stjoelive.com | Stories for February 2008

Friday's College Box Scores

Mound City takes out West Nodaway

RAVENWOOD, Mo. - The last time Mound City and West Nodaway hooked up, the Rockets used a second-half comeback to upend the Panthers for the Highway 275 championship in the regular-season finale. In Friday's Class 1 District 16 championship, top-seeded Mound City left no doubt after the first half. The Panthers took a 16-point lead into the break and never looked back in a 54-44 win against the second-seeded Rockets. The Panthers advance to Tuesday's sectional against District 15 winner, Jefferson, at Missouri Western Fieldhouse.

Friday's Prep Sports

Lawson's late surge proves too much for LeBlond to stop

CAMERON, Mo. - Bishop LeBlond's sizzling start pegged it to an early double-digit lead in Friday's Class 3 District 16 championship. But Lawson washed over the Golden Eagles with an overwhelming tide of momentum to start the fourth quarter and soaked LeBlond's chances at a third straight district title with a 61-52 victory. The Cardinals (18-10) advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1993 after burying LeBlond with a 15-1 run during the first 5 minutes, 20 seconds of the final quarter.

Northwest-Fort Hays scouting reports

NORTHWEST WOMEN TODAY'S MATCHUP: Northwest Missouri State at Fort Hays State WHEN: 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Gross Memorial Coliseum RADIO: KXCV (90.5 FM, Maryville), KRNW (88.9 FM, Chillicothe), KNIM (1580 AM, 97.1 FM Maryville), KAAN (95.5 FM, Bethany) INTERNET: www.themiaa.tv RECORDS: Northwest 14-12 (9-8 MIAA); Fort Hays State 11-15 (5-12 MIAA)

Missouri Southern-Missouri Western scouting reports

WESTERN WOMEN Today's Matchup: Missouri Southern at Missouri Western When: 5:30 p.m. Where: MWSU Fieldhouse Radio: KFEQ 680 AM, gogriffons.com Internet: www.themiaa.tv Records: Southern 18-8 (9-8 MIAA) at Western 11-14 (6-11)

South Nodaway finally gets over its playoff hurdle

ROSENDALE, Mo. - Sami Jackson reached out and blocked Rachel Schmitz's 3-point attempt. South Nodaway's junior guard immediately thrust one finger into the air and sprinted toward the visitors bench. The ball was still loose, the final seconds ticking away. Jackson no longer cared. After two straight district championship game losses, South Nodaway earned the second playoff appearance in school history for the girls with a 51-47 victory Friday night at North Andrew High School. Jackson didn't know exactly what she was looking for during her victory sprint, clearly overcome with emotion.

Outdoors column: Concealed carry law update needs 2nd look

Gun enthusiasts and those interested in concealed weapons permits may want to take a look at House Bill 1651 introduced by Rep. Mike Dethrow last month. This bill is meant to ease the requirements of getting a concealed carry permit for present and past military personnel.

Ice fishing clinic proves popular

Often overlooked winter pastime helps manage area fish populations

When life, or in this case Mother Nature supplies lemons, sometimes the best thing to do is make lemonade. While the majority of anglers look forward to the day when ice on area lakes and ponds melts away, others took advantage of the extended winter conditions and spent a great day on the ice at the Missouri Department of Conservation's (MDC) first Mozingo Lake Ice Fishing Clinic this past weekend.

Tabor makes leap to Bears

When Chris Tabor took his first collegiate coaching job more than a decade ago, he never realized it would eventually lead him to the National Football League. Hutchinson Community College sits along way from Tabor's new office in Chicago. The St. Joseph native signed a contract Monday to become the assistant special teams coach for the Chicago Bears. "It's just like anything. If you put your mind to it and keep plugging along, you can find some breaks," Tabor said by phone Wednesday afternoon. "It's taking advantage of the breaks when you find them. "I told everybody, 'Hell, they'll hire anybody. Look they hired me.'"

Western gets look at final athletic director candidate

She spent two days bemoaning the past and then the next two years ensuring it didn't put a cap on her future. On Friday, Jean Berger made her case for why that effort paid off; next week she'll learn for sure. Berger - Missouri Western's third and last finalist to visit campus - spoke for 17 minutes in front of about 45 people Friday morning in Spratt Hall's Enright Community Room and then answered questions for another 20 minutes.

Could becoming a has-been save Lindsey Lohan's career?

If Lindsey lays low for awhile, Hollywood might forget her partying past

Lindsey Lohan's getting worried, after months without any projects, that she's on the road to permantly becoming an out-of-work actor. Maybe getting out of the Hollywood scene for a few years would't be such a bad idea. It might be what she needs to get her career on track.

Crisis of faith

'Agnes of God' begins run at Robidoux Landing Playhouse tonight

You got to have faith. But as many as there are with faith, there are also those with questions. This conflict between Christian and secular worlds clash on stage thanks to three strong female characters in the Robidoux Resident Theatre production of the play "Agnes of God,' which opens tonight at the Robidoux Landing Playhouse.

It's a nice play for a white wedding

'The Wedding Singer' musical comes to the Kansas City Music Hall

It's not uncommon for Broadway musicals to be made into movies. It's rare, though, to see a movie turned into a musical. The only ones that come to mind are "The Lion King" and "The Little Mermaid," which are really just animated musicals. So when I saw that "The Wedding Singer" musical was coming to Kansas City, I was interested to see how it would make the transition from big screen to stage. While "The Wedding Singer" movie had a great soundtrack, there was no singing, save for a few performances by Robbie Hart, not nearly enough to fill a musical. How would they get music into the storyline, I wondered. The answer is to put song and dance numbers where the music montages would be, and turn random conversations into songs.

Equine ballet

World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions perform tonight at Civic Arena

The World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions will be dancing on air in their 38th anniversary show tonight at Civic Arena. The show draws equine aficionados from all over, but you don't need to know anything about horses to enjoy it. "Once you see it and the wonder of what the horses can do, it's amazing," says Kathy Brock, Civic Arena manager.

Fairy tale twist

Missoula Children's Theatre presents 'Sleeping Beauty' this Saturday

The classic fairy tale about a princess cursed with perpetual sleep is about to get a wake-up call. "Sleeping Beauty," presented by the Performing Arts Association at the Missouri Theater on Saturday, March 1, will feature more than 50 of St. Joseph's young and future thespians. And since it's being put on by the Missoula Children's Theatre, people can be assured of two things. First, whatever they see on stage was put together quickly.

On the scene: Concerts past, future and weekend theatrics

Since I last wrote this column, I've had myself a big week of checking out big name rock groups. Whether it was seeing Alanis Morissette and Matchbox Twenty on Monday in KC, the Foo Fighters in Council Bluffs last night or U2 last weekend (admittedly, it was the movie "U23D," but that counts for something), I've had plenty of reasons to blog. Check out my blogs "Sound, Scene, Delivered" and "B-Sides" at www.stjoenews.net to read all about it. While you're there, read Lacey Storer's review of the stage production of the Adam Sandler comedy "The Wedding Singer" playing in KC this weekend.

Artist of the week: Jerome Hernandez

Since Jerome Hernandez was previously nominated as Artist of the Week, he has continued to get more of a grasp on creating digital art. He has been using his computer to capture inspired images of old barns as well as images of the Southwest while also dabbling in watercolors. Hernandez continues to focus on honing technology to expand the possibilities of his artistic creations.

What's up for the week of Feb. 29

Whats up for the week of Feb. 29

Jefferson girls prove too much for Stanberry

ROSENDALE, Mo. - Jefferson, ranked third in the state, dropped only one game this year and played like it Wednesday against Stanberry.

LeBlond boys stop Maryville in district semifinal

Seth VanVickle's steal during Maryville's second possession seemed innocuous enough. But it started a trend in Thursday night's Class 3 District 16 semifinal. Bishop LeBlond's senior point guard picked a pass above the top of the key and raced in for a layup, starting a string of six straight Maryville turnovers. The Golden Eagles went on to force 23 turnovers in a 71-41 victory at Cameron High School. Maryville managed only one shot in its first six possessions - Aaron Dueker's 3-pointer from the right wing on the first - and the six straight turnovers helped LeBlond stake an early 10-0 lead.

Women's Benedictine box, Feb. 28

King City thrills with upset

ROSENDALE, Mo. - Jarrod Hutchcraft's post-shot celebrations started with a subdued fist pump. As his second-half baskets continued to pour in, however, his demeanor grew increasingly animated. By the time the King City senior scored the first five points in overtime, he was practically spinning in circles. Hutchcraft's 28 points, a season high, lifted the Wildkats to a 64-57 overtime win against South Holt on Thursday in the Class 1 District 15 semifinals at North Andrew High School.

South Harrison stops Worth Co.

ALBANY, Mo. - Through the first quarter and a half of Thursday's Class 2 District 16 semifinal, South Harrison boys coach Colin McCampbell wasn't pleased. The top-seeded Bulldogs made four of their first 12 shots and committed 11 turnovers against Worth County. The fourth-seeded Tigers led by six when McCampbell called out his team during a timeout with 4 minutes, 15 seconds left in the first half. "How bad do you want it?" McCampbell said. The Bulldogs responded, holding the Tigers scoreless for rest of the second quarter and through most of the third in a 45-27 win at Albany High School. South Harrison advances to Saturday's district championship against third-seeded Albany.

Thursday's prep sports, Feb. 28

Former Mid-Buchanan coach replaces Sherman at Platte Co.

PLATTE CITY, Mo. - Bill Utz earned his stripes building Mid-Buchanan's football program from scratch. He now faces a charge on the other end of the spectrum - continuing to steer Platte County's dominant program as the Pirates' next head coach. Utz's hiring was announced Tuesday by school officials.

Intensity carries Benedictine women to HAAC semifinals

ATCHISON, Kan. - For Ravens coach Chad Folsom, intensity was the name of the game Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Heart of America Athletic Conference against Lindenwood. "We came out in the second half concentrating on the defensive intensity that we had in the first half," Folsom said. "We still had a good start; the only time we didn't lead was after their first shot." The second time the Ravens met Lindenwood was a week ago. That night, Benedictine started the game with a 14-0 run that eventually led to a 22-2 lead before Lindenwood made their second field goal of the game.

The new rock cinema

Thoughts and suggestions on the new theatrical live show flicks

No longer are fans of today's biggest acts required to haggle ticket scalpers or wake up at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning clicking refresh to get a chance to see their favorite bands live.

Matchbox Twenty and Alanis Morissette at the Sprint Center

Two late-nineties artists entered, but only one really won the crowd

If there was a nostalgia show on VH1 called "I Love the Late '90s," there is no doubt the two artists co-headlining the show at the Sprint Center on Monday night would get a few minutes each devoted to them.

LeBlond girls close out Brookfield

CAMERON, Mo. - Early in the fourth quarter, Brookfield looked like it was about to drag Bishop LeBlond into a nailbiter. The Bulldogs slowly whittled away at a double-digit deficit and closed to within five points of the Golden Eagles with less than 5 minutes remaining in Wednesday's Class 3 District 16 semifinal at Cameron High School.

Central girls get overpowered by Lee's Summit

Over and over, the same chant rang out from the Lee's Summit cheering section - each one louder and truer than the last. "You can't stop her. You can't stop her." "Her" would be 6-foot-2 forward Taylor Simpson, who obliterated Central in the post to the tune of 24 points and 18 rebounds and fueled the Tigers' 54-40 victory Wednesday in a Class 5 sectional at Municipal Auditorium.

Area college basketball, Feb. 27

Lafayette's playoff run comes to an end

One prolonged first-half scoring drought against Lincoln Prep created enough of a deficit to bring Lafayette's storybook playoff run to a crashing conclusion. After three scintillating district victories, the Fighting Irish spent the final 4 minutes, 54 seconds of the first half without a point. Lincoln Prep used that stretch to help build a 13-point halftime advantage, which led to a 58-39 victory Wednesday night and ended Lafayette's first playoff appearance in 23 years.

Bearcat men manhandle Griffons

MARYVILLE, Mo. -- Lance Sullivan couldn't help but admire this shot. He launched a hasty 3-point attempt from just inside the midcourt line that slashed through the nets just as the halftime buzzer sounded. With his arm and one leg still extended and a smile on his face, he hopped toward the exit, having just put an exclamation point on a torrid first half that helped Northwest Missouri State to an 84-55 victory against Missouri Western.

Griffon women keep tourney hopes alive

Heart overcame sloppiness Wednesday night at Bearcat Arena. Missouri Western battled back from a nine-point halftime deficit to upset Northwest Missouri State 69-66 Wednesday night, keeping alive the Griffons' hopes for a berth in the MIAA conference tournament. "They wanted it just as bad as we did, but we needed it more for what we're trying to do as a team," an elated Jill Johnson said. "(The Bearcats) are already in the conference tournament and we're not, so we've got a lot riding on the last 2 games."

Western interviews second AD finalist

After just 12 hours in St. Joseph, Andy Carter had a solid grasp of the Griffons' vernacular. "I already get a sense that the time is now at Missouri Western," said the Newberry College athletic director, who interviewed Tuesday for the same position with Western. The Griffons' football team used "The time is now" theme for its posters and media guides last season and finished that live-in-the-moment campaign at 9-3. Carter, who said he was unaware of the football slogan, uttered some other poster-worthy quotes Tuesday as well like "You have to win everyday," "Generally nothing happens unless it's intentional" and "Nothing great happens without great sacrifice" - something the Griffons might want to consider for future mottos should they decide to make Carter their sixth AD.

Wednesday's prep sports, Feb. 27

SECTIONAL PREVIEW: Lafayette boys

After making the playoffs for the first time since 1985, Lafayette rides a huge wave of momentum into tonight's Class 4 sectional matchup with Lincoln Prep at Civic Arena. The Fighting Irish will undoubtedly own home-court advantage, but will they be able to handle the Tigers' quick guards like last time?

Students help save the earth

Nine students from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed a spacecraft that will protect earth from falling objects from space.

Christian boys adjust in time to advance

ROSENDALE, Mo. - Adam Nelson takes what he can get. Forced out of his usual stomping grounds by South Nodaway's zone, the St. Joseph Christian senior post showed his range by draining a pair of first-half 3-pointers but didn't attempt a shot from within the arc. But when the Longhorns' packed zone dissipated, Nelson took full advantage of the breathing room. He scored six baskets, all in the paint, after halftime during Christian's 39-22 during Tuesday's Class 1 District 15 contest.

Tuesday's prep basketball

Maryville defense plays huge 2nd half

CAMERON, Mo. - The steady stream of 3-pointers that Plattsburg rained down on Maryville seemed like it would never end. But when the Tigers' long-range luck dried up, so did their chances of winning. Maryville's defense locked down Plattsburg in the second half as the Spoofhounds won 64-40 in the first round of the Class 3 District 16 tournament Tuesday at Cameron High School.

Western athletic director candidate tries on black and gold

David Williams dressed for the part of Missouri Western's athletic director, or, more accurately, his wife made sure he did. Williams - the first of the three finalists to visit campus - spoke and then answered questions in Spratt Hall's Enright Community Room on Monday. And he addressed about 50 people in a nearly packed room wearing a gold-and-black tie. "I woke up this morning, and my wife put it in my bag without me knowing," Williams said, "She must've known the colors of the school."

Got ink

Western, Northwest players make statement with tattoos

Forty years ago, a tiny B+ inked into Tom Smith's back earned him quite a distinction that today wouldn't be worth noting. When Smith was in second grade, Gary, Indiana, experimented with tattooing kids with their blood types. Thus, when Smith played college basketball for Valparaiso, he was the only Crusader with a tattoo. A quick perusal of Valpo's media guide shows Smith would be far from alone on this year's team. In the past two decades as the men's basketball coach at Missouri Western, Smith has seen body art go from rare to routine. Lamont Turner - Western's last All-American in 2001-02 - might be the Griffons' most-inked athlete, sporting more than 30 tattoos. Smith remembers the reception the rest of the league initially gave his guard.

Chiefs release Kennison

KANSAS CITY - The Kansas City Chiefs have released veteran wide receiver Eddie Kennison, the team announced Tuesday.

Western, Northwest scouting reports

Here's a capsule look at the matchups for tonight's doubleheader between Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State.

Bearcat coach cautions team not to look past tonight's home finale

Maturity will have to overcome distractions if Northwest Missouri State is going to win tonight's final home game of the season against Missouri Western. "It's a potential trap game, there's no doubt about it," coach Steve Tappmeyer said Tuesday. It will be Senior Night at Bearcat Arena, with festivities to honor six players in their final year, and that means plenty of distractions with families arriving and all that entails.

A year makes big difference for Soria

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Joakim Soria has gone from unknown to renown in a year.

DISTRICT ROUNDUP: Monday's action

LATHROP, Mo. - Jill Crouse's 14 points helped East Buchanan earn a first-round win Monday in the Class 2 District 15 tournament, but it wasn't easy.

GRIFFON NOTEBOOK: Tiebreaker scenarios don't favor Western women

The MIAA doesn't release tiebreakers until Thursday, but the Missouri Western women already know those scenarios won't work in their favor when it comes to making the conference tournament.

Tarkio's Freeman breaks scoring mark

Jennelle Freeman hit the biggest mark in Tarkio history in just the right way.

Christian girls go out like Lions

ROSENDALE, Mo. - With Stanberry's lead trimmed to one point, Marci Luke knew what she had to do. Twenty seconds after picking up her third foul, Luke calmly dropped in her first 3-pointer at the other end of the floor - a basket that roused the senior from her slow start.

Monday's district basketball boxes

THE BEST AND THE REST: Week of Feb. 24

During the past three weeks, I made no prediction more frequently than that the Emporia State women would win at Washburn to win the conference title. While the fallibility of my prognosticating abilities is well documented, it still came as quite a shock when I stumbled across Channel 11's broadcast of the game Saturday night.

Omon works out at NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS - Xavier Omon was tired and his knee was sore. But the former Northwest Missouri State running back was generally pleased Sunday night at the end of his testing in the NFL Combine. Omon said he felt poked and prodded during the endless testing at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, where roughly 300 invitees displayed their talents before a horde of NFL scouts and coaches. Omon ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds despite a sore knee he hyper-extended when he was hit out of bounds at the end of his final long run in the Texas vs. the Nation game.

Northwest men: Rallying around a challenge

The Northwest Missouri State men's basketball victory against Missouri Southern on Saturday afternoon was a total team effort both on the floor and on the sidelines. With 20-year head coach Steve Tappmeyer ejected from the game for getting two technical fouls within a 17-second span, it was left up to a bunch of relative youngsters to guide the Bearcats for the remaining 16:19. After all, assistant head coach Jerome Haden the team's only other full-time, fully paid coach was reassigned earlier this month due to professional differences with Tappmeyer.

Saturday's Prep Sports

Top 5 upstart underdogs

High school upsets always surface this time of year

Bummed about your favorite hoops team's middle-of-the-road record and loooooooong shot chances of making the playoffs? Worry not. Plenty of teams have turned their district tournament on its head and earned a postseason berth with a sub-.500 record. In the past seven years, a staggering 35 teams have accomplished that feat. One of them, Notre Dame of Cape Girardeau's boys, even got hot at the right time and got to the semifinals with a 14-16 record. Here's our list of surprising district champs in the past few years. Let us know if you remember an even more unlikely candidate with an e-mail to rossmartin@npgco.com.

Cream of the crop

Best teams rise as prep season winds down

With the postseason in full swing, it can be easy to overlook the handful of teams which earned conference titles within the past week. In one sentence or less, here's how the champs earned their crowns (conference records in parentheses):

Central girls power on to district championship

RIVERSIDE, Mo. - Bailey Griffin let the ball get away from her, but she swears it was an accident. Regardless of intent, Griffin drew back-to-back fouls in the second quarter - the latter a technical for slamming the ball. It sent the Central junior and her hot hand to the bench and gave Park Hill South an opening. But senior starter Kayla Vice picked up the slack, scoring seven straight before halftime and helping Central maintain its healthy lead. The Indians eventually ran away with a 65-43 victory in the Class 5 District 16 championship game Saturday afternoon at Park Hill South High School.

Western women give Central too many second chances

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - Lynn Plett hoped a 90-minute practice session exclusively devoted to rebounding last Monday would deliver sufficient motivation to the Missouri Western women. The good feelings and focus that came with that effort lasted all of one game.

Bearcat coach ejected; Missouri Southern rejected

JOPLIN, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State coach Steve Tappmeyer never saw the best part of his team's 77-56 MIAA victory Saturday afternoon at Missouri Southern. Tappmeyer had long been banished from the gymnasium after getting two quick technical fouls. What he missed was what longtime observers believe might have been the best example of a team pulling together in his 20-year tenure.

Western men fall to streaky Central Missouri

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - From 20 feet and out, Central Missouri couldn't miss for stretches Saturday. From five feet in, Missouri Western continued to miss at the Multipurpose Building. Those shooting discrepancies accounted for the Mule men's 69-54 victory. "We missed six-to-eight point-blank layups, which gave us no chance" Western coach Tom Smith said. "That's 12 points we completely gave away. We ran good stuff and had opportunities and couldn't get them to go for us."

Northwest women turn in angry performance in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. - Mandi Schumacher was mad. So was Meghan Brue. But the Northwest Missouri State starters turned their anger into production on Saturday, both recording double-doubles in a 72-62 victory at Missouri Southern. Schumacher poured in a game-high 18 points and tied her season high with 12 rebounds, while Brue finished with 15 points and 10 boards. It was Schumacher's sixth double-double this season and Brue's first.

Central blows out Oak Park

RIVERSIDE, Mo. - No hesitation accompanied Bailey Griffin's deadly 3-point strokes. Admittedly trigger-shy by nature, the Central junior never wavered on her three, second-quarter trey attempts and ripped each one through the net at Park Hill South High School. Griffin scored half of Central's 28 points in the second frame as the Indians' breezed into today's Class 5 District 16 final with a 73-46 blowout of Oak Park.

Friday's Prep Sports

Benton girls fall to Platte County in district championship

Brett Goodwin spent the biggest portion of Friday night's Class 4 District 16 championship game working the officials for any call he could get. The Benton coach fought for his team with animation and fervor, but as the minutes ticked away, even Goodwin began to realize Platte County's effort was too much. After more than three quarters on his feet, Goodwin resigned himself to his seat and watched as Benton's streak of three straight postseason appearances came to a end. "I think they were just the better team right now," Goodwin said.

Lafayette boys win 1st district title in 23 years

The Lafayette faculty did all it could. And shortly after Smithville senior Andrew Jones' 3-pointer rolled off the rim, the coaches, teachers and administrators relented. The final buzzer sounded, and the Lafayette student body rushed onto the court to meet its victorious basketball team. Lafayette outlasted Smithville 44-41 on Friday night in the Class 4 District 16 championship at Lafayette High School. The win earned the Fighting Irish their first district crown since 1985.

Western AD finalists' backgrounds

Missouri Western narrowed its search for a new athletic director to three finalists. Here's a look at each candidate's background:

Missouri Western scouting reports

Here is a look at tonight's matchups between Missouri Western and Central Missouri.

Northwest Missouri State scouting reports

Here is a look at tonight's matchups for the doubleheader between Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Southern.

Plattsburg football coach follows family, leaves coaching for now

Karl Asbury's latest career move will take him from the comfort of Missouri but keeps him close enough not to rule out a return. Plattsburg's football coach for the past seven years, Asbury resigned his position Monday. He will move with his wife to Quincy, Ill., where she accepted a new job. Asbury doesn't have a new position as of yet but said he has interviews lined up. Quincy's location just across the Mississippi River from Hannibal leaves Asbury open to the possibility of coaching in Missouri, but he added there are no openings in northeast Missouri at this time.

Western narrows search for AD to 3 finalists

David Williams saw Missouri Western's advertisement back in August; so did Jean Berger and Andrew Carter. All three passed on applying for the Griffons' athletic director vacancy. Six months later, that trio represents the finalists to replace Mark Linder and become the sixth athletic director in Western's history.

Oscar's musical crimes

Popular awards show giving non-classical artists the gold shoulder

The biggest night in Hollywood happens this Sunday. The 80th Annual Academy Awards will feature the brightest stars in filmmaking in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Of course, it's not only what's seen on screen that is recognized but what is heard within the films themselves. Based on the nominees and the rulings of the minds behind Oscars, non-classical musicians are getting no recognition from the golden boy in 2008.

Michael Jackson's Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition (Legacy)

Right after Michael Jackson did his now famous moonwalk on the Motown 25th anniversary TV special my phone rang. "You see that? What was that?" asked a friend, all out of breath.

Classical and comic

'The Producers' and the Saint Joseph Symphony both take the stage this weekend

Very few weekends can give people the opportunity to hear the brilliant compositions of Beethoven along with the hilarious Fuhrer-worshipping musical number "Springtime for Hitler." But thanks to the Saint Joseph Symphony's "Great Escapes" concert on Saturday, Feb. 23, and the Mel Brooks musical "The Producers" being performed on Sunday, Feb. 24, - both at the Missouri Theater - St. Joseph will get a chance to witness the classical or the comical.

Smooth thuggin'

Gangstaz and Gentlmenz show featuring area hip-hop and R&B comes to Mirrors

Bedroom jams and block rocking beats are frequently heard from Mirrors Nightclub on the weekends. This weekend, however, they will be coming from live performers when the Gangstaz and Gentlemanz concert takes the stage, featuring KC R&B artist Skilz, local hip-hop artists Joe Mizzery Crew, 2anormal and Imastar at 8 p.m. tonight. Skilz, a.k.a. Donell Brown, has been pumping out bump-and-grind-style jams for 16 years, whether it was with his former group Rhythm and Pleasure or for the past six years as a solo artist.

The next generation

High school art on display at the Albrecht-Kemper

Every year, the community has a chance to view art from up and coming high school artists. "The Regional High School Art Exhibition is one of our most popular shows," says Jennifer Zeller, curator of education at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. The annual exhibition features work from 135 students representing 28 schools.

Mute Math has no set equation

They may be named after a subject that requires certain, uncompromised steps to get to the correct answer, but the New Orleans-based electro-rock quartet Mute Math have made a career out of not sticking to any formula. "We didn't really have any template in mind except just not have any rules," says vocalist and keyboardist Paul Meaney, who was on his way to play a show at Madison Square Garden. Mute Math, which started as a mostly electronic music collaboration with drummer Darren King, has evolved into the current lineup, featuring Greg Hill on guitar and Roy Mitchell-Cardenas on bass.

On the scene: Liberty and genres for all

The mini-ice age and whatever flu bug is going around may give local residents a few reasons to run for cover. But we are resilient folks, intent on getting our weekly dose of live music, arts, theater and whatever else we might do to keep yourself entertained. And this column is for you. Besides the events we have featured on pages D2, D8, D9 and D16, a few bands are returning to the stage after a relatively long absence from St. Joe this weekend.

Artist of the week: Milwaukee's Beast

St. Joe band Milwaukee's Beast is hoping to mix it up, musically and live, in the music scene. With punk, hard rock and hip-hop influences, their sound is similar to bands like Rage Against the Machine and Primus. The group is recording a demo and hoping to come out swinging on the St. Joe scene. For information, go to www.myspace.com/milwaukeesbeastdaband.

What's up for the week of Feb. 22

Thursday's Prep Sports

Lafayette boys stun Benton in district tournament

Chris Neff doesn't always know who is coming off the bench. But when Craig Goodwin found foul trouble in the first quarter, Lafayette's coach went down the sideline and called for junior guard Cody Miller. Neff couldn't explain why after the Fighting Irish's 72-60 victory against crosstown rival Benton. Call it intuition or one heck of a hunch, but Miller poured in a career-high 23 points with six 3-pointers, emerging as one of the most unlikely heroes in the history of the Benton-Lafayette series. This win pushed the the fourth-seeded Irish into the Class 4 District 16 finals at Lafayette High School - their first championship game appearance since 2002.

Smithville boys lean on Jones to advance in district play

Hampered with a bad ankle, Smithville's Andrew Jones showed few signs of injury Thursday night at Lafayette High School. The senior looked tired at certain points against Platte County, but that was due to a lack of court time in recent days. Still, Jones was good enough for 23 points, including 16 after halftime, in Smithville's 59-50 win in the Class 4 District 16 semifinals.

Savannah taps Gallatin coach to take over football program

Savannah's football program needs continuity, and Mark Cole hopes the district's decision to name him head coach brings that much-needed stability. Cole left his position as head coach at Gallatin to accept the same position at Savannah. With three different coaches in the past four years, Cole brings the winning tradition of his six years at Gallatin, where he accrued a record of 40-26 in six seasons. After leading the Bulldogs to three straight postseason appearances from 2004-06, Cole believed it was time to move up to a bigger school and bigger conference. Gallatin competes in the Grand River Conference and Class 1, while Savannah is a Class 3 school in the Midland Empire Conference.

'The Wizard of Oz' sparks wonder

Popular musical plays to a pleased crowd

People came to the Robidoux Resident Theatre production of 'The Wizard of Oz' last weekend knowing what they wanted to see. Luckily, the minds behind the production knew what they needed to do, and the result was an experience at the Missouri Theater that combined a few firsts with a familiar musical.

02/20/08 WbNW podcast: Western's Keion Kindred

Keion Kindred has as many college degrees as News-Press sports editor Scott Pummell and I put together, and the Western guard is just a year away from earning two more. So we decided to sit down with Kindred and have him educate us of how to use college basketball to make your future better and what Western needs to do this summer to turn its program around.

Wednesday's college sports, Feb. 20

Benton girls overcome late struggles to beat Smithville

Cardinals to face Pirates in district title game

Benton finally looked poised to put its late-season offensive struggles in the past. The Cardinals scored 31 points in a near-flawless first half, only to watch the offense disappear after halftime Wednesday night against Smithville. But No. 2-seeded Benton hit just enough free throws to earn a 48-40 victory in the Class 4 District 16 semifinals, advancing to a fourth-straight district title game. Smithville outscored Benton in the second half at Lafayette High School, but a 31-18 halftime deficit proved too much to overcome.

Wednesday's prep sports, Feb. 20

Platte County girls' stop Savannah in 2OT

Pirates advance to district title game

Savannah dreams about seven-point leads with under 3 minutes remaining. But on Wednesday night, the Savages - so adept at putting away wins with a late lead - wilted against Platte County in the Class 4 District 16 semifinals. Savannah failed to score in the final 2 minutes, 47 seconds of regulation against the No. 1 seed and stumbled to a 64-52 double-overtime loss at Lafayette High School. Savannah's Kate Gallagher missed a layup at the end of regulation that would've won it for the Savages. Beth Reine converted an improbable three-point play late in the first overtime to knot it at 50.

Oak Park puts end to Central boys' season

RIVERSIDE, Mo. - For 25 minutes, Central played at a level much higher than its lowly No. 5 seed would indicate. The Indians trapped, pressed, blitzed and frustrated top-seeded Oak Park out of its rhythm and clawed back to within two possessions in the final quarter of their Class 5 District 16 showdown. But the Northmen rose to their ranking and used a 23-3 run to dismantle Central's upset bid Wednesday on the way to a 61-36 victory at Park Hill South High School.

Western men unable to get past Truman State

In spite of the purple uniform, Banks Estridge still is an image-conscious basketball player. So as the final seconds of the first half ticked off the MWSU Fieldhouse scoreboard Saturday, he made sure a one-handed, 80-foot heave at least would be worth the effort. "You always see guys who just throw it up for no reason, and the crowd is always like, 'Ooooh,'" Estridge said. "I looked at the clock because I didn't know if I would have enough time. I didn't want to throw it after the buzzer because that would look stupid."

Lady Blues avenge earlier loss to Bearcats

TOPEKA, Kan. - Washburn coach Ron McHenry has seen the game film, and he knew that Mandi Schumacher and Kelli Nelson were Northwest Missouri State's two biggest offensive threats. So McHenry developed a game plan to limit them, and the Lady Blues followed it well enough to carve out an 81-71 victory over the Bearcats on Wednesday night. "That was kind of the game plan, to make sure those two didn't get their heads up too far," McHenry said after his team went on a huge run to close the first half and held on to avenge an earlier 50-45 loss in Maryville, Mo. "We did a pretty good job on those two kids."

Western women find right combination to knock out Truman State

Boxers with only one good punch eventually find themselves looking up at their more ambidextrous opponents. Truman State felt their pain Wednesday night at MWSU Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs continually hit Missouri Western with their best shot - Georgia Mueller. But the junior forward wasn't near enough to compensate for Western's one-two combination of Jill Johnson and Yanique Javois in the Griffons' 93-78 victory. Mueller scored 32 points, which on most nights in the MIAA would be a box-score-topping total. Just not Wednesday.

GAME BLOG: Lafayette 81, Chillicothe 50

Whenever Bryston Williams starts a dribble drive, be careful not to blink. The Lafayette junior can seemingly get to the rim at will and moves with a speed and agility rarely witnessed in high school gyms. Therein lies the problem.

Lafayette 'slamtastic' against Chilli

Two steps past half court, Lafayette's Bryston Williams made up his mind. It was time to dunk. All year long, he'd caught plenty of flack from teammates, friends and coaches about when he'd finally rise to the rim and flush it down - like he had at the occasional practice or shoot-around. During the Fighting Irish's district-opening 81-50 win against Chillicothe, however, the junior guard unleashed a thunderous, two-handed slam that drew a 45-second standing ovation from just about everyone inside Lafayette High School's gymnasium.

Hellerich makes final appearance in LeBlond victory

Bishop LeBlond's 67-42 victory Tuesday night offered Echo Hellerich a final chance. In honor of senior night, coach Wayne Miller allowed all three of his fourth-year players to start against Gallatin. That included Hellerich, who has effectively ended her career due to multiple concussions. Wearing her familiar white No. 22 jersey, Hellerich stood toward the back of the court as Dain Finney won the opening tip, leading to a layup for senior Kim Girard. As the play unfolded, Hellerich became caught up in the moment, running down the court toward the action. A pre-planned whistle brought an end to her last brief moment, and Haley Logan replaced Hellerich just 13 seconds into her final home game at Grace Gymnasium.

Tuesday's prep sports, Feb. 19

Guillen reports to camp, says he will talk about Mitchell Report later

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Jose Guillen arrived right on time Tuesday, bouncing into the Kansas City clubhouse bright and early with a happy smile and a polite refusal to talk about steroids, the Mitchell Report or the 15-day suspension hanging over his head.

Chiefs place franchise tag on Allen

KANSAS CITY - As expected, the Kansas City Chiefs have put the franchise tag on defensive end Jared Allen, who led the NFL in sacks last season despite missing the first two games.

Northwest, Washburn scouting reports

Western, Truman scouting reports

Henry reaches milestones

Bearcat Notebook

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Hunter Henry quietly reached two crucial milestones during Saturday's MIAA basketball victory against Pittsburg State. His 1,000th point and 500th rebound came so quietly, in fact, that neither he nor his coach was aware of it.

02/19/08 WbNW Podcast: Northwest's Steve Tappmeyer

The Northwest men are 4-0 since I predicted on Feb. 1 that they would finish strong before the postseason. (Never mind that prediction also included them treading water for two weeks before starting that streak. That just shows they are ahead of schedule.) So Bearcats beat writer Rick Dunaway and I sat down with coach Steve Tappmeyer following the Bearcats' media luncheon Tuesday to discuss Northwest's recent resurgence.

And the Oscar goes to... a movie that you probably didn't see

This year's lineup of Oscar nominees contains few box office hits

The Oscars are this Sunday, and I will be watching. This year, the movie I'm rooting for is... well, none of them honestly. I don't have anything against the movies nominated, it's just that I haven't seen a single one of them.

Bulletin Board

Here's a roundup of sports activities open to the public in St. Joseph and Northwest Missouri.

Monday's prep boxes

Monday's Prep boxes

Savannah routs Chillicothe

Class 4 District 16 start also sees Lafayette girls lose

Savannah routed Chillicothe 65-33 in the first round of the Class 4 District tournament Monday night at Lafayette High School. The win propels the Savages into a semifinal matchup with Platte County, which handed Savannah its only conference loss of the season. Beth Reine led No. 4 seed Savannah with 15 points, including three 3-pointers. Continuing a trend of recent success from outside, the Savages hit seven 3-pointers and outscored No. 5 Chillicothe in all four quarters.

Royals have competition at catcher with Buck, Olivo

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Kansas City Royals Manager Trey Hillman worked Monday to clear up some confusion about who will be the team's starting catcher when the season opens. While Miguel Olivo thought he was going to be competing for the starting catching job, Hillman said John Buck would remain the Royals No. 1 catcher. "There was a miscommunication to Miguel," Hillman said Monday. "I'm not going to throw anyone under the bus. Neither Dayton (Moore, general manager), nor myself told Miguel Olivo he was coming in here as the starting catcher.

Slow start, tough call breaks Benedictine

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Tied at 59 with just over one minute left in the game Monday night in Springfield, the Evangel Crusaders had the final word over the ninth-ranked Benedictine Ravens in Heart of America Athletic Conference play. Each team exchanged turnovers with less than 10 seconds left in the game, the final of which gave the Crusaders a last shot that resulted in a foul called against Benedictine's Christina Reischl as time appeared to have expired.

Western loses star running back

Missouri Western's backfield might be able to empathize with the likes of Northwest, Washburn, Missouri Southern and Fort Hays State next season. The Griffons looked set to return their top three running backs - all of whom were freshmen - from last season's 9-3 campaign, but now it looks likely Western will lose its top rusher just like those other four schools. While exhausted eligibility will force Northwest, Washburn, Southern and Fort Hays to look for new rushing options, the Griffons could lose their top ground threat due to academic issues. La'Darrian Page is not eligible to take classes at Western this spring and currently is home in Lee's Summit, Mo. The 5-foot-8 scat back ran for 1,254 yards last season (third in the MIAA) and ranked sixth in the conference in scoring with 14 touchdowns. Page can start taking classes again this summer, and Western coaches haven't officially ruled him out for the 2008 season. But the odds aren't good.

Central boys thrill in district opener

RIVERSIDE, Mo. - With Owen Lenander and Justin Love fouled out, Central didn't have a lot of options in the post during the second overtime period Monday against Park Hill. But when Park Hill's 6-foot-4 Justin Roberts went up for the potential game-winning shot, senior Cody Johnson made his presence felt. Central's 6-6 role player swatted Roberts' shot and preserved the Indians' lead. Johnny Cathcart hit two free throws on the other end to provide the final margin in Central's 72-69 double-overtime win at Park Hill South High School.

GAME BLOG:Central 72, Park Hill 69, 2OT

More than a month ago in the first Varsity Letters blog, I wrote about this current Central team and how it compared to the 2005 district title team. Well, not to say I told you so, but it turns out some of my predictions were incredibly accurate.

02/18/08 Griffon luncheon: Lynn Plett

Lynn Plett's team has lost seven in a row, though the formula seems to change nightly. In his weekly press conference, Plett talk about the Griffon women's latest affliction: rebounding and the penance they paid for giving up 29 offensive boards Saturday. He also discussed the improvement of freshman forward Rachel Luteyn.

02/18/08 Griffon luncheon: Tom Smith

Tom Smith spent as much time talking about the Western women and the latest men's regional rankings in his weekly podcast as he did he Griffon men. But he also dedicated a few moments to discuss his team's recent struggles and its upcoming games against Truman State and Central Missouri this week.

Polo sophomore wrestler falls just short in championships

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Dean Manning carved an adventurous path to the finals, keeping the score low and grinding out close decisions. But when the Polo sophomore needed offense against Lawson's Devin Mellon, he couldn't find it. Mellon earned a 7-4 victory in the Class 1 189-pound championship at the Missouri Wrestling Championships. All of Manning's points coming on escapes. Manning scored only one takedown in four state matches, but he hadn't allowed a takedown either. That changed early against Mellon, and Manning never recovered.

Northwest fans deliver a message to visiting fans

MARYVILLE, Mo. - With a few gallons of paint and a little enthusiasm, a group of Northwest Missouri State students has put a little extra excitement into Bearcat Arena. The "Shirtless Bearcats" have become a fixture at Northwest athletic events, and their exuberance has become so appreciated that one coach has even bought their dinner. Scarlett Casey, a student from Independence, Mo., is the co-founder and president of the second-year organization that she founded along with Brad Whitsell.

Saturday's Prep Sports

Saturday's Perp Sports

Western men continue road woes at Hays

HAYS, Kan. - Playing on the road has been hard enough this season for the Missouri Western men's team. Take away two of their better players (6-foot-5 forward Reggie Bunch and 6-6 guard Ray Brown) on Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum, and the chances were pretty slim the struggling Griffons were going to stop Fort Hays State from snapping a four-game losing streak. Some second-half 3-point shooting by Western mixed with some defensive miscues by Fort Hays made it somewhat interesting. But the Tigers backed up the odds, sending Western home with a 65-52 loss, dropping the Griffons to 3-11 in MIAA play.

Five wrestling matches to remember

Sports reporter Ross Martin covered his fifth straight Missouri State Wrestling Championships for the News-Press. In honor of this absolutely meaningless milestone, he decided to take a look at the five best matches from the previous four years. A couple of matches from this year could crack the list, but we'll save that for another time. Remember another great one from 2004-07? Let us know with an e-mail to rossmartin@npgco.com.

MEC girls teams learn to share

The Midland Empire Conference's best girls hoops teams better learn to share. That's what Benton, Savannah and Platte County will have to do with this year's conference trophy after a hectic final week of the season. All three teams finished with a 6-1 MEC record and will jointly own the crown, as no tie-breakers exist. With an undefeated conference record, the defending state champion Cardinals controlled their own destiny entering the final week of the regular season.

Bearcats' inside game too much for Gorilla women

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Jessica Burton couldn't find the bottom of the basket on Saturday. Thankfully, she knew who could. Burton continually fed Mandi Schumacher inside, and Schumacher responded with 25 points as Northwest Missouri State defeated Pittsburg State 71-58 in Bearcat Arena.

Determination serves Maryville wrestler at championships

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Three seconds shouldn't have been enough time. Tanner Archer worked with what he had left. The Maryville senior scored a tiebreaking escape as the final second ticked away during his 160-pound third-place match Saturday at Mizzou Arena. Seconds after Lawson's Ian Swarts scored a tying takedown, Archer stood straight up on the restart and managed to turn and face Swartz all before time expired.

Central swimmer finishes at championships

ST. PETERS, Mo. - Central swimmer Shannon Myer finished at a strong pace in her first appearance in the Missouri Girls State Swimming Championships at St. Peters Rec Plex. The Indians freshman competed in the consolation final for the 50-yard freestyle. Myer, the last Indian left competing, finished at 25.25. That left her in 12th place behind ninth-place finisher Kristie Fries of Blue Springs, whose time of 25.04 paced the consolation bracket.

Benedictine women rout Graceland

ATCHISON, Kan. - Benedictine women's coach Chad Folsom sent a simple message to his squad at the half Saturday against Graceland University - keep after it. "We were getting good looks," Folsom said. "We just weren't knocking them down. I told them that we were playing good, we just needed to step up with some confidence and starting knocking down some shots." The Ravens turned a 26.2 percent shooting effort from the first half into 51.3 percent in the second half and walked away with a 80-63 win.

Johnson's 24 not enough to lift Griffon women

HAYS, Kan. - On paper, Saturday's game at Gross Memorial Coliseum should have seemed like two scrub teams clawing for survival in their respective MIAA seasons. What showed up instead was two schools playing as if they were vying for a conference championship, exchanging heavyweight blows for 40 minutes in a now-or-never type battle. The Fort Hays State women did their best to make sure the fight for that eighth and final spot in the MIAA's tournament stayed interesting as the regular season winds down, handing Missouri Western San 81-79 defeat and forcing a three-way tie for that eighth spot.

Benton girls take care of business

No wild celebrations or victory music followed the final buzzer at Springer Gymnasium on Saturday evening. The business-like Benton girls took care of Lafayette 45-35 and politely made their way through the handshake line, stopping to do little more than breathe the sigh of relief that comes with doing what is expected. With the victory, the Cardinals secured at least a share of the Midland Empire Conference title for a fourth consecutive season, earning a three-way split of the spoils this year with Savannah and Platte County.

Northwest men get defensive against Pitt State

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State held Pittsburg State to nearly 15 minutes without a field goal on Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 67-46 MIAA men's basketball victory against the Gorillas. Michael Hutchingson's tip-in with 15 minutes, 9 seconds remaining in the first half was the last bucket for the Gorillas (15-8, 6-8 MIAA) until he hit on a jumper at the 3:29 mark, as the Bearcats (17-6, 9-5) enjoyed perhaps their best defensive effort of the season. The 46 points is the third lowest total for an opponent this season and the lowest by any MIAA foe. Only NAIA affiliates Baker (44 points) and St. Mary (32) managed less in the first two games of the season.

Bearcat men make assistant coaching change

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Jerome Haden is out as the assistant coach of the Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team. Coach Steve Tappmeyer said Haden was reassigned within the athletic department and will no longer be on the Bearcats' bench. Northwest athletic director Dr. Bob Boerigter said Haden, in his second year with the Bearcats after five years as an administration assistant at Wichita State, was reassigned earlier this month because of professional differences between the two coaches.

Benton wrestler improves at state championships

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Benton's Dustin Williams remembers the sting of his sixth-place finish at last year's Class 2 Missouri Wrestling Championships. He made sure not to refresh that bitter memory. The 171-pound sophomore boosted himself to a fifth-place finish with a 3-2 decision against Oak Grove's Corey Herman to take one more step up on the medal stand.

Missouri Western Softball

MSHSAA Championship Wrestling Results

Friday's Prep Sports

Missouri Western scouting report

Here is a capsule look at the matchups in today's doubleheader between Missouri Western and Fort Hays State.

Northwest Missouri State scouting report

Here is a look at the matchups in today's doubleheader between Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State.

Chillicothe outdoors show becomes instant Classic

Like a moth drawn to a flame, outdoor folks from all over Northern Missouri rolled into Chillicothe last weekend for the first annual North Missouri Outdoor Classic. The two-day event drew more than 2,800 sportsmen. Those lucky enough to attend were treated to one of the more comprehensive outdoor shows around. Steve Shoot, president of the North Missouri Sportsman's Alliance, said cooperation enabled the rural area to pull off the event. The Outdoor Classic is the culmination of the combined efforts of six individual outdoor organizations, several area business sponsors, a school district and a region full of people who wholeheartedly support outdoor recreation, he said.

Run for the border gets more complicated

The big hunting or fishing trip to Canada or Mexico has been booked and the excitement is building as the outdoor adventure nears. As you prepare for the big getaway make sure your gear, and hunting and fishing licenses aren't the only things in order. New requirements are in place which may cause problems for those unprepared to deal with border-crossing changes. In January of 2007 things began changing when all U.S. citizens, including children, were required to present a passport or secure travel document when returning to the United States by air from all foreign destinations, including Canada and Mexico. For most sportsmen, this wasn't a big deal as the majority of us tend to drive to our favorite outdoor destinations. But phase 2 of the Department of Homeland Security's Plan went into effect Jan. 31, 2008.

Department to offer ice fishing clinic at Mozingo

With the prolonged winter weather in Northwest Missouri this year, the Missouri Department of Conservation is taking the opportunity to host an ice fishing clinic from 9 a.m. until noon Feb. 23, at the Mozingo Lake Multi-Use Building. This free workshop will address ice safety, ice fishing equipment, where to fish and what to fish for. The workshop will include hands-on, on-the-ice instruction of techniques to catch fish during the winter period.

Central swimmers have good day at state championships

ST. PETERS, Mo. - Central freshman swimmer Shannon Myer keeps exceeding expectations. Myer will compete in the consolation finals in the 50-meter freestyle today during the Missouri Girls State Swimming Championships, which are held at the Rec Plex in St. Peters. "She just continuously surprises me," said Central coach Marnie Lucas. "I wouldn't doubt if she got ninth (the highest possible place in the consolation finals)."

Mid-Buchanan boys clamp down on West Platte

FAUCETT, Mo. - Tyler Grindstaff looked ready to be done with Mid-Buchanan High School on Friday night and Dragons in general. As the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard and Mid-Buchanan's fans serenaded West Platte's senior guard with a rousing standing ovation, Grindstaff loosely held the ball in one hand, disgust on his face, eyes directed at the ceiling. But even the last seconds of a blowout didn't offer the Blue Jays any reprieve from the Dragons' unrelenting pressure. Mid-Buchanan freshman Brandon Wyatt crowded Grindstaff near half court and continued to swat at the basketball until the buzzer mercifully saved West Platte from having to endure anymore of Mid-Buchanan's 55-32 drubbing.

STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES: GRC has mixed results

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Maysville will lead Grand River Conference teams in medallists with three but will not return a wrestler to the finals in the Class 1 Missouri Wrestling Championships. Seth Buhman (103), Jake Rhoad (145) and Tanner Smith (152) all lost in the semifinals Friday at Mizzou Arena and will try to recover for third today. Rhoad and Smith reached the state finals at the same weights last year. Still, the Wolverines and Polo are the only GRC teams with more than one medallist.

Frustration gets the best of Central wrestler

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Ben Pister's intense temperament fuels his success in wrestling. After a third straight semifinal loss in the Class 4 Missouri Wrestling Championships, it helped create an unfortunate scene at Mizzou Arena. The Central's 215-pound senior dropped a 9-4 decision to Seckman's Jake Glore, ending Pister's chance of reaching a state final. Pister trailed 9-4 after Glore scored an escape with 19 seconds left. A frustrated Pister tried in vain to throw Glore for a potential match-tying five-point move.

Cameron brothers earn split results at wrestling championships

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The brothers Kellerstrass found it hard to balance their emotions. Cameron senior Connor Kellerstrass watched younger brother and junior Kemper Kellerstrass earn a trip the finals on Friday at 130 pounds during the Class 1 Missouri Wrestling Championships, but Connor won't be joining Kemper during the Finals March today at Mizzou Arena. A short time after Kemper's 3-1 decision in the semifinals, Connor came up just short in a 3-2 loss to Derek Varns of Butler in the 140-pound semifinals.

Chillicothe wrestler clings to medal hopes

COLUMBIA, Mo. - As his red numerals climbed higher, Charlie Pepper could hardly believe his eyes. The Chillicothe junior thought his reversal and three-point near fall had just tied his quarterfinal match with Cory Adkins and sent him into overtime. To his surprise, Pepper's five-point burst propelled him to a last-gasp, 8-7 win and into the semifinal round - guaranteeing him a medal in the Class 2 Missouri Wrestling Championships.

Miles Davis - The Complete on the Corner Sessions

Just a little over a week after the 1972 release of "On the Corner," Miles Davis crashed his sleek Lamborghini on Manhattan's West Side Highway. Miles totaled his car and landed himself in the hospital for two months.

Herbie Hancock - River: The Joni Letters

Well before "River:The Joni Letters" won Grammy Album of the year I knew it was something special. Since December it rarely been far from my CD player.

The writer's strike is over, and I really don't care

TV wil be back to normal, but did you really notice it was different?

Millions of lives were distrupted when the writers went on strike and there were no new episodes of The Office or any witty Conan dialogues. My life, however, went on as normal. Am I the only one?

We're off to see the Wizard

Robidoux Resident Theatre presents 'The Wizard of Oz' this weekend

Robidoux Resident Theatre is no stranger to bringing popular theater productions to the stage. But this weekend, they will be doing their version of a little piece of cinematic and pop culture history when they encourage theater-goers to follow the yellow brick road to see "The Wizard of Oz" at the Missouri Theater.

Bodies of art

The Body Image Project challenges people's perceptions of beauty

What do you consider the perfect body? Is it one with a chiseled stomach, long legs and a firm butt? Would you feel like a failure if you had a small chest, round belly and big thighs? Larry Kirkwood, creator of the Body Image Project, wants people to think about those kinds of questions, and their own perceptions of beauty, when they view his exhibit. The Body Image Project will be on display at the J.W. Jones Student Union on the Northwest Missouri State University campus from Sunday, Feb. 17, to Wednesday, Feb. 20. Kirkwood will give a free lecture on his exhibit at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 19, in the living room of the International Intercultural Complex.

On the scene: Winter arts and entertainment overload

Note: The I.P.W.G.A. (Introductory Paragraph Writer's Guild of America) has told me to scrap the intro, given there is way too much music, theater, art and other cool things to do this weekend in St. Joe and elsewhere. OK, I made that up, but I'm going to need the room. In case you haven't read already, Joetown will have a classic musical featuring flying monkeys and munchkins (pages D8 and D9) along with a couple of funny dudes (page D16). And Maryville, Mo., will have an art exhibit examining the human body (page D2).

Artist of the week: Holy Mother Exhaust

Anyone who has seen the aggressive drumming of Alice's drummer Bobby Floyd could have forseen the direction he would take if he started his own musical project. He did just that with Holy Mother Exhaust, which blends early nineties alt rock and the fury of Fugazi. The band performs with Broken Avenue and The Goldfrogs at The Rendezvous at 10 p.m. tonight. To hear Holy Mother Exhaust, go to www.myspace.com/holymother exhaustcom.

What's up for the week of Feb. 15

Wizard's offspring

There is no denying that the 1939 musical film "The Wizard of Oz" is a classic in American cinema. It is also equally notable how many different films, television shows, theater productions, books and pop culture phenomena have been inspired by Dorothy's journey to the "Emerald City." Check out some of the adventures the yellow brick road has helped to create.

Thursday's Prep Sports

Switzer's 3 saves Benton girls in OT

Brett Goodwin gets plenty of use out of his dry-erase board, but with Thursday's game and the Midland Empire Conference title on the line, the Benton coach left it blank, letting the Cardinals draw up their own ending. His faith was far from misplaced. Reserve forward Hannah Moore hit two free throws with 4 seconds left to tie Platte County, then Holly Switzer swished a 3-pointer with 5 seconds remaining in the extra session, propelling the Cardinals to a thrilling 46-43 victory at Springer Gymnasium. "It is very hard to trust, but you have to have enough faith in your kids," Goodwin said. "I felt after the poor performance Monday night, there was a different energy. They wanted to do the right things down the stretch to help us win.

Central works through big-stage jitters as Pister, teammates advance

COLUMBIA, Mo. Â-- After three disappointing setbacks in the first round, Central's group of four qualifiers survived the first day of the Class 4 State Wrestling Championships. Three-time qualifier Ben Pister rolled into the 215-pound quarterfinals, but all three of the Indians' first-time qualifiers lost in the opening round. But Lane Swan (112), Josh Phillips (145) and Caleb McDaniel (152) scored two-point decision victories in Thursday night's wrestlebacks at Mizzou Arena. "I think they got past the jitters and the awe of being in the big show," Central coach Brett Swope said. "They all kind of looked a little rusty as well in the second round as well, but they came out and battled."

Hornet wrestlers get stung

The first round of Class 2 featured a pair of Midland Empire Conference match-ups - both involving Chillicothe. Neither Hornet prevailed, however, as juniors Stephen Quinn and Cory Lowe lost by Fall. In the semifinals of January's Plattsburg Tournament, Quinn was pinned by Savannah's Micah Phillips in the first period but made the rematch much more interesting.

Lathrop team keeps rolling on wrestling championships' 1st day

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Rick Mudd looked frantic for most of the opening round of the Class 1 Missouri Wrestling Championships. The veteran Lathrop coach wasn't used to so much action. With a record nine qualifiers to look after, Mudd didn't spend much time out of the coaching chair during the first round Thursday morning at Mizzou Arena. His team's 6-3 record in first-round matches allowed him to catch his breath during the afternoon wrestlebacks. The Mules sent six to the quarterfinals, and 215-pounder Curtis Miller survived his wrestleback match.

Irish grappler fights through adversity

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Taken down for a third time, Trevor Cogdill found himself back in his element. Trailing 6-3 in the second period, the Lafayette senior used a two-point reversal to take Alex Wade of John Burroughs to his back. Two resulting near-fall points and a strong defensive stand in the third period allowed Cogdill to prevail in his first-round match at the Class 2 Missouri Wrestling Championships on Thursday at Mizzou Arena. "I love being on bottom. That's definitely where I'm best from," Cogdill said. "Yeah, you just gave up two points, but it's like starting over again."

Comic relief

Club 59 to host Tidy Dillard and Bobby J tonight

Have you heard the one about the comedian who got his nickname from a toilet bowl commercial? It's no joke. When he takes the stage at Club 59 tonight, Tyrone Dillard will be introduced to audiences as Tidy Dillard. The "Tidy" part comes from the old Tidy Bowl TV commercials. "People used to call me the little toilet bowl guy," he says. It was because he was the smallest one on the team when he played sports. The nickname stuck.

College sports, Feb. 13

Wednesday's prep sports, Feb. 13

Central wrestler, Pister, in search of gold

Central coach Brett Swope can't make Ben Pister stop using the chalice. That much has become obvious. Central's senior 215-pounder went right back to it in the second period of double overtime Saturday against Oak Park's Kolton Kono. Only needing to hold Kono down for 30 seconds, Pister locked in the chalice and held on for dear life. Time expired, and Pister earned a 3-2 decision in the Class 4 District 4 championship, earning him possibly the biggest win of his career.

Indians dive into state meet

Central swim coach Marnie Lucas has seen firsthand what the pressures of Missouri's Girls State Swimming Championship can do to first-timers. As a nearly unflappable freshman, former Indian phenom Tori Zieger false-started in the 100-meter freestyle at the St. Peter's Rec-Plex - costing her a likely trip to the consolation final. The disqualification was a blip in Zieger's otherwise stellar career, but Lucas hopes a similar fate doesn't await freshman Shannon Myer, who will swim the same event in the preliminaries at Friday's state meet.

Nelson ignites Northwest women's victory against Truman

MARYVILLE, Mo. - This was Kelli Nelson's night, but she had one regret about her record-breaking game against Truman State. "It was a good day, except both my parents missed it," Nelson complained after scoring a career-high 31 points and setting a new single-game Northwest Missouri State record for 3-point field goals during the Bearcats' 86-71 victory on Wednesday night. "The biggest game of my career and both my parents couldn't come." Nelson's father was officiating a district basketball game in Iowa, and her mother was unable to take the night off from work.

Loss drops Western women into precarious position

PITTSBURG, Kan. - Sitting precariously in eighth place with games this week against the only teams below them in the MIAA standings, Lynn Plett told his women's team to approach Wednesday and Saturday like playoff games. Missouri Western's response to that challenge can't leave their coach feeling too confident should the Griffons actually reach the MIAA tournament - a prospect that took a hit with Pittsburg State's 73-65 victory at John Lance Arena on Wednesday. With the win, the Gorillas (10-12, 4-9 MIAA) moved into an eighth-place tie with the Griffons (9-12, 4-9), and Western has to travel to 10th-place Fort Hays State on Saturday with just a one-game lead on the Tigers. The top eight teams make the conference tournament in Kansas City.

Northwest men show toughness against Truman

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Finally, Andy Peterson has his badge of honor. Sporting four stitches from an elbow he took to the face under the basket, Peterson was particularly cheerful after Wednesday night's 61-49 MIAA men's basketball victory against Truman State. Peterson shook off the cut to score a team-high 12 points and help the Bearcats to their third straight victory and a regular season sweep of the Bulldogs.

Tuesday's prep sports, Feb. 12

Lafayette boys find long-range success in rout of Chillicothe

True to form, Lafayette had no problem bouncing back from a disappointing loss with an equally uplifting win. The Fighting Irish drained all seven of their first-half 3-pointers on Tuesday and manhandled Chillicothe, 81-46, at Lafayette High School.

Northwest-Truman scouting report

Western-Pittsburg scouting report

Boerigter tells coaches to move past Emporia St. game

Northwest Missouri State athletic director Dr. Bob Boerigter said he is ready to move past last Thursday's controversial ending to the Bearcats' men's basketball game against Emporia State, and he's encouraging his coaches to do the same.

Northwest women get shot at revenge

Bearcat Notebook

The Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team tonight will play the team that might be responsible for beginning the Bearcats' downward spiral.

Western announces 2008 football schedule

When Missouri Western became a four-year college in 1969 and adopted its current directional state name, the college unwittingly ensured its football program would suffer an annual double whammy more than three decades later. According to Western coach Jerry Partridge, the MIAA's schedule rotation originally was based on an alphabetical order. That order has the Griffons playing Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State back-to-back just about every year.

Sherman accepts job in Salina

PLATTE CITY, Mo. - When Chip Sherman went looking for a coaching position in Kansas, he didn't think it would take him halfway across the Sunflower State. That's exactly where the former Platte County football coach is headed after accepting the head coaching position at Salina-South - a Class 5A school in one of the state's toughest conferences.

Western releases football schedule

The Griffons officially released their football schedule today, simply confirming what we knew would be a tough slate of games since the MIAA swapped out Southwest Baptist for Nebraska-Omaha.

Slow tempo suits Savannah against Benton girls

Already down 9-0, Brett Goodwin called a quick first-quarter timeout to gauge his team's responsiveness. The Benton girls coach didn't like what he saw. "There was no intensity. There was no heart," Goodwin said. "At no point was there any effort from us. It was all from Savannah." The Cardinals never led, rarely showed any signs of life and had their 19-game conference win streak snapped Monday during a 32-21 loss to Savannah in Springer Gymnasium. With an uncharacteristically terrible night from the floor, Benton (18-4, 4-1 Midland Empire Conference) scored just five points on 12 shots in the second half, and no player finished with more than seven points.

Monday's prep boxes

Griffons' coach encourages point guard to shoot more

Lynn Plett had an odd message for his point guard following Missouri Western's most recent loss. After watching Chemia Woods turn the ball over nine times against Emporia State on Saturday, the Western women's coach emphasized he wants to see the Griffons' senior shoot more and pass less. "When in doubt, think about yourself a little more," Plett said of Woods. "The biggest thing for her is to be a little more offensive-minded for herself because she is, without a doubt, our best weapon for penetrating to the basket."

MIAA allows Northwest win to stand

Northwest Missouri State's controversial overtime win at Emporia State last week will remain a victory - at least for now. The MIAA ruled that the Bearcat men's two-overtime win will stand. However, the conference suspended the official who used a video replay in combination with a cell phone's stop watch to force the overtime, which the Bearcats eventually won. "If the conference were to take the action to declare the game completed at the end of regulation, that would be doing exactly what the referee did - inappropriately setting aside the rules of the game," said conference commissioner Jim Johnson in a statement released Monday.

Central girls overwhelm Winnetonka

Central coach Kevin Kelley was the only person capable of stopping his team's offense Monday night against Winnetonka. And he might not even have meant to do it. Central opened with 34 unanswered points during a 63-20 victory at Central High School. Kelley started using his bench early in the second quarter, and Winnetonka finally broke through with a pair of free throws from Khitam Jabr 10 minutes, 11 seconds into the Suburban League conference clash.

Yahoo to say no to Microsoft

Reports emerged over the weekend that Yahoo will not accept Microsoft's $44.6 billion takeover bid.

Top 5 look at historical scorers

Erick Roe moved into elite company when he broke West Platte's all-time scoring record. With the remaining schedule, the Blue Jays senior could reach close to 2,200 points for his career. Surprisingly, that would barely place him in the top five of local male athletes in the MSHSAA record book. Here's our pick for the top five scorers as listed in that annual publication.

Winter weather steals show again

More than half a foot of snow wasn't enough to keep Jefferson from travelling seven miles of U.S. Highway 136 to Northeast Nodaway on Wednesday night. With snow showers stopping around noon, the two rural, basketball-crazy schools were the only two local teams to play that night. Two days worth of games in Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas were lost to the weather - save for Jefferson's sweep of the host Blue Jays.

Saturday's Prep Sports

Service organizations offer good ways to get involved in the outdooors

For many wildlife organizations, hosting banquets has become an annual tradition for raising the money they need to fund their conservation-related goals. They also are a great way for interested hunters and anglers to get a glimpse of what being a member of these groups is all about. Attending the banquets offered around the region is a lot like buying a new truck. Sure, you could go right in, plop down a nice down payment and drive away in a flashy new rig without ever test driving it. But that would be a tad bit foolish. Instead, wouldn't you rather kick the tires a few times, check under the hood and take it out for a spin to see how she feels?

Judge throws out hunting-related lawsuit

A civil complaint filed in a U.S. District Court in Minnesota against the makers of Scent Lok brand clothing and various major outdoor retailers has been dismissed. The ruling was made after Judge Richard Kyle found the plaintiffs failed to satisfy the pleading requirements of federal rules of civil procedure. The complaint was filed last fall by four hunters from Minnesota who claimed "the defendants misrepresented that their clothing eliminates 100 percent of human odors and is capable of being regenerated in a household dryer after the clothing has become saturated with odors."

Western men end losing skid

For the first time in 24 days, the final buzzer warranted a victory heave for the Missouri Western men. And wouldn't you know it, Lonnel Johnson's half-court shot after Western's 68-64 win over Emporia State on Saturday swished through, widening the smiles on the Griffons' faces and providing a little exclamation point to end a frustrating stretch. Western's last win before Saturday was Jan. 16 - 61-53 over Central Missouri. Since then, the Griffons had lost six in a row, the longest slide in coach Tom Smith's 20 years at the school.

Central women blast Northwest

WARRENSBURG, Mo. Â-- Gene Steinmeyer won't blame a player in public, so while his eyes began welling up with frustration, he pointed his finger in the only direction he would allow himself. "I was a miserable failure," Steinmeyer said, pausing a moment to take a quick slap at the wall outside the arena where his Northwest Missouri State team had just endured a 96-52 thrashing at the hands of Central Missouri. "This might be the poorest that I ever prepared a team. It might be the worst I've ever coached a team. I don't lay anything on my players. I lay it all on myself." Lindsey Maple and Deidra Dace scored 19 points each, and Kara Fleming 18 as the Jennies (10-11, 5-7 MIAA) turned the tables on the Bearcats, a team that beat the Jennies 98-84 in Maryville on Jan. 26.

Professional basketball memories from old City Auditorium

It's been just more than 60 years since a brief, largely forgotten chapter of St. Joseph's history unfolded - membership in a top-tier professional basketball league, which also had franchises in such cities as Chicago (Gears), Houston (Mavericks), Atlanta (Crackers) and New Orleans (Hurricanes). These other cities today have National Basketball Association franchises worth hundreds of millions of dollars. St. Joseph's association with this group lasted but a few weeks - and just seven games. The Professional Basketball League of America launched its only season in October 1947. Pro basketball wasn't a huge item then; there were other leagues, but no one anticipated crowds of 20,000 or more to see these games.

Withers, Northwest men slam Central

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - Matt Withers provided the exclamation point Saturday to Northwest Missouri State's second road victory in three days, a 59-49 win at Central Missouri. Withers caught a pass on an inbounds play, slammed home the final bucket and added a free throw for good measure as the Bearcats made a 10-point first-half margin hold up. With the victory, coach Steve Tappmeyer's Bearcats (15-6, 7-5 MIAA) swept the regular season series with the Mules, the team with which they shared last season's regular-season conference title.

Cameron wrestler holds onto district title

CAMERON, Mo. - Trailing 11-1, Maysville junior Jake Rhoad decided there was no reason not to try to throw Ryan Mallen. Rhoad locked in a head-and-arm and tried to toss Cameron's senior to his back. It didn't work out. In a matchup fraught with wild scrambles, Mallen ended up on top again with 45 seconds left in Class 1 District 4's 145-pound championship match Saturday at Cameron High School. He earned another three back points but couldn't score the pin in a matchup of state finalists from a year ago.

Savannah wrestlers take step forward

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. - Savannah's wrestlers in recent years have grown accustomed to their places on the district medal stand. With a few notable exceptions, the Savages' state-bound medalists often bump against the glass ceiling at the third-place step and face a difficult road to a medal in Columbia. But thanks to Saturday's huge semifinal showing, several Savages climbed another step or two and grasped some of the medal stand real estate usually reserved for Platte County and Oak Grove.

Central scores banner day in district wrestling tournament

KANSAS CITY - Central amassed a record-setting day Saturday at the Class 4 District 4 tournament, placing fourth as a team and with four wrestlers placing in the top four. The Indians haven't sent four wrestlers to state in at least a decade, qualifying three in 2001. Ben Pister will lead the contingent, earning his third trip to state but first as a No. 1 seed. The Central senior topped Oak Park's Kolton Kono for the first time with a 3-2 double-overtime decision in the 215-pound title match.

Western women unable to stop No. 22 Emporia

There was nothing immediate or definitive - rather just the slow ebb of inevitability. For every off-balance jumper or driving layup Yanique Javois provided for Missouri Western, the No. 22 Emporia State Hornets quickly responded with a Michelle Stueve 3-pointer, a couple of Ida Edwards' free throws or another source of scoring from their array of depth. And while Javois' historic performance wowed both teams, the Griffons eventually succumbed to the numbers game, 100-87, at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Friday's Prep Sports

After needed break, Mizzou set for Texas A&M

Tigers return to action for 1st time since 19-point loss to Kansas on Monday

COLUMBIA, Mo. - J.T. Tiller has benefited most from the opening created by the recent player suspensions at Missouri. Maybe too much. That's why no one was happier than the sophomore guard when coach Mike Anderson gave players a day off earlier this week. "I still feel it," said Tiller, who's started the last three games since a nightclub altercation left Stefhon Hannah with a broken jaw. "Having that day off gave us time to rest and stretch and get our muscles back." The Tigers (13-10, 3-5 Big 12) return to action today against No. 18 Texas A&M (19-4, 5-3), their first game since a 90-71 loss at No. 3 Kansas on Monday. The four-day window between games is the school's longest in more than a month.

Benton follows familiar pattern against Maryville

In their second meeting, Benton and Maryville stuck to a familiar script. The Cardinals jump to a big lead, allow the Spoofhounds to slowly scrape back into contention and hang on with a few timely baskets. Yes, Benton claimed an important 49-41 victory Friday night in Springer Gymnasium, but the Cardinals' lack of a killer instinct presented itself again.

Hannah arrested on assault charge

Police nab Missouri guard upon his return to Columbia

ST. LOUIS - Missouri senior guard Stefhon Hannah returned to Columbia on Friday for the first time since a nightclub brawl late last month that left him with a broken jaw - and was promptly arrested. Hannah, Missouri's leading scorer the past two seasons, was charged with third-degree assault. He and his attorney met with police to discuss his involvement in a Jan. 27 altercation at the Athena nightclub. He gave no statement and was released on his signature.

Northwest Missouri State scouting report

Here is a look at the matchups for today's doubleheader between Northwest Missouri State and Central Missouri.

Local track stars sign national letters of intent

While local football players stole the spotlight on national signing day, a trio of dominant track athletes signed up to compete in the MIAA. Rock Port's Brentlee Thomas and Zach Layton of West Platte both will suit up for Northwest Missouri State next year, and Hamilton's Jordan Esry inked with Pittsburg State this week. In addition to track, Layton and Esry also plan to compete on their respective cross country teams.

Christian sweeps doubleheader with Osborn

St. Joseph Christian held Osborn without a field goal for a 14-minute span of its 32-minute girls basketball game en route to a 58-29 romp Friday night at St. Joseph Christian School. Hillary Black scored 12 points and Courtney Hopkins 11 for the Lions (9-9), who overcame a sluggish start to dominate the offensive glass for their second straight victory.

Platte County cools off Fighting Irish boys

No amount of Platte County defense could cool Lafayette's outside shooting in the first half. A 20-plus minute halftime complete with winter homecoming festivities did the trick. Platte County won 69-54 Friday night at Lafayette High School, outscoring the host squad 41-20 in the second half. Lafayette hit six 3-pointers on its way to a 34-28 halftime lead, but the Fighting Irish managed just five points in the third quarter, falling behind for good.

Cedar Ridge

Cedar Creek is a renovated barn turned restaurant that is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Is "Quantum of Solace" really the best they could come up with?

Latest James Bond title doesn't exactly capture the Bond spirit

Am I the only one who read the title of the latest Bond flick was going to be "Quantum of Solace" and went "huh?"

The Sound of change

Technology and artist independence could alter the music industry

On March 13, 1995, the alternative rock group Radiohead released its second album "The Bends." It contained the song "High and Dry," which seems to reference an Evel Knievel-esque motorcycle stuntman. By October 2007, Radiohead executed a stunt of its own. After fulfilling their contract with EMI, they left the label and released their seventh album "In Rainbow" exclusively on their Web site and gave people the option to download the album for whatever price they wanted, including free. The album reportedly had 1.2 million downloads in its first day of release, and while the average purchase price was lower than a traditional CD, the band profited due to its lack of overhead costs. Radiohead also released the album in CD format on the indie label ATO Records, which debuted at the top of the Billboard Charts. Since then, other major recording artists have left their labels high and dry, or have at least considered the Radiohead model.

Firey musical review

The songs of Johnny Cash light up the stage

If you've been craving the lusty, deep tones of Johnny Cash, you'll have to look no further than Maryville. The singer-songwriter, who died in 2003, will be honored with the musical review "Ring of Fire" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, in the Northwest Missouri State University Performing Arts Center. The musical review features 12 performers and musicians. The review cast is touring across the country.

Through the lens

Northwest showcases work of photographer Nick Vedros

Photographer Nick Vedros turned his friend into a gnome. He gave him a beard and had a costume made, complete with pointy hat. Then, he photographed his gnome in humorous situations. You can see some of those photographs at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building gallery on the Northwest Missouri State University campus in Maryville, Mo. Vedros' art, part of the visiting Artists Series, will be on exhibit through Feb. 29. "I was always seeing his work in famous magazines," says Craig Warner, assistant professor of art at Northwest. Warner says the exhibit consists of approximately 25 to 30 pieces of Vedros' work. Those humorous gnome shots are intermixed in with other serious pieces.

On the scene: Mardi Gras memories, moon pies and other 'M' words

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my first Mardi Gras parade. Aside from the obligatory boozing and bead catching, I nearly stepped in horse dung, got my picture taken with a sunglasses-wearing pine tree and almost got a Moon Pie in the face, which probably would have stung but definitely would have been delicious. Mardi Gras is not the only "M" word that I will be mentioning in order to guide you, the entertainment fiend, in the directions I think you should be going this weekend.

What's up for the week of February 8

Artist of the week: Reid Ames Woodbury

Greinke, Teahen sign 1-year deals

Basketball Leaderboard

Northwest men down Emporia in 2OT

EMPORIA, Kan. - Cell phone technology gave Northwest Missouri State the break it needed to cool off the hottest men's basketball team in the MIAA. It was a stopwatch on the cell phone of an Emporia State student sports information department assistant that gave game officials the evidence they needed to wave off a potential game-winning 3-pointer by Andrew Davison at the end of regulation.

GIRLS HOOPS NOTEBOOK: Lathrop scores big upset against North Platte

Lathrop's girls added some intrigue to the KCI Conference race last Friday, scoring a 55-53 upset of North Platte.

Area Basketball Standings

Benedictine deals with quarterback concerns

Basketball Fab 5

The teams in The St. Joseph News-Press Fab 5 are done before Thursday games. Rankings are based on who we believe has the best chance to play for a state title.

Bearcat women rocked by Emporia

EMPORIA, Kan. - Emporia State's women didn't need a full 40 minutes to prove it was the better team in Thursday night's game against Northwest Missouri State. About 15 minutes proved enough.

Small schools wrestle with low participation

Laverne Smithson retells the tale like a lingering nightmare. As a longtime assistant, he watched declining numbers and a defunct kids program erode Stanberry's wrestling program to the point where the Bulldogs considered rolling up the mats for good. "We had finished the year with only two or three kids, and everybody was kind of getting burnt out," Smithson said. "It was either I take over, or the program was going to die."

LeBlond boys run past Falls City

For 3 1/2 quarters, Falls City contained LeBlond's quick-strike transition game. The Tigers countered every punch, happily lengthened each half-court possession and refused to go away Thursday night at Grace Gymnasium. But the Golden Eagles' quick-handed guards finally generated enough fast-break chances down the stretch for LeBlond, which ran to a 61-51 victory.

Thursday's Prep Sports

GAME BLOG: No. 15 Baptist 84, Western men 72

If ever the Griffons were going to knock off the MIAA's top team, Wednesday was the time to do it.

GAME BLOG: Southwest Baptist 82, Western women 72

Lauren Nolke graced the cover of Missouri Western's game program Wednesday night. It must have been wishful thinking on the part of the Griffons.

Wednesday's college sports, Feb. 6

Wednesday's prep sports, Feb. 6

Western men's slump continues

No. 15 Southwest Baptist swept the season series with Missouri Western for the second straight year, beating the Griffons 84-72 on Wednesday at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Western (8-12, 2-9) now has lost six in a row overall and three straight at home.

Madison follows big brother to Mizzou

Brad Madison knows all about the offensive linemen who helped the Tigers to a record-setting football season. With his older brother Ryan a part-time starter, the South Harrison senior attended games and kept a close eye on the Tigers. Brad Madison signed his national letter of intent Wednesday morning to join his brother at Missouri next year. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound senior looks to join a line that featured four big-time performers that played high school football in Missouri's smallest 11-man classification.

Northwest flashes some speed with incoming freshman

MARYVILLE, Mo. - The stopwatch this season was the preferred method of measurement for Northwest Missouri State's 26-member football recruiting class. "We wanted to increase our team speed, and we got that, especially at receiver," said coach Mel Tjeerdsma, who signed three receivers to national letters of intent during Wednesday's national signing day. Among them are John Hinchey of Kearney, Tyler Shaw of St. Louis Lutheran North and James Harris of Grandview.

Western football adds even more local flavor

In the Missouri Western football offices hangs a dry-erase board covered in green magnets, representing the Griffons' anticipated depth chart. The offensive line got much greener Wednesday afternoon. Western announced the signing of 24 high school players to national letters of intent Wednesday along with the addition of four transfers. Coach Jerry Partridge said his team could add four more high school players in the coming days. Of those 24 prep players, 22 come from Missouri, and 10 are local kids.

Western women can't keep up with Baptist

The Missouri Western women knew the pressure was coming, had seen it eight days ago and practiced for it this week. But all of that knowledge did little to help the Griffons cope with Southwest Baptist's full-court press Wednesday. The Bearcats' extended defense forced seven second-half turnovers and helped Baptist rally for an 82-72 victory at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffons, who had just two healthy subs, lost a fourth straight game and are now 1-7 against teams ahead of them in the standings.

2008 Signing Day: Western coach Jerry Partridge's press conference

Western football coach Jerry Partridge unveiled his 2008 signing class Wednesday, which includes 10 area players. Central's Michael Hill, Ben Pister and Jeremy Weston highlight the local talent, and in this podcast, Partridge discusses the next crop of Griffons.

Bearcat llineups begin to wear thin

MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Bearcats are bug bitten. Both the injury and flu bugs have taken a bite out of the Northwest Missouri State men's and women's basketball teams, who fight long odds in their attempts in turning around 0-2 weeks. The teams lost to Emporia State and Southwest Baptist last week, and open this week's action at Emporia, Kan., tonight. Saturday's games will be at Central Missouri in Warrensburg.

Elwood, Christian rivalry heats up

Elwood and St. Joseph Christian's boys needed three overtime periods to decide their two matchups this season. Elwood won both. The teams met up Thursday in Elwood and went two overtime periods before the home team eked out a 64-60 win in two OTs. The teams ended regulation tied at 50 and the first overtime at 55.

Northwest defense makes some noise

MARYVILLE, Mo. - During a critical point in the game, as he gets set on defense, Mose Howard occasionally looks over his shoulder at his teammates. WHAAAAM! Five crouched players suddenly slap the floor hard with their palms, prompting the Bearcat Arena crowd to increase the noise level in the building. Within those five players, the intensity has likely risen as well. They have just conducted the "defensive floor slap," which has become a trademark of coach Steve Tappmeyer's Northwest basketball teams.

Brown gives Griffons reason to hope

When given the choice of Honolulu or St. Joseph, Ray Brown picked the muddy banks of the Missouri River over the sandy beaches of Hawaii. Nearly three months into the basketball season, the Missouri Western men and Brown are starting to see the benefits of that decision. Brown - a 6-foot-6 guard from Burnsville, Minn, - was runner-up Mr. Basketball his senior season, averaging 22 points. After receiving mild interest from programs like Wisconsin, Iowa State and Minnesota, Brown signed with Bradley.

Missouri Western scouting reports

Here's a look at the matchups in tonight's doubleheader between Missouri Western and Southwest Baptist.

Northwest Missouri State scouting report

Here's a look at the matchups in tonight's doubleheader between Northwest Missouri State and Emporia State.

Monday's Prep Sports

Lafayette boys get enough key buckets to stop Benton

As the huddle broke, Lafayette coach Chris Neff gave guard Bryce McCrary a seemingly simple task. "I'm telling him, 'Would you hit a 3? We need you to hit a 3,'" Neff said. "He walks out of the huddle, and I just reiterated, 'Hit a 3.'" The Fighting Irish guard honored the request, came up huge when it mattered most and sparked an enormous 15-point, fourth-quarter run during Monday's 58-51 victory against Benton in Springer Gymnasium. In a crucial Midland Empire Conference game, Lafayette (13-9, 2-1 MEC) handed the Cardinals their first conference loss and won for just the second time in its last seven contests.

Western looks forward to new recruits

Jerry Partridge expects two things to remain the same in 2008 for his football team. The Griffons will compete in the MIAA with some of the area's better players and will be picked in the middle of the preseason coaches' poll regardless of how much local talent Missouri Western funnels into its program. "There is no question we'll get picked fifth," Western's head coach said with a laugh Monday, noting the coaches' penchant for placing the Griffons in the middle of the pack each year.

Rucker plans to play for another year

When the Carolina Panthers' season ended, defensive lineman Mike Rucker wasn't certain he wanted to come back for another year. But the South Side St. Joseph native said Monday that he plans to play for at least one more season. "I just feel good, and I feel motivated to go another round," said Rucker, who finished 2007 with 57 tackles and three sacks. Rucker returned last season from an anterior cruciate ligament tear late in the 2006 season. Rucker took a pay cut and went through a grueling rehabilitation program, but was on the field for the start of training camp eight months later and regained his starting position.

Northwest track coach retires

MARYVILLE, Mo. - The longest-tenured coach in the Northwest Missouri State athletic department is in is final season at the school. Richard Alsup, who completed his 31st year as head cross country coach last fall, will retire at the conclusion of the 2008 outdoor track and field season, the university announced. But Alsup, who is in his 23rd season as head track and field coach, talked liked he may not be at the end of the coaching road.

Central girls' comeback attempt falls short

Central survived debilitating fouls, unnecessary turnovers, errant shots and general disarray for three quarters against Fort Osage. And there the home Indians sat down just six entering the final 8 minutes at Central High School. But the early comeback proved taxing, and Fort Osage pulled away for a 53-42 victory in a nonconference Suburban League tilt. The loss followed a 19-point blowout of fellow Class 5 District 14 favorite Oak Park in the third-place game Saturday at the North Kansas City Tournament.

Second-half slump costs Northwest women

BOLIVAR, Mo. - Up by three points at halftime, Northwest Missouri State's lead against Southwest Baptist's women was precarious at best - especially since the Maryville, Mo., squad has a history of letting leads slip away.

Northwest men fall to Baptist

BOLIVAR, Mo. - Jim Grabowski and D'Ante Harris scored 23 points apiece and accounted for 10 of Southwest Baptist's dozen 3-point field goals Saturday night in a 79-72 victory over Northwest Missouri State. "He's a good shooter, but he was wide open all night," Northwest forward Hunter Henry said of Grabowski. "Anybody can hit those shots if they're wide open. If you give a 50 percent 3-point shooter wide-open looks, he becomes a 60 or 65 percent (shooter), and I'm willing to bet he was pretty close to that tonight."

Mizzou upsets Kansas State

Western women lose Nolke, game to Washburn

TOPEKA, Kan. - Rock bottom had a trapdoor for the Missouri Western women. The Griffons' descent continued Saturday when they matched their worst defeat since 2001 with a 68-44 loss to Washburn and watched their roster reduced yet again.

Western men's slide stretches to 5 after loss to Washburn

TOPEKA, Kan. - Playing well for 20 minutes doesn't even enter horseshoes and hand grenades territory in Tom Smith's mind. Consequently, the Western coach didn't find much optimism to salvage from the Griffons' 90-69 loss to Washburn at Lee Arena on Saturday. Western led 38-33 with 2 minutes, 21 seconds to go in the first half before Washburn closed the frame on a 9-0 run. The Griffons played close with Southwest Baptist on Tuesday as well, trailing 38-32 at the break.

Kansas bounces back

BOULDER, Colo. - The second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks shook off the hangover from their first loss just in time to avoid a second straight shocker.

Irish capture own Invitational title

Two years have passed since Lafayette's Trevor Cogdill took the mats at Mizzou Arena.

Chiefs' Thomas -- Emmitt, not Derrick -- receives HOF invite

PHOENIX - Like the two old friends they are, Darrell Green and Art Monk chatted about the latest news in their lives: making the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Never mind that thousands of people were listening to the conference call after Saturday's announcement. This was simply two former Washington Redskins sharing verbal hugs after receiving the sport's highest honor.

Saturday's Prep Sports

REWIND TOP 5: Fresh meat on the mat

The names at the top of brackets are predictably familiar: Tyler St. Louis, Zach Kinnison and Ryan Mallen. But every year, a few fresh faces come along and establish themselves as the next wave of dominant wrestlers. Last year, Mid-Buchanan's Jake Rumpf, Marty Uehlin of Savannah and Benton's Dustin Williams were just a few of the local athletes to ascend Mizzou Arena's medal stand during their first year in the area. Who will still be wrestling in mid-February this year? Here are a few of our picks. Send along any more deserving candidates to rossmartin@npgco.com.

Tollefson looking for Super Bowl ring

Dave Tollefson played a huge role in leading Northwest Missouri State to four road playoff victories and an appearance in the 2005 Division II national championship. Now the 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive end is contributing to another underdog's postseason campaign.

REWIND: City wrestlers have shot at large state contingent

The district semifinal wrestleback round goes by many names. Affectionately referred to as the gut-check round, cry-baby round and a few other titles, it often contains the most dramatic matches of the day. A win propels the victor on to state. A loss ends your season in crushing fashion.

SUPER BEARCAT: Dave Tollefson prepares for Super Bowl

Dave Tollefson trekked along to the NFL by way of the junior college route --- Los Medanos Community College --- and then Division II, with a two-year playing career at Northwest Missouri State. Nonetheless, he's playing at football's highest level now and on Sunday will be on the NFL's biggest stage.

Mound City turns to Schoonover to get past Rock Port

ROCK PORT, Mo. - Mound City's Kallie Schoonover put her three first-half fouls behind her and played up to her all-state form during Friday night's second half against Rock Port. The junior guard scored 16 of her 18 points after halftime, helping the Panthers gut out a 60-58 win at Rock Port High School. Schoonover spent the second half of the second quarter on the bench with three fouls and only two points. She didn't pick up another foul and hit 4 of 6 free throws in the waning moments to seal it.

Group offers women chance to learn about outdoors activities

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funded a study in 2005 that revealed an interesting fact about women and their interest in outdoor activities: Four out of five women were unaware there were programs available to teach them skills such as camping, canoeing, hiking, hunting and fishing. The members of the Platte Purchase Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation's Women in the Outdoors are trying to change this. The chapter is gearing up for a big weekend designed to help local women learn about and enjoy the great outdoors.

New sports show event could be good winter distraction for hunters

The Kansas City and St. Joseph sports shows have come and gone, and now most outdoors people are looking for something to do (besides the long list of chores we've been putting off). Other than a few remaining hunting seasons or a little ice fishing, the majority of us are daydreaming about big gobblers and weeding through tackle boxes in anticipation of wetting a line at a favorite fishing hole. For those needing a little shot in the arm to get them through this slow time, why not head out to Chillicothe 9-10 for the North Missouri Outdoor Classic? The event is being sponsored by the North Missouri Sportsman's Alliance and sounds like a great time for those suffering from outdoor withdrawals.

Lafayette girls turn up pressure on Cameron

Lafayette's LaKrisa Cruse doesn't take many breathers. But the Fighting Irish senior deserved one after single-handedly recording a pair of steals and break-away layups Friday against Cameron. Her defensive pressure came during a stretch that helped Lafayette run away from the Dragons 61-44 at Lafayette High School. "You can tell she's working hard when she needs to take a breather," Lafayette coach Katie McCullough said. "She doesn't get winded very often."

No easy ride for Bearcat football in 2008

MARYVILLE, Mo. - A matchup of national powers will kick off the 2008 Northwest Missouri State football schedule, announced this week. The Bearcats will host Abilene Christian at 6 p.m. on Aug. 30 to open an 11-game schedule, the first three games of which will be at home. Abilene Christian, a regional semifinalist and Lone Star Conference power, returns All-American running back Bernard Scott, the runner-up for the NCAA Division II player of the year award. As a junior, Scott was the nation's second leading rusher behind Northwest's Xavier Omon with 2,165 yards.

Massive 3-pointer sparks Princeton boys

PRINCETON, Mo. - The Princeton boys played a lackluster first half against Worth County. They needed a lift. Ethan Stark provided it. As the halftime buzzer sounded, Stark launched a 3-point attempt from 70 feet - one handed. The ball drained the net.

Friday's Prep Sports

Microsoft makes colossal bid for Yahoo

What do you do when you're losing ground to one of the hottest companies in the country? Buy their competition. At least, that's what Microsoft is planning to do.

... When the St. Joe's marching in

Mardi Gras Parade gets rolling this Saturday

"I think it is the goofiest thing you could possibly do in February at night." This is a pretty apt description given by Mark Sheehan, organizer of the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Society's annual Mardi Gras Parade, which will take place at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2. But regardless of the weather, bringing a bit of the Big Easy to Joetown has proven to be a big hit. The Mardi Gras Parade was first held in February 2002 as a way to raise money for the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival, which is held each summer. Sheehan saw that with St. Joe's fondness for parades (Apple Blossom Parade, Southside Fall Festival Parade, St. Patrick's Day Parade ...), there wasn't one solely held for the more grown-up crowd.

A fitting tribute

Kick-off for the Ray Alburn Memorial Scholarship Fund will be this weekend

Ray Alburn was an important part of the music and arts landscape in St. Joseph. Now that he's gone, those close to him want to pay a fitting tribute. Kathleen Holeman and the Performing Arts Association have teamed up to form the Ray Alburn Memorial Scholarship Fund. A kick-off event for the scholarship fund will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, at the United Ballroom, 602 Felix Street. The event will feature the Ray Alburn Big Band, under the direction of Holeman. There will be a jam session and additional performances by guest musicians, friend's of Alburn.

Moments and messages

Songwriter/skateboarder For the Sound plays CD release party at Cafe Acoustic

When Zale Bledsoe a.k.a. For the Sound was 14, he got a skateboard and a guitar for his birthday. Now, neither one is too far away from him. Bledsoe skated much more than he played guitar for 10 years, working at the Escapist Skateboarding skate shop in Kansas City. But things happened. Personal tragedy. A relationship gone bad. It brought him back home to St. Joseph in 2005, and a $20 guitar became his confidant.

On the scene: Le parade and le music does not le stink

To be honest, the only times that I ever have any reason to speak French in St. Joseph is if I am ordering food at Boudreaux's or telling people in my column to go the The Rendezvous. But this weekend, I can butcher the romantic language when I attempt to yell French expressions during the Mardi Gras Parade. If you want info on the parade, check out pages D8 and D9.

Artist of the week: Foul Taste of Freedom

Foul Taste of Freedom, with members Tyler Vaughn (guitar), Brian White (vocals), David Barnes (bass), Shawn Courter (drums) and Kyle Rehm (guitar), has recently gotten its first taste of playing out. The band performed its first show back in January in Elwood, Kan. But the hard rock/metal quintet has been building the band and crafting their aggressive sound since 2006. To hear them, go to www.myspace.com/foultasteoffreedom.

What's up for the week of Feb. 1

Magoon's Famous Delicatessen

Magoon's is a unique New York deli-style bar with a comfy old-time neighborhood feel. Inside Magoon's, with the red booths, tile floors and nostalgic St. Joseph memorabilia, it's easy to imagine what it may have looked like originally when Ben Magoon opened the business in 1930. He closed it in 1980, but Barry Woodhall reopened the deli one year ago (Jan. 26, 2007) with the blessings and some of the original recipes of the Magoon family.

Stories for February 2008

Friday, February 29

Often overlooked winter pastime helps manage area fish populations

If Lindsey lays low for awhile, Hollywood might forget her partying past

'Agnes of God' begins run at Robidoux Landing Playhouse tonight

'The Wedding Singer' musical comes to the Kansas City Music Hall

World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions perform tonight at Civic Arena

Missoula Children's Theatre presents 'Sleeping Beauty' this Saturday

Thursday, February 28

Thoughts and suggestions on the new theatrical live show flicks

Two late-nineties artists entered, but only one really won the crowd

Wednesday, February 27

Tuesday, February 26

Western, Northwest players make statement with tattoos

Monday, February 25

Sunday, February 24

Saturday, February 23

High school upsets always surface this time of year

Best teams rise as prep season winds down

Friday, February 22

Popular awards show giving non-classical artists the gold shoulder

'The Producers' and the Saint Joseph Symphony both take the stage this weekend

Gangstaz and Gentlmenz show featuring area hip-hop and R&B comes to Mirrors

High school art on display at the Albrecht-Kemper

Thursday, February 21

Popular musical plays to a pleased crowd

Wednesday, February 20

Cardinals to face Pirates in district title game

Pirates advance to district title game

Tuesday, February 19

Bearcat Notebook

This year's lineup of Oscar nominees contains few box office hits

Monday, February 18

Class 4 District 16 start also sees Lafayette girls lose