The Statewide Basketball rankings are out and a couple of local schools are getting recognition.  The Branson Lady Pirates are up to the number TWO spot in the latest Class 5 poll.  Blue Eye makes an appearance as well.  Coach Ken Elfrink’s team has grabbed the #9 spot in Class 2.

Here is a look at the poll.  SW Missouri teams are in bold print…

Class 1

1 Walnut Grove 2-1
2 Wheatland 2-0
3 Southwest (Livingston County) 1-0
4 Norborne 1-0
5 South Iron 3-1
6 Mound City 4-0
7 Leeton 2-0
8 Madison 4-1
9 Higbee 5-0
10 Jefferson 3-1

Class 2

1 Skyline 3-0
2 Oran 2-0
3 Neelyville 2-1
4 Thayer 4-0
5 Mid Buchanan 2-0
6 Scotland County 2-1
7 New Haven 3-1
8 New Bloomfield 4-1
9 Blue Eye 4-0
10 New Haven 3-1

Class 3

1 Strafford 3-0
2 Trenton 4-0
3 Hermann 4-0
4 Whitfield 1-1
5 California 3-0
6 Lutheran North 3-0
7 Monroe City 2-0
8 Fair Grove 4-0
9 Licking 4-0
10 Central (Park Hills) 1-0

Class 4

1 Incarnate Word 3-0
2 Parkway North 3-0
3 Dexter 3-1
4 Lincoln Prep 4-1
5 Carl Junction 3-0
6 Pacific 4-0
7 Sullivan 4-0
8 St. Dominic 4-0
9 Lutheran South 2-1
10 Osage 3-1

Class 5

1 Kirkwood 3-0
2 Branson 4-0
3 Jackson 5-1
4 Rock Bridge 1-1
5 Lee’s Summit West 2-1
6 Lee’s Summit North 2-1
7 Kickapoo 2-1
8 Washington 1-1
9 Jefferson City 2-2
10 Lee’s Summit 1-1

 

Running Back Kelly Newton has been named the Perry Phillips Broadcasting-Reeds Spring Football Player of the Year for 2017.

Newton had an incredible season rushing for 1930 yards (nearly 11 yards per carry) and crushed the school record by nearly 500 yards.  He also set a new Wolves mark for touchdowns, finding the endzone 21 times on the year.  He was always a big play waiting to happen. Twenty-Six Times he had carries for more than 20 yards; Eleven of those were for more than 40.

The senior garnered 1st Team All-COC honors, where he was the Co-Offensive Player of the Year.  He was also All-District, All-Area, and 3rd team All-State.

Defensively, he was in on 28 tackles, 21 of them solo.  He picked off three passes and returned one of those for a score.

He helped lead the Wolves to a 9-3 mark and a birth in the District Championship Game.

The 57th annual Forsyth Tournament proved to be as competitive as expected.  It was a good week of basketball the ended with the home team taking the Championship for the first time since 2002.

With the final days results, the teams finished as follows..

1. Forsyth
2. Strafford
3. Blue Eye
4. Reeds Spring
5. Marshfield
6. Berryville
7. Hollister
8. School of the Ozarks.

All-Tournament Team

Jarrett Ray – Berryville

Payton Webber – Hollister

Lane Carroll – Reeds Spring

Ryan Reagan – Blue Eye

Andrew Mitchell – Blue Eye

Triston Letterman – Marshfield

Weston Boswell – Strafford

Riley Oberbeck –  Strafford

Anthony Stanford – Forsyth

*Micaiah Rocha – Forsyth   TOURNAMENT MVP

The Missouri Football Coaches Association has released their All-State teams for the just concluded Football season.  And, the successful Reeds Spring season has seen a record number of Wolves receiving attention. Three different Wolves were named to the various teams, that ties a record for the most in a single season.

Austin Bradfield  gets named for the second straight year.  The center was the centerpiece of the most dominant offensive line the school has ever seen.  As a group they paved the way for the most prolific offensive season in school history.  Bradfield received second team honors after being named to the third team a year ago.

Ben Moler gets the nod on the second team as well.  Moler was a flat out tackling machine for the Wolves.  The stud linebacker led the team in tackles and was seemingly always around the ball.  If not for the fact that the defensive player of the year was from this same district, you have to wonder if Moler would not have been first team.

Kelly Newton was named to the third team.  Newton not only broke the school rushing record, he smashed it and set a mark (1930) that could likely stand for a while.  He also set a new mark for touchdowns.

Great to see so many kids get respect on a statewide level.  When you consider that the Wolves fell short of getting out of districts that is nice accomplishment.

The Southwest Missouri Football Coaches Association has released its All-Area Team and while Mount Vernon,  deservedly is highlights the field, Reeds Spring is more than well represented.

On the offensive side of the ball: Kelly Newton was voted first team running back.  Austin Bradfield and Asa Baker both were chosen as first team offensive line. And Logen Plumb was also recognized for his great season and the first team Tight End.

Defensively, the Wolves were in the mix as well.  COC-Small Defensive Player of the Year, Ben Moler is also a first team all-area linebacker.  Austin Bradfield makes another appearance and is joined on the first team defensive line by Collin Cross.  But that’s not all, Seth Stamps joins the group as a first team defensive back.

Cole Nordin received second team All-Area honors as a defensive back.

Hollister’s Josh Neville was selected as a second team linebaker and teammate Logan Armitage made the cut as a second team receiver.

The Player of the Year honors were swept by Mount Vernon.  Running Back Sammy Robinson got the nod on the offensive side of the ball and Linebacker Will Boswell was the choice on defense.

Reeds Spring, Forsyth, and Blue Eye all got victories in the opening round of the 57th annual Forsyth Tournament…  Just a few random thoughts from on opening round games…

1. Lane Carroll looked to be in mid-season form.  I like the added aggressiveness.  He dropped 27 on SofO
2. I know he will downplay it.. But,  Congrats again to Barry Yocom on win #100
3. Andrew Mitchell is going to have a tremendous year at Blue Eye, but the Bulldogs have more weapons at their disposal
4. Really impressed with the defensive effort from Forsyth.  They bring that every night, they are gonna win plenty of ballgames.
5. Micaiah Rocha can be unstoppable at times.
6. School of the Ozarks is gonna win plenty of games this year.
7. Hollister battled.  Down 20 in the first quarter,  Tigers could have rolled over but they battled.  They will be fine and will get a big boost when Derek Morris is healthy and cleared to play.
8.  Always good to have three of four semi-finalists be local teams.
9. Friday should give us a couple of really good games.
10. Balanced field no doubt.

The College of the Ozarks Lady Cats have played one of the toughest schedules imaginable to date and have come thru it unscathed to this point.  Coach Becky Vests ladies sit at a perfect 10-0 on the season after a come from behind win at NAIA  DI nationally ranked John Brown last night.

CofO moves up two spots from their preseason ranking and sit at #6 in the country.   They check in tied at #4.  A little look ahead shows a matchup with #2 Concordia coming up on Dec 19th.   Here is a look at how today’s poll looks….

The College of the Ozarks lost their first game of the year to Morningside.  But since then the young Bobcats have done nothing but win.  Last night they pulled off a thriller on the road defeating John Brown 88-84.  It was the eighth strait win for Coach Steve Shepards ball team.

Today they enter the national rankings at # 17 in the country…  Here is how the poll looks:

RANK	PRVS	SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)	RECORD	TOTAL POINTS
1	5	Northwestern (Iowa) (7)	9-0	302
2	1	Cornerstone (Mich.) (1)	8-2	295
3	3	Saint Francis (Ind.) (1)	7-2	290
4	6	Indiana Wesleyan	7-1	276
5	NR	Indiana Tech (3)	8-0	274
6	9	IU East (Ind.)	9-2	266
7	7	College of Idaho	6-3	252
8	13	Southwestern (Kan.)	9-0	244
9	18	Briar Cliff (Iowa)	9-1	232
10	8	Trinity International (Ill.)	8-2	216
11	RV	Southeastern (Fla.)	6-1	201
12	15	Taylor (Ind.)	7-1	200
13	11	Southern Oregon	5-3	189
14	2	Union (Ky.)	5-4	165
15	RV	Morningside (Iowa)	5-1	141
16	22	Bethel (Ind.)	8-1	131
17	NR	College of the Ozarks (Mo.)	7-1	128
18	NR	Jamestown (N.D.)	9-2	123
19	23	Montreat (N.C.)	9-0	122
20	RV	Oklahoma Wesleyan	8-2	115
21	RV	Spring Arbor (Mich.)	9-1	108
T22	16	Oregon Tech	6-3	107
T22	20	St. Thomas (Fla.)	4-2	107
24	25	Warner (Fla.)	7-3	105
25	19	IU Southeast (Ind.)	5-4	85

Others Receiving Votes: Roosevelt (Ill.) 47; Midland (Neb.) 47; Michigan-Dearborn 35; Allen (S.C.) 26; Stillman (Ala.) 26; Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 18; Cal Maritime 18; Keiser (Fla.) 16; Warner Pacific (Ore.) 15; Northwest Christian (Ore.) 6; Friends (Kan.) 6; Bellevue (Neb.) 3; York (Neb.) 3; Dakota State (S.D.) 3.

 

A few random thoughts (right or wrong) as we hit the high school basketball season..

1. Blue Eye Girls are LOADED!!!!!!!!!!
2. Looking forward to seeing Priscilla Williams play
3. Good to see Branson girls finally get a big move-in instead a move-out.
4. Reeds Spring boys could be in for a special season
5. Got to see the new Harrison gym… its incredible
6. Andrew Mitchell may just go for 25-15 more often then not.  Dude is a special talent.
7. Forsyth boys have a shot to be a good group.  They have some athleticism that will cause some matchup problems
8. Looking forward to most the area teams being in the Forsyth Tourn.
9. Branson boys have some new faces (on the bench and on the floor) they are a team that will improve more and more as they learn the new system.
10. Really hoping for a healthy return for Derek Morris at Hollister.  He can be a difference maker
11. If you don’t know the name Cole Nordin, you will

Could go on for a while… lots to look forward to… some special players that could reach some special marks this year… really looking foreword to the season.   Get out and check out some action next week.  Tournaments going on at Forsyth and Blue Eye and the Battle at the Border taking place at Branson.

The preseason coaches poll has been released for Missouri High School Girls Basketball.  And, fresh off a State quarterfinal appearance, last year, the Branson Lady Pirates debut at #4.

Heres a look at the entire poll,by class, with the teams from SW Missouri in bold…

Class 1
1 Walnut Grove
2 South Iron
3 Wheatland
4 Southwest (Livingston County)
5 Norborne
6 Jefferson
7 Mound City
8 Leeton
9 Community
10 Madison

Class 2
1 Skyline
2 Oran
3 Neelyville
4 Thayer
5 Mid Buchanan
6 Clopton
7 Scotland County
8 Richland
9 Santa Fe
10 New Haven

Class 3
1 Strafford
2 Trenton
3 Whitfield
4 Principia
5 Monroe City
6 Lutheran North
7 Boonville
8 Hermann
9 Central (Park Hills)
10 Father Tolton

Class 4
1 Incarnate Word
2 Lincoln Prep
3 Parkway North
4 Dexter
5 St. Pius X (Kansas City)
6 Carl Junction
7 Lutheran South
8 Center
9 Osage
10 Chillicothe

Class 5
1 Kirkwood
2 Rock Bridge
3 Jefferson City
4 Branson
5 Washington
6 Lee’s Summit
7 Jackson
8 Lee’s Summit North
9 Republic
10 Webster Groves