Ozark Preps - May-June 2012 by Publication Printer

20 Ozark the top

2 1 # School Ties

high school sports movies pg 38

i l l u s t r at e d

may-june 2012

including

tiger title

state champs hit the

FAIR way

pg 34

pg 28

pg 30

GUESS AGAIN pg 32

“it’s a story no one would have guessed.” - Republic’s dylan bekemeier, on WINNING class 3 state medalist honors

OPI

00121 S

On the

DISABLED LIST WHERE THE

Dr. J.P. Simanis M.D., MPH, MSPH

TOP PLAYERS and play TRAIN

What types of sports injuries are most comI also strongly advocate well defined periods of mon? Are there differences between the most rest between set periods of training and to use the common types of injuries in children and adults? down time to cross train (i.e.—taking part in othThe most common type of sports injuries are er sports or activities that use and stress different overuse injuries and strains or sprains. Overuse muscles, tendons and bones). There is a reason injuries occur when repetitive activities place that all professional sports (MLB, NFL, etc.) have too much stress on tendons and bones without an off season; no one can go 100% in a sport year an adequate period of recovery. With adequate around without risking injury or reducing their recovery time, the body typically is able to heal performance. Also, cross training allows a person damaged tissues. With the current trend of chil- to maintain a baseline of fitness while reducing dren and young adults training and competing the stress to tendons and bones that occur from year around in a single sport, compounding stress repetitive activities. to tendons and bones from repetitive activity ultiWith regards to children, I believe that early mately leads to an injury that causes an athlete to sport specialization should be avoided; the focus seek medical attention. Strains and sprains, unlike again should be on general fitness and having fun overuse injuries, tend to occur more suddenly but without too much emphasis on winning. Other still involve muscles, tendons and bones. guidelines to follow would be to ensure that a The most common injuries that I see in the of- child is adequately prepared to play a sport (in fice and in the training room are ankle sprains/ other words taking part in activities that are apstrains, knee pain (typically from either a condi- propriate for their age, ability levels and physical tion called patellofemoral pain syndrome or pa- characteristics), to use properly fitting and maintellar tendinosis), low back pain, elbow pain (typ- tained equipment, to provide adequate superviically from tennis or golfer’s elbow), and shoulder sion of sports/activities by qualified adults, and to injuries. Although the most common injuries may avoid overtraining. Are there certain types of activities in which affect the same joints in children and adults, the reason or cause of the pain can be very differ- injuries are more likely to occur? Are there cerent because children’s cartilage is still develop- tain times of year when injuries are more likely ing and their growth plates are still open among to occur? Injuries can occur with any activity in which a other things. As a result, the stresses to the body that children experience during sports or activi- person is not adequately prepared to participate. ties often affect them differently. For example, hip If somebody has spent their spring on the couch pain in a child who has not yet reached puberty watching baseball on TV and then suddenly bemay be secondary to disrupted blood flow to comes inspired to join a local baseball league, the upper part of the thigh bone where as in an mentally they may be prepared to go nine inolder child, it may be the result of slippage of the nings, steal home or hit the winning home run, growth plate in the hip. In a young adult, the pain but their body on the other hand may argue othmay be from a stress fracture (a kind of fracture erwise (and more often than not, win the arguthat occurs from overuse) and in an older adult, ment). The point is that you have to plan ahead the pain may be from arthritic changes. Although and prepare adequately and gradually, and be each patient may present with hip pain, each can realistic about the level of fitness you are starting have a very different reason for the pain, which from. A person who has been active year around would require very different management and will be able to reach a higher level of activity sooner than someone who has basically taken an treatment. What can you do to prevent sports injuries? Are entire season completely off. Also, someone who there precautions parents can take to help pre- has cross-trained in different activities will more vent injuries in their children? easily adapt to a new activity than someone who I believe that one of the best things a person has only played a specific sport year round. can do is to maintain a good base of fitness This being said, I believe we do tend to see throughout the year and to avoid abruptly starting an increase in certain injuries in some sports or a new routine or making significant changes to activities secondary to this “too much too soon” an already existing routine. Following the “rule of phenomenon. For instance, in the spring, many 10%” provides a good general guideline to pre- people often suddenly become inspired to go vent overuse injuries in all ages. The rule suggests from “puff and fluff” to “buff and tough,” often that total training (duration, intensity, duration or with unintended, painful consequences. This also any combination of these) should not increase occurs to a degree with the start of any organized more than 10% over a period of time. For ex- sports season. For example, in college football, ample, if you walk 20 milesBolivar every week, it would athletes who have spent their summer Balls-N-Strikes Balls-N-Strikes Nixa lying by probably be safe to increase to 22 miles the fol- the pool or on the beach have a difficult time ad800 East Aldrich, C your mileage M/F justing8:00-6:00 (417) 777-2287 725-8000 lowing week if you wantSuite to increase to the (417) intense training schedule of two-abut keep the same65613 pace. day practices with the start of school. Again, the Bolivar, MO T/W/Th 8:00-8:00

emphasis should be on year around generalized fitness. Has the incidence of sports injuries changed over the years? There does seem to be an increasing trend in the number of younger athletes who are developing overuse injuries. This can be attributed in part, perhaps, to the overall growing number and participation in youth sports across the country, as well as the increasing numbers of school and club programs, summer sport camps and competitive leagues. However, there is data to suggest that the increasing numbers of overuse injuries that are occurring in younger and younger athletes may also be related to the fact that children today seem to be specializing in one sport at an earlier and earlier age, as well as now training year around. Gone are the days when a kid used to take part in one sport in the fall, another in the spring and perhaps even a third in the summer. The demand to succeed, which I feel is often in part driven by the media coverage of competitions as well as the tremendous salaries that a select few athletes command, pressures athletes to train harder and longer hoping to achieve the celebrity status that only a few athletes will ever achieve but all believe they are capable of (including some parents and coaches). Do people always recognize when they are injured while playing a sport? No, not always. Without proper medical training, people may either not know what symptoms to even look for with a particular injury (i.e.—a stress fracture of the back or hip from overuse) or they may misinterpret symptoms that they do recognize and chalk it up to something else (“I thought the pain in my knee was just from getting older.”). That is why I believe a person trained and qualified in sports medicine is a valuable asset in helping to accurately recognize, interpret, diagnose and manage the wide variety of injuries a person or athlete can sustain while taking part in physical activities or participating in sports. What types of treatments are available for sports injuries? There is a tremendous variety of treatments available depending on the nature of the injury. It can range from as simple as adjusting an already existing training program to basic physical therapy (such as adding particular stretching/strengthening exercises) to using different modalities such as bracing, ultrasound, or injections, to ultimately surgery involving state of the art techniques such as arthroscopy and so forth. A physician trained in sports medicine would be more aware of the great variety of techniques, methods and equipment available, but would also better understand Balls-N-Strikes Springfield which intervention would be most appropriate (417) 866-8200 and effective to use and when.

BASEBALL IS A GAME OF NUMBERS 2001 207 40 30 14 7 3

established college signees MLB draft picks professional coaches and instructors indoor batting cages indoor pitching mounds major league players

Reflections Salon & Spa

Our staff is waiting to serve you!

417.326.6100 OPI OPI

Sat

www.midwestnationals.org 8:00-12:30

00121 STAF Ozarks Prep Full

10:02 AM

Page 1

CMH WALK-IN CLINIC

The CMH Walk-In Clinic provides convenient and quick care for people of all ages who have a sudden illness or minor injury and who need to be treated right away. No appointments are necessary. The clinic is staffed by licensed nurse practitioners and offers X-ray and laboratory services on site. The CMH Walk-in Clinic is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The CMH Walk-In Clinic is located at 2230 S. Springfield in the Railway Station, Bolivar. For more information, call the clinic at 417-777-4800.

alized

anged

3/2/11

Citizens Memorial Healthcare

Open Daily - 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. 2230 S. Springfield 417-777-4800

end in develted in er and untry, ol and comuggest njuries r athildren at an aining d used in the mmer. ten in mpetithat a hletes ve the l ever of (in-

are in-

trainptoms .e.—a eruse) ey do lse (“I etting d and sset in diagries a part in

Hermitage 417-745-2300

Willard 417-742-1110

Republic 417-732-6407

Greenfield

417-637-2663

Lamar

417-682-6100

Stockton

417-276-6500

Bolivar 417-777-8473

le for

ments ury. It ready theraengths such mately s such ained of the equiprstand field priate

Family Pass Available – $69 99 for mom, dad, and all the kids 17 & under. 417.335.8080 • JimStafford.com • 3440 W Hwy 76 • Branson MO 65616 OPI

18 Hole Championship Course Mulligans Bar & Grill (Open to the public) Excellent Practice Facilities Swimming Pool

Private Golf Course

Outstanding Membership Offerings. Inquire today about the 2012 Membership Drive.

OPI

417.326.7456 (ext. 21) www.siloridgecc.com

OPI

O za illustr O zark LETTER i l l u s t r at e d from the EDITOR O za illustr O zark i l l u s t r at e d O za illustr PW O zark i l l u s t r at e d O za illustr O zark i l l u s t r at e d O za illustr O zark i l l u s t r at e d DE O za illustr O zark i l l u s t r at e d O za illustr CHECK US OUT ONLINE O zark i l l u s t r at e d O za illustr

Dear Readers,

Editor-In-Chief

Well, another school year has come to a close, and the 2011-12 academic year was a banner period for Ozark prep sports. The list of exceptional individual efforts, instant classic games, memorable performances, etc., is long and distinguished, and there are simply not enough pages in the magazine to recognize each. Suffice it to say, though, the past year has been a great time to be a high school sports fan in Southwest Missouri!

bshive@ozarkpreps.com

O zark i l l u s t r at e d

This year has seen several Ozark teams and individual athletes win state championships. Congratulations to the following teams and athletes on achieving the pinnacle of success in their respective sports: Logan-Rogersville football, Springfield Catholic boys soccer, Glendale swimmers Jack and Luke Snow and Gretchen Stein, Republic girls basketball, Mt. Vernon girls basketball, Billings boys basketball, and wrestlers Christian Adams (Willard) Gareth Behr (Bolivar), Jonathon Inman (Branson), Joe Velliquette (Nixa), and Joe Zimmer (Logan-Rogersville). The spring sports season has recently wound up, with yet more state champions from the Ozarks. Republic’s Dylan Bekemeier was not likely on the short list of pre-tournament guesses as to who would win state medalist honors at the MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Golf Championships, but “Guess Again” (p. 32) chronicles the Tiger sophomore’s state title-winning performance. With only five state qualifiers, the Stockton girls track and field team also was probably looked past prior to the girls Class 2 State track & field meet, but after scoring points in every event in which they were entered, the Lady Tigers brought home a state championship, which is featured in “Tiger Title” (p. 28). Several other student-athletes registered state championship-winning performances on the track and in the field events, and their accomplishments are commemorated with a photo spread beginning on p. 30.

Monett’s Jacob Fair is one of the most talented and accomplished golfers on the national junior circuit. Fair, who recently graduated as the valedictorian of his class, is off to the University of Missouri in the fall on a golf scholarship. Do not be surprised, though, to see Fair playing professionally at some point in the future. His remarkable story is chronicled in “Hit the FAIRway” (p. 34). What are the greatest high school sports movies of all-time? “Hoosiers?” “Friday Night Lights?” I offer my own personal list of the Top 20 high school sports movies, which begins on p. 38. The thing about any “Topwhatever” list is that it is entirely subjective, meaning that my opinion as to the best high school sports movies will most likely be different than another person’s opinion. My main criteria for the list is that either the subject matter of the movie was a high school sport, or that high school sports were a major part of the plot. My list is obviously influenced by my age, since there are several movies from the 1980s and early ‘90s on the list. Let the debate begin…

I also want to personally thank Glendale head baseball coach Howard Bell for taking the time to write the “Chalk Talk” column for this issue. As many of you are aware, Coach Bell has been fighting ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, for some time now. Coach Bell has been an inspiration to many over the years through his teaching and coaching, and I know that he has made a major impact on many young students and athletes in his tenure. Please take time to read his column on fighting adversity. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, Coach! Finally, this will be the last issue of Ozark Preps Illustrated until the fall. We will unveil the August-September issue sometime around Labor Day after the 2012-13 school year has begun. There will then be an issue every other month for a total of six issues annually. Hopefully, the 2012-13 Ozarks prep sports scene will be just as exciting as this past year. (I have no doubt that it will be!) Enjoy your summer and, as always, thank you for reading Ozark Preps Illustrated!

P r a i r i e Wa r b l e r Publishing, LLC

P.O. Box 777 Bolivar, MO 65613 417.770.0003

Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Byron Shive Art Director Ty DeClue

Contributing Writers Howard Bell Ken “Joboo” Pollreisz Dr. J.P. Simanis

Contributing Photographers Chris Auckley, LA Breedlove Photography, Dakota Motley, Chuck Nickle Photography

On the Cover Republic’s Dylan Bekemeier reacts after sinking a 60-foot birdie putt on the nextto-last hole of the 2012 MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Golf State Championships on May 15. The birdie put an exclamation point on Bekemeier’s state championship. (Staff Photo) Printer

Shweiki Media 4954 Space Center Drive San Antonio, TX 78218 www.shweiki.com

Distribution Randy Dale dvLaRue Design & Print Services

Ozark Preps Illustrated (OPI) is published monthly by Prairie Warbler Publishing LLC. Reproductions in whole or in part without permission are prohibited. OPI is not responsible for the return of unsolicited artwork, photography, or manuscripts, and will not be responsible for holding fees or similiar charges. All digital submissions and correspondence will be become property of OPI.

Editorial Disclaimer All rights reserved. For editorial matters, please contact the editors. The views of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the policies of OPI, nor that of the publisher.

Follow OPI on Twitter @OzarkPreps

“Like” OPI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ozarkpreps www.ozarkpreps.com

4 OPI

OPI has a clear committment to inviting and publishing corrections of fact and clarifying errors of context. Corrections of errors and mistakes are a necessity in obtaining credibility in the magazine.

Republic’s Dylan Bekemeier may not have been a pre-tourney favorite, but that did not stop him from winning Class 3 state medalist honors

Monett’s Jacob Fair is one of the top junior circuit golfers in the country, but Fair is as successful in the game of life as he is the game of golf

Glendale head baseball coach Howard Bell, who is battling ALS, writes about fighting adversity

Dr. J.P. Simanis writes about a FAST cure for tendon pain

the ediy reflect

tisers do

ing corrections edibility

Springfield Catholic’s Erin Roebuck (Staff Photo)

What is the best high school sports movie of all-time? Here is one man’s opinion of the best of the best. Let the debate begin...

“Joboo” has a solution for what he considers to be some “head scratching” coaching changes

Greenfield’s Brendan Black (L) and Austin Marshall (R) (Staff Photo)

Ash Grove’s Sean Mulkey (Staff Photo)

by Praile or in ponsible r manusimiliar will be

Several area athletes captured State track & field titles, including Ash Grove’s Karter Moran, Glendale’s Spencer Haik, Hollister’s Jordan Britton, Parkview’s Quintin Smith, and Parkview’s 4x100 relay team

Willard’s Austin Pippin (#16) (Photo courtesy of LA Breedlove Photography)

ter Drive 78218 om

Despite having just five State qualifiers, the Stockton Lady Tigers track & field team was nearly flawless in capturing a Class 2 state championship

Central’s Aspen Hawkins (#7 in white) (Staff Photo)

Olzark O zark i l l u s t r at e d u s t r at e d O zark O zark i l l u s t r at e d i l l u s t r at e d STARTING LINEUP Olzark O zark i l l u s t r at e d u s t r at e d featuring O zark O zark i l l u s t r at e d i l l u s t r at e d 28 Tiger Title Olzark O zark i l l u s t r at e d u s t r at e d O zark O zark 30 State Champs i l l u s t r at e d i l l u s t r at e d Olzark O zark ustr ed 32atGuess Again i l l u s t r at e d O zark O zark i l l u s t r at e d lus t r at e d 34 Hiti lthe FAIRway Olzark O zark llust u s t r atTop r at e d Movies 38 e d 20 High School iSports O zark O zark i l l u s t r at e d i l l u s t r at e d DEPARTMENTS Olzark O zark 6 Milestones i l l u s t r at e d u s t r at e d 12 Chalk Talk O zark O zark i l l u s t r at e d i l l u s t r at e d 14 On The DL Olzark O zark i l l u s t r at e d u s t r at e d 15 Time Out 16 Photo Finish O zark O zark i l l u s t r at e d l l u s t r at e d 44 End iZone Olzark O zark i l l u s t r at e d u s t r at e d OPI 5

MILESTONES

Cassville’s Josh Lannum (Photo courtesy of Chuck Nickle Photography)

BASEBALL Chaz Alderson, Ozark—1st-Team AllCOC (Large) (P) Sawyer Alderson, Ozark—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (OF) Aaron Alexander, Sparta—HM AllSWCL (UT) Logan Allred, Ash Grove—2nd-Team All-Mid-Lakes (DH) Tyler Aschwege, Galena—2nd-Team All-SWCL (IF) Justin Atchison, Willard—2nd-Team All-COC (Large) (OF) Josh Baker, Stockton—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (IF); 1st-Team All-MidLakes (P) Carlin Ballay, Monett—1st-Team AllBig 8 (UT) Brayton Ballenger, Catholic—2ndTeam All-COC (Small) (IF) Aaron Bates, Glendale—HM AllOzark Conference (P); Class 4 2ndTeam All-District 11 (IF) Brandon Bates, Spokane—2nd-Team All-SWCL (IF)

OPI

Talon Bates, Fair Grove—HM All-MidLakes (UT) Daniel Batt, Branson—2nd-Team AllCOC (Large) (C) Howard Bell, Glendale— Class 4 District 11 Coach of the Year; Ozark Conference Honorary Coach of the Year Devon Bennett, Purdy—HM AllOzark 7 Brandon Bishop, Skyline—2nd-Team All-Mid-Lakes (IF) Zach Boeding, Kickapoo—HM AllOzark Conference (P) Justus Boever, Logan-Rogersville—1stTeam All-COC (Small) (UT) Chase Briscoe, Hillcrest—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (OF) Weston Buchanan, Hillcrest—HM All-Ozark Conference (IF) Josh Bunselmeyer, Glendale—Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (IF) Dalton Burke, Nixa—Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (P) Josh Bunselmeyer, Glendale—1stTeam All-Ozark Conference (IF) Jordan Burnett, Clever—HM AllSWCL (P) Anthony Caenepeel, Willard—1stTeam All-COC (Large) (P) Elliot Carlew, Glendale—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (OF) Mitch Carriger, Parkview—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (P)

John Cavness, Cassville—1st-Team AllBig 8 (P); 2nd-Team All-Big 8 (1B) Stephen Chavez, Ash Grove—HM All-Mid-Lakes (C) CLEVER—3rd-place (Class 2); Sectional Champion; District 11 Champion Ranger Curtis, Clever—1st-Team AllSWCL (IF) Wyatt Dampier, Skyline—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (OF) Taylor Darting, Forsyth—1st-Team All-SWCL (OF) Billy Dees, Forsyth—2nd-Team AllSWCL (P) Patrick Dickens, Republic—2nd-Team All-COC (Large) (OF) Calvin Dryer, Buffalo—2nd-Team AllCOC (Small) (IF) Austin Elam, Marionville—HM AllMid-Lakes (IF) Austin Essick, Billings—1st-Team AllSWCL (C) Josh Evans, Pleasant Hope—2nd-Team All-Mid-Lakes (OF) Josh Ewing, Stockton—HM All-MidLakes (IF) Jesse Fisher, Hollister—1st-Team AllCOC (Small) (IF) Kolby Follis, Bolivar—1st-Team AllCOC (Small) (OF) Matt Futrell, Hillcrest—HM All-Ozark Conference (P) Alex Gerleman, Buffalo—2nd-Team All-COC (Small) (IF) Josh Gronvold, Reeds Spring—1stTeam All-COC (Small) (OF) Evan Gruener, Logan-Rogersville— COC (Small) Player of the Year; 1stTeam All-COC (Small) (OF) Caleb Hall, Kickapoo—Class 4 1stTeam All-District 11 (C) Chandler Hall, Kickapoo—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (IF); Class 4 2ndTeam All-District 11 (IF) Cody Hall, Purdy—Ozark 7 Conference Co-Player of the Year; 1st-Team All-Ozark 7 Austin Hancock, Purdy—1st-Team All-Ozark 7 Jerrod Harmon, Fair Grove—2ndTeam All-Mid-Lakes (C) Dakota Haugsted, Pleasant Hope— 2nd-Team All-Mid-Lakes (P) Zach Herman, Logan-Rogersville—1stTeam All-COC (Small) (IF) Jordan Hicks, Parkview—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (IF) Brennan Holt, Skyline—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (IF); 1st-Team All-MidLakes (P) Tyler Horn, Blue Eye—2nd-Team AllSWCL (IF) Joshua Hughes, Purdy—Ozark 7 Conference Coach of the Year Derek Hurst, Forsyth—1st-Team AllSWCL (IF) Connor Jenisch, Billings—1st-Team All-SWCL (P) Josh Jenkins, Sparta—1st-Team AllSWCL (IF) Jordan Johanson, Pleasant Hope—HM All-Mid-Lakes (IF)

Craig Johnson, Stockton—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (C) Spencer Johnson, Parkview—Ozark Conference Player of the Year; 1stTeam All-Ozark Conference (OF); Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (OF) Chase Johnston, Mt. Vernon—2ndTeam All-Big 8 (SS) Aaron Jones, Pleasant Hope—2ndTeam All-Mid-Lakes (IF) Jacob Karlson, Nixa—1st-Team AllCOC (Large) (OF); Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (DH) Dayton Karr, Logan-Rogersville—2ndTeam All-COC (Small) (IF) Jay Kaufman, Forsyth—1st-Team AllSWCL (IF) Blade Keller, Nixa—Class 4 2nd-Team All-District 11 (P) Andrew Kendrick, Parkview—1stTeam All-Ozark Conference (1B); Class 4 2nd-Team All-District 11 (IF) Brody Kern, Kickapoo—1st-Team AllOzark Conference (UT) Justin King, Logan-Rogersville—1stTeam All-COC (Small) (P) Garrett Kirk, Cassville—HM All-Big 8 (OF) Hunter Kniepfel, Kickapoo—HM AllOzark Conference (IF) Josh Lachnit, Glendale—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (P); Class 4 1stTeam All-District 11 (P) Kyle Lafferty, Sparta—2nd-Team AllSWCL (OF) Cody Lee, Mt. Vernon—1st-Team AllBig 8 (1B); 2nd-Team All-Big 8 (P) Kong Lee, Exeter—1st-Team All-Ozark 7 Austin Lenox, Aurora—1st-Team AllBig 8 (2B) Deric Link, Fair Grove—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (IF); 2nd-Team All-MidLakes (P) LOGAN-ROGERSVILLE—Class 3 State Quarterfinalist; Sectional Champion; District 11 Champion Athan Lummis, Nixa—2nd-Team All-COC (Large) (P); Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (P) Cody Lumpkin, Crane—2nd-Team All-SWCL (C) Nicholas Lytle, Hollister—2nd-Team All-COC (Small) (OF) Ben Makala, Cassville—2nd-Team All-Big 8 (P) Derek Malcom, Marionville—1stTeam All-Mid-Lakes (IF) Wayne Manier, Parkview—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (DH); 2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (P); Class 4 2ndTeam All-District 11 (DH) Tyler Martin, Clever—1st-Team AllSWCL (OF) Dylan May, Galena—2nd-Team AllSWCL (IF) Tanner May, Galena—2nd-Team AllSWCL (OF) Lucas McDannold, Reeds Spring— 2nd-Team All-COC (Small) (C) Cody McGuire, Buffalo—1st-Team All-COC (Small) (C)

Ryan Melton, Skyline—HM All-MidLakes (P) Landon Metcalf, Marionville—1stTeam All-Mid-Lakes (OF) Chad Miller, Nixa—Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (P) Clayton Miller, Bolivar—1st-Team AllCOC (Small) (IF) Austin Mooney, Blue Eye—HM AllSWCL (UT) Cody Mooneyham, Ash Grove—1stTeam All-Mid-Lakes (OF) Taylor Mooneyham, Ash Grove—2ndTeam All-Mid-Lakes (IF) Cody Moore, Billings—1st-Team AllSWCL (IF) Cody Mountain, Skyline—HM All-MidLakes (OF) MT. VERNON—Class 3 District 12 Champion Jason Myers, Bolivar—HM All-COC (Small) (C/P) Kreg Myers, Cassville—1st-Team AllBig 8 (OF) Tyler Nemmers, Parkview—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (IF); Class 4 2ndTeam All-District 11 (UT) Ricky Nichols, Cassville—1st-Team All-Big 8 (SS) Tanner Nickels, Ozark—2nd-Team AllCOC (Large) (IF) Seth Nilges, Forsyth—2nd-Team AllSWCL (P) NIXA—Class 4 District 11 Champion Parker O’Dell, Branson—1st-Team AllCOC (Large) (OF); Class 4 2nd-Team All-District 11 (OF) James Oslica, Ozark—1st-Team AllCOC (Large) (C); Class 4 2nd-Team All-District 11 (C) Jed Owen, Willard—2nd-Team AllCOC (Large) (IF) Sawyer Padgett, Fair Grove—HM AllMid-Lakes (DH) Michael Parrish, Stockton—HM AllMid-Lakes (OF) Alex Pate, Forsyth—2nd-Team AllSWCL (C) Aarron Patton, Monett—HM All-Big 8 (P) Luke Paulik, Billings—2nd-Team AllSWCL (IF) Austin Payne, Ash Grove—2nd-Team All-Mid-Lakes (P); HM All-Mid-Lakes (OF) Evan Payne, Glendale—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (OF); Class 4 2nd-Team All-District 11 (OF) J.D. Payne, Nixa—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (IF); Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (IF) David Pennewell, Clever—1st-Team All-SWCL (P) Travis Pennewell, Clever—HM AllSWCL (OF) Sam Perez, Branson—COC (Large) Pitcher of the Year; 1st-Team All-COC (Large) (P); Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (P) Dallas Peterson, Aurora—HM All-Big 8 (UT) Skylar Phillips, Mt. Vernon—HM AllBig 8 (3B) Zane Phillips, Mt. Vernon—2nd-Team All-Big 8 (OF) Chaz Price, Strafford—2nd-Team AllMid-Lakes (OF) Dillon Rapp, Marionville—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (DH) Austin Reaves, Willard—2nd-Team All-

COC (Large) (P) Danny Richardson, Catholic—2ndTeam All-COC (Small) (IF) Ryan Rippee, Kickapoo—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (P/OF); Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (OF); 2nd-Team All-District (P) Mac Roach, Mt. Vernon—2nd-Team All-Big 8 (C) Jarod Robillard, Nixa—Class 4 1stTeam All-District 11 (IF) Trey Rose, Cassville—Big 8 Conference Player of the Year; 1st-Team All-Big 8 (C) Landan Ruff, Parkview—HM All-Ozark Conference (OF) Ethan Schlesener, Logan-Rogersville— HM All-COC (Small) (C/P) Austin Schweiss, Nixa—Class 4 1stTeam All-District 11 (OF) Brandon Seely, Branson—Class 4 2ndTeam All-District 11 (IF) Dylan Sekscinski, Crane—2nd-Team All-SWCL (P) Colin Shaughnessy, Catholic—2ndTeam All-COC (Small) (OF) Jacob Shipman, Sparta—1st-Team All-SWCL (P) Jacob Shoemaker, Strafford—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (UT); 1st-Team All-MidLakes (P) Kyler Shoff, Mt. Vernon—HM All-Big 8 (OF) Chase Simmerman, Ash Grove—HM All-Mid-Lakes (IF) Levi Skinner, Hillcrest—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (P/1B); Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (UT); 2nd-Team All-District 11 (IF) Nathan Smith, Billings—1st-Team AllSWCL (OF) Justin Snider, Clever—SWCL Coach of the Year Alex Stephens, Branson—2nd-Team All-COC (Large) (P) Ashton Stephens, Blue Eye—1st-Team All-SWCL (OF) Wyatt Stephens, Galena—2nd-Team All-SWCL (UT) Ryan Stevens, Kickapoo—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (IF) Reese Stevenson, Purdy—1st-Team All-Ozark 7 Justin Stockam, Kickapoo—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (P) STOCKTON—Class 2 District 13 Champion Colten Stringer, Exeter—HM All-Ozark 7 Nathan Strobel, Republic—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (P) Lawfton Summers, Marshfield—2ndTeam All-COC (Small) (OF) Dominic Swillum, Mt. Vernon—HM All-Big 8 (DH) Josh Swindle, Sparta—HM All-SWCL (C) Brad Taylor, Stockton—HM All-MidLakes (UT) Brady Taylor, Strafford—HM All-MidLakes (IF) Cameron Terry, Purdy—1st-Team AllOzark 7 Aaron Thompson, Glendale—HM AllOzark Conference (P) John Thompson, Parkview—Ozark Conference Coach of the Year Cody Tolleson, Kickapoo—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (OF) Austin Tribby, Catholic—COC (Small)

Pitcher of the Year; 1st-Team All-COC (Small) (P) Lane Truman, Billings—2nd-Team AllSWCL (OF) Phil Valence, Clever—2nd-Team AllSWCL (IF) Jacob Wade, Strafford—2nd-Team AllMid-Lakes (IF) Lee Wagner, Marshfield—2nd-Team All-COC (Small) (P) Cole Walden, Crane—2nd-Team AllSWCL (OF) Bryce Walker, Marionville—HM AllMid-Lakes (OF) Colby Walker, Stockton—HM All-MidLakes (OF) Keevin Walker, Purdy—HM All-Ozark 7 Ricky Ward, Branson—2nd-Team AllCOC (Large) (OF); Class 4 2nd-Team All-District 11 (OF) Weston Warren, Glendale—HM AllOzark Conference (IF) WEAUBLEAU—Class 1 State Quarterfinalist; Sectional Champion; District 8 Champion Seth Wheeler, Ozark—2nd-Team AllCOC (Large) (OF) Tyler Whiteis, Branson—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (IF); Class 4 1st-Team All-District 11 (IF) WILLARD—4th-Place (Class 4); Sectional Champion; District 12 Champion Bryce Wilson, Clever—1st-Team AllSWCL (UT) Sean Winder, Fair Grove—2nd-Team All-Mid-Lakes (OF) Kyle Wood, Cassville—Big 8 Conference Coach of the Year Kaz Woodward, Reeds Spring—2ndTeam All-COC (Small) (P) Chance Wolfe, Clever—SWCL Most Valuable Player; 1st-Team All-SWCL (C) Jack Wolfe, Catholic—1st-Team AllCOC (Small) (IF) Garrett Woods, Republic—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (IF) Zach Yarberry, Strafford—2nd-Team All-Mid-Lakes (IF); HM All-Mid-Lakes (P) Joe Young, Logan-Rogersville—1stTeam All-COC (Small) (OF) Jon Zanaboni, Marionville—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (P); 2nd-Team All-MidLakes (UT) BOYS GOLF Caleb Abalos, Hillcrest—Class 3 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Tyler Aldridge, Marshfield—Class 3 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 5 Beau Allen, Republic—Class 3 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Nick Allison, El Dorado Springs—Class 2 Sectional Qualifier Bryan Beckwith, Monett—Class 3 Sectional Qualifier Dylan Bekemeier, Republic—Class 3 STATE CHAMPION; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 BOLIVAR—Class 3 9th-Place; District 5 Champion Nicklaus Carley, Branson—Class 4 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Lorenzo Catapang, Catholic—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Brian Cauldwell, Glendale—Class 4 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Canyon Clevenger, Crane—Class 1 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 5

Devon Colegrove, Nixa—Class 4 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Josh Condren, Bolivar—Class 3 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Garrett Craig, Monett—Class 3 Sectional Qualifier Taylor Dade, Kickapoo—Class 4 Sectional Qualifier Kyle Davidson, Purdy—Class 1 Sectional Qualifier Dallas Dean, Catholic—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; AllDistrict 6 Brock Derrick, Fair Grove—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Ryan Eady, Nixa—Class 4 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Parker Eckerson, Nixa—Class 4 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; AllDistrict 6 Jacob Fair, Monett—Class 3 T-12thPlace, ALL-STATE; Sectional 3 Medalist; District 6 Co-Medalist; All-District 6 Marshall Faulkner, Willard—Class 4 Sectional Qualifier Jordan Fronabarger, Aurora—Class 3 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 John Fuchs, Kickapoo—Class 4 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Michael Gibson, Branson—Class 4 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Franklin Gonzalez, El Dorado Springs—Class 2 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Nick Gori, Catholic—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Andrew Gunnett, Billings—Class 1 Sectional Qualifier David Harris, Bolivar—Class 3 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Palmer Harrison, Kickapoo—Class 4 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Alex Haworth, Purdy—Class 1 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 5 Jared Holmes, Willard—Class 4 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Chad Hopper, Billings—Class 1 Sectional Qualifier Wyatt Humble, Logan-Rogersville— Class 3 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Austin Hunter, El Dorado Springs— Class 2 Sectional Qualifier Taylor Hurd, Glendale—Class 4 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Tripper Jensen, Mt. Vernon—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Nicholas Jeter, Nixa—Class 4 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; AllDistrict 6 Tyler Johnson, Catholic—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Christian Kay, Mt. Vernon—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Devan Keeler, Purdy—Class 1 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 5 Mitchell Kiser, Kickapoo—Class 4 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Nic Lacey, Bolivar—Class 3 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Jeremy Liss, Nixa—Class 4 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 LOGAN-ROGERSVILLE—Class 3 4thPlace; Sectional 3 Champion; District 6 Champion Garrett Lombas, Marion C. Early— Class 1 Sectional Qualifier OPI 7

Qualifier; All-District 5 Pierce Pittman, Republic—Class 3 Sectional Qualifier J.P. Presko, Strafford—Class 2 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 5 Korey Pryer, Mt. Vernon—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 PURDY—Class 1 District 5 Champion David Rhoden, Mt. Vernon—Class 2 T-15th-Place, ALL-STATE; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Brenan Rigby, Logan-Rogersville— Class 3 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Phillip Roller, Purdy—Class 1 T-15thPlace, ALL-STATE; Sectional Qualifier; District 5 Medalist; All-District 5 Anthony Schreier, Hollister—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 5 Grant Seifried, Aurora—Class 3 Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Bradley Shove, Strafford—Class 2 Sectional Qualifier Kickapoo’s Jade Raynor (Staff Photo) Parker Skinner, Cassville—Class 3 Sectional Qualifier Robert Mahaffey, Jr., Zach Smith, Fair Grove—Class 2 Logan-Rogersville—Class 3 T-12thSectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Place, ALL-STATE; Sectional Qualifier; SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC—Class 2 All-District 6 5th-Place Clayton Moles, Marshfield—Class 3 Haden Stevens, Bolivar—Class 3 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 5 All-District 5 MT. VERNON—Class 2 3rd-Place; Trevor Sturges, Kickapoo—Class 4 Sectional 3 Champion; District 6 Sectional Qualifier Champion Preston Thomas, Logan-Rogersville— Sean Mulkey, Ash Grove—Class 2 Class 3 State Qualifier; Sectional State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; Qualifier All-District 6 Travis Thompson, Monett—Class 3 Garen Nelson, Purdy—Class 1 SecSectional Qualifier tional Qualifier; All-District 5 Tyler Tran, Bolivar—Class 3 State NIXA—Class 4 9th-Place; District 6 Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; AllChampion District 5 Alex O’Brien, Ash Grove—Class 2 Baron Weaver, Glendale—Class 4 Sectional Qualifier Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Alec Palen, Logan-Rogersville—Class Tyler Webb, Monett—Class 3 Sec3 T-4th-Place, ALL-STATE; Sectional tional Qualifier Qualifier; District 6 Co-Medalist; AllBrandon Webster, Greenwood—Class District 6 1 Sectional Qualifier Turner Paydon, Forsyth—Class 2 Ryan West, Buffalo—Class 3 Sectional Sectional Qualifier Qualifier Adam Pipenhagen, Marion C. Early— Austin White, Strafford—Class 2 Class 1 State Qualifier; Sectional Sectional Qualifier Evan White, Cassville—Class Bolivar’s Mariah Roberts (L) and Marshfield’s 3 State Qualifier; Sectional Danielle Coffman (#19) (Staff Photo) Qualifier; All-District 6 Andrew Whitlock, El Dorado Springs—Class 2 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Jordan Williams, Central— Class 4 State Qualifier; Sectional Qualifier Grant Williamson, Willard— Class 4 Sectional Qualifier Benjamin Wiles, Catholic— Class 2 T-13th-Place, ALLSTATE; Sectional Qualifier; All-District 6 Eric Wilmoth, Mt. Vernon—Class 2 5th-Place, ALL-STATE; Sectional Qualifier; District 6 Medalist; All-District 6 Blake Woods, Hollister— Class 2 Sectional Qualifier

OPI

BOYS TENNIS Bradford Barnhardt, Nixa—Class 2 District 11 doubles champion (w/ Spencer Hamilton) Kyle Bolton, Bolivar—Class 1 State doubles qualifier (w/Trevor Sparks) James Borges, Forsyth—Class 1 State singles qualifier BRANSON—Class 2 District 11 Champion Dalton Brown, Mt. Vernon—Class 1 District 11 singles champion Ryan Bunselmeyer, Central—3rdplace, Class 2 State doubles; District 12 doubles champion (w/Devin Cavero) Devan Cavero, Central—3rd-place, Class 2 State doubles; District 12 doubles champion (w/Ryan Bunselmeyer) Jadyn Cearnal, Branson—Class 2 District 11 singles champion Jarod Davis, Mt. Vernon—Class 1 State doubles qualifier (w/Brett Dorrance) Brett Dorrance, Mt. Vernon—Class 1 State doubles qualifier (w/Jarod Davis) Connor Frazier, Greenwood—3rdplace, Class 1 State doubles; District 10 doubles champion (w/William Sistrunk) GLENDALE—Class 2 Sectional champion; District 10 champion GREENWOOD—Class 1 Sectional champion; District 10 champion Spencer Hamilton, Nixa—Class 2 District 11 doubles champion (w/Bradford Barnhardt) Luke Hansen, Glendale—Class 2 State doubles qualifier; District 10 doubles champion (w/John Nahon) Clint Jung, Springfield Catholic—Class 1 State singles qualifier; District 10 singles champion Micah Klousia, Glendale—Class 2 State singles quarterfinalist; District 10 singles champion Gregory Alexander Ledger, Central— Class 2 State singles qualifier John Nahon, Glendale—Class 2 State doubles qualifier; District 10 doubles champion (w/Luke Hansen) William Sistrunk, Greenwood—3rdplace, Class 1 State doubles; District 10 doubles champion (w/Connor Frazier) Trevor Sparks, Bolivar—Class 1 State doubles qualifier (w/Kyle Bolton) BOYS TRACK CLASS 1 Daniel Baird, New Covenant Academy—3rd-place (400m dash); ALL-STATE Brendan Black, Greenfield—3rd-place (200m dash); ALL-STATE Britton Black, Greenfield—6th-place (100m dash); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (200m dash) Jacob Brown, Humansville—7th-place (1600m run); ALL-STATE Daniel Dopp, New Covenant Academy—State Qualifier (400m dash) GREENFIELD—3rd-place, 4x200 relay (Brendan Black, Austin Marshall, Tyler Boyd, Britton Black); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier, 4x100 relay (Brendan Black, Austin Marshall, Tyler Boyd, Britton Black) Austin Marshall, Greenfield—State Qualifier (long jump) OSCEOLA—State Qualifier, 4x100 relay (Jacob Murray, Thane Sommer,

Driston Self, Jacob Stewart) Dakota Shoemaker, Humansville— 3rd-place (1600m run); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (3200m run) CLASS 2 Blake Alexander, Strafford—4th-place (110m hurdles); ALL-STATE; 7th-place (300m hurdles); ALL-STATE Logan Allred, Ash Grove—6th-place (200m dash); ALL-STATE; 7th-place (100m dash); ALL-STATE Kris Battey, Stockton—6th-place (pole vault); ALL-STATE Jordan Britton, Hollister—STATE CHAMPION (long jump); ALL-STATE; STATE CHAMPION (triple jump); ALL-STATE Cody Canote, Hollister—7th-place (pole vault); ALL-STATE Nic Cashio, Ash Grove—4th-place (discus); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (shot put) Thomas Chabrecek, Crane—State Qualifier (1600m run; 3200m run) Colton Coffey, Skyline—State Qualifier (100m dash) Trevor Foster, Fair Grove—7th-place (long jump); ALL-STATE; 7th-place (triple jump); ALL-STATE Dalton Freeze, Stockton—3rd-place (high jump); ALL-STATE; 3rd-place (200m dash); ALL-STATE; 6th-place (100m dash); ALL-STATE HOLLISTER—T-8th-place overall Zach Kellner, Strafford—State Qualifier (3200m run) Jacob Loveland, Sparta—4th-place (800m run); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (400m dash) Karter Moran, Ash Grove—STATE CHAMPION (high jump); ALL-STATE Dustin Pate, Stockton—State Qualifier (triple jump) Jake Quinn, Strafford—State Qualifier (pole vault) SKYLINE—State Qualifier, 4x200 relay (Josh Brown, Chance Kelley, Jared Freddie, Colton Coffey); State Qualifier, 4x100 relay (Josh Brown, Troy Gentry, Jared Freddie, Colton Coffey); State Qualifier, 4x400 relay (Josh Brown, Logan Bryan, Chance Kelley, Travis Timmerman) SPARTA—State Qualifier, 4x800 relay (Landon Grimes, Dakota Johnson, Traven Eaton, Jacob Loveland) STOCKTON—State Qualifier, 4x800 relay (Dustin Pate, Michael Bolek, Austin Culbertson, Tommy Garcia) Ryan White, Marionville—State Qualifier (pole vault) Michael Willbanks, Marionville—2ndplace (high jump); ALL-STATE CLASS 3 Aaron Allen, Bolivar—State Qualifier (pole vault) Aaron Allphin, Reeds Spring—7thplace (high jump); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (triple jump) BOLIVAR—State Qualifier, 4x400 relay (Will Thomas, Ryan Kulju, Haryl Starkey, David Harris) Cole Burchfield, Marshfield—7thplace (800m run); ALL-STATE Dylan Cole, Logan-Rogersville—State Qualifier (100m dash) Evan Craig, Catholic—State Qualifier (1600m run)

Austin Craven, Hillcrest—5th-place (3200m run); ALL-STATE Dallas Duncan, Catholic—State Qualifier (200m dash) Jesse Edwards, Logan-Rogersville— State Qualifier (3200m run) Cody Frana, Cassville—5th-place (300m hurdles); ALL-STATE; 8th-place (110m hurdles); ALL-STATE Ryan Kulju, Bolivar—4th-place (300m hurdles); ALL-STATE Josh Lannum, Cassville—State Qualifier (shot put) LOGAN-ROGERSVILLE—7th-place, 4x100 relay (Cody Chaney, Lance Littlewood, Brock Buzbee, Dylan Cole); ALL-STATE Manny Ofori-Yeboah, Bolivar—State Qualifier (high jump, 110m hurdles) Chris Renteria, Monett—State Qualifier (1600m run) SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC—State Qualifier, 4x800 relay (Kirk Kaczmarek, Nick Wiegers, James Glover, Evan Craig); State Qualifier, 4x200 relay (Dallas Duncan, Nick Wiegers, Lee Viorel, Mitch Moncada); State Qualifier, 4x100 relay (Dallas Duncan, Antonio Panetta, Lee Viorel, Mitch Moncada); State Qualifier, 4x400 relay (Dallas Duncan, Nick Wiegers, Kirk Kaczmarek, Mitch Moncada) Haryl Starkey, Bolivar—8th-place (400m dash); ALL-STATE Ryan Way, Republic—7th-place (3200m run); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (1600m run) Dylan Weber, Reeds Spring—State Qualifier (110m hurdles) Nick Wiegers, Springfield Catholic— 7th-place (triple jump); ALL-STATE Shane Williams, Mt. Vernon— 3rd-place (high jump); ALL-STATE; 5th-place (triple jump); ALL-STATE; 5th-place (long jump); ALL-STATE Donnie Wise, Buffalo—State Qualifier (3200m run) Brad Wolf, Bolivar—State Qualifier (100m dash) CLASS 4 Daniel Anderson, Ozark—5th-place (400m dash); ALL-STATE Ryan Berg, Nixa—3rd-place (pole vault); ALL-STATE Nakoah Brown, Nixa—5th-place (high jump); ALL-STATE Dean Deetz, Nixa—State Qualifier (100m dash) Brady Fitch, Willard—State Qualifier (shot put) Skyler Frazier, Willard—5th-place (discus); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (shot put) A.J. Green, Parkview—State Qualifier (long jump) Spencer Haik, Glendale—STATE CHAMPION (1600m run); ALL-STATE; 8th-place (800m run); ALL-STATE Christopher Hargrove, Parkview—State Qualifier (200m dash) Daniel Horne, Willard—State Qualifier (high jump) Keaton Knudsen, Branson—State Qualifier (triple jump) Chris Mooneyham, Glendale—State Qualifier (3200m run) NIXA—State Qualifier, 4x100 relay (Kevin Shrauger, Alec Murphy, Brady Adams, Dean Deetz)

Nixa’s Nakoah Brown (Staff Photo) OZARK—7th-place, 4x400 relay (Daniel Anderson, Hunter Tremain, Kramer Patterson, Skyler Verfurth); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier, 4x800 relay (Ian Rogers, Travis Furtkamp, Daniel Anderson, Kyler Haumann) PARKVIEW—STATE CHAMPION, 4x100 relay (A.J. Green, Quintin Smith, Myron Willis, Christopher Hargrove); ALL-STATE; 6th-place, 4x200 relay (A.J. Green, Quintin Smith, Myron Willis, Christopher Hargrove); ALL-STATE Kramer Patterson, Ozark—6th-place (300m hurdles); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (110m hurdles) Cole Phillips, Nixa—State Qualifier (pole vault) Quintin Smith, Parkview—STATE CHAMPION (200m dash); ALL-STATE; 8th-place (100m dash); ALL-STATE Skyler Verfurth, Ozark—State Qualifier (400m dash) Zach Wuest, Branson—8th-place (pole vault); ALL-STATE GIRLS SOCCER Bekah Bade, Catholic—1st-Team AllCOC (Small) (D) Brittany Baker, Kickapoo—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (D); Class 3 1stTeam All-District 11 (D) Allie Banasik, Catholic—1st-Team All-

COC (Small) (F) Mikaela Branson, Ozark—2nd-Team All-COC (Large) (GK); Class 3 HM AllDistrict 11 (GK) Molly Brewer, Glendale—Ozark Conference Player of the Year; 1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (F); Class 3 District 11 Offensive Player of the Year; 1st-Team All-District (F) Keisha Burns, Ozark—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (D); Class 3 1st-Team All-District 11 (D) Rebecca Burton, Glendale—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (D); Class 3 2ndTeam All-District 11 (D) Linessa Campbell, Logan-Rogersville— 1st-Team All-COC (Small) (GK) Sierra Casagrand, Republic—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (F) CENTRAL—Class 3 District 12 Champion Emma Chilton, Parkview—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (MF) Kelsie Cleeton, Hillcrest—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (MF) Natalie Closser, Kickapoo—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (D); Class 3 2ndTeam All-District 11 (MF) Danielle Coffman, Marshfield—1stTeam All-COC (Small) (MF) Macie Cotter, Willard—2nd-Team AllCOC (Large) (MF)

Emily Courtney, Parkview—HM AllOzark Conference (MF) Crystal Crawford, Logan-Rogersville— 1st-Team All-COC (Small) (MF) Morgan Davidson, Ozark—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (F); Class 3 1st-Team All-District 11 (F) Payton DeHart, Nixa—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (F); Class 3 1st-Team All-District 11 (F) Kenzie Dunaway, Kickapoo—2ndTeam All-Ozark Conference (MF); Class 3 1st-Team All-District 11 (MF) Katie Etter, Kickapoo—Class 3 HM AllDistrict 11 (D) Raina Feckovic, Logan-Rogersville— 2nd-Team All-COC (Small) (D) Leslie Fenton, Republic—2nd-Team All-COC (Large) (D) Amanda Fox, Kickapoo—Class 3 HM All-District 11 (MF) Alyson Galler, Nixa—Class 3 HM AllDistrict 11 (F) Kyrsten Gies, Ozark—Class 3 HM AllDistrict 11 (MF) Kami Giese, Branson—2nd-Team All-COC (Large) (D); Class 3 HM AllDistrict 11 (D) GLENDALE—4th-Place (Class 3); Sectional Champion; District 11 Champion Megan Goetzinger, Catholic—1stTeam All-COC (Small) (GK)

Nic Mertz

417-886-0151 (main) 417-839-9818 (cell) 417-886-1932 (fax) nic@dingsnthings.com www.dingsnthings.com 1912 South Stewart Avenue Springfield, MO 65804

YOUR FULL SERVICE COLLISION REPAIR CENTER OPI

Abby Greene, Glendale—HM AllOzark Conference (D); Class 3 HM All-District 11 (D) Amy Greene, Parkview—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (D) Connor Guy, Catholic—1st-Team AllCOC (Small) (D) Elizabeth Harris, Bolivar—2nd-Team All-COC (Small) (D) Haley Harrison, Hillcrest—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (F) Ashton Hedgpeth, Ozark—Class 3 HM All-District 11 (D) Amanda Hinkle, Branson—HM All-COC (Large) (D); Class 3 HM AllDistrict 11 (D) Lydia Holtmann, Catholic—1st-Team All-COC (Small) (MF) Jordyn Hoskins, Nixa—Class 3 HM All-District 11 (MF) Hayley Hunter, Ozark—Class 3 2ndTeam All-District 11 (MF) Sammy Jacobson, Bolivar—1st-Team All-COC (Small) (GK) Brittany Kirkpatrick, Nixa—2nd-Team All-COC (Large) (D); Class 3 2nd-Team All-District 11 (D) Ali Lacker, Ozark—HM All-COC (Large) (MF); Class 3 2nd-Team AllDistrict 11 (MF) Kendra Lierz, Glendale—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (GK); Class 3 District 11 Keeper of the Year; 1stTeam All-District (GK) Sarah Magana, Bolivar—1st-Team AllCOC (Small) (F) Sara Marcotte, Republic—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (F) Kristen Meinert, Logan-Rogersville— 2nd-Team All-COC (Small) (D) Miriam Melugin, Kickapoo—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (MF); Class 3 1st-Team All-District 11 (MF) Samantha Minor, Republic—2ndTeam All-COC (Large) (MF) Lauren Moats, Nixa—1st-Team AllCOC (Large) (MF); Class 3 1st-Team All-District 11 (MF) Alix Opfer, Glendale—1st-Team All-Ozark Conference (MF); Class 3 District 11 Player of the Year; 1st-Team All-District (MF)

Kasey Shea Opfer—1st-Team AllOzark Conference (D); Class 3 1stTeam All-District 11 (D) Nicole Ortega, Catholic—1st-Team All-COC (Small) (F) Dylan Owens, Willard—1st-Team AllCOC (Large) (F) Lindsay Owens, Willard—HM AllCOC (Large) (MF) Casey Perez, Branson—Class 3 HM All-District 11 (D) Bailey Pesek, Nixa—2nd-Team AllCOC (Large) (MF); Class 3 2nd-Team All-District 11 (MF) Sarah Powell, Glendale—Class 3 HM All-District 11 (F) Drianna Raff, Glendale—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (F); Class 3 1stTeam All-District 11 (F) REPUBLIC—Class 2 District 11 Champion McKenzie Robbins, Glendale—HM All-Ozark Conference (MF) Mariah Roberts, Bolivar—2nd-Team All-COC (Small) (MF) Jeff Rogers, Glendale—Ozark Conference Coach of the Year; Class 3 District 11 Coach of the Year Amanda Snider, Republic—HM AllCOC (Large) (GK) SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC—3rd-Place (Class 1); Sectional Champion; District 12 Champion Sarah Kate Sprouse, Glendale—2ndTeam All-Ozark Conference (D); Class 3 2nd-Team All-District 11 (D) Lexi Stagner, Nixa—2nd-Team AllCOC (Large) (GK); Class 3 2nd-Team All-District 11 (GK) Abby Sugrue, Ozark—Class 3 2ndTeam All-District 11 (F) Emily Taylor, Ozark—2nd-Team AllCOC (Large) (MF); Class 3 1st-Team All-District 11 (MF) Shalynn Thomas, Nixa—Class 3 HM All-District 11 (F) Paige Townsend, Nixa—1st-Team All-COC (Large) (MF); Class 3 1st-Team All-District 11 (MF) Abby Turnbull, Nixa—1st-Team AllCOC (Large) (D); Class 3 District 11 Defensive Player of the Year; 1st-Team All-District (D) Courtney Wampler, Glendale—HM All-Ozark Conference (MF); Class 3 HM All-District 11 (MF) Casey Weitzel, Kickapoo—HM All-Ozark Conference (F); Class 3 2ndTeam All-District 11 (F) Kelsey Williams, Hillcrest—HM AllOzark Conference (MF) Allison Yoakam, Glendale—2nd-Team All-Ozark Conference (MF); Class 3 2nd-Team All-District 11 (MF) GIRLS TRACK CLASS 1 Kellie Bays, Humansville—2nd-place (discus); ALL-STATE Kaylee Carney, Osceola—State Qualifier (100m hurdles) Michelle Dopp, New Covenant Academy—State Qualifier (200m dash; 400m dash) Katy Hensley, Halfway—State Qualifier (800m run) Sarah Kurpjuweit, Humansville—8thplace (3200m run); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (1600m run) Emily Lippa, Osceola—State Qualifier (100m dash; 200m dash)

Marshfield’s Clayton Moles (Staff Photo) OPI

Andrea Mason, Greenfield—T-5thplace (high jump); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (long jump) Kala Svendsen, Everton—State Qualifier (100m dash) CLASS 2 Taylor Alumbaugh, El Dorado Springs—5th-place (high jump); ALL-STATE; 5th-place (400m dash); ALL-STATE; 6th-place (200m dash); ALL-STATE Halee Cashio, Ash Grove—State Qualifier (shot put) Kailey Chapman, Spokane—4th-place (300m hurdles); ALL-STATE; 5th-place (100m hurdles); ALL-STATE Jenna Clements, Strafford—5th-place (triple jump); ALL-STATE; 7th-place (100m hurdles); ALL-STATE Emilyn Dearman, Stockton—STATE CHAMPION (300m hurdles); ALLSTATE; 2nd-place (100m hurdles); ALL-STATE; 7th-place (400m dash); ALL-STATE EL DORADO SPRINGS—State Qualifier, 4x800 relay (Elizabeth Clark, Rachel Bush, Hannah Bruggeman, Kate Sibley); State Qualifier, 4x400 relay (Emily Carver, Rachel Bush, Kate Sibley, Taylor Alumbaugh) Brandy Estell, Miller—State Qualifier (triple jump) FAIR GROVE—State Qualifier, 4x100 relay (Dominique Knight, Mikayla Buckner, Dani Kepler, Deambra Pilkinton) Catherine Herd, Hollister—8th-place (discus); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (shot put) HOLLISTER—State Qualifier, 4x200 relay (Hailey Engel, Taylor Pierce, Hannah Smith, Karley Wade) Lindsey Hutchinson, Strafford—State Qualifier (3200m run) Kristen Keene, Ash Grove—6th-place (pole vault); ALL-STATE Taylor Pierce, Hollister—State Qualifier (high jump; long jump) Deambra Pilkinton, Fair Grove—State Qualifier (200m dash) Josie Pyle, Stockton—5th-place (800m run); ALL-STATE Katie Skelton, Ash Grove—8th-place (shot put); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (discus) Rebecca Sledge, Spokane—2nd-place (long jump); ALL-STATE; 3rd-place (triple jump); ALL-STATE Hannah Smith, Hollister—6th-place (long jump); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (100m dash) SPOKANE—T-12th-place overall STOCKTON—STATE CHAMPIONS; 2nd-place, 4x800 relay (Alexis Smith, Rachel Wheeler, Arnica Zitting, Josie Pyle); ALL-STATE; 4th-place, 4x400 relay (Josie Pyle, Alexis Smith, Rachel Wheeler, Emilyn Dearman); ALLSTATE STRAFFORD—State Qualifier, 4x800 relay (Lindsey Hutchinson, Ashley Wilks, Brooklan Davis, Katlyn Hatz) Megan Wahlquist, Fair Grove—8thplace (300m hurdles); ALL-STATE Rachel Wheeler, Stockton—4th-place (1600m run); ALL-STATE Hannah Wisdom, Skyline—3rd-place (100m dash); ALL-STATE; 5th-place (200m dash); ALL-STATE Arnica Zitting, Stockton—5th-place

(3200m run); ALL-STATE CLASS 3 Sam Akromis, Reeds Spring—State Qualifier (high jump) BOLIVAR—State Qualifier, 4x800 relay (Ashley Lawson, Jessica Cox, Cora Butcher-Spellman, Sierra Wells); State Qualifier, 4x200 relay (Daiwa Emmert, Randi Handcock, Madison Campbell, Faith Harris) Calisa Brooks, Cassville—State Qualifier (100m dash) CASSVILLE—State Qualifier, 4x100 relay (Calisa Brooks, Jade Hollway, Danielle Pianalto, Katie Sewell) Hayley Chapman, Buffalo—State Qualifier (3200m run) Jessica Cox, Bolivar—State Qualifier (3200m run) Faith Harris, Bolivar—State Qualifier (triple jump) Sarah Kreul, Republic—State Qualifier (discus) Ashley Lawson, Bolivar—State Qualifier (1600m run) LOGAN-ROGERSVILLE—State Qualifier, 4x400 relay (Danae Cole, Ashlynn Garner, Kayla Reuter, Samantha Stiles) REEDS SPRING—State Qualifier, 4x400 relay (Rebecca Meats, Cheyenne Randle, Danielle Curnes, Sam Akromis) Erin Roebuck, Catholic—State Qualifier (200m dash) Ashley Runyan, Marshfield—State Qualifier (3200m run) SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC—State Qualifier, 4x200 relay (Sarah Winton, Rachel Prather, Michelle Jarek, Erin Roebuck) Erica Tucker, Aurora—State Qualifier (800m run) Sierra Wells, Bolivar—State Qualifier (800m run) CLASS 4 Ellyn Atkinson, Glendale—6th-place (3200m run); ALL-STATE BRANSON—State Qualifier, 4x800 relay (Jessie Barton, Sara Shaw, Brigette Caruthers, Ashley Shockey) Michaela Dapprich, Branson—2ndplace (discus); ALL-STATE; State Qualifier (shot put) Moriah Dapprich, Branson—State Qualifier (discus) Samantha Dexter, Ozark—State Qualifier (200m dash, 400m dash) Lucy Givens, Branson—6th-place (pole vault); ALL-STATE GLENDALE—State Qualifier, 4x200 relay (Alyssa Ballard, Megan Deines, Kim Deines, Julia Wells); State Qualifier, 4x400 relay (Kim Deines, Megan Deines, Alyssa Ballard, Ashleigh Teter) Bailey Hession, Willard—State Qualifier (1600m run) Elise Monroe, Glendale—State Qualifier (long jump) OZARK—State Qualifier, 4x800 relay (Nikki Keeter, Lauren Doran, Courtney Clancy, Paiton Fritsche); State Qualifier, 4x400 relay (Samantha Dexter, Angela Presnell, Ivy Reynolds, Nikki Keeter) Jade Raynor, Kickapoo—State Qualifier (800m run) Megan Wickersham, Nixa—3rd-place (pole vault); ALL-STATE Staci Wickersham, Nixa—State Qualifier (pole vault)

SPRING SOFTBALL Kendra Awicky, Clever—2nd-Team All-SWCL (OF) Kaitlyn Berry, Forsyth—SWCL Co-Most Valuable Player; 1st-Team All-SWCL (UT) Grant Boyer, Forsyth—SWCL Coach of the Year Katie Burrow, Forsyth—2nd-Team All-SWCL (IF) Maddye Campbell, Blue Eye—1stTeam All-SWCL (IF) Danielle Carl, Crane—1st-Team AllSWCL (OF) Katie Deal, Forsyth—1st-Team AllSWCL (C) Sydney Evans, Crane—HM All-SWCL (C) Olivia Fabro, Billings—1st-Team AllSWCL (P) Jordan Farmer, Clever—1st-Team AllSWCL (UT) Bailey Ghan, Clever—2nd-Team AllSWCL (OF) Adrian Gibbs, Forsyth—1st-Team AllSWCL (OF) Brittany Groves, Billings—1st-Team All-SWCL (IF) Mikalah Hardcastle, Sparta—1st-Team All-SWCL (IF) Destinee Harris, Crane—2nd-Team All-SWCL (IF) Alyssa Jasper, Forsyth—SWCL Co-Most Valuable Player; 1st-Team All-SWCL (P) Taylor Johnson, Sparta—1st-Team All-SWCL (UT) Kortney Kuda, Sparta—1st-Team AllSWCL (P) Taylor Loveland, Sparta—2nd-Team All-SWCL (IF) Amber Lund, Forsyth—2nd-Team All-SWCL (P) Lexi Manley, Spokane—1st-Team AllSWCL (IF) Tara Randles, Billings—1st-Team AllSWCL (OF) Samantha Retell, Forsyth—1st-Team All-SWCL (IF) Ellen Reusch, Blue Eye—1st-Team All-SWCL (OF) Haylee Schaumann, Billings—1stTeam All-SWCL (UT) Sierra Snowden, Blue Eye—1st-Team All-SWCL (P) Abby Twigg, Clever—2nd-Team AllSWCL (IF) Reanna Wilson, Clever—2nd-Team All-SWCL (C) Meranda Workman, Sparta—2ndTeam All-SWCL (OF) MISCELLANEOUS • Humansville senior Kellie Bays earned All-State honors at the 38th MSHSAA Class 1 Girls State Track & Field Championships with a school record throw of 117 feet 9 inches in the discus. Bays’ state runner-up finish is the highest finish ever by a Lady Tiger at the State meet. • In only its sixth year of competition, the Branson boys tennis rewrote the school record book this spring. The Pirates, who captured the COC (Large Division) championship this season, also captured their first District title with a 5-2 win over Nixa. Branson

won a school record eight dual matches this season, as well as tournament titles at Districts and the Panther Classic at Forsyth. • Skyline baseball coach Jim Brown retired this season after a 28-year career at the helm of the Tigers. Brown, who will continue in his duties as Skyline’s Athletic Director, posted a career record of 359-217. • The Central girls soccer team captured the school’s first-ever District soccer title in dramatic fashion with a come-from-behind, 3-2 double overtime victory over Willard on May 17 at Junge Stadium in Joplin. Trailing 2-0, the Lady Bulldogs rallied behind sophomore Aspen Hawkins’ hat trick. Hawkins’ third goal came in sudden death in the second overtime, sending Central to the Sectional round. • Greenwood senior Sara Cook set a school record for career goals with 60. Cook, a four-time All-District honoree, recorded a pair of hat tricks this season, and also finished her career with 47 assists. • Glendale’s Spencer Haik finished his track and field season in style with a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP performance in the boys Class 4 1600-meter run at the MSHSAA Class 4 Boys Track & Field Championships on May 26 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City. The sophomore, who also garnered All-State recognition with an 8th-place finish in the 800-meter run, won the 1600-meter run with a school record time of 4:15.11, shaving five seconds off his own previous mark. • Central soccer player Aspen Hawkins set the school record for goals in a season with 31 this year. The sophomore’s hat trick in the District championship game gave the Lady Bulldogs their first-ever District title. Hawkins’ third goal of the game came in sudden death in the second overtime of the Lady Bulldogs’ thrilling 3-2 victory over Willard. • Parkview head cross country coach and assistant track coach Dan Hay won the Veteran’s Division (ages 50+) of the 116th Annual Boston Marathon on Apr. 16. Running in extreme 80+ degree temperatures, Hay crossed the tape in 2 hours 44 minutes and 30 seconds. Hay’s time also placed him 130th overall in a field comprised of many of the world’s best marathon runners. • Branson senior wrestler Jonathon Inman, who posted a 47-1 record this season en route to a Class 3 state championship at 182 pounds, was named an ACADEMIC ALLAMERICAN by the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA). Inman, who will wrestle collegiately at Fort Hays State after posting a 149-29 career record for the Pirates, earned the prestigious honor after posting a 4.2 GPA and scoring a 29 on his ACT. Inman and the other 119 All-American honorees will be permanently recognized in the National High School Sports Hall of Fame Museum in Easton, Pennsylvania. • Parkview standout Spencer Johnson completed one of the most decorated careers in the annals of Missouri high

school baseball this spring. The Missouri State signee hit 39 homeruns in his career, the second highest career total in state history. Johnson also finished his career as the school record holder in several categories, including home runs (39), hits (125), RBIs (130), walks (79), batting average (.455), and runs scored (124). • Humansville’s Sarah Kurpjuweit earned All-State honors at the 38th MSHSAA Class 1 Girls State Track & Field Championships with an 8thplace finish in a school record time of 12:45.37 in the 3200-meter run. • The Nixa boys track team captured the COC (Large) championship this season, while several athletes posted school record performances. Cole Phillips, a State qualifier, recorded a school record in the pole vault with a height of 15 feet 10 1/2 inches, while Taylor Stephen set a school record in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.90. In addition, the 4x800 meter relay team of Marcus Johnson, Shane Luper, Brandon Martin and Taylor Stephen set the school mark with a time of 8:09.99. • The Parkview baseball team captured the Ozark Conference championship this season for the first time in 43 years, and just the second time in school history. The Vikings’ 16 wins set a new school record, while head coach John Thompson picked up his 50th career win en route to Ozark Conference Coach of the Year honors. • Marion C. Early senior golfer Adam Pipenhagen capped off his standout prep career with his second State-qualifying effort after a 2nd-place Sectional finish individually. Pipenhagen was the District medalist, and also took home top individual honors at the Buffalo Tournament. • In just the second year of the program’s existence, the Republic girls soccer team captured the Class 2 District 11 championship with a 1-0 win over Logan-Rogersville on May 18. The Lady Tigers finished their season at 16-10 with a loss to Warrensburg in the Sectional round. • Purdy’s Addy Roller finished her standout basketball career as Missouri’s all-time leader in three-pointers made in a season (120), a career (319), and per-game average (2.75). Roller, who

will play collegiately at Wayne State College next year, also is the Lady Eagles’ all-time leading scorer with 2,392 points. • Humansville’s Dakota Shoemaker continues to etch his name in the annals of the Tiger record book. The senior posted school records this season in the 1600-meter run (4:36) and the 3200-meter run (9:54). Shoemaker’s school record 1600-meter time came at the MSHSAA Class 1 Boys State Track & Field Championships, where he earned All-State honors with a 3rdplace finish. Shoemaker also captured District and Sectional titles in the 3200 meters, and finished as the runner-up at those meets in the 1600-meter run. • The Skyline pitching staff posted some notable performances this season on the mound. Sophomore Ryan Melton tossed a no-hitter against Cole Camp on May 10, while Brennan Holt was a strikeout machine on the bump this season. The senior recorded five games of 10+ strikeouts this season, including 11 and 13 versus Weaubleau (Mar. 26 and Apr. 7, respectively), 13 against Ash Grove (Apr. 24), 15 versus Wheatland (May 9), and 11 K’s versus Stockton on May 14. In addition, senior Brandon Bishop recorded 15 strikeouts against Osceola on Mar. 27, and another 10 K’s against Hermitage on Apr. 27. • Billings head baseball coach Allen Stolte recorded the 100th victory of his career with a victory over Southwest on Apr. 13. • Nixa’s Megan Wickersham and Staci Wickersham, junior twins, both broke the old school record of 10’6” in the pole vault this season. Staci vaulted 11’0”, while Megan is the current record holder at 11’8”. Both sisters qualified for the Class 4 State meet, where Megan garnered All-State honors with a 3rd-place finish. • Sparta head baseball coach Michael Willis picked up the 100th win of his career this spring for the Trojans.

OPI

Mt. Vernon’s Cody Lee (Staff Photo)

Kaylee Williams, Willard—State Qualifier (discus, shot put)

OZARK—Class 4 District 11 Katelyn Triplett, Strafford—1streceiving yards. Heading into the NATIONAL RECORD with three Champion Team All-Mid-Lakes (IF) state playoffs, Green-Beckham had kick returns for touchdowns in the Bryanna Parham, Reeds Spring— WALNUT GROVE—Class 1 Dis276 career catches for 6,209 yards Falcon’s season-opening 50-37 All-District; 2nd-Team All-COC trict 3 Champion and 69 touchdowns. As if setting victory over Joplin on Aug. 26. The Small Rachel Wheeler, Stockton—2nda national record was not enough, senior had four kick returns for 287 Tristia Patton, Bolivar—Class 3 Team All-Mid-Lakes (OF) Green-Beckham also broke his yards and three touchdowns, and 2nd-Team All-Region (P); 1st-Team Keeli Wilkerson, Skyline—Honorown STATE SINGLE SEASON 435 all-purpose yards, which also All-COC Small able Mention All-Mid-Lakes (IF) RECORD for receiving yards included a 49-yard halfback pass PLEASANT HOPE—Class 2 State WILLARD—Class 4 District 10 after compiling 1,986 yardsBell on 98 for a touchdown. Howard Runner-up; Sectional Champion; Champion catches and 21 touchHead Coach, Glendale Baseball District 11 Champion Hannah Wisdom, Skyline—Honordowns in 2011. GreenJosie Pyle, Stockton—2nd-Team able Mention All-Mid-Lakes (IF) Beckham now owns All-Mid-Lakes (OF) Ashton Worth, Marshfield—Class the three highest single Shelby Quick, Strafford—Class 3 3 2nd-Team All-Region (P); COC season receiving yards 2nd-Team All-Region (OF); 1stSmall Co-Player of the Year totals in state history. Team All-Mid-Lakes Whitney Wright, Marionville—1st• Willard volleyball Raigan Ratliff, Monett—Class 3 Team All-Mid-Lakes (OF) coach Jamalee Hancock 1st-Team All-Region (OF) earned her 300th career REEDS SPRING—Class 3 District VOLLEYBALL coaching victory on Sept. 10 Champion BILLINGS—Class 1 District 7 10of at athe Lori Endicott In- exhilaration of a big win and the heartache As has been the case for the past five fighting cancer, the death parent/grandSam Retherford, Reeds Spring— Champion vitational, where the Lady months, I was surprised and honored to be parent or sibling. Maybe it was something of a close loss. All-District CLEVER—Class 2 Final Four; Tigers notched a 3rdasked to write this column. The time I supnot so tragic like an injury or injuries. Maybe These are real life lessons. High school Hailey Richardson, Pleasant Sectional Champion; District 10 place finish. Hancock, pose is right, given the fact that is my last we didn’t have any pitching that seasoninorher sports are the perfect opportunity to learn Hope—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (IF) this Champion who is currently yearSare, to coach in the Glendale High EL School we had plenty of12th good pitching Calie Pleasant Hope—2ndDORADO maybe SPRINGS—Class 2 season at thebut helm and experience them. Every day we have the baseball program,(IF) but that isn’t a story. Who Champion not many hitters. Team All-Mid-Lakes 12 District at Willard, has a 319-93- choice to be a positive or negative person. reallySechler, wants to hear about my nearlyGREENFIELD—Class 30 Any team could andrecord. the coach Choose to see the positive in the hard times. Taylor Bolivar—2nd-Team 1 District 8 huddle 28 up career years ofSmall coaching high school baseball at could ask each player what adversity he/coach To paraphrase Lou Gehrig, I consider myAll-COC Champion • Bolivar football Glendale? she was dealing day Roweton and everyself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. Jordan Shewmaker, Buffalo—1stOSCEOLA—Class 1 District 10 with that Lance earned My wife, Kim, different to victory say. I feel the same as the great Lou Gehrig, I am Team All-COC Smallsaid I needed a subject Champion one would have something his 100th career and the first thingPleasant that came to mindOZARK—Class was The pointFour; is every person and team 41-6 one lucky man to have been a part of baseSarah Siegismund, 4 Final after theevery Liberators’ adversity. “Adversity” is defined state, Champion; will face adversity. is how we ball my entire life and to have been able to Hope—1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (IF) as “a Sectional District 11 The question victory over Logancondition or instance of serious or continto it. Will we 7 play for amazing coaches and then to coach Lakin Simmerman, Ash Grove— Champion choose to respond or react Rogersville on Oct. ued difficulty.” I am facing adversityREPUBLIC—Class in my throw in the towel up or will we so many talented young men (and women). 1st-Team All-Mid-Lakes (P) 4 District 12 and give at Southwest Baptist life right now dealing with my diagnosis of fight to overcome the roadblocks Choose to make a difference in your life Kerry Ann Sipes, Logan-RogersChampion University. placed in ville—2nd-Team All-COC Small (ALS),SPARTA—Class 1 District • Republic softball coach and the life of others. Choose to be the best Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also our lives? 6 ChamKatie Skelton,known Ash Grove—Honorpion Mikeevery Thorne was inductcommonly as Lou Gehrig’s disease. I would like to think that player that you can be and take advantage of the life ableEveryone Mention All-Mid-Lakes (C)in their lives. STRAFFORD—Class 2 District 9 the Glendale ed into thebaseball Missouri High lessons that are learned through participatfaces adversity has passed through Adrianna Soriano, Monett—Class 3 go Champion School Teams face adversity also. I could back to program believes that they are Fastpitch capable Coaches of ing in high school sports and being part of 2nd-Team All-Region (C) coached and name Association Hall of Fame a team. I will always feel part of every team every team I have ever overcoming any obstacle that life throws Kayleen Stevens,we Reeds Spring— MISCELLANEOUS July 30. Thorne retired I have played on and coached. Overcome the adversity faced that particular year. their way, that there isn’tonanything they canAll-District • Hillcrest wide receiver at the endand of this season the adversity in your life and be stronger for (And my wife is saying…sure you can, but standout not achieve through persistence hard Halie Steward, Stockton—2ndDorial Green-Beckham careerlearned record of you can’t even remember my birthday!) work. It iscontinues my hope thatwith theyahave having participated and fighting through the Team All-Mid-Lakes (C)of a team faces to pile up numbers for the Hornets. in 19 seasons of adversity. When a member adversity through being a part of a336-147 team the imporBalie Stime,the Marionville—1st-Team In Hillcrest’s 35-7 Class 4 District coaching. Thorne guided it affects entire team. We will have big tance of giving and taking, to compromise, Borrowing from Lou Gehrig again…so I All-Mid-Lakes (C) 10-clinching victory Repubthe Lady Tigersas to team back-to- close by saying that I may have had a tough and small adversities in our lives. Perhaps to careover deeply about others, to work Andrea Spring— a teammate lic on Oct. 27,and the senior backtoFinal Four it is theStuder, deathReeds of a teammate, not ancaught individual, and know theappear- break, but I have an awful lot to live for. Class 3 1st-Team All-Region (P); All11 passes for 303 yards and four ances in 2008 and 2009. Hillcrest’s Dorial Green-Beckham (Photo by Brenda Putman) District; 1st-Team All-COC Small touchdowns in the game, which • Glendale’s Trevor Anna Swift, Ash Grove—1st-Team allowed Green-Beckham to set the Vaughn broke a STATE All-Mid-Lakes (UT) NATIONAL RECORD for career RECORD and tied a

CHALK TALK

OPI

e 7

Putman)

EL RODEO M E X I C A N R E S TA U R A N T Bolivar, MO

BIENVENIDOS AMIGOS!

DAILY LUNCH AND DINNER SPECIALS! SEE OUR MENU NOW ONLINE

www.EatatElRodEo.com 306 E. Jackson St. Bolivar, MO 65613 (417) 777-7020

Sunday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 9 a.m. Friday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Life is short... are your affairs in order? Byron K. shive can help protect your family’s assets by creating the estate plan that is right for you, WHICH MAY IncludE: • • • • • •

Last will & testament revocable trust agreement irrevocable trust agreement durable power of attorney living will benefeciary deed

Byron K. SHive, Attorney-at-law, llc (417) 770-0003 byron@shivelaw.com

don’t wait until it’s too late! the choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.

OPI

On the

DISABLED LIST

Dr. J.P. Simanis M.D., MPH, MSPH, FAAFP

tion medication to alleviate the pain, as well Tendons allow your joints to move. WalkOne Step at a Time How to Choose Your New Walking Partner as temporary bracing and physical therapy, ing, sitting down, reaching, even driving, are Walking with a pedometer makes it easier Pedometer prices and functions vary, so until their tendon injury heals on its own. activities that are controlled by your joints to stay onyour a healthy pathBecause tendons check onlinepatients reviews. Fentonexhausted recommends For other who’ve the a and thus tendons. basic, easy-to-use pedometer in the $20 range. typical treatments of rest, relaxation, preare so flexible, we often don’t consider the I return from morning pick up Just use it medication, to count steps, he says. Don’t obsess scription bracing and physical importance theymy have in ourwalk dailyand activities, the newspaper: “Baby boomers losing battle of over stepsimprovement per mile, calories expended or for even therapy, in pain and hope until we feel pain. theAs bulge,” the headline at me. “Tell me distance. thelifestyle pedometer to thefutile. waist of a normal,Clip active may seem a physician, I haveglares the opportunity Thosepants typessoofthat patients candidates to see it,” patients whoAt areage active and have it’s inare line with yourfor knee about I mutter. 47, with a slowing your PRPnot injections, which developed chronic overuse injuries. metabolism, I have to move more andWith eat less and off to the side. we talked about a few ago,sign: or possibly a new procedure chronic overuse injuries, patients to maintain fitness. I glance at mytypically little low- months A yield Although most people can called start FAST.walking, Simanis says to see a docexperience pain in upper tech fitness tendon friend clipped to my and/or pants—my simply alsowalking knownyou as Focused Aspiration of lower limbs,It which them from pedometer. shows may 3,919prevent steps. A good start torFAST, if during start to feel shortness Scar Tissue, is a minimally invasive proceengaging in activities previously performed to the day. of breath or notice an irregular heartbeat or dure, performed in a matter of 15 minutes. with ease. “Walking is a wonderful way to improve chest pain. And anyone with high-risk factors The diseased, damaged portion of the tendon Often, the first suggestions to alleviate heart pain problems check in with a phyone’s health and physical fitness,” causing may should be accurately identified a patient’s tendon pain include rest says and Juris for Simanis, M.D., board certified before undertaking via ultrasound, similar to strenuous viewing a exercise. baby in limited use of the affected limbphysician until the with pain sician CMH Sports and Occupational a doctor if you begin portion experiencing the “See womb. Once the damaged of the subsides. However, not all patientsMedicine are creClinic. “You Some are going to get a lot by knee, or otherviajoint pain that contintendonankle is identified ultrasound, a small ated equal. require the useofofbenefit prescripdoing 30 minutes of brisk walking most days ues or even worsens,” says Simanis. “I would of the week.” expect some sore muscle/joints initially for Just how much benefit? Here are the high- people who are sedentary and then decide to lights for your heart: lower blood pressure increase their physical activity. However, this levels, lower heart-disease risk, lower risk for should gradually improve and resolve as they blood clots, and increased levels of the heart- get used to the increased level of activity. Pain protective cholesterol called HDL. should not continue to persist and may be a At work, I avoid parking close to the sign of other medical conditions that may need entrance. That’s 560 extra steps a day. Later, I to be addressed or treated.” walk to Starbucks instead of drive: 1,800 steps Find Your Baseline, Then Boost By 20% (and one decaf, no cream or sugar, please). How would I know all this without my pedomYou first need to know your current activity eter? Simply and accurately, it shows progress level. For a week, wear your pedometer each SUPER SHWEIKI SPECIAL! m “Do what you dayw from rising to bed. toward my walking goal. K I. co EIgoing Wto .S H ww Pedometers are proven motivators, says normally do. This is very important,” Fenton 50 FREE MarkPOSTCARDS Fenton, author of “The Complete Guide says. Keep a log of your daily steps. At the end to www.SHWEIKI.com Walking for Health, Weight Loss and of the week, divide the total steps by seven. 4” X 6” Full Colorhost 2 sided of America’s Walking on Fitness” and This is your baseline. 10pt Gloss w/UV PBS. People who wear pedometers take about Now boost that total by 20 percent in week 2,500 more steps a day, one study found. (A two. For example, if your baseline is 4,000, mile is about 2,000 steps.) then aim for 4,800 steps in week two. Take that To get started, here’s all you need, Fenton total and increase it 20 percent in week three says: a pedometer, a pencil and some paper. (5,760 steps in the example), and so on until

H A S S L E F.R. E. E P R IN T IN G TO THE RESCUE

ultrasonic needle approximately the size of you average 10,000 steps a day, which meets a toothpick is guided into the tendon by the the national activity guidelines. The walk must ultrasound. Then, the debridement begins— be “Walk like you’ve got someplace thebrisk. diseased tendon is removed and the to go,” Simanis portion says. of the tendon is allowed undamaged To reach to heal on its your own. goal, look for “conscious exercise” especially Patientsopportunities, of FAST onlyFenton requiresays, a local foregoing car are when possible. Some ideas to anestheticaand fully awake throughout the course the procedure. Minimal pain is add steps toofyour day: involved; patients feel slightand pressure • Takemost public transportation get offata the site during the procedure, and the openstop or two early. ing •is Walk closedorusing a Band-Aid. Patients ride only a bike to do errands (and who have undergone the FAST procedure to help count “steps” while bicycling, tie your have been found to recover much more pedometer to your shoelaces). quickly (generally a few days to a few weeks) • Instead of driving kids to school, walk than those who opt for the typical invasive with them. surgical procedure. Volunteer dogback shelter walk the If•you’re readyattoa get to aand healthy, pooches. active lifestyle, please contact my office at • Do your own yard workanand wash your (417) 777-6161 to schedule evaluation. own car.

Members o pregame p in the Gold on Dec. 27 bases Trini

Keep Working at It It’s one of those days. I skip my walk and sit at my computer all day. In the evening, I flop on the couch. My pedometer tells no lies: only 4,570 steps all day. “People think they are furiously busy,” says Fenton. “But what are they doing? Sitting at a computer, in a meeting. That’s what a FULL pedometer shines a light on.” In a 2010 study, COLOR Americans averaged 5,117 steps a day, several thousand fewer than adults in Australia (9,695), 4” x 6” • 10pt Gloss Card Stock • UV one side Japan (7,168) and Switzerland (9,650). My commitment renewed, the next day I mow the back lawn after work. My trusty pedometer shows 3,477 steps. My heart is pumping! Gotta keep moving. My heart is counting on it.

5,000 POSTCARDS

Shweiki Ad goes here.

10,000 FLYERS

Please extend bleeds

FULL

2 for 1 COLOR For every 60 minutes of vigorous exercise, your life span byPaper two hours. 8.5” may x 11” increase • 70# Gloss

Scan Here To Get Our Crystal Clear Guarantees

1,000 MAGAZINES

Scan this code with your smartphone

OPI 12FREE OPI

QUOTE & SAMPLES www.SHWEIKI.com

FULL COLOR 8.5” X 11” • 16 pages • 60# Gloss Paper

Cassville 58-52 los

us lly to

nd our

alk

our

sit op nly

y,” ng ta dy, ral 5),

ay sty is is

W ha fas t is t fo you od r fa res vo tau rite ran t? Ho w sh ma oe ny sd p o y airs ou of ow n? W ha wo t fam ul o ha d yo us p ve e u din mo rson s ne t l r w ike ith to W ha ? yo t is u s the aw la in st m a t ov he ie atr e? Ic an no tw ait for ...

ets ust to

TIME OUT

Briana Morrow

McDonald’s

Not a lot...probably Ryan Reynolds six

The Rise of the Cross Country Planet of the Apes

Taco Bell

Probably 40

T.O. (Terrell Owens)

Project X

State football

Channing Tatum

Titanic 3D

This day to be over

Track & Field Branson

Derrick Estell Track & Field Miller

Members of the Republic cheerleading squad get the Tiger faithful fired up during pregame player introductions prior to Republic’s 62-32 victory over Fair Grove in the Gold Division quarterfinals of the 66th Annual Blue & Gold Tournament on Dec. 27 at JQH Arena. Those pictured include Britteney Taylor (top/flyer) and Like, six Bell bases Trinity Minshall, Brittney Owrey and Ericka Dye. Taco (Staff Photo)

Makenzie McDonald Track & Field Marionville

Joseph Findley

McDonald’s

Jimi Hendrix (If he The Dark Knight was still alive)

College next year.

Steak-N-Shake

Johnny Depp

Project X

McDonald’s

Derrick Rose

Sherlock Holmes: A Basketball to start Game of Shadows this summer

China King

Lolo Jones

21 Jump Street

My race

Brad Pitt

Breaking Dawn

My birthday

Sandra Bullock

Breaking Dawn

College, to graduate, and to exceed to my expectations

Baseball Skyline

Lori Kleier Basketball Hurley

Clay Hayter Basketball/Baseball Walnut Grove

Ceckia Pierce

Next year’s basketball season

Track & Field Kickapoo

se, Stephen Hosier

Burger King

About four

Track & Field Spokane

Maleigh Mayne

Dairy Queen

10 to 15

Volleyball Crane

Cassville senior cheerleader Adrianna Fine leads the Wildcat crowd in a cheer in Cassville’s 58-52 loss to Carl Junction on Jan. 6. (Photo courtesy of Chuck Nickle Photography)

OPI 15

Branson pitcher Sam Perez (#16) throws to teammate Lake Keller at first base in a pickoff attempt of Glendale’s Camp Carter in #6-seeded Glendale’s 10-9 upset victory over the top-seeded Pirates in the Class 4 District 11 semifinals on May 14 at Nixa Junior High School. (Staff Photo)

Central’s Jordan Williams tees off on the #10 hole at Millwood Golf & Racquet Club on May 2 during Class 4 Sectional play. Williams qualified for the MSHSAA Boys Class 4 State Championships on May 14-15 at Silo Ridge Country Club in Bolivar. (Staff Photo) OPI

Mt. Vernon’s Eric Wilmoth hits his approach shot on the #9 hole at Twin Oaks Country Club during Day 2 action at the 2012 MSHSAA Boys Class 2 Golf Championships on May 15. Wilmoth shot a two-day total of 151 to earn All-State honors with a 5th-place individual finish. The Mt’neers finished in 3rd-place overall as a team. (Staff Photo)

er Sam rows to e Keller a pickGlenarter in ndale’s tory eeded Class 4 mifinals Nixa hool.

h the ntry at Class May ay ate

neers all as

Marionville’s Michael Willbanks competes in the high jump at the Aldo Sebben Relays on Apr. 24 at Missouri State University. Willbanks qualified for the 2012 MSHSAA Boys Class 2 State Track & Field Championships, where he earned AllState honors by finishing as the state runner-up in the event. (Staff Photo)

Cassville’s Ben Makala (#10) is in a pickle, as Reeds Springs’ Kaz Woodward (with ball) has him in a rundown in the teams’ match-up on Mar. 27. The Wolves’ Dean Rogers (L) and Coleman Douglas look on, ready to step in if needed. (Photo courtesy of Chuck Nickle Photography) OPI

Marshfield’s Cole Burchfield leads the pack on lap one of his preliminary heat in the 800-meter run at the 2012 MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Track & Field Championships on May 25 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City. Burchfield qualified for the finals on May 26, where he earned All-State honors with a 7th-place finish. (Staff Photo)

Cassville’s Danielle Pianalto competes in a relay event at the Cassville Invitational on Apr. 19. (Photo courtesy of Chuck Nickle Photography)

Greenwood’s Connor Frazier returns a shot during his #1 singles match against his Thomas Jefferson Independent School opponent during Sectional action on May 19 at Logan-Rogersville High School. Frazier and the Bluejays advanced to the state quarterfinals with a 5-1 victory before losing to Warrensburg. Frazier teamed with William Sistrunk to finish in 3rd-place in the MSHSAA Class 1 State Doubles Tournament. (Staff Photo)

OPI

Monett southpaw Carlin Ballay hurls a pitch to the plate in the Cubs’ match-up with rival Cassville on Apr. 17. (Photo courtesy of Chuck Nickle Photography)

Willard’s Cole Teaford slides into second base with a stolen base in the Tigers’ thrilling 16-15 loss to Liberty in the 3rd-place game of the MSHSAA Class 4 Baseball Championships on June 2 at Meador Park. (Photo courtesy of Lori Breedlove, LA Breedlove Photography)

OPI

Monett’s Zach Swearingen splashes sand as he finishes his long jump attempt at the Cassville Invitational on Apr. 19. (Photo courtesy of Chuck Nickle Photography)

Parkview’s A.J. Green (L) slows up after handing the baton to Quintin Smith (R) for the second leg of the preliminaries of the boys 4x200 meter relay at the 2012 MSHSAA Class 4 Boys Track & Field Championships on May 25 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City. The Viking quartet of Green, Smith, Myron Willis, and Christopher Hargrove advanced to the finals on May 26, and earned All-State honors with a 6th-place finish. (Staff Photo)

OPI

Fair Grove’s Brock Derrick hits his approach shot on the #17 hole at Twin Oaks Country Club during the final round of the 2012 MSHSAA Boys Class 2 State Championships on May 15. (Staff Photo)

Strafford’s Jenna Clements competes in the triple jump at the 2012 MSHSAA Class 2 Girls Track & Field Championships on May 18 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City. Clements earned All-State honors with a 5th-place finish. (Staff Photo)

“little word... BIG SHOW!”

it - where over 50 amazing singers, dancers, and musicians

create

Branson’s Ultimate Entertainment Experience!

SEE

HEAR

FEEL

LOVE

January - October Also See the Hughes Brothers Christmas Show in Nov & Dec

(417) 334-0076 • (800) 422-0076

itBranson.com

Hughes Brothers Theatre

3425 West 76 Country Blvd. Branson, MO

Kids 17 & under FREE with regular paid adult ticket (Must mention Ozark Preps prior to purchase. Not good with other offers. Expires 9-1-2012) TM

(800) 422-0076 • Hughes Brothers Theatre 3425 West 76 Country Blvd. Branson, MO

OPI

Ozark’s Abaigeal Sugrue (#11) battles Nixa’s Brittany Kirkpatrick (#5) for the ball in the Lady Eagles’ 4-0 victory over the Lady Tigers in Class 4 District 11 semifinal action on May 14 at the Cooper Sports Complex. (Staff Photo)

Everton’s Kala Svendsen (L) and Osceola’s Emily Lippa (R) compete in the 100-meter dash prelims at the girls Class 1 State meet on May 18 in Jefferson City. (Staff Photo) Republic’s Ryan Way (#269) and Hillcrest’s Austin Craven (#131) sprint to the finish after eight grueling laps in the sweltering heat of the 3200-meter run at the Class 3 State meet on May 25 in Jefferson City. Both Way (7th-place) and Craven (5th-place) earned All-State honors. (Staff Photo)

Reeds Spring’s Dylan Weber (L) and Cassville’s Cody Frana (R) compete in the 110-meter high hurdles at the Cassville Invite on Apr. 19. Both were Class 3 state qualifiers in the event.

OPI

(Photo courtesy of Chuck Nickle Photography)

Branson’s Michaela Dapprich competes in the preliminary round of the shot put at the 2012 MSHSAA Class 4 Girls Track & Field Championships on May 25 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City. Dapprich did not qualify for the finals in the shot put, but did earn All-State honors the following day with a state runner-up finish in the discus. (Staff Photo)

(L) and Osceola’s e in the 100-meter Class 1 State meet City. (Staff Photo)

Clever catcher Chance Wolfe (L) awaits the pitch from Bluejay ace David Pennewell in the first inning of Clever’s 3-1 victory over Summit Christian in the 3rd-place game of the 2012 MSHSAA Class 2 State Baseball Championships on May 31 at Meador Park. It was the Bluejays’ second-straight 3rd-place finish. (Staff Photo)

ish afState arned

Glendale’s Molly Brewer (#6) launches a header as Kickapoo’s Casey Weitzel (#7) looks on in the Lady Falcons’ 1-0 victory over the Lady Chiefs in Class 4 District 11 semifinal action on May 14 at the Cooper Sports Complex. The Lady Falcons would later advance to the Class 4 Final Four where Glendale finished in 4th-place. (Staff Photo)

OPI

Parkview standout Spencer Johnson follows through on a homerun in the seventh inning of the Vikings’ win over Bolivar on May 10. The dinger was one of 39 career homers for Johnson, the second highest total ever in state history. (Staff Photo)

OPI

Skyline’s Jared Freddie (L) hands the baton to Colton Coffey (R) for the anchor leg of the 4x200 meter relay prelims on May 18 at the boys Class 2 State meet. (Staff Photo)

Skyline’s Colton Coffey (L), Ash Grove’s Logan Allred (#340), and Stockton’s Dalton Freeze (R) compete in a preliminary heat of the boys 100-meter dash at the 2012 MSHSAA Class 2 Boys Track & Field Championships on May 18 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City. Both Allred (7th-place) and Freeze (6th-place) earned All-State honors after reaching the finals. (Staff Photo)

Mt. Vernon’s Shane Williams leaps through the air in the finals of the triple jump at the 2012 MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Track & Field Championships on May 25 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City. Williams earned All-State honors in three separate events, including the high jump (3rd-place), triple jump (5thplace), and long jump (5th-place). (Staff Photo)

Sparta’s Jacob Loveland competes in a preliminary heat of the 400-meter dash at the boys Class 2 State meet on May 18. Loveland garnered All-State honors in the 800-meter run with a 4th-place finish. (Staff Photo)

Bolivar’s Haden Stevens chips out of a greenside bunker on the #1 hole at Rivercut Municipal Golf Course during Day 1 action on May 14 at the 2012 MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Golf Championships. Stevens led the Liberators to their first-ever State appearance. (Staff Photo)

Springfield Catholic’s Lydia Holtmann (R) dribbles past a Liberty (Mt. View) defender in the Lady Irish’s 5-0 victory in the Sectional round of the Class 1 state tournament. Catholic advanced to its third-straight Final Four, but was unable to win its thirdstraight state championship, as the Lady Irish finished in 3rd-place. (Staff Photo)

OPI

Springfield Catholic’s Will Hennessey smashes a return as doubles partner Noah Chanliangco looks on in the Fightin’ Irish’s 5-3 upset of top-seeded Bolivar in the semifinals of Class 1 District 10 on May 8. (Staff Photo)

Cox Monett

2011 Speed and Conditioning Camp for grades 5–12

Learn the basic strength and conditioning training techniques to maximize your abilities and improve your athletic performance. Camp is held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week.

$45 per student

P June 13-30

Monett South Park: 10:30 a.m. Republic Community Center: 9 a.m. Pleasant Hope Mt. Vernon Jr. High School: 1 p.m., catcher Jacob Gettle makes 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.

a sliding stop of a pitch in the Pirates’ 9-5 Monett South Park: 9 a.m., 10 a.m. loss to Marion C. Early in or 11 a.m. Class 2 District Aurora High School: 1 p.m., 2 p.m. 13 semifinal or 3 p.m. action on May 14. (Staff Photo)

July 11-28

For more information and to register, call 417/236-2480.

Logan-Rogersville’s Evan Gruener (#15) slides safely into home to tie the game 5-5 in the top of the sixth inning of the Wildcats’ thrilling, comefrom-behind 8-5 eight inning Sectional victory over Mt. Vernon on May 22 at the Spirit of ’76 Complex in Mt. Vernon. (Staff Photo) OPI

coxhealth.com

Billings’ Austin Essick (#4) follows through on a hit in the Wildcats’ heartbreaking 16-15 loss to Ash Grove on May 2 at Hammons Field. In all, the teams combined for 32 hits in the slugfest. (Staff Photo)

Marion C. Early shortstop Brandon Martinsen applies the tag to Dadeville’s Zane Medley, who was caught stealing in the third inning of the Panthers’ 10-0 victory on Apr. 8 in the finals of the Halfway bracket of the Halfway/Wheatland Tournament. Morrisville’s Dustin Hargus (#2) watches the play unfold from his second base position. (Staff Photo)

Kickapoo’s Stefan Herron (L) makes the exchange with teammate Cody Anderson (R) after the first leg of the 4x200 meter relay at the All-City Relays on Mar. 31 at JFK Stadium. (Staff Photo)

Weaubleau’s Matthew Goehrig (L) awaits the pitch in the Tigers’ 6-5 eight inning victory over Liberal in Class 1 Sectional action on May 21. Weaubleau’s season ended in the state quarterfinals with a loss to eventual state runner-up Norwood. (Photo by Dakota Motley)

nt Hope r Jacob makes ng stop tch in ates’ 9-5 Marion y in 2 District mifinal on 4. (Staff

Bolivar base runner Kolby Follis (L) and Stockton shortstop Robbe Ewing (R) react to a pop-fly on the infield during the Liberators’ thrilling 7-5 come-frombehind eighthurls innings overto the Crane’svictory Caseyin Smith a pitch Tigers in round play Bufthe plate in therobin Pirates’ lossoftothe Final falo/Bolivar onClass Mar.222 at Four-boundTournament Clever in the Bolivar High School. (Staff Photo) District 11 opener for both teams on May 12 at Clever. (Staff Photo)

www.whiteriver.org

OPI

With the girls Class 2 state championship already secured, Stockton’s Rachel Wheeler hands the baton to Emilyn Dearman for the anchor leg of the 4x400 meter relay on May 19 at the 2012 MSHSAA Girls Class 2 State Track & Field Championships in Jefferson City. The Lady Tigers scored 46 team points to win its second girls track title in school history. (Photo courtesy of Chris Auckley, motrackfanatic.blogspot.com)

Tiger title By byron shive

The numbers are simple (and impressive): 5 student-athletes; 8 events; 8 All-State performances; 46 points; 1 individual state champion; 1 team state championship. Going into the MSHSAA Girls Class 2 State Track & Field Championships May 1819 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City, the odds did not appear very strong for the Stockton Lady Tigers to win a state championship. On paper, it was simply a numbers thing, meaning that several schools had a lot more State qualifiers on hand compared to Stockton’s five qualifiers. However, the Lady Tigers proved that quality is more important than quantity, as Stockton reached the podium in every event in which it was entered, which included six individual events and two relays. When the dust settled, the Lady Tigers were state 28 OPI

champions with a two-day total of 46 points, besting second-place Monroe City’s 39. In fact, Stockton’s performance was so dominating that the Lady Tigers had already secured the state championship before their final two events were even run. “I knew going in that our girls had a very legitimate shot of taking the team title,” said head coach T.Jay Sanderson. “But I was actually more surprised than I thought I would be, only because I saw that we basically had it wrapped up before the 3200 (meter run) and 4x400 relay were even run.” “I couldn’t believe that the Stockton girls had just won a state championship, because we only had five girls versus all the other teams with ten or so,” said junior Emilyn Dearman, who spearheaded the Stockton juggernaut by having a hand in 25 of the

team’s 46 points. Junior Rachel Wheeler got the Lady Tigers on the scoreboard on the first day of competition with a 4th-place finish in the 1600-meter run. Entering the final lap, Wheeler was running mid-pack, but had a strong final stretch in which she passed several runners, leaning forward at the finish to best a pair of competitors. The 4th-place finish was good for five team points. “My goal for the 1600 was to pick up as many points as possible for the team,” said Wheeler, who garnered All-State recognition, which is awarded to the top eight places in each event. “I was in 9th-place heading into the last lap, but I knew I was all right. I still was feeling really great, and my last lap is always strong.” “Rachel’s race set the tone for the whole meet,” said Sanderson. “I don’t believe she could have run a much better race, and it’s not very often you can say that. The first thing she wanted to know was how many points she got for the team. She could’ve cared less about any personal honors. As a coach, I teared up as I saw how selfless she was and much she cared about her team.” The first day of the two-day State competition is primarily comprised of preliminary heats, in which athletes and relay teams qualify for the finals on the second day of competition. The first day does include some point-producing events, primarily in the field events and distance races. The key for the first day is to qualify in as many events as possible for the ultra-important second day of the meet. Dearman advanced to the finals in three separate individual events, while junior Josie Pyle finished as the runner-up in her 800-meter run heat. In addition, the 4x400 meter relay team of Pyle, sophomore Alexis Smith, Wheeler, and Dearman posted the fourth fastest preliminary time to advance. After Day 1, Stockton stood in 12th-place as a team, but had advanced to the finals in every single event in which it was entered. The Lady Tigers were in position to do some great things on the final day of competition, and their coach knew it. “I sat down on Friday night and scribbled down on paper the teams I thought would be in contention and what they had going into Saturday,” said Sanderson. “After piecing it all together, I knew we’d be in contention to win. But in the end, I knew the girls were ready to go, and we were just going out to do our best and let the cards fall where they may.” On Saturday, the cards began falling immediately for Stockton, as the Lady Tigers’ 4x800 meter relay team of Smith, Wheeler, freshman Arnica Zitting, and Pyle kicked off a string of All-State performances for Stockton with a state runner-up finish in the first event of the day. The 4x800 team had been building momentum all season, and had posted its fastest time of the year the week before State in blowing away the field at Sectionals. The runner-up finish added eight points to the team total, as the Lady Tigers were a mere four-tenths of a second from

didn’t run my fastest 800 time of the year, but I couldn’t have ran any better than what I did.” Zitting was next up in her individual event—the 3200-meter run, which would be comprised of eight grueling laps in the sweltering humidity and heat. “Before the 3200-meter run, I told Coach Sanderson that I was worried about the heat, and told him not to expect a new school record. I really doubted myself, but he just laughed and told me to calm down. While running it, I was so grateful for the “misters” they had at the 200 mark. It wasn’t until after the race that I realized I felt really good running those eight laps.” It also felt good to garner All-State honors while also contributing another four points to Stockton’s team total, which effectively sealed the state championship for the Lady Tigers. Zitting had set a personal goal of breaking 12 minutes in the race, and crossed the line in 11:53.20. “Once that goal was set, I knew she was going to do it,” said Wheeler of Zitting’s 3200-meter run. “She is the strongest person I know. Arnica has more determination than anyone. She went a whole year without eating ice cream, just to say that she did it. Once she sets her mind to something, there is nothing that can stop her.” Mathematically, Stockton had already won the Class 2 state title prior to the running of the final event of the State meet: the 4x400 meter relay. However, while the coaches and others in attendance may have been aware of this, the Lady Tigers were not. “I don’t think any of us knew we were in the lead, but our thoughts were to run hard and make Coach proud,” said Smith. “Apparently, we had first-place secured before we ran the 4x4,” said Wheeler. “But our coach did not let us in on that little piece of information.” Despite being tired and fatigued at the end of a hot day of competition, the 4x400 team of Pyle, Smith, Wheeler, and Dearman crossed the line in 4:09.29, which was good for 4th-place and another five team points. “I think I did my best in both relay races,”

said Smith. “I pushed when I needed and ran through the heat. I wasn’t thinking anything in particular…just get a good hand-off and run my hardest.” Stockton had captured the Class 2 girls state championship by running a near flawless State meet. “My first thought was, ‘Holy cow! We just won State with five girls!’” said Smith. “I think that it’s pretty cool to be able to say that I’m part of the best girls track team in the state of Missouri in Class 2.” The state championship was Stockton’s second girls track and field title, with the first one a Class 2A title in 1983. “After it has sunk in a little bit, I still can’t believe we won State,” said Dearman. “Twenty-nine years later and being the second girls team to get our picture on the wall. All the hard work pays off in the end.” “They are a coach’s dream,” said Sanderson of the Lady Tigers. “First and foremost, they have such great character and personality. Then you mix that in with a determination and drive that surpasses all others and you’ve got yourself an amazing team. The girls all know their roles as an individual and as a team member, and the fact that they are accountable to keep up their roles daily is a testament to the team’s success.” One thing is certain: regardless of how many State qualifiers the Lady Tigers have next season, Stockton will not enter the State meet under the radar. Zitting will be missed after she moves away to St. Louis this summer, but the other four State qualifiers will return next spring. “We’ll be hoping for more of the same as we experienced in 2012,” said Sanderson. “I’m excited to also see who else will step up next year and distinguish themselves as a contender on the State level. I’m already looking forward to next year.” Pump the brakes, Coach, because the track in Jefferson City is just now cooling off from the scorching heat that beat down on the 2012 State meet. Next year will be here soon enough. For the time being, the Stockton Lady Tigers can bask in the glow of being the 2012 Class 2 girls track and field state champions.

The Stockton Lady Tigers enjoy their time atop the podium as the 2012 Class 2 girls track & field state champions. (Photo courtesy of Chris Auckley, motrackfanatic.blogspot.com)

winning the race. “For a while, we were in first place, and we were more than close to winning it, but I think there’s a reason we didn’t,” said Zitting. “God opened up a different first-place for us, and we were all part of that one.” Dearman was next up, competing in the first of three individual events and one relay event on the day in the finals of the 100-meter high hurdles. The junior standout was a favorite in the event, but finished as the state runner-up by just two-hundredths of a second. Despite the disappointing secondplace finish, Dearman added another eight points to Stockton’s growing total. “She was disappointed for sure, because she wanted to win” said Sanderson of Dearman’s runner-up finish. “She needed some time to stew over the .02 second defeat, which was fine with me.” Dearman got a little over two hours of “stewing” time and rest before pulling out a double duty, back-to-back effort in the finals of the 400-meter dash and 300-meter low hurdles, respectively. “The 400 isn’t really my event, but I did have, I guess, steam to let off,” said Dearman. “However, most of that was being saved for the 300 hurdles, because that was the race I wanted to win really bad. The 400 was hard both physically and mentally, because I didn’t know how much I would need for the race afterwards and how much to put in the race before.” Dearman finished in 7th-place in the 800-meter run, earning Stockton another two points. Less than a half hour later, she was back on the track for the 300-meter low hurdles, an event in which Dearman was undefeated on the year. She shaved nearly a full second off her prelim time, and posted a 45.99 to win a state championship in her signature event. The 10 points she earned with her state championship performance raised Stockton’s team total to 33, including 20 contributed directly by Dearman. “Going into State, we knew Emilyn was going to be a key piece to our success as a team,” said Sanderson. “All year long, she’s been consistent at scoring nearly 40 points every meet. She is one of the toughest and strong-willed athletes I know. Making AllState in all four events, with two of them being back-to-back, is an amazing feat that very few would ever be able to pull off.” “Before every race she runs, I pray for Emilyn and the race she is about to run,” said Pyle. “And before every race, I let Emilyn know just how beastly she is. She’s a stud! We are very lucky to have her on our team.” Pyle was about to contribute some individual points to the team total herself, as the finals of the 800-meter run followed Dearman’s state title in the 300-meter hurdles. Pyle had already accomplished one of her personal goals for State by setting a personal best time of 2:21.19 in the 800 in the preliminaries, and was guaranteed of accomplishing a second goal by garnering All-State honors as one of the eight finalists. She proceeded to finish in 5th-place, which was good for another four team points. “I feel like I ran my hardest,” said Pyle. “I

OPI

STATE KARTER MORAN Ash Grove High Jump

With the state championship secured, Ash Grove’s Karter Moran makes a final attempt at increasing his state title-winning height, as the Pirate senior won top honors in the high jump on May 18 at the 2012 MSHSAA Boys Class 2 State Track & Field Championships with a winning jump of 6 feet 7 inches. Moran bested Marionville’s Michael Willbanks by one inch to earn the state championship. (Staff Photo)

spencer haik glendale 1600-meter run Glendale’s Spencer Haik leads the pack down the final stretch of the boys 1600-meter run on May 26 at the 2012 MSHSAA Boys Class 4 State Track & Field Championships. Haik crossed the line in 4:15.11, as only .47 of a second separated 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-place. Haik also captured All-State honors in the 800-meter run with an 8th-place finish. (Photo courtesy of Chris Auckley, motrackfanatic.blogspot.com)

parkview 4x100 meter relay

OPI

After posting the fastest time of the 4x100 meter relay preliminary heats on Day 1, Parkview picked up on Day 2 where it left off the day before by blowing away the field to capture state championship honors on May 26 at the 2012 MSHSAA Boys Class 4 State Track & Field Championships. A.J. Green got the Vikings started before handing the baton to speedster Quintin Smith for the second leg. Smith raced around the corner to hand the baton to Myron Willis, who handed the lead to anchorman Christopher Hargrove. In the photo above left, Quintin Smith hands the baton to Myron Willis for the third leg during the Vikings’ preliminary heat. (Staff Photo) Above right, Christopher Hargrove brings it home for Parkview in the finals. (Photo courtesy of Chris Auckley, motrackfanatic.blogspot.com)

E champs quintin smith parkview 200-meter dash After running the second leg of Parkview’s state championship 4x100 meter relay team earlier in the day, the Vikings’ Quintin Smith made his second trip to the top of the podium after the 200-meter dash finals. Smith crossed the line with a time of 21.50, narrowly besting Ruskin’s Edwin Stewart and his 21.55, on May 26 at the 2012 MSHSAA Boys Class 4 State Track & Field Championships. (Photo courtesy of Chris Auckley, motrackfanatic.blogspot.com)

jordan britton hollister triple jump / long jump Hollister’s Jordan Britton had about as good a final State meet as is possible. The Tiger senior captured not one, but two state championships during his visit to the 2012 MSHSAA Boys Class 2 State Track & Field Championships in Jefferson City. On Day 1 of the meet (May 18), Britton captured top honors in the long jump with a leap of 2110.75. On May 19, Britton returned to the runway to earn another visit to the top step of the podium with a bound of 43-06.50. (Staff Photo)

OPI 31

eading into the boys Class 3 state golf tournament May 14-15 at Rivercut Municipal Golf Course, there were a lot of pre-tournament favorites to take home state medalist honors. Republic sophomore Dylan Bekemeier was not atop many (if any) of those pre-tournament lists of potential medalists. However, Bekemeier found himself just two shots off the lead after Day 1 of competition. Playing in the next-tolast group on Day 2, the sophomore shot a blistering 4-under 68 to run away with individual state championship honors—a full five strokes ahead of a pair of second-place finishers. “It’s a story no one would have guessed,” said Bekemeier of his state championship.

GUESS AGAIN

By Byron Shive

OPI

Republic’s Dylan Bekemeier putts from the fringe on the final hole of the 2012 MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Golf State Championships. Bekemeier shot a 4-under 68 on the final day of competition to capture state medalist honors. (Staff Photo)

Guess again, though, as Bekemeier was in control from tee-to-green throughout the final day of competition, and only missed three fairways off the tee the entire final round. In fact, Bekemeier birdied four of the first six holes and played even par the rest of the round to post the 68—his personal best at Rivercut. Bekemeier’s state championship is even more remarkable when you consider that he missed qualifying for State last season as a freshman, albeit by just one stroke. The disappointment of not advancing to State served as fuel for Bekemeier throughout this season, which saw him earn medalist honors at multiple tournaments. “After State (last year), people would ask me how I did at State, and it killed me to tell them I didn’t make it,” said Bekemeier. “I wanted to go out this season and prove that I had the potential to do well.” Prior to this season, Bekemeier had one goal in mind: advance to the State tournament. The sophomore accomplished that goal with a tie for sixth-place in the Sectional round. Bekemeier shot a 72 on the first day of State competition, one of five golfers to finish at even par for the round. Pembroke Hill’s Gordon Hamilton was the first day leader at 70, while Westminster Christian Academy’s Kevin VandeKamp was in second at 71. “I was very happy with where I was at,” said Bekemeier of round one. “I wanted to get All-State (awarded to the top 15 golfers after Day 2), and I ended up two behind the leader. I thought I could go out, shoot a good round and have a chance to win it.” On Day 2, the nerves were working overtime on the first tee box. “I wanted to hit a good tee shot and get the nerves out of the way,” said Bekemeier, who found the fairway with his first shot of the round. “I hit a good approach shot and then sank a 25-footer for birdie. I kind of knew at that point that things were going to go my way for the day.” Bekemeier proceeded to birdie holes 3, 5, and 6, and one-putted the first six greens. On the fourth hole, Bekemeier hooked his drive left into deep rough. However, he executed a huge flop shot over a tree, and then got up-and-down to save par. Bekemeier knew that he was in contention, but with no leaderboards on the course, he had no way of knowing what scores were being posted by the other golfers not in his group. When he stepped to the #17 tee box, a 219-yard downhill par 3, Bekemeier stood at three-under for the round. “I thought it would be pretty difficult to win it,” said Bekemeier of his State medalist chances. “I thought another player would come in with a good round.” Bekemeier’s tee shot found the green, but he was still about 60 feet short of the hole, with a double-breaker putt upcoming. Bekemeier lined up the putt, and gave it a healthy tap toward the hole. The ball rolled and rolled, and as it neared the cup, Bekemeier raised his arms in celebration. He had

just sunk a 60-foot bomb on the next-to-last hole of the State tournament, a birdie which moved him back to four-under for the round. Following a routine par on the potentially treacherous 18th hole, Bekemeier’s round of 68 was in the books. After signing his scorecard, Bekemeier knew he was the low man out of the golfers who had finished their rounds, but there was still one group left to finish, including Day 1 leaders Hamilton and VandeKamp, as well as a pair of golfers who had matched Bekemeier’s Day 1 total of 72. As the final grouping completed 18, and made their way to the scorer’s tent, Bekemeier went into surveillance mode. “I was trying to eavesdrop on the other coaches on what other scores were being posted,” said Bekemeier. “The only one I didn’t know about was VandeKamp. His score was the last one read, of course, which only added to the suspense. I heard him say he shot a 37 on the front, so I knew I was ahead of him. “When he said he shot a 40 on the back, I just grabbed my bag and started walking toward the tunnel,” added Bekemeier. “My mom came up and said, ‘Well, how’d you do?’ I said, ‘I just won State!’ We hugged and both of us started crying.” “I’m very excited for Dylan,” said Republic head coach Ben Wolfinbarger. “He played tremendous both days. After last season, his goal was to make it to State, so he was just happy to be there. Going into the second day, I just told him to go out relaxed, because he had already accomplished his goal. Everything else was just a bonus. I reminded him to commit to all of his shots.” Bekemeier, who is the first State medalist in the school’s history, is quick to acknowledge Wolfinbarger’s role in keeping him relaxed. “I definitely have to thank my coach, because he really helped me out a lot,” said Bekemeier. “I get into trouble when my swing gets quick, and he always tells me to slow my swing down and stay smooth. He’s always telling me to commit to my shot. He kept telling me that it’s just another tournament and to just go out and have fun.” “Dylan is very solid tee-to-green,” said Wolfinbarger, who is in his first year as Republic’s golf coach. “He hits the ball a mile and he’s very accurate with his shots. Dylan’s a competitor. He’s also an outstanding basketball player, and he knows how to compete. He didn’t back down at all.” Although Bekemeier is a two-sport standout, there is no question as to which of the two sports is his first love. “I like golf better, because you don’t have to run,” joked Bekemeier, who got his first set of metal clubs around age 5. However, he did not get serious about golf until around age 10 or 11. “I’d say that since I was 12, that I probably play golf about five times a week,” said the 2012 Class 3 state champion. Republic’s home course is Island Green Golf Club, but Bekemeier was very familiar with Rivercut, and estimated that he had played the course close to 10 times in the

Republic’s Dylan Bekemeier lines up a 60-foot birdie putt on the #17 hole at Rivercut Municipal Golf Course on May 15 during final round action of the Class 3 state tournament. Bekemeier drained the putt to put an exclamation point on his state championship. (Staff Photo)

past year. The familiarity with the course came in handy during the State tournament. “It gave me a huge advantage,” said Bekemeier. “There are a lot of spots on that course where you have to hit a certain shot. Maybe it’s a short iron into the green, or you have to be in a certain part of the fairway for the best approach shot. It helped a lot knowing those details.” It is every golfer’s dream to be “in the zone” the way Bekemeier was on Day 2 of the State tournament. “I hit my driver well all tournament,” said Bekemeier. “When you’re in the zone like that, it feels like it just happens, almost like I’m someone else. When you’re that concentrated, you’re only focused on executing your next shot.” Bekemeier, who has played in Missouri Junior Golf Association and American Junior Golf Association tournaments, has dreams of playing collegiately for a Division I program. His goal is to earn a scholarship to the University of Missouri, and his State tournament play certainly opened some eyes, including his own. Bekemeier played the final round of State in the same group as Monett’s Jacob Fair, who has signed to play at Mizzou next season. Bekemeier beat Fair by nine strokes in the final round, which “shows me that I have the potential to be competitive (at Mizzou),” he said. Dylan Bekemeier may not have been a pre-tournament favorite this season, but earning state medalist honors as a sophomore means that his name will definitely be mentioned next season as a threat to earn back-to-back State medalist honors. OPI 33

HIT THE

FAIR WAY BY BYRON SHIVE

Monettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jacob Fair tees off on the #9 hole at Rivercut Municipal Golf Course on Day 1 of the 2012 MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Golf State Championships. Fair, who will attend the University of Missouri on a golf scholarship in the fall, earned his third-straight All-State honor OPIby finishing in 12th-place. (Staff Photo)

When Monett’s Jacob Fair began high school four years ago, he set two goals for himself: 1.) capture State medalist honors in golf; and 2.) be the valedictorian of the Class of 2012. Fair finished his prep career as a four-time Class 3 State qualifier, and came oh-so-close to reaching one of his goals with a state runner-up finish in 2011—just one stroke in back of state champion Ryan Zech of Kearney. On May 20, though, Fair delivered a valedictorian speech to Monett High School’s graduating class. “I managed to get valedictorian, which is probably the more important one,” said Fair, who with the exception of one A-minus earned straight A’s throughout his entire 13 years of school. “I’ve always been very scholarly, but I wanted a state championship really bad.” Fair entered the 2012 MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Golf State Championships on May 14-15 at Rivercut Municipal Golf Course as a pre-tournament favorite. A first round score of even-par 72 left Fair in a five-way tie for third—just two strokes off the Day 1 lead. However, after a disappointing second round, Fair finished in a tie for 12th-place. However, it was Fair’s third-straight AllState performance (after last season’s state runner-up finish and a 5th-place finish as a sophomore). “I was a little disappointed,” said Fair of his final State tournament. “I told my family that I’d rather finish 12th, though, than in second again. That would have hurt a little more.” “He (Jacob) would admit that he didn’t play well (during the final round of State),” said Jacob’s father, Rick Fair. “He has high expectations for himself. That’s life, though, and another lesson he has learned. I’m extremely proud of the way he handled (the final round). He’s a gracious loser, and a humble winner.” Despite the disappointing State finish, Jacob has a bright future on the golf course. In fact, Jacob’s talent and potential have earned him a scholarship to the University of Missouri, where he will join the Tiger golf team in the fall. Jacob, who committed to Mizzou last July, chose the Tigers over Wichita State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, and Auburn. Ryan Zech, the Kearney golfer who beat Jacob by a stroke at the 2011 state tournament, just completed his freshman season at Mizzou and played an indirect role in convincing Jacob to pick the Tigers for college. “I hadn’t really given Mizzou much thought,” said Jacob. “I grew up a Razorback fan, so I never thought of becoming a Tiger. Ryan told me that Mizzou had everything he was looking for…and it was close to home. It kind of just hit me. “I loved the campus and was very impressed with the athletic facilities,” added Jacob. “Coach (Mark) Leroux was down-toearth and straightforward with me. I thought about it and prayed about it. No other place felt like home, a place where I would fit in as much and be comfortable.” “It’s well deserved,” said Jacob’s proud father. “He has worked hard on the golf course

and in the classroom. He’s put the time in and now he’s seeing the fruits. I’m grateful to Coach Leroux for seeing Jacob’s skill. Jacob will be able to use his skills to get a good education. It’s a super opportunity.” “I’m a little nervous, because it’s a lot of pressure,” said Jacob’s equally-proud mother, Christy Long. “College is filled with pressure as it is, and then when you add a sport, it adds even more pressure. But he can handle it.” At some point in the not-too-distant future, Jacob has aspirations of reaching the professional golf ranks. “Hopefully, I can play well in college and then make it on the Nationwide Tour and work my way up,” said Jacob, who is already setting more lofty goals to pursue. “Jacob has always been very motivated in anything he does,” said Long. “If he sets a goal, he sets it high, and he will do anything to achieve it. He’s a very determined person.” Jacob has already etched his name among the nation’s elite junior golfers. As of May 24, Jacob was ranked #30 nationally in the Polo Golf Rankings, which is the proprietary system used by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) to identify and rank the top junior golfers who have competed in the premier junior golf tournaments throughout the country. A year ago, Jacob was tied for 557th in the national rankings, but a standout tournament season last summer and fall against the nation’s elite junior golfers saw Jacob’s stock rise in a hurry. In all, Jacob competed in eight different tournaments from June to November. Jacob began last summer with a runner-up finish at the AJGA Junior at Quad Cities, and followed that up with runner-up finishes a month later at the Huntsville Junior in Alabama and the Lockton Kansas City Junior at Oakwood Country Club. Jacob’s performances resulted in a swift rise up the rankings, which in turn resulted in an invite to the prestigious, invitation-only Junior PLAYERS Championship in August, which is played annually at the iconic TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Limited to just the top 75 junior golfers in the world, the Junior PLAYERS is arguably the preeminent junior golf tournament on the circuit. According to Jacob, he originally barely made the tournament as an alternate. However, that did not stop him from finishing in 7th-place overall, aided by a blistering final round 3-under 69. Jacob’s finish at Sawgrass enabled him to get into more invitational tournaments, including the Polo Junior Golf Classic, which was played just before Thanksgiving in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The format of the Polo Classic entailed two regular rounds of 18 holes, at which point the field of 90 was cut to 32 for match play. Prior to the tournament, Mizzou golf coach Mark Leroux told Jacob, “There’s no pressure on you, but if you qualify for match play, you’ll be the first Mizzou golfer to do so.” Jacob will be able to head to Colum-

bia this fall with “bragging rights” on his future Tiger teammates then. Jacob stood in 14th-place overall after the first two rounds, thereby advancing to match play. The extensive tournament schedule meant extensive travel for the Fair family. “It’s been hectic and extensive, but it’s also been fun,” said Long. “Jacob has gotten the opportunity to play on some really nice courses that the PGA players play on. “Jacob has sacrificed a lot of summers with his friends and part-time jobs,” added Long. “Golf has pretty much been his life. We’ve also given up summer vacations as a family to travel and play golf. We’ve had fun, though!” Jacob, who is one of only a handful of golfers to ever win both the Missouri Junior Match-Play Championship and the Missouri Junior Amateur Championship, also picked up a couple of prestigious honors off the course last summer. His academic achievement and tournament success resulted in Jacob being one of just 24 junior golfers to be named as an HP Scholastic Junior All-American. To be eligible for this honor, candidates must place in the top-10 of an AJGA Open or Invitational, at which point the final selections are based on GPA, class rank, leadership skills, aptitude test scores (i.e.—ACT/SAT), community service, and writing ability. In addition, Jacob was named a 2nd-Team Rolex Junior All-American. Jacob’s community service work has resulted in thousands of dollars being raised for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., as well as for Relay for Life. Eleven years ago, Jacob’s little brother, Isaac, was diagnosed with leukemia. Isaac underwent nearly three years of intense chemotherapy at St. Jude’s, as well as a myriad of other treatments. Isaac, who just completed his freshman year at Monett, has been cancer free for three years and is, thankfully, doing well now. “No matter what happens, or happened, throughout chemo, Isaac always thought about other people,” said Jacob. “He never complained. That’s just the way he is. He made us all better people. He showed us how to give.” Jacob has used his golfing talent as a means to raise money for cancer research. The past two summers, Jacob has participated in the Birdies for Charity program, in which Jacob has received monetary pledges for each birdie he scores in tournament competition. In 2010, Jacob raised over $4,000 for St. Jude’s, while last summer, he raised nearly $2,000 for the Fair family Relay for Life team. The Fair family has had its own Relay for Life team for the past 11 years, and has hosted a golf tournament the past few years as a fundraiser. The 2012 “Inspired By Isaac” Golf Fore Life Tournament will be on July 21 at Windmill Ridge Golf Course in Monett. The tournament is a three-man scramble format, and includes prizes for the top three teams in each flight. During the tournament, Jacob raises even more money by hitting drives for teams on a OPI 35

particular hole for a donation. Last year, he raised an additional $400 for Relay for Life by splitting the fairway for teams willing to pony up a donation. “It goes back to Jacob’s generosity and willingness to help others,” said Rick Fair of his son’s charity work. “(Isaac’s diagnosis) was a very traumatic time and it affected all of us. Jacob sees the need for his brother, and he sees the greater need and appreciation for St. Jude’s. He’s doing something for someone else.” Jacob has been playing golf almost since he was old enough to hold a club. “His dad put a club in his hand when he was about 3-years old,” said Long. “It’s something they can do together. He’s loved it from the very beginning. He has a lot of natural talent and feel for the game.” “It originated with my dad,” said Jacob of his passion for the game. “He didn’t play much golf growing up. He was more of a baseball guy. He had hopes of one day sharing the game of golf as a fatherson, so he got me started early. I can remember whacking plastic balls around the house at an early age. I loved golf from the very beginning.” Jacob, who also played basketball four years at Monett, is drawn by the individuality of golf. “I love the individuality of it,” he said. “There’s no one else to blame but yourself, but also no one else you have to rely. It’s not that I’m not a team guy. I’m a good team player, because I really work at it. With golf, for the most part though, I’m in control.” PGA Tour legend Jack Nicklaus is famous for saying that “the game of golf is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” but Jacob believes his apportionment of percentages are a little different. “I’d

Monett’s Jacob Fair hits his approach shot on the #18 hole at Rivercut Municipal Golf Course on May 15 during the final round of the Class 3 state tournament. (Staff Photo) OPI

venture to say that I’m more of a 20-80 right now,” he said. “As the years have gone on and I’ve faced stronger competition, that mental game becomes even more of a factor. When you’re going from a (round of) 100 to a 90, it’s not as hard as going from a 72 to a 69. That’s where the mental game becomes really important, as you get higher up in competition.” Jacob has never had a true swing coach. Instead, he and his dad have “worked on some things.” Hours and hours of hitting golf balls have developed muscle memory and consistency—two key factors in the success of any golfer. “I feel like every time I go out to the course that my swing is going to be there,” said Jacob. “The two things that I have to concentrate on are whether my putts are going in and how I manage the golf course.” With regard to golf course management, the “main thing is weighing risk and reward,” said Jacob. “You have to consider things like how the course is set up, wind direction, and pin location. The key is playing to your strengths and hitting the club you are most comfortable with. “Scores can affect course management, too,” added Jacob. “Knowing where you are at within the tournament can change how you weigh the risk-reward.” After just four years of high school, Jacob Fair already has an impressive resume, be it academically or on the golf course. However, this is just the beginning for the determined goal-setter, as future success awaits. “The most important thing, and the thing I’m most proud of, is not Jacob’s success on the golf course,” said Rick Fair. “It’s how thoughtful and generous he is, and how he cares about others. No matter what Jacob chooses to do, he will be successful. It doesn’t matter if it’s on a golf course or in a board room. I’ve told Jacob to be mindful and thankful for the opportunity he has been given, because not everyone gets these opportunities. Don’t take it for granted and don’t waste it. “It all goes back to ‘how do you handle yourself?’” added Rick. “How do you handle success and adversity? I’m happy and excited for Jacob. I can see him being where he wants to be in five to 10 years. He has the skill to be a professional golfer if that’s what he decides he wants to do. Jacob has the drive and I think you’ll see him in the professional ranks. He has that kind of drive and skill. But he’s a good person and I’m very proud of him as a human being and who he has become.” After a standout prep career on the links, and an ongoing presence on the national junior circuit, Jacob Fair will now take his game to the collegiate ranks. Jacob also has set a goal for making the professional ranks at some point in the future, too. Playing golf professionally is certainly a lofty goal. However, just ask the Monett Class of 2012 about Jacob Fair and his ability to reach his goals.

Monett’s Jacob Fair chips toward the hole on the par-3 #15 hole at Rivercut Municipal Golf Course during Day 2 action on May 15 at the 2012 MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Golf State Championships. As of May 24, Fair was ranked #30 nationally in the AJGA Polo Golf Rankings. (Staff Photo)

4th Annual

“Inspired By Isaac” GOLF F O RE LIFE

3-Man Scramble Golf Tournament Saturday, July 21, 2012 Windmill Ridge Golf Course Monett, Missouri Shotgun start at 8:00 AM w $120.00/team + $10.00 cart fees Number of flights will depend on number of entries For more information or to register, contact: w Mike Knight - (417) 235-6076 w Danny Long - (417) 235-1648 OR (417) 489-1581 w Ben Rosebaugh - (417) 669-1673 w Windmill Ridge - (417) 235-6076

All Proceeds will benefit the Relay for Life Team of “Inspired By Isaac”

Your law �irm for a

L Lifetime

Personal Injury • Estate Planning • Family Law • Real Estate Law Corporate Formation • Commercial Law • Business Law Traffic Law • Criminal Defense • Employment Law • Elder Law Probate • Banking Law • Bankruptcy bra ti n

Cele

ears 0Y

• 1912-201

DH H g

Douglas Haun & Heidemann

P C

AT T O R N E Y S

E S TA B L I S H E D 1 9 1 2

417-326-5261 • www.bolivarlaw.com

Celebrating 100 years OPI 1912 - 2012

the top

high school sports MOVIES OF ALL-TIME

HOOSIERS

“If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we’re gonna be winners.” (Coach Norman Dale)

My top choice is a no-brainer, especially since I am originally from Indiana, and since “Hoosiers” is based on the true story of “The Milan Miracle.” In the 1954 Indiana state championship game, Bobby Plump of tiny Milan High (enrollment: 161) hit a last-second shot to beat powerhouse Muncie Central. In the movie, after being banned from coaching in the college ranks, Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) takes the only job he can find as the new head basketball coach at tiny Hickory High in rural Indiana. His emphasis on fundamentals and defense alienates the team and town…until standout Jimmy Chitwood agrees to play for the team—but only if Coach Dale is still the coach. Of course, the team starts to win game after game, culminating in a trip to the state finals, played at the iconic Butler Fieldhouse. Who can forget Coach Dale pulling out the tape measure after the team enters the cavernous fieldhouse for the first time? Or Chitwood telling Coach Dale, “I’ll make it,” after the coach had drawn up a last-second play that used Chitwood as a decoy? “Hoosiers” is regularly at the top of any “Best Sports Movies” list, and has reached iconic status. On another personal note, when Hickory plays in the Regional finals, my high school’s fight song (“Hail To Southport”) is played by the opposing team’s pep band.

REMEMBER THE TITANS

“This is where they fought the battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fighting the same fight that we are still fighting among ourselves today. This green field right here, painted red, bubblin’ with the blood of young boys. Smoke and hot lead pouring right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men. I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family. You listen, and you take a lesson from the dead. If we don’t come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were. I don’t care if you like each other of not, but you will respect each other. And maybe...I don’t know, maybe we’ll learn to play this game like men.” (Coach Herman Boone)

Another movie based on a true story, “Remember the Titans” chronicles the story of the newly-integrated T.C. Williams High School football team in 1971 in Alexandria, Virginia. In one of his best-ever performances, Denzel Washington portrays Herman Boone, a successful black head coach who is taking over for equally successful (yet ousted) white former head coach, Bill Yoast (Will Patton). Yoast is prepared to find another job elsewhere, but stays on as Boone’s assistant after the white players on the team threaten to sit out the season unless Yoast coaches. In the early stages of the movie, there is plenty of racial tension, from Boone and Yoast to the black and white players on the team to the town itself. However, throughout a grueling training camp and season, the players bond and unite and learn that teamwork is color blind. In particular, the bond formed between Julius Campbell and Gerry Bertier—the team’s standout black and white linebackers, respectively—is the catalyst for the tearing down of racial barriers.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

“Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It’s not about winning. It’s about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasn’t one more thing you could’ve done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentlemen—you’re perfect!” (Coach Gary Gaines)

# OPI

Based on H.G. Bissinger’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, “Friday Night Lights” chronicles one season of the Permian Panthers amid the unrealistic expectations and boiler room pressure that is Texas high school football. From the start of practice to the final play in the Astrodome, “Friday Night Lights” is outstanding in how it portrays the “win at all costs” mentality of the town of Odessa, the hero status of the star players, and the camaraderie and bond that the players experience throughout the season. From the bravado of tailback Boobie Miles to the quiet confidence of quarterback Mike Winchell, the characters are fantastic. Billy Bob Thornton is also outstanding as head coach Gary Gaines. Simply put, it is a great sports movie! Bonus points awarded for spawning a TV show of the same name, one of the most underrated TV shows of all-time and another personal favorite. (“Clears eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!”)

THE BLIND SIDE

Beth: “You’re changing that boy’s life.” Leigh Anne Tuohy: “No. He’s changing mine.”

Any sports movie that my wife loves has got to make this list, but “The Blind Side” would have made it regardless of my wife’s opinion. In yet another sports movie based on real life events (see a theme here?), “The Blind Side” dramatizes the real life story of Michael Oher, a very large black kid from a broken home who is taken in by the Tuohy family, a wealthy white family that lives in the ritzier part of Memphis. Although shy and non-engaging at first, Oher eventually responds to the love and support offered by the Tuohys, especially that of family matriarch Leigh Anne Tuohy (played exceptionally well by Sandra Bullock, who garnered an Academy Award for her performance). Oher goes out for the football team, and through hard work and tutoring provided by the Tuohys, he earns a scholarship to play Division I football at ‘Ole Miss. Oher is eventually drafted in the first round by the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, where he remains a starter on the offensive line. A very inspirational movie!

COACH CARTER “You really need to consider the message you’re sending these boys by ending the lockout. It’s the same message that we as a culture send to our professional athletes; and that is that they are above the law. If these boys cannot honor the simple rules of a basketball contract, how long do you think it will be before they’re out there breaking the law? I played ball here at Richmond High 30 years ago. It was the same thing then; some of my teammates went to prison, some of them even ended up dead. If you vote to end the lockout, you won’t have to terminate me; I’ll quit.” (Coach Ken Carter)

5 # 6

It seems that real life provides the best plot-lines for sports movies. Based on true events, “Coach Carter” features head coach Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson), who accepts the head basketball coaching position at his old high school and promptly sets about to make changes in his players’ attitudes and academic achievement, typified by written contracts signed by each player. On the court, the team gets off to an undefeated start, but when Coach Carter learns that his players are failing academically, he takes the drastic step of cancelling all team activities until the players’ academic standing improves. This is a great movie about setting core principles and sticking to them—regardless of how hot the heat gets and how much opposition one encounters.

THE ROOKIE

Durham Manager Mac: “Jimmy, I just got off the phone with the big club. They’re calling up Brooks.” Jim Morris: “That’s great. He won’t be back.” Durham Manager Mac: “He respects you, and I think you ought to be the one to tell him. Being that you’re going, too.” Yet another sports movie based on a true story, Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) is a chemistry teacher and baseball coach of the Big Lake High Owls in small town Texas. Morris, whose big league career aspirations were derailed by injuries, can still bring the heat, as discovered by the team’s catcher after practice one day. The team offers Morris a deal: if the Owls win the District championship and advance to the state playoffs, the 39-year-old Morris will try out for a big league team. Morris reluctantly accepts and the team goes on a winning streak. After the team wins a District title, Morris upholds his end of the bargain by attending a try-out with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After hitting 98 MPH on the radar gun, Morris is signed to a minor league contract and eventually gets his cup of coffee with the big league team. Another very inspirational movie!

HOOP DREAMS

“That’s why when somebody say, ‘when you get to the NBA, don’t forget about me,’ and that stuff. Well, I should’ve said to them, ‘if I don’t make it, don’t you forget about me.’” (William Gates)

The first high school sports documentary to make the list, “Hoop Dreams” follows a pair of inner-city Chicago basketball players, Arthur Agee and William Gates, as they pursue their dreams of becoming basketball superstars. The film follows Agee and Gates throughout their high school years and provides a gritty look at inner-city life and the socioeconomic pressures faced by students such as the two protagonists in the film. By the film’s end, you feel you know Agee and Gates intimately and are rooting for their success as if it were your own.

OPI

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

“You’re not God, Nickerson. You’re just a typing teacher.” (Stefen Djordjevic)

Before Tom Cruise became the eccentric, couch-jumping Hollywood superstar he is today—and even before he was Maverick “buzzing the tower” in “Top Gun”—he was Stefen Djordjevic, a talented high school cornerback with dreams of parlaying his football talent into a ticket out of his dying Pennsylvania steel town. However, Coach Nickerson (Craig T. Nelson)—himself looking for a way out of town—stands in Djordjevic’s way. Nearly every high school football movie features a conflict between a talented player and an overbearing coach, and “All the Right Moves” is no different. Great watch if you have never seen it.

FACING THE GIANTS “I want God to bless this team so much people will talk about what He did. But it means we gotta give Him our best in every area. And if we win, we praise Him. And if we lose, we praise Him. Either way we honor Him with our actions and our attitudes. So I’m askin’ you...what are you living for? I resolve to give God everything I’ve got, then I’ll leave the results up to Him. I want to know if you’ll join me.” (Coach Grant Taylor)

This movie is not a big budget Hollywood production featuring talented and seasoned actors. The acting is, admittedly, not very good, so there was never a possibility of Best Actor Academy Award consideration. However, the underlying theme of this movie—faith, fears and football—makes “Facing the Giants” one of the more inspirational movies on this list. Facing his own professional and personal “giants,” head coach Grant Taylor (Alex Kendrick) turns to God and his faith to challenge his underachieving team to face its greatest challenges and accomplish the seemingly impossible. The “death crawl” scene, in which Coach Taylor challenges team leader Brock Kelly to carry a teammate on his back as he crawls the length of the field, is one of the best motivational scenes of all time. (“Your very best! Don’t quit on me! Keep driving! It’s all heart from here!”)

UNDEFEATED “Let’s see here…starting right guard shot, no longer in school; starting will linebacker shot, no longer in school. Two players fighting right in front of the coach, starting center arrested. Most coaches, that would be pretty much a career’s worth of crap to deal with. I think that sums up the last two weeks for me.” (Coach Bill Courtney)

The only Academy Award-winning film on this list (2012 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature), “Undefeated” profiles the football program at Manassas High in Memphis, Tennessee, and specifically its 2009 season. In the 110-year history of the program, the Tigers had never won a playoff game, and even had a nearly 14-year stretch in which Manassas did not win a single game. Enter volunteer head coach Bill Courtney, a white businessman who sets about to change the losing culture and endless cycle of poverty, crime, and lack of opportunity afforded his all-black players. A powerful, engaging and memorable watch!

THE BOYS OF FALL

“Yeah football’s different, and so you can’t coach people to get ready to play football by ridin’ around in an air conditioned car eatin’ Twinkies. You can’t do that. You gotta suck it up, you gotta get ready to bend your knees, and have a flat back and keep your head up when it’s a thousand degrees and you feel like you’re gonna die. And drive yourself, so that you knock that guy in the end zone. And there’s not an easy way, or a nice way, or a polite way to teach that. That’s football and that’s life.” (Coach Bill Curry)

# OPI

Less than an hour long, this documentary film from executive producer and country music superstar Kenny Chesney brings back many memories. “The Boys of Fall” features game footage from various high schools around the country, as well as youth football games. The best part of the film, though, are the interviews conducted with past and present football greats and coaches, as these men reminisce about what playing high school football has meant to them over the years. It is not possible for anyone who has ever played high school football to watch “The Boys of Fall” and not want to strap the pads on for just one more game!

SCHOOL TIES

“You used me to play football. I’ll use you to get into Harvard.” (David Green)

Set in the 1950s, “School Ties” features a cast bound for future Hollywood stardom (including Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Chris O’Donnell) in this movie that focused on anti-Semitism at a 1950s New England prep school. David Green (Fraser) is a supremely gifted quarterback from a blue collar background who is accepted at St. Matthew’s Academy, one of the top private prep schools in the country. The school is using his football talents to boost its football program and to help defeat its arch-rival, while Green is using St. Matthew’s as a ticket to Harvard. All is well until Green’s Jewish faith is used against him by a jealous teammate. “School Ties” sheds light on the issue of religious inequality, as well as the pressures of a blue collar outcast trying to climb the rungs of social status to gain acceptance by the privileged and elite.

POWER, PASSION & GLORY “You hit them people in the shins. The tackle in the shins. They should have blood oozin’ right there from all the bark you’re knockin’ off their leg. That ain’t dirty football, that’s just football. You hit the guy before he hits you.” (Coach Butch Ford)

I love a good sports movie, but personally, a good documentary about actual real life sporting events is even better! And “Power, Passion & Glory” is one of the best! There are a seemingly endless number of high school sports documentaries, but alas, none that I am aware of which feature my alma mater. I do have an indirect tie to “Power, Passion & Glory,” though, since it features the alma mater of Clint Mitchell, a good friend and the Sports Editor of The Marshfield Mail. “PPG” (as the film is affectionately referred to by Mitchell, a former Celina Bobcat player) focuses on the 2002 season of the Celina Bobcats, who became the winningest team in Texas high school football history during that campaign. Celina entered the 2002 season on a 57-game winning streak that included four straight 2A state championships. However, prior to the start of the season, longtime head coach G.A. Moore left Celina to coach the Bobcats’ arch-rival Pilot Point. In addition, Celina was bumped up from 2A to the 3A division, where Celina immediately was the smallest school playing against some of the best teams in the state. The result is a heart-stopping portrayal of a team and town and the team’s quest to defend its championship pedigree. New head coach Butch Ford steals the show with his unique Texas expressions and passionate pre-game and halftime speeches. With a plot that even Hollywood could not have scripted, “Power, Passion & Glory” is a must-watch for any high school sports fan!

VARSITY BLUES “Playing football at West Canaan may have been the opportunity of your lifetime, but I don’t want your life!” (Jonathan Moxon)

High school football in Texas is apparently a pressure cooker of unrealizable expectations, as this is the third entry on the list featuring a Texas high school football team that carries the weight of its town identity when it takes the field each Friday night in the fall. Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight) is the overbearing head coach of the fictional West Canaan Coyotes, a perennial state powerhouse. When standout starting quarterback Lance Harbor (Paul Walker) goes down with a season-ending injury, Kilmer must rely on backup QB Jonathan Moxon (James Van Der Beek), whose uninspired approach to the game is in direct conflict with Kilmer’s “win-at-all-costs” mentality.

TOUCHBACK “If you wanna change things so badly, maybe you never wanted them in the first place.” (Macy)

Admittedly, I have not actually seen this movie, since it just recently debuted with a limited national release. Therefore, based on the trailer alone, I have ranked “Touchback” in the middle of my “Top 20,” meaning that after I get a chance to see the movie, it could be ranked higher, lower, or not at all. Here is a summary of the plot: Scott Murphy (Brian Presley), one of the top football players in the country, suffered a career-ending injury on the game-winning play of his high school career. Now fifteen years later, Murphy is a down-on-his-luck small town farmer struggling to make ends meet. What might have been? Unexpectedly (and unexplainably), Murphy is sent back in time to relive the events leading up to his injury. Will Murphy decide that he wants the life he has, or will we change history? Kurt Russell stars as Murphy’s head coach. OPI

HE GOT GAME

“Basketball is like poetry in motion, cross the guy to the left, take him back to the right, he’s fallin’ back, then just ‘J’ right in his face. Then you look at him and say, ‘What?’” (Jesus Shuttlesworth)

Who knew an NBA star could act? NBA superstar Ray Allen is outstanding in his first-ever acting role as Jesus Shuttlesworth, the nation’s most sought after basketball recruit. His father, Jake (Denzel Washington), is serving a life sentence for murdering Jesus’ mother. However, Jake is released on parole with one condition—convince Jesus (in just one week) to sign with Big State, the governor’s alma mater.

VISION QUEST Shute: “Think you’ll make the weight?” Louden: “I don’t know. I hope so.” Shute: “I hope so, too.”

Top 25

This isn’t your typical 1980s coming-of-age high school flick. For his senior year, high school wrestler Louden Swain (Matthew Modine) decides that he wants more out of life than what his father has achieved. Swain wants to make his mark in life, and that mark will be defeating Brian Shute, the baddest wrestler in the state who has never been beaten in his high school career. The problem is that Swain will have to drop two weight classes to wrestle Shute. Swain’s father is not supportive of his wrestling, and his coach is against the drop in weight classes. Can Swain drop the weight in time and, if so, will his body be able to handle the stress of losing so much weight in such a short time? Great soundtrack, by the way.

GRIDIRON GANG “You’re a tough kid, Willie, but you give up on yourself way too easy. You’re a good football player, too. I think you may even be great. And I’m gonna push you until we find out.” (Coach Sean Porter)

Another movie based on the true story of juvenile detention camp probation officer Sean Porter (Dwayne Johnson), who forms a football team at Camp Kilpatrick as a way to counteract the high repeat offender rate of the teenage felons under his charge. Porter believes that through the game of football, the inmates will learn the life qualities of responsibility and teamwork, which will enable them to succeed in life for the first time. However, Porter must get the players to relinquish their gang affiliations in order to become a team.

THE BEST OF TIMES

“Half these people came here tonight, Jack, to watch you catch the ball. The other half came to see you drop it. You drop that (darn) thing again, Jack, your life is over.” (Reno Hightower)

# OPI

Technically, this is not a high school sports movie, but the plot of the movie qualifies it for this list. Jack Dundee (Robin Williams) is a thirty-something banker who still thinks about the perfect pass that he dropped back in high school that would have enabled Taft High to defeat arch-rival Bakersfield. The pass was thrown by his now downon-his luck friend Reno Hightower (Kurt Russell), the team’s star quarterback back in the day. The game ended in a tie, and Dundee now wants to replay the game, but has trouble convincing Hightower and the other players to make it happen. Eventually, after Dundee resorts to some secret hijinks, the game does in fact take place. Although an unheralded movie at the time, “The Best of Times” resonates with anyone who has ever wanted to go back and relive the glory days just one more time.

karate kid

Daniel: “Hey, what kind of belt do you have?” Miyagi: “Canvas. JC Penney, $3.98. You like?” Daniel: [laughs] “No, I meant...” Miyagi: “In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants.” [laughs; then, seriously] Miyagi: “Daniel-san...” [taps his head] Miyagi: “Karate here.” [taps his heart] Miyagi: “Karate here.” [points to his belt] Miyagi: “Karate never here. Understand?”

Okay, so karate is not technically a high school sport…but it is a sport, and Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) was in high school. After moving from New Jersey to a new school in California, Larusso is bullied by members of the Cobra Kai, the top karate dojo in the area. Larusso convinces the apartment handyman, Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita), to teach him karate, and Mr. Miyagi convinces the sinister Cobra Kai sensei to leave Larusso alone until the All-Valley Karate Championships. At first, Larusso balks at Mr. Miyagi’s non-traditional training methods (“Wax on! Wax off!”), but eventually learns that Miyagi’s Yoda-esque techniques actually work. Memorable scenes include catching a fly with a pair of chopsticks (“beginner luck”), going to a Halloween party dressed as a shower, and of course, the crane kick.

OPI

END ZONE

Each school year, certain stories grab the headlines. State championships, great players, classic games, record chases. There’s always something. One item that also gets people’s interest is a coaching change. Who is retiring, resigning, or even getting fired? With all the changes that take place every season, there are always a few coaching moves that have some folks scratching their heads. But 2012 will be forever in many people’s memories as the year of the great coaching apocalypse. It’s not like we haven’t had some other shockers recently. In 2008, Nixa dumped girls basketball coach Randy Towe, while Morrisville ousted both basketball coaches and their softball coach in a power play. In 2010, Miller showed a pair of Final Four coaches the door in Ryan Stokes and Brandon Weiss. But the number of high profile coaches meeting an early end this season is unprecedented. Gary Murphy at Marshfield, Rob Guerin at Crane, Paul Dudley at Lebanon, and on and on. Others sensed they were on the outs and found different jobs before it was too late. Combine that with the normal coaching movements, and we haven’t seen carnage like this in the coaching ranks in quite some time. So what to do? Should anything be done at all? There never will be a 100% solution and the majority of coaching changes go off with little or no controversy. But the number of controversial ones is on the rise. Can we reverse the trend? Let’s take a look at the parties involved and see if we can make any difference for the good of mankind. Or at least coach and kid kind. First are the coaches themselves, who in most cases are teachers and should be evaluated on that primarily as we are trying to educate our kids. Many school boards will say they are paying attention to them as teachers. In most of the high profile cases this year, the coaches were allowed to keep their teaching positions. But that is akin to cutting a worker’s hours in half. It says you’re welcome to stay, but we really wish you’d leave. Personally I think coaches should be valued based on the effect they have on their players. Are they making them better people? But what do I know. Each coach has a style that is theirs.

44 OPI

Ken “Joboo” Pollreisz ozarkssports.net

While changes can be made and even styles changed in extreme cases, that’s pretty much who they are. Some are more flexible than others which is a big advantage. But for the most part you get what you see. They should be allowed to do what they think needs to be done to have a positive effect on their athletes and win games. Yes, some coaches don’t need to be in the profession, just like every other job out there. But they often take too much of the blame for bad results when in reality, they have bad materials to work with. The stalwarts in this process are supposed to be school administrators. They are to direct the school board according to what is best for the school and students without regard to outside influences, personal preference, prejudice, or even their own employment. Know many administrators like that? Me neither. Mainly because they have to be very concerned about their own employment, or in some cases don’t have the integrity to look past personal feelings to see the big picture. This one is pretty simple. School boards need to let them do their job the right way, and administrators need to do them that way. Next. That brings us to the school boards themselves. An entire book of woes can be listed here. Members who are elected because they own the local convenience store. Or they happen to be the son-in-law of the school board president. Or the former head cheerleader. Let’s think about this for a minute. Even the smallest school systems in Missouri are basically multi-million dollar enterprises with annual budgets that exceed seven figures. “It’s not that hard to balance a budget,” you say. Check the personal finances of 100 random people and tell me if you really believe that. Do you really want someone who had to cheat to get a ‘C’ in high school math making decisions with that much of your cash? Or having a hand in the development of your child? If you’ve already said ‘Yes’ to both of those questions, then you need to move to Clayton, Georgia, right now. That’s where they filmed “Deliverance” and you will be happier there. Those of you that are still with me, here are a couple of suggestions to thin the herd of wanna-be school board members.

First, since the government likes to force standardized testing on the schools, how about a standardized test for school board members? It would measure intelligence, fiscal knowledge and responsibility, and moral integrity. Anyone who doesn’t pass can’t be a candidate. If a community can’t find enough qualified people to fill board positions, a statewide school board composed of elected, qualified representatives from each area of the state can be used. Too extreme? Then continue current practices, but set some other standards with regard to hiring and firing of coaches. Any member who is closely related (parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle) to a current high school or junior high athlete must withdraw from any debate or vote pertaining to the hiring or firing of a coach. This could result in everyone having to withdraw, though, making it not a very practical solution. We could try mandatory service on the school boards. All eligible voters in the school district could take the test above, and all who pass would then be placed in a random drawing to determine who serves. Or we could just let the people deal with school board members who show extreme stupidity, but that is often after the damage is already done. The only thing we can be sure of with school boards comes from the great Mark Twain: “God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board.” And that brings us to the people of a school district. Parents, family, voters, boosters, and all other citizens. They are the ones who should support and hold the school board accountable, who are supposed to hold the administrators accountable (while allowing them to do their jobs), who in turn are responsible for overseeing the coaches, who tend to taking care of their students and players. But often times it is from within this group of everyday citizens that school board members, administrators, and coaches find the pressures to take irrational actions coming from. The people need to be rational and supportive, yet observant and publicly vocal in the correct forum when they have concerns. Unfortunately the chances of that happening are about the same as Nikki Minaj joining a convent in Siberia. So get that test ready.

OPI OPI

Facility Services & Construction

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT • GYMNASIUM RENOVATION • PRODUCT SALES

SERVICES

CALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE 417.887.7469

Construction Management Gymnasium / Other Building Renovations Building Repairs / Maintenance Wood Floor Installations / Floor Graphics Asset Management Planning

GYMNASIUM EQUIPMENT Score Tables & Accessories Basketball Goals (fixed & portable) Volleyball Nets & Standards Wall Mats Gym Floor Covers Team Chairs Bleachers / Seating

Varsity Facility Services & Construction 3230-C South National Avenue OPI Springfield, MO 65807

Facility Services & Construction