stjoelive.com | Stories for January 2008

Thursday's Prep Sports

GAME BLOG: Benton girls 56, Chillicothe 32

Random thoughts from Thursday's Benton-Chillicothe matchup: ---After a third-quarter foul, a white-haired, bespectacled gentleman bellowed from the top row of bleachers, "I'm surprised you could see that. You're so old."

Reserve sparks Benton girls' win against Chillicothe

When Jenni Musser swished a 3-pointer on Benton's opening possession, the Cardinals appeared headed for another rout of Chillicothe. Yes, Benton went on to a 56-32 victory Thursday night at Springer Gymnasium, but it took six unanswered points from reserve sophomore Shelbee Cox to break the Cardinals out of a first-half funk. Chillicothe (9-9, 0-3 MEC) frustrated Benton early with its 2-3 zone and led for a generous portion of the first half. Cox scored on three straight possessions midway through the second quarter to give the Cardinals the lead for good.

Sabetha rebounds from losses, claims key contest

Sabetha certainly didn't have to worry about overconfidence heading into Tuesday's clash with Nemaha Valley. Back-to-back losses had rattled the Blue Jays, who were searching for answers after shooting less than 30 percent during an 11-point loss to Silver Lake the previous week. "It can create a little doubt for you if you have that poor of a game," Sabetha coach Scott Burger said "That was good for us, I think - maybe a little reality check."

Fairfax, Craig decide to co-op to keep sports alive

Amanda Geib never thought she would play with her Craig teammates again. The Fairfax junior's family moved just north last summer to be closer to its pallet factory within the Fairfax school district's borders. The new house sits just across the street. Geib changed her blue-and-yellow Craig jerseys out for Fairfax's green-and-white duds. The move proved difficult for her, but a recent decision by the neighboring school districts creates a new opportunity - a wholly unique opportunity - for Geib as well as all students at Fairfax and Craig.

Anderson's clean-up job an ongoing battle at Mizzou

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Two seasons into the Mike Anderson era, Missouri retains a whiff of the outlaw program he was hired to clean up. But by sacrificing a victory on Wednesday against Nebraska, Anderson hoped to prove a point that the current troubles are nothing like what got Quin Snyder terminated in 2006. If for only one game, Anderson put teeth into his no-tolerance policy prompted by several off-court incidents. "When kids make mistakes, you've got to discipline them," Anderson said. "These are kids we're talking about. I'm a teacher, too, and I'm trying to teach them about life.

Democrats to hold debate watch party

Event starts Thursday at 7 p.m.

Democrats will hold a presidential debate watch party Thursday night. Candidates for the Democratic nomination will debate in Los Angeles beginning at 7 p.m., St. Joseph time.

Wednesday's Prep Sports

St. Joseph officially set to kick off Tour of Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Despite an inaugural effort that exceeded its $1 million state budget by $350,000, the Tour of Missouri cycling race is returning in 2008 with an extra day of racing and four new host cities. The tour begins Sept. 8 with a 90-mile road race from St. Joseph to Kansas City. Rolla, St. James and Hermann join St. Joseph as the other new stops. The seven-day, 623-mile race returns to Clinton, Springfield, Branson, Lebanon, Jefferson City, St. Charles and St. Louis, where the race will again conclude beneath the Gateway Arch.

Two Spoofhounds commit to join Bearcats

Maryville's upswing in football this year led to the return of a traditon: Spoofhounds moving on to play at Northwest Missouri State. Following a 9-1 season, Tyler Oglesby and Cory Cronk verbally committed to play football for their hometown school. Northwest's 2007 roster featured six Maryville players during a third straight national runner-up finish. Oglesby and Cronk are the first Maryville players since 2005 to sign with Northwest.

Northwest women tripped up again

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Just four days after they matched the school record for 3-point field goals in a game, the law of averages caught up with the Northwest Missouri State women. The Bearcats hit an icy 3-for-21 from beyond the arc and couldn't find an answer for Emporia State's emerging star in a 90-76 loss to the Hornets on Wednesday night. Ida Edwards scored 23 points and befuddled Northwest forward Mandi Schumacher most of the night.

Goodwin energizes Lafayette boys in win over Lincoln Prep

Craig Goodwin stormed back down the court, roaring at anyone who would listen. Lafayette's energetic senior forward had just capped a flurry of crisp passes with another strong layup and staked his team to an unassailable lead. Goodwin's seventh basket of the night punctuated a vital run that fueled the Fighting Irish's 56-45 statement victory against Lincoln Prep Wednesday at Lafayette High School.

Emporia State beats buzzer, Northwest men

MARYVILLE, Mo. - A student of basketball would say that Andrew Davison shot too soon and from too far out. Luckily for Davison and Emporia State, his shot from NBA 3-point depth went in with 10 seconds remaining, giving the Hornets a 65-62 victory over Northwest Missouri State on Wednesday night. The Hornets got the ball with 30 seconds left and, with the shot clock off, the ability to go for the last shot. But 20 seconds into the possession, Davison popped the 3-pointer from the top of the key.

TRAVEL LOG: Bolivar

In between the bait shops, gas stations and random storage sheds on Highway 13, we passed the Under New Management Motel -- an old sign by the side of the highway with the broken neon lights saying motel and the Under New Management pasted over the top of what I can only guess the former name was.

GAME BLOG: Southwest Baptist 76, Western men 56

There was just one question stuck on repeat in my mind as I watched the Bearcats pull away from Western in the second half Tuesday: How in the heck did this team lose to Truman by 20 points?

GAME BLOG: Southwest Baptist 77, Western women 60

I watched the Bearcats for 40 minutes, saw 11 of them play and witnessed their 17-point beating of a pretty hapless Griffons team. And even after all that, I still can't figure out how Baptist is 14-4 with wins over Emporia State and Washburn.

Central falls vs. Park Hill South

Central waited for a consistent scorer to step up Tuesday night against Park Hill South. Then waited again ... and again. The Indians endured two prolonged scoring droughts - one in each half - during a 58-40 loss to the Panthers at Central High School. Central trailed by as many as 31 and scored more than half of its points (21) in the fourth quarter. Justin Love led Central with eight points.

Benton finds zone in time to stop Cameron

The first-half shooting matched the frigid temperatures outside Springer Gymnasium on Tuesday. Both Cameron and Benton watched each other take shot after shot - most of which rolled off the rim or clanked off the back of the iron. Ten seconds into the second half, however, Trynon Bigham's spinning turnaround announced that the Cardinals' offense would run differently in the second half during Benton's 61-46 victory against Cameron in a Midland Empire Conference clash.

Griffon men get rocked

BOLIVAR, Mo. - Southwest Baptist's mascot took a brief break from his dancing duties and general attention grabbing and made his way down the baseline to offer some assistance. Missouri Western's Lonnel Johnson and Jay McFarland knocked over the water cooler at the end of the Griffons' bench while going for a loose ball Tuesday, spilling ice and water on the floor at the Meyer Sports Center. So the furry purple Bearcat assisted Western's trainer in the cleanup - a nice gesture that was about the only hospitality the Bearcats showed Missouri Western.

Tuesday's prep boxes and rankings

Northwest men meet up with familiar faces

MARYVILLE, Mo. - When Emporia State comes to Bearcat Arena tonight to play Northwest Missouri State in an MIAA men's basketball game, a couple of the Hornets will be extremely familiar with their surroundings - and their opponent. Two of the Emporia State assistant coaches - Ben McCollum and Jesse Shaw - have Northwest backgrounds. McCollum is in his third year on the Hornets staff after spending a couple of years as Northwest coach Steve Tappmeyer's graduate assistant. And that was following a two-year playing career with the Bearcats.

Northwest scouting report

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

Hellerich gets good prognosis but unable to return to court

Just one day after suffering a concussion and seizure at Cameron High School, Echo Hellerich was planning her comeback. After all, the Bishop LeBlond guard successfully returned from a similar concussion a year ago and helped her team to a district championship. Hellerich's season came to an end Monday, however, when she suffered a second seizure at Bishop LeBlond High School and was readmitted to Heartland Regional Medical Center.

Could old guys make a New Kids comeback work?

Though rumors of a New Kids On the Block reunion have be disputed, you can't help but wonder what might have been.

The New Kids On the Block reunion rumors have been disputed, and this fan's hopes have been crushed. But perhaps it's for the best. Could New Kid still work when all the members are old guys?

Monday's prep sports, Jan. 28

Griffon men try new approach

Necessity forced the Missouri Western women's team to use seven to eight players this season. A change of responsibilities has the Griffon men mirroring that approach. Coach Tom Smith took over the substitutions for the Western men's game at Emporia State on Sunday, and only eight Griffons played more than four minutes. Western opted to vary its defensive sets more, prompting Smith to give those duties to assistant Mike Nicholson. That left managing the Griffons' bench to Smith. "I think everybody is held a little more accountable to me," said Smith, who added the change of responsibilities has nothing to do with the Griffons' 8-9 record and three-game losing streak. "I will say this, I am way more conservative in substituting patterns. That's one of the reasons I gave it up before."

Missouri Western scouting report

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

Griffon men go cold in overtime at Emporia

Call the Emporia State coaching staff prophetic. Call it prepared. Either way, after Sunday, call the Hornets winners. The Hornets coaches had their star DeAndre Townsend taking contested, pressure shots in practice Saturday, preparing the senior for Sunday's matchup with Missouri Western. That extra repetition certainly fit the scenario facing Emporia with 27 seconds remaining at White Auditorium. Townsend pulled up and hit a game-tying 3-pointer over a Griffon defender, and the Hornets went on to win in overtime 76-72.

Western women can't exorcise spell of White Auditorium

EMPORIA, Kan. - Forced to endure a rollicking version of Emporia State's fight song one last time, Missouri Western's Jill Johnson and Chemia Woods' eyes remained fixed on the floor as the two seniors made their way to the locker room. Even under the stands, they still couldn't entirely escape the din of this concrete box. Western's four-year duo has won in every MIAA arena save one - the conference's oldest and arguably most raucous facility, White Auditorium. That trend didn't change Sunday as the Griffons fell to the No. 16 Hornets, 84-65, their fourth straight loss at Emporia.

Sunday's Western Basketball Box Scores

Mid-Buchanan too much for Christian

Bryce Kemper's bench rarely looks the same for more than a few minutes as the Mid-Buchanan coach liberally uses six to seven reserves in any given game. Even then, its composition hadn't changed as rapidly as it did Friday night in quite a while. Kemper, after watching his team leave a St. Joseph Christian Lion uncovered for a layup late in the first quarter, pulled a line change, subbing out all five Dragons on the floor. "It's been awhile since I have had to do that," Kemper said. "I just did not feel like we came out and played with the intensity level or focus we were capable of playing. If somebody is not doing it, somebody else will step up and do it." And those five players came off the bench, erased an eight-point deficit and helped Mid-Buchanan beat the Lions 61-51 at St. Joseph Christian. Of the 12 Dragons who played Friday, nine scored, with only Brett Pierce (11 points) and Shane Andriano (10 points) reaching double figures.

Saturday's Prep Boxes

Prep

Central girls win Cameron tourney with by stopping LeBlond in finals

CAMERON, Mo. - For 15 minutes, Central and Bishop LeBlond's intense rivalry took the backseat it deserved. Golden Eagle guard Echo Hellerich's violent, fourth-quarter collision with Central's Anissa DeMarr sent Hellerich crashing to the floor, where she lay motionless for several tense minutes. After she was helped from the court, an emotionally charged LeBlond team showed a heightened level of composure and traded baskets with the Indians. Despite LeBlond's resolve, the Indians prevailed 54-48 in the championship game of the Cameron Tournament.

Overtime thrillers

Sometimes, regulation is not enough. Several outstanding contests, both on the courts and the mats, have proven too thrilling to be limited to their allotted times. Here are a few of the best games this year to be decided in extra frames. Know of another overtime thriller? Let us know with an e-mail to rossmartin@npgco.com. We'll print responses on next week's Rewind page.

MEC bragging rights on the line as conference play shifts into gear

Saturday's batch of championship finals signaled the end of a busy month of tournament play. With just about all of the area's annual tourney brackets filled in, local hoops teams will turn their full attention to their remaining conference slates. Some of the state's best small-class talent will collide in the next three weeks - especially on the girls side - in hopes of earning a coveted conference crown. But for now, let's shift our attention to the Midland Empire Conference, which features a stacked field of contenders on each side of the standings.

COLUMN: Even Hillman knocked off message by baseball's scandal

Take a decent man. Stick him in the quagmire that has become professional sports. Watch him descend. Steroids, human growth hormone and an obscene amount of money combine in an ever-growing froth of depravity. In this sort of environment, no one escapes. Trey Hillman and I stumbled into this together last week.

Northwest women outlast Central

MARYVILLE, Mo. - The hot-water faucet turned off for Northwest Missouri State in the second half, but not before the Bearcats had enough water to give Central Missouri a 98-84 bath Saturday in their MIAA women's basketball clash at Bearcat Arena. The Bearcats shot 63 percent in the first half and cooled drastically after intermission. But it proved to be enough to hand the Jennies their seventh conference loss in eight attempts. Northwest (11-6, 6-2 MIAA) got a season-high 16 points from guard Amber Vandevender, who had her best game since transferring this season from North Central Missouri College.

Northwest men punish Central Missouri

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State dominated the paint on Saturday, defeating Central Missouri 77-62 to gain significant ground in the MIAA basketball race. The Bearcats (13-4, 5-3 MIAA) led by as many as 25 points with 7 minutes, 17 seconds remaining when Mike Larsen drove in for a layup and a 71-46 lead. Larsen was one of five Northwest players to finish in double figures. He tallied 12 points in his fourth start of the season as a replacement for guards Andy Peterson and Eddie Gray. Peterson has been nursing a back injury, while Gray has been on a leave of absence for family reasons.

Benton boys hang on against Maryville

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Friday night started out badly for Benton star Johnny Coy. To begin the game, the shots weren't falling, whether from beyond the arc or on a breakaway dunk. But the Cardinals' star persevered and came through when his team needed him the most. The senior forward scored eight of Benton's final 11 points to avoid an upset bid by Maryville in a 59-56 win.

Doniphan West keeps on top of Elwood

HIGHLAND, Mo. - With the ball clanking dangerously around the rim, Travis Twombly started pumping his fist through the air. Not the usual gesture of confidence, the Doniphan West junior simply was trying to coax in his decisive free-throw attempt. "It kind of bounced around, and I was like, 'Come on. Get in there,'" Twombly said. After a couple more dramatic bounces, the ball dropped lazily through the hoop, which sent the home crowd into a frenzy and helped lift the Mustangs to a 47-43 win on Monday against Elwood.

Friday's Prep Sports

Jefferson girls find 2nd half groove, knock down South Nodaway

BARNARD, Mo. - Negative thoughts immediately entered Tiffany Bliley's mind as she let her 3-pointer fly from the left wing. The Jefferson senior must have forgotten where she was standing. "As soon as I shot, I kind of thought we didn't need that," said Bliley, who scored a team-high 20 points. "But when it went in, I knew the energy had changed to our side, and it helped us for the better." Bliley's fifth 3-pointer early in overtime Friday night against South Nodaway gave Jefferson the lead for good in a 59-55 victory at South Nodaway High School. All five of Bliley's 3-pointers came from the left wing.

Archers have 2nd best deer season ever

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Archers killed the second-largest number of deer on record during Missouri's bowhunting season, boosting the overall deer harvest to the No. 3 spot in historical standings. While not a record-setting deer-hunting season, 2007-2008 is likely to be remembered for a rollercoaster ride of strange weather and other conditions.

It's all about finding the right location

The National Geographic Channel aired a show the other day about how a pack of killer whales had found a perfect hunting spot in Monterrey Bay off the coast of California. The whales had capitalized on the age-old business principle of "location, location, location." Watching the whales using the habitat to their advantage made me think of how we as outdoorsmen could learn from these huge hunters. Apparently the killer whales have found a deep trench in the middle of the bay, which just happens to be one of the few spots grey whales and their pups are vulnerable to attacks from killer whales (their only predator) during their migration. The killer whales know to return to this spot every year when grey whale pups begin their trek from Mexico to the Artic.

Anglers enjoy 'Flies and Pies'

Fly-tying group cinches down good initial meeting

Those who attended the St. Joseph Sports Show last weekend may have stopped by or noticed a booth on the upper level named "Flies and Pies." With a table full of vises and a variety of feathers, hackle, threads, and animal skins, it wasn't long before show participants figured out the "Flies" part of the title. But what about the "Pies?" "'Flies' obviously refers to tying handmade fly-fishing lures, but the 'Pies' part of our title refers to the pizza pies we'll be eating as we get together one evening every month to tie them," said Steve Pflugradt, organizer of the group.

Northwest Missouri State scouting report

Here is a look at the men's and women's matchups for today's Northwest Missouri State doubleheader with Cnetral Missouri.

Northwest's Williams develops into a leader

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Lauren Williams has sometimes been unselfish to a fault. Perhaps it was her background, attending St. Joseph Christian High School, where she was content to pass up the open shot to give one of her teammates the scoring opportunity. It was a trait that hasn't always served her well. As an underclassman at Northwest Missouri State, her coach, Gene Steinmeyer sometimes complained that she was not aggressive enough.

Missouri high school football districts get shuffled

Central's new football district opponents are no surprise, but not even coach Tony Dudik could've predicted the Indians would wind up in District 11. After all, there hasn't been a District 11 - or District 9 or 10 - in Class 5 since Missouri expanded to six classes of 11-man football for the 2002 season. A late ruling Thursday from the Missouri State High School Activities Association board of directors created the shuffle. Prior to this season, Classes 1 to 4 each contained 64 teams with Class 6 housing the largest 32 schools and Class 5 taking all the excess. MSHSAA used multiple five-team districts to accommodate the extra teams in Class 5.

Missouri football district assignments

A talent gone too soon

Heath Ledger's death shocks the nation, and leaves a hole in Hollywood

Heath Ledger's death leaves a void in Hollywood, the industry and in his fans' hearts.

Last action heroes

Stars return to the big screen in old roles

He's back. He's armed. He's got an AARP card. That could very well be the tagline for the new action film "Rambo" opening this weekend, as the film's star, Sylvester Stallone, 62, reprises his role as a hell-raising war hero he last played 20 years ago. Where Hollywood is concerned, age ain't nothin' but a number. With the recent box office success of Bruce Willis returning as John McClane in "Live Free or Die Hard" and Stallone's lacing up his boxing gloves to positive critical and commercial response in "Rocky Balboa," older action heroes mean big business.

From Russia, with love

St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre to perform 'Carmen'

Love gone sour and a woman scorned. Oops, make that a man scorned and you have the ingredients for the ballet "Carmen." A young Spanish soldier falls in love with the fiery gypsy Carmen. Deserting his post, he joins a band of smugglers. But, Carmen soon falls for the bullfighter Escamillo. Then, love turns fatal when Don Jose confronts Carmen at the bullring. That's the soap-opera-style tale audiences will become a part of when the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre of Russia presents the national touring production of "Carmen" Wednesday, Jan. 30, in the Northwest Missouri State University Performing Arts Center.

Under his spell

Hypnotist comic Anthony Potmesil performs at Uncle D's tonight

Anthony Potmesil can make people do some crazy things, and they'll have no idea what they did until their friends tell them when they wake up. The 28-year-old Omaha-based hypnotist and comedian has been entrancing audience members and volunteers at comedy clubs, colleges and high schools for the past five years nationwide. But before he could get to the point where he spends 45 weekends on the road touring, he had to get inspired to pursue hypnosis - and did - when he saw a performance by the hypnotist comedian Hypnobro a.k.a. Leroy Williams at the Joker's Comedy Club in Omaha in his early 20s.

On the scene: Musical weekend before Mardi Gras and Super Bowl

Well, it's official. I have two teams I have absolutely no interest in watching in next weekend's Super Bowl. I knew I jinxed it by predicting the Packers would win in my last column. But I am no sportswriter, Nostradamus or athlete (at least I haven't been since I played basketball in the sixth grade and rocked a mean pair of Rec Specs). I am, however, pretty familiar with what is going in St. Joe this weekend, and if you want to see original live music, you've got some pretty good choices.

Thursday's Prep Sports

Highland's Arnold posts 100th win

It took a little longer than he might have liked, but Highland women's coach James Arnold picked up his 100th career win during Wednesday night's 67-57 victory against Neosho Community College in Jayhawk Conference play.

Prep basketball leaderboard

The prep basketball leaderboards are put together weekly by assistant sports editor Ross Martin and sports reporter Andy Meyer from coaches' submissions. If you see inaccurate or incomplete information, please contact Ross at (816) 271-8553 or e-mail at rossmartin@npgco.com. All submissions for leaderboard should be in by Wednesday afternoon at the latest. The full leaderboard, including those not listed below, can be viewed at www.sjnp.net under the Sports heading. It will be uploaded every Friday morning right after midnight.

Savannah girls copes with lack of height

High school girls notebook

Savannah's diminutive, guard-heavy rotation handled a pair of towering teams with mixed results within the past week. The Savages contained a pair of 6-footers during a 54-37 win against Truman last Saturday in the third-place game of the Truman Tournament.

Royals' Gordon hopes for more relaxed 2nd season

OMAHA, Neb. - The spotlight isn't shining so brightly on Alex Gordon as he enters his second major-league season, and that's just how the Kansas City Royals' low-key third baseman likes it. Expectations were heaped on Gordon after he was drafted No. 2 overall out of Nebraska in 2005. Those expectations grew exponentially after he was named minor-league player of the year in 2006.

Albany's Cox coaches both teams

ALBANY, Mo. - Kurtis Cox carefully unknots his single Windsor and slowly lifts himself up from his all-too-familiar spot at the end of the bench. Eyes glazed, he takes his turn through the post-game handshake line, doling out the same beleaguered response to coaches and players. After taking a deep breath, Cox begins the final trek to the locker room across the crowded Albany High School gymnasium floor. As the coach of both Albany basketball teams, Cox hasn't left the gymnasium in almost four hours - and still has work to do before heading home.

Central wins City Wrestling Meet

Benton shuffled its lineup slightly Thursday night, trying to maximize its chances at individual championships at the City Wrestling Meet. Central junior Caleb McDaniel made sure one move didn't work out.

Wednesday's Prep Sports

Listless Western men drop home game to Pittsburg State

At least the reception Missouri Western received from the MWSU Fieldhouse fans at the end of Wednesday's game should be comparable to what the Griffons will experience during their upcoming road swing. Only the diehard Griffons supporters - ones who would travel to Bolivar or Emporia - could applaud this Western showing. A season-long, four-game home stretch that started with such promise ended with a smattering of sympathetic cheers as the Griffons lost 69-55 to Pittsburg State - their second consecutive defeat that featured a season low for points.

Larsen gives Northwest men a spark

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - With the MIAA player of the year and the MIAA freshman of the year on Northwest Missouri State's roster, opponents think they know which Bearcats will score. Truman State thought wrong on Wednesday night. Sophomore Mike Larsen scored a season-high 14 points, and freshman Elijah Allen matched his career high with 12 as the Bearcats defeated Truman 64-50.

Western, Partridge add 4 recruits from region

Jerry Partridge gained four more verbal commitments from area football players this week, and the Missouri Western football coach's message continues to resonate in his recruiting: the best local players are coming to St. Joseph. North Platte offensive lineman Mitch Giger committed over the weekend, while Trenton linemen Kyle Hoyt and Ethan Tabbert gave their word Tuesday night. Central senior Jeremy Weston recently added his name - joining previous Indian commits Ben Pister and Michael Hill, who committed last month. "They're like a big family. Everyone's connected," Giger said.

Buzzer beats Northwest women

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - With acrobatic beauty, guard Candace McGee launched 3-pointers through the net at a rapid pace. But it was an awkward, off-balanced shot by Julia Montebello with less than 1 second remaining that sealed Northwest Missouri's fate Wednesday night in an 84-82 loss against Truman State. Montebello crashed into Jessica Burton and another Northwest defender, then crumpled to the floor with just four-tenths of a second left. But the shot fell through the net, keeping the Bulldogs (12-4, 4-3 MIAA) a perfect 9-0 in Pershing Arena this season.

Johnson helps Western women bury Pittsburg State

Jill Johnson's checklist of things she still wants accomplish in her college career is a short one. The Missouri Western senior has won a conference title, made the All-MIAA team, scored 1,252 points and grabbed 653 rebounds. Obviously, an MIAA tournament title and national championship remain, but that list has one fewer item after Wednesday's game against Pittsburg State. Johnson hit two free throws with 5.9 seconds remaining to give Western a 77-75 victory in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Central wrestlers often get overlooked

Will Unzicker showed up for his first Central wrestling practice four years ago with a lack of information. As a freshman, he had no prior wrestling experience and no wrestling shoes. He'd never even heard of wrestling shoes. "I had 'em by the end of the week," the senior 171-pounder said. Unzicker's story is not unlike those from most of Central's 35-man wrestling squad. Only a handful wrestled prior to high school, and most found their way to the mat by chance. As coach Brett Swope said, "Some of them are looking around for the turnbuckles." Unzicker wandered into the practice room, coaxed by a combination of friends and football coaches. In his socks, he learned a lot the first day wrestling with the rest of the first-year and junior-varsity wrestlers.

Tumble at the top

The polls show DeKalb and Jefferson as No. 1 and No. 2 in the just-released AP Class 1 girls weekly rankings. Don't get too attached to those numbers. Ranked in those spots all year, both teams tumbled Tuesday night --- DeKalb to Class 2-ranked North Platte, Jefferson to recently stumbling Mound City.

Lionel Loueke: Karibu

I first heard Lionel Loueke on Herbie Hancock's 2005 album "Possibilities" and was blown away by his approach to the guitar. In his hands the instrument takes on a drum-like, percussive quality.

01/22/08 WbNW Podcast: Western guards Chemia Woods and Yanique Javois

Javois and Woods were polite enough to delay their dinner following practice Tuesday to sit down with me and discuss a myriad of topics in this week's podcast. So if you have any interest in their thoughts on full-court pressure, playing 35-plus minutes, the Griffons' recent resurgence, pro prospects, the St. Joseph Community or precautionary driving tactics for tournament time, then take a listen. Or if you are a fan of candid conversation or just the Clash, this might work as well.

Tuesday's prep statistics and boxes

Prep boxes

Blaylock leads Christian to victory against Tarkio

No. 8 Tarkio girls too much for Christian

No one looked more comfortable Tuesday night at St. Joseph Christian than Jacob Blaylock. Christian's senior guard poured in 25 points against Tarkio, leading the Lions to a 58-35 victory. It was Christian's first home game this season. Blaylock added eight rebounds - seven offensive - to his season-high for points in front of a sizeable home crowd.

Griffons' AD search moves forward

Dan Nicoson asked members of Missouri Western's athletic director search committee to turn in their score sheets today on the second round of candidates so the university can begin the next step in the process. Nicoson, the committee's chair and university's vice president, said Western received 58 applications this time - 27 of which met minimum requirements and were forwarded to the committee. Of those applicants, 19 have experience as an athletic director. Each member of the committee was given five days to grade each application on a number of factors, including professional statements, employment history, managerial philosophy, community involvement and fundraising.

Pleasant surprise for Elwood

Cullen Miller was as surprised as anyone at Elwood High School that his buzzer-beating shot was ruled a 3-pointer. "I thought I was in front of the line," the Elwood senior said. "I thought I was by the free-throw line." Miller took a pass from Qunvel King in the waning seconds of Elwood's consolation semifinal against Maur Hill-Mount Academy in last week's Elwood Invitational. He dribbled out a few seconds with the Panthers trailing 51-49 at the top of the key before pulling up for an awkward jumper.

Missouri Western scouting report

Here's a look at Missouri Western's men's and women's matchups tonight against Pittsburg State.

Stepping into an investigation too familiar for Western coach

In Lynn Plett's next job interview, the long-time women's basketball coach might want to inquire into that prospective university's standing with the NCAA. Within a year of accepting his past two jobs, allegations that predated Plett's arrival surfaced at Lewis and Missouri Western universities. In the prior case, Plett, who also was Lewis' compliance officer, spent almost a year and a half collecting data on department-wide eligibility issues that ended up landing penalties against 10 Lewis programs (none of which was the women's basketball team). In the later case, the allegations involve coaches providing improper benefits to players in the women's program at Western. That means a potential direct impact on Plett and his team in the future; therefore, Plett is an outsider in the present for the ongoing investigation.

Northwest keeps up roller coaster year

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Oddsmakers seldom look at NCAA Division II basketball, but if they did they would scratch their heads over the Northwest Missouri State men's team. They can forget about homecourt advantage. Of the Bearcats' four losses this season, all have been in Bearcat Arena. They can forget about the caliber of opponent, too. In four games against ranked opponents, all four fit neatly into Northwest's win column. And all of them were on the road, as well.

Northwest scouting report

Here's a look at the matchup for Northwest Missouri State's men's and women's games tonight against Truman State.

To those about to rock...

...we give you smoke, lights and a stage!

Monday's prep sports, Jan. 21

Griffons' Thomas will miss rest of season

Missouri Western women's coach Lynn Plett confirmed Monday that Amanda Thomas is officially out for the season. The junior guard fractured her skull in a Jan. 4 car accident. The Griffons anticipated playing the remainder of their season with just eight players but didn't know for sure until after Thomas underwent additional tests last week. Thomas won't need surgery as originally thought but will need more than seven weeks - the length remaining in the MIAA season - to recover. Thomas considered quitting the team last summer after having a baby but changed her mind at the beginning of the school year.

Western coach's former player reaches rare rank

Thirty-three years later, Arnold Bray still calls Tom Smith "sir." Bray played for Smith back in 1975-76 at Central Missouri - when Smith was 30-year-old, first-time head coach and Bray a 6-foot-6 forward. Bray addressed his coach with respect then and did again last Tuesday when he called Smith to share news of his latest professional ascent. Bray went into the Army after graduating from Central Missouri and then joined the Special Forces. About 12 years ago when he was promoted to colonel, Bray called to tell Smith. Last Tuesday, Smith had another voicemail from Bray, who now is a brigadier general after serving with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq.

Bearcat Bell now faces big challenge

Benton grad scheduled for surgery on Wednesday

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Just three days after she crumpled to the floor during a game in against Chaminade in the Hoops 'N' Surf Classic in Hawaii, Alicia Bell was walking up Diamondhead with her Northwest Missouri State teammates. Not bad for a young woman with a torn ACL. "I was playing defense and planted on my left foot," Bell recalled. "I did the splits, and my left leg turned in." With no swelling and the pain gone after two days, neither Bell nor the Bearcats' trainer believed hers was a serious knee injury. They were wrong.

Calloway plans another Civic Arena event

While waiting idle for a world title fight, St. Joseph boxer Rob Calloway needs to get back in the ring. That need will translate into another card at Civic Arena next month. "It's just so I can get back in the ring," Calloway said. "I need to keep busy."

Missouri-Kansas Men's Basketball Box Score

Saturday's Benedictine Basketball Box Scores

Local MIAA Women's Basketball Box Scores

Local MIAA Men's Basketball Box Scores

Saturday's Prep Sports

Lion girls have their chances, but can't capitalize

Wathena boys fall in title game

ELWOOD, Kan. - Nicole Critchfield, Courtney Hopkins and Mariah Weil each took their turn missing from point blank when St. Joseph Christian had a chance to cut Olathe Christian's lead to five midway through the fourth quarter. Saturday's Elwood Invitational final was a long string of missed opportunities for Christian answered with big shots from the Olathe school. The three misses late in the fourth quarter turned out to be Christian's last chances, and the Olathe school ran away with a 52-36 victory.

The best sidekicks in prep sports

True superstars in high school basketball don't come around that often. When they do, the team success around them is often predicated upon the supporting cast, most importantly the second option. So here's a look at the best No. 2 options in the area, capable of taking over games when necessary. Think we missed someone? Let us know with an e-mail to rossmartin@npgco.com. We'll print responses on next week's Rewind page.

Wrestling heads into stretch run in season hampered by weather

Strap on your headgear, wrestling fans. Ready or not, district tournament sites will roll out their mats just three weeks from now to kick off the postseason. Several batches of wintry weather postponed or cancelled many of the area's top duals and tournaments, but several significant showdowns will take place between now and the end of the regular season.

Outdoors aren't immune to silly crimes

There's never a shortage of interesting events when it comes to the world of crime and punishment, and in 2007 the outdoor realm was no exception. Here is a summary of some of the more interesting cases seen by law enforcement officials and judges from throughout the United States: In April of last year, two men tried to pull a fast one on deputies in Florida by pretending they were fishing. The two nearly pulled it off, but these deputies were a little more observant and realized there was no fishing line on their rods. After a bit of questioning, the deputies arrested the men after discovering they were growing marijuana in the woods behind them.

Helping the needy might be worth extra cost to hunters

As with any problem or situation, sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to come up with the right solution. At the deer hunting meeting held at Missouri Western earlier this month, one participant proposed what may be a perfect way to encourage hunters to take more antlerless deer, which would help the Missouri Department of Conservation reach deer management goals while offering many other benefits. I didn't catch the name of the female hunter who boldly stood and addressed the crowd of around 300 people. Her simple idea could not only help manage our deer herd, but would help feed hungry citizens who take advantage of the conservation department's Share the Harvest Program. In a nutshell, she proposed adding a dollar or two onto the cost of Missouri's antlerless tags and earmarking these extra funds to offset the cost of processing deer donated through the Share the Harvest Program.

Northwest men get back on track

PITTSBURG, Kan. - Matt Withers scored a team-high 12 points and more importantly neutralized All-America hopeful Cory Abercrombie on Saturday, leading Northwest Missouri State to a 62-46 MIAA victory against No. 16 Pittsburg State. "He's a great player, and all we can hope to do is limit his touches," said Withers, a senior forward who got all of his points in the first half. The victory was 20th-ranked Northwest's fourth this season against a ranked team, and it represented the largest margin of victory for the Bearcats at John Lance Arena since 1988. It also gave Northwest its first victory here since 2004 and handed the school its first men's-women's sweep in this venue since that season.

Weary Griffon men stumble at home

Any Missouri Western optimism or momentum gained from this week effectively dissipated Saturday night at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffon men started their four-game homestand with a pair of wins over Rockhurst and Central Missouri - seemingly a sign this Western team had discovered an identity and some roles. Then the Fort Hays State Tigers arrived in St. Joseph and exposed a tired Griffons side with a 76-58 victory, holding Western to its lowest point total of the season.

Western women roll to easy win

In a scene as backward as a team shooting free throws for committing a foul, Fort Hays' starters sat on the bench for majority of the second half Saturday night. While Fort Hays coach Annette Wiles relegated those Tigers to the role of glorified cheerleaders, Missouri Western's starting five continued to run the floor and battle for rebounds nearly until the end. Not even blowing out an MIAA opponent affords the Griffons little extra rest these days.

Northwest women get back on track

PITTSBURG, Kan. - Mandi Schumacher scored eight straight points to start the game, and this time her Northwest Missouri State teammates didn't let her down, never relinquishing the lead in a 95-65 victory against Pittsburg State. Schumacher scored 21 points to tie for game honors and helped the Bearcats (10-5, 5-1 MIAA) to their largest margin of victory ever in the series and the most points they've scored at John Lance Arena. Schumacher had challenged her teammates in vain on Wednesday night to hold a lead they had built, and chastised them when they again failed to do so.

'Blast!' at the Missouri Theater Thursday night

Finally, it's cool to be a band geek

When people hang out for the halftime show at football games to watch the marching band, a lot of people are not looking at the tuba or bass drum players thinking "Man, I want to be them." Otherwise, the most popular video game in the country would be "French Horn Hero III." But on Thursday, Jan. 17 at the Missouri Theater in front of a near sold-out crowd of 1,100 people, the drum and bugle corps Broadway spectacular 'Blast!' came to town. After it was all said and done, based on the multiple purchases of souvenir drum sticks and the crowd's enthusiastic reaction, it was the "band geeks" who became rock stars.

Swofford sparks Stewartsville boys

STEWARTSVILLE, Mo. - Sooner or later, Jason Swofford knew the shots would starting falling. He just hoped it would be the former. In his third game back from an anterior cruciate ligament tear, the Stewartsville senior stroked plenty of timely 3-pointers throughout the second half Friday and sparked a 69-52 blowout against a feisty DeKalb squad. "I was in a little slump there at the beginning, trying to get going," Swofford said. "Sometimes it takes me awhile." Of his five treys, four of them came after the half.

Maryville girls pull away late

'Hounds' victory dumps North Platte from ranks of Class 2 unbeatens

MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Maryville girls have been involved in close games as their breakout basketball season continues. The Spoofhounds lost two of those games, but that experience paid off in one of their biggest games of the year. After falling behind in the fourth quarter, the 'Hounds pulled away for a 51-39 win, giving North Platte, ranked No. 2 in Class 2, its first loss of the season. "It feels amazing," Maryville sophomore Emily Kisker said, who had 10 points as the 'Hounds improved to 10-2.

DeKalb girls rout Cardinals

STEWARTSVILLE, Mo. - Merely calling DeKalb's fast-break chances effective wouldn't do them justice. Try graceful, fluid or inspired. With plenty of poise and control, the Tigers stylistically dismantled Stewartsville, 48-24, thanks to an artistic batch of pressure defense. "That was our goal coming in - try and run the transition a little better," DeKalb coach Cori Elms said. "That's what our goal has been the last couple of games."

Christian into Elwood finals

Lions dump Maur Hill-Mount Academy

ELWOOD, Kan. - Among Maur Hill-Mount Academy's tallest players on the court, St. Joseph Christian junior Megan Morrison knew what she needed to do after grabbing an offensive rebound. "It's one of those shots where you get it, and you might as well just shoot it up there," the 5-foot-6 guard said, "because you have the right angle." The actuation didn't match Morrison's imagination. Her attempt caromed off the top of the very top edge of the backboard and tumbled nearly straight down through the basket. She also drew a foul and added the free throw. Morrison's only points provided a huge lift during the second half of Christian's 51-37 victory Friday in the semifinals of the Elwood Invitational. Nine third-quarter points from MH-MA's 6-foot Courtney Campbell had Christian trying to maintain.

Gailey says his 6 years at college level will help in NFL

KANSAS CITY - Chan Gailey figures that being a college coach the past six years should be a help instead of a hindrance as he dives back into the NFL. The former head coach at Dallas and offensive coordinator for Pittsburgh, Denver and Miami, Gailey was hired this week as offensive coordinator for Kansas City and tasked with repairing one of the league's worst attacks. He was fired after six seasons as head coach at Georgia Tech from 2002-07.

Vandevender opts to play football for Northern Iowa

With five official visits lined up, De'Andre Vandevender only needed to take two to make his decision. Now, the coaches at Northern Iowa have the next choice to make. Trenton's senior running back verbally committed to the Division I school Thursday night, but he said the coaches have recruited him as an athlete - not strictly as a running back. Coaches told Vandevender he could end up playing linebacker.

Mizzou ready for unbeaten KU

Beating Kansas has been the high point of too many so-so Missouri seasons, and one week after an apparent takeoff win the Tigers may be staring at another such scenario. They carry a 13-game home winning streak, including 11 wins this season, heading into tonight's game in Columbia, Mo., against the unbeaten and third-ranked Jayhawks. But the momentum built from last weekend's victory over then No. 12 Texas is already gone after a five-point loss at Iowa State on Wednesday. Coach Mike Anderson said practice on Thursday was about taking care of the hangover and getting Missouri (11-6, 1-1 Big 12) ready for its biggest test of the season.

Northwest-Pittsburg State scouting reports

NORTHWEST MEN TODAY'S MATCHUP: No. 20 Northwest at No. 16 Pittsburg State WHEN: 3:30 p.m. WHERE: John Lance Arena 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 10-4 (2-3 MIAA); Pittsburg 11-3 (2-3 MIAA) NOTES: Northwest hasn't had much luck at home of late, so the slumping Bearcats might be glad to embark on a road trip. On the other hand, John Lance Arena hasn't exactly been kind to them over the years. Coach Steve Tappmeyer readily admits it's a tough place to play. And they'll have to play without Andy Peterson, who is out with a back injury. Pittsburg's Cory Abercrombie is one of the premier players in NCAA Division II. He is averaging a team-high 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. These teams split their four clashes last year, with the Bearcats ending Pittsburg's season in the first round of the national tournament.

Friday's Prep Sports

Western-Fort Hays scouting report

Western men TODAY'S MATCHUP: Fort Hays State at Missouri Western WHEN: 7:30 p.m. WHERE: MWSU Fieldhouse RADIO: KFEQ 680 AM, gogriffons.com INTERNET: www.themiaa.tv RECORDS: Fort Hays (9-4, 2-3); Western (8-6, 2-3 MIAA)

Elwood Invitational semifinals

The final score at Elwood High School read 51-37, and the box score shows Christian sophomore Courtney Hopkins with only six points. Both of them are wrong, thanks to a gratuitous scoring error during the second half of the Lions' 51-37 victory against MH-MA. Sure the lost points really won't affect Hopkins' psyche or ruin Christian's season. The officials and scorer's table can simply thank everything holy in Elwood this game didn't go down to the wire.

'Blast!' review postponed

The review of the show 'Blast!' will appear in 'Sound, Scene, Delivered' later this week or the beginning of next week.

Three for all

Exhibitions open at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art this weekend

At the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art this weekend, visitors will get the chance to take in bodies of work, take a look back and take a glimpse of what museum members have to offer. That's because three different exhibitions will fill the walls of the St. Joseph museum beginning today. One of the exhibits this weekend will display works from the museum's past. The "Still Lifes from the A.K.M.A." collection will have 2,400 drawings, paintings and prints of still life artworks pulled out of long-term storage to occupy the Albrecht-Kemper's main gallery.

Live at the cafe

True North holding two CD release parties in St. Joseph

When True North first performed at Cafe Acoustic three years ago, they were an immediate success, recalls the cafe's co-owner Lisa Hancock. "Cafe Acoustic absolutely loves True North," she says. "It's been overwhelming since day one. They already had a quite a following, but it just blossomed from there with people in this area getting to know them." The good feelings escalated last April when True North picked Cafe Acoustic as the place to record its third CD and first live project, "Live at the Cafe."

Acoustic with attitude

Fortitude to play at The Rendezvous Saturday

You've got to love a band that describes its music on its MySpace page as "An extra fluffy down feather pillow that weighs a hundred tons." Ouch. That's Fortitude for you. If the above description doesn't get your attention, perhaps this will: That fluffy, weighty sound is coming from a three-piece band.

Review: 'Cloverfield' doesn't live up to the hype

Behold the power of the Hollywood buzz. The mystery and C.I.A.-level secrecy behind the "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams' movie "Cloverfield" has caused many a blogger and YouTuber to attempt to decipher the secrets behind the film's purposefully obscure trailers and movie posters. But all the pre-generated hype cannot account for the fact that "Cloverfield" has only a few good factors worth raising any sort of fuss about.

On the scene: Midwest talent show

If you have read any of my previous columns, you've probably noticed that I have been a shameless pusher man trying to hook people up to www.stjoenews.net for online features. Guess what? This pusher man will push on.

Artist of the week: Joe Jorgensen

Joe Jorgensen, coordinator of the art department at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo., is making a homecoming of sorts. The former Highland Community College instructor has a passion for constructing the ceramic and capturing nature photographically. Jorgensen will have his work on display at the Walter Yost Gallery at Highland Community College in Highland, Kan., through Jan. 31 during regular business hours. To see more of Joe Jorgensen's artwork, go to the link to the article on www.stjoenews.net.

First Ward House

First Ward House on St. Joseph Ave is more than just a bar or restaurant. Built in 1878, it's the oldest saloon west of the Mississippi. It was named First Ward because it was on the border of the first ward voting district, says Bill Beasley Jr. His father, Bill Beasley Sr. has owned the building since 1998.

What's up for the week of Jan. 18

Thursday's prep sports, Jan. 17

Chiefs owner expects team back in playoffs for 2008

KANSAS CITY - In his first public comments since the Kansas City Chiefs lost their last nine games and finished 4-12, owner Clark Hunt seemed to be putting his embattled front office on notice. "The 2008 season is going to be a very important year for our football team," Hunt said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press. "I expect us to at least compete for a playoff spot." At the same time, Hunt conceded that third-year coach Herm Edwards faces a major retooling of a team that finished near the bottom in many offensive statistics while struggling through a losing streak that set a record for the franchise his father founded more than 40 years ago.

'Hounds on the rebound

Maryville girls basketball experiences a resurgence

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Leah Wilmes still has to stop and pinch herself. The Maryville forward and her fellow seniors suffered through a nightmarish three years of futility - winning only two Midland Empire Conference games during their tenure as Spoofhounds. But fueled by an exuberant core of underclassmen, Maryville suddenly has leaped to a 9-2 record and snapped out of its lengthy slumber.

Cameron wrestling knocks Benton off guard

In more than one sense, Benton was in no position to knock off Cameron. Taking the mats with five opens and several inexperienced wrestlers, the Cardinals managed only three individual wins Thursday during a 64-18 dual loss to Cameron at Modis Gymnasium. "We have a lot of young guys who get caught out of position, and that hurts when you give up a lot of pins," Benton coach Brad Hubbard said. "We can't have that."

Celebrity Baby Fever hits again

We've just started the year, and already we're thinking 9 months ahead

This year has already provided a bumber crop of celebrity births, with Christina Aguilera and Nicole Richie giving birth last week and Nicole Kidman and Matthew McConaughey announcing the pending arrival of their children.

Wednesday's Prep Sports

St. Joe Christian keeps pressure on Elwood

ELWOOD, Kan. - A simple glance at the scoreboard during the second quarter against Elwood on Wednesday lit a little fire inside of Nicole Critchfield. Once ahead by as many as 19 in the first half, the St. Joseph Christian junior couldn't believe the Panthers had closed within 12. "After a while, I was getting a little irritated about that," Critchfield said after Christian eventually pulled away for a 64-24 victory Wednesday during the first round of the Elwood Invitational.

Northwest men flounder at home

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Mike Larsen was was in the thick of things -- including a couple of skirmishes - in his first start of the season for Northwest Missouri State. Unfortunately, he also found himself right in the middle of the Bearcats' fourth MIAA loss, an 81-77 setback Wednesday night against Missouri Southern. Skyler Bowlin hit five 3-pointers to lead a four-pronged Lions attack with 17 points as Southern handed Northwest (10-4, 2-3 MIAA) its fourth home loss in five tries. Octavius Hawkins and Vincent Ateba added 16 apiece, and Tony Webb added 12 for the Lions (10-4, 4-1).

Western men surge against Central Missouri

Missouri Western didn't provide its fans with a high-flying, break-neck show Wednesday night; Griffons supporters will have to wait until halftime Saturday to see that when the Extreme Team comes to town. But Western's performance was as impressive as any trampoline dunk or somersault layup. The deliberate Griffons held Central Missouri to its lowest point total of the season, which includes exhibitions against Division I teams like Fordham and Central Michigan, in a 61-53 win at the MWSU Fieldhouse. At the start of the conference campaign, the biggest questions surrounding Western were its shot selection and toughness. The Griffons (8-6, 2-3 MIAA) answered both Wednesday and snapped a five-game losing streak to Central Missouri (10-4, 3-2) in the process.

Royals Caravan stops in St. Joseph

A few Kansas City Royals, bundled up for winter, revived thoughts of summer with stops in St. Joseph and Northwest Missouri on Wednesday. Pitcher Brian Bannister and new manager Trey Hillman joined Royals broadcaster Denny Matthews and Royals Hall of Famer Paul Splittorff as part of the Royals Caravan.

Northwest women stumble against Southern

Missouri Southern got one chance too many on Wednesday night at Bearcat Arena. Ivany Marquez grabbed an offensive rebound with 7 seconds remaining and hit a jumper 3 ticks later, giving the Lions a 65-64 victory against Northwest Missouri State in their MIAA women's basketball game. "We forced enough misses; they just got too many opportunities," Northwest coach Gene Steinmeyer said. "Offensive rebounding won the game for them. We just gave them one too many opportunities."

Western women keep Central Missouri down

Lauren Nolke hesitated briefly before ultimately deciding to come to Missouri Western. She wavered to shoot freely from behind the arc through the non-conference schedule, and the freshman remained reluctant to drive to the basket during the Griffons' first slate of MIAA games. But any of that residual indecision disappeared against Central Missouri on Wednesday as the freshman scored a game-high 22 as a part of Western's most dominant showing of the season - an 89-63 victory at MWSU Fieldhouse. "We give her the green light every time," senior Jill Johnson said of the Griffons' freshman gunner. "She came on fire tonight, and this is the start of something."

Move over Michael, there's a new Air in town

After months and months of rumors Apple has finally released its much anticipated MacBook Air. The world's thinnest notebook.

Tuesday's Prep Boxes

South Harrison girls find their groove

A week at home remedied South Harrison's sluggish start. The Bulldogs, seeded third in their own tournament, knocked off the top two seeds on the way to taking home the event's title last weekend. A win against previously undefeated Putnam County also boosted the Bulldogs (6-5) back above .500 and gave them a shot of confidence heading into the grind of the Grand River Conference season. "We thought we had a good shot going in," said South Harrison coach Kelly Swearingen. "It just proves that we are nine or 10 deep, and on any given night we can be pretty dangerous."

Key injury hits Northwest men

MARYVILLE, Mo. - The starting lineup for Northwest Missouri State's MIAA men's basketball game tonight against Missouri Southern is being written in pencil, not ink. The loss of guard Andy Peterson to a back injury has coach Steve Tappmeyer undecided as to who will replace him in the lineup. Peterson suffered a reoccurrence of a disc problem during a non-contact drill during practice Friday, and senior Kelvin Cayruth got the start in his place Saturday night against Washburn.

Transfer Dill gives Northwest women a boost

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Andrea Dill has seen sunny Florida. She's seen snowy northwestern Colorado, too. Happily, the 5-foot-11 Leavenworth, Kan., native has found her way back home as a forward for Northwest Missouri State's women's basketball team. The senior is making the most of her final year as a collegiate player, having gained a greater appreciation for the sport.

Missouri Western scouting reports

Here is a capsule look at Missouri Western's men's and women's teams matchups with Central Missouri tonight.

Northwest scouting reports

Here is a capsule look at Northwest Missouri State's men's and women's matchups with Missouri Southern tonight.

Missouri Western men's basketball box score

Monday's prep sports Jan. 14

LeBlond girls persevere against Lafayette

Bishop LeBlond's taste of Midland Empire Conference play nearly turned sour. Against future conference opponent Lafayette, the MEC-bound Golden Eagles couldn't maintain a double-digit lead but hit just enough free throws Monday to preserve a 48-43 win in Grace Gymnasium "It's going to be a battle in the MEC every night," LeBlond coach Wayne Miller said. "I told them, 'You might as well get used to it.' It's going to be that way every night next year."

Western's upcoming games are critical

After the Missouri Western men and women host Pittsburg State on Jan. 23, both teams will have 11 games remaining on the regular-season schedule - more than half of the conference slate. But both Griffons coaches made a point Monday of describing the upcoming three-game conference home stands as barometers for their seasons. Central Missouri visits Wednesday with Fort Hays State to follow on Saturday. The Gorillas come to the MWSU Fieldhouse the Wednesday after that.

Griffons get confidence boost against Rockhurst

Missouri Western entered Monday just looking for a victory and a little confidence - things that had become increasingly rare in the past month. The Griffons had those objectives seemingly wrapped up before the first half ended and then got to enjoy their easiest win of the season - a 78-51 romp against Rockhurst at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Western hadn't beaten a Division II team by more than eight points this year and lost three in a row and five of six prior to Monday. The Griffons said that slide renewed their dedication and discipline - both of which were pretty apparent during a dominating first half.

Where to find live coverage of MacWorld 2008

As Mac guru's all over the country eagerly anticipate the beginning of MacWorld 2008, I thought I'd give you a list of websites offering live feeds from the press event on Tuesday.

Northwest women make statement

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Mandi Schumacher, playing under Northwest Missouri State's boards, spent most of Saturday night with a pained expression on her face. Frustration dripped from the senior for the game's first 35 minutes. Then, with 4 minutes, 27 seconds left, she took the ball and fronted up against No. 4 Washburn's powerful 6-foot-2 center, Renata Germano. Without hesitation and not even a thought of a dribble, she stabbed the ball into the bucket.

Kansas too much for Nebraska

Big 12 roundup

Missouri stuns No. 12 Texas

COLUMBIA, Mo. - A succession of narrow losses to top teams from the Big 10, Southeastern Conference and other power leagues had some Missouri fans wondering whether the Tigers would have been better served with a bunch of early season patsies. After Saturday's convincing 97-84 victory over No. 12 Texas in the Big 12 opener for both teams, consider that theory all but obsolete. It was Missouri's first win over Texas in 10 tries dating to 1999, Norm Stewart's final season as coach of the Tigers.

Savannah girls topple Bishop LeBlond

Round up of prep tournaments from around the region

Benton boys, girls sweep Kearny tourney

KEARNEY, Mo. Facing his first deficit of the game, Luke Talbot picked a perfect time to get going. Benton's emotional senior forward drained a crucial 3-pointer that swung the momentum away from Kearney and back to the Cardinals. "It got us all our second wind," Benton forward Johnny Coy said. "After Luke hit that shot, I knew there was nothing that was going to stop us from getting the win."

Bearcat women last unbeaten in MIAA

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State forward Meghan Brue likes the view from the top. Brue shrugged off a deep, five-game slump, and the Bearcats shrugged off a halftime deficit to defeat No. 4 Washburn 46-41 Saturday night. The victory makes the Bearcats - the team with the worst record entering MIAA play - the only remaining unbeaten squad in the conference. Brue scored a game-high 19 points after averaging only five points over the previous five outings.

Northwest men stumble against Washburn

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State's Lance Sullivan took a philosophical approach to Saturday night's loss against Washburn. "You can look at a loss like a loss, or you can look at it like a lesson," the sophomore said after a 61-56 MIAA setback to the Ichabods. "It's all how you approach the next few practices." This was the Bearcats' third such "home schooling" lesson this season, a place they never lost last year. And that's a sore point for this team, which has two losses in the conference they were picked to win this season.

Western women fall to Truman

Western women finish game with just five available players

Western's McFarland plays well in loss to Truman

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - Missouri Western's stock hit its high point the first day of the MIAA season with an upset of then-No. 25 Washburn and has been falling ever since. The Griffons' descent continued Saturday night with a 73-65 loss to Truman State, but the one Western player improving through this three-game slide is Jay McFarland.

Saturday's College and Prep Boxes

GAME BLOG: Fairfax Tournament, girls final/boys third-place

What an atmosphere in Fairfax. In my five years working at this newspaper, I had never had the pleasure of entering Fairfax's gymnasium. I never knew how badly I was missing out.

GAME BLOG: Central at Oak Park

Oak Park coach Fred Turner had every reason to overlook Central. Fresh off Tuesday's four-point win against Liberty, the Indians and their three wins must have looked like easy pickings for compared to the scary good Blue Jays or shot-happy William Chrisman Bears, who also fell to Oak Park.

Friday's Prep Sports

Missouri Western scouting reports

Here's a look at tonight's matchups between Missouri Western and Truman State.

Northwest scouting reports

A look at the matchups between the Northwest Missouri State and Washburn men's and women's basketball teams in tonight's games.

Central gets swept in Oak Park doubleheader

KANSAS CITY - With the help of Clay Linebach's acrobatics, Central reeled undefeated Oak Park to within tantalizing reach. The Indians' 12-point, third-quarter deficit had evaporated to three with a renewed defensive effort and rejuvenated guard play. "We came out and clamped down defensively and got it all the way to a one-possession game," Linebach said. "We were right there. "We just didn't clamp down hard enough." Playing on its home court, Oak Park scored the next nine points and eventually got away from Central 53-45 on Friday.

Maryville girls get back on track

SAVANNAH, Mo. - Mid-Buchanan coach Tereasa Freeman hoped her team had forgotten its Nov. 27 loss to Maryville. If they did, it didn't take long for the Spoofhounds to jog their memory. Maryville brought the same pressure in that 70-39 win and easily walked away with a 72-35 win against the Dragons in Friday's third-place game at the Savannah Invitational.

Tarkio girls knock off rival Rock Port

FAIRFAX, Mo. - Madison Fischer grabbed the errant inbounds pass and took off backwards, toward the southeast corner at Fairfax High School. The steal came with 8 seconds left, and the Tarkio junior knew what was at stake. "I wanted to run out as much time as possible so they didn't have a second chance," Fischer said, "in case I missed 'em." Rock Port's defense corralled her with 4 seconds left, and she calmly made one of two free throws at the other end to seal a 50-46 victory in front of an overflowing gymnasium. Fischer scored 10 of her game-high 20 points from the free-throw line, helping Tarkio take advantage of Rock Port's 26 personal fouls.

Refuge deer hunt nets 164 animals

MOUND CITY, Mo. - A total of 164 animals were harvested during the three-day white-tailed deer hunt Jan. 5-7 at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. A total of 1,265 hunters applied for the 102 permits that were issued for the refuge to hunt deer using muzzleloading firearms.

Nortwest-Washburn scouting report

Western-Truman scouting report

Out-of-state hunting fees is an issue to think about

When 250 to 300 different deer hunters gathered in the same room this week to air their thoughts on possible regulation and season changes, I expected some differences of opinion. After all, the deer hunting community is a diverse one. There are many different types of deer hunters, reasons they hunt and just as many ways of pursuing whitetails in Missouri. Trying to unite a crowd like this on any one issue can be a daunting task.

Kansas enters Big 12 play unchallenged

LINCOLN, Neb. - It will be the same old Kansas, if not better, that visits the Devaney Sports Center this evening. Whether the same old Nebraska shows up for the Big 12 opener is yet to be seen. Jayhawks coach Bill Self says all indications point to an improved Cornhusker team compared with the one Kansas blew out twice last season by a combined 73 points.

Deer hunters air opinions, concerns at meeting

It was "open mic night" at Missouri Western State University's Potter Theater, although no jokes or poems were told and not a single song was sung. Instead, the Missouri Department of Conservation hosted an open forum for deer hunters and others to express their opinions and concerns about proposed future regulation changes. The "emcees" were Eric Kurzejeski from MDC's Outreach and Education Division and Lonnie Hansen, an MDC Resource Scientist and whitetail expert. Their job for the evening was to explain two major issues which are being considered for the 2008 and 2009 deer seasons.

Stanberry Invitational: Day 3

And so the Class 1 carousel keeps on turning. Inside a capacity-stuffed gym, South Nodaway and Jefferson's girls both left no doubt they belong in the discussion among the state's best.

'Blast!' off

Touring Broadway event comes to the Missouri Theater next week

Drums. Horns. Dancers. Doesn't sound like much on paper. But the creators of the Broadway theatrical event "Blast!" have taken those three elements and made a Tony Award-winning musical and visual spectacle that has played across the globe - and now it's coming to St. Joseph. "Blast!" will take the stage on Thursday, Jan. 17, at the Missouri Theater. Mary Ingersoll, managing director of the Performing Arts Association, saw a production of "Blast!" in Maryville, Mo., three years ago and, as the show's name would suggest, was blown away.

A taste of art

Northwest Missouri faculty present art exhibit

In the Olive DeLuce Gallery at Northwest Missouri State University, students and the public can take advantage of a once-a-year opportunity beginning Monday, Jan. 14. The Northwest Faculty Art Exhibit annually showcases artwork from some of the finest artists in the area. Many of the faculty, like Philip Laber and Laura Kukkee, have been regionally and nationally recognized for their work.

They're hard core

Death metal band Severend comes to Cagney's this weekend

If death metal is your kind of music, you've probably found yourself routinely traveling to Kansas City or Topeka, Kan., to catch a show. This weekend, however, you won't have to drive as far. Severend, along with Seasons of Pain and And Ashes Remain, will be bursting eardrums at 10 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 12, at Cagney's. The hard-core death metal band's songs feature guitar riffs, drum beats and lots of growling.

On the scene: It's all about choices

With the Iowa and New Hampshire presidential primaries in the books (and also becoming the most exciting thing to watch on television due to the writer's strike), people will soon have some important questions to ponder and decisions to make. Then again, there are some of you also thinking about how many more times the Spears family can get in the news as the model for how NOT to raise your kids. Your mind must be heavy. Mine surely is. So, let me do you a favor and make it easy for you to find something to do this weekend.

Artist of the week: Persona

There are two persons who comprise the artistic duo Persona. Dustin Hawkins and Victoria Christgen have been combining artistic mediums, local figures and popular personalities (like Miles Davis and Woody Guthrie) to create unique works. You can see this pictured Ella Fitzgerald work at Foster's, and you can see more of their pieces at www.myspace.com/ persona paintings.

What's up for the week of Jan. 11

The Short Stop Bar and Grill

The Short Stop Bar and Grill in Clarksdale, Mo., is starting the new year with new management and food on the menu.

Benedictine basketball box scores

Boys basketball leaderboard 1/11/08

Girls basketball leaderboard 1/11/08

Thursday's prep sports Jan. 10

Benton hopes for another 'up' streak

Boys hoops notebook

Benton coach Ron Tyler hopes a couple of minor shake-ups will produce some major results. After jumping to a 5-0 start, the Cardinals lost their next two games in the William Jewell Holiday Tournament and struggled during their conference opener against an Andrew Jones-less Smithville team.

South Nodaway girls knock off Mound City

Platte County wrestling downs Benton

Outmanned against the three-time state champions, Benton managed to make its dual with Platte County interesting. And the Cardinals didn't waste anytime. Platte County senior Tyler St. Louis won a controversial 152-pound match to open the dual, and Benton managed to win three of the seven matches wrestled to a conclusion. Platte County won out 57-18 thanks to five Benton opens Thursday night at Modis gymnasium.

Central's appeal for realignment shot down

Prep notebook

Turns out, Central's not special enough. The Suburban League's executive committee met last week and denied Central's appeal for a realignment of divisions. Central hoped the 25-team league would consider a slight shuffle to prevent them from playing in the largest tier due to travel and competition concerns.

Goodwin welcomes new son

Kriston Goodwin knew she had to let her husband go. A hospital room couldn't contain Brett Goodwin. Not after he'd missed the previous night's game. Not with a crucial semifinal matchup six hours away. Sixteen hours after giving birth to healthy baby boy, Kriston told Brett to go be with his Benton Cardinals. She was surrounded by family and friends, and Brett was needed elsewhere.

WbNW PODCAST: Coaches Tappmeyer and Smith

For our first podcast of the basketball season, I sat down with Northwest coach Steve Tappmeyer and Western coach Tom Smith.

DUAL BLOG: Platte County 57, Benton 18

Only four more steps remain for Platte County's vaunted wrestling program, and those seem like a foregone conclusion. With the win against Benton, Platte County kept its unbeaten streak in MEC duals alive. The Pirates never have lost a conference dual since joining the league in 1997 - a streak now at 72-0-1.

Reality killed the video star

Where can you find music videos on television?

Many a columnist has discussed the death of music television. How MTV is no longer the groundbreaking musical outlet it once was. Innovative videos that once saturated the channel (anybody remember Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer"?) have been replaced by reality shows like the spoiled brat-a-thon "My Super Sweet 16" and "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila," a dating show where women and men vy for the affection of a petite, bi-sexual, "X-Files" alien with a wig who expresses her love for somebody by saying "I'm feeling you."

A ban on Britney

It's all Britney all the time, and it's getting to be too much

When it comes to overexposure, Britney Spears has become the queen. I'm sick of it. And her.

GAME BLOG: Northwest men 73, Western 60

The Bearcats are about the best defensive team the Griffons have seen this year, and these two teams reminded us of this fact for 40 minutes Wednesday. Western attempted 28 3-pointers and 31 shots inside the arc, and that's not a good thing if you're a Griffon fan.

Wednesday's Prep Sports

Benton girls advance to Bulldog Classic finals

Holly Switzer and Jenni Musser's seven first-half 3s made the difference in Benton's 58-38 win against Odessa Wednesday night. But it was another long-range shot that lingered in Benton coach Brett Goodwin's head after the second-round victory in the Bulldog Classic. Reserve guard Kersytn Bolton stepped in during the second half and hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter sandwiched around two two-point field goals. It was just the spark Goodwin's been searching for from his bench.

Griffon women lose tough fight to Bearcats

Double-digit deficits seemed to mean nothing to a gritty Missouri Western women's team. In the end, however, they meant everything. The Griffons fell just shy of overcoming a 12-point hole in the second half, as Northwest Missouri State defeated Western 78-74 in MIAA play Wednesday night.

Northwest men roll past Western

The "air ball" chant is a tried-and-true taunt by fans. But rarely are players treated to it on their home court. Wednesday was one of those unusual nights. Missouri Western quieted the black-and-gold clad fans at the MWSU Fieldhouse with a steady stream of errant 3-point shots - most of which clanked harmlessly off the rim. Then Kyle Kirshner's attempt sailed through the air and didn't hit anything until it bounced off the floor under the basket, drawing the chants from the hundreds of Northwest fans seated in the other end of the fieldhouse. The Bearcat faithful, which made up about 40 percent of the 2,871 fans Wednesday, had plenty of reason to cheer and chant for the vast majority of Northwest's 73-60 win - a total Western officials immediately cleared off the scoreboard as soon as the final buzzer sounded.

GAME BLOG:Benton girls 58, Odessa 38

If you need proof of how dynamic Holly Switzer can be, the early part of the second quarter during this Bulldog Classic semifinal showed it. Benton took the ball to open the second quarter, and Switzer nailed a 3-pointer from the right wing --- already her third at that point. On the other end, the 5-foot-9 junior pulled down a rebound and started a run out. She made her way down the floor and found a cozy spot on the left wing.

Low profile for high-profile matchup

The amosphere was good but could have been so much better. Sure, there were times the crowd got loud -- and even boisterous -- when a crucial play or an official's close call incited them. But the Northwest Missouri State-Missouri Western matchup just isn't one that should be played in the relative void of semester break.

GAME BLOG: Northwest women 78, Western 74

If any team could've used a pick-me-up, home victory against a rival, it was these Griffons. A six-month span of bad luck and unfortunate events continued to pile on Western this week when the Griffons received news they will be without Amanda Thomas for the foreseeable future. That reduced Western to eight players for a second straight game and possibly for 15 more. But inspiring, upset victories don't come to teams that turn the ball over 19 times and hit only four of their 12 free-throw attempts. Even some long overdue karma can't compensate for those deficiencies. Instead, the Bearcats made it rain from behind the arc especially in the second half and sent Western to its second consecutive home loss.

Griffons' Thomas facing serious injury

Doctors discover more serious damage after weekend car wreck

For the second time in as many games, the Missouri Western women competed with eight players Wednesday night. It's a reality the Griffons should get used to for the foreseeable future. Junior guard Amanda Thomas was involved in a car accident Friday afternoon. She hit her head on the driver's side window, shattering it. On her trip to the emergency room that day, doctors just performed X-rays on Thomas, and initial reports indicated she would be able to play Wednesday against Northwest Missouri.

Fairfax Tournament: Day 2

Nothing scrambles an offense quite like an effective shot blocker.

Tuesday's Prep Boxes and Statistics Jan. 8, 2008

Fairfax girls overwhelm South Harrison

FAIRFAX, Mo. - Fairfax's Whitney Harrington didn't need to watch her fifth 3-pointer gracefully swish through the net in her home gym. She knew where it would end up. The hot-handed junior unleashed a school record seven treys during Fairfax's wire-to-wire 78-22 victory Tuesday against South Holt in the opening round of the Fairfax Invitational. "I can tell the nights when I'm actually feeling it," Harrington said. "And I kind of try to stay off shooting as much on the nights when I'm not."

Western-Northwest scouting report

Here's a look at the matchups between the Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State men's and women's teams, who play tonight.

Despite turbulent year, Jill Johnson stable as Western leader

The shrieks of "Jill, Jill!" reverberate through the cement hallways outside Missouri Western's locker room as a gaggle of adolescent girls greet their hero. At least this much is the same. Jill Johnson emerges from the locker room - blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing a white T-shirt and her game shorts. The 6-foot senior musters a tense smile for the dozen or so prepubescent fans who mob her even before she gets out of the doorway.

Giger to step away from North Platte bench

In his two-and-a-half-decade run, North Platte coach Roger Giger never wasted much time on nostalgia. But even Giger allowed himself to reflect on his lengthy tenure after announcing his resignation last week. "It doesn't feel like that long at all," said Giger, who is in his 24th season as the Panthers' coach. "We've had some rough times and some good times, but I've really enjoyed the kids and all the years I've had coaching at North Platte."

Northwest tries to keep up string against Western

MARYVILLE, Mo. - When Northwest Missouri State invades St. Joseph tonight, the Bearcats will be trying to extend their dominance over the Griffons they've enjoyed over the past five seasons. "Ten out of 11 times? I'm surprised about that," senior forward Matt Withers said quizzically when told of the outcome of the series during his time on campus. And one thing keeps it from seeming like dominance. In more than half of those meetings, the game has come down to the final minute before the victor has sealed away the win.

Central boys knock down Winnetonka

Central and Winnetonka are two completely different teams from last year. Gone are the superstars that led each team last year, but Central's 63-50 victory Tuesday night at Central High School still held some meaning. Winnetonka (0-8, 0-2 Suburban League Big 6) beat Central three times last year on its way to conference and district titles. The Griffins topped the Indians in the district finals last year.

Our first letter

We took a lot of thoughts into consideration when coming up with the name of The St. Joseph News-Press' new high school blog. The process wasn't pretty, and I'll spare you some of the rejected titles.

I promise officer ... it was my car's fault

GM has predicted that driverless cars will be on the road by 2018. All I can say is, finally!

Benedictine basketball box scores

Monday's prep sports Jan. 8

High school basketball roundup

Central's comeback falls short

KANSAS CITY - North Kansas City's 7-foot post Garrett Stutz poured in 27 points and his team withstood a late rally to defeat Central 66-54 Monday night.

Western takes next step in AD search

Missouri Western is ready for Round 2 of its athletic director search. The human resources department returned to campus Monday from the university's holiday break and began sorting through the new batch of applications to eliminate those that don't meet the basic qualifications. Mark Linder resigned as Western's athletic director Aug. 13 to accept the same position with North Alabama. The Griffons advertised the position on the NCAA Web site and with six national organizations at that time. However, Western announced Oct. 31 it didn't find any suitable candidates among the 25 applicants and started the search over.

Freak series of injuries give Griffons pause

Missouri Western forward Jill Johnson always worried about tearing an anterior cruciate ligament but never missing games due to a car accident. But during the past year, it appears cars, not knee injuries, pose the more significant threat to the Western women's program. Freshman Jessica Koch did tear the ACL in her right knee in November, but Johnson and now guard Amanda Thomas have been involved in car accidents that required them to miss games - Johnson last February and Thomas last Friday. Police said personal injury attorney James Montee ran a red light at the intersection of Frederick Avenue and 36th Street, and his truck hit the driver's side of Thomas' Taurus. Thomas and her 5-month-old daughter, Keira, didn't suffer any serious injuries, but Thomas hit her head on the window and didn't make Saturday's trip to Missouri Southern.

It's Your Call

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Kansas too much for Boston College

Northwest women blast Hays

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Kelli Nelson was nearly perfect from beyond the arc, and Mandi Schumacher recorded her third straight double-double Saturday night, as Northwest Missouri State defeated Fort Hays State 67-50 in MIAA women's basketball play. Nelson drained four straight 3-pointers in span of 2 minutes, 42 seconds during the first half to boost the Bearcats (7-4, 2-0 MIAA) to a 13-point lead, which they never surrendered

Before you walk, it's often better to crawl

Squirrel hunting is a good way to introduce youngsters to the joys of hunting. Techniques can be employed for this type of hunting that can be applied to the larger game quests they can enjoy later in their hunting careers.

Local, area college basketball box scores Jan. 5

Western women down Southern

JOPLIN, Mo. - Yanique Javois and Jill Johnson helped Missouri Western's women's program win 21 games in a row, secure a conference title and host a regional last season. But they hadn't won at the Leggett & Platt Center prior to Saturday, and of all the games to end that streak, this seemed like one of the least likely.

Northwest men back on track against Hays

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State needed a confidence boost, and Andy Peterson provided it. The senior guard matched his season high with 20 points - 17 in the first half - to lead the Bearcats to a 69-53 MIAA basketball victory Saturday night against Fort Hays State.

Anti-hunting groups join forces

Sportsmen's Alliance call mergers of animal rights organizations 'nightmare'

When sportsmen think about groups who strive to take away the rights of legitimate hunters and anglers, P.E.T.A. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) seems to always be in the forefront. The National Rifle Association (NRA), The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA), and Safari Club International (SCI) are just a few organizations who are warning of another growing centralized threat to the hunting community.

Western men frustrated by Southern

JOPLIN, Mo. - When repeatedly shaking his head, charging on the floor, screaming at anyone in ear shot and earning a technical foul didn't communicate his frustration adequately, Tom Smith resorted to visual evidence. The Missouri Western coach waved a white towel at the officials Saturday night as a sign of surrender and then literally threw in the towel, tossing it on the court.

Saturday's prep sports Jan. 5

Missouri Western-Missouri Southern scouting report

Northwest-Fort Hays scouting report

Benton girls outlast Smithville

SMITHVILLE, Mo. - If you looked at Benton coach Brett Goodwin's and Smithville coach Trevor Mosby's faces after the game, it would have been tough to tell who the winning coach was. Goodwin, who was steaming for most of the fourth quarter, was full of frustration, while Mosby carried an optimistic outlook even though his team lost 39-37 Friday night.

Lafayette girls give Maryville 1st loss of season

LaKrisa Cruse doesn't look like someone who would spend a lot of time in the paint. The 5-foot-4 Lafayette senior was the smallest player on the court, but her unexpected contributions in the post sparked the Fighting Irish to a 55-50 victory Friday over Maryville. The win halted the Spoofhounds' perfect season and gave Lafayette (6-4, 1-0 Midland Empire Conference) its fifth win in six games.

LeBlond boys, girls sweep Plattsburg

PLATTSBURG, Mo. - Bishop LeBlond's Steve Vertin delivered a gruff reminder during the break between the third and fourth quarters against Plattsburg. The veteran coach made sure his players recalled last year's district semifinal defeat to the Tigers in a last-minute comeback. Vertin knew the way Plattsburg shot the ball Friday night, anything was still possible. LeBlond ran away with a 75-57 victory, thanks to a hot start to the final quarter, overcoming Plattsburg's 13 3-pointers.

Friday's Prep Results

Friday's Prep Sports

MIAA unveils new logo

The new logo replaces Missouri-Kansas combo

Cheddars

When Cheddars first opened in St. Joseph last year, there were lines of people out the door to get in. That can still be the case if you come during the lunch hour or on Friday and Saturday night. The restaurant doesn't take reservations, but it also may be because Cheddars fills a niche in town.

The cast of rent

A look at the methods and potential future of DVD rental

You used to have limited options when you wanted to see a movie. You either made the drive to the movie theater to see new theatrical releases or made the drive to the video store to rent - that is, of course, if they even had the movie you were looking for. Nowadays, the choices are much more diverse. While people would rather own most things, they are perfectly content renting DVDs, which is reflected in the multi-billion dollar a year business. In fact, it even appears that with the popularity of home theaters, high-definition televisions and flat screens, movie companies are seeing DVD rentals as an essential component to their profits.

Sight through sound

Blind tenor and classical pianist Carlos Ibay performs at Twin Spires

Do you believe in miracles? If you don't, you may after you hear Carlos Ibay perform. The gifted tenor and classical pianist will perform "A Light in the Darkness" to celebrate Epiphany at 7 p.m. tonight at Twin Spires in St. Joseph.

On the scene: Heading south for the winter (and a little entertainment)

Well, it's a new year. After a thorough day of detoxing, I realized I need to get rid of my old liver and also invest in some new gloves due to the frigid cold I am still not quite used to. But cold weather isn't going to stop those determined to get out and do something fun in St. Joe or elsewhere. So, here are a few things to do.

Stories for January 2008

Thursday, January 31

Event starts Thursday at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, January 30

Tuesday, January 29

Though rumors of a New Kids On the Block reunion have be disputed, you can't help but wonder what might have been.

Monday, January 28

Sunday, January 27

Saturday, January 26

Friday, January 25

Fly-tying group cinches down good initial meeting

Heath Ledger's death shocks the nation, and leaves a hole in Hollywood

Stars return to the big screen in old roles

St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre to perform 'Carmen'

Hypnotist comic Anthony Potmesil performs at Uncle D's tonight

Thursday, January 24

High school girls notebook

Wednesday, January 23

Tuesday, January 22

No. 8 Tarkio girls too much for Christian

...we give you smoke, lights and a stage!

Monday, January 21

Benton grad scheduled for surgery on Wednesday

Saturday, January 19

Wathena boys fall in title game

Finally, it's cool to be a band geek

Friday, January 18

'Hounds' victory dumps North Platte from ranks of Class 2 unbeatens

Lions dump Maur Hill-Mount Academy

Exhibitions open at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art this weekend

True North holding two CD release parties in St. Joseph

Fortitude to play at The Rendezvous Saturday