Its Graduation Day at Reeds Spring.  For the last couple of years, on this day, I wrote about one of the folks graduating.   Coincidentally, each of those times the Graduate that I wrote about went on to win the “Heart of the Wolf” award given by the Reeds Spring School Foundation.

That will not happen this year.  Although there is a chance I have already written about the individual that will win that award tonight; I have decided to use this space to write about the Class of 2018 as a group.  They are such a tight unit anyway, it only makes since.

I know that every year we say that “this group will go on to make an impact”.   Well, I have every confidence that this special group will.

Austin Bradfield is a two time All-State Center on the football field but he is far more that that.  He is a leader.  Perhaps the only thing that will keep him from running our community or even our state in the future, will be his love for making films, which is what he will be studying at the University of Missouri.

Cole Nordin is a guy that probably did not get talked about nearly enough in the athletic arena this year.  All he did, is do whatever was asked of him.  Week One in the football season he was asked to step into a tough situation.  He was the starting QB that night against the team that would end up playing for the State Championship in November.  He shared time at DB, and still made a run at the school interception record.  On the basketball court he ran the Wolves offense, along the way picking up the single game assist record.  Those leadership abilities make him a special dude.

Logan Plumb is another on of those special guys.  He is a team guy.  And, someone I think about when I think of being unselfish.  On the football field he switched positions in the offseason and switched right back a couple of weeks into the year.  He did so without complaint, in order to do what was best for the team.  Basketball Coach Barry Yocom talks about the unselfishness it takes for players to draw charges on the court.  No one at Reeds Spring has ever done that more that Plumb.  He is a guy that will be missed to no end.

Collin Cross has been as steady as a big guy as Wolves fans could ever ask for.  A three year starter in football and a four year starter on the baseball field, he has been someone that you could always count on.  And, he is same person off the field.  He will always be that guy that you can count on.

Lane Carrol…  Mr 1000.  Lane hit his 1000th point this basketball season and did it on senior night.  It has been such a joy to see him play.  There is another area coach that talks fondly of Lane’s game.  He talks about how much he enjoys seeing him play.  That is a huge complement.  Anyone that has talked to him off the court knows his is about as nice as they come.

As big as a Wolves Football guy as I am, I could not write about this group of seniors without mentioning Kelly Newton.  The dude was incredible on the football field becoming the most prolific single season rusher and TD maker in Wolves football history.  Now, he has added his name to the track record books as well.

One name that does not get nearly the publicity that it probably deserves is Noah Briley.  His work on the mound for Coach Chris Funk has been nothing short of amazing.  He is the all-time wins leader in school history.  His conference accolades rival pitchers from other COC schools that are headed to or are already making impacts at D1 colleges.  He also served as an announcer for the student production of football and basketball games.

Its not just the guys….  Rachel Bagg will make an impact on the world.  She will be taking her Cross-Country skills to the same place that allowed me to display mine, College of the Ozarks.  Bagg does the work in the classroom as well.  She is the Valedictorian for the Class of 2018.

I have touched on a few names here, but there are many more: like,   Conner Wiest, Asa Baker, Kyle Modlin and Mackenzie Duvall.  Dakota Romesburg is going to make an impact.  I could go on and on…name after name…The point is Reeds Spring High School will be saying “good bye” to a special group tonight.  Young men and women that may be leaving the halls of RSHS but will be heard from for years to come.

But, no matter what they do or where they go, they will always remember… ONCE A WOLF…. ALWAYS A WOLF.

Good Luck Class of 2018, Thanks for the Memories.

With most of the area schools graduating this weekend another group of senior athletes will be saying “goodbye” to the local prep scene.  But, for many, goodbye to high school sports is not goodbye to the sport they love.  Several are getting a chance to move on to the next level.   Here is a look at local athletes that have indicated they will continue their athletic careers at the next level. (If I have left anyone out, it was not done intentionally)

Branson

McKenzie Duncan – Soccer -Palm Beach Atlantic

Lauren Garrison-Basketball-Rockhurst

Skyler Harris- Baseball- MO Valley

Zach Johnston- Baseball-Evangel

Hannah Collins- Cross-Country-Evangel

Hally Blackwell-Track-Truman State

Cierra Groover-Soccer-Feather River College

Damian Chapa-Football-MO Valley

Kyle Hunn-Football-Truman State

Karson Knudsen-Football-Benedictine

 

Hollister

Jenner Steele-Baseball-Hutchison JUCO

Landon Farquhar-Baseball-CofO

Payton Weber-Baseball-Columbia

KK Thomas-Softball-North Ark

Josh Neville-Football-Central Methodist

Raven Ross-Volleyball-Park University

 

Reeds Spring

Asa Baker-Football-Lindenwood

Tara Sampson-Pitt State-Track

Rachel Bragg-Cross-Country-CofO

 

Forsyth

Dava Cardwell-Softball-Culver-Stockton

Anthony Stanford-Football-Evangel

 

Its been a solid year for Reeds Spring’s Tara Sampson.   The 6-0 senior spent her winter setting season and career Blocked Shots Records for the Lady Wolves Basketball Team.  She swatted 100 balls away this year alone.

This Spring she has picked up where she left off a year ago helping the Reeds Spring Track Program.  While she has competed in the javelin and long jump, its the high jump where she really does her damage.

Sampson’s best jump this year is 5-2; good for a Reeds Spring record but also among the best in this part of the state this year.  In fact, that mark ranks 4th in all classes in SW Missouri this spring.

Last Thursday, Sampson made it official.  She signed a National Letter of Intent and will continue her jumping career at Pittsburg State University in Kansas.

Pitt State is part of the MIAA and competes in NAIA Division II.

TaraSampson  Click link for interview with Tara

The Hollister Lady Tiger Softball Program found new life this year.   Playing for the first time in the Spring instead of the Fall the Lady Tigers finished the campaign 11-7.  It was their first winning season in at least ten years.

A big part of the Lady Tigers success can be attributed to KK Thomas.  The senior spent the majority of the season in the Circle and hitting in the three hole for Coach Willy Morgan’s squad.

That success and leadership will allow her to get a shot at the next level.  Last week, KK signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her playing career at North Arkansas College in Harrison.

College of the Ozarks, Hall of Famer, Seychelle Mahoney is the head coach of the Pioneers and said the she sees Thomas having a shot at paying multiple positions including some innings in the circle..

KKThomas   Click link to hear interview with KK

 

The College of the Ozarks will have at least three new faces in Bobcat Uniforms when they take the court in November.  Coach Steve Shepherd has announced the signings of Willow Springs’ Bryce Duddridge,  Sam Chumley, from Bryant, Arkansas, and Hillsboro, Kansas native Elias Werth.

Duddridge scored over 1500 points in his career at Willow Springs.   He was honorable mention All-SCA this past season.

Chumley is a 6-4 guard and can pose matchup problems.  He averaged 8.6 points per game as a senior.  He is versatile and can play either guard position and can help out inside if need be.  He named All-Conference this past season.

Werth is a 6-0 Guard.  He was a first team All-Central Kansas selection this past year.  He led the Trojans in scoring (16.7), steals (3.7), free-throw accuracy (75.7 percent) and deflections (3.5). He was second on the team in assists (3.6), rebounds (5.1) and blocked shots (17).

The Bobcats were 23-13 last year and were NCCAA Regional Champions.

 

The school year is winding down and so is the high school baseball season.  District Tournaments start as early as next Saturday.   District seedings for area teams have been released.

Class 4 District 11 at Hollister

Aurora is undefeated, they are number one in the state, and are the defending state champs.  There is no surprise they are the number one seed.

Hollister has climbed into the state rankings at #10.   The Tigers beat Aurora last year the week before Districts.  That was the last loss Aurora would have on the season on their way to winning the top prize

Springfield Catholic is the third seed.  They are a very good ballclub.  Their two loses to Hollister pretty much earmarked them for this spot.

Rogersville  is a very solid four seed.  They lost to Hollister and Catholic and bear Reeds Spring 1-0.

Reeds Spring is about as tough as a five seed as you will find.  They played Rogersville to a 1-0 decision last week.  They also own a victory over Monett, who by the way is the top seed in the sister district to this one.

Mount Vernon rounds out the field as the six seed.  The Mountaineers have played a lot of the top teams to close games this year.. They could be a dangerous matchup.

Play Starts Saturday May 12th..   The full bracket can be accessed at the end of the story.

Class 5 District 11 at Kickapoo

Glendale, led by former Forsyth Coach Jim Julian is the number one seed.  They are 18-6 and own victories over the rest of the District.

Kickapoo  got the second seed.  They have lost ten times but most of them are to teams out of the area. Glendale is the only district loss for the Chiefs

Ozark is 15-8 on the season and is a very solid three seed.  They are 15-8 and their victory over Nixa kept them ahead of the Eagles

Speaking of Nixa, they are having a quality season.  Currently 15-8 on the year.  They are the four seed.

West Plains at 9-9 got the nod at #5.  The Zizzers do own a run-rule win over Nixa this year.  The two will meet in the first round.

Parkview is 9-15 on the year and own a victory over Branson, so they were pretty much assured of the six seed

Branson rounds out the field as the seven seed.  The Pirates picked up their sixth win of the year last night in Monett.  They have played a number of the teams in the district close but have fallen to all.

District will start on Saturday the 12th.  The bracket can be accessed on a link at the end of this story.

Class 3 District 11 at Forsyth

Strafford is the number one seed.  The Indians are state ranked and have only lost three times this year-All to bigger schools.

Fair Grove is the second seed.  12-7 is their record including a win over Clever.  That was probably the deciding factory in getting the #2

The aforementioned Clever is the #3 seed.  Another state ranked team.  The Bluejays have lost three of they last four but still sit at 15-5 on the season.

The host Panthers are the number four seed.  They are 8-10 on the year. But, they seem to have picked it up in the last couple of weeks.  In that time they have a win over Hartville and one run losses the Aurora and Hollister

Conway picked up an impressive win over Clever last week.  They are back above .500 at 11-10 and they come in seeded #5

Spokane rounds out the six team field.  Its been a long year for the Owls.  They are still looking for their first victory of the season.

This district starts play on Monday the 14th

Link for Bracket for Class 4 District at Hollister

http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictTournaments.aspx?alg=3&class=4&district=11&year=2017

Link for Bracket for Class 5 District at Kickapoo

http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictTournaments.aspx?alg=3&class=5&district=11&year=2017

Link for Bracket for Class 3 District at Forsyth

http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictTournaments.aspx?alg=3&class=3&district=11&year=2017

Link for Class 2 District at New Covenant  (Galena, Crane, and Blue Eye)

http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictTournaments.aspx?alg=3&class=2&district=11&year=2017

Sometimes a talent comes along that is so bright you wonder what path she will take.  That is the case when you have an athlete that not only competes in multiple sports but excels in them all.  There is no doubt that Branson’s Lauren Garrison fits that billing.  In a word, she is, without a doubt, special.

Garrison was proficient on the softball diamond, but she goes well beyond that on the basketball court and on the soccer pitch.   She is a multiple time All-Conference and All-District selection in both.

The Branson Soccer program has not seen another Goal Keeper like her in its young existance.  She owns every save and shutout record on the books and ranks 1-2-3 in just about everyone of them.  She has also set marks that are among the best the State of Missouri has ever seen.

On the basketball court she has been as steady as they come.   Her all-around play and unselfish attitude not only was noticed, here in Branson, but by coaches around the Central Ozarks Conference.  She was a vital part of the State Quarterfinal Run the Lady Pirates made in 2017.

On Friday, Garrison official made her choice, or choices.  She will play basketball and will do so at Rockhurst University in Kansas City.   The Hawks are an NCAA DII school and compete in the GLVC, the same conference as Drury.

LaurenGarrison   (click on link for our interview with Lauren)

The Districts seeds have been released for the softball district being held next week in Crane.

Forsyth is 12-5 on the season and is the number one seed followed by Crane at 8-2.  Those are the only two teams in the field above .500 .  Blue Eye is right at the even mark but they were seeded right behind Spokane.    Hurley, Galena, and Chadwick complete the seven team field.

Play gets underway Monday in Crane.

Here is a link to the official tournament bracket..  http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictTournaments.aspx?alg=68&class=1&district=9&year=2017

The first season of competing full time in the Spring has gone well for Hollister Softball.  Coach Willy Morgan’s squad has been very competitive this spring and has eight wins on the year, including chalking up a second place finish in the Marionville Tournament this past weekend.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association has placed the Lady Tigers in the Strafford District instead of linking them with Forsyth and the other tri-lakes area teams at the district over in Crane.  The seedings have been released for that district.

As expected Strafford is the number one seed.  The Lady Indians are the defending state champs and are undefeated this year.  Plato is the two and Fair Grove the Three.  The Lady Tigers received the four seed and they will take on fifth seeded Conway in the first round.  Sparta, Niangua, and Fordland round out the field.

First Round Games will take place on Monday.

Strafford plays Fordland at 4.  The Hollister-Conway game will start around 5:30.  Plato plays Niangua at 7 and at 8:30 it will be Fair Grove vs Sparta.

The Lady Tigers have already beaten Conway once this season.  They got a 10-0 run-rule victory at the Ballparks of America the first week in April.

The Link below will take you the the Tournament Bracket

http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictTournaments.aspx?alg=68&class=1&district=8&year=2017

The Lady Tigers District games can be heard on perryphillipsports.com

When you see Josh Neville out of uniform you don’t necessarily think Stand Out Football Player.  He is not oversized or just scream “great athlete”.   But, that is until you see him play…  Simply put, he is a dude.

Neville is a great example of what hard work and determination can do for a player.  The Hollister outside linebacker is a two time first team All-COC selection.  Last week he signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his football career at Central Methodist University

The Tiger defense will surely miss his presence.  While wearing the blue and white, he was credited with 160 tackles, 111 of the of the solo variety.  He had 15 tackles for loss. He caused 5 Fumbles and recovered the pigskin 7 times.   And for good measure he picked off 5 passes.

Central Methodist is located in Fayette, Missouri and is a member of the NAIA’s Heart of America Conference.

NevilleSigning   (Click on link for media interview with Josh)