NEVADA, Mo. — An eight-run third inning propelled second-seeded Webb City to an 11-0 victory over seventh-seeded Raytown on Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Class 4 District 7 softball tournament at Bushwhacker Field.
The higher seeds prevailed in three of the four quarterfinal matchups.
Top-seeded Nevada blasted eighth-seeded Raytown South 18-0, third-seeded Belton pounded sixth-seeded Warrensburg 15-0, and in the lone upset, fifth-seeded Carl Junction outslugged fourth-seeded McDonald County 19-15.
In Saturday’s semifinals, Nevada (25-7) will meet Carl Junction (11-19) at noon, while Webb City (25-11) will take on Belton (17-10) at 2 p.m.
The Cardinals pushed across two runs in the first inning on Alex Maturino’s RBI double to left and Lily Hall’s run-scoring single through the right side.
Webb City blew the game open with an eight-run third inning.
In the big inning, Kylee Sargent delivered a two-run triple to right and Karsyn Cahoon followed with a bloop single.
Later in the frame, Abby Sargent was plunked with the bases loaded and two more runs came home when the Bluejays were unable to haul in Dawsyn Decker’s pop up.
Next, Maturino made it 10-0 with a two-run double, her third double of the night.
Rilley Hanes smacked an RBI to left in the fourth to give the Cardinals an 11-0 advantage.
Raytown had the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Cardinals retired the side each time without any damage. The game ended after the top of the fifth due to the run-rule.
Addie Burns started in the circle for the Cardinals. The freshman tossed three scoreless innings to earn the win.
Makenzie Wynn and Laney Taylor each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — In the regular season finale, Kickapoo held off Webb City 4-2 on Monday.
Kickapoo led 3-0 when the Cardinals scored twice in the fourth. The Chiefs added an insurance run in the sixth for the final margin.
Kickapoo’s Allison Scott earned the pitching victory after allowing two runs on four hits while striking out six in seven innings.
Recording one hit apiece for the Cardinals were Dawsyn Decker, Alex Maturino, Jensyn Pickett and Lily Hall.
Hall hit a two-run double in the fourth inning.
Addie Burns took the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits in three innings. Makenzie Wynn pitched three innings, giving up one run on two hits and striking out three.
Webb City (24-11) meets Raytown at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the opener of the Class 4 District 7 tournament in Nevada.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — As the longest tenured head football coach in the Central Ozark Conference, Carthage’s Jon Guidie has recorded many memorable victories over the years.
But Guidie’s latest coaching win is likely to rank high on his list of significant regular season triumphs.
Led by a strong rushing attack and a solid defensive effort, Carthage knocked off Class 5 No. 2 Webb City 20-13 on a chilly Friday night at David Haffner Stadium.
It’s safe to say the Tigers entered the matchup as the clear underdog.
“Obviously, this is a huge win over a very good football team,” Guidie said. “It’s a big rivalry. Webb City was red hot coming in. And any time you can beat Webb City, it’s big. I’m just really proud of these kids and the fight they showed tonight. This is a quality win, so we’re just really happy for the kids.”
The Cardinals and Tigers both entered the Week 7 rivalry matchup with plenty of momentum.
Webb City had won five straight games, while Carthage was riding a three-game winning streak. With that, something had to give. In the end, it was the host Tigers who kept their streak alive.
Carthage QB Brady Carlton hands off to Landyn Collins during Friday’s game with Webb City at David Haffner Stadium. Photo by Israel Perez.
Simply put, Carthage’s offense was able to sustain drives and keep Webb City’s high-powered offense off the field. In the most glaring statistic of the night, Carthage had more than 32 minutes of time of possession (32:13) to Webb City’s 15:47.
“We took six minutes off the clock on one possession and five minutes off the clock with another drive,” Guidie noted. “You have to do that against a team that has an explosive offense. You have to control the ball and control the clock and our kids were able to do that tonight. We converted some third downs and key fourth downs. Those were big.”
Carthage ran 60 offensive plays to Webb City’s 37. The hosts recorded 18 first downs to Webb City’s nine.
“Offensively, it didn’t feel like we had very many snaps,” Webb City coach Ryan McFarland said. “It was hard to get a feel for what they were trying to do defensively because we didn’t get to run a lot of plays. We were slow to make some adjustments because of the limited snaps we had.”
The Cardinals entered the night averaging 43 points per game during their winning streak, but the Tigers limited the visitors to two scores, both in the first half.
“We gave up a big play early, and they have some good kids and some speed,” Guidie said. “I thought our defense tightened up and we were able to get a turnover before the half. That was big. I thought the defense settled down and played really well.”
Carthage improved to 4-3 with a fourth straight win.
“I’m very happy with this team,” Guidie said. “They’re getting better and gaining confidence and I still think we have a ways to go. It’s very gratifying to coach this group in particular. We’ve got 11 new starters on defense…and we started five sophomores tonight. It’s just very gratifying to see these guys have the success they’ve had.”
Carthage held a 20-13 lead at halftime, and despite some promising opportunities, neither team scored after the break.
GAME RECAP
Webb City QB Braden McKee hands off to Noah Durman during Friday’s game at Carthage. Photo by Israel Perez.
Webb City’s first drive went 72 yards on seven plays and was capped by junior running back Andrew Elwell’s 3-yard touchdown run at the 9:15 mark of the opening quarter.
Carthage responded on its first series, as senior Darrin Witt recorded a 32-yard touchdown run with 3:17 left in the first period, capping an 11-play, 74-yard drive.
Back in the lineup after missing time with an injury, Webb City sophomore QB/RB/WR Gabe Johnson made his presence known by sprinting past the CHS defense for a dazzling 67-yard score, giving the Cardinals a 13-7 advantage after the PAT kick failed.
“Our guys executed our game plan early in the game,” McFarland said. “It was nice to have Gabe Johnson back because he’s such a big playmaker.”
The Tigers tied it up on junior running back Landyn Collins’ 1-yard touchdown plunge at the 10:07 mark of the second quarter. Webb City’s Brody Eggleston blocked the PAT kick to keep it 13-all.
The Tigers took the lead for good with 2:53 remaining in the first half by coming through in the clutch.
Facing fourth and 3, Carthage took a 20-13 lead when Collins hauled in a short pass from junior quarterback Brady Carlton and then broke several tackles on the way to a 42-yard touchdown.
The two teams traded turnovers late in the first half, and both squads turned the ball over on downs to start the second half.
The Tigers continued to eat up a lot of the clock with a time-consuming drive that concluded with another turnover on downs with nine minutes left in the game.
A couple of untimely penalties hurt Webb City’s potential game-tying drive with just over six minutes to play.
Darrin Witt
Late in the game, the Cardinals recovered a CHS fumble with 1:12 remaining and with about 67 yards to go. A last-second Hail Mary was off the mark, and the Tigers celebrated a hard-fought victory.
“We turned the ball over twice in the second half, but we didn’t let it beat us,” Guidie said. “Maybe that’s a sign of maturity or growing up.”
NAMES & NUMBERS
The Tigers racked up 320 yards of offense, with 266 on the ground and 54 through the air.
“They’re a very physical football team and they run hard,” McFarland said of the Tigers. “It’s hard to simulate that in practice. We haven’t seen a team just line up and try to run over us the last few weeks. I think they caught us off guard. In the first half, their yards after contact was probably three or four yards per play. They were able to get first downs. I thought we made some adjustments defensively in the second half, and we were able to get some stops.”
Collins ran 28 times for 107 yards and Carlton had 105 rushing yards on 20 carries. Both players showed the ability to pick up extra yardage after an initial hit on several gains.
“We talked at halftime about how hard Landyn and Brady were running,” Guidie said. “It seemed like they had an extra gear tonight. Getting an extra yard or two was very important when you want to control the ball.”
Trevor Meadows (six tackles) and Noah Norbury (five tackles) led the Carthage defense.
Webb City finished with 225 yards, 172 rushing and 53 passing.
Johnson ran 10 times for 104 yards to lead the Webb City offense. Senior quarterback Braden McKee completed 3 of 7 passes for 32 yards and Johnson went 3 of 4 for 21 passing yards.
Conner Gayman had 13 tackles for the Cardinals, while Tucker Liberatore had 10.
Webb City slipped to 5-2 on the season with the setback.
McFarland noted Carthage was the more physical team in the matchup, and added he hopes the loss will provide his squad with extra motivation going forward.
Friday’s contest was the 115th meeting between the longtime rivals since 1920.
WILL THEY MEET AGAIN?
Of course, these two teams are not only conference rivals, but also district foes.
Both squads have been assigned to Class 5 District 7, so a postseason rematch is a possibility.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Carthage travels to Joplin in Week 8, while Webb City entertains Neosho next Friday night at Cardinal Stadium.
Carthage quarterback Brady Carlton looks to elude the Webb City defense during Friday’s rivalry matchup at David Haffner Stadium. Photo by Israel Perez.
Webb City sophomore Gabe Johnson attempts to elude Carthage’s Noah Norbury during Friday’s game at CHS.
Carthage running back Landyn Collins looks to avoid the tackle from Webb City’s Conner Gayman on Friday night. Carthage upset No. 2 Webb City 20-13 on Friday. All photos by Israel Perez/SoMo Sports.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — The home finale went well for the Webb City Cardinals.
A five-run second inning, timely hitting and stellar pitching propelled Webb City past Monett 8-2 on Thursday afternoon in a non-conference prep softball clash.
“It was a great way to end our regular season schedule at home,” Cardinals coach Shauna Friend said. “We’ve got one more game left in the regular season on Monday at Kickapoo, and it was good to see us come out and play good softball today. I’m proud.”
It was Webb City’s final home game on the schedule. However, if the Cardinals capture a district title, there’s a chance they would host a quarterfinal contest.
The Cardinals have won 12 of their last 15 games. And with the postseason arriving next week, Coach Friend noted she’s been pleased with how her squad has been playing.
“I think we’re right where we want to be,” Friend said. “We were a little up and down early in the season, but we got things going in the right direction. I like that our offense has come alive in the past few games. We need to keep that going. Our pitching was good today. I think everything is falling into place for us.”
Webb City hiked its record to 24-10, while Monett fell to 17-9.
GAME RECAP
Monett took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Jenna Herald’s sacrifice fly to left field, but the Cardinals plated five runs in the game-changing second frame.
During the big inning, Lily Hall hit an RBI triple to right, Rilley Hanes delivered a run-scoring single into right, Abby Sargent contributed an RBI single into left and the Cubs were unable to haul in Dawsyn Decker’s fly ball in shallow left field, allowing the hosts to take a 5-1 advantage.
“That five-run inning was big and that run support helped our pitchers settle in,” Friend said.
Next, Hall smacked a two-run home run to right in the third, giving the Cardinals a 7-1 advantage.
The Cubs got a run back in the fourth after doubles from both Herald and Kaehler Swearingen, but Webb City added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth when Sargent walked and later came home on Alex Maturino’s RBI grounder.
Neither team scored after the fourth inning.
The Cardinals scored their eight runs on nine hits. A sophomore second baseman, Hall went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Sargent and Jensyn Pickett each scored two runs.
Two Webb City hurlers limited the Cubs to three hits.
Sophomore Makenzie Wynn earned the pitching victory after holding the Cubs to two runs on three hits and three walks in four innings.
Freshman Addie Burns tossed three scoreless innings in relief. She didn’t allow a hit, only two walks.
“Our two pitchers both did a great job today,” Friend said.
Monett’s Kilee Wilson took the loss after surrendering seven earned runs on nine hits and two walks in six innings.
The Cubs are the No. 1 seed for the Class 3 District 6 tournament.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City will conclude the regular season at Kickapoo on Monday. Friend said the game was added to the schedule so the team wouldn’t have such a long layoff before beginning the district tournament.
Again, the postseason arrives next week.
Second-seeded Webb City will meet seventh-seeded Raytown at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12 in a quarterfinal contest of the Class 4 District 7 tournament at Nevada’s Bushwhacker Field. The host Tigers are the top seed, with Belton seeded third and McDonald County fourth.
“It’s definitely a tough district,” Friend said. “It will take some really good softball to get out of that district for any team. There are a lot of solid teams in the district. But I think we’re ready.”
In a memorable Central Ozark Conference finale, Webb City outslugged Joplin 16-14 on Tuesday in a back and forth marathon softball contest at the JHS Athletic Complex.
In a game that took nearly two and a half hours to complete, the two teams combined for 30 runs and 37 hits, including five home runs.
In the end, Webb City improved to 23-10 overall and finished 5-4 in the COC.
Joplin fell to 14-13 overall and went 3-6 in the conference.
Again, this one featured plenty of offense and multiple lead changes.
Webb City’s Alex Maturino blasted a two-run home run to center in the top of the first inning to give the Cardinals an early lead.
The Eagles responded with three runs in the bottom of the first. Bailey Ledford walked and later scored on a Webb City fielding error before Jadyn Pankow smacked an RBI single into right, with Abby Lowery scoring the tying run. Next, Libby Munn gave the Eagles a 3-2 lead with a run-scoring single into right.
Webb City’s Lily Hall hit a two-run home run to center in the second to put the visitors back in front before Jensyn Pickett added a two-run blast to right-center in the third to give the Cardinals a 6-3 advantage.
The hosts re-took the lead with four runs in the bottom half of the third, as Riley Kelly launched a two-run homer before Maria Loum recorded a two-run single up the middle.
In a four-run fourth, Pankow lined an RBI single into left and Kelly smacked a three-run homer to right, giving the hosts an 11-6 cushion.
The Cardinals erupted for eight runs in the game-changing fifth inning.
Hanes scored from third on a wild pitch before Hall, Abby Sargent and Dawsyn Decker all recorded RBI singles and Sydney Strickland drove in a run with a groundout.
Later in the frame, Hanes recorded an RBI double before Addie Brown followed with a two-run single for a 14-11 advantage.
In a three-run bottom half of the fifth, Pankow’s RBI single and Munn’s two-run double tied the game at 14.
In the sixth, Webb City’s Decker lined a go-ahead RBI single into right-center, with Abby Sargent scoring. The Cardinals turned a key double play in the bottom of the sixth.
Webb City added an insurance run in the seventh on Strickland’s RBI single to center.
Webb City recorded 20 hits.
Maturino had five hits and scored three runs for the Cardinals, while Decker and Hall added three hits apiece. Abby Sargent, Hanes and Strickland had two hits apiece.
Webb City sophomore Jo Jarmin was the winning pitcher. She went 2 2/3 innings in relief, allowing no runs on three hits.
Freshman Addie Burns started and gave up five earned runs on seven hits in three innings, while sophomore Kenzie Wynn surrendered seven runs on seven hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Joplin had 17 hits.
Pankow and Munn recorded four hits apiece, while Kelly drove in five runs on two homers. Ledford, Casey and Kelly had two hits apiece.
Loum and Munn drove in two runs apiece, while Pankow scored four runs and Lowery crossed the plate three times.
Sophomore southpaw Ava Wolf started and finished the game in the circle for Joplin. She went 2 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits.
Sophomore Caelyn Bobski took the loss after allowing 10 runs, six earned, on 13 hits in 4 1/3 innings.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Both teams have non-conference home games on Thursday, as Webb City hosts Monett and Joplin entertains former Ozark Conference foe Waynesville.
District tournament play begins on Thursday, Oct. 12. Joplin is the host for the Class 5 District 7 tourney. Webb City has been assigned to Class 4 District 7, which will be hosted by Nevada.
Thomas Jefferson and Carl Junction had state qualifiers at Friday’s Class 2 District 7 girls tennis tournament.
The top two singles players and the top two doubles teams advanced to the individual state tournament.
Thomas Jefferson’s Allison Ding was the runner-up in the singles bracket.
After a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed, Ding defeated Carl Junction’s Isabel Read 2-6, 6-2, 10-2 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Ding defeated Barstow’s Sofia Shkuta 2-6, 6-1, 10-8.
In the championship match, Notre Dame de Sioni’s Anna McGeeney edged Ding 7-6 (7-1), 6-4.
McGeeney beat Thomas Jefferson’s Jeanna Jeyaraj 7-5, 6-0 in the semifinals.
In addition to Jeyaraj and Read, other local singles players unable to advance were Webb City’s Bethany Brumit and Adeline Ragsdale and Carl Junction’s Brooklin Leggett.
Of note, Jeyaraj won the bracket’s third-place match over Shkuta.
Carl Junction’s duo of Naiyah Wurdeman and Jenna Besperat won the doubles bracket.
The Bulldogs defeated Webb City’s Ally Ansley-Ayla McDaniel 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals and then topped Thomas Jefferson’s Kyla Yang-Esther Yang 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals.
In the championship match, Wurdeman and Besperat defeated Willard’s Alyssa Flynn-Evelyn Sly 6-2, 6-0.
Thomas Jefferson’s Mayson Solum-Warda Morsy, Webb City’s Averey Terry-Maecy Beverlin and CJ’s Emiliy Rice-Brooke Jasperson also competed in the doubles bracket.
The team district tournament begins at 3:30 p.m. on Monday at Thomas Jefferson.
Fourth-seeded Willard meets fifth-seeded Barstow, second-seeded Carl Junction takes on seventh-seeded Webb City and third-seeded Notre Dame de Sion matches up with sixth-seeded Belton.
Top-seeded Thomas Jefferson (11-0) has a first-round bye and will meet the Willard-Barstow winner at 3:30 on Tuesday in the semifinals.
The other semifinal will also begin at 3:30 on Tuesday. The district title match is scheduled for 3:30 on Wednesday.
WILLARD, Mo. — Overcoming an early 13-point deficit, and riding a dominant second half, Webb City extended its winning streak to five by beating Willard 43-16 on Friday night in Central Ozark Conference action.
Taking the field in front of a large homecoming crowd, Willard scored the game’s first 13 points and took a two-point lead into intermission, 16-14.
But the visiting Cardinals controlled the second half, outscoring the Tigers 29-0 after the break.
Ranked second in Class 5, Webb City is now 5-1 on the season. Despite missing several key performers due to injuries, the Cardinals have won five straight games after dropping the 2023 opener at Nixa.
The Week 6 clash didn’t start out particularly well for Webb City.
The Cardinals turned the ball over on the second play of the night, as Willard’s Omero Inda converted a fumble recovery into the game’s first touchdown.
Willard went up 13-0 at the end of the first quarter on Russell Roweton’s 56-yard QB keeper.
Webb City got on the board with 5:06 remaining in the second quarter on junior running back Noah Durman’s 1-yard touchdown plunge.
After forcing the Tigers to punt, the Cardinals took a 14-13 lead with 1:05 left in the first half after Durman’s 4-yard touchdown run. The Cardinals went 67 yards on the go-ahead drive and were aided by two Willard penalties and a key pass from senior Braden McKee to classmate Payton Marshall.
The Tigers were able to answer just before the break, as Willard’s Jonathan Lupescu connected on a 35-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half, giving the Tigers a 16-14 halftime advantage.
The second half was all Webb City.
One play after sophomore defensive back Mason Williams grabbed an interception, Webb City’s Durman sprinted to a 32-yard touchdown run, his third score of the night.
Junior wide receiver Joseph DeGraffenreid hauled in the 2-point conversion, giving the Cardinals a 22-16 lead with 7:37 remaining in the third period.
The visitors extended their lead with a little trickery. Senior tight end Jonah Spieker’s 33-yard touchdown reception from McKee on a flea flicker gave Webb City a 29-16 lead with just over 10 minutes left.
Three plays after Willard turned the ball over after failing to secure a punt, Webb City went up 36-16 with 6:21 remaining on McKee’s 10-yard QB keeper.
Junior Kyler Wood’s 2-yard touchdown plunge with just over two minutes showing on the clock accounted for the final margin.
The Tigers fell to 3-3.
Webb City is now 23-0 all-time against Willard.
The Cardinals once again played without several key performers due to injuries, including sophomore QB/RB Gabe Johnson.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City (5-1) is at rival Carthage (3-3) in Week 7.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Playing in front of a large homecoming crowd, Webb City rode a strong defensive effort and a big second half to a dominant 38-0 victory over Ozark on Friday night on John Roderique Field at Cardinal Stadium.
With a fourth straight win, Class 5 No. 2 Webb City hiked its record to 4-1.
In a stellar performance, the Webb City defense pitched a shutout, forcing seven punts and limiting Ozark’s spread offense to just 78 yards on 34 plays.
“I have to give credit to our defensive coaches (Trey Derryberry and Aaron Davied),” Webb City coach Ryan McFarland said. “Those guys coordinate the defense. We’ve talked about keeping the defense simple and letting the kids make plays. That’s something we’ve preached all summer long. They’ve done a phenomenal job and our kids show up every Friday night and just play their tails off.”
Clinging to a 14-0 lead at halftime, the Cardinals reeled off 24 unanswered points in the second half to turn a two-score game into a blowout.
The Cardinals finished with 507 yards of total offense, with 309 on the ground and 198 through the air.
Webb City’s offense played without several key performers, including do-it-all sophomore Gabe Johnson and seniors Breckin Galardo and Omari Jackson, but managed to get going in the second half.
“Gabe Johnson didn’t play tonight and we’ve got a lot of guys out, so we’re trying to find our identity on offense,” McFarland said. “We played five running backs tonight and we played three quarterbacks. We’re trying to figure out what their strengths are and how to put them in the best positions to be successful. That will probably be the plan moving forward until we get some guys back.”
In what was the lone score of the opening period, Webb City took a 7-0 lead with 4:58 left in the first quarter when junior QB Jackson Lucas connected with junior running back Noah Durman on an 18-yard touchdown pass.
The Cardinals punted and lost two fumbles in the first half, but the Webb City defense kept the Tigers in check.
Trailing 7-0, Ozark’s best scoring chance came with just under four minutes left in the first half, but a 29-yard field goal attempt was off the mark.
In a key swing of momentum, the Cardinals scored just before the break to take a two-score lead.
Facing fourth down and 19 on the 29-yard line with just three seconds on the clock, senior QB Braden McKee completed a screen pass to junior running back Andrew Elwell, who weaved his way through the defense and into the end zone to give the hosts a 14-0 lead.
The Cardinals were able to generate much more offense after intermission.
Alex Dunne’s 25-yard field goal at the 8:26 mark of the third period gave the Cardinals a 17-0 advantage.
After Andrew Young’s interception, Webb City extended its lead to 24-0 on Durman’s 1-yard touchdown plunge. The score was set by a nice gain on the ground by Lucas.
Webb City’s senior tight ends got into the act late in the game.
Homecoming King Drew Vonder Haar hauled in a 65-yard touchdown reception with 4:09 left in the third period before Jonah Spieker closed out the scoring by charging into the end zone on a 5-yard run with just over 10 minutes to play.
“We really wanted to get our tight ends involved tonight,” McFarland said. “Drew had the big touchdown catch and that was nice to see. Jonah is our blocking tight end and I told him this week he was going to get some carries. It was nice to get him involved.”
Webb City only punted once all night and recorded 28 first downs to Ozark’s five.
Durman (75 yards), Lucas (54 yards), Elwell (51 yards) and Slade Hurd (49 yards) carried the load on the ground.
Lucas completed 5 of 6 passes for 119 yards, while McKee passed for 57 yards on six completions.
Vonder Haar had 72 receiving yards, while Elwell and Joseph DeGraffenreid added 32 yards apiece.
A senior, Dunne made all five of his PAT kicks to go along with the field goal.
A newcomer to Webb City this fall, Dunne has now converted 16 of 18 PAT kicks this season.
“He moved in back in February and he’s been a blessing,” McFarland noted. “We couldn’t find a consistent kicker last year. It’s nice to know when you cross the 25-yard line you can kick a field goal if you have to.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City (4-1) travels to Willard (3-2) next Friday night. Willard suffered a 21-20 loss to Republic on Friday.
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — It is always entertaining when Carl Junction and Webb City meet on the volleyball court and Tuesday’s matchup was no different.
Carl Junction’s Kylie Scott earns a kill in the Bulldogs’ win over rival Webb City on Tuesday. Photo by Israel Perez.
No. 10 Carl Junction went on the road and earned a 25-23, 22-25, 26-24 and 25-23 win in four sets against conference, district and area rival No. 3 Webb City on Tuesday inside the Cardinal Dome.
“We haven’t beaten them in two years, so this was a good step forward for us and, simply, the mentality of our kids,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said. “I was really proud of our kids. They had a game plan, stuck to it and executed the things we needed to.”
“We definitely were not playing up to our potential,” Webb City coach Rhonda Lawrence said. “We allowed them to cause us to make errors, and that’s what it comes down to. In volleyball, you’re trying to make the other team screw up and (Carl Junction) did a great job of that. We didn’t execute on offense or defense the way we had planned on and were not playing like we can. If you are not going to show up playing your best against a rival team, you’re going to lose every time.”
Carl Junction took early control in the first set and never relinquished it. The Bulldogs started on a 5-1 advantage thanks to two kills and a block from Karissa Chase as well as an ace from Aubreigh Fowler.
Playing with the lead, Carl Junction rode the striking prowess of senior Kylie Scott, who tallied six kills and a block on the way to giving the Bulldogs a 21-16 advantage late.
“Our bigs were really key,” Sharples said of the first set. “Both Rissa and Kylie had a good game, but I was really proud of Aubreigh Fowler, who came around and had a nice game for us. Our middles were working hard. We need to figure out how to get them a little more offensively involved, but every kid was out there working hard for us.”
Webb City’s Jaeli Rutledge earns a kill during the Cardinals’ matchup with rival Carl Junction on Tuesday. Photo by Israel Perez.
Webb City got consecutive kills from Jaeli Rutledge and Mia Lenker to trim the deficit to two, 23-21.
After both teams traded sideouts, Carl Junction’s Jocelyn Wengert earned a kill from the back, middle to seal the first-set win in favor of the Bulldogs.
It was neck and neck in the second set until a sideout kill from Jadyn Howard followed by a three-point service run from Scott gave CJ the first five-point lead of the set, with the Bulldogs up 19-14.
Webb City rallied hard, using a sideout kill from Kirra Long and four points in service from Aubree Lassiter to tie things up at 19s. Scott and Makayla Mayes traded sideout kills before Rutledge added a block and a kill to give the Cardinals their first real advantage, 22-20.
Webb City didn’t waver in the final moments of the second set to tie it up at 1-1.
The third set was filled with unforced errors on both sides that saw Carl Junction take an early lead that turned into a 16-12 advantage off a kill from Abigail Wilson.
Carl Junction’s Aubreigh Fowler earns a tip kill during the Bulldogs’ win over the Cardinals on Tuesday. Photo by Israel Perez.
A kill from Lassiter gave Webb City service, with Long ripping off seven straight points to rally the Cardinals all the way back to a 20-16 advantage. Lenker had three kills in the run, which also featured a pair of aces by Long.
Scott earned a kill to force a sideout and added a block and another kill during Howard’s service run to tie things up at 20-all.
After the Cardinals went up two, Carl Junction scored six of the last eight points, including a kill from Fowler and an ace by Miya Carnes to clinch the 26-24 win.
“There was just a lot of grit,” Sharples said of her team’s play in the third set. “They refocused on the process of the game, the fundamentals, and how to get things done.”
“I felt like we walked right back out there in the fourth set and had a lot of confidence like, ‘we’re going to win this.’ I felt like that was our mentality throughout that entire fourth set. They believed they were going to win it, and they were ready to fight for it.”
Carl Junction took advantage of a three-point service run from Scott to build an 11-5 lead in the fourth and final set. Scott, Fowler and Sara Buchele all had kills in the run.
Webb City’s Kirra Long strikes the ball during the Cardinals’ loss to Carl Junction. Photo by Israel Perez.
A four-point run in service later in the set by Wilson that featured an ace put Carl Junction on top 17-9 before Webb City countered with a four-point service run from Jadyn Catterson to trim the deficit to 18-15.
After trading sideouts, Carl Junction took a 22-16 lead on Howard’s serve, which saw a kill from Scott before a sideout kill from Lassiter and three service points from Savannah Crane cut the Cardinals’ deficit to 22-20.
Both teams traded sideouts until Fowler’s kill was followed by an attack error on Webb City to end the set and match.
STATS
Scott finished with 20 kills, 12 digs and three blocks, while Chase had 10 kills, four blocks and three digs. Miya Carnes finished with 41 assists and 13 digs, with Wilson leading the team with 21 digs.
Rutledge finished with 12 kills, three digs and two blocks, while Lassiter had 10 kills, 11 digs and three blocks. Sophia Crane led the team with 22 digs, while Savannah Crane led Webb City with 23 assists.
UP NEXT
Carl Junction (10-2, 2-0 COC) hosts Nixa on Thursday.
Webb City (9-2, 1-1 COC) hosts Willard on Thursday.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Just when it looked like the visitors had all of the momentum, the host Neosho Wildcats rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn a 5-4 Central Ozark Conference victory over the Webb City Cardinals on Tuesday at the Marion Sports Complex.
With a sixth straight win, Neosho improved to 17-5 overall and 4-1 in the COC.
Webb City slipped to 12-7 and 2-3 in the COC.
Entering the matchup with plenty of momentum after winning the Branson Tournament over the weekend, the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning when junior shortstop Beclynn Garrett launched a solo home run over the fence in center field.
The Cardinals were no-hit by Neosho junior right-hander Carleigh Kinnaird through five innings, but the visitors finally got the bats going in the top of the sixth, erupting for four runs.
Freshman shortstop Abby Sargent and sophomore catcher Kylee Sargent hit back-to-back singles to begin the sixth before sophomore third baseman Alex Maturino blasted a three-run home run to center for a 3-1 lead.
Later in the frame, senior second baseman Jensyn Pickett smacked a home run to left to give the visitors a three-run cushion.
But the Wildcats responded with four runs of their own in the bottom half.
Garrett tripled to start the rally and later scored on sophomore second baseman Addysan Hart’s sac fly to right.
The hosts tied the game on junior left fielder Avyn Blair’s two-run base hit to right field.
Later in the frame, Blair scored the go-ahead run from third after a wild pitch.
Kinnaird, who retired the side in the seventh, earned the complete-game pitching victory. She gave up four runs on four hits and two walks and struck out 10.
Garrett went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Webb City freshman Addie Burns took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four.
Both teams have conference home games on Thursday, as Webb City hosts Republic and Neosho entertains Ozark.
With a spirited surge, Webb City came from behind in the first two sets before rolling in the third en route to a 3-0 victory over Joplin on Thursday night in a Central Ozark Conference volleyball matchup inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 25-20, 25-12, 25-8.
“We weren’t quite ready to go from the beginning tonight,” Cardinals coach Rhonda Lawrence said. “And it’s a hard place to play in here. It’s a different setting than what we’re used to. It just took some time to get our feet under us. Then we got going. We needed to play at a faster pace from the start. The nice thing about this team is they are getting better and better. It’s a great win. Any win in the COC is a great win.”
The Eagles were the first team to 15 and 20 in the first set, but the hosts were unable to finish strong.
“That first set showed what we’re capable of,” Eagles coach Staci Saunders said. “We’re capable of playing like that all the time. But once Webb City got the momentum, we just couldn’t stop it. It kind of snowballed on us. You have to give Webb City credit. They’re a good team and they can attack from everywhere. You can’t take any plays off against a team like Webb City. We just had too many letdowns.”
Joplin’s Bailey Owens hits at the net against Webb City on Thursday night inside Kaminsky Gymnasium. Photo by Israel Perez.
Led by the play of senior outside hitter Bailey Owens, the Eagles came out fired up in the first set, and the hosts took leads of 4-0 and 8-4.
The Eagles held the lead for most of the first set, but the hosts weren’t able to hold off the hard-charging Cardinals.
Down 20-18, the Cardinals grabbed the momentum and reeled off seven unanswered points to take the opening set.
Sophomore middle/outside hitter Jaeli Rutledge and junior outside hitter Mia Lenker had two kills apiece late in the first set before a Joplin serve-receive error and a kill from Webb City senior outside hitter Makayla Mayes gave the Cardinals the come-from-behind win.
“They realize getting down two or three or four points isn’t a big deal,” Lawrence said of her team. “We don’t have to have a panic attack. It was nice to see that drive to come back and to have the confidence to be able to come from behind. That set the tone and that helped us out a lot.”
The Eagles led 9-5 in the second set after a kill from senior outside hitter Raelin Calderon and a Webb City attack error, but once again, the Cardinals regrouped and the score was deadlocked at 10-10.
From there, the Cardinals pulled away with a match-changing 11-0 run, as kills from senior outside hitter Aubree Lassiter and Rutledge gave Webb City a comfortable 21-10 advantage.
Overall, Webb City closed the second set on a 15-2 burst.
The Cardinals never let go of the momentum at that point.
Webb City never trailed in the third set, as the visitors led 5-0 after an ace from Rutledge.
Joplin pulled within five before Webb City rattled off nine straight points for a 19-5 cushion. The Eagles didn’t quit, but the Cardinals ended the match in three sets.
“The girls on both teams know each other pretty well,” Lawrence noted. “Once we got into the groove a little bit, we started taking advantage of some situations.”
Webb City improved to 9-1 overall and 1-0 in conference action.
The 6-foot-1 Rutledge led the Cardinals with 15 kills, while the 6-foot Lassiter added eight kills and 11 digs.
Webb City’s Kirra Long
Lenker chipped in five kills and nine digs, while junior Kirra Long contributed seven digs, three aces and three kills.
Sophomore setter Savannah Crane handed out 27 assists, while senior libero Sophia Crane had a team-high 15 digs.
Joplin fell to 3-8 overall and 0-1 in the COC.
Owens led the Eagles with eight kills and five digs, while Calderon added six kills.
Junior setter Adalynn Noirfalise recorded 16 assists and two aces, while junior libero Phia Vogel had six digs.
“The first set was definitely a positive for us,” Saunders said. “We still have things to work on. We have to get better at serve-receive. But this team has a lot of potential. I think we have a higher ceiling than what they are believing right now. I want them to reach their potential.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City hosts Carl Junction on Tuesday night inside the Cardinal Dome.
Joplin is at Carthage on Tuesday night in another COC clash.
Joplin junior libero Phia Vogel is pictured during Thursday’s match against Webb City inside Kaminsky Gymnasium. All photos by Israel Perez.
Webb City senior libero Sophia Crane digs up a Joplin kill attempt on Thursday night inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
Webb City sophomore setter Savannah Crane sets up a teammate during Thursday’s match with Joplin.
Joplin’s Janiah Vaughn is pictured during Thursday’s match with Webb City.
Webb City senior outside hitter Aubree Lassiter records a kill against Joplin on Thursday night.
Joplin junior Lucy Erisman is pictured during Thursday’s match against Webb City.
Webb City’s Jadyn Catterson is pictured during Thursday’s match with Joplin.
Webb City’s Mia Lenker hits at the net against Joplin on Thursday. Webb City defeated Joplin 3-0 in the COC opener. All photos by Israel Perez/SoMo Sports.
Webb City’s Makayla Mayes hits over the Joplin block on Thursday.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — An eight-run fourth inning propelled Carthage past longtime rival Webb City 9-1 on Tuesday in a Central Ozark Conference softball contest at Webb City High School.
The Tigers were clinging to a 1-0 lead when they erupted for eight runs in the game-changing fourth frame.
“We talked about putting the ball in play, bunting, moving runners over and putting the pressure on them,” Carthage coach Stephanie Ray said of the big inning. “We were able to get some runs across and then we finally got the big hit from Brooklynn (Dolon-Main) and that really sealed the deal.”
The big inning wasn’t the only highlight for the Tigers.
Carthage junior hurler Addison Wallace was stellar in the circle, as she limited Webb City to two hits and one walk while striking out six in the complete-game gem.
“She threw a really good game today,” Ray said. “She’s had some great games where we just didn’t give her any run support. Tonight, she threw just as well as she did last weekend and against Ozark. Tonight, she had the run support.”
Wallace induced 11 ground outs and four fly outs and went the distance on 86 pitches.
“She got ahead,” Ray said. “She was able to mix it up on them.”
The Cardinals got the best of the Tigers at the Joplin tournament, winning 10-2, but Carthage turned the tables in the rematch.
“It’s a good win for us,” Ray said. “They took one from us at the Joplin tournament where they had a big inning on us. So it was nice to see us get it done here tonight.”
The Tigers touched Webb City starting pitcher Laney Taylor for one run on two hits in the top of the first inning.
With one out, junior shortstop Ashlyn Brust singled to left and senior catcher Dolon-Main doubled to left-center before sophomore second baseman Lottie Youngblood drove in the game’s first run with a grounder to shortstop.
The Cardinals stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, as Wallace recorded a key strikeout to keep her team in front.
Carthage broke the game open with eight runs on six hits, an error, a fielder’s choice and a hit batter in the fourth.
With the bases loaded, senior first baseman Alexis Smith drove in a run when the Cardinals were unable to corral her slow chopper in between the plate and the circle.
Next, senior outfielder Shelby Hegwer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before sophomore Jaycee Bayless drove in a run with a pinch-hit infield single for a 4-0 lead.
A fielder’s choice off the bat of junior designated player Aven Willis and an infield single by Brust made it 6-0.
The Tigers weren’t done. In the biggest blast of the game, Dolon-Main’s three-run double to right gave the visitors a 9-0 cushion.
Webb City got on the board when senior designated player Rilley Hanes homered to center in the bottom of the fourth.
Neither team scored the rest of the way.
Wallace, who didn’t allow a hit after the fourth inning, had five 1-2-3 innings.
The Tigers recorded 12 hits, with eight players contributing. Dolon-Main had three hits, while Smith and Brust added two hits apiece.
Taylor took the loss after allowing six earned runs on five hits in three innings. Makenzie Wynn gave up two runs on seven hits in four innings.
Webb City slipped to 10-4 and 1-2 in the COC.
Carthage improved to 9-9 overall and 2-1 in the COC.
“We talked to the girls about how this is a big week for us,” Coach Ray said. “We’ve already played in three tournaments. We’ve already played 18 games, so half of our season is done. This was a big game and we have Mac County tomorrow and Willard on Thursday. We talked about taking them one game at a time. We want to keep working on the little things, keep our energy high and we’ll see what happens.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Carthage hosts McDonald County at 3:30 on Wednesday.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Overcoming a first set loss, Webb City rallied to beat Bentonville 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-16) on Monday night in a non-conference volleyball matchup inside Tiger Arena.
With an eighth straight win, Webb City is now 8-1 on the season. Bentonville fell to 7-4.
The back and forth first set, which featured 10 ties, was deadlocked at 19 after a kill from sophomore outside hitter/middle blocker Jaeli Rutledge. From there, the Tigers closed the set on a 6-3 run.
However, the visitors would win the next three sets to earn a solid road victory.
The Cardinals pulled out to an 11-3 lead in the second set after kills from senior outside hitter Aubree Lassiter and sophomore setter Savannah Crane.
The visitors held leads of 15-6 and 20-12 before the Tigers pulled within one late in the set at 22-21. But two kills from Rutledge and a Bentonville attack error gave the Cardinals the set.
Webb City overcame a seven-point deficit to win the third set. After trailing 14-7, the Cardinals fought back and tied it up at 17-all.
Webb City went up 21-17 after an ace from senior libero Sophia Crane before late kills from junior outside hitter Kirra Long and Savannah Crane gave the Cardinals the set and a 2-1 lead.
The Tigers led 8-1 in the fourth set, but the Cardinals once again fought back, rallying to tie the set at 10-all.
Grabbing the momentum, Webb City closed the final set on a 15-6 run, with an ace from Long finishing off the set and the match.
Rutledge led the Cardinals with 13 kills, while Lassiter recorded 11 kills and 10 digs.
Long had six kills and five digs, while senior Makayla Mayes contributed four kills and junior Mia Lenker had three kills and seven digs.
Sophia Crane recorded 27 digs and six aces, while Savannah Crane handed out 30 assists.
Webb City opens COC play on Thursday at Joplin. The varsity match is slated for 7 p.m. inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
REPUBLIC, Mo. — It’s safe to say the Webb City Cardinals had plenty of extra motivation ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the Republic Tigers.
Of course, Webb City’s 2022 season ended with a disappointing loss to Republic in the district semifinals in what was the Tigers’ first-ever win over the Cardinals.
In a rematch of last year’s postseason contest, the Cardinals made a statement.
Taking control early, Webb City pounded Republic 42-21 on Friday night in a Central Ozark Conference clash between state-ranked squads at Tiger Stadium.
In a game they never trailed, Webb City led 21-7 at the end of the first quarter, 28-14 at the half and 35-14 by the end of the third period.
Ranked fourth in Class 5, Webb City improved to 2-1. Ranked sixth in the Class 5, Republic fell to 2-1.
The fired-up Cardinals took control of this one early.
After recovering a Republic fumble on the first series of the night, Webb City needed just two plays to score after the takeaway, as senior running back Omari Jackson sprinted into the end zone from 11-yards out.
Next, the Cardinals partially blocked a Republic punt near the end zone, setting up the visitors with great field position. On the next play, Webb City took a 14-0 lead with 7:48 left in the opening quarter on senior running back Breckin Galardo’s 4-yard plunge.
Republic got on the board after taking advantage of a Webb City fumble, as Zion Allen’s 35-yard scoop and score cut the hosts’ deficit in half.
The Cardinals responded, as Galardo’s 41-yard touchdown run gave Webb City a 21-7 lead.
An 11-yard touchdown pass from Wyatt Woods to James Rexroat cut Webb City’s lead to 21-14 at the 6:49 mark of the second quarter, but Galardo’s third TD of the night, this time a 4-yard scamper extended Webb City’s lead to 28-14. The score was set up by Joseph DeGraffenreid’s 74-yard kick return.
After intermission, sophomore Gabe Johnson’s 6-yard QB keeper finished off a seven-play, 63-yard drive and gave the Cardinals a 35-14 cushion.
Andrew Elwell’s 4-yard plunge with 7:16 left, along with Alex Dunne’s PAT kick, extended Webb City’s advantage to 42-14.
Republic’s Caide White ran for a 58-yard touchdown with 6:25 left for the final margin.
Webb City finished with 306 yards of total offense, with 257 on the ground and 49 through the air.
Johnson ran 13 times for 86 yards and also caught two passes for 42 yards. Galardo ran nine times for 76 yards and three touchdowns before leaving with an apparent injury.
Dunne converted all six of his PAT kicks.
Republic had 194 yards, 183 rushing and 11 passing. The Tigers had five turnovers (four fumbles, one interception) to Webb City’s one.
The Cardinals are now 18-0 all-time against the Tigers in regular-season games.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City hosts undefeated Joplin in Week 4 at Cardinal Stadium.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Webb City had not only the top local individuals, but also the best team finishes in both varsity races at the 50th annual Carthage Invitational cross country meet on Thursday at the Carthage Golf Course.
Webb City sophomore Brooke Hedger finished third in the girls race with a time of 20:58, leading the Cardinals to runner-up finish in the team standings.
Cardinals senior Evan Stevens placed third in the boys race with a time of 16:55, leading Webb City to a third-place team finish, just two points behind runner-up Rogers (Ark.).
Carthage, Carl Junction, McAuley Catholic, Thomas Jefferson and East Newton also had athletes competing at the event.
Free State High School from Kansas won both team titles.
In the girls’ team standings, Carthage finished fourth, Carl Junction was sixth and McAuley Catholic took eighth.
Carthage’s boys finished fifth in the team standings, with Carl Junction seventh, McAuley eighth and Thomas Jefferson 11th.
Webb City’s Evan Stevens and Carl Junction’s duo of Luke Battagler and Jack Lawson are among the runners competing during Thursday’s Carthage Invitational. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS
The Webb City girls had three of the top 11 runners, with all five placing in the top 22.
Hedger placed third behind Rogers’ Kayla Eggers (20:21) and Free State’s Cayman Barnes (20:56).
Webb City’s Emily Countryman finished eighth in 22:06, while Olivia Klotz took 11th in 22:45.
Also competing for the Webb City girls were Amelia Antillon (21st) and Brooke Collard (22nd).
The Webb City boys had five runners finish in the top 19.
Stevens finished third behind Free State’s duo of Blake Wohler (16:24) and Jake Loos (16:50).
Webb City’s Mason Hedger finished 10th (17:30), while Spencer Kendall took 16th (17:43), Noah Lankard was 18th (17:49) and Andrew Dawson finished 19th (17:51).
Also for the Cardinals, Fenton Rice finished 30th (19:00) and Dakota Grove was 33rd (19:01).
Athletes from Carthage, Webb City and Carl Junction take off at the start of the varsity girls race on Thursday at the Carthage Invitational. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
Eddy Fuentes led the Carthage boys by finishing 24th in 18:13.
Also competing for the Carthage boys were Devin Smith (34th), Javen Byrd (37th), Brayan Perez Flores (40th), Denis Velasquez Perez (55th) and Xander Vazquez (79th).
Maggie Boyd led the Carthage girls by finishing 14th in 22:55 and Jennifer Rodas-Gomez took 18th in 23:12.
Also competing for the CHS girls were Genesis Fuentez-Elias (25th), Katy Witherspoon (39th), Kimberly Monterroso (42nd), Jenna Wilson (52nd) and Sarah Wilson (57th).
Webb City’s Brooke Hedger was the top local finisher in the varsity girls race at the Carthage Invitational. A sophomore, Hedger finished third.
CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Jack Lawson led the Carl Junction boys by finishing 22nd in 18:05.
Rounding out the top seven for the CJ boys were Isaac Willoughby (43rd), Luke Battagler (46th), Nikash Yeary (57th), Jacob Garrett (60th), Alexander Allison (63rd) and Chance Golden (66th).
Marissa Newman was CJ’s top female finisher, as she crossed the line 26th in 23:51, while Delaney Harris was 29th in 24:11.
Rounding out the top seven for the CJ girls were Madilyn Dalton (32nd), Audrey Fletcher (41st), Summer Sampson (44th), Bella Montez (60th) and Gracie Fletcher (72nd).
MCAULEY CATHOLIC HIGHLIGHTS
Michael Parrigon led McAuley Catholic by finishing 20th with a time of 17:54. Trae Veer finished 28th in 18:55 to give the Warriors two runners in the top 30.
Also competing for the McAuley boys were Will Mollnow (52nd), Connor Taffner (64th), Cliff Nolan (85th), Max Anreder (87th) and Grant Horinek (88th).
Freshman Olivia Parrigon led the McAuley girls by crossing the line 19th in 23:15. Kendall Ramsey finished 35th in 24:39.
Also competing for the McAuley girls were Riley Sears (70th), Marbellie Villanueva (76th) and Samantha Perrin (77th).
THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGHLIGHTS
Braden Honeywell-Lynch led the TJ boys with a 44th place finish (19:43).
Also competing for the Cavaliers were Liam Cook (73rd), Ashan Appuhamy (86th), Ringo Snow (92nd), Spencer Long (93rd) and James Sheppard (99th).
Macie Shifferd paced Thomas Jefferson’s girls team with a 24th place finish (23:48).
TJ’s Sarah Mueller finished 48th in 26:11.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Free State’s boys had four of the top six finishers.
Chase Sorrell paced the East Newton boys by finishing fourth in 17:00. Sorrell and Webb City’s Stevens were the only boys to finish in the top six not from Free State. The Patriots’ second finisher was Nicholas Shaeffer (38th).
Brooklyn Blanchard finished 13th in 22:48 for the East Newton girls.
Laney Dorris led Sarcoxie’s girls by finishing 51st. Dugan Pogue finished 75th for the Sarcoxie boys.
50TH CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL
Girls team standings: Free State 47, Webb City 61, Rogers 62, Carthage 115, Glendale 139, Carl Junction 142, Clever 145, McAuley Catholic 193. Incomplete teams: Grove, East Newton, Hillcrest, Rogers Heritage, Parkview, Sarcoxie, Thomas Jefferson, Wheaton.
Boys team standings: Free State 23, Rogers 60, Webb City 62, Glendale 104, Carthage 170, Rogers Heritage 173, Carl Junction 202, McAuley Catholic 213, Grove 271, Hillcrest 310, Thomas Jefferson 312, Parkview 318. Incomplete teams: Clever, East Newton, Sarcoxie, Wheaton.
Webb City’s Mason Hedger crosses the finish line 10th overall at Thursday’s Carthage Invitational cross country meet at the Carthage Golf Course. All photos by Jessica Greninger.
Webb City’s Olivia Klotz, East Newton’s Brooklyn Blanchard and Carthage’s Maggie Boyd are pictured during Thursday’s Carthage Invitational.
Carl Junction’s Marissa Newman and McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey are pictured during Thursday’s Carthage Invitational. Photos by Jessica Greninger.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — The versatility of the Webb City Cardinals was on full display on Tuesday night inside the Cardinal Dome.
Solid in all aspects of the game, Webb City earned a convincing 3-0 victory over El Dorado Springs in a non-conference volleyball matchup.
In a match that took just under an hour to complete, the Cardinals defeated the Bulldogs 25-4, 25-8, 25-12.
“We played at our level tonight,” Webb City coach Rhonda Lawrence said. “We stayed strong and consistent. We found some things we still need to work on. The more the girls play together, the camaraderie will get tighter. I think our team chemistry is getting better and better, so that makes me feel good. The mix is starting to get more consistent, and I think we’re getting better every day we’re in the gym.”
Just three matches into the season, the Cardinals (2-1) have the look of a well-rounded squad.
Webb City features a solid 1-2 punch at the net in senior outside hitter Aubree Lassiter and sophomore outside hitter Jaeli Rutledge. The hard-hitting duo provided plenty of offense and blocking on Tuesday, combining for 19 kills.
“Keeping them opposite gives us more options, and when they’re on the front row together it’s fun to watch,” Lawrence said. “They give us consistent front row power, along with Mia Lenker and Kirra Long, too.”
Webb City sophomore setter Savannah Crane handed out 11 assists in Tuesday’s win over El Dorado Springs. Photo by Israel Perez.
While the Cardinals feature plenty of firepower at the net, the team also has a strong defense, with senior libero Sophia Crane playing a key role.
A returning all-state performer, Crane covers a lot of ground and digs up virtually everything in her vicinity for the Cardinals.
On Tuesday, Crane recorded a whopping 36 digs.
Lawrence noted Crane has been piling up digs for several seasons now, and she’s nearing a milestone.
“Sophia is one dig away from 1,000 for her career,” Lawrence said. “We were hoping she would get it tonight, but we’ll have to celebrate on Saturday.”
On Tuesday, the Cardinals also served extremely well, with several players contributing to the team’s 11 aces.
“We served pretty consistently and aggressively tonight,” Lawrence said. “I thought we looked more calm with our serving tonight.”
Coming off a Final Four berth last fall, Webb City definitely has the goals set high this season.
“We want to make it back to the Final Four,” Lawrence said. “We’re super proud of what we did last year, but we didn’t finish like we wanted to. This group got a taste of it, and they want to keep pushing to accomplish more. We have a good core back and our newer players were there to watch it and they were part of it too. I think that’s helped this team gel together a little easier this year.”
El Dorado Springs began the fall by winning the Stockton Tournament and entered the night with a record of 7-1-1.
But the Cardinals simply had too much firepower for the Bulldogs on Tuesday night.
Webb City reeled off 14 straight points in the opening set en route to a lopsided set victory.
An ace from junior Mia Lenker and back-to-back kills from Lassiter gave the Cardinals a comfortable 14-3 lead.
After the 14-0 run by the hosts, the Bulldogs were finally able to get a sideout, but late kills from sophomore Savannah Crane and Rutledge made it 24-4 before the visitors committed an attack error on set point.
The second set was close early before the Cardinals rattled off five straight points on kills from Lassiter, junior Kirra Long and Lenker and an ace from Sophia Crane.
Jadyn Catterson is pictured during Tuesday’s home match.
Later in the set, Lassiter slammed a big kill from the right side and then served an ace for a comfy 21-7 advantage. Rutledge hammered home a kill on the final point of the second set for a 25-8 win.
A pair of aces from Sophia Crane gave the Cardinals an early 7-2 cushion in the third set.
El Dorado Springs stayed within striking distance but kills from Savannah Crane and a block at the net and a kill from Long gave Webb City a 17-6 lead.
Late in the set, Rutledge recorded a kill and served an ace as the Cardinals finished off a clean sweep.
Lassiter recorded 13 kills to lead the Cardinals, while Savannah Crane added eight kills, Rutledge had six and Long added five. The Cardinals hit .424 for the match.
Lenker and Sophia Crane served four aces apiece.
Savannah Crane handed out 11 assists from the setter position, while senior defensive specialist Jadyn Catterson contributed seven digs.
Webb City will compete at the Hillcrest Tournament this weekend.
Webb City junior outside hitter Kirra Long hits at the net against El Dorado Springs on Tuesday night inside the Cardinal Dome. The Cardinals defeated the Bulldogs 3-0. Photos by Israel Perez.
Webb City junior outside hitter Mia Lenker is pictured during Tuesday’s match against El Dorado Springs. Webb City won the match 3-0.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Webb City faced a 6-1 deficit at one point before putting on a furious rally, including a six-run third inning, on the way to a 10-7 win over Carl Junction to open Central Ozark Conference play on Tuesday.
Carl Junction scored three runs in its first two trips to the plate to lead 6-1 before Webb City chipped away with three runs in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to two. The Cardinals rallied all the way back with a six-run third inning—highlighted by a grand slam from Karsyn Cahoon—to go on top for good.
“This has been the story of our season so far,” Webb City coach Shauna Friend said. “We’ve come from behind in our last three games and another one before that. These girls are confident in themselves, which is good to see because we know if we give up a few runs we still know we can come back offensively.”
“These girls really wanted it today,” Carl Junction coach Zak Petty said. “We’ve built (the program) up the last couple of years to where we can compete really well, but we’re not going to be happy just competing and that’s where we’re at right now. Webb can swing, but I think we are right there with them. … We really only lost one inning today, so we are going to look at that and move forward with it.”
IN THE CIRCLE
Kenzie Wynn earned the win in relief for Webb City, allowing one run on six hits, two walks and six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Laney Taylor started and took a no-decision after allowing six runs on four hits, five walks and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.
“Kenzie came in and was solid,” Friend said. “That’s the thing with our pitching staff—we have several quality pitchers. If one is struggling or having a tough day, there is another one ready to come in and get outs. Kenzie did a fantastic job knowing her role as a relief pitcher, coming in and calming things down while getting us in a position to win the game.”
Kiley Spencer took the loss after allowing 10 runs, nine earned, on 13 hits and two strikeouts in three innings. Hannah Cole pitched three scoreless relief innings, allowing one hit, striking out one and walking one.
RALLY CAPS
Trailing by five after an inning and a half, the Cardinals cut into the lead once again in the last of the second inning when Rilley Hanes doubled off the third baseman’s glove to plate the runner from second and a 6-2 score. Cahoon added a two-run double off the wall in left-center later in the inning to trim the deficit to two, 6-4.
Webb City cut the lead to one in the next at-bat when Alex Maturino singled through the left side to score the runner from second to make the score 6-5. Sidney Strickland followed with a shallow single behind first to plate Maturinto and tie the game at 6s. Cahoon delivered the big blow, coming up clutch once more for the Cardinals after ripping a two-out grand slam to left field to put Webb City on top 10-6. It was Cahoon’s first-ever home run.
“I am so excited for her,” Friend said. “She has been swinging it really well these last few games and it was just a matter of time for her. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Spencer trimmed the Webb City to 10-7 with an RBI groundout in the fourth inning.
STRONG OUT OF THE GATE
Carl Junction wasted little time with the bats as Hannah Cantrell started the game with a triple to left-center on a 3-2 pitch before Ryleigh Palmer followed with a double off the base of the wall in left-center to bring home Cantrell for a 1-0 advantage. Consecutive walks loaded the bases and after a strikeout, Spencer helped her own cause with a walk to force in a run for a 2-0 lead. Hannah Cole followed with a sacrifice fly to right-center to give the Bulldogs an early three-run cushion.
Webb City cut into the lead with a run coming home in the bottom of the first inning when Abby Sargent, who doubled on a flare past third to lead off the frame, came around to score on a wild pitch.
Kady Hunt got the run back for Carl Junction in the top of the second inning when she singled to center field with runners on first and second with two outs for an RBI and a 4-1 lead. After a Webb City pitching change, Spencer helped herself out even more with a two-run single to shallow left-center to bring home two more runs during the two-out rally for a 6-1 advantage.
“We said we wanted to score first, and we did. We felt really good about it,” Petty said of the early offense. “It wasn’t there on the other side of it, pitching and defense-wise. It will be there, and it usually is. That is just how it tolls sometimes. Offensively, we know we can stay in it and that is a positive for us.”
AT THE PLATE
Sargent had three hits, including a double, and scored three times. Cahoon had a grand slam and a double to finish with a game-high six RBI and a run scored. Brown had two hits and scored a run, with Jensyn Pickett also collecting two hits for the Cardinals.
Hunt had two hits, an RBI and scored a run, while Kinley Spindler had two hits. Spencer had a hit and four RBI, Maddi Olds had a hit and scored three runs.
ON DECK
Webb City (8-2, 1-0 COC) hosts Willard on Thursday.
Carl Junction (5-2, 0-1 COC) hosts Nixa on Thursday.
ROLLA, Mo. — Webb City trailed 5-1 heading into the final inning before rallying with 10 runs in the top of the seventh inning to fuel a win over Rolla on Wednesday.
With the win Webb City improves to 3-1.
Makenzie Wynn started and earned a no-decision after allowing five runs on eight hits, four walks and a strikeout in five innings. Laney Taylor earned the win after allowing two hits over two scoreless relief innings, walking one.
Brystol Klossner took the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, on nine hits, three walks and four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Kylee Sargent had two hits and scored twice, while Sydney Strickland doubled on the way to two hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Abby Sargent and Addison Brown each had two hits and scored a run. Jensyn Pickett had a double, three RBI and scored a run. Kyley Senter doubled, drove in a run and scored once.
Webb City takes part in the Paige Neal/Christina Freeman Invitational hosted by Joplin High School over the weekend at the Joplin Athletic Complex. Webb City opens play with a 10 a.m. matchup against Seneca on Friday.
CARL JUNCTION 17, HILLCREST 0
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Carl Junction scored six runs in the second inning and added an 11-run third inning to defeat Hillcrest in three innings on Wednesday.
With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 5-1 on the young season.
Hannah Cole earned the win in the circle after pitching three scoreless innings on two hits and four strikeouts.
Mya Frillman took the loss after allowing 16 runs on eight hits, nine walks and a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.
Kadence Hunt led Carl Junction at the plate with a 3-for-4 game that included a home run, a team-high five RBI and two runs scored. Ryleigh Palmer doubled on the way to two hits, two walks, three RBI and three runs scored. Kiley Spencer finished with two hits, two RBI and scored a run. Kinley Spindler had a hit, scored twice and drove in one.
Frillman and Ishmari Hamahe-Martinez had the lone hits for Hillcrest.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Kaulden Hood and Josh White each scored a pair of goals for the Webb City Cardinals in Tuesday night’s 5-2 victory over rival Carl Junction at Cardinal Stadium.
Hood recorded his first goal in the 52nd minute and the second in the 73rd minute, while White scored his goals in the 69th and 90th minutes.
Luis Gallardo scored on a penalty kick in the 48th minute for Webb City.
Both of Carl Junction’s goals were scored by Gavin Cowger, the first in the 43rd minute and the second in the 55th minute.
CARTHAGE 3, REPUBLIC 1
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Senior forward Welle Welle scored a pair of first half goals just two minutes apart to give Carthage a 2-0 lead in Tuesday’s match against Republic.
The first goal, which came in the 16th minute, was unassisted, while Silas Laytham assisted on the second goal in the 18th minute.
Aldo Sanchez-Cancinos recorded a goal in the 29th minute, with Welle assisting, to make it 3-0 in favor of the hosts.
Republic’s goal was scored by Santino Stiglianese in the 43rd minute.
THOMAS JEFFERSON 4, COLUMBUS 0
COLUMBUS, Kan. — Jaxx Wisdom scored a pair of goals to lead Thomas Jefferson to a 4-0 victory over the Columbus Titans on Tuesday.
Eann Espinoza and Ryker Faaborg added one goal apiece for the Cavaliers, while Yousuf Mokhtar assisted on one of Wisdom’s goals.
Wisdom recorded six shots on goal, while Espinoza had four shots on goal, Faaborg had two shots on goal and Kyler Beard contributed one shot on goal.
Bekah Davis recorded seven saves, while Lincoln Miller had two saves.
Thomas Jefferson (1-0) hosts the Joplin JV team at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
NIXA 3, JOPLIN 2 (OT)
Nixa nipped Joplin 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday night at JHS.
It was Joplin’s opener under new head coach Desmond Williams.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — A strong pitching performance and a four-run frame propelled the Nevada Tigers to a 5-1 victory over the Webb City Cardinals on Monday in a non-conference softball matchup.
Simply put, the visiting Tigers spoiled Webb City’s 2023 home opener.
“We got out-played today, but it’s still early in the season,” Webb City coach Shauna Friend said. “They just had that one big inning. We have a lot of work still to do. It was a good game to build on and I’m sure we’ll see Nevada again.”
The clash between Class 4 District 7 foes was a pitcher’s duel between Webb City junior right-hander Laney Taylor and Nevada junior right-hander Peyton Eaton in the early stages of the contest.
Webb City starting pitcher Laney Taylor delivers a pitch to the plate against Nevada on Monday at Webb City High School. Photo by Israel Perez.
The game was scoreless until the Tigers broke through in the top of the fourth.
Nevada junior catcher Ella Heathman doubled to leadoff the frame and later scored on junior shortstop Kaleiah Johnson’s RBI single to the wall in center.
Webb City tied it up in the bottom of the fourth.
Freshman shortstop Abby Sargent singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore third baseman Kylee Sargent’s sacrifice bunt allowed Abby Sargent to advance to third.
Next, senior catcher Dawsyn Decker laid down a squeeze bunt, with the tying run scoring on the play.
The game wasn’t deadlocked long, as Nevada erupted for four runs on four hits and an error in the game-changing fifth inning.
Caylee Holcomb singled and later scored on a Webb City throwing error before Eaton helped her own cause by contributing a run-scoring single that allowed Kara Phillips to cross the plate.
Eaton later charged home on a wild pitch before Johnson hit an RBI single to left, scoring Heathman and giving the visitors a 5-1 advantage.
Webb City shortstop Abby Sargent hauls in a pop fly behind second base during Monday’s game against Nevada. Photo by Israel Perez.
The Cardinals were unable to respond late in the game, as Eaton kept the hosts off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
A returning all-district pitcher, Eaton earned the complete game victory. In a solid outing, Eaton limited the Cardinals to one run on three hits. She didn’t walk a batter.
The Cardinals had scored 11 runs in each of their first two games of the season. But on Monday, Webb City’s bats were mostly kept silent.
“She spun the ball well and she’s a good pitcher,” Friend said of Eaton. “We didn’t quite get things figured out in time today.”
Also a returning all-district performer, Taylor was charged with the loss, but she only allowed two earned runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings.
“She came out and threw well and kept them under control until that one big inning,” Friend said of Taylor’s outing. “It was the third time through the order, so they’d seen her a little bit and they made some adjustments.”
Sophomore Makenzie Wynn tossed two scoreless innings in relief for the Cardinals.
“Wynn came in and pitched really well for us,” Friend noted. “We’re looking forward to seeing her in the circle again.”
Senior first baseman Sydney Strickland, Abby Sargent and Decker had the lone hits for the Cardinals, who slipped to 2-1 on the season.
Johnson, Holcomb and Eaton had two hits apiece for the Tigers, who improved to 4-1.
Again, these two teams have been assigned to the same district, so they could meet again when the postseason arrives.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Nevada hosts Cassville on Tuesday.
Webb City is at Rolla on Wednesday. The Cardinals will compete at Joplin’s annual tournament on Friday and Saturday.
Webb City’s Sydney Strickland receives a throw at first base during Monday’s game against the Nevada Tigers. Nevada spoiled Webb City’s home opener, beating the Cardinals 5-1. Photos by Israel Perez.
Nevada junior Peyton Eaton was the winning pitcher against Webb City on Monday. Eaton allowed just one run, as the Tigers beat the Cardinals 5-1 in a non-conference matchup.
Ranked fourth in Class 5, Webb City improved to 2-1. Ranked sixth in the Class 5, Republic fell to 2-1.
