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BOYS SWIMMING: Stump takes over at Joplin, Eagles return state qualifiers

 

Aaron Stump is the new head coach of the Joplin High School boys swim team.

After spending nearly a decade as an assistant coach, Stump has made the transition to head coach for the 2022 season. 

“I’m excited to be stepping into the head coaching role after nine years as an assistant coach in this sport,” Stump said. “Adding Juliana Hughes, the head girls coach, as our assistant boys coach will help bring this team to a new level.”

Joplin has four returning state qualifiers this fall. 

“The guys are coming into this season with high expectations,” Stump said. “Many of them swim year-round, so their times have already improved from last season.” 

Seniors Jacob Glenn and Zane Newman, junior Ian Vermillion and sophomore Nathan Wardlow qualified to last year’s state championships on three relays.

The foursome made up both the 200-yard freestyle and the 400 freestyle relays, while Wardlow, Newman and Glenn were also on Joplin’s qualifying 200 medley relay that also featured the graduated Wyatt Satterlee. The Eagles finished 26th in both the 400 free relay and the 200 medley relay and they were 32nd in the 200 free relay. 

Wardlow also qualified for state in the 500 freestyle last fall, finishing 31st.

At last season’s conference meet, Newman was the champion in the 50 freestyle and took first in the 100 free. Wardlow was the runner-up in the 500 free and was fifth in the 200 free. Glenn was fifth in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 backstroke. 

Improving on last year’s conference and state finishes is a main goal for the Eagles.

“I’m expecting big things from our team this season,” Stump said. “We should qualify multiple relays and individual events for state, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them swimming in the finals. Our team is experienced, has a strong work ethic, and they’re competitive. They know what they’re doing and what they need to do to accomplish their goals.”

Stump said sophomore Gideon Speer and freshmen Isaiah Thom and Jerrick Adams are promising newcomers. 

As the season opener approaches, Stump is confident the Eagles will put together a stellar season as long as they make continued progress throughout the fall.

“We only lack one swimmer from last year’s medley relay, and I’ve already seen improvement from the group in our first few practices,” Stump said. “The guys will be competing to see who fills that slot as we begin the season, and I can see them starting out better than where we left off in the fall.”

BOYS HOOPS: Wright brothers lead Joplin past Branson, Eagles earn first COC win

BRANSON, Mo. — The Wright brothers combined for 47 points as the Joplin High School boys basketball team beat Branson 69-62 on Friday night in Central Ozark Conference action. 

Freshman guard All Wright poured in a game-high 30 points to lead the Eagles, while junior guard Always Wright added 17 points. All Wright made 10 field goals, with four 3-pointers, and hit 6-of-9 free throws.

Sophomore Dante Washington added 14 points for the Eagles. 

Joplin improved its record to 8-4 overall and 1-1 in conference play. 

Branson fell to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in the COC. Kade Goodwin scored 22 points to lead the Pirates, while Kyle Scharbrough added 18. 

The Pirates led 9-7, but the Eagles closed the first quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 20-11 lead into the second quarter.

All Wright had 14 points in the opening frame.

The low-scoring second quarter saw both teams struggle with turnovers and cold shooting. 

But Always Wright knocked down a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first half, giving the Eagles a 27-18 halftime advantage.

Hoops from LT Atherton and Washington pushed Joplin’s lead to 37-22 with five minutes left in the third quarter before Always Wright’s dunk off a feed from Washington extended Joplin’s advantage to 45-27. 

The Pirates scored the final eight points of the third quarter, cutting Joplin’s lead to 10 at 45-35. 

Two free throws by Always Wright and a corner trey by Washington pushed Joplin’s lead to 62-45 with just under four minutes to play.

Using a late spurt, Branson pulled within single digits in the final minute, but Joplin’s lead was never in serious jeopardy. 

Joplin’s boys will begin competition at the Lebanon Fall of Fame Classic on Thursday. 

 

RIVALRY GAME: Webb City finishes strong, knocks off Joplin in thriller

WEBB CITY, Mo. — In a rematch of last weekend’s Kaminsky Classic title game, Webb City and Joplin put on a show for all those in attendance inside a packed Cardinal Dome.

In a nail-biter between close rivals, Webb City was the team that made more key plays down the stretch. 

With a strong finish, Webb City pulled out a hard-fought 80-74 victory over Joplin on Tuesday night in the Central Ozark Conference boys basketball opener for both squads.

“Joplin played well,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “I thought our guard play was much better in the second half. We had some turnovers in the first half. We valued the ball better in the second half and we were cleaner offensively. Part of that is our seniors…they’re good leaders. Joplin was hungry to get that win. Our guys’ level of play had to rise up.”

“We played really hard, we competed and we gave ourselves a chance against a good team on the road,” Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. “The difference down the stretch was that they executed offensively and defensively. They executed their offensive sets. They have five seniors that are battle-tested. We’re still growing.” 

Webb City won this past Saturday’s contest 66-55 inside Kaminsky Gymnasium. The Cardinals held an 18-point lead in the second half of that one. The rematch was much closer. 

“We learned we’re not who we were on Saturday,” Hafer said. “We responded well. I’m really proud of my team. We can definitely build on this.”

Webb City’s Luke Brumit puts up a shot in the lane. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

NAMES & NUMBERS

Now ranked fourth in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, Webb City hiked its record to 9-1 after an eighth straight win. 

Five players scored in double figures for the Cardinals. Senior point guard Nickhai Howard scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go along with six rebounds, four assists and two steals. 

Senior Mekhi Garrard scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while classmate Luke Brumit had 14 points. Junior Cohl Vaden contributed 13 points and senior Trenton Hayes added 11. 

“To be a good team you have to have multiple guys who can score,” Horn noted. 

Junior Kaden Turner just missed double figures with nine points. 

Webb City made 28-of-59 shots (48 percent), but went just 3-for-17 on 3-pointers. The Cardinals made 21-of-27 free throws. 

Freshman guard All Wright led Joplin (7-4) with 23 points on 8-of-20 shooting. Wright made 6-of-10 free throws and also grabbed six rebounds. 

“All’s good,” Hafer said. “He’s a competitor. He’s not afraid of the moment and everybody saw that. He scored the ball really well. He needs to keep improving on the defensive end.” 

Three others reached double figures for the Eagles, as senior Dominick Simmons and junior LT Atherton scored 11 points apiece and sophomore Dante Washington had 10. Malik Williams had a team-high eight rebounds.

Joplin made 25-of-57 field goal attempts (44 percent), including 7-of-24 from 3-point range. The Eagles went 17-of-26 at the charity stripe. 

“In a game like that, the free throw line makes a big difference,” Hafer said. 

Both teams had 17 turnovers apiece. 

Webb City senior Trenton Hayes scores on a drive through the lane against Joplin on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

GAME RECAP

The Eagles hung tough early, as a trey from Fielding Campbell cut the Cardinals’ lead to 16-15.

An old-fashioned 3-point play by Garrard gave the Cardinals a four-point cushion late in the first quarter, but Joplin’s Washington banked in a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, trimming Webb City’s advantage to 19-18 at the end of a back and forth and entertaining first period.

Joplin put together a 9-0 run in the second quarter to take a 27-22 lead, as Washington and Carson Wampler both hit 3-pointers during the surge.

Webb City used a 9-2 spurt to take back the lead, but the Eagles recorded the final four points of the first half, as Terrance Gibson scored on a putback inside and Simmons converted a steal into a go-ahead layup, giving the Eagles a 38-37 halftime advantage. 

Horn gave the Eagles credit. 

“Their execution in the first half was really good,” Horn said. “Some of their role guys stepped up and made big shots. Good teams do that, so you have to give them credit. I thought No. 12 (Simmons) made some big plays for them. I thought they were a little sharper than we were in the first half. They were a little quicker to loose balls.” 

Joplin took a 46-39 lead in the third period, forcing a Webb City timeout. But a few minutes later the game was tied at 58. 

All Wright’s free throws gave the Eagles a 60-58 lead entering the fourth quarter. 

The Cardinals finished strong, however, outscoring the Eagles 22-14 in the fourth quarter.  

The game was deadlocked at 64 when Webb City put together a 7-2 run to go up 71-66. Also, Joplin’s Always Wright fouled out with four minutes to play. 

Down three after a Brumit putback, the Eagles pulled within one at 73-72 with 1:30 remaining on an All Wright jumper. But the Cardinals answered when Howard scored on a nifty drive through the lane with 1:12 left, giving the hosts a 3-point cushion.

Next, Joplin had two empty possessions down three and had to foul. Howard made 1-of-2 at the line with 29 seconds left, extending Webb City’s lead to four. 

The Eagles received a hoop from All Wright with three seconds remaining, but Webb City’s Garrard calmly sank two clutch free throws with 2.3 seconds left.

On the final possession, Joplin’s inbound pass was picked off by Vaden, who made a layup at the buzzer for the final margin.  

Horn noted his team’s experienced performers stepped up in crunch time. 

“Luke Brumit was a big presence in the second half,” Horn said. “He altered some shots, got some big rebounds and made some big plays around the basket. Nickhai does a little bit of everything. He’s a big time player and he makes plays. Shots weren’t easy to come by. But we kept getting putbacks and we had guys step up.” 

It was Senior Night for the Cardinals, as Howard, Garrard, Brumit, Hayes and Shane Noel were recognized before the game. 

Joplin freshman All Wright scored 23 points in his team’s loss on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

GREAT ATMOSPHERE

Both head coaches noted they were pleased to see such a great atmosphere for the game, as both student sections were into the game from the tip. Like Saturday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium, Tuesday’s game at Webb City High School was well-attended by local fans.

“The atmosphere was great,” Hafer said. “We had a great atmosphere Saturday and tonight. And that’s the way this game should be. That’s a fun basketball game to watch if you don’t have to sit on the sidelines as a coach. There were quality players on the floor really playing hard. That was a high-level basketball game.” 

“It was a great crowd and a great atmosphere,” Horn added. “Both student sections were great. This is what high school sports are about. It was a lot of fun. I know these kids will look back in a few years and appreciate this moment.” 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Both teams have COC road games on Friday, as Webb City is at Ozark and Joplin travels to Branson. 

 

Joplin’s Dominick Simmons handles the ball against Webb City’s Shane Noel. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City shakes off rust, rides big second quarter to lopsided win over Joplin

WEBB CITY, Mo. — After a three week layoff, the Webb City girls basketball team simply needed a little time to shake off the rust. 

And in the team’s 2021 debut, Webb City overcame a sluggish start and rode a huge second quarter run to a convincing 56-29 victory over Joplin on Monday night in a Central Ozark Conference clash inside the Cardinal Dome.

In action for the first time since Dec. 21, the Cardinals missed their first 10 field goal attempts. But a full-court press jump-started a 22-0 second quarter surge that allowed the hosts to take control for good.

“It had been 21 days since we’d played a game,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “We were a little rusty in the first few minutes of the game. We weren’t real effective, but that happens when you haven’t had a game for 21 days. But I thought after that, we played pretty good basketball.” 

For the visiting Eagles, a scoreless second period was simply too much to overcome. 

“Another scoreless quarter and we’ve got to get past that,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “We can’t be a team that goes an entire quarter without scoring a point. That’s two or three times it’s happened to us this year.”

Senior guard Jaydee Duda poured in 30 points to lead the Cardinals (4-5, 1-0 COC). Duda made 14 field goals, including one trey, and hit 1-of-3 free throws. Duda, who scored 22 points in the first half, also had five steals and four rebounds. 

“Jaydee did a terrific job tonight,” Robbins said. “It was her first game playing point. We moved Jaydee to the point and Sierra (Kimbrough) off the ball. I thought Jaydee did a terrific job of handling the ball and still getting her shots while creating for other people. I’m proud of her for her effort.”

A senior guard, Kimbrough also reached double figures with 10 points and she was credited with nine steals. Senior Raven Vaughn chipped in six points and three assists, while junior Peyton Hawkins had a team-high eight rebounds.

Webb City shot 38 percent for the game (24-of-63).

Junior forward Emma Floyd scored nine points and had seven rebounds to lead Joplin (5-7, 0-2 COC), while sophomore Serafina Auberry added six points and junior Brooke Nice had five. 

Brynn Driver had four rebounds and Lily Pagan handed out three assists. 

The Eagles made 11-of-30 field goal attempts (37 percent). Webb City took advantage of 29 Joplin turnovers. 

After taking an early seven point lead, Joplin was up 13-12 at the end of the first quarter.

“I thought we did a really good job in the first quarter,” Floyd said. “We got some layups. But we got a little timid in the second quarter, especially when they began to make their run. We started trying to force things that weren’t there.”

Webb City turned up the full-court pressure in the second quarter, and the hosts were able to generate offense from their defense.

The Cardinals put up 22 unanswered points in the second quarter, while the Eagles were stuck on 13 points for the entire eight minutes. Joplin had 18 turnovers in the first half.

“We couldn’t get in our press early because we couldn’t score in the first quarter,” Robbins said. “We were a little stagnant early. But our diamond press helped us generate some turnovers and helped us get some easy buckets. After we got into the flow of the game, we did a better job of scoring the basketball.” 

“In the second quarter, Webb City just out-toughed us, out-physicaled us and just did everything better than us,” Floyd said. “They’re very aggressive and they do a great job in their press. It’s a credit to them, but we have to step up.” 

The third quarter was nearly even, as Webb City outscored Joplin 10-9. Eagles sophomore Isabella Yust recorded a pair of hoops late in the third period, but the Cardinals were up comfortably 44-22 entering the fourth quarter. 

Webb City scored the first nine points of the final frame, as Kate Brownfield, Vaughn and Duda contributed hoops and Kimbrough knocked down a 3-pointer, pushing the hosts’ advantage to 53-22 with 6:45 to play. 

For the Cardinals, it was a nice way to begin conference play.

“Hopefully this is something we can build on,” Robbins said. 

Floyd noted his Eagles will continue working to improve. 

“There were some really good things tonight,” Floyd said. “That first quarter is something we can build on. The end of the third quarter we matched their intensity. We see good things in spurts. We just have to lengthen those spurts.” 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Both teams hit the road for conference games on Thursday, as Webb City is at Ozark and Joplin is at Branson. 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

KAMINSKY CLASSIC: Webb City uses strong second half to top Joplin; Cardinals capture first Kaminsky title

 

For the first time in program history, the Webb City High School boys basketball team has captured a Kaminsky Classic championship. 

Overcoming a nine-point deficit with a big second half, Webb City rode a one-sided third quarter to a 66-55 victory over Joplin in the annual event’s championship game on Saturday afternoon at a packed Kaminsky Gymnasium inside Joplin High School.

“I’m excited for our kids,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “It’s the first time we’ve won a regular-season tournament title since I’ve been here. So it’s good for the program and good for the kids.” 

“This is very exciting,” Webb City senior guard Nickhai Howard said. “We’ve been working for this for a lot of years. Beating Nevada was really exciting as well. I had a good time playing against all of them.” 

Joplin used a 15-0 surge in the second quarter to take a 31-23 lead at the break, but the Cardinals turned things around in the game-changing third quarter. 

Webb City captured the Kaminsky Classic championship on Saturday by knocking off Joplin 66-55. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Webb City put together a 13-0 burst and closed the period on a 17-2 run, taking a 46-38 lead into the fourth quarter.

“I thought we showed a lot of composure after getting down at the half,” Horn said. “Shots weren’t falling, but our kids battled through it and showed some toughness. We did a good job in the second half of executing offensively and finishing plays.” 

“Games like these often come down to the 50-50 balls, the hustle, the charges and the willingness to do those things,” Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. “They were much better and tougher than us in the third quarter in particular. Against a good team that is skilled like Webb City and that is unselfish as they are, if you don’t win that battle it’s going to be hard to beat them. We struggled with that. In the second quarter, we were that team. But it’s a four quarter game.” 

NAMES & NUMBERS

Senior post player Luke Brumit scored 13 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots for the Cardinals, who are now 8-1 and ranked eighth in Class 5. 

“He plays tough,” Horn said of the 6-foot-4 Brumit. “He’s one of those guys who kept working to get better and he was waiting for his time. We thought he was going to be pretty good coming into this year, and he’s played beyond our expectations up to this point. He’s a great rebounder and he has good touch around the rim.” 

Senior Mekhi Garrard and sophomore Alex Martin scored 12 points apiece for Webb City, while seniors Howard and Cohl Vaden contributed eight points apiece. 

Garrard, Howard and Vaden all had eight rebounds apiece, while Vaden and Garrard each handed out four assists.

Webb City made 25-of-62 field goal attempts (40 percent). The Cardinals, who hit just 2-of-11 3-pointers, out-rebounded the Eagles 44-34. 

The Cardinals had 36 points in the paint compared to Joplin’s 18. Webb City’s bench outscored Joplin’s 19-9.

Freshman guard All Wright led Joplin (7-3) with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including four 3-pointers. He had 14 points in the first half.

Junior guard Always Wright had 12 points and five rebounds, while sophomore Dante Washington contributed 11 points. LT Atherton had a team-high seven rebounds, while Dominick Simmons had four assists. 

The Eagles, in the title game for the first time since 2018, connected on 18-of-52 shot attempts (34 percent). 

Hafer noted his young squad continues to make progress. 

“This is an opportunity for us to learn and try to grow,” Hafer said. “This game will help us get better. We’re young when it comes to experience, so these games are important for us.” 

GAME RECAP

Webb City took a 23-16 lead in the second quarter after a hoop from Martin, but things suddenly changed.

Joplin grabbed all of the momentum, putting together a 15-0 run to end the first half. 

Both Wright brothers hit treys during the surge, while Simmons contributed a coast-to-coast layup.

All Wright’s third 3-pointer of the first half made it 29-23 in favor of the hosts. On the final play of the half, Joplin’s Malik Williams converted a steal into a buzzer-beating layup, giving the Eagles a 31-23 halftime advantage.

“We competed well in the second quarter and did some good things,” Hafer said. 

“We gave them clean looks and they made us pay for it,” Horn said. 

Webb City went the final 4:24 of the first half without a point.

But in the key third period, the Cardinals outscored the Eagles 23-8, making 9-of-18 shots.

“We were in a little bit of foul trouble in the second quarter with some key guys,” Horn said. “The main thing we told them is, ‘The shots are going to fall. We have to stay composed, play level-headed and stay solid on defense.’ Our defense led to some runouts for us and really helped us get going there in the second half. You’re not going to see us shoot the ball as poorly as we did in the first half, and some of that had to do with them (Joplin). But we’ve got some guys who are skilled at finishing in traffic or passing through traffic. And we share the ball well, so it’s hard to keep us from scoring consistently for four quarters.” 

On the other hand, Joplin made just 2-of-8 field goal attempts and had six turnovers during the third quarter.

“We settled a lot,” Hafer said of his team’s offensive struggles during the frame. “We didn’t execute very well. And then we got caught standing and watching. We kind of got stagnant and we tried to get it all back in one shot instead of trying to play the game and consistently do what we need to do offensively. But that’s on me as a coach.” 

The visitors put the game away with a strong start to the fourth period. 

Three free throws from Brumit and a Garrard putback pushed Webb City’s advantage to 51-41.

Moments later, Vaden scored five straight points and Kaden Turner contributed an old-fashioned 3-point play to extend the Cardinals’ cushion to 65-47.

Horn noted his team’s defense was much better in the second half.

“We did a better job of trying to keep All contained at the 3-point line,” Horn said. “He got loose three times in the first half where we didn’t run him off the line.” 

Joplin’s All Wright puts up a shot over Webb City’s Nickhai Howard on Saturday during the Kaminsky Classic’s championship game. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

GAME NOTES

Joplin was seeking its third championship after winning the event in both 2000 and ’01. 

Francis Howell won the last three Kaminsky Classic titles, but the Vikings were unable to attend this year’s event due to the pandemic. 

Francis Howell, Jefferson City and St. Louis University High will join William Chrisman as out of the area teams in the 2022 tourney. Webb City, Carl Junction and Nevada will join the host Eagles as the local squads. 

REMATCH IS TUESDAY

Joplin travels to Webb City on Tuesday night for a Central Ozark Conference clash inside the Cardinal Dome. 

“Webb City’s good,” Hafer said. “I think Webb City will be one of the upper-echelon teams in the COC. They’re capable of beating anyone. Webb beat us up pretty good today. Our guys will take it to heart and we’ll come back on Monday to get ready. We get a chance to go there on Tuesday and we’ll see if we can put a better effort on the floor for four quarters instead of just a couple.”

Joplin’s Always Wright puts up a runner in the lane. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

Joplin’s All Wright and Webb City’s Luke Brumit battle for a rebound during Saturday’s Kaminsky Classic title game. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

Joplin’s Dante Washington goes up for a layup against Webb City’s Mekhi Garrard. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

WEBB CITY (66) — Mekhi Garrard 5 2-2 12, Trenton Hayes 3 0-0 6, Nickhai Howard 2 4-4 8, Cohl Vaden 3 1-2 8, Luke Brumit 4 5-7 13, Alex Martin 5 1-2 12, Shane Noel 0 0-0 0, Kaden Turner 3 1-1 7, Max Higginbotham 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 14-18 66.

JOPLIN (55) — Always Wright 2 6-10 12, All Wright 7 1-2 19, Dante Washington 4 2-3 11, Dominick Simmons 1 0-0 2, Terrance Gibson 1 0-0 2, Bruce Wilbert 0 1-3 1, Fielding Campbell 1 0-0 2, Malik Williams 1 0-0 2, L.T. Atherton 1 2-2 4. Totals 18 12-20 55.

Webb City      14       9          23       20       —        66

Joplin  13       18       8          16       —        55

3-point goals—Martin, Vaden, Alw.Wright 2, All Wright 4, Washington. Total fouls—Webb City 22, Joplin 17. Fouled out—Hayes.

Basketball: Always Wright scores career-high 32, leads Joplin to season opening win

Always Wright admitted he may have been pressing just a bit too hard during the early stages of the Joplin boys basketball team’s season opener.

It’s understandable, as the junior guard is his team’s lone returning starter.

But as soon as Wright let the game come to him, the shots began to fall—again and again.

Wright poured in 32 points and led Joplin to an 80-60 non-conference victory over McDonald County on Tuesday night inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

“I didn’t know I had that much,” Wright said when informed of his scoring total. “Whoa…OK. That’s my career-high for a high school game. It was fun being out here tonight.” 

The 6-foot-3 sharpshooter made 13 field goals—seven 2-pointers and six 3-pointers. 

“He made a lot,” Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. “I’m going to go look and see how many he missed. He’s a good shooter, but Always has more to his game than that. When you can shoot the ball like Always does, it’s really hard to pass up some of those open ones. But he’s got more to his game. He can create for people. Obviously, Always scored the ball well. ” 

Wright scored 14 points in the first half and added 18 more after the break. 

“At first, I was putting too much pressure on myself and I was forcing some things,” Wright said. “I just had to go through the offense and I got a lot of good looks from that.” 

Joplin junior guard Always Wright scores on a drive through the lane against McDonald County on Tuesday night. Wright scored 32 points. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Wright showed he’s more than a jump-shooter, as he had success driving to the hoop. He nearly threw down a dunk, too, but Wright threw it off the back of the rim on the one-handed attempt. 

“I wanted to attack the rim and get their bigs in foul trouble and just put pressure on the defense,” Wright said. 

Two others reached double figures for the Eagles, as sophomore guard Dante Washington scored 20 points in an impressive varsity debut. Washington, a 6-1 guard, made eight 2-point field goals and knocked in 4-of-7 free throws. 

“Dante Washington running the floor just puts pressure on the defense,” Hafer said. 

Freshman guard All Wright added 10 points with a pair of treys in his prep debut. Junior forward LT Atherton contributed eight points. 

Joplin’s starting lineup featured Always Wright, Dominick Simmons, Washington, Atherton and Micah Bruggeman. Hafer used 11 different players in the game. 

“We’re still finding our way,” Hafer said. “We played a lot of kids. We’re still seeing where everybody fits with different lineups. We have a lot to get better at. We’ve got to get better defensively. But I was pleased. In the second half, we stopped settling as much and we started playing inside-out like we want to. And it’s amazing when we do that how easy it is to get shots to go in.” 

McDonald County’s Pierce Harmon scored 14 points and Garrett Gricks added 11. 

Joplin led 16-8 after a hoop in the paint from 6-5 sophomore Terrance Gibson, but the Mustangs closed the opening frame on a 7-0 run, capped by a wing trey from Sterling Woods.

Washington’s two hoops in transition and Atherton’s pair of free throws pushed Joplin’s advantage to 33-22 with four minutes remaining in the first half. 

By the break, the Eagles held a 41-29 lead. 

“We went on a little run in the second quarter that was key to separating, but then we kind of played even,” Hafer said. 

The Eagles turned up the defensive pressure after intermission, which led to hoops in transition off McDonald County’s turnovers. 

“I liked the way we started the second half,” Hafer said. “We came out and started turning them over and got some easy ones.” 

A corner trey from Always Wright pushed Joplin’s lead to 57-38 with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter. 

A long trey from the left wing by Always Wright made it 69-47 with 5:23 left, and the Eagles never relinquished their lead.

“That was good for us,” Hafer said of the opener. “With what we’re going to see in the COC, and on our schedule, it was a good first game. Mac plays hard, they have good guards, they have size. They have everything you want to see how you stack up. They’re going to get better, too. There wasn’t a lot of defense, but there’s a lot to take away from this one offensively.” 

NOTES: Joplin won the junior varsity game 75-33. The Eagles won the freshman game 47-43. The Eagles host Pittsburg on Dec. 4. 

 

Joplin 80, McDonald County 60

Mac Co.  15   14    13   18–60

Joplin     16    25   20    19–80

MCDONALD COUNTY (60): Trent Alik 2, Pierce Harmon 14, Cross Dowd 8, Sterling Woods 5, Cole Martin 7, Irael Marcos 1, Jackson Clarkson 4, Teddy Reedybacon 6, Weston Gordon 2, Garrett Gricks 11. 

JOPLIN (80): Always Wright 32, All Wright 10, Dante Washington 20, Dominick Simmons 2, Micah Bruggeman 1, Joe Jasper 3, LT Atherton 8, Terrance Gibson 4, Fielding Campbell 0, Carson Wampler 0, Zayshon Hugley 0. 

 

Joplin coach Jeff Hafer talks to his team during a timeout on Tuesday night. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

Joplin’s Dante Washington scored 20 points on Tuesday against McDonald County. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Always Wright will lead new-look Joplin boys basketball team

Always Wright is not only the lone returning starter for the Joplin boys basketball team, he’s also the sole player on the 2020-21 roster with significant varsity experience. 

With that, it’s safe to say Wright is expected to lead the way for the Eagles this winter. 

“Always has to carry a pretty heavy load for us with the experience he has being a two-year starter,” Eagles coach Jeff Hafer said after Thursday’s jamboree inside Kaminsky Gymnasium. 

A 6-foot-3 junior guard, Wright averaged nine points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal per game during a solid sophomore season, earning third-team all-Central Ozark Conference honors.

A sharp-shooter who can play either guard spot, Wright also gained plenty of varsity experience as a freshman. Hafer expects Wright to take his game to another level this winter as both a playmaker and scorer. 

Joplin’s Always Wright puts up a runner in the lane during Thursday’s jamboree at Joplin High School’s Kaminsky Gymnasium. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Hafer said his team’s other starting spots are still up for grabs ahead of Tuesday’s season-opener against McDonald County.

“It’s still wide open,” Hafer said. “We played a ton of different guys and used a lot of different lineups (at the jamboree). We’re trying to find our way. We’re still defining roles. I think we have a lot of guys who are trying to separate themselves from the others right now. It’s going to take a little bit of time.” 

Fielding Campbell, Dominick Simmons, Micah Bruggeman, Malik Williams, Carson Wampler and Zayshon Hugley are the team’s seniors. Campbell (5-11), Simmons (5-9) and Wampler (5-11) are guards, while the 6-3 Bruggeman is a guard/forward. The 6-5 Hugley and the 6-4 Williams are post players. 

In addition to Wright, other juniors on the roster are Bruce Wilbert, Wyatt Satterlee, Joe Jasper, Jalen Windham, LT Atherton, Brantley Morris, Zack Sparrow and Calvin Clark. 

Sophomores on the roster are Dante Washington, Hobbs Campbell, Chris Ugalde and Terrance Gibson. 

Freshman All Wright, a 6-1 guard, is another player who is likely to contribute nicely at the varsity level this winter. Always and All Wright spent time in the backcourt together throughout the jamboree.

The Eagles went 21-6 in a stellar 2019-20 season. Led by its senior class, including all-conference selections Isaiah Davis, Zach Westmoreland and Dakarai Allen, Joplin captured a district championship before falling to Kickapoo in the sectional round of the Class 5 state tournament. 

“We’re a different team this year,” Hafer said. “But I think we have the skill to be really good offensively. Defensively, we’re not as strong and athletic as we’ve been in the past. We’re going to have to find a way to defend and rebound if we want to be able to compete at a consistent level.” 

Hafer, who is assisted by James Spencer, Brandon Pate and Alex Smith, noted there’s a lot to like about this year’s squad.

“We have some depth,” said Hafer, who is now in his seventh season in charge of the boys program at his alma mater. “It could be a different guy on a different night this year. They’re working hard and they’re a fun group to be around. They’re a good group to coach. That part makes me excited to come to the gym.” 

Joplin’s Fielding Campbell puts up a shot in the lane against Lamar during Thursday’s jamboree. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

 

Joplin coach Jeff Hafer talks to his team during Thursday’s jamboree. Photo by Shawn Fowler.