Kickapoo held Joplin to four field goals in the first half, building a 20-point lead the Chiefs would never relinquish in a 60-20 win over the Eagles on Friday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
The Chiefs (10-1) held an eight-point lead over the Eagles (1-6) after the first quarter and pushed the advantage to 20 by the intermission. Kickapoo continued to attack in the second half, cruising to victory in the Eagles’ final home game of the 2023 calendar year.
“I thought it was a bad combination tonight,” first-year Joplin coach Nick Pfeifer said. “They’re a really good team and we didn’t bring our best stuff tonight. Unfortunately, that led to a pretty ugly performance. We still have to keep getting better. This is an experience that should have all of us looking in the mirror and asking ourselves, ‘How can we get better?’”
Kickapoo limited Joplin to a pair of field goals in the first quarter, while scoring the final six of the quarter to take a 14-6 advantage into the second period.
Joplin senior Whit Hafer, who has signed to play football at Missouri, gave the Eagles an early lead after splashing a 3-pointer from the wing to make the score 3-2 a minute and a half into the game.
The Chiefs proceeded to outscore the Eagles 12-3 over the remainder of the opening stanza. Shaun Campbell led Kickapoo with eight points in the first quarter.
“They are really good defensively,” Pfeifer said of Kickapoo’s defensive effort in the first half. “They guard the ball well, they’re in the right position and they do a good job of fighting through screens. Their ball pressure is very good and that makes it very difficult. We struggled to find guys to break that down and make a play for us.”
After scoring the first two baskets of the game for Kickapoo, junior F Jackson Shorter made his mark on the game to open the second period after converting the first three field goals of the period, including a dunk on the break. He added another field goal and a charity to fuel the Chiefs’ 25-8 lead midway through the period.
“He is what I would consider a physical, skilled post,” Pfeifer said of Shorter. “He is strong and has a nice base and is very skilled. He understands where he needs to put himself in order to make plays and help his teammates out as well.”
After starting the quarter on an 11-2 run, Kickapoo ultimately outscored Joplin 16-4 in the second period to take a 30-10 lead into the intermission.
The Chiefs pushed the lead to 30 with two minutes left in the third quarter on an alley-oop connection from Campbell to Shorter to make the score 45-15 and continued to push the pace until the final horn.
Shorter finished with 19 points to lead all scorers, while Campbell had 12 for Kickapoo.
Carter Harbin and Cooper Williams led Joplin with five points each. Joplin takes part in the 12 Courts of Christmas basketball tournament with a matchup against Smithville on Dec. 29 and a matchup against Central (St. Joseph) on Dec. 30.
Joplin girls basketball built a lead with a strong offensive performance in the second quarter and spent the second half locking down on the defensive end to preserve a 36-28 win over Monett on Tuesday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
The Eagles took a slim margin into the second period before starting the quarter with a surge on offense, pushing the lead to eight by the intermission. After building a double-digit advantage early in the second half, Joplin’s defense limited Monett to one field goal and 15 free throws in the second half en route to the win.
“We played extremely hard,” Joplin coach Brad Cox said. “We talked to our girls about playing a complete game for four quarters. If we can do that, we are going to be successful. Credit to Monett, they are a really good team. They scored 79 and 76 points in their last two games, so holding them to 28 was huge for our defense. I am super proud of the girls.”
Joplin took a 4-3 advantage into the second quarter and expanded that into an 18-11 lead by the intermission thanks in part to a 9-2 run to open the second stanza.
“We were just able to make some shots in the second quarter,” Cox said. “We worked the ball a little bit better, but overall we just made our shots.”
Alissa Owens accounted for two of Joplin’s field goals, while Bailey Owens added a score in the paint and Riley Kelly sank a shot from the perimeter.
After a pair of baskets from Monett’s Aryanna Seelye midway through the period trimmed the Cubs’ deficit to 13-9, Joplin closed the first half with a 5-2 spurt backed by another field goal from Alissa Owens as well as an offensive rebound and putback bucket from Solei Parker.
“Alissa was huge for us,” Cox said. “She never came out in that game. She is somebody we rely on because she has a motor like no other. She is a very important piece to our puzzle. As a sophomore, I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Joplin pushed its lead to double digits for the first time on an inside score from Alissa Owens early in the second half. Bailey Owens added a basket after Monett’s Abby Inman scored before she assisted on a score from Alissa Owens on a pass from the baseline to the paint to make the score 25-13 with five minutes on the clock.
Monett held Joplin scoreless over the next four minutes of game action, but the Eagles’ defense limited the Cubs to just four free throws in the span.
Joplin got a bucket from Aiyana Kroll at the one-minute mark to end the drought and ultimately take a 27-17 lead into the final eight minutes of play.
The Eagles’ defense continued to be a strength in the fourth quarter, with Joplin limiting Monett’s scoring down the stretch to 11 free throws, nine coming from Meredith Merriman.
“At halftime, we talked about putting the pedal to the metal,” Cox said about the defensive effort in the second half. “They did a great job of (preventing Monett from going on a run) by playing great defense. I told the girls defense is going to be one of our main pillars to success.”
Alissa Owens closed with a team-high 14 points, nine coming in the first half. Bailey Owens and Kelly each had seven points in the win.
Merriman finished with 15 points to lead Monett, while Seelye closed with five points.
COLUMBUS, Kan. — The Joplin Eagles finished third at Saturday’s Columbus Varsity Duals Tournament.
In the tourney’s third-place match, Joplin defeated Bentonville 42-39.
Joplin went 3-2 in duals on the day.
Joplin defeated Columbus 48-30 and the Eagles beat Caney Valley 58-15.
Miami defeated Joplin 45-30 and Nevada beat Joplin 42-33.
In the title match, Miami defeated Nevada 47-30.
Coffeyville beat Columbus 42-36 for fifth place and Pittsburg defeated Caney Valley 48-24 for seventh.
JOPLIN 42, BENTONVILLE 39 (THIRD PLACE)
The Eagles pulled out a close win to end the tourney on a positive note.
Bentonville won by forfeit at 106 pounds.
Joplin’s Gabriel Kabutha won by fall over Noah Hartley at 113 and Jacob Porter won by forfeit at 120.
Bentonville’s Marco Martinez pinned Dylan Houston at 126, but Joplin’s Andrew Burke won by fall over Maxx Corbett at 132.
Bentonville’s Austin Murphy won by fall over Michael Rhone at 138 and Joplin’s Toryn Jones won by forfeit at 144.
Bentonville won matches at 150, 157, 165 and 175, as Joplin’s Austin Puckett (150), Ben Hedrick (157) and Johnathon Burke (165) suffered losses before a forfeit at 175.
But the Eagles finished strong, as Ethan Bentz (190), Johnny Williams (215) and Josiah Hazelwood (285) all won their matches by fall.
GIRLS FINISH SIXTH
Columbus also hosted a girls dual tourney.
Joplin finished sixth at the event, falling to Coffeyville 48-30 in the fifth-place match.
In the fifth-place dual, Joplin’s Taylor Brown (135), Ericka Washom (145), Amy Kessler (155), Mya Ndedi Ntepe (170) and Ilannah Burtrum (235) won matches for the Eagles. Washom, Kessler and Ndedi Ntepe all won by fall, while Brown and Burtrum won by forfeit.
In the title match, Columbus beat Burlington 48-34.
For third, Independence defeated Cherryvale 36-30.
For seventh, Humboldt defeated Caney Valley.
In other matches, Independence defeated Joplin 36-33, Cherryvale beat Joplin 45-18, Joplin upended Caney Valley 33-12 and Joplin beat Humboldt 39-24.
Carthage limited Joplin on the offensive end in the first quarter to gain the advantage and establish the momentum en route to a win in the seventh-place game to open the final day of the Freeman Lady Eagle Classic on Saturday.
The Tigers (2-4) took a 12-point lead into the second stanza and held the Eagles (1-4) to one field goal in the first eight minutes. Joplin made a run to trim the lead to 10 late in the second period before Carthage used a pair of makes from the perimeter to push the lead to 16 by the intermission. The Tigers continued to push the pace in the second half.
“I liked our defensive intensity right from the beginning,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “They run some pretty good sets on offense and our girls were reading the screen action, getting through and communicating. Communication is one of our three main pillars this year, so I was proud of how they came out with it right from the opening tip.”
After Carthage’s Trisha Kanas and Joplin’s Riley Kelly traded 3-pointers early, the Tigers took the momentum with a 12-0 run to close the opening stanza with a 15-3 advantage.
“I liked that we shot in rhythm today,” Moore said. “I think the past couple of games, we haven’t done that as much. Rhythm jumpers go down way more often. We wanted to go inside-out, so we got those early 3s because of penetration. …That was good for us because that’s how we practice. We need to see that for four quarters against the better teams we will see down the road.”
Maggie Boyd and Lauren Choate connected from beyond the arc before Ashlyn Brust drove baseline past a defender for a score at the 3:32 mark. Choate added a score in the paint to push the lead to double digits, 13-3, before Brust penetrated the lane for a layup to wrap the scoring in the first period.
Joplin found its footing offensively in the second period, using a 10-5 run to cut the lead to 10, 23-13, with 54.6 seconds to play. Alissa Owens had six points in the run, while Claire Jasper added a bucket inside before Aiyana Kroll knocked down two at the stripe to wrap the run.
The Tigers refused to allow the Eagles to trim the margin to single digits before the intermission, using back-to-back 3-pointers from Jaidyn Brunnert and Choate to go into the half with a 29-13 advantage.
“Those are a couple of juniors stepping up to hit the shots to calm the tension,” Moore said. “It gets tense when the other team makes a run. So, I was proud of those two for stepping up and comfortably pushing the lead back out for us.”
Carthage stretched its lead to more than 20 points late in the third quarter when Alexis Jenny came up with an 8-0 run on her own to give the Tigers a 42-19 lead inside the final minute. She had a 3-pointer from the top of the key, banked in a trey from the wing and added another make from the floor.
“I am impressed by her maturity over the last week or two,” Moore said of his sophomore. “It’s a big step going from freshman basketball to varsity, coming in as a sub. … Today against Joplin, she got open and her teammates found her in rhythm, and she is a great rhythm shooter. We just need to keep maturing and growing in her confidence.”
Carthage held the 20-point pace for the final eight minutes of play.
The Tigers had eight players register points in the win, with Jenny leading the way with 11 points. Choate, Brust and Kanas each finished with nine points in the win.
Alissa Owens had 12 to lead the way for Joplin in the scoring department. Ava Wolf had five, while Bailey Owens finished with four in the loss.
Branson found itself trailing by the end of the first quarter only for the Pirates to rally and build a lead of their own on the way to a win in the fifth-place game of the Freeman Lady Eagle Classic on Saturday.
Down three after the first period, the Pirates doubled up the Pioneers 14-7 in the second quarter to take a two-possession lead into the intermission. Branson outscored Leavenworth 17-9 in the third quarter to build a double-digit lead the Pioneers wouldn’t rally back from.
Rylie Hagston led Branson with 14 points, while Ellison Mehrhoff finished with 11. Macie Rogers and Taylor Foster each scored nine points in the win.
Leavenworth was led in scoring by Eva Clements’ 12 points, with Kylee West adding 10 points in the loss. Makiya Baker scored eight points.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — For the first time since 2011, the host Tigers are the champions of their own Carthage Invitational boys basketball tournament.
Carthage torched the nets early and never trailed on the way to a 70-59 victory over rival Webb City on Saturday night in the 77th edition of the annual tournament.
The hot-shooting Tigers built a 12-point cushion by the end of the first quarter and the hosts were up by 20 entering the final frame.
The visiting Cardinals trimmed their deficit to single digits late in the game, but the Tigers never surrendered the lead. As a result, Carthage was the team celebrating with a tourney championship when the night concluded.
“I’m really proud of that group of kids,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. “It’s fun to come to work. We enjoy practice every single day. These kids have been great. Now they get to reap the benefits of what they’ve put in. We hadn’t won this tournament in 11 or 12 years. It wasn’t perfect tonight, but I’m just really proud of all of those kids in the locker room.”
Carthage came out on fire in the opening frame. The Tigers made five 3-pointers in the first quarter, three from senior Justin Ray and one apiece from junior Trent Yates and sophomore Landon Ray, to take a 21-9 lead.
Webb City stayed within striking distance after senior Barron Duda hit his second trey of the contest, but Justin Ray’s 14th point of the first half gave the hosts a 28-14 advantage.
Carthage’s Kruz Castor scores in the lane against Webb City on Saturday night during the championship game of the Carthage Invitational. Photo by Tyler Wade.
Carthage’s Taylor Stevens-Diggs scored three straight hoops off the bench and the Cardinals received buckets from Joel Hendrix, Joseph DeGraffenreid and Holton Keith late in the second quarter before the Tigers took a 34-21 lead into the break.
Simply put, while the Tigers shot well from the perimeter early in the contest, the Cardinals did not.
“It wasn’t the start we wanted,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “We didn’t shoot well and we didn’t finish plays around the basket. We had good looks. And Carthage has the best player in the area in Justin Ray. He’s as good as anybody in the COC.”
Carthage outscored Webb City 21-14 in the third quarter to take a commanding 55-35 advantage.
Webb City didn’t go down quietly. In fact, the Cardinals outscored the Tigers 24-15 in the fourth quarter.
The visitors trimmed their deficit all the way down to nine at 65-56 with 1:55 left after a hoop from Keith.
But Webb City simply had too many empty possessions in the fourth quarter, and Carthage converted more than enough free throws late in the game to secure the win.
“Those three guards for Webb City are great,” Morris said. “We had a great game plan and tried to limit them. We tried to take away Barron Duda as much as we could. Credit to our kids for locking into the scouting report and for executing tonight.”
Webb City’s Eli Pace looks score against the defense of Carthage’s Justin Ray. Photo by Tyler Wade.
Justin Ray poured in 25 points and was named the tourney’s Most Valuable Player.
Stevens-Diggs scored 16 points and Kruz Castor added 14. Landon Ray scored nine and Yates added six.
The Tigers made 14 of 25 free throws in the game, with 12 makes coming in the second half.
“We’re a team that’s going to shoot a lot of 3s, but I challenged them to get downhill and get to the foul line,” Morris said. “When we got fouled, for the most part we were able to bury our free throws.”
Duda led Webb City with 19 points and Keith added 17. Pace had 10 points and Omari Jackson scored nine.
“It was our fourth game of the week and I think fatigue started to set in, especially with the way we play,” Horn said. “We’ve got some guys who still have limited practices and they’re playing their way into shape. And there may have been some nerves at the start of the game. We had some guys who were playing in a championship game for the first time. But I have to give our guys credit. They kept playing hard. We played through the misses. We’ll get better and more organized.”
Webb City’s Omari Jackson puts up a shot in the lane against Justin Ray.
Morris noted capturing a tourney championship should give his squad a nice confidence boost.
“This can only be good for us leading into a week where we play two of the better teams in the state of Missouri,” Morris said. “We’ve got Springfield Central and Sparta coming up and it should be a good challenge for us.”
Carthage (3-0) hosts Springfield Central on Tuesday and Webb City (3-1) is at Rogers Heritage on Tuesday.
The Cardinals and Tigers will meet again in COC play on Jan. 30 inside Webb City’s Cardinal Dome.
RAYMORE-PECULIAR 48, JOPLIN 41
Joplin’s late comeback attempt fell short in the tournament’s third-place game.
Raymore-Peculiar used a 12-0 run in the first quarter to take control.
The Panthers, who hit five treys in the opening frame, took a 22-10 lead into the second quarter.
By the break, Ray-Pec held a 28-20 advantage.
Joplin kept coming, limiting the Panthers to five points in the third period.
The Eagles made things interesting late in the game.
After a hoop from Collis Jones and a corner 3-pointer from Brecken Green, the Eagles only trailed by three with 50 seconds left.
But Ray-Pec’s Ashton Jermain made four key free throws late in the game to seal the win for the Panthers.
Jermain scored 19 points to lead the Panthers and Brendan Perry added 16.
Fred Taylor led Joplin with 12 points, while Hobbs Gooch and Jones added six points apiece. Tristan Gage scored five for JHS and Carter Harbin had four.
“For three quarters, we were really good defensively,” Joplin coach Nick Pfeifer said. “After a poor first quarter, we had to fight our way back and play from behind the rest of the way. I was proud of the way that we competed, got ourselves back into it, and even had some chances to take the lead late. However, we know that playing incomplete games and only scoring 41 points makes it very difficult. We must be able to take the lessons learned from the tournament and continue to improve.”
NEVADA 52, LEAVENWORTH 43 (OT)
The Nevada Tigers ended the invite on a high note by beating Leavenworth in overtime in the fifth-place game.
The game was deadlocked at 41 at the end of regulation before Nevada outscored Leavenworth 11-2 in the extra session.
“I’m really proud of the grit our guys showed in the second half of this game,” Nevada coach Shaun Gray said. “Shots were not falling and the ball was not bouncing our way, but we stayed the course and continued to grind. Several players stepped up big for us. Our defense was the difference tonight.”
Nevada led 16-11 at the end of the first quarter, but the game was tied at 26 at halftime after a back and forth second period.
The Pioneers held a 36-31 advantage at the end of the third quarter, but a 3-pointer from Nevada’s Riddick Shook tied the game at 41 late in the contest.
A last-second trey by Nevada was off the mark and the game went into overtime.
Brice Budd and Kellen Braden both hit 3-pointers early in the extra session to give Nevada the lead for good.
Budd scored 14 points to lead Nevada (3-3), while Jack Cheaney added 11 points. Gabe Smith scored nine points, while Braden and Shook each scored eight.
“This win is something we can build on, and we are very pleased with our improvements this week,” Gray said. “Anytime you can go 2-1 in Carthage it’s something we’ll take. We’re looking forward to a good tournament next week at Butler.”
In the tourney’s seventh-place game, Fort Smith Southside defeated the Carthage junior varsity 73-49.
The Carthage Tigers pose with the championship plaque after winning the 77th Carthage Invitational on Saturday. Justin Ray (0) was the MVP. Photo by Tyler Wade.
Joplin started out strong before Blue Valley West rallied in the second quarter to gain the lead by the intermission and didn’t relinquish it before the sound of the final horn.
The Eagles (1-2) held a one-possession lead at the end of the first period before the Jaguars (3-0) used scoring runs to start the second and third quarters to build an insurmountable lead en route to the win.
“I thought we came out great in the first quarter,” Joplin coach Brad Cox said. “We came out, got after them and really executed the way we wanted to. Then, they kind of punched us in the face (in the second and third quarters) and we didn’t respond the right way. We have to understand that we can compete with anybody, but we have to sustain the competitiveness throughout the whole game.”
The Eagles held the 9-7 advantage after the first quarter thanks to five points from sophomore F Alissa Owens, including a 3-pointer, as well as buckets from senior F Bailey Owens and junior F Riley Kelly.
Blue Valley West bounced back in the second period. The Jaguars started the second period on an 8-0 run to take a 15-9 lead through the first three minutes of action. Mackenzie Galliart had four of the points with a pair of inside scores, while Brooke Carter added a steal and score on the break.
Joplin got buckets from Kelly and junior F Aiyana Kroll to trim the lead to one possession, 15-13, midway through the period.
BVW scored the final three points of the first half, with Galliart getting a bucket in the paint late in the quarter.
The Jaguars put the game out of reach thanks to their fast start in the second half, scoring the first 15 points of the third period to take a commanding 33-13 advantage through the first five and a half minutes of action. Marisa Tomlen highlighted the run with two 3-pointers and eight total points, while Galliart and Kendal Ford each had inside scores before Carther closed the run with her second trey of the game.
“It was our lack of effort,” Cox said when asked what changes in play he saw from his team after the first quarter. “And that is solely on me. That is my job to make sure that we are always playing with high intensity. We made some lineup changes at the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth and got after it a little better.
“That is some stuff I will have to look at when I watch film—who is going to go out and play extremely hard. We know our skill level is different and we have to counter that with effort. I don’t feel like our effort was there all game. When things started to go wrong, our effort deteriorated and that is something that cannot happen.”
Joplin got on the board with just over a minute to play in the quarter on a basket from Kelly before Alissa Owens added an inside score to cut the deficit to 33-17 with eight minutes left to play.
Blue Valley West played with its sizable cushion through the final horn.
Tomlen knocked down four 3-pointers on the way to 14 points, while Carter converted twice from the perimeter on the way to 12 points to lead BVW in scoring.
Alissa Owens and Kelly each had seven points to lead Joplin in scoring.
Joplin takes on Branson at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the consolation bracket, while Blue Valley West takes on Russellville at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in the championship bracket.
RUSSELLVILLE 66, BRANSON 55
Russellville jumped out to a double-digit lead after the first eight minutes of action and never let go of the lead on the way to a win over Branson in the opening round of the Freeman Lady Eagles Classic on Thursday.
The Cyclones took a 17-6 lead into the second period and took an eight-point lead into the intermission. Russellville pushed its lead back to double digits by the end of the third quarter and held on down the stretch for the win.
Taleigha Ealy led all scorers with a game-high 21 points for Russellville, while Shyisha Willis finished with 12 and Kayna Keaster closed with 11 in the win.
Angelique Craigg had a team-high 17 points to lead the Pirates. Ellison Mehroff finished with nine points, while Kaedyn Pierce finished with eight in the loss.
Russellville takes on Blue Valley West at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in the championship bracket, while Branson takes on Joplin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the consolation bracket.
Recording eight wins by fall, Carl Junction defeated Joplin 51-30 in a boys wrestling dual on Thursday night inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
At 106 pounds, Joplin’s Lucas Allen won by forfeit.
Joplin’s Gabriel Kabutha won by fall over CJ’s Jayden Kean at 113.
The Bulldogs won three straight matches by pinfall, as Carter Fogleson pinned Chance Blobaum at 120, Drake Richardson won by fall over Dylan Houston at 126 and Max Matthews pinned Andrew Burke at 132.
Joplin’s Freddy Cerrato-Martinez won by fall over Cole Beezley at 138.
Carl Junction reeled off six wins in a row.
Carl Junction’s Brenden Berry won by fall over Toryn Jones at 144, Kale Trosper earned a 9-7 decision over Ben Hedrick at 150 and Aaron Dillingham pinned Johnathon Burke at 157 pounds.
Next, Carl Junction’s Dexter Merrell won by fall over James Clemens at 165, Marcus Lopez-Durman pinned Andrew Esterline at 175 and Tony Stewart won by fall over Ethan Bentz at 190.
The Eagles won two straight to end the dual.
Joplin’s Johnny Williams won by forfeit at 215 before teammate Josiah Hazelwood won by fall over Blake Starks at heavyweight.
Note: Carl Junction won a girls dual over Joplin, 19-18. Match by match results were unavailable at time of publication.
ANDERSON, Mo. — Joplin started the tenure of first-year head coach Nick Pfeifer off on a high note with a convincing 70-45 road win over McDonald County on Tuesday night in the season opener.
The Eagles caught fire from range from the tip to build an 18-point lead by the end of the first quarter, which turned into a 33-18 advantage into the intermission. Joplin pushed the lead to more than 20 for the first time in the third quarter and didn’t let up down the stretch to secure the win and a 1-0 start to the season.
GAME ACTION
Joplin started the game with the hot hand from 3-point land, knocking down five shots from range in the first eight minutes to help build a 24-6 advantage to start the second period.
The Eagles started the game on a 7-0 run with 3-pointers from Collis Jones and Fred Taylor before Whit Hafer knocked down a free throw.
After the Mustangs (0-1) got on the board with a drive from Destyn Dowd, Joplin got back to back triples from Brecken Green and Carter Harbin to push the lead to 13-2 near the midway point of the opening period.
Jones knocked down a mid-range jumper before another 3-ball from the wing by Taylor extended the Joplin advantage to 18-4.
Joplin closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run with David Bhend scoring on a back cut and Cooper Williams earning a steal and finishing it off with a layup on the break inside of 30 seconds to play to make the score 24-6.
After Dowd started the scoring in the second with a steal for his third layup of the game, Green knocked down the Eagles’ sixth 3-pointer of the night after another make from the corner off the swing pass from Hafer to grow the lead to 19, 27-8.
McDonald County used an offensive rebound and putback from Anthony D’Amico and an inside score from Joshua Pacheco to trim the Mustangs’ deficit to 27-13 with less than four minutes to play in the first half.
Pacheco added another driving score late to cut the Joplin lead to 15, which was the margin at the intermission.
McDonald County got its first 3-pointers of the game early in the second half with Cael Carlin knocking both down to cut the Joplin lead to 13, 37-24.
Taylor found Green in the corner for another 3-ball, drawing the foul on the play to convert the four-point play at the 6:34 to make the score 41-24.
Joplin pushed the lead to more than 20 for the first time when Jones grabbed an offensive rebound and found a cutting Taylor for a floater to make the score 47-26 with less than four minutes to play in the third.
Joplin took a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter and held that pace through the final horn.
SCORING LEADERS
Joplin had 10 players score in the win, leading the way with four players in double figures. Green led the way with 16 points, while Jones added 11 in the win. Taylor and Williams both finished with 10 points apiece.
The Mustangs were led in scoring by Dowd’s 15 points, while Pacheco had 13 in the loss. Carlin added nine, while Toby Moore had six.
With the departure of coach Bronson Schaake after two seasons with the program, Joplin elevated assistant coach Nick Pfeifer to lead the Eagles ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Pfiefer, who was previously the head basketball coach at Erie High School for 10 years and joined the JHS staff last year as the freshman coach, is incredibly grateful for the opportunity and ready to see what the 2023-24 season has in store for his team.
“We are extremely excited for the season to get going,” Pfeifer said. “As a first year head coach with a lot of new, it is an exciting time for Joplin basketball and we look forward to putting forth the effort and commitment that will be required to have success.
“I thought we have had a productive fall offseason with the guys that are not in fall sports, and I thought our summer was pretty strong with everyone. We know that we have a lot of production to replace and will have a lot of new faces playing important roles for us this season.”
The Eagles will be without a pair of their top players from a year ago after losing F Terrance Gibson to graduation as well as being without the team’s top offensive threat from last year, all-conference G All Wright (transfer).
Fortunately, for Pfiefer, he has a bevy of experienced players back in the fold to help lead the locker room in his first season at the helm.
Headlining the list of returners is senior 6-foot-7 F and Missouri football commit Whit Hafer, who averaged 6.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and an assist per game last year as a junior.
“Whit is a tremendously skilled player that is capable of filling up the stat sheet as well as doing the little things that don’t always show up in the books,” Pfeifer said. “His impact is huge on both ends of the floor and we will need him to demonstrate great leadership as well as production. We are looking forward to what Whit can accomplish this season.”
Also back to the starting rotation is junior G Cooper Williams, who will be joined by junior G/F Collis Jones and sophomore G Fred Taylor—both of whom saw starting minutes last season. Junior guards Trenton Gage and Aiden Scourten return with varsity experience.
“I believe that we have some truly skilled guys that are going to enjoy playing with each other and sharing the basketball,” Pfeifer said. “It will be important that we put players in positions where they can be successful and I think that will be a key.”
Joplin is heading into the season with the identity of a defensive team. With several upperclassmen on the roster, they will be using that leadership to accomplish its goals on that end of the floor.
“Our biggest strength will need to be our defense, as that is what we want to pride ourselves on.” Pfeifer added. “If we can make it difficult on opposing teams, then I believe we will have the potential to have success on the offensive side of the floor. Leadership and production from our upperclassmen and in particular, Whit Hafer, will also be a strength and a key.”
A new face to the varsity squad who is expected to make an impact will be junior G Carter Harbin, who missed last season with a knee injury.
With Pfeifer taking over, he is aware of the challenges a first-year coach can have, particularly with the loss of a player like Wright, who led the team in scoring a year ago after averaging over 20 points per game. That said, he expects his players to take full advantage of the extra opportunities they’ll have this season as they grow on the court as a team.
“I believe that having new players with expanded roles and some younger guys with limited experience and production at the varsity will be a challenge for us,” he said. “This also creates opportunities and I am looking forward to seeing which players will be able to step up and into some of these roles. We just have to focus on getting better as the year goes on and understanding the way that we want to play. Guarding, rebounding and being efficient on offense is essential.”
Joplin opens the season at McDonald County on Nov. 28.
Joplin graduated four integral seniors from last year’s team, but the Eagles return two starters and several others who boast varsity experience and are ready to improve off last year’s record in head coach Brad Cox’s second year at the helm.
“I am extremely excited for the upcoming season,” Cox said. “We have had an amazing offseason and we look to apply our hard work to the floor this winter.”
Joplin graduated decorated point guard Brynn Driver as well as SG Isabella Yust, F Serafina Auberry and F Jill McDaniel from last year’s squad.
The Eagles return sophomore guard Alissa Owens and junior G Riley Kelly to the starting lineup as the anchors of the team this season.
“Alissa had an amazing offseason,” Cox said. “She has the ability to score off the dribble and hit knockdown shots.
“Riley is an extremely hard worker and she has the ability to score both inside and outside. She is always willing to make the extra-effort plays, taking charges and getting off the floor. We will look for her leadership this season.”
Bringing back always-important varsity experience is senior F Bailey Owens, senior G Ashley Phillips, senior F Claire Jasper, junior G Isabella Cruse, junior F Aiyana Kroll and sophomore F Ava Wolf.
“I expect us to have a very good season and to be competitive in all games,” Cox said of his team. “The amount of hours that our players and staff have put in this offseason will only benefit us in being competitive this season.”
Deepening the rotation, Joplin welcomes sophomore guards Solei Parker and Brylee Strickland.
“Solei had had an amazing offseason and we look for her to contribute a lot on the varsity this season. She is a skilled ball handler and has worked extremely hard on her shot in the offseason.
“Brylee has improved a lot in the offseason and she is one of the fastest girls in our area. We look for her to help us on the defensive end to create steals and to use her quickness to get to the basket.”
Joplin is also adding junior G Kelly Kumbier and senior F Megan Meeker to the varsity level this year.
Heading into Coach Cox’s second season, he has been impressed with the effort and amount of work his team has been putting in during the offseason and in the early portions of the preseason. With his biggest goal for the team being a complete culture change from year’s past, saying he is encouraged by the results thus far would be an understatement.
“We are developing a culture of hard work and competitiveness,” Cox said. “Our girls will practice hard and play even harder every game. As a program, we have been talking about having a growth mindset and growing as individuals and as a team everyday. My belief is that if we continue these traits our program will grow at a rapid rate.”
Joplin opens the season on the road, traveling to Mount Vernon on Tuesday.
“The key for success for us this year is to be tough on defense,” Cox said. “I think we have made growth in our shooting which will help us score, but I feel like the biggest growth has come with our defense. The girls have really bought into our defensive philosophy and we hope to see it translated onto the floor this winter.”
ST. PETERS, Mo. — Joplin High School junior Nathan Wardlow earned honorable mention all-state honors by finishing 11th in the 100-yard backstroke at the MSHSAA Class 2 Boys Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.
Nathan Wardlow
Wardlow’s performance in the backstroke, where he recorded a time of 54.77 seconds, was Joplin’s lone all-state showing.
Wardlow finished 16th in the prelims of the backstroke (55.55) on Friday before moving up to 11th and swimming nearly a second faster in the consolation finals on Saturday.
The top eight finishers in each event are all-state performers, with places 9-16 earning honorable mention all-state recognition.
Wardlow just missed advancing to the consolation finals of the 500 freestyle, as he placed 17th in Friday’s prelims with a time of 4:58.
Joplin’s 200 medley relay team of Wardlow, Jackson Mordica, Parker Hinman and Ian Vermillion finished 23rd with a time of 1:47.
In the 400 freestyle relay, Joplin’s team of Wardlow, Vermillion, Isaiah Thom and Hinman placed 26th in 3:39.
The Eagles were 28th in the 200 freestyle relay, as Vermillion, Mordica, Jordan Goins and Thom recorded a time of 1:42.
Also, Hinman finished 25th in the 100 backstroke prelims with a time of 57.87 seconds.
The top four teams in Class 2 were Rockhurst (280), SLUH (272), Park Hill South (261) and Chaminade (206).
The Joplin area will once again be well-represented at the MSHSAA Boys Swimming and Diving Championships.
Joplin has entries in the Class 2 meet, while Carthage, Webb City, Monett and Nevada will have athletes competing at the Class 1 event.
The Class 1 meet is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, while the Class 2 event will be held on Friday and Saturday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.
CLASS 2
JOPLIN EAGLES
The Joplin Eagles will compete in six events at the Class 2 state championships.
Joplin junior standout Nathan Wardlow qualified for the state meet in two individual events, the 500-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke.
Wardlow is seeded ninth in both events. He’ll also compete on two relays.
Eagles junior Parker Hinman qualified in the 100 backstroke.
The Eagles swam qualifying times in all three relays during the regular season.
The 200 medley relay will feature Wardlow, Hinman and seniors Jackson Mordica and Ian Vermillion.
The team’s 200 freestyle relay consists of sophomore Isaiah Thom, Vermillion, junior Jordan Goins and Mordica.
Joplin’s 400 freestyle relay features Wardlow, Vermillion, Thom and Hinman.
Relay alternates are juniors Connor Intessimone and Gideon Speer and freshman Owen Mordica.
CLASS 1
CARTHAGE TIGERS
The Central Ozark Conference champion Carthage Tigers will be represented in nine of the 12 events at the Class 1 state championships.
The Tigers qualified for state in all three relays.
Senior Kellen Frieling, junior Braxton McBride and sophomore Will Wright qualified in two individual events apiece.
Frieling will compete in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke, while McBride advanced in both the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle. Wright qualified in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke, while sophomore Maveric Allphin will compete in the 100 breaststroke.
In addition to Frieling, McBride, Wright and Allphin, seniors Noah Blackford, Ben Rogers and Daryl Martin, juniors Ryan Steinbach, Aydan Nye and Emerson Ixcol and sophomores Carter Yost and Hayden Wilkinson are options and alternates on the three relays.
WEBB CITY CARDINALS
Webb City will be represented in four events.
Webb City senior Micah Brouwer qualified in two individual events, the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke.
Sophomore Grant Humphrey will compete in the 1-meter diving competition.
The Cardinals swam a qualifying time in the 400 freestyle relay, with junior Adrien Black, senior Aiden Patterson, freshman Cole Dalton and senior Steve Kenlee the likely foursome.
Sophomore Dalton Spence, junior Dagan Chacon, freshman Isaac Shipley and freshman Quentin Custenborder are listed as alternates for the relay.
MONETT CUBS
The Monett Cubs will compete in seven events.
For Monett, junior Jonathan Apostol qualified in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke, while senior Ryan Goodson advanced in the 50 free and the 100 free.
The Cubs qualified in all three relays.
NEVADA TIGERS
The Tigers will compete in four events.
Nevada sophomore Trace Gould advanced in the 100 breaststroke and classmate Kolton Evans qualified in the 100 backstroke.
Nevada qualified in two relays — the 200 and the 200 freestyle.
NIXA, Mo. — Webb City’s girls and boys cross country teams advanced full squads to the state championships and Joplin had individual qualifiers in both races at the Class 5 District 2 meet on Saturday at Inman Elementary School.
At the district meet, the top four teams and the top 30 individuals advanced to the state meet.
The top four girls teams were Raymore-Peculiar (56), Webb City (97), Kickapoo (99) and Ozark (115).
Joplin senior Katherine Schaefer finished eighth in 19:12 to advance.
Webb City sophomore Brooke Hedger finished 11th in 19:20, while freshmen Emma McKinzie (19th), Olivia Klotz (20th) and Amelia Antillon (22nd) and senior Emily Countryman (25th) all recorded top 25 finishes to lead the Cardinals to the runner-up team showing.
Webb City’s sixth and seventh runners were Brooke Collard (52nd) and Rachel Miller (76th).
Among the local athletes unable to move on were Joplin’s Kyrie Britton (33rd), Carthage’s Maggie Boyd (41st) and Joplin’s Averi Burks (42nd).
Republic’s Gracie Troester was the girls medalist in 18:12.
The top four boys teams were Nixa (65), Raymore-Peculiar (88), Lee’s Summit (97) and Webb City (108).
Joplin junior Chance Tindall finished fifth in 15:36, while Webb City senior Evan Stevens was sixth in 15:39 and Joplin senior Ian Horton took seventh in 15:41.
Webb City’s Mason Hedger placed 16th in 16:05, Joplin’s Grey Edwards was 21st in 16:11 and Webb City’s duo of Andrew Dawson and Spencer Kendall finished 25th and 26th, respectively.
Webb City’s fifth runner was Noah Lankard (35th), while Fenton Rice (46th) and Dakota Grove (60th) were the Cardinals’ sixth and seventh runners.
Nixa’s Aaron Ashley was the district champ in 15:32.
Carthage’s Eddy Fuentes finished just outside of the top 30 in 33rd and Neosho’s Adam Farrell finished 53rd.
The MSHSAA Class 5 Cross Country Championships will be held on Nov. 4 at Gans Creek in Columbia.
Joplin High School junior Nathan Wardlow shattered a pair of school records at Saturday’s Springfield Invitational.
Wardlow set school records in the 500-yard freestyle and the 200 IM at the meet. Wardlow recorded a time of 4:50.01 in the 500 free and 2:01.06 in the 200 IM.
The previous JHS record for the 500 free was 4:53.92 and was set by Andrew Chesney in 2015. The previous record for the 200 IM was 2:01.82 and was set by Alex Crawford in 2019.
On Saturday, Wardlow won the 500 free and he finished third in the 200 IM.
The JHS 200 medley relay team finished seventh in 1:47 and featured Wardlow, Jackson Mordica, Parker Hinman and Ian Vermillion.
Joplin’s 400 freestyle relay team of Wardlow, Vermillion, Isaiah Thom and Hinman finished eighth in 3:41.
In other highlights of Saturday’s meet, Hinman placed eighth in the 100 backstroke and 13th in the 200 IM, while Vermillion was 18th in the 100 butterfly and 20th in the 500 free and Jackson Mordica took 20th in the 100 breaststroke.
The Eagles finished 19th in the 200 freestyle relay.
Joplin finished eighth in the team standings. There were 23 full squads competing.
Rockhurst, Lafayette, Rock Bridge and Glendale were the top four teams.
Also of note, Monett’s Ryan Goodson finished seventh in the 50 freestyle and Nevada’s Kolton Evans took seventh in the 100 backstroke.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — For the second straight year, the Carthage Tigers were celebrating at the conclusion of the Central Ozark Conference boys swimming and diving championships.
Led by seven event wins, Carthage repeated as COC champs on Tuesday night at the Buck Miner Swim Center on the campus of Webb City High School. The Tigers topped the team standings with 324 points.
“Last year was the first year we’d ever won it, and we graduated four seniors and lost a couple of other kids,” Carthage coach Braden McBride said. “So this really came as a surprise. Joplin has the best swimmer in the conference in Nathan Wardlow. Ozark has Steve Boyce as their coach and he’s won state championships. And I’ve learned so much from Shawn Klosterman. The fact that we won this year’s meet is awesome. It’s not just the guys who earn the medals and get on the podium, we’ve got a lot of guys scoring points. Those guys scoring the seventh, eighth and ninth place points really matter and are big for our program.”
Host Webb City was second in the team standings with 233 points and Joplin took third with 205.
“I’m pretty happy, we had some good swims,” Webb City coach Shawn Klosterman said. “We had some guys move up and that’s what you always look for. It’s always an inspired meet. Carthage is loaded, so they’re pretty untouchable this year. Joplin has some studs this year, and I thought they were going to get us. We pulled off second place, so we’re happy with that.”
“Overall, I think there were a couple of events where we could have done a little better, but the guys performed well,” Joplin coach Aaron Stump said. “If we had diving, we would have been closer to second overall. Webb City has that advantage on us. But I’m happy with how the guys performed tonight.”
Nixa (180), Ozark (93) and Republic (92) rounded out the team standings.
Carthage’s Kellen Frieling won the 100-yard backstroke at Tuesday’s COC Swim Meet. Photo by Israel Perez.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
Carthage’s Will Wright won the breaststroke at Tuesday’s COC Swim Meet.
The Tigers won two of the three relays and also took first in five individual events.
“Our boys competed well and they did everything we thought they’d need to do tonight,” Coach McBride said. “It was a great night.”
Carthage’s 200-yard medley relay team of Kellen Frieling, Braxton McBride, Will Wright and Maveric Allphin took first with a time of 1:47.
The Tigers won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:34, with Braxton McBride, Frieling, Aydan Nye and Wright competing.
Carthage finished second in the 200 freestyle, as Allphin, Daryl Martin, Ben Rogers and Nye recorded a time of 1:42.
Braxton McBride and Frieling each won two individual events.
A junior, McBride won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.15 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 51.71 seconds.
A senior, Frieling took first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.46 seconds and also captured gold in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.69 seconds.
A sophomore, Wright won the 100 breaststroke in 1:05. Wright also finished second in the 200 IM.
The Tigers received big points in several other events. Allphin finished third in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 50 free, while Martin took fourth in the 100 free and Noah Blackford finished fourth in the 100 backstroke.
Also, Ryan Steinbach took sixth in the both the 200 IM and the 500 free, Emerson Ixcol took sixth in the 100 backstroke, Carter Yost finished seventh in the 200 IM and Rogers took seventh in the 500 free.
“Kellen, Braxton and Will have committed to being year-round swimmers,” Coach McBride said. “They lead us, but they’ve got a lot of other guys with them. It was a total team victory.”
Webb City’s Dagan Chacon is pictured during the COC Swim Meet.
WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS
Webb City fared well in the relays.
The 200 medley relay team of Cole Dalton, Micah Brouwer, Dalton Spence and Aiden Patterson finished third in 1:54.
Webb City was also third in the 200 freestyle relay, as Steve Kenlee, Spence, Brouwer and Adrien Black recorded a time of 1:43.
The Cardinals were fourth in the 400 freestyle relay, with Black, Kenlee, Dalton and Patterson competing.
Black was the runner-up in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:28, while Brouwer placed second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:07 and third in the 200 IM in 2:16.
Black and Kenlee took fourth and sixth in the 200 freestyle, while Kenlee and Patterson were fifth and seventh in the 100 butterfly.
Also for the Cardinals, Spence was fifth in both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke, Dalton was fifth in the 100 free, Patterson placed fifth in the 500 free, Cole was fifth in the 100 backstroke and Dagan Chacon finished seventh in the 50 free.
Webb City’s Grant Humphrey won the 1-meter diving competition, besting Nixa’s Keegan Sandgren for the top spot.
“Adrien had a big meet and our 200 free relay moved up from fifth to third, so I was proud of that,” Klosterman said. “Aiden had a season-best in the 500, so that was big. Grant Humphrey had a great day. He’s a new kid, but he’s proven to be very competitive.
“I’m also glad we got to have a Senior Night, too,” Klosterman said. “And it’s always nice to host this meet. It’s a hectic day, but it’s really nice to have it here.”
Joplin’s Nathan Wardlow won two events at the COC Swim Meet on Tuesday. Photo by Israel Perez.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
Joplin was led by the standout performance of junior Nathan Wardlow.
Joplin’s Nathan Wardlow reacts to his time in the 500-yard freestyle, which broke a pool record set in 1984.
Wardlow was the COC champion in two events, as he won the 200 individual medley in 2:02 and took first in the 500 freestyle with a record-breaking time of 4:53.
Wardlow set a meet and pool record in the 500 freestyle. The previous pool record (4:55) was set in 1984 by Sean Garretson of Jenks, Oklahoma. The COC record (4:57) was set by Ozark’s Graham Eisenmann in 2022.
“Nathan has been impressive all year,” Stump said. “I see a lot of drive from him. I saw him kick it into another gear tonight. For him to get that time in the 500 free here, I couldn’t be more impressed.”
The Eagles had a top-five finish in all three relays.
Joplin’s 200 medley relay team of Wardlow, Jackson Mordica, Parker Hinman and Ian Vermillion finished second in 1:50.
The JHS team of Wardlow, Isaiah Thom, Vermillion and Hinman took second in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:40.
The Eagles placed fifth in the 200 freestyle relay, with Owen Mordica, Jackson Mordica, Jordan Goins and Thom competing.
A junior, Hinman was the runner-up in two events, the 100 fly in 59.71 seconds and the 100 backstroke in 1:00.
Vermillion and Thom finished third and sixth, respectively, in the 50 freestyle, while Jackson Mordica took fourth in the 100 breaststroke.
Also for the Eagles, Vermillion was sixth in the 100 fly, Thom took seventh in the 100 free and Owen Mordica placed seventh in the 100 backstroke.
CENTRAL OZARK CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Team standings: Carthage 324, Webb City 233, Joplin 205, Nixa 180, Ozark 93, Republic 92.
Carthage’s Carter Yost is pictured during Tuesday’s Central Ozark Conference swimming and diving championships. Photo by Israel Perez.
Jackson Mordica competes for the Joplin Eagles on Tuesday night in Webb City. Joplin finished third in the team standings at this year’s COC Meet. Photo by Israel Perez.
The Carthage Tigers pose on Tuesday night after winning the Central Ozark Conference Championships for the second straight season. Photo by Jason Peake.
Fifth-seeded Carthage trailed 6-4 heading into the sixth inning before scoring six times with two outs to take control on the way to a 10-6 win over fourth-seeded Joplin in the finale of the opening round of the Class 5 District 7 tournament on Thursday at the JHS Athletic Center.
“Joplin is a great offensive team and they just come at you and are hard outs from the top of the lineup to the bottom of the lineup,” Carthage coach Stephanie Ray said after the win. “We regained our focus and honed it back in there after they got out ahead of us. We had some opportunities to score after getting runners on base with our speed before we just started getting hits where we needed them in that sixth inning to get those six runs.”
ALL GOOD THINGS
The loss ends Joplin’s season with a 15-14 record, with the Eagles graduating seniors Bailey Ledford (3B), Ashley Phillips (LF), Taryn Casey (RF), Peyton Meadows (LF) and Megan Meeker (RF).
“I am very happy with the way the girls responded throughout that game,” Joplin coach Brenden Schneider said. “Obviously, we can’t give up a six spot because it’s hard to come back from that. But, it’s funny because that’s how the game works. Last time we played them (earlier in the season), we put up a big inning to go ahead in the top of the seventh at their place. … Credit to Carthage for finding a way to have good at-bats and battle all game. The one thing I have always said about Coach Ray’s Carthage teams is they’re extremely tough and always play you hard. Hopefully, next year we will find a way to overcome that stuff and get better.”
“Every single one of those kids has found a way to get better and found a way to help their teammates get better,” Schneider added of his senior class. “Ultimately, it’s a softball program, but it’s also a human-development program. When they leave this place after four years, the one thing we care about more than wins and losses or statistics is, ‘are they better people?’ If they walk off this field as better human beings than when they walked on it for the first time, I feel like our staff has done a pretty good job. We can’t thank those five enough for how they’ve helped turn this program around. We are going to miss all five of them. There is nothing more I can say than thank you.”
RUN WITH TWO
Carthage went into the sixth inning down 6-4 and rallied with six runs touching home with two outs in the frame. Lottie Youngblood brought in the first two runs with a two-run single to center to tie the game at 6-6. Shelby Hegwer flared a ball to right field for an RBI single and a 7-6 advantage. After a Joplin pitching change, Lexa Youngblood put Carthage on top 8-6 with a run-scoring double to right field before Jenna Calhoon dropped a ball inside the foul line down the right-field line in the next at-bat to plate two more runners and wrap the scoring in the inning.
“Anytime we come into the dugout, whether we are down two or even four runs, these girls have always had the ability to score big,” Ray said. “We talked to them before the inning and told them to get a couple and get it even. They went and put six runs up. When their energy is up and they believe, anything is possible.”
HOW THEY GOT THERE
Carthage took the lead in the top of the first inning when Brooklynn Dolon-Main drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field before Joplin answered back in the bottom half of the opening frame with a run-scoring single past shortstop by Jadyn Pankow to tie the game at 1s.
The Tigers clawed back in front, 2-1, in the second inning after Calhoon scored from third on a shallow single to center by Emmy Stark.
The Eagles used a big swing to jump in front in the third inning when Pankow ripped a ball over the wall in center field with a runner on to give Joplin a 3-2 advantage.
Joplin added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth when Abby Lowery drove in a run with a groundout before Libby Munn brought a run home after reaching on an error when a popup on the infield found the turf with two outs and runners on the corners for a 5-2 lead.
Carthage cut the deficit to one in the top of the fifth when Dolon-Main singled to right field to drive in a pair of runs to make the score 5-4.
Joplin answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth when Ledford reached on an infield hit with runners on second and third to score a run and push the lead to 6-4.
IN THE CIRCLE
Addie Wallace earned the complete-game win after allowing six runs, four earned, on 12 hits, a walk and three strikeouts in seven frames.
“She did a great job,” Ray said. “Early on, we felt like they had her number a little bit. We brought her in the dugout and went over spray charts. She became a student of the game and started studying. She locked back in the second half of the game and went and got some big outs when we needed them.”
Ava Wolf took the loss after allowing nine runs, four earned, on 11 hits, two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Caelyn Bobski allowed one run on four hits and a strikeout in 1 1/3 relief innings.
IN THE BOX
Lottie Youngblood had two hits, two RBI, two runs scored and two walks. Calhoon doubled twice, drove in two and scored once for Carthage. Dolon-Main had two hits and two RBI, while Hegwer had a hit, scored a run and drove in a pair. Avyn Willis and Ashlyn Brust each had two hits and two runs scored. Stark had two hits and an RBI. Lexa Youngblood had a hit, an RBI and a run scored.
Pankow led Joplin with two hits, including a home run, a team-high three RBI and scored a run. Ledford had two hits, scored a run and drove in one. Lowery had a hit, scored a run and drove in one. Munn, who doubled, and Wolf each had two hits, while Maria Loum and Phillips each had a hit and scored a run.
ON DECK
With the win, Carthage improves to 18-15 and takes on top-seeded Raymore-Peculiar at 1 p.m. in the semifinal round on Saturday.
Joplin defeated Carl Junction 3-0 on Tuesday night in a Central Ozark Conference clash at the JHS Athletic Complex.
Zeka Ajruloski notched the game’s first goal in the 20th minute, assisted by Ely Montanez.
Adam Badr’s goal in the 42nd minute gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead before Andy Cordova’s goal in the 57th minute accounted for the final margin.
Montanez assisted on all three Joplin goals.
The Eagles took 20 shots, with 11 shots on goal. Carl Junction managed two shots on goal.
Joplin goalkeeper Brayden Anderson was credited with two saves. Carl Junction goalie Blake Miller made eight saves.
Joplin will host College Heights (with McAuley Catholic) on Thursday.
Carl Junction hosts Neosho on Oct. 17.
OZARK 4, CARTHAGE 3 (OT)
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Ozark’s Caleb Lepant recorded the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in overtime on Tuesday night in a Central Ozark Conference showdown at David Haffner Stadium.
All three of Carthage’s goals were scored by Welle Welle, with the goals coming in the 11th, 48th and 58th minutes.
Alex Williams scored Ozark’s first two goals, with Lepant scoring a game-tying goal late in regulation.
Both teams entered the night undefeated in the COC.
Ozark is now 15-2-2 and 7-0 in the COC, while Carthage fell to 16-2 and 6-1 in the COC.
The Joplin Eagles finished third in the team standings at Tuesday’s Springfield Invitational.
Glendale won the meet with 387 points, with Springfield Central second (268) and Joplin third (165).
Rounding out the team standings were Camdenton (138), Ozark (96), Rogersville (23) and Republic (20).
Joplin’s Nathan Wardlow won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:06. Ian Vermillion took third in the same event.
Wardlow also placed third in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:07.
Joplin’s 200 freestyle relay team of Wardlow, Vermillion, Isaiah Thom and Parker Hinman finished third.
The Eagles finished fourth in the 200 medley relay, with Wardlow, Jackson Mordica, Hinman and Vermillion competing.
The team of Thom, Owen Mordica, Jordan Goins and Jackson Mordica finished fifth in the 400 freestyle relay.
Also for the Eagles, Hinman placed fifth in the 100 freestyle, Owen Mordica took fifth in the 100 backstroke, Hinman and Jackson Mordica were sixth and seventh in the 100 breaststroke and Thom finished eighth in the 100 butterfly.
The Joplin High School boys soccer team suffered a 4-2 setback to visiting Springfield Catholic on Monday night.
Joplin’s goals were scored by Andy Cordova and Ely Montanez.
Cordova’s goal, which was assisted by Ever Blanco, came in the seventh minute. Montanez scored in the 70th minute, and the goal was assisted by Cordova.
Scoring goals for Catholic were Matthew Gerety, Tyler Holum, Rian Mulherin and Erick Fuentes.
Gerety converted a penalty kick in the ninth minute before Holum’s goal in the 16th minute gave the Irish a 2-1 lead.
Mulherin scored in the 48th minute and Fuentes’ goal came in the 59th minute.
Joplin took 13 shots, with nine on goal. Catholic managed 10 shots, eight on goal.
Joplin goalkeeper Brayden Anderson was credited with four saves, while Catholic’s Caden Hillwick made seven saves.
