August 2020

Wolves Roll in Opener…

Its been a long five months. Since the Cancellation of Basketball’s Show-Me Showdown, there has been no high school basketball in the state of Missouri.

That all came to an end last night. Reeds Spring unveiled their new Spread Offense. And, they did so to the tune of a 41-7 drubbing of East Newton.

After holding East Newton on the opening series, one that included the Patriots getting FIVE downs, the Wolves wasted little time finding the end zone. A Shuffle pass to Caden Wiest was good for 58 yards and the first Wolves touchdown in the tenure of Coach Andy McFarland

Colton Cramblett would add another touchdown on the Wolves next possession. The senior running back went 47 yards, through the Patriots defense to give the Wolves a 14-0 lead and you could already tell that Reeds Spring was going to roll.

Defensively the athletic Reeds Spring group never let the Patriot offense get started. In fact East Newton only crossed midfield once before the final two minutes of the game.

Cramblett would run the ball just seven times for 150 yards and three touchdowns before being lifted from the lineup in the second quarter. Preston Blubaugh would add another 104 yards and a score of his own.

Matt Allison looked good in his debut at quarterback. He complete 3 of 4 passes for 104 yards including a touchdown, and ran for 28 yards and a score before being lifted. Freshman Blandy Burrell looked steady behind center as well.

Reeds Spring led 41-0 at the halftime and we had a running clock for the entire second half. It wasnt until the final seconds that East Newton was able to avoid the shutout.

The Wolves will make their first ever trip to Lamar next Friday Night. Kickoff at 7, join me on 100.1 KOMC for the broadcast.

In other action in the area. Hollister had a fourth quarter lead vs Monett but the Cubs got a score and a two point conversion to take a 20-13 lead. The Tigers were able to march deep into Monett territory before turning the ball over on downs, allowing the Cubs to hold on for the victory.

It was a rough night for the Branson Pirates. Nixa was just too much on opening night, as the Eagles claimed a 42-6 win.

Forsyth and Coach Kevin Conley claimed the most lopsided win in the history of the young program, a 67-12 drubbing of Greenfield.

Its Almost Time…

Its been a long spring and summer. But the wait is almost over. High School Football will kickoff Friday Night.

Reeds Spring will host East Newton. Now, this is not the same East Newton that last played the Wolves. The Patriots are much more disciplined than the last time we saw them. And, they will get after it. Coach Wood has done a nice job since taking over the program. He comes from programs that know a lot about success. He is working on building something. It does not happen overnight. Folks that have been around Reeds Spring long, know exactly what I am talking about. The Patriots will come to play.

The Wolves will look a lot different when they take the field. Andy McFarland takes over the reins. Gone is the flex-bone. Welcome the Spread. Matt Allison makes the move the quarterback. But a familiar face will line up next to him, as Colton Cramblett will still be the primary ball carrier for the Wolves. Don’t let the formation fool you. Reeds Spring will still be physical and will not shy away from running the football.

Tickets for the game are limited due to restrictions because of the Pandemic. The student section will be limited to FIFTY, each participant will be given four tickets, and 300 tickets will be given to East Newton. Please observe Social Distancing as much as possible… For a complete explanation of the guidelines, please visit the school districts website.

The game kicks off at 7:00. I invite you to join me for the broadcast on 100.1 or if you are out of the area, the game will be streamed at www.mykomc.com

Rapinchuk Bids Farewell

When I have needed information involving sports from College of the Ozark, she is the one I would call. When we wanted to schedule a broadcast, it was her, that we let know. When folks from all over the nation needed info about the NAIA Championships at C of O, it was HER office that fielded the calls.

SHE is Dori Rapinchuk. She is the Sports Information Director at C of O. And, in the following message, attached to a newsletter, she is saying goodbye:

Farewell: After serving the College for about 18 years, I (Dori) will be retiring at the end of this month. It has been a fun run, and I have so enjoyed the many amazing people I have met—co-workers, students, Bobcat & Lady Cat fans, sponsors, and the list goes on! It has been my pleasure to work at this amazing institution, and I will certainly miss it! Thank you all for the memories and look for me on the golf course 😊. Take care, and stay safe & healthy

If you are not close to the programs, you probably don’t know how much work Dori has done. She stepped into the position of a legend, Candy Sullinger, and made sure the department moved nowhere but forward. From getting releases out, to making sure game day personnel was ready to go, to the events themselves, she has had a hand on every athletic event that has taken place at the school since she took over the job. She has been an incredible resource to me and I will miss her.

Charlie Pentecost has been named as her replacement. I am glad to call him friend and he will do an incredible job. More to come on him, down the road. Today, its about Dori.

Thank you for everything, Dori. You will be missed, tremendously.

MSHSAA Making Some Concessions….

It might be “Dead Week”, that week before fall practices, where athletes can have no organized practices or contact with coaches, but things are far from silent.

This afternoon the Missouri State High School Activities Association put out a press release. After a meeting with the Board of Directors, they have decided to make some changes, or relax some restrictions for the upcoming seasons.

Among the changes that were made:

The rule that would have made schools that are meeting “on line” only, ineligible has been waived for this year. Schools that are meeting virtually only, may now play, should they desire.
Teams may now compete in a two-team Jamboree if they wish
They have relaxed the rule to qualify for post season. Normally a team must compete in at least half of the number of contests that are allowed. That rule has been abolished for this year.
Because of the delayed starts at some schools, MSHSAA has decided to delay the release of Class and District Assignments. Originally those Assignments were going to be released on August 21st. Now, member schools will have until September 11th to determine if their school will compete in post-season event. The release date will now be September 21st

Everything still points to Fall Sports getting underway, as scheduled. MSHSAA is asking schools to adhere to all restriction set forth by their Health Departments.