ROGERS, Ark.—The Joplin Eagles were shorthanded for their 2020 debut on the volleyball court.
With a couple of key performers out of the lineup, the Eagles suffered a 25-19, 25-15, 25-18 setback at Rogers Heritage on Tuesday night.
Joplin played without Aubrey Ritter and Mya Johnson, Eagles coach Staci Saunders said.
Addison Saunders handed out 12 assists, recorded six service points, four digs and three kills to lead the Eagles (0-1). Angelina Schramm compiled eight digs, six service points and four kills.
Also for the Eagles, Allie Lawrence and Kacy Coss slammed five kills apiece. Kaylie Anderson had a team-high 18 digs and two blocks, while Lawrence had six digs.
Baileigh Riley contributed seven assists and six digs, while Logan Bruggeman had three blocks.
Joplin hosts Cassville at 7 on Thursday.
Tag: Joplin
Cavaliers edge Eagles in tennis dual
Propelled by a quick start in doubles, Thomas Jefferson edged Joplin 5-4 in a girls tennis dual on Monday night at the JHS athletic complex.
It was the season opener for the Cavaliers, while the Eagles were competing at home for the first time in 2020 after seeing action in Springfield this past weekend.
The Cavaliers started the dual on a positive note by winning two of three doubles matches.
At No. 1 doubles, Thomas Jefferson’s Johanna Jeyaraj and Allison Ding defeated Joplin’s Astrid Cardenas and Emma Watts 8-3.
At No. 2 doubles, TJ’s Juliana Joseph and Sydney Stamps beat Joplin’s Kennedy Schwartz and Cloey Blank 8-3.
In the No. 3 doubles match, Joplin’s Jensen Vowels and Lauren Laird beat Victoria Henson-Miyauchi and Jessica Joseph 8-4.
The Eagles and Cavaliers split six singles matches.
At No. 1 singles, Ding defeated Cardenas 8-3, but Joplin’s Watts earned an 8-5 win over Jeyaraj at No. 2.
Juliana Joseph beat Schwartz 8-0 at No. 3 singles and Joplin’s Vowels edged Stamps 9-7 at No. 4.
In the No. 5 singles match, Laird beat Henson-Miyauchi 8-4, but TJ’s Jessica Joseph defeated Blank 8-0 at No. 6.
Joplin coach Jeff Williams noted his team continues to gain valuable experience.
THE CAVALIERS
Thomas Jefferson coach Tom Brumfield said he’s been pleased with his team’s progress during the preseason, and added he has the goals set high.
Just a freshman, Ding is playing No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Cavaliers.
Brumfield noted his four seniors — Jeyaraj, Juliana Joseph, Stamps and Henson-Miyauchi — are now varsity veterans.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Both teams return to action on Tuesday afternoon, as Joplin meets Webb City at Millennium Family Fitness and Thomas Jefferson is at Springfield Catholic.
Joplin tennis team drops duals at Kickapoo invite
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—The Joplin girls tennis team dropped four duals at the Kickapoo Invitational on Friday.
Kickapoo defeated Joplin 6-0.
The closest match came at No. 1 doubles, where Kickapoo’s Esther Cole and Brynley Brotherton defeated Astrid Cardenas and Emma Watts 7-5.
In No. 2 doubles, Marissa Scott-Jadyn Wersinger beat Joplin’s Kennedy Schwartz-Jensen Vowels 6-0 and Kickapoo’s Ashley McCurry-Ava Billue topped Lauren Laird-Patience Adams 6-0 at No. 3.
In completed singles matches, Scott defeated Schwartz 6-0 at No. 3, while Wersinger beat Vowels 6-0 at No. 4.
Ozark defeated Joplin 5-4.
Cardenas defeated Hannah Metcalf 6-0 at No. 1 singles, while Watts beat Madison Tourville 6-1 at No. 2 singles.
Cardenas-Watts topped Metcalf-Tourville 6-3 at No. 1 doubles, while Vowels-Laird beat Savannah Goodwin-Isabella Montileone 6-4 at No. 3 doubles.
Ozark’s Paige Chrastina topped Schwartz 6-4 at No. 3 singles, while Miller Bennett beat Vowels 6-2 at No. 4 and Goodwin edged Laird 7-5 at No. 5. Montileone beat Adams 6-1 at No. 6.
Ozark’s No. 2 doubles team beat Joplin 6-2.
Springfield Central defeated Joplin 7-0.
In singles play, Allie German topped Cardenas 6-1, Brett Boney beat Watts 6-2 and Elana Hadi defeated Schwartz 6-1.
Central won three doubles matches by identical 6-1 scores.
Springfield Catholic beat Joplin 5-0.
In two singles matches, Zabelle Brown beat Laird 6-1 and Alex Hamilton topped Adams 6-0.
Catholic won the No. 1 doubles match 6-2, the No. 2 doubles match 6-1 and No. 3 6-1.
Joplin will host Thomas Jefferson at 4:30 on Monday.
PREP FOOTBALL WEEK 1: Webb City falls short in 2020 opener
Missed opportunities on extra point conversions and a lack of defensive stops doomed the Webb City Cardinals in a 41-40 Central Ozark Conference setback to the Joplin Eagles on Friday night in the 2020 season opener at Junge Field.
The Cardinals missed a PAT kick in the first quarter and then failed to convert a pair of two-point conversions in the second period in a hard-to-swallow one-point loss.
“There’s a lot you can attribute to the first game, but they were better than we were tonight,” Webb City coach John Roderique said of the Eagles. “We missed that extra point. Maybe we should have kicked another one…you question yourself. You hate to chase points, that’s the toughest thing. That’s why the kicking game is so important. We obviously didn’t do a great job in some areas. We were down nine, so I’m really proud of our kids for battling.”
The Webb City defense was unable to contain Joplin’s high-powered offense throughout the rivalry clash. The Eagles recorded 353 yards of total offense, with 187 passing and 166 rushing. At key points, the Cardinal defense was unable to get off the field.
“Defensively, it will be disappointing to see how many missed tackles we had,” Roderique said. “Our kickoff coverage seemed poor. Our tackling, I thought, was not very good. We’ll find those things out. We’ll have a lot of great film to watch. There’s a lot of good things we can take from this to build on. We just need to improve. There’s only three things we need to get better at—offense, defense and the kicking game.”
Webb City totaled 423 yards of offense, 390 rushing and 33 passing.
STANDOUTS
Webb City’s Devrin Weathers and Joplin’s Nathan Glades showed all those in attendance that they should be regarded among the COC’s top running backs.
A Kansas State recruit, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Weathers scored four touchdowns and ran for 150 yards on 23 carries.
The 5-10, 180-pound Glades had a breakout performance for the Eagles, scoring four touchdowns and running for 161 yards on 26 carries. The two seniors both had impressive kick returns as well.
“I tell you what, they were both outstanding,” Roderique said. “No question. I was very impressed with the Glades kid. We knew he was outstanding and he was certainly that way tonight. Devrin busted the first one and then had the kickoff return.”
Roderique noted Weathers dealt with some cramping issues.
NAMES AND NUMBERS
Making his first varsity start at quarterback, Webb City senior Cole Gayman ran 20 times for 115 yards with one score. Junior Cade Wilson also totaled 115 yards on the ground on 18 carries. Senior QB Eli Goddard completed one pass, a 33-yard strike to tight end Gary Clinton.
Safety Treghan Parker made eight tackles for Webb City, while linebacker Jaystin Smith had seven. Webb City wide receivers Mekhi Garrard and Cohl Vaden both missed the game due to injuries.
The Cardinals were flagged eight times for 60 yards and Joplin was penalized four times for 20 yards. Webb City had 23 first downs to Joplin’s 17.
GAME RECAP
The clash between last year’s Class 4 state champion and last year’s Class 6 runner-up was entertaining from the start on a steamy night.
After Parker intercepted an Always Wright pass on the first series of the night, the Cardinals needed just four plays to score after the takeaway, as Weathers sprinted 55 yards up the middle to the end zone.
The Eagles tied the game with a 2-yard run by Glades, but Weathers sprinted 97 yards to the house on the ensuing kickoff. The PAT kick failed, however.
Joplin led 14-13 at the end of the first quarter after a 5-yard run by Glades, along with the kick by Keaton Huff.
Gayman scampered into the end zone from 9 yards out to give the visitors a 19-14 lead with 7:27 left in the second quarter, but the two-point conversion failed. Glades answered with a touchdown on a 92-yard kick return.
Weathers’ third TD of the game, a 10-yard run at the 1:33 mark of the second period, gave the Cardinals a 25-20 lead. Again, the two-point try was no good.
The Eagles responded once again, as Wright completed a 28-yard touchdown pass to Trayshawn Thomas to give the hosts a slim halftime advantage at 27-25.
The lone score of the third period came when Joplin’s Dante Washington hauled in a 49-yard TD pass.
Weathers sprinted to a 29-yard score with 9:28 left in the game, but the Eagles answered back when Glades broke free for a 41-yard touchdown sprint.
After the teams traded turnovers, Webb City’s Wilson scored on a 2-yard plunge with 43 seconds remaining. It was too little, too late.
The Eagles fell on the short kickoff and ran out the clock.
LIMITED CAPACITY
The crowd size was limited to 2,000 fans due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.
Face coverings were mandatory and social distancing was encouraged. Both student sections were much smaller than normal, but it was a small price to pay in order to have a marquee matchup.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City hosts Neosho next Friday at Cardinal Stadium.
Joplin’s Saunders moves to setter for senior year
Transitioning to a new position on the volleyball court is never easy, especially for a three-year starter.
But Addison Saunders is making the move from right side hitter to setter this fall for the Joplin High School volleyball team.
With that, the 5-foot-9 Saunders is going from attacking and blocking at the net to setting up her teammates.
“I think it’s pretty hard to do,” Joplin coach Staci Saunders said of the position change. “You don’t see a change like that happen much. Addison did set with her club team this offseason to get ready. She’s worked really hard all summer and she’s a student of the game.”
The setter position is a demanding one.
The setter must be able to see the game develop like a quarterback. Constantly hustling all over the court, the setter must communicate well with teammates and must be able to put the team’s attackers in position to have success at the net.
“Addison is still learning the position, but there’s something that beats in her chest…she’s just a winner,” Coach Saunders said. “She plays hard and she plays to win. She’s a leader and she’s fun to coach.”
Addison Saunders is taking over the setter position after her older sister and multi-year starter, Mari Katheryn Saunders, graduated.
“I think Addison has kind of been in her sister’s shadow, so it’s been fun to see her blossom,” Coach Saunders said, adding that Addison will at times see some playing time at right side hitter when Baileigh Riley plays setter. “She’s taking over a leadership role and she just gets the job done.”
Addison Saunders got her first taste of playing setter against an opponent when the Eagles attended Carthage’s jamboree on Tuesday night.
By her play on the court, it was hard to tell she’s relatively new to the setter position.
“It’s been a pretty smooth transition,” Addison Saunders said. “There have been some bumps in the road. There are some things I can work on, but I think it’s gone pretty well. The setter is definitely the leader of the team and I definitely want to lead this team.”
Joplin opens the season on Sept. 1 at Rogers-Heritage.
And when the Eagles take the court, a member of the Saunders family will once again be starting at the crucial setter position.
“We’re going to practice hard, play hard and give everything we’ve got this year,” Addison said.
JAMBOREE SUCCESS
The Eagles swept three scrimmages at Tuesday’s jamboree, going 2-0 against Nevada, Aurora and Carthage.
Host Carthage also earned wins over Nevada (25-23, 25-14) and Aurora (25-17, 25-16) before taking on Joplin.
In the finale, the Eagles won the opening set 25-16 before rallying for a 30-28 come-from-behind victory in the second set.
“I’m very proud of our girls,” Coach Saunders said. “We rose to the occasion at the end. They just kept fighting. We served tough. In all three games, whoever had the better serve-receive won.”
Coach Saunders noted the three wins should be a confidence boost for her squad.
“I feel like we’re going to sneak up on some people,” she said. “Everybody knows their job on this team. They know it takes every one of them for us to be successful. Tonight was a perfect example of that.”
Joplin swim team returns state medalists
The Joplin High School boys swim team returns a solid nucleus for the 2020 season.
Four members of the Eagles — seniors Ben Wardlow and Zane Reavley and sophomores Jacob Glenn and Zane Newman — earned all-state recognition at last year’s state swimming and diving championships.
With that, the Eagles will feature four accomplished swimmers this fall.
“They’re definitely going to be a big part of our team this year,” Joplin coach Ali Stauffer said of the foursome. “They’ve been working really hard, and I know they want to go back to state. That’s their goal. Those four will be part of our relays, and I know those guys would love to go to state as individuals, as well. They’ve already seen what state is like, they know what it takes to get there and they know what the competition is like. So getting back to state is what they’ll be working towards all season.”
Wardlow, Reavley and Newman swam legs on Joplin’s 200-yard freestyle relay team that earned all-state recognition by placing eighth at last year’s state swim meet in St. Peters.
Reavley, Wardlow and Glenn swam on Joplin’s 200 medley relay team that finished 16th at state, earning honorable mention all-state honors.
Newman, Reavley and Glenn were also part of the Eagles’ 400 free relay that took 25th in the prelims.
Individually, Wardlow advanced to state in both the 50 and 100 freestyle last year. He placed 16th in the 100 and 24th in the 50.
In addition to Wardlow and Reavley, Kohl Cooper, Jonah Hensley and Colin Vermillion are the team’s other seniors. All are expected to contribute nicely.
“Our other seniors have improved from last year and they’ve come into the season in better shape this year,” Stauffer said. “I think all of our seniors will play a part in our relays. There’s some competition right now. We have eight solid guys who are fighting for spots on the relays. We’ll see who earns those spots.”
Freshman Ian Vermillion is a newcomer to watch.
Stauffer said 14 athletes are out for the sport.
“It’s been going well,” Stauffer said of her team’s practices. “So far, so good. We practiced outdoors last week and now we’re practicing indoors at Southern. All of the boys have been working hard. We had a handful swim this summer, so they’ve come in already in pretty good shape. We’ve been working them hard, and hopefully that pays off. And hopefully we can have a full season.”
The team must overcome the loss of one of the program’s all-time greats, as the graduated Alex Crawford captured a state championship in the 100 freestyle and took second in the 100 breaststroke at last year’s state meet.
OUTDOOR INVITE
The Eagles will host the Joplin Outdoor Invitational on Sept. 3 at the Schifferdecker Family Aquatic Center.
Eight teams will be in attendance at the team’s lone home meet. The diving competition will start at 2, with swimming events scheduled to begin around 3.
“It’s going to be really nice to start the season with an outdoor meet,” Stauffer said. “It’s been a couple of years since we hosted an outdoor meet, so it should be fun. Hopefully the weather cooperates.”
JHS Swim Roster
Seniors—Kohl Cooper, Jonah Hensley, Zane Reavley, Colin Vermillion, Ben Wardlow.
Junior—Trevor Blanken.
Sophomores—Jacob Glenn, Devin Lawson, Zane Newman.
Freshmen—Ashton Crawford, Aidan Kester, Alex Kester, Jackson Mordica, Ian Vermillion.
Jasper likes where Eagles are at following Red-White scrimmage
With less than two weeks until the start of the season, Joplin football held its annual Red-White scrimmage on Saturday.
Under normal circumstances, a scrimmage doesn’t bring much in terms of excitement other than it meaning the regular season isn’t too far away as the players begin to shake the rust off in a live situation. But the last eight months have been anything but normal, and it was obvious by the large turnout in the stands at Junge Field that the Joplin fanatics are going to cherish every bit of football they get this season. Coach Curtis Jasper, his coaching staff and his players all feel the same way.
“With everything going on in different parts of the state, here is Southwest Missouri, knock on wood, we are in pretty decent shape,” Jasper said. “I talked to the kids all the time about a lot of this being on them and what their limitations are as far as what they can do and where they can go in order for us to have a season.
“That is not something you or I had to deal with growing up and playing sports. Obviously, we can’t be with them 24-7, but so far, so good. They are doing the right things, and you can tell this means a lot to them. We want to play each week, and they know each week is a blessing.”
As for the product on the field, Coach Jasper was happy, for the most part, with what he saw from his kids.
“I liked the physicality that I saw from them,” Jasper said. “I liked getting them out under the lights and seeing some big plays. Even though we graduated some big-play guys from last year, it was nice we could still chunk the ball down the field. The biggest thing was getting out of here healthy and getting some film to go over because we still have several positions up for grabs.”
As for what he wanted to see an improvement on, less yellow laundry on the field would be ideal.
“We saw a lot of penalties,” Jasper said. “We will have to clean the little things like that up, obviously.”
Junior quarterback Always Wright took snaps as the first-team quarterback to open up the varsity portion of the scrimmage. The Eagles are looking to replace Blake Tash after the most-accurate passer in the state of Missouri graduated.
“We haven’t made that decision final yet, but I’d say he has the edge right now,” Jasper said when asked if Wright would be the Week 1 starter.
Wright, who completed 7-of-12 passes on the night, had a big play through the air when he connected on a 54-yard touchdown pass over the middle to 5-foot-11, 165-pound sophomore wide receiver Dante Washington.
“He is doing a real good job, and he is very coachable,” Jasper said of Wright. “He is a great athlete, and he does a really good job, with a great pocket presence and touch on the football.”
Washington made several head-turning plays in the passing game during the varsity portion of the scrimmage to steal the spotlight. He caught three passes and gained more than 100 yards through the air, showing off his big-play ability.
“He is a guy who can be very explosive for us,” Jasper said. “We are probably deeper at the receiver position than we’ve ever been. We have four guys we may consider starters, but we may have two or three behind them that, in other years, could have been a starter. We feel that is a really deep position group and the guys have to bring it every day because they have guys pushing them.”
Wright threw a pair of interceptions in the first varsity portion of the scrimmage, with junior LB Joe Jasper and sophomore DB Morgan Keller each coming away with takeaways.
“I thought our kids flew around defensively and did a really good job,” Coach Jasper said. “And that’s what (Defensive coordinator) Coach (Nick) Reid asked of his defense. We will coach them up on film, but the main thing we want to do is get 11 hats to the football. If you are going to make a mistake, make it going full speed. We don’t want to have to coach effort. If we have to coach effort, you’re probably not going to be on the field, and those guys know that.”
Starting senior RB Nathan Glades also carried the ball three times for solid gains on offense.
Joe Jasper also saw time as the quarterback for the start of the second varsity session, completing half of his two total passes, which was a 29-yard completion to Washington. After his two early passes, Jasper moved out wide to finish the scrimmage.
“Joe found a nice window and did a good job hanging in the pocket, stepping up and delivering a nice pass to a talented receiver,” Coach Jasper said.
Later in the drive, with All Wright in at quarterback, younger brother of Always, the bend-don’t-break mentality showed up for the Joplin defense as they forced a turnover on downs on the 3-yard line for a red-zone stop.
“No quit in the defense,” Coach Jasper said. “That has been a calling for our defense since I
I’ve been here with Coach Reid taking over. That was awesome to see.”
The Joplin defense finished with two more turnovers, as Jacob Prosser came up with a fumble recovery and Bruce Wilbert picked off a pass.
Joplin has one more week until the start of the regular season, with the Eagles planning on hosting Seneca for a jamboree at 7 p.m. on Friday at Junge Field.
“That is going to be important for us because we have a lot of new faces,” Jasper said. “That is going to be a big night for us to see a different team lining up against us. But, obviously, no one forgets we have Webb City for Week 1.”
Lucas Davis is a sports reporter and podcast host for SoMo Sports. You can follow him on Twitter at @sportsbyLD. You can follow SoMo Sports on Facebook, or on Twitter at @SoMo_Sports.
2020 Football Preview: Joplin ready to produce similar results with unfamiliar faces
A year after certifying itself as one of the most dangerous programs in Missouri Class 6 football, the Joplin Eagles will have plenty of new faces as it looks to continue its dominance during the 2020 season.
“Everyone is excited coming off a state championship game appearance, and we want to keep riding that momentum,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. “Obviously, with the pandemic and spring sports not getting to play, there is a lot of uncertainty and everyone’s a little nervous as far as wanting to make sure that we get to play and have a season. But, the excitement is there. We want to get back to the state championship and win it, and that drive from the players and coaches, and the support from the community, is still there.
“The main thing for us is continuing with the culture we have created, and understanding the process of how we go about it. You don’t win games, playoff games especially, if you don’t do the little things right. The biggest challenge for our senior class is to make sure they are still holding everyone accountable in terms of making sure all of the little things we do are done correctly.”
A LOOK BACK
The Eagles were struck with an indescribable tragedy leading up to their Week 2 matchup with Webb City when sophomore offensive lineman Kadin Roberts-Day passed away following an indoor practice. The community rallied around its football team, with Joplin defeating Webb City and Carthage in back-to-back weeks on the way to a perfect 9-0 regular season, capturing its first Central Ozark Conference title in the process.
The Eagles’ momentum carried over into the postseason with wins over Jefferson City, Kirkwood, Marquette and Fort Zumwalt West to capture a district crown while earning a spot in the Class 6 State Championship game. Joplin’s season came to an end at Faurot Field on the campus of the University of Missouri, falling for the first time all season 35-20 at the hands of De Smet in the title game.
“The biggest thing I will remember from last year is the culture and the way the players rallied around and supported each other,” Jasper said. “The community support as a whole was also incredible. We see so many disagreements from a societal standpoint, but to see the community embrace our school and program, pulling on the rope in the same direction, it was magical and uplifting. We want to continue to provide them with that excitement year after year.”
PRODUCTION LOST
Of course, with Joplin, a lot of the talk from outside the locker room leading into the 2020 season is centered around the loss of several playmakers from a year ago. The Eagles graduated running back/linebacker Isaiah Davis, wide receiver/safety Zach Westmorland and quarterback Blake Tash.
Davis finished as one of the best running backs in the state after rushing for 2,282 yards and 45 touchdowns, with an additional 220 yards and two touchdowns receiving. Davis added 56 tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception on defense.
Westmoreland, one of the premier pass catchers in the state, hauled in 105 receptions for 1,633 yards and 21 touchdowns, to go along with 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Westmoreland led Joplin with seven interceptions, two going back for touchdowns, two deflections and a fumble recovery as well as 42 tackles. As the team’s main return man, Westmoreland added two punt returns for a touchdown.
Setting state and national records along the way, Tash finished as one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the state’s history as a senior, and for his career. In 2019, Tash completed 194-of-257 passes for a 76.9 competition percentage. He threw for 2,760 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Other notable losses for Joplin include placekicker and school record holder Garrett Landis, who finished with 24 touchbacks and converted 77-of-88 PATs last season, defensive end James Boyd, offensive lineman Logan Myers and defensive lineman Parker Erickson.
“It’s not just about replacing the production, but also the leadership,” Jasper said. “I think our seniors have done a good job of understanding how to see the model set for them and then build on that. Yes, there are a lot of stats that will need to be replaced, but just as important is the leadership provided by last year’s group as well.”
FILLING THE VOID
So, the biggest question for Coach Jasper and his Eagles, who is going to replace all of that production on an offense that averaged 46.3 points per game and a defense that held opponents to 21.1 points per game last season? The good news is there is plenty of experience coming back. Joplin’s offense returns six starters and 15 lettermen, while the defense returns five starters and 13 lettermen.
Senior Nathan Glades, who spent last season at running back and wide receiver, will be the bell-cow in the backfield for the Eagles this season. In 2019, Glades rushed for 471 yards on 73 carries, while adding 508 receiving yards on 37 catches, totaling eight touchdowns.
The Eagles will have several wide receivers returning to the fold with varsity experience this season, highlighted by seniors Trayshawn Thomas on the outside and Keaton Renfro in the slot. Thomas hauled in 19 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns, while Renfro caught 12 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Juniors LT Atherton and Bruce Wilbert also figure to be heavy contributors at the wideout position.
As far as who will be under center for Joplin, juniors Always Wright and Joe Jasper are in a competition for the starting quarterback spot.
“We have seen enough from both of those guys to know we can win with either of them starting,” Jasper said. “It’s nice to have that depth. It’s just a matter of who distinguishes themself and pulls ahead.”
Taking over at kicker for the Eagles will be Keaton Huff.
OFFENSIVE STRENGTHS
While Joplin will be replacing several playmakers offensively, without question, the biggest strength will be its offensive line. The Eagles return three lettermen to the trenches, led by senior left tackle Alex Curry, a first-team all-area, conference, district and state lineman. Returning with Curry will be seniors Sergio Piniero, a first-team all-district center, and right tackle Davis Ramsey. There is stiff competition for the two guard positions, with nearly six players competing for those roles.
“Obviously, Alex is an all-state lineman,” Jasper said. “But Sergio was great for us last year at center and really stepped up to fill some big shoes. Davis did a phenomenal job at right tackle, and we really missed him in the state title game after he went down with an injury late in the semifinal game. We have a lot of options at guard. … That competition is going to help us find the right two who will have the most success.”
DEFENSIVE STRENGTHS
Much like on offense, Joplin’s biggest strength on defense will be up front on the line and the linebacking unit. Junior DT Donovahn Watkins, a second-team all-area and third-time all-conference selection, will anchor the defensive front. Senior DE Jacob Prosser returns to the defensive line as well. The linebacker core will be headlined by senior Scott Lowe, who led Joplin with 134 tackles a year ago and is a first-team all-area and district selection as well as a second-team all-conference pick. Senior Marcelino Puente also returns as a starting linebacker, and junior Lonnie Watkins, who started the first three games last season before an injury cut his campaign short, is back at the second level.
“We feel we have a lot of depth along the defensive line,” Jasper said. “Donovahn Watkins is a huge presence in the middle, and he has had an awesome offseason. Jacob Prosser did a really good job for us last year, and he is back. At linebacker, we return Scott Lowe and Marcelino Puente, and plus we have a deep group of juniors we get to look at as well.”
AREAS OF CONCERN
Aside from replacing the offensive weapons from a season ago, one of the biggest concerns for the Eagles in 2020 will be the secondary. Joplin graduated three starters from that group — Westmoreland, Eli Eminger and Simeon Barba — but returns junior CB Dominick Simmons, who finished last season with 33 tackles, two interceptions, six pass deflections and a fumble recovery. Senior Jayden Holt and junior Korey Read will see extensive action in the secondary this season.
“Obviously, when you lose three-fourths of your starting secondary, including both safeties who were all-state athletes (Westmoreland and Eli Eminger), that is a place where we are going to look for kids to step up and fill big shoes. From what we have seen this summer, we have really liked what we’ve seen back there so far.”
SEASON OPENER
Joplin doesn’t have to wait long before finding itself in a big game. The Eagles open up the season at Junge Field with a matchup against the reigning Class 4 state champion Webb City Cardinals.
“With all of the craziness going on with the pandemic, we are literally playing one-game schedules this year,” Jasper said. “Webb is literally the only game we are focused on. After that game is over, we will focus on the next one.”
Lucas Davis is a sports reporter and podcast host for SoMo Sports. You can follow him on Twitter at @sportsbyLD. You can follow SoMo Sports on Facebook, or on Twitter at @SoMo_Sports.
