Lathrop defeats rival East Buchanan to win district title

Throughout the 2023 season, the Lathrop and East Buchanan academic bowl teams traded punches. East Buchanan won the regular season match-up to clinch the KCI Conference championship. Lathrop defeated East Buchanan in the KCI

Conference Tournament title game, 340-330, on the last question, and once before that at the North Andrew Tournament.

So it was nearly fate that the two squads would face off once more in the Missouri Class 3, District 8 championship game.

Lathrop moves on to face Lutheran Kansas City in the Missouri Class 3 State Quarterfinals on Monday, April 24. A victory there would see the Mules advance to the state semifinals at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

With a spot in the state playoffs on the line, second-seeded Lathrop (24-8) came away with the 370-290 victory against top-seeded East Buchanan (9-2) to win the district title Saturday, April 15, at East Buchanan High School.

Lathrop led wire to wire in the district championship, but East Buchanan – thanks in part to Elizabeth Newell’s 60-point performance – closed the gap to 40 points

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Quincy Meyer and Lola Hofmann each added 20 points for East Buchanan.

“This is the third year in a row that we have played East Buchanan for the district championship,” said Lathrop head coach Matt Yaple. “We won it in 2021, they won it in 2022. The competition with East Buchanan has made us a better team. We are more comfortable playing in close matches thanks to the many close ones we’ve had against East Buchanan.”

He added that his squad hopes to have the same kind of success on April 25 when they play Kansas City Lutheran, which defeated Lathrop earlier in the year.

Earlier in the tournament, Lathrop defeated Trenton in the semifinals 520-130. Moore had a stellar outing, answering 10 of 16 toss-up questions he heard. East Buchanan beat Hamilton 310-220 in the other semifinal. Hofmann scored 20 points, Newell scored 20 points, and both Quincy Meyer and Wyeth Perry scored 10 points.

“This team is special because they work together,” said East Buchanan head coach Chris Painter. “Each person contributes to the collective knowledge of the group. Everyone is necessary.”

Bowers Recognized