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Tag: McAuley Catholic Warriors

HOOPS ROUNDUP: College Heights sweeps matchup with McAuley

Posted on by Lucas Davis

COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS 43, MCAULEY 40

College Heights built a slim lead in the first quarter and held on to it through the final horn for an Ozark 7 win over McAuley on Friday.

College Heights (13-8, 5-2 Ozark 7), winners seven times in the last eight games, opened the game outscoring McAuley 11-6 in the first period and held a- six-point lead at the intermission. The Warriors cut the lead to four to start the fourth quarter and tied the game late, but a late-3-pointer from CHC’s Maddy Colin and a follow-up score by Jaylie Johnson put the Cougars up five on the way to the win. 

“I have so much respect for what Coach (Mike) Howard has done with his team,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “They always play hard and defend well. We have played so many times over the last few years, and we know each other’s system quite well. That makes it really hard for our teams to execute. It’s not just a matter of knowing each other’s offenses. 

“There were several momentum swings. We built a couple of seven or eight-point leads and then McAuley would make a run to close the gap. It was close the entire game. … It was that kind of back-and-forth game that could have gone either way.”

“I’m very proud of my team for the improvement they showed since the last time we played College Heights,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said to SoMo Sports. “Less than a week ago, we turned the ball over 30 times and gave up 26 offensive rebounds against them. Tonight, we only had 11 turnovers and only gave up 10 offensive rebounds. We trusted each other and played as a team. … If we can keep improving and growing as a team, it will definitely be beneficial going into districts.”

Addie Lawrence had 12 points to lead College Heights in scoring, while Johnson and Libby Fanning each finished with 10 points.

Kennedy DeRuy had a game-high 19 points, while Lily Black finished with 11 points in the loss. Avery Eminger finished with eight points for the Warriors.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS 63, MCAULEY 32

College Heights held a first-quarter advantage and ballooned the lead throughout the game en route to a Ozark 7 win over McAuley on Friday.

The Cougars (19-4, 5-0 Ozark 7) held a six-point lead after the first period before College Heights pushed the margin to 16 by the intermission. College Heights scored 15 in the third period and 12 in the fourth while holding McAuley (5-19, 0-5 Ozark 7) to 12 points total in the second half. 

Miller Long led College Heights with 14 points, while Hagen Beck and Curtis Davenport each finished with nine points.

Noah Black led McAuley with eight points.

 

GIRLS MERCY/WARRIOR CLASSIC: College Heights girls defeat McAuley for third place; Providence wins championship

Posted on by Lucas Davis

COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS DEFEAT MCAULEY FOR THIRD PLACE

College Heights built a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter and held off McAuley’s late run on the way to a 36-31 win in the girls third-place game on Saturday.

Neither team held more than a one possession lead through the first half, but the Cougars (10-8) closed the third quarter strong and held a six-point advantage heading into the final eight minutes. CHC recorded the first three buckets of the fourth to build a double-digit lead before McAuley rallied in a big way to trim the lead to three points with less than 90 seconds to play. College Heights recovered and held off the Warriors in the closing seconds.

“It is always a challenge playing McAuley because they know us so well and we know them so well,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “We got off to a rough start, both teams did, but we missed so many layups tonight and shot 21 percent from the field and still won the game. … That speaks volumes to our defense. We preach defense and practice defense. The kids came out, kept them in check until we gained a little offensive rhythm in the third quarter and that helped out a lot.”

“Anytime we are playing College Heights, we know it’s going to be a battle and because we play each other so much that we know everything about them and they know everything about us,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “It is basically who is going to take care of the ball and who is going to put forth the most effort. I thought our girls played with a lot of effort, but we just couldn’t take care of the ball. Anytime that you have more turnovers than you do points [34], it’s never going to be a good outcome.”

GAME ACTION

McAuley scored the first basket of the second half on a Kennedy DeRuy bucket to tie the game at 17s, but College Heights scored the next six points to build the first real separation of the contest. Jayli Johnson earned a steal for a layup on the break before she knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing to highlight the spurt.

“We got into some passing lanes, got a few steals and actually knocked down a couple of layups,” Blankenship said of his team’s play in the third quarter. “Whenever you can get a couple quick turnovers like that, I feel like it makes us pick up the intensity even more on defense. But, it was just about finishing shots. If we can finish shots with our defense, we can play with most teams our size.”

The Cougars carried that six-point lead into the fourth quarter and converted the first three baskets of the final period to take a 34-21 advantage. Addie Lawrence started the quarter off with a 3-pointer before Johnson scored on the break before driving in for a hoop to make the score 34-21 near the four-minute mark.

The Warriors refused to go away without a fight, as McAuley rattled off the next 10 points to trim the deficit down to 34-31 with 1:27 left in regulation. Avery Eminger scored inside to start the surge before DeRuy recorded a three-point play and a 3-pointer off a turnover to cut CHC’s lead to 34-29 with 2:02 left. Avery Gardner earned a steal on the inbound pass and found DeRuy under the basket for a score to trim the lead to three.

“The first thing I mentioned in the locker room after the game, because I always try to start with something positive, is that they have relentless heart and effort,” Howard said. “You will never see our girls quit. They play hard until the end of the game. I thought that they did an amazing job in the fourth quarter to get back into the game. We switched it up defensively and started pressuring full court to create some turnovers, which led to those baskets. … Those girls kept fighting to the very end. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

College Heights answered with a basket by Lawrence inside the final minute to hold off McAuley and seal the win.

“We did not do a good job of keeping our poise and we panicked under the pressure a little bit,” Blankenship said of his team’s play down the stretch. “But we did what we had to do and finished down the stretch. We have some things we need to clean up in practice next week.”

SCORING LEADERS

Johnson led College Heights with 14 points, while Lawrence finished with nine points. Libby Fanning finished with six points in the win.

DeRuy finished with a game-high 18 points to lead McAuley in scoring. Eminger closed with seven points and Lily Black had four.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

MVP-Julieth Rivera, Providence Academy

Lydia Shaddox, Providence Academy

Marcy Miller, Lamar

Josey Adams, Lamar

Jayli Johnson, College Heights

Kennedy DeRuy, McAuley

PROVIDENCE ACADEMY DEFEATS LAMAR TO WIN GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

Providence Academy built a nine-point lead by the intermission and carried that pace throughout the second half on the way to a 64-52 win over Lamar in the Mercy-Warrior Classic girls championship game on Saturday.

The Patriots outscored the Tigers 17-9 in the first quarter and pushed the lead to nine by halftime. Providence won the third quarter and held Lamar at bay down the stretch to preserve the championship win.

Karolina Kiraga and Lydia Shaddox each had 14 points to lead Providence in scoring. Julieth Rivera added 11 points to give the Patriots three players in double figures.

Marcy Miller finished with 14 points and Zavrie Wiss closed with 13 to lead Lamar in scoring.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON GIRLS 44, BLUEJACKET 16

The Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team captured fifth place and earned its fifth win of the season by beating Bluejacket 44-16 on Saturday at the Mercy-Warrior Classic.

Thomas Jefferson built a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter at 17-7. The Cavs led 26-10 at halftime and were up 38-11 by the end of the third quarter.

Gabbi Hiebert scored a game-high 21 points for Thomas Jefferson, while Lannah Grigg added 14 points. 

On Friday, Thomas Jefferson’s girls beat Carl Junction’s junior varsity 47-34.

Hiebert scored 19 points for the Cavs, while Grigg added 10 and Nico Carlson contributed seven. DeShaye Buerge scored 13 points for the Carl Junction JV. 

MERCY/WARRIOR CLASSIC: CHC boys advance to championship; CHC and McAuley girls fall in semifinals

Posted on by Lucas Davis

FOURTH-QUARTER SURGE SENDS CHC BOYS PAST TJ; JOHNSON EARNS WIN 650

After a seesaw battle through the first three quarters, College Heights used a 15-0 scoring run in the fourth period on the way to a 64-53 non-conference win over Thomas Jefferson on Friday in the semifinals of the 39th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic.

Neither team held a lead greater than five points through the first half. Thomas Jefferson (14-5) held a seven-point advantage with three minutes left in the third before College Heights (17-3) rallied, with both teams exchanging the lead four times to head into the fourth with a one-point game. The Cougars took advantage in the final eight minutes, using a 15-0 scoring run over five minutes to steal the momentum for good in the win.

“I know Thomas Jefferson had three days off, but it looked like we had six days off,” said College Heights coach Eric Johnson, who notched his 650th career win as a head coach on Friday. “We missed a lot of easy shots in the first half, and (Thomas Jefferson) plays hard and they play well. Our press hurt them in the fourth quarter and we were able to get some turnovers and score. It was a struggle and I don’t think we played very well, but (Thomas Jefferson) is always tough and so well-coached that they always make it difficult for the other team.”

“We battled, and for the most part, we executed the game plan until the fourth quarter,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “I told the guys after that you can’t execute a game plan against a good basketball team for three or three and a half quarters. It has to be a full game if you want to beat good teams. We talked about learning from that and putting it all together.”

College Heights advances to face Providence in the boys championship game, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Thomas Jefferson takes on Sarcoxie in the third-place game set for 4:30.

SCORING LEADERS

Ethan Meeks finished with 18 points to lead the way for College Heights, while Curtis Davenport finished with 17 points in the win. Miller Long closed the game with 12 points.

Caden Myers and Luke Miller led Thomas Jefferson with 12 points each, while Jake Jarrett also finished in double figures with 10. Drew Goodhope scored nine points in the loss. 

GAME ACTION

Back to back 3-pointers from Myers and Goodhope gave Thomas Jefferson its first seven-point advantage of the second half with 4:48 on the clock in the third quarter, which was the largest lead of the game by either team to that point.

Trailing 37-30 shortly after, College Heights rallied with eight straight points to take the lead back, 38-37, with two minutes to play. Hagen Beck started the run with an inside score before Davenport and Long converted three-point plays to take the lead.

Jarrett scored inside to give the Cavaliers the lead before Ethan Adel answered with a 3-pointer for the Cougars on the other end to get his team back in front 41-39. Myers and Davenport exchanged buckets to keep CHC in front before Myers closed out the third period by banking in a half-court shot at the buzzer to send the Cavs into the fourth on top 44-43.

“You have the (Ozark 7) Conference rivalry side of it, but you also have the private school rivalry, or the Newman Road rivalry is what some people call it,” Myers added about how fun it is when CHC and TJ match up. “It is always fun to coach against Coach Johnson. He has been doing it a long time. It’s fun to see his teams execute, and they always do a great job of it.”

Jarrett splashed a 3-pointer to kick off the fourth to put TJ in front 47-43, but College Heights took over from there. The Cougars rattled off 15 unanswered points to take the lead back and build a nine-point cushion in the process.

“Putting the press on them forced them into some turnovers and forced shots,” Johnson said when asked what the catalyst for the fourth-quarter surge was. “We picked up the pace on defense and that was the key to it.”

Long knocked down a corner 3-pointer before grabbing his own miss for a baseline floater on the next trip to put College Heights on top 48-47. Meeks added back to back scores inside before Adel answered with two straight buckets, the second coming off a steal in the backout. Meeks closed the run with two free throws at the 2:56 mark to put CHC up 58-47.

The Cougars held that pace through the final horn.

 

MCAULEY GIRLS FALL TO LAMAR IN SEMIFINALS

Lamar went to the early press, forcing McAuley into several turnovers as the Tigers built a double-digit lead on the way to a 55-40 win in the Mercy/Warrior Classic girls semifinals.

Lamar used an 11-0 run early and eventually held a 16-point lead in the first quarter. McAuley was able to trim the lead to single digits early in the fourth quarter, but Lamar responded with a quick spurt to put the game out of reach. 

“The first quarter was not good for us,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “It’s partially their fault, but I will take part of the blame, too. I don’t think I prepared them enough for the pressure Lamar put on us. Our girls have to learn to handle that pressure. We’ve played in a few games this year where teams have been more physical than us and in those games, we struggle. Anytime you turn the ball over 28 times, you are not going to win.” 

Lamar takes on Providence in the girls championship game at 6 p.m. on Saturday. McAuley battles College Heights in the third-place game at 3 p.m.

GAME ACTION

Zavrie Wiss scored the first two buckets of the early spurt for Lamar before Ella Harris and Josey Adams added baskets inside to push the Tigers’ lead to 10-1. Wiss knocked down a 3-pointer to close the run.

After a 3-ball from McAuley’s Kennedy DeRuy, Ashlyn Stettler and Wiss scored in the paint before Adams sank a perimeter shot to push the lead to 20-4 with 1:08 on the clock. 

Avery Eminger and Kloee Williamson added buckets for the Warriors to close out the first period.

“We just couldn’t break their press,” Howard said. “We didn’t do a good job of getting open. Our girls didn’t go to the ball or set screens and made it difficult on the inbounder. As far as offensively, they were putting a lot of pressure on our guards. Anytime they do that, we like to spread the floor out for our guards. … I feel like we made the adjustment after the first quarter and were able to play with them for the rest of the game.”

Lamar played with the lead for the rest of the first half, going into the intermission with a 28-17 advantage, with the margin moving to 13 points to start the fourth quarter.

The Warriors made a run at the lead to open the final eight minutes of play. McAuley scored the first six points of the period on a drive by Williamson, two charities by Lily Black and an inside bucker from Eminger to trim the deficit to 41-32, but nine points would be as close to the lead as the Warriors would get. 

The Tigers used a 7-2 response to push the lead back to 14 points and ultimately put the game out of reach.

SCORING LEADERS

Josey Adams led Lamar with 12 points, while Wiss finished with 11 points. Harris and Marcy Miller each finished with 10 points for the Tigers. 

Williamson led McAuley with 17 points, while Eminger closed with 10. DeRuy finished with seven. 

“She has a lot of fight in her and she has a lot of heart,” Howard said of Williamson’s performance. “Anytime she feels like she is being pressured a lot, she wants to be aggressive and attack it. She is very fast and can use her speed to get around defenders. I was very proud of her for being aggressive, taking the lead and creating some things that weren’t there. She put the team on her back a little bit there as far as scoring goes in the second half of the game.”

 

PROVIDENCE GIRLS PULLS AWAY FROM COLLEGE HEIGHTS DOWN THE STRETCH

Providence built a double-digit lead in the second period and never surrendered it on the way to a 60-29 win over College Heights Christian in the Mercy/Warrior Classic semifinals.

The Cougars (9-8) trailed by six heading into the second period when an 11-0 surge by the Patriots led to a double-digit lead by the intermission. Providence pushed the lead to 20 in the third quarter and never wavered down the stretch.

“We played hard and we played well in spurts,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “It’s hard to measure yourself against a team like that. They are very athletic and they are well coached. … We just couldn’t get back in the game. We didn’t shoot the ball as well as we normally do, but some of that is a credit to their defense.”

Providence matches up with Lamar in the girls championship at 6 p.m. on Saturday. College Heights takes on McAuley Catholic in the third-place game at 3 p.m.

SCORING LEADERS

Julieth Rivera led Providence with 13 points, while Lydia Shaddox closed the game with 12 points. Abigail Russell added 10. 

Jayli Johnson led College Heights in scoring with nine points, while Addie Lawrence had six. Lauren Ukena and Molly Long each finished with four points.

GAME ACTION

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with Providence holding a 16-10 advantage after closing the period on a 6-1 run.

The Patriots distanced themselves from the Cougars thanks to an 11-0 run to open the second period of play, building a 27-10 lead in the process. Rivera highlighted the run with six points, while Elise Snow added a 3-pointer. 

“They are a very athletic and very quick team,” Blankenship said. “They jumped out into the lanes in our pick-and-roll offense. They got a few steals and some easy baskets that way.” 

College Heights cut the deficit to 30-18 to close the first half after Long scored on the break and added a make from the foul line.

Like they did in the second quarter, the Patriots started the second half as the aggressor, using a 10-2 spurt to build a 20-point lead. Shaddox and Russell put the closing touches on the run with inside scores to make the score 40-20 with less than five minutes to play in the third quarter. 

“I am proud of my girls,” Blankenship added. “We really did play hard. We didn’t play poorly, they’re just that good of a team, so give Providence a lot of credit.”

Providence went into the fourth quarter leading 42-24 with the lead hovering around 20 points down the stretch.

MERCY/WARRIOR CLASSIC: Thomas Jefferson boys and CHC girls win; Providence boys and girls sweep

Posted on by Lucas Davis

THOMAS JEFFERSON PULLS AWAY FROM MCAULEY DOWN THE STRETCH

Thomas Jefferson and McAuley were in a back-and-forth battle through the first 12 minutes of game action before the Cavaliers closed the first half with the momentum and capitalized on it in the third quarter on the way to a 61-36 win over the Warriors to close the first round of the 39th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic on Tuesday.

“We knew coming in that whatever situation was, (McAuley) wasn’t going to quit—case in point, right there at the beginning,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “We had a 10-point lead early and then all of a sudden you are down one. (Coach Tony Witt’s) kids always play hard, so tip of the cap to them.

“I was proud of our kids’ response to that. They beared down and had a good second quarter and held them to two field goals the entire period and was able to get a little bit of a lead going into the half. We executed fairly well in the second half to make sure we didn’t give them a chance to get back in the game.”

SCORING LEADERS

Jay Ball led Thomas Jefferson in scoring with 20 points, 10 coming in the first quarter, while Drew Goodhope knocked down four 3-pointers on the way to 16 points. Caden Myers, who is working his way back from a knee injury, closed the game with 10 points in limited minutes. 

Noah Black had 10 points to lead McAuley, while Michael Parrigon and Rocco Bazzano-Joseph each finished with seven points in the loss. 

GAME ACTION

Thomas Jefferson held all of the momentum early after jumping out to a 12-2 lead over the first three and a half minutes of game action. Goodhope knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, while Ball accounted for six points in the paint.

Refusing to go away without a fight, McAuley answered the opening scoring run with an offensive surge of its own. The Warriors closed out the first quarter on a 15-4 spurt to take a one-point lead by the start of the second quarter, 17-16.

“In the 15 years I have been a coach, this is the hardest working group I have ever had,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “Obviously, this one didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but they never gave up. … That was all them. Earlier in the season, we don’t make that adjustment. We don’t make that run at them when they opened with that run at us. That is a sign of growth, which is what you want to see at this point in the season.”  

Parrigon and Black each had five points in the run. Bazzano-Joseph knocked down a 3-pointer and Bradley Wagner scored inside.

The remainder of the first half was a seesaw battle until Thomas Jefferson closed the second quarter on a 12-0 run to take a 34-21 lead into the intermission. Caden Myers ignited the run with the first eight points, including two 3-balls, before Ball and Kip Atteberry added buckets to close the period with the double-digit lead intact. 

“Caden is a game changer as far as his intensity level, competitiveness and ability to score the basketball,” Coach Myers said. “But really, our defense is what sparked us there and gave us life. All of a sudden we were in the passing lanes and causing turnovers. Any coach will tell you their best offense is a good defense. We are very proud of the guys for turning it up. I really thought the defense sent the tone there.” 

After gaining a footing on the lead to end the first half, the Cavaliers put some distance between themselves and the Warriors after outscoring McAuley 14-5 in the third quarter to take a 23-point advantage into the final eight minutes of play. 

“We already let them have a little bit of life there in the first quarter, and we wanted to make sure we didn’t let them do that in the third,” Coach Myers said. “The kids responded well and did what they had to do. They kept the defensive intensity and executed well on offense.”

Bazzano-Joseph knocked down a 3-pointer to open the second half and trim the TJ lead to 34-24, but the Cavaliers answered by closing the third quarter on a 15-2 run to take a 49-26 lead into the fourth quarter. Ball had two buckets to lead the surge, while Goodhope added five points, including a 3-pointer.

“You can’t go through those dry spells offensively,” Witt added. “Four points in the second quarter, a huge dry spell leading into the third quarter, and that’s what blew the game open. … We had good looks and only turned the ball over five times in the first half. The ball just did not go in. … We needed to get to the free-throw line a little more and knock down our open shots.”

UP NEXT

Thomas Jefferson is scheduled to take on College Heights with a 7 p.m. matchup in the semifinals on Thursday, weather permitting.

McAuley takes on Carl Junction JV at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

 

FAST START PROPELS COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS PAST THOMAS JEFFERSON

College Heights girls basketball scored the game’s first 14 points and never looked back on the way to a 55-41 win over Thomas Jefferson to kick off the final day of the opening round in the 39th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic.

“It’s always good to get off to a good start in a tournament with an opening-round win,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “We got off to a great start and shot the ball really well. We played good defense, and our rotations were really good. … We were able to force some turnovers on defense and that allowed us to get out in transition and get some easy baskets that way.”

SCORING LEADERS

Libby Fanning finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds to record a double-double for College Heights. Maddy Colin also finished in double figures with 13 points, while Jayli Johnson and Addie Lawrence closed with nine points each in the win.

Gabbie Hiebert led the way in scoring for Thomas Jefferson with a game-high 23 points. Sarah Mueller added eight points and Alivia Beard finished with five points.

GAME ACTION

The momentum was all in favor of the Cougars (9-7) to open the game, as College Heights made the first six field goals of the game to jump out to a 14-0 lead through the first three and a half minutes of action.

“Our defense is usually solid,” Blankenship said. “We just never know if we are going to knock down shots or not. Tonight, we shot the ball really well and it got us into a rhythm and gave us a little bounce on the defensive end as well.”

Johnson and Lawrence highlighted the run with five points each. Johnson had a three-point play, while Lawrence knocked down a 3-pointer. Lauren Ukena and Fanning also had baskets.

Fanning closed the first quarter with two more inside scores to establish an inside presence for CHC early, giving the Cougars an 18-1 lead heading into the second period.

“Libby played a great game,” Blankenship said. “She has had several double-doubles this year and had one tonight. She finished shots really well around the basket tonight, which is good because that opens up shots on the perimeter for Addie and Jayli.”

Like the first quarter, College Heights opened the second period as the aggressor, scoring the first eight points to push the lead to 26-4. Colin, Molly Long and Fanning each had baskets in the run.

Thomas Jefferson found its rhythm to close out the first half, outscoring the Cougars 8-6 over the last two minutes of play. Tannah Grigg and Hiebert had paint buckets, while Mueller knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to trim the Cavaliers deficit to 32-9 by the intermission.

Colin led the way for CHC in the third quarter, scoring eight of the team’s 17 points while helping push the lead to 28 points to start the fourth quarter. 

The Cavaliers roared back in the fourth quarter, outscoring College Heights 20-6 to trim the lead down to 14 by the final horn. Hiebert led the way for Thomas Jefferson down the stretch with 13 points in the period. 

“The quit is never there,” first-year Thomas Jefferson coach Traci Walker said. “One thing I tell them is we have to show up and we have to want it. … We have a lot of fight in us and prove it every game no matter how far down we are. Our shots were not falling early, which is something we are working on. 

“I am very pleased with the way they finished. … I think with the turnovers we created (in the fourth quarter), we capitalized off of those. We moved our point guard to a different spot and I think that helped. Once our shots started falling, you could see the confidence grow.”

UP NEXT

College Heights is scheduled to take on Providence at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the semifinals. 

Thomas Jefferson takes on Carl Junction JV at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

 

PROVIDENCE GIRLS 67, CARL JUNCTION JV 29

Providence put the pedal to the floor early on the way to an opening-round win over Carl Junction junior varsity on Tuesday.

The Patriots built a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter and ballooned the cushion to 42-11 by the intermission and did not let up in the second half.

Hannah Weichman knocked down five 3-pointers on the way to 15 points for Providence. Lydia Shaddox finished with 13 points, while Anna Imbo had 11.

Anna Burch and DeShaye Buerge finished with seven points each to lead the Bulldogs.

College Heights takes on Providence at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the semifinals. 

Thomas Jefferson takes on Carl Junction JV at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

 

PROVIDENCE BOYS 88, BLUEJACKET 19

Providence held a 23-6 lead after the first quarter and was in front by 37 and halftime on the way to the opening-round win on Tuesday.

Preston Green led Providence in scoring with 17 points, while Corban Mora finished 16 points in the win. Sam McAlister and Carter Keene each finished with 10 points.

Kolten Hicks led the Chieftains with six points in the loss.

Providence plays Sarcoxie at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday in the semifinals, while Bluejacket takes on Joplin JV with a 4 p.m matchup on Thursday. 

HOOPS ROUNDUP: Joplin girls fall in semifinals; CHC and McAuley girls earn wins

Posted on by Lucas Davis

LEE’S SUMMIT WEST GIRLS 67, JOPLIN 49

LEBANON, Mo. —  Joplin trailed 35-30 at halftime before Lee’s Summit West outscored the Eagles 22-9 in the third quarter to take control of the semifinal win in the Lebanon I44 Lady’s Classic on Friday.

“Lee’s Summit West is a good, physical team,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said to SoMo Sports. “They guard hard and shoot the ball very well. The third quarter is what got us tonight. We fell behind early in the first half and battled back to get within 3 at halftime. Back to back turnovers by us to start the second half set the tone for the third quarter. We must continue to work on eliminating those moments that either put the game out of reach or take away our leads.”

Ella Hafer led Joplin in scoring with 16 points, while Brynn Driver finished in double figures with 11. Brooke Nice had nine points and Emma Floyd finished with eight in the loss.

Joplin plays in the third-place game at 2 p.m. on Saturday. 

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS 53, WHEATON 36

WHEATON, Mo. — College Heights girls basketball limited Wheaton to 14 points in the second half to rally for a Ozark 7 Conference win on Friday.

Wheaton took a 22-19 advantage into halftime before College Heights (8-7, 3-0 Ozark7) outscored the Bulldogs 15-6 in the third quarter and 19-8 in the fourth quarter en route to the win.

“The game was very close throughout the first half,” CHC coach John Blankenship said to SoMo Sports. “We played good defense, but we were a little slow on our rotations and closeouts. We got that fixed at halftime. Our defensive intensity really picked up in the second half and we shot really well. That combination allowed us to outscore them 34 to 14 in the second half. Our scoring has been really balanced lately. … Wheaton is a good team, and their coach prepares them well. This was a good conference win for us.”

Addie Lawrence finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and two assists to lead College Heights. Jayli Johnson finished with 11 points and four assists, while Libby Fanning had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Molly Long finished with seven points and nine rebounds for the Cougars.

College Heights takes on Thomas Jefferson to open up the Mercy/Warrior Classic basketball tournament at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

The College Heights boys defeated Wheaton 70-54. The CHC boys (14-3) take on the Carl Junction junior varsity team at 4 on Monday at the Mercy/Warrior Classic.

 

MCAULEY CATHOLIC GIRLS 66, EXETER 24

Led by a strong defensive effort, the McAuley Catholic girls basketball team rolled from the start in a lopsided 66-24 win over Exeter on Friday night.

The host Warriors led 30-4 at the end of the first quarter and the hosts were up 50-11 at halftime.

“Great defensive game tonight,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “Our defensive pressure allowed us to create offense and layups. We played very well in the first half. We tried to slow things down a bit in the second half and allow some of our reserves to get some game action. Overall, I’m very pleased with our performance.”

Kennedy DeRuy poured in 29 points for McAuley, while Kloee Williamson added 14 points. Also for the Warriors, Lily Black scored nine points and Avery Eminger contributed seven points.

Natalie Crumpler scored 11 points for Exeter. 

McAuley, now 14-5 overall and 3-0 in conference play, will host the Mercy/Warrior Classic next week. The Warriors take on Bluejacket at 8:30 on Monday night. 

 

EXETER BOYS 66, MCAULEY CATHOLIC 55

Exeter built a double-digit lead by halftime and held off a rally from McAuley Catholic boys basketball for a win on Friday.

Exeter led 25-15 at the intermission before McAuley cut the lead to six by the start of the fourth quarter. Exeter outscored the Warriors 19-14 down the stretch to seal the win.

Noah Black led McAuley with 16 points.

McAuley takes on Thomas Jefferson in the Mercy/Warrior Classic on Tuesday.

BOYS HOOPS ROUNDUP: McAuley tops Sheldon; Neosho falls to Republic

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MCAULEY CATHOLIC BOYS 68, SHELDON 49

McAuley Catholic took command in the middle quarters on the way to a home win over Sheldon on Tuesday.

The Warriors (3-9) took a one-point lead into the second quarter before outscoring the Panthers 20-12 in the second period to build a nine-point advantage by the intermission. McAuley pulled away in the third quarter after pushing the lead to more than 20 by the start of the fourth.

“This was a solid win for us against a district opponent,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “Hopefully we can gain some momentum from this one as we enter the heart of the season.”

Kable Reichardt led McAuley with 13 points, while Michael Parrigon and Noah Black each finished with 12 in the win. Jacob Bracich finished with 10 to give the Warriors four players in double figures.

Sheldon was led in scoring by Aiden Ellfritts, who finished with a game-high 17 points.

McAuley opens conference play with a road game against Verona.

 

REPUBLIC BOYS 63, NEOSHO 50 

Republic built a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter and held on for a Central Ozark Conference win over Neosho on Tuesday.

Republic took the momentum early after jumping out to a 21-10 lead by the end of the first eight minutes of action. The Wildcats cut the lead to two by the intermission and trailed by five to start the fourth before the Tigers outscored Neosho 20-13 down the stretch, led by Gunner Ellison’s 10 fourth-quarter points.

Ellison finished with 17, while Ahlante Askew had 22 points for Republic. Devon James McMillin had eight.

K’dyn Waters had 11 to lead Neosho (10-5), while Kael Smith and Isaiah Green each had nine. Brock Franklin had eight and Carter Fenske finished with seven.

Neosho hosts Willard on Friday.

PREP HOOPS ROUNDUP: McAuley girls roll past Lockwood; Neosho boys and McAuley boys take losses

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MCAULEY GIRLS ROLL THROUGH LOCKWOOD

McAuley Catholic girls basketball took a six-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back in a 60-17 win over Lockwood on Saturday.

The Warriors (9-2) limited the Tigers to eight points combined in the second and third quarters to outscore Lockwood by 30 in the process. McAuley blanked Lockwood in the fourth quarter. 

“Coming off of back to back losses to Galena (Kansas) and Wyandotte (Oklahoma), games in which we lost our identity and were physically outplayed, I challenged the girls to find themselves again and be the more aggressive team,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said to SoMo Sports. “They responded tremendously today. They were flying around on defense and forcing turnovers that led to transition baskets. We shared the ball well and trusted each other. When we can do that, we are at our best. I’m very proud of the way we responded today.”

Kayleigh Teeter led McAuley with a game-high 20 points. Avery Eminger was close behind with a career-high 18 points, while Kennedy DeRuy finished with nine. Kloee Williamson had seven points, while Lily Black finished with six. 

Adrien Niell and Catlyn Clawson each finished with six points to lead Lockwood.

McAuley hosts Sheldon on Tuesday.

 

NATHAN HALE HOLDS ON AGAINST NEOSHO BOYS

LOCUST GROVE, Okla. — Nathan Hale built a slim margin in the first half and held on to the lead through the final horn to beat Neosho boys basketball 59-54 in the third-place game of the Locust Grove basketball tournament on Saturday.

Nathan Hale took a 31-30 lead into the intermission and outscored Neosho (10-4) by two in the third quarter and two more in the fourth quarter to hold on to the win.

K’dyn Waters led Neosho with 28 points, 15 coming in the first half of play. Carter Fenske finished with 12 points, all coming in the first half. 

Neosho hosts Republic in Central Ozark Conference action on Tuesday.

 

LOCKWOOD BUILDS EARLY LEAD IN WIN OVER MCAULEY

Lockwood built a double-digit lead by halftime and held McAuley Catholic boys basketball to eight points in the second half on the way to a 50-25 win on Saturday.

The loss gives McAuley a 2-9 record on the season.

McAuley was led in scoring by Noah Black, who finished with seven points.

Kane Cooper had 13 points to lead Lockwood.

McAuley hosts Sheldon on Tuesday.

PREP HOOPS: McAuley girls and boys fall to Galena in final 2021 appearance

Posted on by Lucas Davis

It wasn’t the end to the calendar year McAuley Catholic had hoped for as both basketball teams suffered losses against Kansas Class 3A Galena in an interstate matchup to close out the 2021 portion of the schedule.

Opening the evening of hoops, the McAuley girls took it on the chin in the game-changing second quarter on the way to a 53-42 loss to the Bulldogs before the Galena boys started fast and never looked back in a 63-33 win over the Warriors in the nightcap on Monday.

 

GALENA USES SECOND-QUARTER SURGE TO  DISTANCE ITSELF IN WIN

The McAuley girls basketball team showed fight late before suffering its first loss of the season at the hands of the Bulldogs. 

After the Warriors took a lead into the second period, Galena forced several turnovers while building a 10-point advantage by halftime. The Bulldogs pushed the lead as high as 16 points in the fourth quarter before the Warriors (8-1) rallied to trim the deficit to single digits late. McAuley couldn’t get any closer than nine before the sound of the final horn.

“The first thing I told them when we were down in the locker room was that I was super proud of them for having tremendous heart because they didn’t quit on this game,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “They could have quit very easily and they didn’t. They played hard and played good defense down the stretch to get back into it. I just think we ran out of steam. 

“I told them that despite this loss, they are 8-1 right now and that is by far the best start to a season I have had here as a coach heading into the break. I told them not to hang their heads. I want this loss to sting in the back of their minds so they learn from it and get better because of it. They are in a great position right now. We just have to get better, but I think this is going to motivate them to do just that.”

A defensive-heavy first quarter saw McAuley come away with a 6-3 lead highlighted by a 3-pointer from senior Kennedy DeRuy and a bucket from senior Avery Eminger.

The momentum changed for good in the second quarter, as Galena outscored McAuley 17-4 thanks in large part to its ability to force the Warriors into several turnovers, with that number reaching more than 20 by the end of regulation, to build a 20-10 lead by the intermission.

“They started making some shots from the outside against our zone defense, and I felt like our zone got a little weak there,” Howard said of what he saw in the second period. “Galena had a good game plan and pressured us a lot. … We didn’t take care of the ball very well in the second quarter. We turned it over quite a bit, and that was the theme for the game. We didn’t take care of the ball and we couldn’t get anything going offensively. They played harder than us tonight.”

Senior Raylynn Downey highlighted the second quarter for Galena with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Junior Mia Sarwinski and freshman Rylee Boyes also knocked down 3-pointers in the period.

McAuley cut the lead to six several times in the third quarter, including a 3-ball from senior Kayleigh Teeter that trimmed the deficit to 22-16 and an inside score from Eminger that made the score 26-20 near the four-minute mark.

The Bulldogs closed the third period on a 10-4 run to push the lead to 13 heading into the final eight minutes, 36-23. Sarwinski, who finished with 11 points in the period, accounted for three of the field goals in the run, with Arysta Sturgis converting from the perimeter.

Galena pushed the margin to 16 early in the fourth quarter before back-to-back three-point plays from DeRuy and Teeter cut the lead to 10, 45-35, with 4:23 left in regulation. DeRuy knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key off the assist from Teeter with 1:35 left to make the score 50-41, but that was as close to the lead as the Warriors would get before time ran out.

SCORING LEADERS

Sarwinski finished with 21 points to lead all scorers, while Downey had 10 points for Galena. Boyes finished with seven.

“It was hard to contain Mia (Sarwinski),” Howard said. “She was amazing tonight. She is a solid player and she is quick. It is very hard to stay in front of her.”

DeRuy had 17 to lead McAuley in scoring, while Teeter had 12 and Eminger 10 to give the Warriors three players in double figures. 

UP NEXT

McAuley is back in action next in 2022, traveling to Wyandotte on Jan. 6.

 

MCAULEY BOYS FALL IN EARLY HOLE AND NEVER RECOVER

Galena scored the first seven points of the game and built a 16-3 lead by the end of the first quarter before going on to a sizable win over the McAuley boys basketball team.

The Bulldogs took a 25-point lead into the intermission before extending it to as much as 36 in the third quarter. The Warriors showed fight after starting the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run, though it wouldn’t be enough for a comeback bid.

“That is this group’s M.O.,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said about his team’s ability to fight back at the end of the loss. “I tell them that all the time. I absolutely love them because they do not give up. I have had teams give up when they’re down eight and all of a sudden, it’s 20. But, this group doesn’t do that. We kept battling, but we just have to understand you have to compete on the front end (of games) as well as the back end.

“They are a very well-coached team and space the floor very well. I don’t know if they missed a shot in the first five minutes, but they were hitting open shots and looking for each other. It is just a sign of a well-coached team. They are going to win a lot of games this year.”

Kobe McGlothlin led Galena with 12 points, while Jack Perry had nine. Brett Sarwinski and Tyler Little each finished with eight points.

Michael Parrigon led McAuley with nine points on three 3-pointers. Joe Staton added six points, while Kevin Tran and Jeffery Horinek each finished with five in the loss for McAuley.

UP NEXT

McAuley is back in action next in 2022, traveling to Wyandotte on Jan. 6.

GIRLS HOOPS: McAuley’s Kennedy DeRuy honored as 1000-point scorer

Posted on by Lucas Davis

On Thursday, McAuley senior Kennedy DeRuy experienced a moment she will never forget, eclipsing the 1000-point scoring mark for her career during the third quarter of the Warriors’ win over Pierce City. 

McAuley Catholic celebrated the accomplishment on Friday after her first basket in the Warriors’ win against Northeast Vernon County.

McAuley senior Kennedy DeRuy squares up for a shot against Pierce City on Thursday, where she entered the history books as a 1000-point scorer. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“I have been with McAuley Catholic since the second grade, and I have always looked up to the basketball team,” DeRuy said after the win over the Eagles on Thursday. “It has always been a dream of mine to get into that (1000-point scoring) club. I was so excited, obviously, because a lot of hard work went into it. I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with any other team than my team.”

“Kennedy has worked harder than any person I know to get to this point,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “Her freshman year, she came off the bench and averaged maybe three points a game. These last three years, she has really put in the work and the effort to get better and to improve. I couldn’t think of a better person for this to happen to. I view her as my own daughter and she has just been such a blessing for me to have on this team.”

DeRuy, who didn’t see extensive varsity minutes until her sophomore season with the Warriors, put in countless hours of work on the court in preparation to take on a larger role. To say her hard work has paid off would be an understatement.

“I was intimidated going into my freshman year,” DeRuy said. “We had a lot of good players on varsity, so I had to find my role. … The biggest thing was that I needed to get comfortable with who I was and how I played. Most of all, I had to be confident in what I could do. With years of preparation and Coach Howard by my side, putting in the work was worth it.”

Heading into the contest, DeRuy was eight points shy of 1000. Of course, when a career milestone approaches, it’s always nice for it to happen during the flow of the game. That wasn’t the case for DeRuy, who had a pair of baskets to bookend the Warriors’ scoring in the second quarter before adding a score off the drive with a minute to play in the third period. She had plenty of time to think about her chance at history as she stepped up to the free-throw line with 31.6 seconds left in the third quarter, sitting at 998 points. With God in her heart, she was perfect from the stripe, knocking down both charities to clinch history.

“I prayed to God before I shot those free throws,” DeRuy said with a smile and a laugh. “I just asked Him (to help) because this is what I have been working for. If it was my time, it was my time and obviously it was. I thank my teammates, my coach and my parents because none of this would have been popular without him.”

McAuley senior Kennedy DeRuy glides to the hoop in the Warriors’ win over the Eagles on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

GIRLS HOOPS: Shorthanded Warriors stay perfect with win over Pierce City

Posted on by Lucas Davis

McAuley Catholic had just six players dress on Thursday, but that didn’t stop the Warriors from building a double-digit lead by the intermission on the way to a 45-37 win over Pierce City.

The win pushed the Warriors’ record to a perfect 7-0 on the season.

“We have two players who are out injured, and one of them is my starting post player (Lily Black), and we also had another girl go home sick today,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “We literally had six players tonight, so I thought the girls did a good job with who we had available.”

GAME ACTION

McAuley’s Kayleigh Teeter takes the ball up for a layup in the Warriors’ win over Pierce City on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

McAuley started the game with a scoring run to take control, building a 9-3 lead over the first four minutes of action. Kloee Williamson started things off with a 3-pointer in the corner before Pierce City’s Sydnee Prater answered back with a 3-pointer of her own to tie the game. Kayleigh Teeter scored a second-chance bucket on the drive and Avery Gardner scored inside on the assist from Teeter. 

The Warriors played with that margin for the rest of the period, holding a 17-11 heading into the second period.

McAuley’s defense stepped up in the second quarter, allowing the Warriors to build a double-digit lead by halftime, 26-15, while limiting the Eagles’ scoring to four points in the period.

“It’s really important, especially against a team like that,” Howard said of his team’s defense heading into the break. “If you can push the lead to double digits while slowing the game down, working methodically through your offense and just being patient definitely works to our advantage. I was proud of their effort in the second quarter. I thought they played great defense for the majority of the game.”

The Warriors outscored the Eagles 9-4, Kennedy DeRuy leading the way with a pair of baskets. Avery Eminger added a basket inside, with Gardner adding a bucket inside on a drive-and-dish assist from Williamson.

Both teams played even in the third quarter, heading into the final eight minutes still separated by 11, 32-21. Teeter had a driving score, while DeRuy scored four points in the period.

Pierce City cut the lead to eight points three minutes into the fourth quarter when Prater connected from the corner 3-pointer to make the score 36-28.

McAuley answered back with a catch-and-shoot 3-ball from Teeter and a fast-break score from Williamson off a Teeter steal to push the lead back up to double digits, 41-28, with four minutes left.

“They’ve dug deep all year long,” Howard said about closing out the win. They’ve shown a lot of grit these last three of four games that we’ve been without Lily. They rely on each other to play good defense and to not get into foul trouble because they are playing for each other and they are playing for the school. To be a close-knit family out there, I only have six players out there, and to put forth that effort day in and day out the right way without fouling, it is a positive and always an advantage for our team. I am just super proud of the way they have played the last couple of weeks.”

The Warriors held their pace through the final horn to preserve the win.

SCORING LEADERS

Teeter led McAuley with a game-high 15 points, including eight in the first quarter. Williamson finished in double figures with 10 points, while DeRuy finished with eight. Gardner and Eminger each had six.

Prater also finished with a game-high 15 points, nine coming in the final eight minutes of action, to lead Pierce City in scoring. Macie Crowther finished with nine points.

UP NEXT

McAuley hosts Northeast Vernon County at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

HOOPS ROUNDUP: McAuley girls, Neosho boys earn wins; Webb City girls fall to Miller, Majors scores 31 for Nevada

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MCAULEY GIRLS 58, SARCOXIE 41

McAuley Catholic jumped out to an early lead and methodically pulled away from Sarcoxie on Thursday to earn the win and remain perfect on the season.

The Warriors (4-0) built a 25-18 lead by the intermission and outscored the Bears in each of the final two periods to secure the win, including a 17-9 stretch over the final eight minutes..

“Well, it wasn’t pretty by any stretch,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said to SoMo Sports. “Honestly, we didn’t play very well by our standards. We had a lot of miscues and missed opportunities, but we started doing some things right in the fourth quarter and made several free throws down the stretch. I’m proud of them for that. A win is a win and we’ll take it, but we will get back to work tomorrow and try to get things ironed out before next week.”

Kayleigh Teeter led McAuley with 23 points, including a perfect 7-for-7 shooting at the free-throw line. Kennedy DeRuy added 19 to finish in double figures. Kloee Williamson added eight and Avery Eminger had six in the win.

 

NEOSHO BOYS 52, CLARKSVILLE 46

PEA RIDGE, Ark. — Neosho held a one-point lead at the intermission before adding some breathing room in the second half on the way to a win over Clarksville in the opening round of the Battle at the Ridge tournament. 

“We played great defense to nail down the win in the fourth quarter,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said to SoMo Sports. “K’dyn Waters played great handling the ball and scoring. Carter Fenske hit two huge 3s in the fourth quarter to expand our lead. Isaiah Green, Brock Franklin and Kael Smith played great defense on their best players.”

Neosho held a 23-22 advantage before outsourcing Clarksville 14-10 in the third quarter, holding serve down the stretch to earn the win.

Waters led the way for Neosho with 23 points, including three 3-pointers. Carter Fenske added 13 points, including two 3-pointers, while Isaiah Green added nine points in the win.

Neosho plays Pea Ridge at 7 p.m. in the semifinals on Friday.

 

MILLER GIRLS 43, WEBB CITY 12

MILLER, Mo. — Webb City struggled offensively against a solid Miller team. 

Competing against much-larger schools, Miller just won the Carthage Lady Tigers Invitational.

“We guarded well for two and a half quarters defensively, but we have to take better care of the basketball on offense and score the ball better,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins told SoMo Sports. 

Sami Mancini scored seven points for Webb City. 

Miller led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter and 15-2 at halftime. The hosts outscored the visitors 14-5 in both the third and fourth quarters. 

Webb City (2-3) will take on Bentonville West at 3:30 next Monday at the McDonald County Tournament. 

 

MOUNT VERNON GIRLS 31, NEOSHO 19

The Mountaineers earned their first win of the season.

Mount Vernon led 10-4 at the end of the first quarter and extended the lead to 19-4 at intermission.

The Mountaineers outscored the Wildcats 9-0 in the third period for a 28-6 advantage. 

Jolie Prescott scored 11 points for Mount Vernon, while Kadence Krempges added eight and Cameryn Cassity had six.

Reagan McInturff and Raine Harris scored five points apiece for Neosho, while Beclynn Garrett added three.

 

NEVADA GIRLS 59, CLINTON 44

CLINTON, Mo. — Nevada junior guard Maddy Majors erupted for 31 points and hit five 3-pointers in her team’s win.

Clara Swearingen added 10 points for Nevada, while Abbey Heathman chipped in nine. 

Nevada is 5-1 on the season. The Tigers are at Logan-Rogersville on Monday. 

 

BOYS HOOPS: McAuley falls to Pierce City on late free throw in a thriller

Posted on by Lucas Davis

McAuley Catholic battled back from a 10-point deficit to tie the game up late in the fourth quarter only to see Pierce City rewarded with a foul call on a 50-50 ball that ultimately led to the go-ahead free throw being made with .3 seconds remaining in a 32-31 win on Tuesday.

“They have shown me a lot in the last week,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said of his team’s ability to fight back from a deficit. “That is something we didn’t have this summer, and I was worried about it. But, there is no quit in them. We just have to do a better job of not putting ourselves in these positions to lose games. We could have won the game in the fourth quarter, sure, but the first, second and third quarter is what lost it for us. That and we missed 10 free throws, so there is the game right there.”

The Eagles led 31-21 two minutes into the fourth quarter before the Warriors scored the next 10 points over a span of five minutes to tie the game at 31-all with a minute to play. Declan Berkstresser started the run with a pair of makes from the charity stripe before Noah Black scored on a drive to the hoop to make the score 31-25. A free throw from Kable Reichardt and a baseline jumper from Michael Parrigon trimmed the lead to three with 2:30 left. Parrigon added another charity before Jacob Bracich scored inside the paint at the one-minute mark to tie the game.

After a miss from each team, Pierce City took the ball out just past midcourt with 1.1 seconds left before turning it over on an errant pass that ended up in the rafters, giving the ball to McAuley with the same time remaining.

McAuley’s inbounds pass went to the top of the key where the Warriors’ Jeffery Horinek and Eagles’ Clayton O’Hara both went up for the ball simultaneously. A whistle blew, with an offensive foul called on Horinek, sending O’Hara to the line with .3 left in regulation. O’Hara made the front end of a one-and-one to send Pierce City to the win.

“It’s tough when there is a 50-50 ball and there could be a foul called either way and the game comes down to one person making the decision, not the 10 players on the floor,” Witt said. “We are going to watch some film and we are going to figure out that in certain situations you have to keep a cool head and understand the big picture.”

Following a slow-moving first period that saw Black hit a stepback 3-pointer at the horn to tie it at 7-7, Pierce City was able to get an advantage after every quarter change thanks to being the aggressor out of each break.

“It’s almost like they are comfortable playing from behind,” Witt said of his team falling behind every quarter change. “That is not what successful teams do. We have got to do a better job every quarter and win the first two minutes, whether that is at the free-throw line or on the defensive end. We can’t just sit back and be passive for the first two minutes and then start playing.”

In the second quarter, the Eagles used a 6-0 run off consecutive 3-pointers from Ashton Medlin to build a 13-7 advantage before the Warriors closed the first half on a 6-0 run highlighted by a Black score off the drive and a 3-ball from Reichardt in the corner off the assist from Joe Staton to tie the game at 13s by halftime.

“It was big for us because even though we didn’t play well in the first two quarters, we are still tied going into halftime,” Witt said of his team’s run to close the second quarter. “

Opening the second half, Pierce City used back-to-back three-point plays from Garrett Jespersen and Emmit Price and a corner 3-ball from Medlin for a 9-0 run to push the lead to 22-13. 

And again, the Warriors rallied, going on a 7-2 run to trim the lead to four points. Horinek grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback score to kick off the run before Bracich followed suit with an offensive board and putback to make the score 22-17. After a basket off the drive by Pierce City’s Zane Clayton, a free throw from Bracich and a layup by Reichardt trimmed the lead to 24-20.

The Eagles pushed the lead back with another 3-ball from Medlin while taking a 27-21 lead into the fourth quarter.

SCORING LEADERS

Medlin knocked down five 3-pointers to lead the Eagles with 15 points, while Price had seven and Jespersen five.

Reichardt and Black each had seven points to lead McAuley in scoring, while Bracich had five. Berkstresser and Parrigon each had three.

UP NEXT

McAuley hosts Sarcoxie on Dec. 10.

BOYS HOOPS: McAuley rallies late for win over Sarcoxie

Posted on by Lucas Davis

DIAMOND, Mo. — McAuley Catholic closed out the Gem City Classic in style, rallying back late for a 46-42 win over Sarcoxie on Friday.

After the Warriors took a 14-9 lead after the first quarter, Sarcoxie responded by outscoring McAuley 23-8 over the second and third quarters to hold a 32-22 lead heading into the final eight minutes of play. The Warriors rallied back down the stretch to outscore the Bears 24-10 on the way to their first win over the season.

“I’m extremely proud of this team’s ability to bounce back from the loss last night,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “Give Sarcoxie credit, we did not respond well against their defense in the middle quarters. We found ourselves down again after three quarters, but these guys showed a lot of heart in the fourth to get back in it. We could have folded but kept battling.  I was extremely please with our poise down the stretch. With an inexperienced team like we have, we showed a lot of maturity late in the 4th quarter. We grew up as a team tonight.”

Noah Black led McAuley in scoring with 16 points, while Jeffery Horinek finished with 10.
Tyler Cupp had 21 points to lead Sarcoxie.

McAuley hosts Pierce City at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

GEM CITY CLASSIC: Thomas Jefferson earns opening win; McAuley’s rally comes up short

Posted on by Lucas Davis

DIAMOND, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson built and early cushion before pulling away from Sarcoxie, while McAuley Catholic’s late rally came up short against Lighthouse Christian in opening round action of the Gem City Classic on Tuesday.

EARLY SURGE SENDS THOMAS JEFFERSON PAST SARCOXIE

Top-seeded Thomas Jefferson built a 10-point lead after the first quarter and never wavered in a 53-42 win over eighth-seeded Sarcoxie to open the Gem City Classic on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers outscored the Bears 15-5 in the opening eight minutes to take control of the game. Thomas Jefferson pushed the lead to 33-16 by the intermission before Sarcoxie slightly cut into the lead the final two quarters.

Thomas Jefferson improves to 3-0 on the season with the win.

Caden Myers finished a double-double to lead the Cavaliers, totaling 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Jay Ball added 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks, while Drew Goodhope had nine points and five assists. Tyler Brouhard had five points and five boards.

Sarcoxie was led in scoring by Terio Asterio, who finished with 11 points. Tyler Cupp had nine, while Garret Smith finished with eight points.

Thomas Jefferson is in action against fourth-seeded Diamond in the semifinals of the Gem City Classic at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

 

MCAULEY CATHOLIC’S RALLY COMES UP SHORT

Sixth-seeded McAuley saw a first-half lead vanish in the third quarter and rallied back before coming up short in a 52-49 loss to third-seeded Lighthouse Christian in the opening round of the Gem City Classic.

The Warriors (0-2) built a 27-19 lead by the intermission over Lighthouse Christian before the Chargers outscored McAuley 19-0 in the third quarter to take a 38-19 advantage. The Warriors rallied back to outscore Lighthouse Christian 22-14 in the fourth quarter but came up just shy of forcing overtime.

“Obviously, it was a less than ideal third quarter and I am disappointed in the loss, but extremely proud of my guys,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said to SoMo Sports. “These guys showed a lot of heart and courage to fight their way back into it being down 11 to start the fourth.  We know what we are capable of, we just need to concentrate on playing four quarters.  We are going to learn from it and be better because of it.”

Noah Black led McAuley with 21 points, while Will Schmidly scored 15 and Cade Bethea had 12 for Lighthouse Christian.

McAuley takes on Galena at 7:30 on Thursday in the Gem City Classic.

BOYS BASKETBALL: McAuley boys looking for returning lettermen to step up in 2021-22

Posted on by Lucas Davis

After graduating three key seniors last season, McAuley Catholic boys basketball will be looking to its returning players to take on a bigger role in order to find success in 2021-22.

“We lost a lot statistically from last season due to graduation and we have some guys who lack varsity experience,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “We gained valuable experience this summer, but we still have some unknowns. It is going to take some time to develop a rotation and for guys to accept their role. This is a hard-working, coachable, tight-knit group that is very motivated. We are going to get better every day and hopefully be playing our best basketball in February. I am extremely excited to see what this group can do.”

The Warriors are looking to replace graduates Daniel Wagner, Thomas Black and Matthew Dohmen, who accounted for 78 percent of the team’s scoring last season and 77 percent of the team’s rebounding for a squad that advanced to the district title game a year ago.

Among the returning lettermen expected to play a more important role this season is sophomore guard Rocco Bazzano-Joseph, junior guard Joe Staton and senior forward Jeffery Horinek. Bazzano-Joseph was the sixth man last year, averaging 4.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game, while Staton started 24 games and averaged 2.2 points and Horinek started 20 games and averaged 2.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

“Jeffery is a solid post defender and rebounder,” Witt said. “We will need him to take on a bigger role this year on both ends of the floor. … Joe is a crafty guard who loves to play defense. He has a high basketball IQ and is a natural born leader. … (Rocco) played significant minutes in every game (last season) and is our returning leading scorer. He is a good shooter and has worked on being a scorer.”

Other returning lettermen include junior G/F Kable Reichardt, senior G Kevin Tran, senior G Jacob Bracich and sophomore G/F Bradley Wagner. Also joining the varsity squad this year is senior F Declan Berkstresser, junior G Noah Black and freshman G Michael Parrigon.

“We need multiple guys to step up and provide for us this year,” Witt said. “And we have guys who are capable of doing that, but will it be the same guy’s night in and night out? It is going to take some time for us to figure some things out. Our roles are going to shift a bit, but once we get that figured out as well as a stable rotation, I expect us to start making some positive strides.”

The biggest keys to success this season will be how well the Warriors compete on the defensive end and then follow that up with a rebound. While it is expected that the offense will need some time to get the rotations figured out, Witt was adamant that the effort on the defensive end will be what decides the outcome of most games.

“Competing consistently, especially on the defensive end and rebounding,” Witt said. “We can’t have a great defensive possession and then not rebound. We can’t have bad quarters or wait to start playing until the second half. … We will have to come out every night playing our best to win games. For us to reach our full potential, we will have to be solid defensively. We must collectively guard the ball without fouling and finish off possessions by limiting teams to one shot. Offensively, it is essential for us to value the basketball and give ourselves opportunities to score, but it is crucial for us to keep people from scoring.”

McAuley opens the season with a road matchup against Liberal on Nov. 23 before taking part in the Gem City Classic from Nov. 29-Dec. 4. The Warriors open at home against Pierce City on Dec. 7.

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Returning experience set to be catalyst for McAuley Catholic

Posted on by Lucas Davis

While depth might be an issue, talent won’t be a problem for the McAuley Catholic girls basketball team in the 2021-22 season.

The Warriors are coming off a 20-win season that ended in a trip to the state quarterfinals and return their top two playmakers in senior 5-foot-6 guard Kayleigh Teeter and senior 5-8 G/F Kennedy DeRuy, who combined for over 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals per game last season, to help replicate the success from a year ago.

“I always have high expectations for my teams,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “This season is no different. … I look for us to use the experience we gained last year and carry that over into this year. If we stay humble and have the right mindset, we have the ability to compete for a conference championship and also have a good chance to make another run in the state tournament.”

Teeter is a returning first-team all-area, district and conference player who averaged 17.6 points, 3.8 assists and 4.3 steals per game — all team highs — to go along with 5.7 rebounds a game. DeRuy earned first-team all-conference and district honors, while garnering second-team all-area recognition after averaging 15 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game. She also led the Warriors with 7.8 rebounds per game.

Joining Teeter and DeRuy and also bringing back plenty of varsity experience is junior 5-10 forward Lily Black, who started last season and averaged 4.3 points and 5.2 rebounds, and sophomore 5-7 guard Kloee Williamson, who averaged 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

“(Kayleigh and Kennedy) will be the catalysts on this team, however, other people are going to have to step up and lead if those two are being focused on,” Howard said. “I expect more of a scoring role from junior post player Lily Black and sophomore guard Kloee Williamson. Both are capable of helping the team out in different ways, whether it’s rebounding and putbacks or playing aggressive defense and creating turnovers.”

The varsity experience gets very thin after that, though, which may prove to be an issue early on for the Warriors. Coach Howard is expecting sophomore 5-6 guard Avery Gardner to step into a bigger role this season. Senior 6-0 F Avery Eminger returns to McAuley to provide depth inside, with sophomore 5-7 F Kaitlyn Bates also expected to help inside.

“We are not very deep this year,” Howard said. “I anticipate rotating six, possibly seven girls this year. So, we are going to have to be disciplined and play defense without fouling. We are also going to have to be in terrific shape to be able to sustain the length of the season.”

Of course, the good news for McAuley is the strength of this team is perhaps the best attribute a team can have—experience.

“We have played in the last three district championships, winning two of them,” Howard said. “We were one step away from the Final 4 last year, so hopefully the experience gained from that game will carry into this year.

“This team has the ability to be a good team. The main key, however, is to have the correct mindset to sustain the length of a long season. If we stay motivated and come to practice everyday ready to put in the work, that will take them far beyond what their ability only will take them.”

McAuley opens the season on the road at Liberal on Nov. 23 before taking part in the Gem City Classic from Nov. 29-Dec. 4. The Warriors open up at home against Sarcoxie on Dec. 9.

CROSS COUNTRY: Youngworth begins new chapter at McAuley

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

After 27 years at Carthage High School, Andy Youngworth is beginning a new chapter of his coaching career.

Youngworth is now leading the McAuley Catholic cross country program. 

“I’m excited to start this new chapter in my coaching career,” Youngworth told SoMo Sports. “And I look forward to helping these young men and women become better runners, but more importantly, better people.” 

McAuley’s boys team features a large group of returning runners. Juniors expected to play a key role are Aidrian Keefer, Phillip Motazedi, Kable Reichardt and Drew Zeb.

Kevin Tran, Michael Parrigon, Armando Alberto, Aiden Logan and Grant Horinek are other athletes who could be competing at the varsity level. A senior, Tran is a first-year runner. 

Andy Youngworth is now in charge of the McAuley Catholic cross country program.

“We have four or five of our top runners back from last year,” Youngworth said. “I feel we will be able to field a team that will be able to compete in Class 1 in this area. We also have a solid freshman class to go along with the five upperclassmen. They made a commitment to the off-season voluntary program this summer and I believe that dedication will result in improved results from last season.” 

An area of concern is “big meet” experience.

“I feel we have put together a schedule that will prepare them for the championship season,” Youngworth said. “There is not much distance running tradition at McAuley, and I have challenged them to be the building block for future success.” 

Youngworth noted team goals for the fall are to win the conference meet, finish in the top four at the district meet and qualify the entire team to state, which would be the first McAuley team to do so.

“All of these are lofty goals, but setting a high standard in year one is important,” Youngworth said. “In order to achieve these goals, several things must occur. We have to respect our opponents and compete to the best of our ability, work hard every day in practice and work together as a team in races. And putting your teammates first is a constant emphasis in practice.” 

The McAuley girls team has just one runner — sophomore Kendall Ramsey.

Ramsey finished fourth at last year’s Class 1 District 7 meet and advanced to the state meet, where she finished 56th.  

“Kendall is a hard working athlete who does a great job of mentoring her middle school teammates,” Youngworth said. “Kendall needs to continue to work hard despite not having a team to race or train with on a daily basis. The race experience she has from last year will be very beneficial as she prepares for the championship series in October and November. She’s looking forward to improving her district place from last fall and hopefully will earn a medal at the state meet.”

SPRING SEASON: Area student-athletes garner SoMo Sports Athletes of the Year recognition

Posted on by Lucas Davis

At SoMo Sports, we understand the importance of student-athletes competing in prep sports in terms of development, both mentally and physically, for young adults who are preparing for life after high school.

Not only does competing in prep sports help build character, but it also provides student-athletes with tools such as communication, leadership and self-drive that will benefit them as they continue on life’s journey. 

With that in mind, SoMo Sports wanted to honor the top athletes in the area who put in countless hours of hard work during practice, workouts, games/meets as well as on their own time by naming them as a SoMo Sports Athlete of the Year.

The Athlete of the Year selections go out to the top area athlete in each sport during the fall, winter and spring prep seasons. 

The standout athletes are chosen by SoMo Sports reporters Jason Peake and Lucas Davis, who tirelessly cover prep sports for Joplin and its surrounding communities during the school year. Along with nominations by area coaches, SoMo Sports used individual accomplishments during the regular season and postseason as well as team success as factors for choosing each Athlete of the Year. 

The SoMo Sports Athletes of the Year awards will be divided up in three stories—fall, winter and spring. Each sport will have an Athlete of the Year, and if warranted, there may be one or two honorable mentions per sport as well.

The SoMo Sports Athletes of the Year three-part story is sponsored by Cell Phone Medics.

SOMO SPORTS SPRING ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

BASEBALL

Treghan Parker, senior, Webb City

Webb City’s Treghan Parker finished his stellar senior season with a .429 batting average, 45 hits, 43 runs scored, seven home runs and 56 runs batted in, a single season school record.  Parker recorded nine doubles and hit six triples, drew 20 walks, swiped 20 bases, only struck out seven times all season and had an .895 fielding percentage from the shortstop position.  With Parker playing a key role, Webb City went 26-6 and advanced to the championship game of the district tournament.  After the season, Parker was named the Central Ozark Conference Player of the Year and was a first-team all-state and all-district selection. Parker, who was also a standout on the football field, will play baseball at Missouri Southern.  

Honorable Mention: Noah Southern, Carl Junction; Cole Martin, McDonald County; Kohl Cooper, Joplin

 

GIRLS TRACK

Addison Lawrence, sophomore, College Heights

Addison Lawrence had a remarkable spring. Just a sophomore, Lawrence earned four gold medals at the Class 1 state track meet, leading the College Heights girls to a team championship.

Lawrence’s inaugural high school season ended with her claiming state titles in the 100-meter dash, the 400-meter run as well as a member of the 4×100 and 4×200 relays. On the way to her four state titles, Lawrence also set school records in the 100, 200 and 400 as well as the 4×100 and 4×200 relays. Lawrence was also a part of the 4×400 relay team that broke the Galena, Kansas, meet record.

Honorable Mention: Ally Montez, Carl Junction  

 

BOYS TRACK

Mekhi Garrard, senior, Webb City

Mekhi Garrard’s senior year at Webb City ended with not only an individual state championship, but also a team title. Garrard was the Class 4 state champion in the long jump ( 23-3.25) and also placed second in the triple jump (45-10). Garrard earned another state medal in Jefferson City, as he ran a leg of Webb City’s 4×400 relay that finished third. Garrard played a crucial role as Webb City’s boys track and field squad captured the Class 4 state championship. During the spring, Garrard won district and sectional titles in the long jump. He was also the conference and district champion in the triple jump. He qualified for state in four events, the long jump, triple jump, 200-meter dash and 4×200 relay. At state, Garrard joined the team’s 4×400 relay in place of the 200. Garrard, who was also a standout in football and basketball at WCHS, will join the track and field team at Missouri Southern. 

Honorable Mention: Donovyn Fowler, Joplin

BOYS TENNIS

Ian Ding, junior, Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s Ian Ding left no doubt as to who was the Joplin area’s top boys tennis player. Ding capped a stellar junior season by competing at both the individual and team state tournaments. Individually, Ding finished fourth in the singles bracket at the MSHSAA Class 2 state tournament. Ding finished the season with a singles record of 27-4. Ding also saw success in doubles with Hari Nagarajan. The Cavaliers, who went 15-1 in duals this past spring, finished as the state runner-up in Class 2 for coach Tom Brumfield. 

 

SPRING SOFTBALL

Lauren Schallert, senior, Purdy

A standout in the circle and at the plate, Lauren Schallert led Purdy (30-1) to its first state spring softball championship.  As a pitcher, Schallert went 25-1 with a 0.36 ERA. She struck out 265 in 137 1/3 innings, walking just 18. Schallert fanned 16 in the state semifinals, a state record. In the batter’s box, Schallert batted .592 with 10 homers, 45 RBI and 45 runs scored.  Schallert, who is headed to Cameron University, earned first-team all-conference, all-district and all-state honors. 

Honorable Mention: Maddy Colin, College Heights

GIRLS SOCCER

Grace Bishop, senior, College Heights

With her solid overall play from the forward position, Grace Bishop led McAuley Catholic/College Heights to a 14-3 record and a berth in a district championship game.  Bishop, who has signed to play college soccer at John Brown University, scored 30 goals, handed out 11 assists and recorded a hat trick in five contests this spring. Bishop recorded eight goals in three games to lead the Warriors to the Hillcrest Tournament championship. For her efforts, Bishop was recognized as all-district, all-region (Co-Player of the Year) and all-state. In fact, Bishop was an all-state performer in three sports as a senior—cross country, track and field and soccer. 

Honorable Mention: Anea Bemo, Webb City

 

BOYS GOLF

Fielding Campbell, senior, Joplin

Fielding Campbell, a Missouri Southern commit, had a standout senior season on the standout golf team in the area. For Joplin, which took fourth as a team at state, Campbell capped off his final year as an Eagle with a 79-72—151 in the Class 5 meet at Sedalia Country Club to finish in a tie for 32nd place. Leading up to the final tournament of the season, Campbell took first place in the Bird Dog Invitational with a 78, sixth in the Horton Smith Invitational with an 80, tied for third in the Joplin Invitational with a 78, tied for fourth in the Ozark Tournament (77) and finished in fifth in the Sonic Invitational with a 74. Campbell tied for second at the COC Meet with fellow Joplin Eagle Wyatt Satterlee, who finished tied 27th at state with a 75-75—150, after both players shot a 76 to earn first-team all-COC honors. Campbell also carded a 75 in districts to take fourth place and earn all-district honors in the process.

Honorable Mention: Wyatt Satterlee, Joplin

WINTER SEASON: Local athletes recognized as SoMo Sports Athletes of the Year

Posted on by Lucas Davis

At SoMo Sports, we understand the importance of student-athletes competing in prep sports in terms of development, both mentally and physically, for young adults who are preparing for life after high school.

Not only does competing in prep sports help build character, but it also provides student-athletes with tools such as communication, leadership and self-drive that will benefit them as they continue on life’s journey. 

With that in mind, SoMo Sports wanted to honor the top athletes in the area who put in countless hours of hard work during practice, workouts, games/meets as well as on their own time by naming them as a SoMo Sports Athlete of the Year.

The Athlete of the Year selections go out to the top area athlete in each sport during the fall, winter and spring prep seasons. 

The standout athletes are chosen by SoMo Sports reporters Jason Peake and Lucas Davis, who tirelessly cover prep sports for Joplin and its surrounding communities during the school year. Along with nominations by area coaches, SoMo Sports used individual accomplishments during the regular season and postseason as well as team success as factors for choosing each Athlete of the Year. 

The SoMo Sports Athletes of the Year awards will be divided up in three stories—fall, winter and spring. Each sport will have an Athlete of the Year, and if warranted, there may be one or two honorable mentions per sport as well.

The SoMo Sports Athletes of the Year three-part story is sponsored by Cell Phone Medics.

SOMO SPORTS WINTER ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

 

Boys Basketball

Nickhai Howard, senior, Webb City

Nickhai Howard was a true stat-sheet stuffer for the Webb City Cardinals. A 5-foot-11 do-it-all point guard, Howard averaged 14.3 points, eight rebounds, five assists and just under three steals per game as a senior.  Howard earned first team all-COC honors after the season, which ended in a district championship game.  Howard is heading to Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas, where he’ll be competing in one of the top JUCO basketball conferences in the nation. 

Honorable Mention: Always Wright, Joplin; Miller Long, College Heights 

 

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Lacy Stokes, senior, Mount Vernon 

Stokes, a 5-foot-4 senior left-handed point guard who is committed to Missouri Southern, capped off a remarkable prep career with an incredible senior season. She finished the season averaging 25.8 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 6.1 steals per game on the defensive end. Along with fellow senior Ellie Johnston, Stokes helped lead Mount Vernon to a runner-up finish in the Class 4 state tournament while winning the Big 8 Conference as well as the Class 4 District 12 championship along the way. The Mountaineers finished the season with a 28-4 record and had a 15-game winning streak leading into the title game. 

Stokes was named to the Missouri Class 4 All-State team, while earning Class 4 District 12, Big 8 East and 4 State Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year honors. Stokes’ top scoring performances in a senior season that she surpassed 2,000 career points includes 42 points against McDonald County, 41 points against Springfield Catholic and 39 points against Vashon in the Class 4 state semifinals

Honorable Mention: Destiny Buerge, Carl Junction; Kayleigh Teeter, McAuley Catholic 

 

GIRLS SWIMMING

Emma Lacey, senior, Carl Junction

In a stellar end to her solid prep swimming career, Emma Lacey recorded an all-state finish in three events and played a key role as the Carl Junction Bulldogs finished sixth at the Class 1 MSHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships. The sixth-place showing was the best in program history for Carl Junction.  A senior, Lacey finished fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1 minute, 7 seconds. The Bulldogs’ 200-yard medley relay team of Lacey, Skyler Sundy, Sophia Hensley and Chloe Miller finished second with a time of 1:50.  

Carl Junction’s 200 freestyle relay team of Lacey, Alanza Montez, Sundy and Miller placed third in 1:39. The Bulldogs just missed another all-state finish in the 400 freestyle relay, as Lacey, Miller, Montez and Sundy were ninth with a time of 3:46.

Lacey, a four-time state qualifier, played a crucial role as the Bulldogs won the Central Ozark Conference championship for the second straight season.  At the COC meet, Lacey won the 50 freestyle and swam a leg of two winning relays (200 freestyle, 400 freestyle). She was the runner-up in the 100 breaststroke. 

Honorable Mention: Chloe Miller, Carl Junction; Madison Riley, Carthage

 

BOYS WRESTLING

Cayden Auch, senior, Neosho

Auch, an Arkansas Little-Rock commit, made the most of his final season in what was a storied career with the Wildcats. Auch, wrestling at 160 pounds in his senior season, finished the year with a 49-0 record on the way to winning his fourth straight Class 3 state title. Auch’s 3-0 record in the state tournament came by major decision, fall and by decision in the title match over Liberty’s Wyatt Haynes. Auch, the first Neosho wrestler to go undefeated on the way to a state title since Curtis Longstreet and Blake Stauffer, was also named the Missouri Class 3 Wrestler of the Year. 

 

GIRLS WRESTLING

Annie Moore, sophomore, Cassville

Moore, wrestling at 112 pounds, finished her second prep season with a 34-1 record on the way to winning the Class 1 state title. The exclamation point at the end of the season in the form of a state title was the first in Cassville history. On her way to her first state title and second state tournament appearance, Moore finished with three falls in the Class 3 sectional tournament and went 3-0 with three falls to close out her season as champion.

PREP SOFTBALL: College Heights makes history with district title win over Mount Vernon

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Third-seeded College Heights (with McAuley) clinched its program’s first berth to the quarterfinal round of the state tournament after defeating top-seeded Mount Vernon 9-6 in the Class 2 District 6 title game on Thursday.

The Mountaineers (18-6) scored a run in the first before the Cougars (18-3) scored twice in each the third and fourth innings to take control, 4-2. College Heights and Mount Vernon traded single tallies in the fifth before CHC pushed across four runs in the top of the sixth for a 9-3 advantage. The Mountaineers rallied for three runs of the bottom of the seventh before CHC snuffed out the comeback bid.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” College Heights coach Mike Howard said to SoMo Sports. “The challenges and adversities they’ve had to overcome this year, from injuries to key players getting very limited practice time together as a result of having to share athletes, they have stayed the course and have done what many people thought was impossible. It says so much about their character and focus on the task at hand.

“This was a very difficult district and none of the games were easy. I thought our girls found their confidence at the right time and rode that momentum to the end. I’m so happy for our kids and cannot wait to get started preparing for a state run.”

College Heights matches up with Diamond (19-2) on May 13 in the Cougars’ first trip to the quarterfinal round of the state tournament. The site and time of first pitch are still to be determined.

IN THE CIRCLE

Maddy Colin earned the win after allowing six runs, five earned, on nine hits, zero walks and eight strikeouts in a complete-game, seven-inning effort.

Harley Daniels took the complete-game loss after allowing nine runs, six earned, on 13 hits, no walks and nine strikeouts.

GAME ACTION

After Mount Vernon took a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout from Josey McChesney in the first inning, College Heights broke through for two runs in the third on a two-out, two-run single to left by Layne Jackson to score Sarah Painter, who doubled to lead off the inning, and Kloee Williamson to go up 2-1.

McChesney singled home a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, but College Heights answered again with two runs in the top of the fourth to regain the lead, 4-2. Addie Lawrence led off with a single before coming around to score on an RBI double to left by Avery Good two batters later. Painter followed with a run-scoring single to plate Good and cap the scoring.

Williamson doubled to lead off the fourth and later scored on a double-steal, first-and-third play to make the score 5-3. Mount Vernon got a run back in the fifth on a CHC error.

After Lauren Ukena brought home a run on a fielder’s choice bunt in the sixth, Jayli Johnson essentially put the game out of reach with a two-run home run to left to make the score 8-3. Jackson drove home the fourth run of the inning with a sac fly to right field to plate Williamson.

Payge Evans singled home a run for Mount Vernon in the seventh, with two more runs scoring on a groundout to make the score 9-6 with the final out made moments later to end the game.

IN THE BOX

Jackson had a hit and a team-high three RBI for CHC. Williamson had three hits, including a double, and scored a team-high three runs. Lawrence had three hits and scored a run. Good and Painter both doubled and had two hits, with Good scoring twice and driving in one and Painter scoring once and driving in one. Johnson homered, scored a run and had two RBI.

Evans had two hits, scored twice and drove in one for the Mountaineers. McChesney had two hits and drove in a team-high two runs, tying with Hadley Cornell. Kennley Weaver and Allison Burk each had two hits and combined for three runs scored.

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