Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

STATE TRACK & FIELD: East Newton boys finish 2nd in Class 3

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The East Newton Patriots earned the runner-up plaque in Class 3 at the MSHSAA Track and Field Championships on Saturday at Adkins Stadium.

Bowling Green won the Class 3 team title with 74.5 points and East Newton’s boys were second with 37.

Lutheran North (30) and Herculaneum (30) tied for third place in the final team standings.

East Newton junior Chase Sorrell earned three medals over the two-day event.

On Friday, Sorrell won the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute, 53 seconds and also finished second in the 1600 with a time of 4:17.

On Saturday, Sorrell earned his third medal of the meet by finishing third in the 3200 in 9:30. 

East Newton had three other medalists, as Michael Crowe was the runner-up in the high jump (6-4), Dominic Shaw finished sixth in the discus (145-6) and Eden Enlow finished seventh in the javelin (149-10).

 

CLASS 3 MEDALISTS

Three individuals and two relays from the area earned all-state recognition in Class 3 with their performances on Saturday. 

Seneca’s Isabella Renfro was the runner-up in the girls shot put with a toss of 39-11.5, while Aurora’s Makena Hall placed third in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.59 seconds and Lamar’s Elise Ferris finished fifth in the long jump (17-10.25).

Mount Vernon’s 4×100 relay team of Adalyn Mesicek, Camryn Cornell, Kadence Krempges and Nina Cowherd finished seventh in 50.83 seconds.

On the boys side, Lamar’s 4×400 relay team of Carson Sturgell, Blaine Breshears, Pierce Heins and Ian Ngugi finished fourth in 3:27.

On Friday, Lamar junior Trace Wooldridge won the shot put with a toss of 55-0.25.

 

DISTRICT BASEBALL: Lamar tops East Newton in title game

LAMAR, Mo. — Top-seeded Lamar beat second-seeded East Newton 3-0 in the championship game of the Class 3 District 11 baseball tournament on Thursday.

Lamar (14-13) hosts Stockton (21-4) at 5 on Tuesday in the sectional round of the state tourney.

The Tigers scored twice in the first inning and once in the fourth.

Lamar’s Tate Ansley earned the pitching victory after limiting East Newton to two hits and one walk in seven innings. 

Tyler Ansley had two hits and drove in a run. Austin Wilkerson and Brody Gardner also had RBI.

Mason Hailey pitched 5 2/3 innings for East Newton, allowing one earned run on seven hits while striking out nine. Christian Cook recorded one out. 

The Patriots finished 9-16.

TRACK & FIELD: East Newton boys win Big 8 Meet; McDonald County squads fare well

 

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — East Newton’s boys won eight events en route to capturing the team championship at the Big 8 Conference Track Meet on Tuesday night at Mount Vernon High School.

East Newton compiled 120 team points to finish on top of the standings. Marshfield (108), Lamar (82), McDonald County (67) and Springfield Catholic (64.5) rounded out the top five teams. 

A Missouri Southern recruit, East Newton senior Kelton Sorrell won the three individual events—the 800 in 2:09, the 1600 in 4:43 and the 3200 in 10:31. 

Also winning individual events for the Patriots were Michael Crowe (high jump) and Gabe Bergen (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles).

The Patriots won two relays, the 4×800 and the 4×400 relay. 

Sophomore Chase Sorrell was the runner-up to his brother Kelton in the 800, 1600 and 3200. 

 

MCDONALD COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS

For the McDonald County boys, Junior Eliam was the runner-up in the discus, with teammate Logan Harriman fourth. 

Mac County’s Andrew Moritz took second in the javelin, with teammate Ricardo Salas fourth. Joshua Pacheco placed third in the triple jump, Garrett Gricks and Morgan Grider were fourth and fifth in the shot put, while Andrew Watkins finished sixth in the pole vault.

Pacheco finished fifth in the 400, Tyler Rothrock placed sixth in the 800 and Caleb Garvin was seventh in the 3200. 

The team of Hunter Leach, Esteban Martinez-Olvera, Dominic Cervantes and Pacheco finished fourth in the 4×400 relay. 

The Mustangs took fifth in the 4×800 relay, with Rothrock, Mark Wilson, Cervantes and Leach competing. 

Mac County also placed fifth in the 4×200, with Martinez-Olvera, Cervantes, Samuel Barton and Pacheco running. 

McDonald County’s Mariana Salas won the girls javelin with a toss of 35.85 meters.

Also for the MCHS girls, Anna Price finished fourth in the 800, while Gissele Reyes-Luna took fifth in the 300 hurdles and Madison Burton placed seventh in the 3200.

McDonald County’s Peyton Cooper took sixth in the discus, Jada Alfaro was sixth in the shot put and Sosha Howard was seventh in both the long jump and triple jump. 

McDonald County’s 4×400 relay team of Lacey Nix, Corina Holland, Reyes-Luna and Anna Price finished third. The Mustangs were fifth in the 4×800 relay, with Price, Clara Horton, Burton and Melysia McCrory competing.

 

SENECA HIGHLIGHTS

For the Seneca girls, Katelyn Fyock was fourth in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump, while Isabella Renfro was fourth in the shot put and Rylee Darnell took fifth in the high jump.

Also for the Indians, Danessa Macy was fifth in the 100 hurdles and Cambry Long placed sixth in the 400.  

The Indians finished fifth in the 4×200 relay, with Kamryn Fox, Makenzie French, Long and Addyson Jones competing.

 

OTHER LOCAL WINNERS

In the boys meet, Lamar’s Trace Willhite won both the discus and the javelin. 

On the girls side, Lamar’s Phajjia Gordon took first in the discus, while Aurora’s Makena Hall won the 100 meter hurdles. Cassville’s girls won the 4×800, with Marianne McCrackin, Tori Mitchell, Annie Moore and Jolie Evans running.

 

Big 8 Conference Track Meet

Boys team standings: East Newton 120, Marshfield 108, Lamar 82, McDonald County 67, Springfield Catholic 64.5, Cassville 50, Nevada 50, Monett 46.5, Reeds Spring 46, Hollister 44, Logan-Rogersville 28.5, Mount Vernon 24, Aurora 9.5, Seneca 1. 

Girls team standings: Marshfield 119.5, Nevada 102, Lamar 89, Hollister 88, Cassville 76, Monett 59, Logan-Rogersville 48, McDonald County 46, Aurora 40, Seneca 29, Mount Vernon 22.5, Springfield Catholic 13, East Newton 5, Reeds Spring 4. 

 

FULL RESULTS: Big 8 Championships 2022 – Big 8 results (Raw) (milesplit.com)

TRACK & FIELD: Area athletes shine at East Newton Relays

 

GRANBY, Mo. — East Newton’s boys and Cassville’s girls captured the team championships at the East Newton Relays on Thursday.

The East Newton boys compiled 143 points and McDonald County was second with 123.

Cassville’s girls had 142 points, with McDonald County second with 118.5. 

College Heights and Seneca also had athletes competing. 

 

BOYS HIGHLIGHTS

Winning individual events for the Patriots were Gabe Bergen (110 hurdles, 300 H), Chase Sorrell (1600, 3200), Kelton Sorrell (800), Michael Crowe (high jump) and Nathan Evey (pole vault). East Newton also won the 4×800 and 4×400 relays.

McDonald County’s winners were Esteban Martinez-Olvera (200), Logan Harriman (discus), Andrew Moritz (javelin) and Joshua Pacheco (long jump). Pacheco was the runner-up in three other events, the 100, 200 and triple jump.

Also finishing second for the Mustangs were Junior Eliam (discus), Morgan Grider (shot put) and Ricardo Salas (javelin).

For College Heights, Ethan Ukena placed third in the triple jump, Caleb Quade took fourth in the 800 and was fifth in the high jump, Matt Williams finished fifth in the 100 and sixth in the 200 and Colsen Dickens took sixth in the 800.

The Cougars took second in two relays, the 4×100 and the 4×200.

Other event winners were Diamond’s Chase Housh (100, 400), Cassville’s Bradan Dickinson (shot put) and Aurora’s Daunte Floyd (triple jump).

 

GIRLS HIGHLIGHTS

Cassville’s individual champs were Jadyn Williams-Reed (400), Jolie Evans (800), Dakotah Anderson (3200), Riley Morris (discus) and Annie Moore (pole vault).

McDonald County’s Sosha Howard took first in both the triple jump (9.91m) and the long jump (4.80 meters), while Analisa Ramirez won the javelin (34.9 meters), with teammate Mariana Salas second. 

Also for the Mustangs, Lacey Nix was the runner-up in the pole vault, Mikala McCrory was third in the 800, Corina Holland took third in the 200 and Jada Alfaro placed third in the shot put.

For the College Heights girls, Lauren Ukena finished second in the 200-meter dash, placed third in the 300 hurdles and was fourth in the 100. Emily Winters placed fifth in the 400.

Jasper’s Crystal Smith won four events, the 100-meter dash, the 100 hurdles, the 300 hurdles and the high jump.

Other event winners were Aurora’s Destiny Jaramillo (1600) and Pierce City’s Sadie Bennett (shot put).

Seneca’s Isabella Renfro was the runner-up in the shot put, while Rylee Darnell took second in the high jump and Katelyn Fyock was third in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump.

FULL RESULTS: EN Relays 2022 – Complete Results (Raw) (milesplit.com)

BOYS HOOPS: Joplin bounces back with comfortable win over East Newton

After dropping three of its last four contests, including a lopsided home loss to Kickapoo on Tuesday, Joplin got back to playing a brand of basketball it is more familiar with on the way to a 70-42 win over East Newton on Thursday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium. 

Joplin’s All Wright attacks the basket in the Eagles’ win over East Newton on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

While the offense was busy putting up points in transition, Joplin built a 24-10 lead by the end of the first quarter and pushed it to more than 20 by the intermission thanks to a stringent effort on the defensive end. The Eagles didn’t slow down in the second half, building a 27-point lead in the third quarter and putting it in cruise control down the stretch in the fourth quarter.

“Tuesday’s game was hard to take,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said. “I wanted to see how they’d bounce back. … We showed spurts tonight of really good basketball, which I thought would happen. We kind of got sloppy here and there, but (their) play showed me that they really want to do this. We can enjoy this win, then we have to get ready for Carthage next week.”
The win moves Joplin to a 13-5 record, with the Eagles traveling to Carthage on Feb. 1 to get back into Central Ozark Conference play. East Newton falls to 12-8 and hosts Cassville on Feb. 1. 

SCORING LEADERS

Joplin finished with three players in double-figure scoring, led by All Wright’s game-high 18 points. LT Atherton added 12 and Brantley Morris finished with 10. Whit Hafer finished with eight points, while Always Wright finished with seven. Terrance Gibson closed with six points.
Gabe Bergen led East Newton in scoring with 17 points. Kelton Sorrell finished with five points.

GAME ACTION

Joplin wasted little time taking control of the game, scoring the first nine points of the contest and ultimately started the opening quarter on a 15-2 run. Atherton accounted for six on the points, while All Wright converted from the perimeter in the early onset to highlight the run.

“Right now, my vision for the program is to be a team that presses to get up and go,” Schaake said about the early surge. “We can do it in moments, so I said to them, ‘We might as well try it now and continue to do it going forward.’ I thought it got us energy and bouncing around more. I kind of wish we had finished better—we should have had a few more buckets—but I will take it.”

Joplin’s Brantley Morris knocks down a perimeter jumper in the Eagles’ win over East Newton on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

The Eagles pushed the first-quarter lead to 24-6 on a Junior Gilbert 3-pointer before consecutive East Newton scores from Bergen to close out the quarter trimmed Joplin’s lead to 24-10 to start the second period.

After both teams traded buckets early in the second period, Joplin scored nine straight points to push its lead to 23 points, 35-12, near the two-minute mark. Hafer started things off with a baseline dunk and a bucket on the inside before a driving score by Always Wright off a turnover. Morris knocked down a 3-pointer to close the run.

“We have to sustain that (defensive effort longer),” Schaake said. “In basketball, when you get a big enough lead, you start picking up some bad habits. In that stretch, that was really good defense.”

The Eagles ultimately took a 38-16 lead into the intermission after Always Wright buried an NBA-range 3-pointer from the wing at the sound of the horn.

Robert McFarland and Bergen scored out of the break to trim East Newton’s deficit to 18, but Joplin used a 12-3 run to push the lead to 27 with 2:30 left in the third period. 

All Wright had a score off the drive and a 3-point from the wing off an East Newton turnover to start the surge. Atherton added four points and Morris converted from the perimeter to make the score 52-25.

The Eagles cruised to the finish line.

Joplin’s LT Atherton shoots from mid-range in the Eagles’ win over East Newton on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

GIRLS NHC ROUNDUP: Fort Smith Northside dominates 2nd half in win; East Newton advances to consolation semis

NEOSHO, Mo. — Fort Smith Northside girls basketball dominated St. Joseph Lafayette in the second half on the way to a 47-19 win in the semifinals of the Neosho Holiday Classic on Wednesday.

The Grizzlies advance to face North Kansas City in the girls championship game set for 5 p.m. at Neosho High School.

Fort Smith Northside held a 20-15 lead at the intermission before outscoring St. Joseph 27-4 in the second half. The Grizzlies limited the Irish to two points in each the third and fourth quarters, holding St. Joseph to 21 percent shooting for the game.

The Grizzlies dominated points in the paint 26-4 and outscored St. Joseph 21-0 in points off turnovers. The Irish had 18 turnovers to the Grizzlies’ 11.

Yonni Releford had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead Fort Smith Northside, while Erianna Gooden and Brenna Taylor each had eight in the win. Gooden had seven rebounds, while Taylor finished with six boards.

Lafayette was led in scoring by Jazlyn King and Modesta Wilhelmsen’s six points apiece. 

Lafayette takes on Neosho in the third-place game at 2 p.m. at Neosho High School.

 

HUNTSVILLE (ARK) 64, STOUTLAND 36

Huntsville took a hold of the momentum early and never relinquished it on the way to a lopsided win over Stoutland on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Neosho Holiday Classic.

Huntsville, which never trailed in the win, built an 11-4 lead after the opening period before pushing the lead to 12 points by halftime. Huntsville put the game away after outsourcing Stoutland 17-6 in the third period.

Huntsville won the turnover battle 28-19, and also outscored Stoutland in points off turnovers, 36-15. Stoutland struggled on the glass, getting outrebounded 36-28, which led to a 16-6 advantage by Huntsville in second-chance points.

Huntsville had three players in double figures, led by Alissa Pillow and Carlie Howerton’s 15 points each. Howerton had six rebounds, while Pillow had four rebounds, five assists and three steals. Emily Buchanan added 14 points in the win.

Raegan Henry led Stoutland with 13 points and 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double, while Schona Looney closed the loss with 10 points and five rebounds.

East Newton takes on Huntsville in the consolation finals at 2 on Thursday.

 

EAST NEWTON 55, HUNTSVILLE JV (ARK) 34

East Newton dominated the middle quarters on the way to win in the consolation semifinal round of the Neosho Holiday Classic on Wednesday. 

After taking a two-point lead following the first quarter, East Newton outscored Huntsville JV 17-9 in the second period and 14-3 in the third quarter to build an insurmountable lead on the way to the win.

The Patriots had the advantage in points in the paint (26-16), points off turnovers (28-9) and second-chance points (19-6).

Shaw Coburn led East Newton in scoring with 15 points to go along with three steals and two rebounds. Alyssa Coffey finished with nine points and eight rebounds. 

Mykenna Kirk led Huntsville JV in scoring with 15 points, while Kylee McCubbin added nine points and six rebounds.
East Newton takes on Huntsville in the consolation finals at 2 on Thursday.

BOYS HOOPS: Strong third quarter propels Webb City past East Newton

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Ignited by its pressure defense, the Webb City Cardinals rode a strong third quarter to a 68-53 non-conference victory over East Newton on Tuesday night inside the Cardinal Dome.

Playing at home for the first time in 2021-22, the Cardinals found themselves tied with the Patriots at halftime. 

But Webb City owned the third quarter by outscoring the visitors 21-11. During the game-changing period, the Cardinals picked up the defensive intensity, sped up the game and converted turnovers into hoops in transition.

“Our intensity picked up in the third quarter,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “I thought we matched the intensity they had in the first half. I thought East Newton played much harder than we did in the first half. I think we were kind of just going through the motions and they brought the fight to us. We picked up our intensity in the second half. We were much more aggressive. We were flying around to the ball, closing off passing lanes and we were able to get out in transition. When we do that, we’re hard to stop.”

The Cardinals improved to 4-1 on the season.

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

Junior guard Dante Washington led Webb City with 23 points on 11 of 18 shooting. 

“He’s hard to stay in front of and he was getting into the paint,” Horn said. “And he has a really nice midrange game.” 

Senior guard Cohl Vaden played his first game of the season for the Cardinals after missing four games due to an ankle injury he suffered in the state championship football game.

Vaden definitely made his presence felt. The four-year varsity performer scored 14 points, hit two 3-pointers, handed out eight assists and grabbed two steals. 

“Cohl was big for us,” Horn said. “He makes it harder for teams to zone us because of his ability to shoot the ball. There’s a comfort factor with him out there. He does a good job of setting the table and he’s patient with the basketball. We’re a totally different team with him on the floor.” 

Senior forward Kaden Turner made 6 of 15 shot attempts for 12 points, while senior guard Dupree Jackson had three steals. Webb City made 30 of 56 field goal attempts (54 percent). 

Senior forward Gabe Bergen scored 23 points, making 11 of 18 field goal attempts, to lead the Patriots (2-3). Senior guard Easton Schrader also reached double figures with 11 points. The Patriots connected on 23 of 43 shots, but the visitors had 23 turnovers to Webb City’s 13.

 

GAME RECAP

The game was deadlocked at 19 at the end of the opening frame and was tied at 30 at the half.  

After the break, Webb City put together a game-defining 13-1 spurt in the third period. The run was fueled by a pressure defense that forced the Patriots into several miscues.

At the end of the run, Turner, Trey Roets and Washington all converted East Newton turnovers into hoops before Vaden scored five straight for a comfortable 48-35 lead.

“We were able to get the tempo picked up,” Horn said. “Our guys at the top of the press did a good job of locking the traps up and forcing them to get the ball in the air. And our group is unselfish. They move the ball around and don’t care who scores. That’s a credit to their attitude and to what’s important to them…winning games.” 

The Patriots rattled off six straight points, but Webb City’s Max Higginbotham nailed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to give the Cardinals a 51-41 lead heading into the final frame.

An 8-2 surge, capped by a bucket in the lane by Landon Johnson, extended Webb City’s lead to 59-45. The Cardinals led by as much as 17 points late in the game.

 

A GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE

East Newton lost a solid core from last year’s team that advanced to the Class 4 quarterfinals. With that, the Patriots have several newcomers in big roles this winter.

East Newton coach Kyle Fields said Tuesday’s clash with the Cardinals was a good learning experience for his team. 

“I thought there were a lot of good things to take away from tonight,” Fields said. “I thought we attacked their pressure pretty well early in the game and I thought we played at a high pace early. They sped us in the third quarter and got us out of sorts. Their length and athleticism is phenomenal. But I’m really proud of our team. We’re still trying to find our identity. But I thought tonight was a good step in the right direction. And it’s fun to play here and it’s fun to play against a team with a lot of good athletes.”

 

4-STATES CHALLENGE IS SATURDAY

Webb City High School is hosting the 4-States Challenge on Saturday. There are six games on the schedule. 

Webb City takes on Parsons (Kan.) in the event’s finale at approximately 6:30 p.m.

“We’re really excited about hosting this event for the sixth year,” Horn said. “We’ve got a lot of good teams coming in. There should be a lot of good basketball and we hope a lot of people can make it out. We’re looking forward to playing Parsons. Hopefully we can match the intensity we had in the second half tonight.” 

 

4-STATES CHALLENGE

Saturday’s schedule 

11—College Heights vs. Galena (Kan.)

12:30—Mount Vernon vs. East Newton

2—Nevada vs. Heritage (Ark.)

3:30—Rogers (Ark.) vs. Carthage

5—Joplin vs. Sunrise Christian (Kan.)

6:30—Webb City vs. Parsons (Kan.)

 

WEBB CITY VS. EAST NEWTON FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

BOYS HOOPS: Patriots’ historical season comes to a close in Class 4 quarterfinals

GRANBY, Mo. — Sadly, all good things must come to an end, as East Newton boys basketball found out on Friday.

The Patriots’ memorable season drew to a close after falling to Blair Oaks 44-40 in the Class 4 quarterfinal round.

East Newton and Blair Oaks took a 34-34 tie into the fourth quarter when the Falcons gained the early edge with the first two baskets before the Patriots answered with four straight points to keep things tied midway through the period. 

Blair Oak’s Jake Closser knocked down a corner 3-pointer to break the tie with less than three minutes to play before East Newton’s Gabe Bergen found room inside for a score to cut the lead to 41-40 with two minutes to play.

Quinn Kusgen converted both free throws for the Falcons with 54.8 seconds left to push the lead to 43-40. The Patriots missed a 3-point attempt at the other end, but Blair Oaks missed the front end of a one-and-one trip to the line after the ensuing foul to keep the deficit at 3.

East Newton was unable to convert on the offensive end in the waning seconds and were forced to foul Closser with two seconds left. Closser made his first free throw to put the game out of reach while sending his team to the semifinal round for the second straight season.

“I thought we played with a lot of heart and a lot of guts,” East Newton coach Kyle Fields said. “We played fearless against (a team with a kid who is) 6-9, and I thought we played extremely tough, especially in the first half. You have to make shots late. I thought we had some live-ball turnovers that really hurt us and gave them some chances for baskets. But, I am proud of them.”

A SEASON TO REMEMBER

East Newton ends the season with a 26-3 record, making the school’s first ever appearance in the Class 4 quarterfinal round.

“It’s special,” Fields said when asked his thoughts on the season his team put together. “This is a special group of kids. They’re extremely intelligent, they love one another and they love to come to practice everyday to work. We had our 70th practice the other day and they’re not tired of it. It’s been a lot of fun. The wins are icing. They are the results of all of that.”

East Newton’s Lucas Kimbrough raises up for a jumper during the Patriots’ Class 4 quarterfinal game against Blair Oaks on Friday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

SAYING GOODBYE

The Patriots graduate seniors Kyson Lahman, Tanner Youngblood, Connor Killion and Lucas Kimbrough.

“They’ve been playing this game together for a long time and it shows on the court,” Fields said of his graduating class. “The nuances and details of the game are what they’re really good at. That is really hard to teach. That speaks a lot to them and their work, and I think that’s why we’ve had the success we’ve had.”

HOW THEY GOT THERE

East Newton got the raucous, standing-room home crowd involved early after Kimbrough scored in the opening seconds on a runout following the tip from Killion. After an empty possession by Blair Oaks, the Patriots went up 5-0 off a 3-pointer in the corner by Lahman, forcing the Falcons to call the game’s first timeout inside the first minute of play.

“It was great execution against 6-9 on the tip by Killion,” Fields said when talking about his team’s start to the game that ignited the crowd. “What a controlled tip it was, and a good pass. Then, Lahman hitting that 3—it gave us the confidence that we can play, we belong and we can hit some shots tonight.”

The Patriots took that five-point cushion all the way through to the intermission, leading the Falcons 28-23 at the half. Blair Oaks trimmed the lead to one several times but never gained the advantage on the scoreboard through the first two quarters. East Newton’s biggest lead of the first half was eight points—when Killion buried a 3-ball from the wing to make the score 28-20 with 1:42 to play in the second period.

“Our defense is our constant,” Fields said about his team’s play in the first half. “That is our foundation and we lean on that just like we did against Ava. We just didn’t make enough shots late.”

The game’s only real momentum swing came to open the second half when Blair Oaks scored the first six points out of the gate to take its first lead of the game. After two free throws by the Falcons, 6-foot-9 forward Luke Northweather scored inside to trim the lead to one before Kusgen made a floater with 3:18 on the clock to put Blair Oaks up 29-28.

“I thought our offensive execution was really poor,” Fields said of the Patriots’ start to the second half. “We were trying to be patient and look for something we could take advantage of. We ended up turning it over and they got a runout and some easy baskets. It just wasn’t very good execution to start.”

East Newton’s Connor Killion defends Blair Oaks’ Luke Northweather in Class 4 quarterfinal action on Friday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

Kelton Sorrell answered with a 3-pointer from the corner to give East Newton the lead back, 31-29, but Closser drained a triple on the next trip down the floor to regain the advantage for Blair Oaks with 2:15 left. Closser added a followup score on the drive to make the score 34-31.

Killion set up a thrilling fourth quarter after banking in a deep 3-pointer from just in front of the halfcourt line at the buzzer to end the third period with the game tied at 34-all.

“He’s been good for us all year,” Fields said of his senior. “He releases the ball so high being a 6-5 guard. He’s good in ball screens and we just tell him that it doesn’t matter where he’s at on the court, let it fly. He has great range and hit some big shots for us tonight.”

SCORING LEADERS

Killion led the way for East Newton with 15 points, including three 3-pointers. Sorrell added 10, while Bergen finished with eight.

Northweather led all scorers with 17 points, while Kusgen had 13. Closser also finished in double digits with 12. 

BOYS HOOPS: East Newton holds off Ava to win first sectional title in school history

AVA, Mo. — East Newton boys basketball is known for its ability to put up points in bunches on the offensive end. On Tuesday, however, it was the team’s defense that led the Patriots to a 36-34 win over Ava in the Class 4 sectionals.

“We score it well most nights,” East Newton coach Kyle Fields said to SoMo Sports. “We know that our defense has to be our constant, and it was definitely our constant tonight. There’s going to be nights when the ball is not going in the hoop and shots are tough to come by. Possessions get decreased. I thought our defense was really good tonight and I am really proud of our kids.”

The win for East Newton clinches the first berth to the quarterfinal round in school history.

“It means a lot to our kids, and they’ve worked so hard to get to this point,” Fields said. “They’ve played a lot of basketball in and before their high school career. It’s a tight-knit group that plays a lot together. They are very deserving.”

The Patriots have a school-record 26 wins to go along with two losses and will be hosting Blair Oaks for a trip to the semifinals with a 6 p.m. matchup on Friday. Blair Oaks defeated Buffalo 69-46.

“I feel its huge,” Fields said about hosting the quarterfinal round. “(The crowd) is kind of like our sixth man. We’ve played well (at home) all year. We’ve got a great community, great support and it will be a lot of fun. It will be a packed house, and hopefully it’s worth a few possessions.”

GAME ACTION

After two-plus scoreless minutes to start the contest, East Newton reached the scoreboard first on a bucket from Lucas Kimbrough, who finished with a team-high 12 points. The Bears (23-6) took the early momentum after Andrew Dalton scored the next seven points, including a 3-pointer, to give Ava a 7-2 advantage with 3:31 to play.

Following Dalton’s early success, particularly on the inside, the Patriots switched to a zone defense, which proved to pay off for the remainder of the game. Dalton had all nine of the Bears’ points in the first, but East Newton limited him to nine more points total in the final three quarters to finish with 18.

“We’ve worked on that (1-3-1 zone defense) sparingly throughout the year,” Fields said. “Going into the game, we thought we would try to play man and see how it went. (Dalton) is such a good player, though. He finds ways to getting to his spots — he is so good at going to his left — and getting to the foul line. We didn’t do a very good job in man early on him. So, we went to the zone and found success keeping the ball out of his hands and keeping him out of his sweet spots.”

East Newton scored the final two baskets of the opening period on hoops from Kimbrough and Tanner Youngblood, who totaled seven points in the win, to trim the deficit to 9-8. Kyson Lahman knocked down two free throws inside the first minute of the second period to give the Patriots their first lead since scoring the first basket of the game, 10-9.

Blayne Mendel converted from the perimeter and Ethan Donley added a score inside to regain the lead for Ava on the way to a 14-10 advantage.

East Newton battled back to regain the lead with less than a minute to play in the first half with an offensive rebound and putback score by Connor Killion and a 3-pointer from the corner by Youngblood gave the Patriots a 18-16 cushion. Mendel converted inside just before the horn to send the game into the half tied at 18s.

“We found some success with the 1-3-1 defensively,” Fields said. “They scored a bucket right before half to tie it up, but I thought we really struggled (in the first half). I think maybe we played a little tight early. I just said we needed to stay the course. Shots were going to start falling and we’re going to continue to get good shots. We just had to find ways to get to the foul line and continue to get stops.”

After both teams traded baskets to open the second half, Killion earned a block on the defensive end and splashed a catch-and-shoot 3-ball on the offensive end to give East Newton a 23-20 lead with 4:50 on the clock. Killion finished with seven points for East Newton.

The Patriots pushed the lead to five, 27-22, late in the third quarter on the back of another strong defensive play when Lahman knocked an entry pass loose for a steal before grabbing his own miss at the other end for a putback score.

“I thought we had some big defensive plays late,” Fields said. “We played really intelligent basketball defensively. … When you get up two possessions in a game like that, it almost feels like a double-digit lead.”

East Newton went into the fourth with a four-point lead and pushed it to a game-high six points, 29-23, to open the quarter on a mid-range jumper from Lahman. He finished with six points in the win.

Bryse Dodson answered back for Ava, scoring two straight baskets to cut the lead to 29-27 with 5:10 left.

Both teams equally traded buckets over the next five minutes of game action, with the Bears cutting the deficit to two before the Patriots pushed it back to four with each score. 

Ava broke the seesaw affair when Quinton Donley buried a 3-pointer from the wing with 41.2 seconds left in regulation to trim the lead to one, 35-34.

The Bears had a chance to take the lead but Mendel missed a long mid-range jumper off a ball screen, with Killion coming away with the defensive rebound, drawing a foul with 2.8 seconds.

Killion made the first and missed the second with the rebound going to Ava. The ensuing halfcourt heave from Dalton at the horn came up short to preserve the win for East Newton, which was also the first home loss of the season for the Bears.

“This year, we’ve had to win games in a lot of different ways,” Fields said. “It’s about just fighting and finding a way. Maybe it’s getting a loose ball here, a deflection there or a couple of free throws. Who knows? I thought we just found a way to win. I am really proud of our group and it is all about just being who we are.”

BOYS HOOPS: East Newton pulls away from Joplin down the stretch

GRANBY, Mo. — Joplin found itself in an early hole and was unable to climb out of it before East Newton pulled away to a 66-50 win on Thursday.

The Patriots (18-1) and Eagles (10-7) traded early scores before the Patriots closed the opening quarter with a run to build a nine-point lead. East Newton led by as many as 13 in the second period before Joplin cut it to seven by the intermission. The Eagles trimmed the margin to five late in the third quarter before East Newton scored 10 unanswered for a 15-point cushion in the fourth on the way to the win.

“East Newton is a really good team,” Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. “There is a reason they are 18-1 now. … We struggled with a lot of what we’ve struggled with throughout the year—points in the paint and guarding the ball. … For us, it’s about toughness. We have a group that is battling themselves a little bit. … As we mature and accept some of those things, they are going to see a lot of success.”

East Newton’s Kyson Lahman set the tone in the paint for the Patriots’ 17-8 opening quarter, scoring five of the first seven points for his team while finishing the first eight minutes with 10 total.

“I told our kids before the game that he may not be the most-athletic player, but he is probably one of the most-skilled and savvy big guys we’ve played, if not the most, all year. … What he does probably better than anything, if you don’t front him, he buries your right at the basket and does a great job using his body.”

Holding a 21-15 advantage three-plus minutes into the second, the Patriots used a 7-0 run fueled by a pair of baskets by Gabe Bergen and a bucket from Lucas Kimbrough to push the margin to 28-15.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well early,” Hafer said. “We also, again, just missed a lot at the basket. When you miss layups, those are essentially turnovers. … That hurt. … We had opportunities early and didn’t capitalize. It was a dogfight from there.”

Joplin’s Dante Washington converts a twisting layup in the loss to East Newton on Thursday. Photos by Shawn Fowler.

Joplin finished out the first half with the final six points, with Always Wright coming up with two scores sandwiched around a Dante Washington offensive rebound and put-back score to cut the deficit to 28-21.

East Newton pushed the lead back to 10, 37-27, at the 4:07 mark when Tanner Youngblood converted inside while drawing contact for a three-point play and held the pace for another 90 seconds.

Joplin used a score on the drive from All Wright and a deep 3-pointer from Always Wright to bring East Newton’s lead down to five, 41-36, with less than two minutes to play.

“You have to get stops and you have to get to the rim,” Hafer said of his team’s ability to cut the lead to two possessions in the third. “We attacked a lot better during that stretch, getting to the rim or the free-throw line. That is big for us—being able to guard the paint on one end and get to the paint on the other end.”

Connor Killion knocked down a running shot at the buzzer to end the third and the Patriots scored the first eight points of the fourth, led by a 3-pointer and a three-point play from Kimbrough, to push the lead up to 15 midway through the fourth, 51-36. East Newton never relinquished the momentum for the final horn.

SCORING LEADERS

Kimbrough finished with a game-high 21 points to lead East Newton in scoring. Lahman finished the game with 18 points, with Bergen scoring 11.

Always Wright led Joplin with 16 points, while Washington finished with 12. All Wright had eight.

UP NEXT

Joplin hosts Carthage on Tuesday.

East Newton is at Cassville on Tuesday.

4-STATES CHALLENGE ROUNDUP: Mount Vernon outlasts East Newton in overtime; Bishop Miege defeats Nevada

MOUNT VERNON 61, EAST NEWTON 57

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Mount Vernon rallied inside the final minute of the fourth quarter before going on to beat East Newton in overtime in the 4-States Challenge on Saturday.

Mason Ballay knocked down two free throws with 28.8 seconds left in regulation to give Mount Vernon a 50-49 lead before a miss on the other end also resulted in two free throws for Ballay with 15.5 left in regulation. East Newton’s Kyson Lahman grabbed an offensive rebound at the other end and was fouled on the putback attempt, sinking the and-one free throw to tie the game back up at 52-52 with 9.8 seconds left and ultimately sending the contest into overtime.

Ballay opened the extra period with a reverse layup, which was followed by a score on the drive by Kai Brown to give Mount Vernon a two-possession lead. The Mountaineers ultimately scored the first seven points of overtime before going on to the 61-57 win.

Brown led Mount Vernon with 25 points, while Ballay finished with 22 in the win. Curt Wendler scored eight points.

Lahman finished with 18 to lead East Newton. Tanner Youngblood knocked down five 3-pointers on the way to 16 points for the Patriots, who suffered their first loss after six wins. 

 

BISHOP MIEGE 78, NEVADA 36

WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Nevada Tigers simply ran into one of the top teams in the state of Kansas. 

Loaded with future NCAA Division I players, Bishop Miege handed Nevada a 78-36 loss on Saturday at the 4-States Challenge inside the Cardinal Dome on the campus of Webb City High School. 

Nevada coach Shaun Gray said he was pleased with his team’s effort against a talented opponent.

“We were pleased with the way we came out, and all in all, we’re pleased with the effort our guys gave tonight,” Gray said. “We had good energy and good movement on defense. We got some shots to fall early. We went cold from the 3-point line and that helped feed their transition game. And they shot the ball well. We’re pleased with our guys’ effort and we’ll take a lot of positives away from this.” 

Logan Applegate scored 18 points to lead Nevada (4-3), while Lane McNeley added nine points. 

Christian Bowen-Webb scored 20 points and hit five 3-pointers for the Stags (3-0) from Shawnee Mission, while Mark Mitchell added 19. Harrison Braudis added 13 points and Taj Manning scored 12. 

A 6-foot-9 junior small forward, Mitchell is the top-ranked boys basketball player in the state of Kansas.

Mitchell has offers from a number of NCAA Division I schools, including North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Texas, USC, Wake Forest, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Mitchell is listed as the No. 11 prospect in the country by 247Sports. 

A Grandview transfer, the 6-7 Manning is ranked as the fourth-best player in the Sunflower State. A junior, Manning also received lots of D-I interest. The Stags also featured 7-3 senior Tayt Harbour. 

Bishop Miege led 19-9 at the end of the first period and the Stags took a 39-24 lead into halftime. Mitchell scored 15 points in the first half.

Bowen-Webb’s trey, Mitchell’s one-handed dunk and a triple from Braudis pushed Bishop Miege’s lead to 57-27 with just under four minutes left in the third period. 

The Stags were up 66-32 heading into the fourth quarter, and there was a running clock in the final frame. 

 

JOPLIN MISSING IN ACTION

The Joplin Eagles were originally scheduled to play Parsons (Kan.) at the event, but the Vikings pulled out of the contest on Wednesday due to COVID issues.

A replacement for Parsons could not be found, so the Eagles missed out on participating this year.