steals and some easy baskets that way.” 

College Heights cut the deficit to 30-18 to close the first half after Long scored on the break and added a make from the foul line.

Like they did in the second quarter, the Patriots started the second half as the aggressor, using a 10-2 spurt to build a 20-point lead. Shaddox and Russell put the closing touches on the run with inside scores to make the score 40-20 with less than five minutes to play in the third quarter. 

“I am proud of my girls,” Blankenship added. “We really did play hard. We didn’t play poorly, they’re just that good of a team, so give Providence a lot of credit.”

Providence went into the fourth quarter leading 42-24 with the lead hovering around 20 points down the stretch.

HOOPS ROUNDUP: Joplin girls fall in semifinals; CHC and McAuley girls earn wins

Posted on by Lucas Davis

LEE’S SUMMIT WEST GIRLS 67, JOPLIN 49

LEBANON, Mo. —  Joplin trailed 35-30 at halftime before Lee’s Summit West outscored the Eagles 22-9 in the third quarter to take control of the semifinal win in the Lebanon I44 Lady’s Classic on Friday.

“Lee’s Summit West is a good, physical team,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said to SoMo Sports. “They guard hard and shoot the ball very well. The third quarter is what got us tonight. We fell behind early in the first half and battled back to get within 3 at halftime. Back to back turnovers by us to start the second half set the tone for the third quarter. We must continue to work on eliminating those moments that either put the game out of reach or take away our leads.”

Ella Hafer led Joplin in scoring with 16 points, while Brynn Driver finished in double figures with 11. Brooke Nice had nine points and Emma Floyd finished with eight in the loss.

Joplin plays in the third-place game at 2 p.m. on Saturday. 

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS 53, WHEATON 36

WHEATON, Mo. — College Heights girls basketball limited Wheaton to 14 points in the second half to rally for a Ozark 7 Conference win on Friday.

Wheaton took a 22-19 advantage into halftime before College Heights (8-7, 3-0 Ozark7) outscored the Bulldogs 15-6 in the third quarter and 19-8 in the fourth quarter en route to the win.

“The game was very close throughout the first half,” CHC coach John Blankenship said to SoMo Sports. “We played good defense, but we were a little slow on our rotations and closeouts. We got that fixed at halftime. Our defensive intensity really picked up in the second half and we shot really well. That combination allowed us to outscore them 34 to 14 in the second half. Our scoring has been really balanced lately. … Wheaton is a good team, and their coach prepares them well. This was a good conference win for us.”

Addie Lawrence finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and two assists to lead College Heights. Jayli Johnson finished with 11 points and four assists, while Libby Fanning had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Molly Long finished with seven points and nine rebounds for the Cougars.

College Heights takes on Thomas Jefferson to open up the Mercy/Warrior Classic basketball tournament at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

The College Heights boys defeated Wheaton 70-54. The CHC boys (14-3) take on the Carl Junction junior varsity team at 4 on Monday at the Mercy/Warrior Classic.

 

MCAULEY CATHOLIC GIRLS 66, EXETER 24

Led by a strong defensive effort, the McAuley Catholic girls basketball team rolled from the start in a lopsided 66-24 win over Exeter on Friday night.

The host Warriors led 30-4 at the end of the first quarter and the hosts were up 50-11 at halftime.

“Great defensive game tonight,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “Our defensive pressure allowed us to create offense and layups. We played very well in the first half. We tried to slow things down a bit in the second half and allow some of our reserves to get some game action. Overall, I’m very pleased with our performance.”

Kennedy DeRuy poured in 29 points for McAuley, while Kloee Williamson added 14 points. Also for the Warriors, Lily Black scored nine points and Avery Eminger contributed seven points.

Natalie Crumpler scored 11 points for Exeter. 

McAuley, now 14-5 overall and 3-0 in conference play, will host the Mercy/Warrior Classic next week. The Warriors take on Bluejacket at 8:30 on Monday night. 

 

EXETER BOYS 66, MCAULEY CATHOLIC 55

Exeter built a double-digit lead by halftime and held off a rally from McAuley Catholic boys basketball for a win on Friday.

Exeter led 25-15 at the intermission before McAuley cut the lead to six by the start of the fourth quarter. Exeter outscored the Warriors 19-14 down the stretch to seal the win.

Noah Black led McAuley with 16 points.

McAuley takes on Thomas Jefferson in the Mercy/Warrior Classic on Tuesday.

PREP HOOPS: College Heights returns from break with sweep of Bronaugh

Posted on by Lucas Davis

College Heights girls and boys basketball came back from the holiday break on a high note, sweeping a pair of games against Bronaugh on Monday at Ozark Christian College.

The CHC girls took control early and held off Bronaugh down the stretch for a 49-41 win before the Cougar boys established dominance over the Wildcats early and cruised to a 63-19 victory to complete the sweep in the nightcap.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS BUILD EARLY LEAD AND HOLD OFF BRONAUGH

Bronaugh scored the first two baskets of the game, but that would be the only time the Wildcats would hold a lead as College Heights responded to take the advantage quickly and never relinquished it in the win.

“We certainly had some rust to shake off,” CHC coach John Blankenship said after the win. “We didn’t shoot very well tonight, but I suppose that is to be expected after a two-week layoff. Our defense was good tonight for the most part. … For our first game back, I thought we did well.” 

The Cougars (4-3) finished with three players in double-figure scoring, led by Addie Lawrence’s 16 points, nine of which came in the first half. Jayli Johnson added 13 points, while Libby Fanning finished with 10 points in the win.

Nicole Hagerman had a game-high 24 points to lead Bronaugh, while Gabby Cox finished with eight in the loss.

Hagerman and Cox scored the first two baskets of the game to give Bronaugh a 4-0 lead.

Johnson got the Cougars on the board with a 3-pointer from the corner before Lauren Ukena scored on the break to give CHC it’s first lead of the game, 5-4, with 6:16 left in the opening period.

Hagerman grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback score later in the quarter to tie the game at 6s, but CHC closed the period with a fast-break score from Ukena and a 3-ball just before the buzzer from Lawrence to push the lead to 11-6.

After scoring the final five points of the first quarter, College Heights scored the first eight points of the second period to build a double-digit advantage.

“We are a young team, so it is always good to establish the lead early in the game,” Blankenship said. “When our defense picks up and we can get in our transition game, we are a much different team.”

Lawrence kicked off the run with a layup on the break, with Molly Long adding an offensive rebound for a putback. Johnson and Maddy Colin each added two makes at the charity stripe.

The Wildcats responded with an 8-0 run of their own to trim the lead back down to five, 19-14, before the Cougars scored the last two buckets of the first half to go into the intermission on top 23-14.

College Heights’ lead meandered around the 10-point mark for the early portions of the third period before Bronaugh cut the lead to 29-24 thanks to buckets from Hagerman and Gretchen Banes with less than three minutes to play. The Cougars sank five unanswered free throws to close the third quarter with a 34-24 advantage.

Bronaugh refused to go away quietly, trimming the deficit to as low as five points several times, including a turnaround jumper from Hagerman with 3:50 left to make the score 42-37.

Much like the previous three quarters, each time the Wildcats made a run, CHC had an answer. This time, College Heights scored five straight to push the lead back to 10, with Johnson earning a steal for a fast-break layup to cap the final momentum push with less than two minutes to play.

“We are a young team,” Blankenship said when asked about his team’s ability to keep Bronaugh at bay late. “I have a few juniors but we graduated four key seniors last year, so this group hasn’t seen a ton of playing time. They are still young and developing, so to come out and hold them off under this pressure of not playing for two weeks—I am really proud of them.”

College Heights is at Diamond on Tuesday.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS CRUISE PAST BRONAUGH

It didn’t take very long for the College Heights boys to establish an insurmountable lead in the welcome-back-from-break win over Bronaugh.

The Cougars (7-2) used a stingy defense and quick-scoring offense in transition to build a double-digit lead by the end of the first period before extending the cushion to 34-8 by the intermission. College Heights put the game away in the third period and forced a running clock to start the fourth quarter.

“We had some good intensity tonight,” CHC coach Eric Johnson said. “Unfortunately, we made a few silly turnovers because we got careless with the ball at times. It was just impatience. We were anxious to get back playing and we were in a hurry. I felt like we controlled the game well and we got all 10 guys some action.”

College Heights showed a strong effort on the defensive end early, limiting the Wildcats to just two field goals over the first eight minutes of action while building an 18-6 lead. 

Offensively, CHC started the game on a 10-3 run with baskets inside from Ethan Meeks and Curtis Davenport before a 3-pointer from Miller Long closed the run. Meeks added a basket inside with 18 seconds left to give CHC it’s first 10-point cushion of the game, 16-6, before Bo Sitton closed the period with a layup on the break off a Wildcats turnover to push the lead to 12.

The lead ballooned to more than 20 early in the second period thanks to a 12-0 run from CHC to start the quarter. Long highlighted the run with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while Meeks and Davenport added buckets inside.

“We got some on the defensive end and other turnovers that allowed us to get the ball out (in transition),” Johnson said. “Miller hit a couple 3s, too, to open things up, which also opens up the inside for the rest of the offense.”

College Heights ultimately limited Bronaugh to three field goals in the first half, one in the second period.

“We stress that we have to come out and play defense,” Johnson said. “The offense may not be there every night, but you can always play defense. Limit the number of touches every team gets and make every shot a contested one. It’s just little things like that that will win you games.”

The Cougars pushed the lead to 30 for the first time early in the second half on an inside score from Davenport and an alley-oop layup by Hagen Beck, with Long getting the assist, to make the score 38-8 at the seven-minute mark.

The lead reached as high as 46 points in the third quarter, igniting a running clock in the final eight minutes of play. 

Meeks and Long each led College Heights in scoring with a game-high 18 points. Davenport added nine points in the win. The Cougars had eight players reach the scorebook in the win.

Tanner Wait led Bronaugh with six points, while Gavin Cox had five.

College Heights is at Diamond tomorrow.

SECTIONAL VOLLEYBALL: College Heights’ season comes to an end after loss to Miller in sectional round

Posted on by Lucas Davis

College Heights saw its season come to an end following a 25-8, 25-10 and 25-11 loss to Miller in the Class 1 Sectional round of the state tournament on Thursday at Ozark Christian College. 

“Miller is deep and solid,” College Heights coach Mary Colin said following the season-ending loss. “Our goal was to play very aggressively. We knew if we soft-shotted or free-balled that it was going to come back at us hard. So, our goal was to come out and be aggressive and you saw some of that. … The problem was, we just weren’t consistent throughout and in the attempt to be aggressive, we had errors. And you can’t error in volleyball or you’ll lose.”

CHC’s Addie Lawrence earns a kill in the Cougars’ loss to Miller in the Class 1 Sectionals on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.

The Cougars end the season with a 17-14-2 record and will return every player from this year’s roster. College Heights has earned a district title in each of the last two seasons.

“Losing eight seniors last year and basically having a whole new squad this year, for them to follow up with a district championship was super fun,” Colin said. “I felt like they had a really competitive season. They grew a lot this season.”

“They didn’t have that pressure (of ‘this is it’) all season long,” Colin added about not having a senior on the roster this season. “It was really about growth and getting better, and they did. They kept getting better and it was really fun. It wasn’t just about today, but tomorrow. It wasn’t just about this season, but next season. And we did talk about that a lot—how it’s not just about this year, but next year, too. They love this game.”

Miller (31-3-1) advances to the Class 1 quarterfinals with a matchup against Midway (30-6) on Saturday.

Miller jumped out in front early in the first set, taking a 10-1 advantage out of the gate before pushing the lead to 12-4 on a kill from Kaylee Helton. The Cardinals scored six of the next eight points to go up 19-6. Miller scored the final six points of the match, highlighted by three kills from Hailey Schnake, to take a 1-0 lead.

CHC’s Lauren Ukena earns a kill in the Cougars’ sectional loss to Miller on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.

A seven-point service run early in the second game from Schnake staked the Cardinals to an 11-1 lead before the Cougars found some momentum with three kills from Addie Lawrence and a block from Libby Fanning made the score 13-5.

After building a 10-point lead in the later stages of the set, Miller scored seven straight points to make the score 24-9. Ashten Kingsley and Schnake had kills in the run, while Claudia Hadlock had two aces. The Cardinals closed the set moments later.

College Heights found its rhythm on offense out of the break to start the third set, with Lawrence recording five early kills to give the Cougars a 6-4 lead. CHC maintained a slim lead until a block from Emberlynn Kingsley and a kill from Schnake gave Miller the lead shortly before a three-point run that included an ace by Hadlock provided the Cardinals with a 13-9 advantage. 

The errors that plagued the Cougars in the first two sets showed up late in the third set, as Miller scored the last 11 points of the match, with six of those points coming on miscues by CHC.

STATS

Lawrence had 15 kills to lead College Heights, while Lauren Ukena added five kills. Maddy Colin had 20 assists, with Fanning adding two blocks. Ava Masena had 13 digs.

College Height’s Ava Masena passes a ball in the Cougars’ sectional loss to Miller on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.

PREP VOLLEYBALL: College Heights falls to Diamond in five sets

Posted on by Lucas Davis

College Heights fell to Diamond in five sets (25-18, 25-17, 23-25, 22-25 and 16-14) to close out the regular season on Tuesday.

The Cougars close the regular season with a 15-13-2, while the Wildcats close the season with an 11-14-3 record.

Addie Lawrence finished with 20 kills and three blocks to lead CHC. Lauren Ukena had 10 kills, 17 digs and 16 service points, while Maddy Colin had 33 assists and 20 service points. Lindsay Griesemer finished with 24 digs, while Ava Masena had 23 digs. Marley Woodford added three blocks.

Top-seeded College Heights takes on the winner of the fourth-seeded McAuley Catholic and fifth-seeded Liberal in the Class 1 District 9 semifinals at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Top-seeded Diamond takes on the winner fourth-seeded Marionville and fifth-seeded Southwest in the Class 2 District 11 tournament at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

PREP VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: College Heights earns win over Purdy; Seneca falls to Lamar

Posted on by Lucas Davis

COLLEGE HEIGHTS EARNS 3-0 SWEEP OF PURDY

PURDY, Mo. — College Heights went on the road and made quick work of Purdy with a 3-0 sweep on Tuesday.

The Cougars opened with a 25-12 win before moving into a 2-0 advantage with a 25-15 win in the second set. College Heights finished off the sweep with a 25-8 win in the third game.

Addie Lawrence led CHC with 14 kills, 14 aces and 22 service points. Lindsay Griesemer had seven kills, while Maddy Colin had 22 assists. Lauren Ukena added eight digs and 14 points in service. 

College Heights hosts Wheaton on Thursday.

 

SENECA FALLS TO LAMAR IN FOUR SETS

SENECA, Mo. — Seneca and Lamar played to a 1-1 split before the Tigers won the final two games en route to a 25-13, 22-25, 25-17 and 25-20 win over the Indians on Tuesday.

With the loss, Seneca falls to 11-12-2 on the season.

Parker Long had 13 kills, 20 digs and two block assists for Seneca, while Rylee Darnell added 25 assists, four kills and two aces. Ellie Barnes had 11 digs, three kills, an ace, two block assists and a solo block, while Jera Jameson had four kills, two aces and two block assists. Braxton Raulston finished with 12 digs and two block assists.

Seneca is at East Newton on Thursday.

PREP VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Carthage and CHC earn wins, while Joplin and Seneca fall; Darnell surpasses 1000 career assists

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARTHAGE TOPS NEOSHO IN THREE SETS

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage picked up a Central Ozark Conference win over Neosho on Tuesday night, as the Tigers topped the Wildcats 25-17, 25-13, 25-5.

Carthage improved to 15-11-1.

Sydnee Dudolski slammed 17 kills and had seven digs to lead the Tigers, while Abby Holderbaum added eight kills.

Mia Camarillo added five kills and Sophie Shannon had four. 

Raven Probert handed out 23 assists from the setter position, while defensive specialist Olivia Bourgault had 24 digs. 

Probert added seven digs and four aces, while Grace Pickering had six digs. 

Carthage is at Willard on Thursday. 

Neosho (6-16-5) travels to Branson on Thursday.

 

JOPLIN FALLS TO OZARK IN FIVE SETS

OZARK, Mo. — Joplin came out on the wrong end of a five-set thriller 20-25, 25-17, 25-9, 21-25 and 15-9 against Ozark on Tuesday in Central Ozark Conference action.

With the loss, the Eagles fall to 11-8-1 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

Allie Lawrence led Joplin with nine kills, two aces, six digs and a block, while Bailey Owens and Angelina Schramm each finished with eight kills. Schramm added five aces, two digs and a block, while Owens finished with three block assists and two digs. Paisley Parker had 27 digs, while Kaya Cooper had 19 assists and nine digs.

Joplin is at Republic on Thursday.

COLLEGE HEIGHTS SWEEPS VERONA

VERONA, Mo. — College Heights earned its third win a row with a 25-8, 25-13 and 25-9 sweep of Verona on Tuesday in Ozark 7 Conference action.

The Cougars improved to 12-5-1 and 2-1 in conference play.

Addie Lawrence had 15 kills and two blocks to lead CHC, while Lauren Ukena had eight kills, nine digs, 13 service points and six aces. Maddy Colin had 27 assists and 14 service points, while Ava Masena had 10 digs and 17 points in service. Marley Woodford had two blocks and 12 service points, while Lindsay Griesemer had six kills.

College Heights hosts McAuley Catholic on Thursday.

 

SENECA FALLS TO NO. 2 SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Second-ranked Springfield Catholic earned a 25-16, 25-16 and 25-22 sweep of Seneca on Tuesday.

With the loss, Seneca’s record falls to 10-22-2, 2-1 in conference play.

In the loss, Rylee Darnell made history for Seneca after recording her 1,000th career assist at the varsity level. Darnell finished with 23 assists, 11 digs, an ace and a block kill. 

Jera Jameson had nine kills, two block kills and an ace. Parker Long had six kills and eight digs, while Brylee Sage finished with six kills and three aces. Braxton Raulston had eight digs for the Indians.

Seneca hosts Monett on Thursday.

Seneca’s Brylee Darnell is celebrated for surpassing 1000 career assists for the Indians on Tuesday night. Contributed photo.

 

PREP VOLLEYBALL: College Heights sweeps Thomas Jefferson in Ozark 7 action

Posted on by Lucas Davis

College Heights hosted Thomas Jefferson in an Ozark 7 Conference cross-town rivalry and came away with a 3-0 sweep of the Cavaliers on Monday.

“In the third set, we missed six serves,” CHC coach Mary Colin said. “Other than that, we did a lot of great things tonight. I was proud of them bouncing back in the third set, and that is hard to do with missed serves. We had a lot of fun tonight. I felt like they played real consistently. Our middles also had a great night. … It was a fun night to play in three sets, enjoy themselves and do some things we’ve been practicing. I was happy to see some smiles.”

The Cougars (11-5, 2-1 Ozark 7) opened the night with a 25-8 win before going up 2-0 after defeating the Cavaliers (8-9, 2-2 Ozark 7) 25-6 in the second set. A back-and-forth third set went the way of College Heights, 25-20.

College Heights’ Ava Masena earns an ace during the Cougars’ win over Thomas Jefferson on Thursday. Masena had service runs on nine and 12 points in the win. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“We are still learning,” Thomas Jefferson coach Dave Soetaert said with a smile. “I only have three kids who can drive. We play a lot of freshmen, so there are some learning curves but the potential is there.”

College Heights opened the first game with a 4-0 before ultimately building a 14-6 advantage after an ace from Lindsay Griesemer and a kill by Lauren Ukena. 

After a pair of sideouts on kills from Thomas Jefferson’s Lannah Grigg and Ukena, Ava Masena put the game out reach for the Cougars after rattling off nine straight points in service, including three aces, to build a 24-7 lead. 

“Ava serves really aggressively, and for her to put that ball in play and start us off with an aggressive move was really huge,” Coach Colin said. “I was really proud of her consistency tonight.”

CHC ended the game shortly after on a kill by Ukena, who finished the first set with seven kills.

Masena picked up right where she left off in the second game, starting in service and scoring 12 straight points to give College Heights a commanding 12-0 advantage. She finished with three aces, while Ukena had four kills in the run. Marley Woodford had two kills, with Maddy Colin registering a block. 

“Behind the scenes, Ava was putting the ball where I asked her to put it,” Coach Colin said. “It wasn’t just aggressive and her being consistent. It was her being aggressive, consistent and accurate, which was awesome.”

College Heights closed the second set with the last four points, including a kill from Ukena and Colin, to move up two games to none.

“It kept us in play,” Coach Colin said of Ukena’s night. “Our goal this whole season is consistency. Not only was she keeping the ball in play, but she was being aggressive and moved around to score in lots of different locations. I was really proud of her.”

Despite trailing 2-0, the Cavaliers didn’t go away without a fight, battling the Cougars the entire third set.

Thomas Jefferson took a 9-8 lead off an ace by Mary Nguyen before CHC’s Addie Lawrence registered back to back kills later in the set to give her team a 13-12 advantage. 

The Cavaliers retook the 16-15 lead on a kill from Nguyen before Lawrence forced a sideout with a kill and swung the momentum permanently in favor of College Heights with a four-point service run that included a pair of aces to give the Cougars a 20-16 lead. College Heights went on to finish the sweep on a kill from Ukena.

Thomas Jefferson’s Mary Nguyen returns a serve in the Cavaliers’ loss to College Heights on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“The confidence factor is it,” Soetaert said about his team’s better play in the third set. “I think we were a little hesitant in a bigger gym with a bigger atmosphere playing an archrival who is very good. We are still trying to find our identity, but we are getting there. That switch flipped in the third set and we fed off of that. We played within the lines and didn’t play extra. … I am very proud of the way they came back in the third set. A lot of teams lay down in that position, but we didn’t. That third set showed our potential. We are not far away, I don’t think.”

STATS

Ukena finished with 19 kills to lead the Cougars, while Lawrence added 12 kills and four aces. Maddy Colin had 36 assists, while Masena had six aces and 30 service points. Griesemer had 18 digs.

UP NEXT

College Heights is at Verona on Tuesday, while Thomas Jefferson takes part in the Southwest Volleywest over the weekend.

PREP VOLLEYBALL: College Heights falls to Golden City in five sets 

Posted on by Lucas Davis

GOLDEN CITY, Mo. — College Heights fell in five sets to Golden City on Monday.

The Cougars (9-5-1, 1-1 Ozark 7) dropped the opening set 17-25 before battling back to take the second and third sets, 25-15 and 25-22. Golden City rallied to take the fourth set 25-22 before winning the decisive fifth set 15-13.

Addie Lawrence led CHC with 19 kills, while Maddy Colin had 42 assists, five aces and 24 points in service. Lauren Ukena added 15 kills, while Lindsay Griesemer finished with 11 kills and 22 digs. Ava Masena had 18 digs, while Marley Woodford added 14 points in service.

College Heights is at East Newton on Tuesday.

PREP VOLLEYBALL: College Heights, Thomas Jefferson earn wins on Thursday

Posted on by Lucas Davis

COLLEGE HEIGHTS EARNS 3-0 WIN OVER MCDONALD COUNTY

College Heights Christian improved to 9-4-1 on the season after earning a 25-14, 25-18 and 25-23 win over McDonald County on Thursday night.

Addie Lawrence led the Cougars with 10 kills and 14 service points, while Maddy Colin had 21 assists and 10 service points. Lauren Ukena finished with nine kills, while Ava Masena had 19 digs and nine points in service. Libby Fanning added three blocks.

College Heights is at Golden City on Monday.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON SWEEPS SOUTHWEST

WASHBURN, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson volleyball earned a 25-11, 25-13 and 25-13 sweep of Southwest on Thursday.

With the win, the Cavaliers even their record to 8-8-1 and move to 2-1 in Ozark 7 play.

Nico Carlson had one ace, three kills and four assists, while Mary Nguyen had four assists, two kills and two aces. Mayson Solum finished with three aces, a kill and six assists, while Lannah Grigg finished with eight kills, four aces and a block. Sydney Holm also contributed six kills.

Thomas Jefferson is at Everton on Tuesday. 

PREP VOLLEYBALL: Seneca earns three-set win over College Heights

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Seneca moved above .500 on the season after earning a 25-23, 25-14 and 25-19 sweep of College Heights on Thursday.

The Indians improved their record to 4-3 with the win, while the Cougars fell to 3-3.

Parker Long finished with 12 kills, 11 digs, two blocks and three aces to lead Seneca, while Ellie Barnes had eight kills, eight digs and two aces. Jera Jameson had six kills, six aces, nine digs and a block, while Braxton Raulston had six kills and three aces. Rylee Darnell had seven digs, two aces and a block, and Tatum White had two kills. Brylee Sage and Darnell also combined for 28 total assists.

Leading the way for College Heights was Addie Lawrence, who finished with 15 kills. Ava Mesena had 17 digs, while Maddy Colin had 21 assists and 10 points in serve. Lauren Ukena had 11 service points, while Marley Woodford added nine.

Seneca is at McDonald County on Tuesday, while College Heights takes part in a tournament at Lamar on Saturday. 

MORE THAN VOLLEYBALL: College Heights knocks off Jasper while raising money for a good cause

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Sporting a worthy cause with a new uniform scheme, the College Heights Christian volleyball team earned a 3-1 (25-9, 23-25, 25-20 and 25-18) win over Jasper on Tuesday at Ozark Christian College.

“I think we came out strong in service,” College Heights coach Mary Colin said. “And we were aggressive on the hit. We had a couple of kill blocks right off the bat, and that momentum was fun in the first set. I felt like we settled in too early, and that’s what I was pushing them to not do. But at the same time, they were just trying to get comfortable with the gym. … Each time I barked at them about something, they fixed it quickly, which was very important. We knew that Jasper wasn’t going to relax even after the first set.”

RAISING MONEY FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE

Instead of their patented Green and White uniform, the Cougars (3-2) were draped in Black and Gold for their matchup against the Eagles in honor of September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Coach Colin is close friends with Kristin Patterson, the Executive Director at Camp Quality Ozarks, a camp designed to provide an uplifting experience during the summer as well as year-round programs to enhance the quality of life for any Missouri child diagnosed with cancer. Coach Colin has volunteered at Camp Quality Ozarks for 10 years alongside Patterson, who is a childhood cancer survivor as well as a former member of the East Newton volleyball program.

“Kristin has really been pushing her entire community to go gold this month for the kids,” Coach Colin said. “She came in and talked to my team about childhood cancer awareness and gave each of the girls someone to pray for. They have done that, and one of our classes even wrote the children inspiring notes. All Seasons Signs and Printing donated our jerseys and they gave us t-shirts at cost to sell and raise money for Camp Quality. With that and donations, we raised $600 for Camp Quality.

“The girls know they are blessed to be on the court, healthy and playing a game that is super fun that they love. At the same time, they appreciate and honor families who don’t have the same experience they’re having.”

GAME ACTION

College Heights opened up with all of the momentum, building a 10-5 lead before a seven-point service run that featured several aces by Addie Lawrence gave the Cougars an insurmountable 17-5 lead.

College Heights opened the second game as quickly as the first, using two kills from Lauren Ukena and another by Lawrence to build a 6-1 advantage. Jasper rallied back though and tied the game at 6-6 on a kill by Crystal Smith. The lead never reached more than three points throughout the remainder of the set with Smith finishing off the game with a kill.

The third game was another tight contest, but the Cougars held the lead and momentum for much of the set. With Lawrence in service, CHC took a commanding 23-16 lead on a kill and ace by Lawrence followed by a kill from Lindsay Griesemer. College Heights finished the game off shortly after on a kill from Griesemer and a kill by Ukena. 

The Cougars held the momentum throughout much of the fourth and final set, sealing the win by scoring the final five points of the game behind two kills from Ukena and a kill from Marley Woodford.

STATS

Maddy Colin set the assist record for CHC with 42 while adding five digs, three aces and 13 points in service. Ukena led College Heights with 17 kills, 11 digs and eight service points, while Lawrence finished with 15 kills, four aces, nine digs and a block to go along with 16 points in service. Griesemer had 10 kills, two aces and 10 digs.

UP NEXT

College Heights is at Sheldon on Thursday.

PREP VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Carthage, Thomas Jefferson earn wins; CHC suffers loss

Posted on by Lucas Davis

 

CARTHAGE EARNS ROAD WIN

SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Carthage went on the road and earned a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-23) non-conference prep volleyball win over Shiloh Christian on Tuesday.

“We are continuing to get better every day,” Carthage coach Bradyn Webb said. “These kids are doing everything we are asking and are competing every single day, game, and point. I’m extremely proud to be coaching this group of girls and am blessed with a great coaching staff.”

Sydnee Dudolski led Carthage with 12 kills, while Grace Pickering had nine kills. Abby Holderbaum chipped in five kills. 

Olivia Bourgault was credited with five digs and Sophie Shannon had three blocks and two kills. Tasha Schrader added three kills. 

Carthage (5-5) hosts Pittsburg on Thursday.

 

CAVALIERS EARN 3-0 WIN

Thomas Jefferson earned a Ozark 7 Conference opening win over Exeter by the scores of 25-20, 25-15 and 25-21 on Tuesday.

With the win, the Cavaliers move to 3-4-1, 1-0 Ozark 7.

Nico Carlson led Thomas Jefferson with seven kills and two blocks, while Maggie Sutton had four aces. Mayson Solum finished with seven assists to lead TJ.

The Cavaliers are at Northeast Vernon County on Thursday. 

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS FALLS TO PIERCE CITY

PIERCE CITY, Mo. — College Heights suffered its first loss of the season after falling 23-25, 25-20, 14-25, 25-18 and 17-19 in five sets to Pierce City on Tuesday.

The Cougars move to 1-1 on the season and are at Sarcoxie on Thursday.

Addie Lawrence had 12 kills, 12 digs, two blocks and 10 service points for College Heights, while Maddy Colin finished with 27 assists, 11 digs, five aces and 13 service points. Lauren Ukena had 12 kills, 23 digs, five aces and 16 service points. Lindsay Griesemer finished with 15 digs, six kills and nine service points, while Ava Masena had 17 digs and 10 service points.

College Heights is at Sarcoxie on Thursday.

PREP TENNIS ROUNDUP: Carl Junction beats Neosho; Thomas Jefferson defeats College Heights

Posted on by Lucas Davis

PREP TENNIS: Carl Junction earns COC win over Neosho

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction girls tennis moved to 3-1 on the season and 2-1 in Central Ozark Conference play after earning a 9-0 win over Neosho on Tuesday.

With the loss, the Wildcats fell to 0-4, 0-3 COC on the season.

In No. 1 singles action, CJ’s Naiyah Wurdeman earned an 8-0 win over Jasmine Martinez, while Jenna Besperat finished with an 8-0 win over Alex Olsbo for the Bulldogs in No. 2 singles.

Carl Junction’s Shirley Sherwood won 8-5 over Neosho’s Lyndsey Doke in No. 3 singles play, with Valeria Alamina Poor finished with an 8-3 win over Keely Keeton in No. 4 singles. Wrapping up the No. 5 and 6 singles matches, Emily Higgins defeated Lauren Nageotte 8-0, while Alyssa Graves beat Alyssa Evey 8-1.

In No. 1 doubles play, Wurdeman and Besperat defeated Martinez and Olsbo 8-0, with Sherwood and Poor beating Doke and Keeton 8-2 in No. 2 doubles. Wrapping up doubles play was Graves and Higgins earning an 8-0 win over Nageotte and Evey.

Carl Junction travels to Willard on Thursday, with Neosho on the road at Monett.

 

PREP TENNIS: Thomas Jefferson defeats College Heights 

Thomas Jefferson girls tennis moved to 3-0 to start the season with a 5-4 win over College Heights on Tuesday.

In No. 1 singles action, TJ’s Allison Ding earned a 1-0 walkover win over Jem Kionisaia, with Jeanna Jeyaraj finishing with an 8-2 win over CHC’s Hannah Bass in No. 2 singles play.

In No. 3 singles action, CHC’s Natalie Brueggemann walked away with an 8-5 win over Jessica Joseph, while TJ’s Warda Morsey beat Ella Bishop 8-4. In No. 5 singles, Emalee Roe defeated Jeanna Smathers 8-3.

College Heights’ Avery Baker defeated Jiao Jiao Nelson 8-3 to round out singles play.

In doubles action, Ding and Jeyaraj defeated Bass and Baker 8-3, while CHC’s Bishop and Smathers earned an 8-5 win over Joseph and Morsy. Brueggemann and Wicke defeated Roe and Nelson 9-7.

PREP VOLLEYBALL: College Heights opens the season with a win over Lockwood

Posted on by Lucas Davis

LOCKWOOD, Mo. — College Heights opened the season on the road and couldn’t have asked for a better result—a three-set win over Lockwood.

The Cougars opened with a 25-13 win before adding a 25-22 victory in the second game. The final game was tight, but College Heights completed the sweep with a 27-25 match-clinching win.

Lauren Ukena had 11 kills, 11 service points and four aces for College Heights, while Maddy Colin finished with 26 assists, nine service points and 16 digs defensively. Addie Lawrence was the kill lead with 12 to go along with three blocks and eight service points. Ava Masena had 10 digs and 10 service points, while Lindsay Griesemer had seven kills and seven service points. Maddy Garman added eight points in service. 

College Heights is at Pierce City on Tuesday.

SPRING SEASON: Area student-athletes garner SoMo Sports Athletes of the Year recognition

Posted on by Lucas Davis

At SoMo Sports, we understand the importance of student-athletes competing in prep sports in terms of development, both mentally and physically, for young adults who are preparing for life after high school.

Not only does competing in prep sports help build character, but it also provides student-athletes with tools such as communication, leadership and self-drive that will benefit them as they continue on life’s journey. 

With that in mind, SoMo Sports wanted to honor the top athletes in the area who put in countless hours of hard work during practice, workouts, games/meets as well as on their own time by naming them as a SoMo Sports Athlete of the Year.

The Athlete of the Year selections go out to the top area athlete in each sport during the fall, winter and spring prep seasons. 

The standout athletes are chosen by SoMo Sports reporters Jason Peake and Lucas Davis, who tirelessly cover prep sports for Joplin and its surrounding communities during the school year. Along with nominations by area coaches, SoMo Sports used individual accomplishments during the regular season and postseason as well as team success as factors for choosing each Athlete of the Year. 

The SoMo Sports Athletes of the Year awards will be divided up in three stories—fall, winter and spring. Each sport will have an Athlete of the Year, and if warranted, there may be one or two honorable mentions per sport as well.

The SoMo Sports Athletes of the Year three-part story is sponsored by Cell Phone Medics.

SOMO SPORTS SPRING ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

BASEBALL

Treghan Parker, senior, Webb City

Webb City’s Treghan Parker finished his stellar senior season with a .429 batting average, 45 hits, 43 runs scored, seven home runs and 56 runs batted in, a single season school record.  Parker recorded nine doubles and hit six triples, drew 20 walks, swiped 20 bases, only struck out seven times all season and had an .895 fielding percentage from the shortstop position.  With Parker playing a key role, Webb City went 26-6 and advanced to the championship game of the district tournament.  After the season, Parker was named the Central Ozark Conference Player of the Year and was a first-team all-state and all-district selection. Parker, who was also a standout on the football field, will play baseball at Missouri Southern.  

Honorable Mention: Noah Southern, Carl Junction; Cole Martin, McDonald County; Kohl Cooper, Joplin

 

GIRLS TRACK

Addison Lawrence, sophomore, College Heights

Addison Lawrence had a remarkable spring. Just a sophomore, Lawrence earned four gold medals at the Class 1 state track meet, leading the College Heights girls to a team championship.

Lawrence’s inaugural high school season ended with her claiming state titles in the 100-meter dash, the 400-meter run as well as a member of the 4×100 and 4×200 relays. On the way to her four state titles, Lawrence also set school records in the 100, 200 and 400 as well as the 4×100 and 4×200 relays. Lawrence was also a part of the 4×400 relay team that broke the Galena, Kansas, meet record.

Honorable Mention: Ally Montez, Carl Junction  

 

BOYS TRACK

Mekhi Garrard, senior, Webb City

Mekhi Garrard’s senior year at Webb City ended with not only an individual state championship, but also a team title. Garrard was the Class 4 state champion in the long jump ( 23-3.25) and also placed second in the triple jump (45-10). Garrard earned another state medal in Jefferson City, as he ran a leg of Webb City’s 4×400 relay that finished third. Garrard played a crucial role as Webb City’s boys track and field squad captured the Class 4 state championship. During the spring, Garrard won district and sectional titles in the long jump. He was also the conference and district champion in the triple jump. He qualified for state in four events, the long jump, triple jump, 200-meter dash and 4×200 relay. At state, Garrard joined the team’s 4×400 relay in place of the 200. Garrard, who was also a standout in football and basketball at WCHS, will join the track and field team at Missouri Southern. 

Honorable Mention: Donovyn Fowler, Joplin

BOYS TENNIS

Ian Ding, junior, Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s Ian Ding left no doubt as to who was the Joplin area’s top boys tennis player. Ding capped a stellar junior season by competing at both the individual and team state tournaments. Individually, Ding finished fourth in the singles bracket at the MSHSAA Class 2 state tournament. Ding finished the season with a singles record of 27-4. Ding also saw success in doubles with Hari Nagarajan. The Cavaliers, who went 15-1 in duals this past spring, finished as the state runner-up in Class 2 for coach Tom Brumfield. 

 

SPRING SOFTBALL

Lauren Schallert, senior, Purdy

A standout in the circle and at the plate, Lauren Schallert led Purdy (30-1) to its first state spring softball championship.  As a pitcher, Schallert went 25-1 with a 0.36 ERA. She struck out 265 in 137 1/3 innings, walking just 18. Schallert fanned 16 in the state semifinals, a state record. In the batter’s box, Schallert batted .592 with 10 homers, 45 RBI and 45 runs scored.  Schallert, who is headed to Cameron University, earned first-team all-conference, all-district and all-state honors. 

Honorable Mention: Maddy Colin, College Heights

GIRLS SOCCER

Grace Bishop, senior, College Heights

With her solid overall play from the forward position, Grace Bishop led McAuley Catholic/College Heights to a 14-3 record and a berth in a district championship game.  Bishop, who has signed to play college soccer at John Brown University, scored 30 goals, handed out 11 assists and recorded a hat trick in five contests this spring. Bishop recorded eight goals in three games to lead the Warriors to the Hillcrest Tournament championship. For her efforts, Bishop was recognized as all-district, all-region (Co-Player of the Year) and all-state. In fact, Bishop was an all-state performer in three sports as a senior—cross country, track and field and soccer. 

Honorable Mention: Anea Bemo, Webb City

 

BOYS GOLF

Fielding Campbell, senior, Joplin

Fielding Campbell, a Missouri Southern commit, had a standout senior season on the standout golf team in the area. For Joplin, which took fourth as a team at state, Campbell capped off his final year as an Eagle with a 79-72—151 in the Class 5 meet at Sedalia Country Club to finish in a tie for 32nd place. Leading up to the final tournament of the season, Campbell took first place in the Bird Dog Invitational with a 78, sixth in the Horton Smith Invitational with an 80, tied for third in the Joplin Invitational with a 78, tied for fourth in the Ozark Tournament (77) and finished in fifth in the Sonic Invitational with a 74. Campbell tied for second at the COC Meet with fellow Joplin Eagle Wyatt Satterlee, who finished tied 27th at state with a 75-75—150, after both players shot a 76 to earn first-team all-COC honors. Campbell also carded a 75 in districts to take fourth place and earn all-district honors in the process.

Honorable Mention: Wyatt Satterlee, Joplin

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