Month: December 2021

     2021 was a banner year for Hollister baseball.  Most everyone knew they would be pretty good, going into the year, but not sure many knew just how good of a run they could get on.

   They won eleven of their first twelve.  Then had back to back losses to Aurora and Logan-Rogersville.  But, this group never lost confidence.   They lost a couple of players in the middle of the season and had to shuffle the lineup a bit.  But, that adversity only seem to make this group stronger.  They came together and became a more complete TEAM.

   By time districts got here they were firing on all cylinders.   In the semis they run ruled Monett and then took down host, Aurora, in a classic District Championship game.

  State playoffs started with a 4-2 victory over Seneca on a raining afternoon at Tiger Field.  Then came the game with Catholic, Tigers held a slim 6-5 lead and needing one out to advance.  The Irish were threatening to steal the contest.  Here is how I described it……

     The Tigers would fall to Blair Oaks in a great Semi-Final game 3-2, and dropped the third place game to Lafayette a day later.

   It was a season to remember for the Tigers and an incredible group of young men.

 

   

     The number 3 story on my list of top stories of 2021 is the decision by the College of the Ozarks to end its affiliation with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

   In March the school announced that its long standing membership within the NAIA was coming to and end and that the school would be competing in the National Christian College Athletic Association.  The school had held dual memberships with the organizations.

  As a former athlete at the school and one that competed in the NAIA, when it was at its height, before big defections to NCAA Division II, I was sad to hear the news.  Honestly, it came as no surprise.  If you were paying attention you saw it coming, maybe not as soon as it did, but it was coming.

  The loss of the tournament a few years ago was the first indication.  But, once the guys were withdrawn from last years NAIA Championships after qualifying and being placed on the bracket, it was just a matter of time.  The women were allowed to compete, but soon learned the fate of their program as well.

  There is certainly nothing wrong with the NCCAA and I am happy that athletics will continue at the school.  Its just a different ballgame, and I will miss the competition the NAIA provided me and my fellow alums.

   

  When you lose, one of, if not the best player in program history, its natural to take a small step back.  But, that was not the case at Blue Eye

  Kohnnar Patton headed to Evangel after the Lady Bulldogs Final Four appearance in 2020.  But the 2020-2021 team decided they wanted to step up and make history on their own, and that is exactly what they did.

  In a year where State Playoff games were not held at the normal neutral sites, the Lady Bulldogs were forced to not only go through tough opponents they would have to beat them on them in their own gyms.  As fate would have it, Blue Eye would not get a chance to host.  But, this team responded without a problem.

  They went to Greenfield for the sectional round and came away with a 42-38 win in a very tough environment.  Then they gassed up the vehicles and made the long trip up to Richland for the State Quarterfinals.  There, they were firing on all cylinders and downed them 71-55.  They had once again punched their ticket to the Show-Me Showdown in Springfield.

    They would fall to, eventual State Champ, Ellington in the Semis before bouncing back to beat Scotland County in the State Third Place Game.  Coach Ken Elfrink and the Lady Bulldogs cemented themselves as a perennial power in Girls Basketball in Missouri.

 

     Chris Funk giving up the reins for the Reeds Spring baseball program steps in as the #5 story in my top ten from 2021.

   After 18 years of leading Reeds Spring baseball Funk stepped away from the game.   He remains in the district as a teacher and an assistant football coach.

   My thoughts on Coach Funk were expressed in the following article from this past May.

http://www.perryphillipssports.com/?p=2019

   The 2021 football season was one of many accomplishments for the Hollister Tigers.  It is hard to make any conclusion other than the fact that it was the best team in the history of their program.

  They finished the year 6-4.  The first winning season in the programs history.  They got to host a district playoff game for the first time.  And, as big to many, they defeated Reeds Spring 26-20 on September 23rd, a rare Thursday Night contest, to claim the Backyard battle traveling trophy.  It was the first victory for the Tigers over the Wolves in 15 tries.

  The season would end at the hands of that same Reeds Spring team.  But it does not tarnish all that was accomplished.  AJ Narvaez was named All-State.  And with names like Blake Russell, and Luke Calovich returning, this could just be the start for Hollister.

  Carlton Epps showed up on last years list for rewriting the single season goal record at Branson High School.  But as we learned in 2021, he was far from done.

    Early in this season he set a new mark for career goals, and spend most of the year looking to put that mark out of reach.  Epps, then proceeded to top the season goal number he set just a year ago…  Mission accomplished, when the final whistle blew he had scored two more goals than he had his junior season.  That mark now stands at 46.  That career mark that I mentioned earlier is an amazing 106.

    Epps is far from a ball hog though.  Just for good measure he added the single season assist record to his list of accomplishments, as well, this season.  

  He and Pilot Ascone, who set a school record with 10 shutouts this season in goal, helped lead the Pirates to a Co-Championship in Central Ozarks Conference play this season.  Epps was again named first team All-State.

     2021 was a year of change in leadership at Hollister.  New faces took over as Athletic Director, Head Football Coach, and Girls Basketball Coach.

  Nyla Milleson came in as the leader of the Activities at Hollister High School.  The former Drury, Missouri State, and George Mason  Ladies Basketball Coach took over the AD reins from John Burgi  

“Nyla Milleson is a person of outstanding character and will be a wonderful leader for our program,” Dr. Jared Terry, HHS Principal, for the 2021-2022 school year, said in a release. “She brings a proven record of success on the court and in developing successful student-athletes with exceptional character. We are very excited to have Coach Milleson joining the Hollister Tiger Family!”

   Rich Adkins accepted the Athletic Director job at Seneca so the Tigers needed a football coach.  They did not go very far, hiring Mike Johnson from within the district.  Before coming to Hollister, Johnson coached and taught in Colorado for 21 years.

  And, finally Jeff Dishman joined the staff at Hollister as the Head Girls Basketball coach.  He replaces Jimmy Lincoln who left the district to take over the program at Mountain Grove.

  Dishman has spent 14 years teaching and coaching and has won 5 state Championships.  Most recently he coached at Logan-Rogersville.  He says, “I want my program to be remembered as one that competes not only on the court but in the classroom as well.  We want young ladies that are great leaders in the school and the community who can be great role models for the younger girls.”

 

      For #9 in this years list of top Sports stories we go to Track and Field and to Branson High School.   

  Cali Essick had a heck of a meet at this years State Championships.  She finished 8th in the 200 meter dash.  She was a silver medalist in the long jump.  But, it was the triple jump that really made it special.  Her leap of 39 feet 4 inches not only made her the Class 5 State Champion it also set the Class 5 State Record.

  Essick still has her senior season at Branson High School to complete but her college choice has already been made.  She has signed a national letter of intent to continue her education and athletic career at the University of Missouri.

   Its time for my top ten sports stories of 2021.   As is the case each year I, pretty much, do this from the top of my head and could easily miss something that should be on the list or the list could, just as easily be in a different order.

   My #10 story is Steve Shepherd entering the Hall of Fame.  Shepherd is in his 20th season as the coach of the Bobcats.  Actually he was in last years class but Covid-19 forbid the ceremonies from taking place last year.

  In his time leading the Bobcats he has led them to a National Championship and three Fab Four’s.  Before coming to CofO he was an assistant at Evangel University and was on the Crusaders bench when they won the National Title.  His high school coaching career saw stops at Savanah, Marionville, Aurora, and Parkview.

In 2002, Shepherd was introduced as the fourth head coach in the history of College of the Ozarks’ men’s basketball. In his fourth year at the helm, the 2006 Bobcats delivered to College of the Ozarks their first-ever NAIA DII Men’s Basketball National Championship, defeating Huntington University 74-56 in the title game. He was also named NAIA DII National Coach of the Year.  In 2015, Shepherd added the role of Athletic Director to his resume, managing the day-to-day responsibilities of the College’s athletic program alongside his coaching responsibilities. He received the honor of being named A.I.I. Athletic Director of the Year in 2016-2017.

   In all Shepherd has led his teams to a record of record of 651-282, going into the current season.