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VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW: Returning experience and influx of young talent giving McAuley high hopes

After losing just two starters from a team that won more than 20 games last season, McAuley Catholic’s returning experience along with an infusement of young talent has the Warriors hopeful of not only repeating that success, but surpassing it in 2023.

“I am very excited for this season and to see what this team can do,” McAuley coach Sarah Nangle said to SoMo Sports. “We have a solid group of freshmen who are coming in and I think they will be a big support in practices and games for our starters. We did lose two major starters last year, but to return five starters is quite promising. This team is just a great group of girls that bond on and off the court and I believe that is a strength of our program.”

Highlighting the list of returners for McAuley are senior setter and outside hitter Kloee Williamson, senior middle and outside hitter Avery Gardner and senior middle hitter Kendall Ramsey.

“(Kloee) was a  key hitter for us last year as well as a setter in the back row,” Nangle said. “She will be expected to fulfill this role again and she has done a great job stepping up in her leadership this summer. She has matured in her position as a senior and will be a key player for us.

“(Avery) is an all around great, solid and consistent player. She has so much heart and her work ethic is inspiring. She will be used in all positions on the front row as well as the back row and she will be a major leader for us on the court.

“(Kendall) is such an exciting player with some major ups. When she times it right, she has a great block and good arm swing.”

Also returning to the starting lineup is junior MH and RS Jadyn LaFerla as well as sophomore libero Brooke Righter.

“(Jadyn) played middle for us last year but will be stepping into the role of back row setter and then middle and right side,” Nangle said. “She has great hands and I am excited to see her come out and lead her team. She puts up our biggest block, so she will be an asset to us in the front row.

“Brooke has really stepped up this summer and will be fulfilling the role of our libero. She is a great sold passer and does well on defense. I am looking forward to her having more confidence on the back row this year.”

The youth movement at the varsity for McAuley this year includes freshman RS Isabella Gilligan, freshman RS Olivia Parrigon, freshman MH Sam Conrad, freshman Riley Sears and sophomore Kiera Mays.

“Returning five starters is a major strength for us,” Nangle said. “The seniors want this to be their best season, so they are doing a great job leading our team. (Our athleticism is our strength) but we need to make our volleyball technique sharper, so we are focusing on getting the basics down. I think doing this will help us to be consistent on our passing, setting, hitting and serving.”

With the numbers up and excitement sky high for the program, a path is set up for McAuley to reach and pass the bar set from last season. 

The Warriors get their season started in the Verona Invitational on Aug. 26.

“Last season gave them confidence that if they work hard they can be successful,” Nangle said. “We have some great senior leadership and enthusiasm that is happening on the court this year and it is pushing everyone to work hard. We actually have a bench with substitutes that can come in and contribute to the starters so that is something new for me this year.”

DISTRICT BASEBALL: McAuley falls to Billings in district title game

BILLINGS, Mo. — Third-seeded McAuley Catholic took an early lead before top-seeded Billings rallied and pulled away for an 11-2 win on Wednesday in the Class 1 District 5 championship game.

The Warriors pushed across a pair of runs in the first inning to take the lead before the Wildcats answered with a run in the first, two in the second and a single tally in the third inning to take a 4-2 advantage. Billings pushed across five runs in the fifth inning and added two runs in the sixth to wrap the scoring. 

McAuley finishes the season with an 11-13 record, while Billings advances to the sectional round of the Class 1 state tournament with a matchup against Liberal on Monday. 

Zach Bos earned the win for Billings, allowing two unearned runs on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. 

Rocco Bazzano-Joseph took the loss after allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits and three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.

Joe Staton had two hits and scored a run for McAuley at the plate. Bazzano-Joseph had a hit and scored a run, while Michael Parrigon doubled.

Grant Heimer had two hits, drove in four runs and scored once, while Levi Essick doubled, drove in a run and scored twice for Billings.

 

MCAULEY RALLIES PAST EXETER IN SEMIS

BILLINGS, Mo. — Third-seeded McAuley trailed 1-0 through four innings before scoring three times in the fifth inning and adding two more runs in the sixth inning to beat second-seeded Exeter 5-1 in the Class 2 District 5 semifinals on Wednesday.

McAuley’s three-run fifth inning was highlighted by an RBI single from Parrigon.

Kendall Jones doubled to right field to plate a pair of runs in the sixth inning to add insurance for the Warriors.
Bazzano-Joseph earned the complete-game win after allowing one run on four hits, two walks and five strikeouts in seven innings.

Cason Antle took the loss after allowing four runs, one earned, on four hits, two walks and five strikeouts in five innings.

Parrigon had three hits, including a double, and drove in a run for McAuley at the plate. Jones doubled, drove in two and scored one. Case Richards doubled and scored twice.

BOYS GOLF: McAuley Catholic takes second in districts to qualify as a team; College Heights sends one to state

McAuley Catholic took second place in the Class 1 District 3 golf tournament at the par-71 Schifferdecker Golf Course to qualify the entire Warriors team for the state tournament.

“It was a great day,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “I was worried we weren’t going to be able to get this in with all of the rain. The guys played well today. This was our best team total that we’ve had all year. Playing the best at the end of the year is what you want. For us to go to state as a team is a huge accomplishment.”

McAuley totaled 358 as a squad, finishing behind Lockwood (354) for the top spot. The Warriors also finished with three all-district golfers. Evan Damour was the top local finisher with a seventh-place showing after a round of 86. Rocco Bazzano-Joseph tied for eighth with an 87, while Bradley Wagner finished in 10th with an 88. Trey Martinez carded a 97 and Liam Buerge scored a 110.

“It’s really big,” Witt said when asked what it meant to qualify the entire McAuley team. “These guys have worked really hard to this point. For our two seniors (Damour, Martinez) to go out with a team trip to state, that is a huge accomplishment for them and their hard work. To make

Also earning all-district honors and qualifying for the state tournament was College Heights’ Logan Decker, who finished in a tie for 11th place with an 89. 

Pierce City’s Tyler Johnson also advanced after tying for 18th place overall with a 92.

Also scoring for the Cougars were Corbin Cronenwett (95), Hudson Clevenger (107), Gavin Doll (108) and Anderson Smith (121).

The Class 1 State Tournament will be played at the Country Club of Missouri in Columbia on May 15-16.

“I don’t want them to freak out and to enjoy the moment,” Witt said when asked what he wants to see from a team effort at the state tournament. “I don’t know when the last time a McAuley team has qualified for state, or if we ever have. We are going to enjoy it and take it one shot at a time.”

SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: College Heights and Diamond earns wins on Monday

COLLEGE HEIGHTS 4, MILLER 2

College Heights (with McAuley) took control early and held off Miller for a win on Tuesday.

The Cougars (4-0) scored in the first inning when Maddy Colin picked up an RBI on a groundout.

Aaliyah Perez pushed the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning with a two-run single to center field.

College Heights ultimately took a 4-0 lead when Allie Stout singled home Lauren Ukena with two outs in the last of the sixth inning.

Miller rallied with two runs touching home in the top of the seventh but that would be as close to the lead that the Cardinals would get. 

Colin dominated in the circle, earning the win after allowing two unearned runs on four hits, a walk and 17 strikeouts in a complete-game effort of seven innings.

Jayli Johnson had two hits and scored a run for CHC, while Kloee Williamson had a hit and scored a run. Perez had a hit and drove in two. Ukena had a hit and scored, while Stout had a hit and drove in one.

College Heights is at Lamar on Tuesday.

 

DIAMOND 8, LIBERAL 2

DIAMOND, Mo. — Diamond hung eight runs on the board in the first three innings on the way to a win over Liberal (with Bronaugh) on Monday.

The Wildcats (15-3) scored twice in the first inning before adding three runs in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Grace Frazier. 

Diamond took control for good in the third inning when Emilee Shallenburger connected for a three-run home run to left with one out in the frame.

Lauren Turner earned the win in the circle for Diamond after allowing one run on three hits, two walks and nine strikeouts in four innings. Sara Roszell allowed one unearned run on two hits, a walk and five strikeouts in three relief innings.

Kyla Porter took the loss after allowing eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits, four walks and four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

The Wildcats totaled nine hits, with Marissa DeJager leading the way with two hits and a run scored. Frazier and Roszell each doubled, while Shallenburger homered. Frazier finished with two runs and two RBI, while Shallenburger had three RBI and a run scored. 

Ellaina LaNear had two hits, an RBI and scored a run for Liberal (4-6). Katelyn Wallace doubled and drove in a run. Bailey Couch also doubled and scored a run.

Diamond is at Stockton on Tuesday.

GIRLS SOCCER: Carl Junction rolls past McAuley Catholic

The Carl Junction Bulldogs scored three goals in the first half and six in the second to earn a commanding 9-1 win over the McAuley Catholic Warriors on Monday at the Hershewe Soccer Complex within the Joplin Athletic Complex.

The Bulldogs controlled possession for the vast majority of the match and consistently attacked the Warriors from the opening whistle until senior forward Hannah Franks’ second goal of the match closed it out with the eight-goal mercy rule in effect.

“We talked about finding some composure and figuring out if it’s a one-touch or two-touch in the box and checking our shoulder to see how much time we had,” Carl Junction coach Ed Miller said. “Truthfully, the other thing was their goalie in the first half wasn’t the same as the second half, and she did a really good job coming out and cutting down angles and stopping a lot of shots in the first half. We put the pressure on and wore them down. This was their first game, our second game early here in the season, and I think we’re deeper than they are and that helped us out.

“Our girls did a good job. They came out and played. It’s a mud pit so you never know what you’re going to get when you’ve got a wet, sloppy field. We played on grass for the first time, so it slowed things down a little bit. Proud of the girls’ effort as far as working hard and pressuring the ball, and we had a lot of opportunities. We did a good job passing the ball, so we’ve got to work on finishing when we get a chance in the box because we’re not going to get that many opportunities every game we play.”

Carl Junction freshman forward Ella Anderson, assisted by senior midfielder Allie Wrestler, opened the scoring with the first goal after the Bulldogs had several goal-scoring opportunities, including a goal by Anderson negated by an offside penalty.

The Warriors tied it up at 1 on one of their rare possessions in Carl Junction territory with senior forward Ava Masena’s penalty kick.

The Bulldogs led 3-1 at halftime following a goal by senior midfielder Jocelyn Brown (assisted by Franks) and a header by Franks off a corner kick by senior Constance Graham.

Taking advantage of the Warriors’ switch in goal for the second half, senior forward Sammie Sims netted back-to-back goals to put the Bulldogs ahead 5-1.

Wrestler, junior midfielder Hailey Merwin, Brown (penalty kick), and Franks then closed out the goal scoring.

Carl Junction improved to 2-0 on the season and the Bulldogs return home Tuesday for a match against Cassville.

McAuley Catholic dropped to 0-1 overall and the Warriors start a four-game road stretch of their schedule with Greenwood on Thursday.

SOFTBALL: College Heights bests Springfield Catholic 8-3 in season opener

The College Heights Christian Cougars opened their 2023 season with a 8-3 win on Wednesday against the Springfield Catholic Irish at the Gene Bassman Softball Complex within the Joplin Athletic Complex.

College Heights junior pitcher Maddy Colin struck out 17 Springfield Catholic batters and finished with two hits allowed as well as two walks.

College Heights scored at least one run during six times at bat with three in the third, two in the fifth, and one in the first, second, and sixth innings.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to get out on the field and play against another team,” College Heights coach Mike Howard said. “We’re just overjoyed to be out here playing softball again. Any time you have a first game of the year, there’s going to be jitters, and we have a lot of new girls too, so a lot of them were nervous at the beginning but I think they came into their own there as the game progressed and they got more comfortable. We did a good job for the most part offensively, baserunning was good, so I was proud of them.”

Springfield Catholic plated single runs in the third, fifth, and seventh.

“Springfield Catholic’s got a nice team, and they did a great job over there,” Howard said. “They have a couple good pitchers and some good hitters. They battled up there and made Maddy work for it tonight. Tip your cap to them, they’re going to have a fine season. I feel like we came out and did the things we needed to do to go ahead there.”

Colin entered her junior season with a 34-9 career record, an 1.33 ERA, and 478 strikeouts and 30 walks.

She boosted her career numbers to 35 wins, 495 strikeouts, and 32 walks after only the first game of her junior season.

“She did a great job tonight,” Howard said. “She stayed on top with her pitching. I’m proud of her for coming out first game of the year and pitching as good as she did.”

Kloee Williamson, who doubled and scored a run, Aaliyah Perez and Allie Stout each had two hits in the win for the Cougars. Stout picked up an RBI, while Perez scored once and drove in one. Kallie Spencer had a hit, an RBI and a run scored, while Colin also recorded a hit and an RBI.

College Heights, who partners with McAuley Catholic in softball and won a district title in 2021, enters the season unranked in Class 2 and the Cougars’ loaded district includes the two top-ranked teams in the state, No. 1 and defending state champion Diamond and No. 2 Mount Vernon.

The Cougars are 37-9 overall during their past two seasons and saw a 15-win improvement from 3-12 in 2019 to 18-4 in 2021.

College Heights returns to action Friday on the road against Riverton (Kansas), an opponent the Cougars are 3-4 overall against dating back to the 2015 season.

College Heights played a JV game Wednesday, something new for the Cougars this season.

“Last couple years, we’ve only had just enough for varsity,” Howard said. “(Assistant coach) John (Blankenship) has done a good job recruiting girls from College Heights to just come and give softball a try. Come out and have fun, and who knows you may enjoy it. We’ve got a lot of girls out this year. A lot of them are new for the first time, but it’s nice to be able to get out here and play some JV games and get them acclimated to the speed of the game. We want to be able to teach them through JV games and how they’re able to progress.”

BASEBALL PREVIEW: McAuley returns nearly entire squad in 2023

After going 6-9 a year ago and graduating just one senior in Bryan Jones’ first season at the helm of McAuley baseball, the Warriors return nearly every starter from last year’s team with the intent to use that experience and take the next step in 2023.

“The 2023 season has high expectations for the team,” Jones said to SoMo Sports. “Last year was a new philosophy and growing year with tremendous success. The players worked hard and improved every day and saw their success play out. We expect to continue our success and make a run at the 2023 conference and district titles.”

In total, McAuley returns 10 players who either started or lettered at the varsity level a year ago, and that group is highlighted by the six seniors—P/3B Kable Reichardt (first-team all-district; second-team all-conference), C Jack Jones (second-team all-district), OF Noah Black, OF Kendall Jones, INF Joe Staton (first-team all-conference) and P Trey Martinez.

Also returning for the Warriors are junior P/INF Rocco Bazzano-Joseph (second-team all-conference and district), junior OF/C Bradley Wagoner (second-team all-district), junior 1B/P Chase Gardner, sophomore OF/P Michael Parrigon (first-team all-conference and district) and sophomore 3B/P Tripp Miller.

“The Warriors will be returning a close-knit team that has gained experience and had success on the field with seven players winning postseason, conference and district awards,” McAuley coach Bryan Jones said. “And, six of those players return to the team for the 2023 season.”

Reichardt and Bazzano-Joseph will anchor the rotation this season. Reichardt led the team in wins with three and finished with a 3.75 earned-run average, while Bazzano-Joseph finished with two wins and a 3.09 ERA. Gardner, Wagner, Parrigon, Miller and sophomore Brek Sickman will also see time on the bump. 

Bazzano-Joseph hit .341 at the plate while leading the Warriors with 11 RBI and stole five bases. Parrigon brings back a .345 average as well as four RBI and nine stolen bases. Staton batted .336 and had four RBI and 10 stolen bases. Jack Jones hit .321 with four doubles, five RBI and six stolen bases, while Kendall Jones hit .312 and had five RBI and six stolen bases.  Reichardt batted .297 with six RBO and seven stolen bases, while Wagoner hit .293 with four RBI and five stolen bases.

McAuley opens the season at home with a matchup against Cassville on Friday.

HOOPS ROUNDUP: Carthage boys snap skid with big win; McAuley boys suffer setback; Carthage girls fall at Pink & White Classic

CARTHAGE BOYS SNAP SKID WITH LOPSIDED WIN

ROLLA, Mo. — The Carthage boys basketball team ended a five-game skid with a dominating 75-35 win over St. Pius X on Wednesday in the consolation semifinals of the 2022 US Bank Holiday Tournament at Missouri S&T.

The Tigers (4-5) will conclude tourney play at noon on Thursday in the event’s fifth-place game at Rolla High School.

Carthage took control of Wednesday’s contest from the start, as the Tigers raced out to a 25-4 lead.

Carthage’s halftime advantage was 46-14 and the Tigers were up comfortably 66-28 at the end of the third quarter.

Carthage senior guard Max Templeman scored a game-high 21 points and hit three 3-pointers. Templeman scored 19 points in the first half.

Justin Ray added 12 points for the Tigers, while Britt Coy scored 10 and Clay Kinder added nine. Overall, 11 different players scored for Carthage. 

Before Wednesday, the Tigers had dropped five straight games by a combined 30 points, as four of the five losses came by single digits.

 

MCAULEY BOYS FALL TO TOURNEY HOSTS

WASHBURN, Mo. — The McAuley Catholic boys basketball team suffered a 55-31 setback to the host Trojans on Wednesday at the Southwest Holiday Tournament. 

McAuley trailed by just three, 17-14, at halftime. Up 30-23 at the end of the third quarter, the Trojans outscored the Warriors 25-8 in the fourth quarter.

Noah Black and Rocco Bazzano-Joseph scored seven points apiece to lead the Warriors. Joe Staton added six points and Michael Parrigon had four.

Two players reached double figures for Southwest, as Lucas Paulsen scored 16 and Brendyn Paulsen added 14.

McAuley (4-8) will meet Gentry (Arkansas) in the tourney’s fifth-place game at 4:30 on Thursday. 

The Trojans will meet Diamond at 7:30 in the title game, while Commerce (Oklahoma) meets Wheaton at 6 for third.

 

SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC GIRLS 47, CARTHAGE 40

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A big second half propelled Springfield Catholic past Carthage 47-40 at the Pink and White Lady Basketball Classic on Wednesday at Kickapoo High School. 

Carthage held a 23-17 lead at halftime, but the Irish outscored the Tigers 30-17 in the second half.

“A poor shooting second half doomed us down the stretch tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “The kids worked hard, executed the plays and got themselves good looks. The shots just didn’t fall.

“We played great defense during the first half and boxed out the best I’ve seen us do all season,” Moore added. “So there are positives to take out of this loss. We just need to get back to working hard in practice to get us back to where we want to be for 32 minutes of game time execution. Last night, the defense let us down. Tonight, the offense didn’t hold up its end of the court. When we put both phases of the game together for 32 minutes, we will be the team no one wants to play. We have to come back after the new year with that thought in mind. Our best game is still ahead of us. We want to play that way in our next game.”

Lauren Choate led Carthage with 12 points. She hit a trio of 3-pointers. Kianna Yates added nine points and Maggie Boyd had eight. 

Peyton Wiseman scored 15 points for Catholic and Katie Galligos added 14.

Carthage (5-4) is at Strafford on Jan. 5.

 

BOYS HOOPS: McAuley pulls away from Northeast Vernon County

Short-handed McAuley turned a three-point halftime lead into a 16-point lead by the end of the third quarter en route to a 51-41 win over Northeast Vernon County.

Playing without two starters and their sixth man, the Warriors (4-5) outscored NEVC 18-5 in the third period to take firm control of the lead and held on down the stretch.

“I was pleased with the win tonight,” McAuley coach Tony Witt. “Glad to see our bench step up facing adversity. Took us a while to get going, but made a few adjustments at halftime, had a good third quarter and was able to hold on in the fourth.”

Rocco Bazzano-Joseph knocked down six 3-pointers on the way to a team-high 18 points. Noah Black finished with 14 points.

McAuley is at Galena, Kansas, on Monday.

GEM CITY CLASSIC ROUNDUP: CHC girls fall in semis; TJ boys advance to championship; McAuley beats Diamond

DIAMOND, Mo. — College Heights and Miller found themselves in a defensive battle with the Cardinals coming away with a 37-26 win in the Gem City Classic semifinals on Thursday.

We went cold in the third quarter and tried to force too many passes,” CHC coach John Blankenship said to SoMo Sports. “A little more dribble penetration and patience in getting the ball reversed would have been advantageous for us. However, I am really proud of my team for hanging in there with the third-ranked team in the state. They are a very solid basketball team on both ends of the court.”

The shorthanded Cougars, playing without Addie Lawrence, were led by Libby Fanning’s double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds. Kinley Marsh added seven rebounds and a steal.

CHC matches up with East Newton in the third-place game on Saturday.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON BOYS 63, GALENA 51 (WEDNESDAY)

Thomas Jefferson boys took an early lead before trailing by the intermission, only to rally back down the stretch for a win in the semifinal round of the Gem City Classic on Wednesday at Diamond High School.

The Cavaliers took an 18-12 lead into the second period before trailing by two at the intermission. Galena (Missouri) pushed the lead to five by the start of the fourth quarter before Thomas Jefferson outscored the Bears 21-4 in the final eight minutes to rally for the win.

Jay Ball had a double-double with 33 points and 23 rebounds. The rebound total tied a school record. Tyler Brouhard had 11 points and 10 rebounds to also record a double-double. Kip Atteberry had nine points, including two 3-pointers, while Kohl Thurman added six points and Levi Triplett four.

Thomas Jefferson advances to the boys championship game with a matchup against El Dorado Springs at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

 

MCAULEY 42, DIAMOND 31 (WEDNESDAY)

Seventh-seeded McAuley boys basketball went into halftime tied with third-seeded Diamond and outscored the host Wildcats 28-17 in the second half to earn a consolation-bracket victory in the Gem City Classic.

“I am really proud of our effort,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “This is a good win for us moving forward. I am extremely proud of our guys.”

The Warriors earned their first win of the season after taking control of the contest by outscored Diamond 14-5 in the third period and never relinquished the lead down the stretch.

Noah Black had 18 points, while Rocco Bazzano-Joseph finished with 11.

Ty McDermontt led Diamond with 14 points.

McAuley matches up with Carthage JV in the fifth-place game on Saturday.

 

PREP HOOPS: Liberal boys and girls earn wins against McAuley

Each time it looked like the Liberal Bulldogs would run away with Tuesday’s season opener, McAuley coach Tony Witt’s team would battle back.

“I’m proud of our guys. They never give up in a game no matter what. Liberal would push it out close to 20 points, but we would get a stop and hit some shots,” Witt said following the 57-47 loss.

Witt had prepared his team for Liberal’s brand of full-court pressure and the Warriors handled it well throughout much of the first half. Senior Joe Staton and sophomore Michael Parrigon drained first quarter threes. Senior Kable Reichardt knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the Bulldogs lead to 9-8 heading to the second.

The last time Liberal played at McAuley, Matt Boehne was a sophomore. He hit a shot at the buzzer to give Travis Walton’s Bulldogs a victory. Two years later, Boehne picked up where he left off, scoring 15 first half points. The second quarter saw Boehne and McAuley senior Rocco Bazzano-Joseph put on a clinic from beyond the arc. Boehne hit three treys and Bazzano-Joseph held serve with a pair of his own 3-pointers to keep the Warriors in it.

Liberal senior Payton Morrow connected on a pair of free throws with five seconds to play in the second period to give the visitors a 30-23 lead at the intermission.

Liberal’s defensive pressure in the fourth quarter turned out to be the difference.

“We knew they were going to pressure us constantly. They have some great athletes and it’s hard to prepare for that in practice. But I give credit to our guys, they didn’t give up,” said Witt, whose team is the seventh seed in next week’s Gem City Classic tournament hosted by Diamond. They will face second-seeded Thomas Jefferson on Monday at 8:30 p.m.

Leading the way in the scorebook for the Warriors was Parrigon with 13 points. Senior Noah Black finished with 10.

Boehne led Liberal with 19 points. Morrow finished with 11.

 

HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS HELP MCAULEY GIRLS MAKE STRIDES

The Warriors graduated a talented senior class that led them to an 18-11 record and an appearance in last year’s district title game. Tuesday night the young team’s lack of experience showed as they went scoreless from the 2:37 mark in the first quarter through the remainder of the half.

“We were beating ourselves a lot. We weren’t making smart passes,” said coach Mike Howard, whose team trailed Liberal 24-4 at the break.

Midway through the third quarter, Howard’s crew began to figure it out.

“We did a better job of setting up our offense and we had some girls step up,” he said, adding, “I’m proud of their effort.

Lily Black, McAuley’s lone senior, hit a couple of shots, one on a nice in-bound feed from junior Avery Gardner as McAuley went on a 6-3 run to end the third quarter. Black added a conventional three-point play early in the fourth and Gardner nailed 3s on back-to-back possessions late in the 42-22 loss.

“This group is going to continue to work and continue to grow every single day,” said Howard, whose team received the six-seed in the Gem City Classic. They will square off with College Heights on Tuesday at 8:30.

Black finished with 10 points. Gardner had eight.

BJ Goodell’s team is also young. The Bulldogs do not have a senior on their roster. Sophomore Taylor Swarnes finished with a team high 13 points. Juniors Ellaina LaNear and Bailey Couch both chipped in with nine. Junior Abby Barton added seven points. 

 

BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: McAuley returns plenty of experience with high expectations

With plenty of returning experience leading the way, the McAuley Catholic boys basketball team has extremely high hopes for the 2022-23 season.

The Warriors have good reason for optimism despite a 7-21 record a year ago because experience drives success, and McAuley has a bevy of experience this season. After graduating just one player with starting experience from last season, Jeffrey Horinek, McAuley returns five upperclassmen and a sophomore with starting experience at the varsity level.

“I expect us to be better at the start of this season than we were at the end of last season,” third-year Warriors coach Tony Witt said. “I also expect us to be playing our best basketball at the end of the year. The conference will be balanced and tough this year, as it is most years. We will have to play well to have a chance at a conference championship as well as making a run come districts.”

The list of varsity returners for the Warriors are seniors Noah Black (SG/SF), Joe Staton (SG) and Kable Reichardt (SF), juniors Rocco Bazzano-Joseph (SG) and Bradley Wagner (SF/PF) and sophomore PG Michael Parrigon.

“This season is one I have been looking forward to more than any others in the past,” Bazzano-Joseph said to SoMo Sports. “We lose a very little amount and return five of our starters. We are the most experienced we have been, and I believe we have a good chance to make a run.”

“We have a great group of competitive guys who enjoy playing together,” Staton said to SoMo Sports. “Our goal is to bring home a district championship for the school and have some fun in the process. We want to leave behind a legacy that future teams can look up to, like we did when we were little.”

Expected to make a bigger impact at the varsity level this season will be senior SF Jack Jones and senior C Trey Martinez. With six returning players with starting experience and two more upperclassmen joining the fray, it is clear that experience will be a strength for McAuley this season—perhaps its biggest strength.

“Varsity experience is not an issue for us this year,” Witt said. “We have eight letterwinners coming back as well as two seniors rejoining the team after sitting their junior year out. Out of the eight letterwinners, six started last year in some capacity. And below our top eight, we have seven or eight players not mentioned that could see time as well depending on how quickly they develop. Our practices should be extremely competitive. Every day will be an audition to earn time.”

While the experience the Warriors carry into the 2022-23 season will be the leading strength, McAuley is still going to have to learn how to use that experience to close out winnable games—something that was an issue a year ago.

“We cannot have bad quarters,” Witt said. “We lost five games by a total of 16 points last year due to a bad quarter. We must have cleaner play and cannot give opponents extra possessions and expect to win. We must shoot better from the free-throw line and cannot leave points on the floor. We must be better defensively from top to bottom. Our rotations, communication, and rebounding all must get better. If we can clean up these areas, keep our heads on straight, and stay healthy, we could have a special season.”

McAuley opens the season hosting Liberal on Nov. 22.

GIRLS HOOPS PREVIEW: McAuley ready to compete in transitional season

After graduating three starters, including two of the school’s top four all-time scorers in program history, the McAuley Catholic girls basketball team is relying on new faces to compete for an Ozark 7 Conference crown in 2022-23.

The Warriors graduated Kayleigh Teeter (1,383 points, 3rd all-time), Kennedy DuRuy (1,379 points, 4th all-time) and second-team all-conference post player Avery Eminger. Fortunately, McAuley does return four players with varsity experience for a foundation to build on as the season progresses. 

“We will probably have some learning curves at the beginning of the year,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “That is to be expected when you lose the amount of talent we did. There’s no doubt our patience will be tested. I am confident, however, in our ability to adjust and grow as the season goes along. As long as they foster (our keys for success), we should be able to compete at a high level once districts arrive.”

Leading the list of returners for the Warriors are senior forward Lily Black and junior G/F Kloee Williamson. Williamson averaged 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.7 steals per game a season ago, while Black averaged 6.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks per contest. Also returning to the varsity squad this year is junior G Kendall Ramsey and junior F Kaitlyn Bates. 

Expected to make an impact at the varsity level for the first time this year includes freshmen G Brooke Righter, F Keira Mays, G Vanessa Diaz and G Crystal Torres.

“Defense will be our strength this year,” Howard said. “If we can rely on our defense to create our offense, then that’s obviously the recipe for success. … Anytime you lose two of the top four scorers in program history, and the top three scorers from last season, offense becomes a focal point. We will need younger players to step up and fill those voids as best they can.” 

While scoring will be something the Warriors focus on improving from the onset, Coach Howard believes much of the concern lies more on the mental side of the game for his group. He feels that once they trust themselves on the court, success will follow.

“Ways to improve starts with changing your mindset about scoring,” Howard said. “We aren’t going to be able to rely on Kayleigh or Kennedy to score most of the points anymore. Our returning lettermen will need to adjust and become more aggressive with the ball in their hands and look to score. The best way to score is forcing turnovers and making layups on the other end. The more we can stay out of the half-court offense, the better we will be.”

McAuley opens the season at home with a matchup against Liberal on Nov. 22.

College Heights sweeps McAuley Catholic in district semis

The College Heights Christian Cougars will play for their third district championship in a row after their 3-0 win (25-19, 25-10, 25-15) on Saturday against McAuley Catholic in the Class 1 District 11 semifinals at the Thomas Jefferson Fieldhouse.

College Heights’ Addie Lawrence swings through a kill during the Cougars’ win over McAuley in district action on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Second-seeded College Heights improved to 23-9-2 on the season entering Tuesday’s district title match against top-seeded Jasper (24-8-3).

Jasper defeated Liberal 3-0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-9) in the first semifinal match Saturday.

College Heights started out a little bit slow Saturday, but the Cougars found a rhythm late in the first set that carried over into the second and third sets.

“It was a super fun match,” College Heights coach Mary Colin said. “I thought the girls played really good. Three of them took the ACT (Saturday), so we kept joking that their brains, they came in mentally fatigued. They weren’t as energetically hyped as normal, but I thought they were still very consistent and serious about getting the job done.

“There were a couple mishits at first, which I like to blame on the vision of being in an ACT and your eyes are so tired. After that, for sure, we started getting some rhythm.”

College Heights used a 4-0 run late in a tight first set to go ahead 24-18 and the Cougars closed it out 25-19 after exchanging side-outs with the Warriors.

McAuley’s Kloee Williamson earns a kill in the district matchup with College Heights on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

College Heights started out slow in the second but put together a few scoring runs — highlighted by a 7-0 early in the set that put the Cougars into the lead and a 5-0 that gave them a lead by 10 points at 18-8 — that produced a 25-10 set for the Cougars.

College Heights again saw McAuley Catholic take an early lead in the third, but the Cougars finished it off 25-15 with 5-0 and 3-0 runs giving them the lead for good at 5-3 and 8-4.

Maddy Colin finished the match with six kills, 23 assists, six digs and one ace, Addie Lawrence added 14 kills, Lauren Ukena picked up four kills, nine digs and three aces, Libby Fanning had two kills and two blocks, Lindsay Griesemer had 10 digs, Marley Woodford made four kills, Ava Masena made 10 digs and served two aces, Katie Moss had one assist and two digs, and Lilly Plassman added one assist and four digs.

The five-match stretch in late September and early October that College Heights played without Lawrence has benefited the Cougars after her return to the lineup Oct. 6 in their conference match against McAuley Catholic.

McAuley’s Lily Black raises for a block attempt in the Warriors’ matchup with College Heights in district action on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“For sure, Addie gets a lot of reps and when she was gone, the other girls got a lot of reps,” Coach Colin said. “I think there was one match when Lauren got set 77 times and Lindsay got set 60 times, so they went from maybe 25 touches to a whole lot more touches. I would definitely say the entire team improved offensively while she was gone because they were getting more touches. Now, she’s back and they’re still stepping up.

“I thought they all played really good today, and we had all to do something special in this moment. Like there was this one ball, I call it Plinko when it hits the ceiling, and it dinks around and Maddy’s coming, and she couldn’t get to it. At the last second, she yelled help and there were two girls waiting on it. That’s good teamwork.”

College Heights and Jasper have become familiar opponents during the past two seasons.

Tuesday marks their fourth match of this season with Jasper winning two of three against College Heights in matches played within a two-week stretch in September.

Jasper defeated College Heights 2-0 in the Jasper and the Lamar tournaments, while College Heights won a regular match in five sets on Jasper’s home court.

Last season, College Heights took all three matches against Jasper, including a five-set match for the Class 1 District 9 championship.

“Jasper’s so good,” Coach Colin said. “So good. They are fun to watch. They are solid all the way around. It’s going to be a great match. It is going to be kill for kill, and both teams are going to be in it to win it. It’s going to be a fun match.”

McAuley Catholic, meanwhile, finishes the season 21-15-2 overall, and the Warriors tripled their wins total from the previous 7-18-1 season.

The Warriors’ 21 wins this season are their most since the 24-win district championship team in 2018.

“I wish that we would have gone at least four, at least taken one game from College Heights,” McAuley Catholic coach Sarah Nangle said. “It would have been fun. Honestly, I’m not at all upset with my girls. I thought they battled hard, especially having to deal with losing our libero (senior JoJo Wheeler) in that third set. It forced them to come together.

College Heights’ Ava Masena passes the ball in the win over McAuley in district play on Saturday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“I’m proud of them. We’ve had a great season, better than last year, and it stinks the seniors went out the way they did not being able to make it any farther, but I’m excited and hopeful for next season already.”

Wheeler and fellow senior Lily Black each played their final matches for the Warriors.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON FALLS TO LIBERAL IN QUARTERS

Thomas Jefferson’s season came to an end in the Class 1 District 11 quarterfinal round on Friday when the fifth-seeded Cavaliers lost 25-11, 11-25, 25-21, 16-25 and 15-12 in a five-set thriller. 

Thomas Jefferson closes the year with a 12-17-1 record.

Lannah Grigg led the way with 18 kills, 17 digs, seven aces, three blocks and two assists, while Macie Shifferd had 13 digs, four kills, two assists and an ace. Mary Nguyen finished with 13 digs, 12 assists, three kills and an ace, while Nico Carlson had 20 digs, six kills and four assists. Gabbi Hiebert had five kills, six digs, two assists and a block. Marley Flanagan had four digs, with Alexis Stamps adding seven digs, two kill, five assists and three aces. Maggie Sutton had 13 digs and two aces, while Yasmina Mokhtar had six digs.

VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: CJ sweeps Willard; McAuley, Senenca and TJ fall

CARL JUNCTION SWEEPS WILLARD

WILLARD, Mo. — Carl Junction closed out the regular season with a 25-22, 25-12 and 25-20 road sweep over Willard on Tuesday. 

The win sends the Bulldogs into the postseason with a 20-10-2 record. Kylie Scott had 13 kills, two aces and two blocks, while Destiny Buerge had nine kills and 17 digs for Carl Junction. Lo Jones had 43 assists, five kills and two aces. Karissa Chase closed with 12 kills and two aces, while Jocelyn Brown added 10 digs.

Carl Junction is the second seed in the Class 4 District 6 tournament and will take on seventh-seeded McDonald County at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Willard High School.

 

SENECA FALLS IN FOUR

ROGERSVILLE, Mo. — Seneca fell 25-21, 25-11, 24-26 and 25-11 to Rogersville on Tuesday to wrap up the regular season.

The Indians head into the postseason with a 20-11-1 record and open the Class 3 District 12 tournament as the No. 2 seed. Seneca takes on the winner of third-seeded Nevada and sixth-seeded Monett at 6:15 p.m. on Monday at Mount Vernon High School.

Parker Long had 16 kills and 12 digs, while Jera Jameson had 12 digs and four blocks for Seneca. Brylee Sage added 22 assists, while Ella Graham finished with 10 digs. Braxton Raulson had 10 digs and two aces.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON FALLS TO GOLDEN CITY

Thomas Jefferson was on the wrong end of a 25-17, 25-16 and 25-20 sweep by Golden City on Tuesday.

Mary Nguyen finished with seven digs, five kills and five assists, while Nico Carlson had six higs, five kills, three assists, a block and a kill. Gabbi Hiebert finished with eight kills, five digs and three assists, while Lannah Grigg added 12 digs, six kills, four aces in service and three blocks. Macie Shiffer had four digs, three kills and an assist, with Marley Flanagan finishing with eight digs. Alexis Stamps added nine digs, four assists, an ace and a kill, and Maggie Sutton finished with 12 digs.

Thomas Jefferson is the fifth seed and takes on fourth-seeded Liberal at 5:30 pm. on Friday in the Class 1 District 11 tournament hosted by the Cavaliers.

 

MCAULEY FALLS TO PIERCE CITY

McAuley Catholic was swept by Pierce City 25-19, 25-16 and 25-16 on Tuesday. 

No other information was available.

McAuley is the third seed and takes on sixth-seeded Sheldon at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the Class 1 District 11 tournament hosted by Thomas Jefferson.

VOLLEYBALL: McAuley defeats Southwest in four

After dropping the opening set, McAuley Catholic rebounded to win the following three sets on the way to a win over Southwest on Senior Night on Monday.

The Warriors improved to 20-13-2 on the season with the 17-25, 25-17, 25-12 and 25-17 win. 

Kendall Ramsey finished with nine kills, while Lily Black added 17 assists. Black and Kloee Williamson each added three kills, with Williamson serving up eight aces and leading the way with 21 digs. JoJo Wheeler finished with 13 digs in the win.

McAuley closes the season with a road matchup at Pierce City on Tuesday before taking on Sheldon in the Class 1 District 11 tournament on Thursday at Thomas Jefferson.

VOLLEYBALL: McAuley Catholic drops third straight match at home

The McAuley Catholic Warriors dropped their third straight match in straight sets with a 3-0 loss (25-11, 25-20, 25-18) on Monday against the visiting Providence Academy Patriots.

All three losses were at home with 18-win Golden City and 18-win College Heights preceding the Patriots from Rogers, Arkansas.

“It definitely wasn’t pretty,” McAuley Catholic coach Sarah Nangle said. “I just don’t think we did our best. We’re still struggling right now with new positions and maybe a little bit of a lack of confidence where we’re playing at on the court. We’ve been struggling with passing lately and we’ve been working on it in practice but it’s not transferring over to games the last couple times. We’re a little frustrated.

“Hopefully, tomorrow night we play on the road at Exeter, maybe we can get some more confidence and play them competitively. We still know our season’s not over with, but we definitely want to end on a more positive note and a fighting chance. We don’t like having three-set games. We’re not giving our competitors much and we’re not fighting for it as much as we could.”

McAuley Catholic enters Tuesday’s match against one-win Exeter at 18-13-2 overall and the Warriors have a great shot at reaching 20 wins before the district tournament starts Oct. 20 against Sheldon.

The Warriors play consecutive matches against Exeter and fellow one-win Southwest.

Senior setter Lily Black led McAuley Catholic with four kills and eight assists Monday, junior Kloee Williamson added three kills, senior libero JoJo Wheeler made 11 digs, and sophomore Jadyn LaFerla finished with two blocks.

McAuley Catholic led early on in the first set Monday, but Providence Academy turned a 10-7 score into a commanding 21-7 advantage late in the set. The Patriots had multiple kills and three aces during that decisive 11-0 run.

McAuley Catholic fought hardest in the second set and trailed 22-20 before Providence Academy closed out the set with the last three points.

Providence Academy went ahead 14-6 in the third set and McAuley Catholic scored four straight points to cut it to 21-16 but the Patriots scored four of the final six points to end it.

Providence Academy defeated McAuley Catholic in two sets in tournament play earlier this season.

VOLLEYBALL: College Heights sweeps McAuley Catholic in rivalry match

The College Heights Christian Cougars prevailed in a tight first set and then ran out to big leads in the second and third sets to come away with a 3-0 win (27-25, 25-18, 25-8) on Thursday against their Ozark 7 Conference and district rival McAuley Catholic.

College Heights senior Addie Lawrence made her return to the court after being out for the previous five matches dating back to Sept. 26 against Golden City.

College Heights’ Maddy Colin earns an assist with a set on Thursday against McAuley Catholic. Photo by Israel Perez.

“We didn’t know until yesterday, so she hadn’t touched a volleyball, other than it rolling to her on the bench, in 12 days,” College Heights coach Mary Colin said. “Just the basic chemistry. Our lineup changed again without us practicing with it, similar to when she was out, and we went to a new lineup. Honestly, the whole team responded from when she went out to stepping into new positions and new chemistry to today stepping back into our old spots and picking up where we left off. I was really proud of them.

“It took the team to get a minute into their rhythm. It took me a minute to get into my coaching rhythm. At one of those early timeouts, we talked about their rhythm and my rhythm and then they started to sync after that.”

College Heights and McAuley Catholic traded scoring runs in an exciting first set, and each team had set points until the Cougars finished out the set 27-25 with the last three points.

College Heights built a 23-13 lead in the second and the Cougars provided themselves plenty of room on the scoreboard to withstand a run of five unanswered points by the Warriors.

McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey earns a kill against College Heights on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.

College Heights scored the first nine and the final five points during a dominant third set.

Lauren Ukena served three straight aces during that 9-0 start and she closed out the match with a kill off a block.

“She’s an all-around player,” Colin said. “She has been for two years now. She’s an outside hitter, she’s primary passer on serve receive, and she serves and digs. She’s so fun to watch. She’s a very, very smart player. She’s going up against Lily (Black) at the net, she would cross course and go down the line or she would go right through the block. Every now and then, she’ll get trapped because she’ll go against someone (a lot taller) because she’s a shorter volleyball player. Her serve was on fire (Thursday). It was moving.”

College Heights improved to 18-6-1 overall and 3-1 Ozark 7, and the Cougars return home on Tuesday for their home finale against Purdy.

McAuley’s JoJo Wheeler passes a serve return against College Heights on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.

McAuley Catholic dropped to 18-12-2 overall and the Warriors return to action on Monday at home against Providence Academy (Arkansas).

“I was really proud of our play the first set especially because we switched up our lineup Wednesday,” McAuley Catholic coach Sarah Nangle said. “We ran a 6-2 all season with two setters, and we changed to one setter. We only had one practice for our new lineup and our new rotations. We’ve got players playing different spots again, and so I thought they did a great job that first set. They worked well together, they were fired up, and came up just short.

“In the second, I was proud that we rallied back. Our goal is always and try to score 18 points if we’re going to not win. Obviously, we didn’t do that in the third. We definitely lost track of fundamentals, moving our feet and passing the ball. Maddy Colin did a great job serving against us and being very, very aggressive.

“It was still a fun night of volleyball, and it’s not the end of our season. We still have a couple more home games and a couple more away games that we’re going to fight for, and we still have districts. We have time to improve and see what we can do better.”

Lawrence finished with 14 kills, while Ukena had 18 service points, eight of which were aces, and six kills. Maddy Colin had 30 assists, while Ava Masena finished with 10 digs.

Kloee Williamson led the Warriors with seven kills, Lily Black distributed 14 assists, JoJo Wheeler made eight digs, and Avery Gardner served five aces in the loss Thursday.

College Heights’ Libby Fanning earns a tip kill against McAuley Catholic on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.

VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Lo Jones recognized for career milestone in CJ win; Seneca and McAuley earn sweeps; Mustangs victorious

JONES HONORED FOR 3,000 CAREER ASSISTS IN BULLDOG WIN

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — On a night where senior Lo Jones was honored with surpassing 3,000 career assists, Carl Junction (13-7-1, 2-2 COC) made the night even more memorable with a 25-20, 20-25, 25-21 and 25-16 Central Ozark Conference win over Republic on Thursday.

Jones, an Arkansas volleyball commit, surpassed 3,000 career assists during the Dr. Jeffrey Knutzen CJ Classic on Saturday. 

“What a great accomplishment for Lo,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said. “She does a great job running an offense and creating successful opportunities for her hitters. 

“The best part was that she didn’t even know she had reached 3,000.”

Jones added 34 assists in the win over the Tigers, while Destiny Buerge finished with 14 digs. Karissa Chase had 11 kills, five aces and three blocks. Jocelyn Brown finished with 20 digs.

Carl Junction hosts Joplin on Tuesday.

 

SENECA SWEEPS NEVADA

Seneca earned its 11th win of the season after defeating Nevada 25-17, 25-21 and 25-20 in Big 8 Conference action on Thursday.

The Indians improve to 11-5-1 and are 3-0 in conference play.

Brylee Sage had 26 assists and four aces, while Parker Long finished with 15 kills, four aces and a block. Jera Jameson had six kills, while Braxton Raulston finished with eight kills and four digs.

Seneca takes part in the Neosho Tournament on Saturday.

 

MCAULEY SWEEPS VERONA

McAuley Catholic volleyball improved to 18-10-2, 4-0 in the Ozark 7, after sweeping Verona 25-11, 25-20 and 26-24 on Thursday.

“We worked with a different lineup this evening and I think that’s what allowed Verona to score more than we wanted,” McAuley coach Sarah Nangle said. “But, overall, I am still proud that we were able to win in three games.”

Kloee Williamson and Lily Black each had five kills to lead the Warriors, while Kaitlyn Bates had four aces. JoJo Wheeler finished with 10 digs.

McAuley hosts Golden City on Tuesday.

 

MCDONALD COUNTY TOPS MONETT

MONETT, Mo. — McDonald County defeated Monett 25-17, 25-19, 25-16 in a Big 8 matchup. 

Savannah Leib had nine kills and five aces to lead the Mustangs, while Megan Elwood and Carlie Martin added five kills apiece.

Jayden Forcum handed out 22 assists and Elwood had a team-high 24 digs. Hay Nay Way added 18 digs. 

The Mustangs will compete at Mount Vernon’s tournament on Saturday.

 

CARTHAGE EARNS COC WIN

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage defeated Willard 25-15, 24-26, 25-18, 25-18 on Thursday in a COC contest.

The Tigers (7-15-2, 1-3 COC) are at Bentonville (Ark.) on Monday.

VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: CHS sweeps Exeter; TJ falls to McAuley in four

COLLEGE HEIGHTS SWEEPS EXETER

College Heights won its sixth regular season match in row with a sweep of Exeter on Tuesday.

The win improves the Cougars to a 15-3-1.

Addie Lawrence had 15 kills and six aces to College Heights, while Lauren Ukena had 10 kills. Maddy Colin finished with 29 assists, 11 service points and five aces. 

The Cougars host Golden City on Monday and welcome East Newton on Tuesday.

 

TJ LOSES IN FOUR TO MCAULEY

McAuley volleyball defeated Thomas Jefferson 26-24, 26-24, 5-25 and 25-20 on Tuesday. 

Mary Nguyen had five aces, six digs, four kills and four assists to lead the Cavaliers, while Nico Carlson added seven kills, four assists and a block. Gabbi Hiebert six kills, five assists, two blocks. Lannah Grigg had two aces, six digs, six kills, three assists and a block. Alexis Stamps finished with five digs, five kills and four assists. Maggie Sutton added three aces and seven digs, while Macie Shifferd had four kills and three assists.