stjoelive.com | Stories for November 2008

Chiefs come out on top of battle between 2 of NFL's worst

OAKLAND, Calif. - When two of the NFL's worst teams meet, it figures that a botched play would be the biggest. That's just what happened Sunday when Maurice Leggett scooped up a fumble on a fake field goal attempt and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown to help the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders 20-13 and snap a seven-game losing streak. "I was surprised they actually ran a fake," Leggett said. "It surprised me. When I saw the ball on the ground, it was an opportunity to make a play. ... It's a great win - a big confidence boost."

Calloway takes on Russia bout

His professional boxing career winding down, at least one more big international fight remains ahead of St. Joseph cruiserweight Rob Calloway. Calloway travels Gorky, Russia, to face Grigory Drozd, a rising 29-year-old fighter from Moscow. The fight will be on Saturday. Drozd's only loss is to Firat Arslan, who was at the time of their fight the WBA cruiserweight champion. Drozd boasts 30 wins with 22 knockouts against that one setback.

Division II semifinals return to Maryville

ABILENE, Texas Â-Â-Â-- Nobody had been able to stop Abilene Christian's offense this season. On Saturday, penalties and Northwest Missouri State's big defensive line finally did. The Bearcats took advantage of 15 Abilene Christian penalties for 115 yards, and they harassed quarterback Billy Malone for two interceptions, two sacks and seven hurries in a 45-36 victory against the Wildcats.

Bearcat's near-disastrous pre-game workout

Cody Lanus has stayed off the injury list in his senior season as a Northwest Missouri State Bearcat, but his status became questionable for just a few moments before Saturday's national quarterfinal game at Abilene Christian.

Northwest to host nationally televised semifinal

MARYVILLE, Mo. -- The Bearcats are back in the NCAA Division II national semifinals, and Maryville again is hosting a nationally televised event.

Saturday's Prep Sports

Saturday's College Sports

Defense lifts Bearcat women against Avila

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Quantity was quality for the Northwest Missouri State women on Saturday. The Bearcats shot only 29 percent from the floor against NAIA Avila but took 20 more shots thanks to a superb defensive effort, winning 60-47 at Bearcat Arena.

Western men's defense no match for Rockhurst

KANSAS CITY - Tom Smith wanted a tough non-conference schedule to prepare the Missouri Western men for the MIAA slate. The Griffons certainly received a challenge from the past four games, dropping to 1-3 after a 100-89 loss to Rockhurst on Saturday in the Rock U Harvesters Classic.

Sterling too much for Western women

TOPEKA, Kan. - The Missouri Western women headed to the Washburn Classic searching for some consistency and confidence. They returned with neither. The winless Griffons lost to NAIA Sterling, 96-71, on Saturday night in a game they never led nor threatened.

Kansas shocks No. 12 Missouri in Arrowhead showdown

KANSAS CITY - Todd Reesing could barely lift his arm above his shoulder early in the week, forced to watch backup Kerry Meier take snaps because he was in so much pain. Reesing got hit so hard during the game that his eyes rolled up in his head, making his coach think he had been knocked out. He spent the postgame in the training room getting stitches for a gash in his hand. Didn't matter. Reesing wasn't about to give up and neither were the rest of his injured teammates.

Chiefs-Raiders rivalry falls on dismal times

OAKLAND, Calif. - Tom Cable has been well-schooled in the history of the Raiders-Chiefs rivalry growing up an Oakland fan. From the days of Len Dawson and Hank Stram against John Madden and Daryle Lamonica until now, Cable has been an interested observer. "These two teams would battle in the AFC," Cable said leading up to his first game against Kansas City as Oakland's interim head coach. "That's how it was and whoever was going to win it would probably have a chance to go to the championship game. To me, I remember those games and that's a big deal."

Spoofhounds, coach reach postseason potential

ST. LOUIS - As Chris Holt forced himself to think about his graduating seniors one more time, Maryville's third-year coach found an emotion where pride and regret meet. "When the job was kind of being inquired about, I was told about this sophomore group of kids," Holt said, emotions choking off his ability to talk. "It's tough," he managed to add after a deep breath.

Maryville falls short of title in defensive standoff

ST. LOUIS - The way he saw it, Chris Holt didn't have a choice. Adam Mattson had earned this chance. That's why the Maryville coach passed up a chip-shot field goal and a chance at a tie in the waning minutes of Saturday's Class 2 Show-Me Bowl against Clark County and let his all-state senior run for it. "That was an easy decision," Holt said. "These guys wanted to go for the win. To be honest with you, if I want to win the game, I'm going to give it to 32 (Mattson)."

Bearcat notes

Roundup of observations from Northwest's quarterfinal victory

Northwest Missouri State has been good on third down all season. Abilene Christian coach Chris Thomsen found out just how good on Saturday, as the Bearcats defeated his Wildcats 45-36 in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. "They made the plays when they needed them," Thomsen said.

Northwest stymies much-hyped Abilene Christian

Bearcats advance to Division II semifinals

ABILENE, Texas - Northwest Missouri State quarterback Joel Osborn took a knee in the end zone for a safety on the game's final play Saturday. But it didn't matter. Osborn and his teammates had already done enough to fashion a 45-36 victory against Abilene Christian and earn their fourth straight trip to the NCAA Division II semifinals. The Bearcats (12-1) play North Alabama on Saturday. The site wasn't announced by late Saturday.

Maryville falls short of state title

ST. LOUIS - Kolt Kiger kicked a 23-yard field goal with 8:40 remaining to lift Clark County over Maryville 10-7 in the Missouri Class 2 Championship Game Saturday afternoon.

Northwest stuns Abilene Christian

Bearcats advance to Division II national semifinals

ABILENE, Texas -- E.J. Hawkins intercepted a fourth-down pass by Abilene Christian quarterback Billy Malone, and Northwest Missouri State reached the NCAA playoff semifinals for the fourth straight season with a 45-36 victory on Saturday.

Early thoughts from Abilene

ABILENE, Texas -- I'm not a talkative sort, but when I arrive at a foreign press box for a football or basketball game, I tend to attract the most talkative guy in the place. Not that it's such bad thing, mind you. It gives you an interesting insight into how things work around there. It also gives you some nifty trivia.

St. Cloud State pressure gets to Northwest women

OMAHA, Neb. - The Northwest Missouri State women wilted under the pressure Friday in the Nebraska-Omaha Thanksgiving Classic. The Bearcats fell to St. Cloud State, 73-55, after committing 25 turnovers that turned into 28 Husky points.

Inconsistency costs Western women

TOPEKA, Kan. - For 10 minutes, the Missouri Western women played with confidence - and led Indiana-Pennsylvania. But a few bad breaks tripped up the Griffons, and it all snowballed into a 68-47 loss in the Washburn Holiday Classic. "We are so inexperienced," said Western coach Lynn Plett, whose team fell to 0-3. "When we lose confidence, it starts affecting us."

Griffon men fall to Park

KANSAS CITY - Missouri Western coach Tom Smith could accept a one-point loss on a miracle shot to Division II Rockhurst. However, getting blown out by a below-.500 NAIA school is an altogether different realm of defeat for the Griffons (1-2). Park defeated the Missouri Western men, 97-86, on Friday in the Rock U Harvesters Classic. The Griffons trailed for the final 32 minutes, 28 seconds as the Pirates' lead grew to 25 points in the second half.

Questions abound for Chiefs coaches, players

KANSAS CITY - When told his name was popping up in connection with the vacant coaching job at San Diego State, Kansas City Chiefs coach Herm Edwards delivered a glib and funny reply. "I've got a college team right now that I'm coaching," the embattled leader of the very youthful and 1-10 Kansas City Chiefs said with a laugh. "Next question."

Northwest scouting report

Here's a capsule look at today's quarterfinal matchup between Northwest Missouri State and Abilene Christian.

Lions can't stop powerful Panthers

ST. LOUIS - Despite the doubters, St. Joseph Christian coach Mark Juhl carried abundant faith in his team. Three months ago, he'd witnessed Mound City's might firsthand and still believed his Lions could hang with the juggernaut of the 8-man world Friday morning at the Edward Jones Dome. "We weren't coming here to get second place," Juhl said. "We felt like we could play with them."

Mound City rolls to 8-man title

ST. LOUIS - The final minutes showed Mound City with an insurmountable, double-digit lead. But the Panthers' backups didn't get the privilege of finishing off Mound City's 8-man Show-Me Bowl title at the Edward Jones Dome. After St. Joseph Christian's junior-varsity offense committed the Lions' third and final turnover, Mound City coach Brian Messer sent the starters back out with 1 minute, 34 seconds left to run three straight kneel downs and run out the clock on the Panthers' 48-16 victory Friday morning.

Northwest defense ready to show its grown since loss to Abilene

MARYVILLE, Mo. - His red cap has become a fixture at Northwest Missouri State football games. Primarily for visibility as he calls plays and maybe just a little bit for luck, defensive coordinator Scott Bostwick always dons the notable head wear on game day. At Abilene Christian today, he may find out exactly how much magic that hat contains.

Eagle Days kick off

With colder temperatures settling in and the calendar year coming to an end, it's time for the living symbol of America's freedom and spirit to make its annual appearance both in the wild and at Eagle Days events at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge and Smithville Lake. This will be the 30th anniversary of Eagle Days at Squaw Creek, near Mound City, Mo. The refuge will host its event on Dec. 6 and 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and feature hourly programs from The World Bird Sanctuary of St. Louis and its captive eagles and other birds. The event also will have a large number of exhibits in the refuge visitor station from local wildlife agencies and others.

Local hunter boasts amazing day

With Thanksgiving leftovers still lingering in the refrigerator, many won't want to hear the word turkey mentioned for a long time. But for Matt Whitmore, the word conjures up great memories of a recent bow hunt where he bagged not only a trophy tom but a monster buck - all in a period of 15 minutes. Whitmore hit the jackpot on Nov. 9, which incidentally is his sister's birthday. "I have been hunting for 15 years now and have missed her birthday on the ninth and my grandma's birthday on the 10th every season with the exception of grandma's 85th" he said.

In the air to Abilene

Travel for a sports reporter covering the MIAA beat generally means boring van rides to such points of interest as Joplin, Mo., or Pittsburg, Kan., in which the major highlight consists of twirling the dial on the AM radio to try to hear enough through the scratchy noise to determine the score of the game we had just been arguing about. On Friday, things were a little different, with a chartered plane trip from Rosecrans Memorial Airport to Abilene, Texas, for Saturday's NCAA football playoff game between Northwest Missouri State and Abilene Christian.

Black Friday bits...

A few things you might have missed while stuffing your face with turkey

A few pop culture headlines you might have missed while stuffing your face with turkey.

New home at the Dome?

ST. LOUIS The pregame buzz rarely rose above a murmur. With the 8-man Show-Me Bowl making its debut at the Edward Jones Dome, Friday's 9 a.m. start for the St. Joseph Christian-Mound City championship tilt did little to help the crowd size. Each team's supporters likely could have been contained to a single block of seats near midfield, which holds 480 fans.

15 films to see this winter

A preview of the season's most anticipated movies

The four best months to go to the movie theater are May, June, July and December. Yes, December. Blockbusters fill the summer, but as the Academy Awards approach, movie studios load the month of December with their Oscar-worthy releases. This December is shaping up to be a doozie. Six serious Best Picture contenders will be released in a three-week span, and a handful of anticipated sci-fi and action films will also make their mark on the holidays. Here are 15 movies you can see during the next two months. I guarantee you'll like at least one of them.

Shut your eyes and you'll swear it's U2

Rattle and Hum is one of the Irish superband's best tributes

U2 is one of the few bands that has remained both popular and relevant for a three-decade span. In that time, the band has undoubtedly touched millions around the world with its music.

Remaking rooms

Michael Cross's 'Resting Places Living Things' is on display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Have you ever imagined your hardwood floor having peaks and valleys, your electric lights floating in glasses of water or your bookshelves in the shape of tree branches? Probably not. But Michael Cross has.

Endless love

Soul icon Al Green continues to cement his legacy

Some have referred the language of love. Others talk about the idea of musical discourse. If both concepts are true, there's not a single person who doesn't know what soul legend Al Green is talking about, regardless of where he's performing. "If you can get the people in Barcelona, Spain, to sing 'I am so in love with you,'" says Green as he breaks into the opening line of "Let's Stay Together." "...and then when they get done singing it, they start back to speaking Spanish. It's like it's natural."

Review: "Australia"

A film as long as a drive through the Outback

Long before "Australia" was shown in any theater, it was considered a contender for a Best Picture Oscar. If it does win the award, it will be a travesty. "Australia" suffers from a lack of originality and messy pacing.

The shuffle: Grammatical rebellion

The release of the highly anticipated new album "Day and Age" by synth-pop heavyweights The Killers is getting a lot of attention from the music media. But it's not because of what they're playing or what they're saying, it's how they're saying it.

That game we play: The upside of a single's holiday

Aside from Valentine's Day, Christmas is the time when you're most aware of being single. You have a calendar full of Christmas parties and no date to any of them. There's nobody to kiss under the mistletoe or when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. And perhaps the most dreaded thing is having to face relatives who ask why you're not married and settled down yet.

Eats: Meet The Boucher at Uncle D's

With 14 TVs, walls covered in sports memorabilia and lots of room, Uncle D's is certainly the place to go if you're wanting to watch a game and drink a beer. They feature the game of the day (like the Chiefs on Sundays) on the big screen TVs, but if you're interested in another team or a college game, viewing can be arranged on one of the smaller TVs, says Jeremy Leer, who helps run the place with his father. "Uncle D is Dad to me," he says, "but Uncle D to many."

This is: "Winter Sucks" by Deborah Weems

What's in that?: Maui margarita at Cheddar's

Entertainment briefs for Nov. 28, 2008

Calendars for Nov. 28, 2008

Class 2 state championship capsule

Marville vs. Clark County

Here's a brief look at Saturday's state championship matchup between Maryville and Clark County.

Kansas, Missouri extend agreement to play at Arrowhead

KANSAS CITY - Kansas and Missouri, whose rivalry is the oldest west of the Mississippi, have agreed to play their annual game in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium through 2012. The announcement was made Thursday by the schools, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Sports Commission.

Chiefs' Thigpen faces crucial test

KANSAS CITY - The 10-week tryout that dropped into Tyler Thigpen's lap like a blessing is heading into the home stretch, and the results for the first player ever drafted out of Coastal Carolina have been mixed. Sometimes Kansas City's first-year quarterback has looked good. In a trip to the Meadowlands against the Jets, his numbers actually were better than Brett Favre's. Sometimes he's looked awful, such as the three interceptions he threw at Carolina and the three turnovers he committed last week in a blowout loss to Buffalo.

One way to the Dome

Specialization propels Spoofhounds to title game

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Maryville's Zach Sherry plays with a constant intensity that few can match. The senior's emotion - almost unchecked at times - spills out every play he's on the field and fuels a relentless Spoofhound defense. It's a passion that's etched into his character. His desire also stems from a need to make the most of his every snap.

Pick 'em blog: State title games

So here we are at the end of a long road. As Andy referenced last week, I win the inaugural season of pick 'em regardless of this week's outcomes. I bolted to an early lead, then buried Andy in a heap of shame and indefensible picks.

Baby, it's cold outside

Ways to entertain yourself when you're stuck inside

The weather is getting colder, which means you'll be spending a lot more time indoors trying to stay warm. To keep yourself from going stir crazy, try one of these indoor activities. Gather around the fire. When the weather outside is frightful, there's nothing better than a cozy fire. But before you light the fire, make sure you have your chimney and fireplace properly cleaned. Keith Dudley, owner of Chimney Pros, says if left untreated, buildup from the smoke could cause a chimney fire, which could turn into a house fire. Once the chimney is clean, it's time to start the fire. If it's been awhile, or if you've never been very good at it, Mr. Dudley suggests using a fire starter log, like Duraflame.

8-man championship game capsule

A look at Friday morning's 8-man state championship football game between Mound City and St. Joe Christian:

A column 2 years in the making: The MIAA's top stadiums

Through two seasons of covering MIAA football, I have been accosted by a drunk fan, locked in a stadium, fought off a Biblical plague of flies and still managed to make every deadline.

Eight-man football goes to St. Louis for 1st time

For years, the Missouri 8-man Football Coaches Association lobbied for a stage to showcase its sport to the state.

Live Review: Smashing Pumpkins at Midland Theater

The Billy Corgan Show delivers banter, obscure tracks and loose performance on second night in KC

For the fans of '90s alt-rock icons Smashing Pumpkins who decided they would take a beer or bathroom break any time they heard an obscure song, they probably missed a majority of the two-and-a-half hour plus performance by the band at the Midland Theater Tuesday night, their second of two straight performances in Kansas City. At times, they may have been better off for it. But most of the night, they got a taste of lesser-known tracks mixed with a few Pumpkins hits that let people know why the band is alive, kicking and relevent.

Syracuse rallies past Kansas

KANSAS CITY -- Jim Boeheim has spent years honing his 2-3 zone, turning it into a Syracuse defensive staple. Against Kansas on Tuesday night, it wasn't working, so Boeheim went to a man defense -- and the Orange ended up winning because of it.

College sports 11-25-08

Tuesday's prep sports 11-25-08

Northwest women stay balanced in win

Five Northwest players scored in double figures, leading the Bearcats to a 89-69 victory Tuesday night on the road against Missouri-St. Louis.

Chiefs' late LB Thomas named Hall of Fame semifinalist

Former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas is among 25 semifinal candidates on the ballot for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2009.

BEARCAT NOTEBOOK: Northwest football players credit season turnaround to comeback against Western

MARYVILLE, Mo. - If you ask senior cornerback Chris LeFlore, Northwest Missouri State's 2008 football fortunes turned around Sept. 13. The Bearcats had followed up a season-opening loss to Abilene Christian with a convincing victory against Southwest Baptist. But exactly how good the Bearcats were remained unclear, since Baptist had left the MIAA last season after years as a conference doormat. Missouri Western, everyone knew, had plenty of potential.

Northwest's Kirby trying his best to play through pain

MARYVILLE, Mo. - When they saw senior offensive tackle Reid Kirby come up limping Saturday, Northwest Missouri State fans held their breath. "I held my breath for a couple of plays myself," Kirby said, recalling the pain he felt in his surgically repaired right knee when it got twisted under a pile during the NCAA Division II playoff game against Pittsburg State.

Report shows number of uninsured Missouri children

Missouri remains better than the nation overall in the percentage of children without health insurance, said a report released Tuesday. But the numbers show the 135,000 young people in the state without coverage.

11/25/08 WbNW Podcast: Northwest's Chris LeFlore and Tyler Northway

Our MIAA beat writer R.J. Cooper sat down with Northwest corner Chris LeFlore and defensive end Tyler Northway on Tuesday to discuss the game that was (Pitt State), the game that will be (Abilene Christian), how each player ended up in Maryville and if the Bearcats' defense will be better next season - all while our reporter struggled to pronounce McMenamin.

How to score 93 points

While watching the Northwest-Pitt State game Saturday, I kept an eye on the stat tracker for Abilene Christian-West Texas A&M. I expected a Wildcat win. I expected a shootout. I did not expect the 93-68 final score. The Wildcat men's basketball team exceeded that point total just three times during the conference season last year.

Time for the Western men to shine

Until five years ago, Tom Smith's tenure at Missouri Western had been a pretty constant exercise in success. The Griffons won five MIAA regular season titles and four conference tournament championships and went to the NCAA tourney 10 times. But the teams tipping off a couple of hours before Smith's squads consistently matched or exceeded that success. The Western women won five MIAA regular season titles and went to the playoffs 10 times, as well, since Smith took over the men. The Griffon women only won the conference tournament three times. But Smith's teams posted more wins than the women only once during the past 15 years - in 1995-96 when the men went 17-10 and the women were 16-12. (Smith's teams won more games than the women in four of his first five years on the Western campus.)

Freakish shot still has Griffons talking about Saturday's loss

Tom Smith surprised even himself with his good mood Monday afternoon. Two days after losing to Rockhurst on a circus shot in the final minute, the Missouri Western men's coach opened up his weekly address at the Griffon luncheon with back-to-back jokes. "It's amazing I can be in this kind of mood," said Smith, who could only watch as the Hawks' Tyler Knust made an underhanded 3-pointer from the left corner Saturday to help Rockhurst beat Western, 73-72.

Bearcats get second chance at stopping powerful Abilene offense

Big numbers are nice when they come in your paycheck. They're not so nice when they come with your next NCAA Division II football playoff opponent. Abilene Christian, which Northwest Missouri State will face at noon on Saturday in the quarterfinals in Abilene, Texas, racked up plenty of big numbers - many of them record-setting - in a 93-68 victory against West Texas A&M. That is a concern for a Northwest defense heavily laden with underclassmen.

Benton girls maintain high expectations

Little more than 19 months ago, Benton's girls celebrated an undefeated state championship. Seniors Holly Switzer and Meghan Curtis have only about four months to build toward another title. One of Missouri's top Class 4 programs for nearly a decade now, Benton looks to retool after a 21-5 season that ended in the district championship game. Expectations are high again, and the players don't want to lower expectations from anything less than another state crown.

Depth no longer a concern for Western women

Reversible jerseys aren't enough to organize Missouri Western practices anymore. A year ago, the Griffons' scrimmage teams were divided into seven or eight healthy players on one side and an amalgamation of assistant coaches, athletic staff and football players on the other as Western struggled just keeping enough players healthy to maintain an eight-woman rotation. Presently, coach Lynn Plett needs three colors to divide up his roster in practice each day - gold jerseys, black jerseys and gray T-shirts. To further complicate matters, the makeup of those five-player teams changes constantly. Plett, in his second year at Western, brought in 10 new players, adding to a roster of six returning underclassmen from last season's 12-15 campaign.

New faces populate Northwest men's team

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State coach Steve Tappmeyer has made a career out of slowly molding freshmen into his system to create teams that develop into late-season winners. He doesn't have that luxury this year.

Bearcat women make their point

For her senior season, Amber Vandevender wanted to play basketball on her terms as much as possible. That's why she went to Northwest Missouri State coach Gene Steinmeyer at the start of the academic year with her request to play point guard. She played the point all four years of high school but was converted to the 2-3 at North Central College in her hometown of Trenton, Mo.

Western men try to rediscover their fire

The Missouri Western men's trial began before the regular season. After suffering through losing seasons four of the past five years, coach Tom Smith decided to set the tone for the upcoming campaign just 6 minutes into the Griffons' lone exhibition contest. The Griffons faced Livin' the Dream - a group of former college players from the Kansas City area who travel around the region playing exhibition games. Not exactly a matchup to get too fired up about. But when former Iowa State and NBA center Paul Shirley plowed through a Griffon for a layup, Smith screamed at the officiating crew, "Use your (gosh) damn whistle. I can't teach them to do the right thing if you guys don't call it."

Lafayette girls place confidence in seniors

The Midland Empire Conference is a difficult league to make much headway in. The league is stacked with potential powerhouse teams like Benton, Maryville and Smithville, and this year a talented Bishop LeBlond team rejoins the MEC slate. Gaining traction for a push into the upper tier is a difficult prospect for any team. Luckily for Lafayette, coach Katie McCullough doesn't think Lafayette needs to prove anything.

Toughness critical for Indian boys

Justin Love shows the capability to dominate in the post during most Central practices. The senior forward better enjoy the preseason workouts because, like the rest of the undersized Indians, Love has a tough slate in front of him. For a second straight year, Central has no true center and will rely on toughness and grit from its post players to make up for a lack of height.

Ravens' women team gets used to bulls'-eye on its back

ATCHISON, Kan. - Toward the end of a long practice, Benedictine women's coach Chad Folsom lined his Ravens up on the baseline for shooting drills by the order of their shoe size. In leading the Ravens to five consecutive 20-win seasons, two conference titles and a 29-win season of a year ago, Folsom's lineup seemed to be a relaxing fit - but only for practice. "We graduated a lot of players from last year, including six seniors," the eighth-year coach said. "The bull's-eye is on our (back)since we got picked to finish second in our conference. We have a lot of young players we are mixing in right now."

Benedictine men get infusion of new blood

ATCHISON, Kan. - Within each basketball season, there are turning points and make-or-break instances that propel teams in either direction. Benedictine's men's team experienced all three in a span of 48 hours last year. The Make - the Ravens moves to 9-5 with a road win over Baker despite guard Dave Goettelmann suffering an injury to his shooting hand. The Break - BC knocks off No. 1-ranked Mid-America Nazarene 74-70 at home to run its record to 10-5 despite having just two guards on the roster, Goettelmann and Drew Huppe, and both are hampered with nagging injuries. The Turning Point - injuries to the lone remaining guards prove too much to overcome as the Ravens lose 12 of their last 15 to finish 13-17 overall. Such is basketball.

Christian boys to field young team

Lacking in size, but not athleticism, St. Joseph Christian returns only one starter from last season - sophomore point guard Levi Evans. The Lions graduated four key offensive players: Adam Nelson, Stephen Kemp, Jacob Blaylock and Ethan Evans. That quartet averaged 41.5 points a game and will leave a considerable gap in this year's offense.

Jefferson program maximizes the Eagles' potential

CONCEPTION JUNCTION, Mo. - Craig Mattson gets a quick history refresher every time he walks into Jefferson's gymnasium. All around him, display cases stuffed with state title trophies occupy every inch of available space of the school's already-narrow halls. Decorated ceiling tiles pay homage to the championship teams that paved the way in years past. After winning 14 district titles in the past two dozen years, the boys' basketball team has lined its path to practice with the spoils of victory. But something other than a desire to cram more trophies into the crowded cases has kept alive the decades of dominance at one of the state's tiniest institutions, which enters this season as three-time defending Class 1 champions.

LeBlond boys count on familiar faces from '08 quarterfinalist team

Fresh off his selection for the 2008 St. Joseph Sports Inc. Coach of the Year award, Bishop LeBlond's Steve Vertin was on the court the next day watching senior center Reid Gillespie doing push-ups after a missed dunk attempt. "I am really concerned about his stamina," Vertin said afterward. Other than that and maybe a hint of depth issues, the 10-year head coach had nothing but positive things to say about his LeBlond team heading into the 2008-09 season.

LeBlond girls plan to rely on pressure defense

LeBlond coach Wayne Miller has a simple plan for his girls squad - press for success. With a wealth of returning talent in the backcourt, the Golden Eagles look ready to run through the Midland Empire Conference slate during their first year back in the league.

Benton boys lose star power, hope to make up for it with speed

Try and write a preview story for the 2008-09 Benton boys basketball team without mentioning all-state selection and current Arizona State freshman Johnny Coy, and you would be doing a disservice to the St. Joseph high school basketball fan. After all, Coy scored more than 2,000 points and grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds in his career, was named to the all-state team twice, named All-MEC three times and was voted the St. Joseph News-Press player of the year his senior season.

Interest in women's basketball grows

In what has been an evolving profession, coach Gene Steinmeyer considers himself a fossil. After all, a lot has changed in the sport of women's basketball in 25 years. Steinmeyer was a successful high school boys basketball coach whose goal was always to enter the college ranks.

Christian girls make move back up in class

St. Joseph Christian returns to Class 2 this season after four seasons in Class 1. Maybe that's a good move for the Lions, who took third in Class 2 in 2004 and fourth in 2003. Playing in one of the state's toughest Class 1 districts last year, Christian finished 14-14 after bowing out in the first round. The move to Class 2 does Danny Maggart's squad no favors with 2008 state champion Hamilton and perennial power Tarkio sharing Class 2 District 16 with the Lions.

Central girls think they've got the right mix

The Central girls combine youth with returning talent and experience with confidence from a late season district-championship run. And the Indians may need all those ingredients because they'll be facing tougher competition after being bumped up to the biggest division of the realigned Suburban League. Plus, they'll start without a major component of the 2007 team - junior Alexis Bates, who also was a state championship sprinter as a freshman. Unfortunately for Central, she blew out her knee last spring in track and still has not received medical clearance to play.

Lafayette boys hope to keep momentum from district title

Chris Neff didn't envision his homecoming playing out this well - claiming Lafayette's first district title in 23 years on his court on the way to an 18-win season. Just don't expect the fiery Fighting Irish coach to rest on his rookie-year accomplishments. If anything, it just gave him and the rest of his team a taste of success they're eager to build on this year.

New owner fleshes out plans for St. Joseph Mustangs baseball team

The way Rick Muntean figures it, 25 home games, 16 home league contests, six fireworks spectaculars and one notable chicken add up to summer wood bat baseball's return to St. Joseph next season. Muntean, the recently named general manager of the St. Joe Mustangs, has been working out of a small trailer near the entrance of Phil Welch Stadium to put together a promotions package and woo sponsors and fans alike, as the community makes its return to MINK League baseball.

Northwest edges Pittsburg State in playoff thriller

Joel Osborn completed 17 passes for 234 yards on Saturday, but it was his final two passes that gave Northwest Missouri State what it needed most. His 15-yard touchdown toss to senior wide receiver Kendall Wright with 55 seconds left gave the Bearcats a 38-35 come-from-behind victory against Pittsburg State and a berth in the national quarterfinals against Abilene Christian.

Saturday's College Sports

Saturday's Prep Sports

Keeping the drive alive

MARYVILLE, Mo. -- This was a game-winning drive that will be talked about in sports bars around the region for years to come. But Northwest Missouri State quarterback Joel Osborn believes exactly how it goes down in Bearcat football lore depends on the next three weeks.

Improbable play helps Rockhurst slip past Western men

Tyler Knust's desperation 3-pointer was impractical, improbable and just what Rockhurst needed to knock off Missouri Western on Saturday night. With the shot clock running out in the final minute, Knust hoisted an underhanded attempt - think granny shot - that swished in to give the Hawks a four-point lead. Aaron Hill then hit a free throw with 2 seconds left, lifting Rockhurst to a 73-72 win in the Hillyard Classic at the MWSU Fieldhouse

Northwest women pull away late

MARYVILLE, Mo. - One night after falling to Evangel, the Northwest Missouri State women rebounded against another NAIA opponent, pulling away late in an 87-78 victory over William Jewell on Saturday at Bearcat Arena.

MIAA women's basketball preview capsules

Team-by-team previews

MIAA men's basketball preview capsules

Team-by-team previews

Resurgent Wonder Boys top Bearcat men

Arkansas Tech erased an early, first-half deficit and used sharp shooting to knock off No. 16 Northwest Missouri State 66-62 on Saturday in the Hillyard Tip-Off Classic. The Wonder Boys hit 71 percent of their shots in the second half behind a strong offensive output by Chad Henderson. Henderson led all scorers with 18 points.

Bearcat football notes

Northwest Missouri State quarterback Joel Osborn was the MIAA's offensive player of the year and the first-team selection on the All-MIAA team at his position, edging out Pittsburg State's Mark Smith in both categories this season.

Orrick victimizes Princeton in semifinal

PRINCETON, Mo. - Princeton knew it faced a tough challenge in Saturday's Missouri Class 1 semifinal. To reach the title game, the Tigers had to get past top-ranked, undefeated Orrick. But the Bearcats and their star, Joe Kaufman, lived up to their reputation with a 28-6 victory - their 28th consecutive win.

Maryville bulldozes into Class 2 title game

FAIR GROVE, Mo. - Adam Mattson enjoys company down field - especially the kind that acts like his personal bulldozer. During his second rushing touchdown against Fair Grove, Maryville's tailback literally planted a hand on Clint Thompson's back as his hulking teammate paved the way to pay dirt. "I've got so much room to run, and then I've got linemen downfield in front of me - just blocking whoever's in my way," Mattson said.

Mistakes doom Chillicothe's playoff run

CASSVILLE, Mo. - Phil Willard wanted the field goal try to wait one more play - just one more shot at the end zone before lining up for a potential game-winning kick. Instead, Chillicothe's coach, his players and the Hornets' fans watched in disbelief as Cassville sophomore Trenton Tanner made an interception on a pass intended for Clint Dysart. With only 18.3 seconds left, Chillicothe's hopes for a sixth state title were over.

Northwest shows its character

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Kendall Wright believed. The Bearcats, down 35-31 and afflicted with a fourth-and-10 from the Pittsburg State 42-yard line, gazed at a clock ticked down to just 1 minute, 20 seconds. Wright might have believed, but not many others did. In the huddle, Wright stared down his teammates. "I told them we were going to get it done. I believed it," Wright said. "Some of them looked scared. Some of them didn't look like they believed."

Northwest Missouri State scouting

A capsule look at today's matchup between Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State.

Kicker carves his own role at Northwest

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Dorothy found some magic in her ruby red shoes. Tommy Frevert hopes his emerald green ones have some magic in them today when Northwest Missouri State takes on Pittsburg State in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at Bearcat Stadium. By all accounts, Frevert, the Bearcats' senior kicker, is a laid-back kind of guy. Looking at his shoes, you'd never guess it.

Griffons break out explosive offense in Hillyard Classic

Missouri Western's showcased a fast and powerful offense against Arkansas Tech on Friday night, and the Griffons ran away from the Wonder Boys for a 99-70 victory. Western's offensive explosion highlighted the opening night of the Hillyard Tip-Off Classic at MWSU Fieldhouse. But it didn't start easy. The Griffons found themselves down seven early in the first half of their regular season opener.

Northwest defense slams door on Rockhurst

Northwest overcame a hot start from Rockhurst on Friday night to walk out of MWSU Fieldhouse with a win. The Bearcats beat the Hawks 85-66 on the first night of the Hillyard Tip-Off Classic. Rockhurst's guard, Aaron Hill, came out hitting four of his first five 3-point attempts to give the Hawks an early lead.

Week 13 Pick 'em

Needing to make up one game on Rick heading into the final week of the regular season, I caught a break when our Northwest Missouri State beat writer picked Washburn over Nebraska-Omaha. It's amusing how our views of the MIAA vary wildly based on the one time we saw each of the other nine teams. Rick saw Northwest obliterate Nebraska-Omaha, while Washburn played the Bearcats tough. I, on the other hand, watched UNO run all over Western, which should've defeated the Ichabods in Topeka.

Pick 'em blog: Calling it for Ross

Consider this my concession. Realistically, any hope of a late-season rally fell by the wayside two weeks ago, and a shortened slate of games makes a victory all but impossible especially since Ross and I disagree on only one contest this week. Despite Ross' predictable mud-slinging, I feel as if I stuck to the real issues and waged a noble comeback attempt.

Just a few things...

Random headlines from this week in pop culture

A random sampling of what's happened this week in pop culture, including a movie by Jaleel White, aka Steve Urkel, and the end of an era on "Days of Our Lives."

Pick your palette

Artists Helen Lea and the late Ray Ottinger will be featured at Albrecht-Kemper this weekend

If you're an art lover craving a bit of flower power and the work of an artist who changes his styles as much as he changes his sweaters, this is your weekend. Kansas City painter Helen Lea's "Always in Bloom" exhibit will be on display along with the late Ray Ottinger's pieces in "The Boy in the Brown Sweater" at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art from Nov. 22 to Jan. 11. There will be an opening reception from 1 to 4 p.m. on Nov. 22.

Music makers

Punch Brothers appear in concert at Northwest

The name may conjure up images of a Saturday morning cartoon, but the Punch Brothers aren't superheroes or wrestlers seeking ratings.

Jazzy sounds of the season

Holiday Jazz Express offers a different take on Christmas classics

You've heard all the Christmas carols a zillion times before, but have you ever heard the jazzy versions? The Holiday Jazz Express, which starts at 5 p.m. Nov. 23 at the Missouri Theater, will present classic Christmas carols, but with a full-jazz flavor.

Saying something relevant

Murs stands out in the world of 'ringtone' hip-hop

In a time when hip-hop's biggest acts are making music for the club, Murs chooses to be different. While Soulja Boy cranks that Superman, Murs is forming some of hip-hop's best love songs. He doesn't do drugs. He doesn't rap about killing people. He is different, and he wants to make the path of hip-hop different as well. "Most young hip-hop listeners aren't looking for the next John Lennon," Murs says. "They're not looking for something intelligent... and they haven't been equipped to think because they've been fed nonsense for the last 10 years or so."

That game we play: I was supposed to be married by now

On Wednesday, I celebrated my 26th birthday. I'm officially more than halfway through my 20s. It's all just a downhill slide to 30 now. I don't know about you, but my birthdays, much like New Year's Eve, are a chance for me to look back at the past year, reflect on what's happened in my life, think about how I've grown, yada yada yada. This year, there is one thing that keeps popping into my mind. And that is how, when I was a senior in high school, my sister got married. She was 28.

The Shuffle: The end of an era

In less than two months, President-elect Barack Obama will be inaugurated into the highest office in the land. This means that our current commander-in-chief, President George W. Bush, will have to vacate the premises of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. No matter where your political loyalties lie, there is no denying that Bush wasn't our country's most popular leader. But for comedians everywhere, the exit of "Dubya" will be a day of unbelievable sadness.

What's in that?: The Rusty Bucket shot at the Bucket Shop

This is: Carbon

Briefs for Nov. 21, 2008

Calendars for Nov. 21, 2008

'Twilight'

Even if you don't like vampires, you'll swoon over Robert Pattinson

If you haven't heard that "Twilight," the movie based on the best-selling young adult vampire romance, comes out today, chances are you haven't been in the vicinity of a teenage girl recently.

Thursday's Prep Sports

Northwest women host Winstead-Reeves Classic

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State begins its 2008-09 home season tonight when it hosts the Winstead-Reeves Classic.

Hillyard Classic spotlights newcomers

Newcomers dominate the Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State men's teams. That's why this weekend's Hillyard Classic at MWSU Fieldhouse should provide fans - and their respective coaches - an excellent chance to evaluate the newest Griffons and Bearcats.

Light it up

Christmas tree lightings start this weekend

It's still a week until Thanksgiving, but the Christmas tree lightings are already beginning. Starting this weekend, there are plenty of opportunities to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over the lights. This Friday, the St. Joseph Downtown Association will once again host the City Lights Festival, a benefit for the Noyes Home. Money raised from the event will go toward Christmas gifts and activities for the Noyes Homes children.

Who is People's Sexiest Man Alive?

Hint: It's a rugged Aussie with a new movie coming out

People magazine named its Sexiest Man Alive for this year. Who do you think got the top honor?

Northwest, Pitt St. clash at Bearcat Stadium for 1st time since 2000

MARYVILLE, Mo. - It's the playoffs, so everybody has reason to be excited. But around Maryville, Mo., its Northwest Missouri State's football fans who are as giddy as anyone about this weekend's matchup at Bearcat Stadium with Pittsburg State. The Gorillas (11-1) haven't met in Maryville since the 2000 season, when the Bearcats won 35-28. Since the advent of the Fall Classic at Arrowhead, all of the regular season games have been held at the neutral site in Kansas City. The last on-campus meeting came in 2005, when Northwest avenged a regular-season loss with a playoff victory in Pittsburg, Kan.

Familiarity can be challenging

Bearcats, Gorillas face off for 2nd time this year

It's always difficult to beat a team twice in one season. It could be even more difficult for Northwest Missouri State's football team on Saturday, given the level of improvement Pittsburg State has enjoyed during the last half of the season. That's the assessment of Northwest coach Mel Tjeerdsma and his Bearcats, who play Pittsburg State at noon Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at Bearcat Stadium.

Bearcat coach for a day

MIAA football coaches routinely refer to their conference as the best in Division II, and if there is one coach outside the league who can empathize with their weekly grind, it's Harding's Ronnie Huckeba. Huckeba was in Maryville on Tuesday to follow around Northwest's Mel Tjeerdsma and pick up a few tips to take back to Searcy, Ark., where the Bisons compete in the Gulf South Conference with the likes of Delta State, North Alabama and Valdosta State. All three are ranked in the top 15 of the coaches' poll, and no conference has more teams in the top 15 (the MIAA has two). Harding went 2-9 this season, losing to No. 4 Delta State in overtime and No. 13 Valdosta, 21-13.

Legend's Senior Golf Tee Times

Local Men's Basketball Results

Tuesday's Prep Sports

Kansas governor appoints Democrat to succeed Jenkins

The election of Republican Lynn Jenkins to the Kansas 2nd District congressional seat has led Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to appoint a Democratic lawmaker as the next state treasurer.

Resurgent deer population a credit to good wildlife management

As Missouri hunters continue the 64th annual firearms deer season this week, the odds of taking a whitetail will be pretty good. In recent years, an annual average of more than 500,000 hunters have consistently harvested about 300,000 deer each season. While the odds of successfully taking a whitetail are fairly good, they weren't always this way for Show-Me State hunters.

Boone gives Western women a boost

Nikki Boone went from potential redshirt to potential starter in less than two weeks. The 5-foot-9 junior from Palomar (Calif.) College tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee last February and didn't have surgery until April. She hadn't fully recovered when the Missouri Western women began practice last month, and coach Lynn Plett considered redshirting Boone to get her additional time to rehabilitate. "Two weeks ago it was kind of hit and miss on her as far as being able to play with confidence and aggressiveness," Plett said. "I told her, 'You have to prove physically you're ready to play because neither one of us want to jeopardize your future.'"

For whom the Bell tolls

Of all the players who transferred into the MIAA this season, Alicia Bell's switch from Northwest to Western seems pretty minor. As a freshmen, she averaged just two points and 13.6 minutes for the Bearcats, tore her ACL eight games into the season and watched as Northwest won the MIAA tournament and advanced to the South Central regional semifinals without her.

Griffons come home winless, searching for consistency

QUINCY, Ill. - The Missouri Western women haven't found their nucleus yet, and the Griffons are stumbling through the resulting uncertainty. The Griffons are now 0-2 after dropping their second game in as many days at the Quincy Tip-Off Tournament - 70-55 to Saginaw Valley on Sunday. Coach Lynn Plett brought in 10 new players this season to mesh with six second-year Griffons. But no Western player really has excelled at both ends of the floor or separated herself as the foundation of this young team moving forward.

Saints breeze past Kansas City

KANSAS CITY - Like a slick and experienced salesman, Drew Brees knows how to close. Kansas City, desperate for a win, scored in the fourth quarter to get within seven points and had the home crowd raising a ruckus. But Brees coolly took the NFL's top-ranked offense on a 12-play drive that ate 6 minutes and 27 seconds off the clock and was capped by Garrett Hartley's 35-yard field goal. A moment later, Usama Young ended Tyler Thigpen's string of 161 passes without an interception and New Orleans preserved a 30-20 victory. It was the Saints' first win on the road since last Dec. 12 in Atlanta.

Saturday's prep results

Central diver gets 3rd

Dallas Becerra's diving career ended with quite a splash. A big one. Even after missing his final dive of the meet, the Central senior turned in a third-place showing Saturday in the 1-meter diving at the State Swimming and Diving Championships at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

Chillicothe turns to passing game, rides momentum into Class 3 semifinal

PLEASANT HILL, Mo. - Kyle Dosterschill fumbled possession away on Chillicothe's opening drive. And after Pleasant Hill limited Clint Dysart to a 1-yard gain on the first play of the Hornets' second drive, quarterback Tyler Trammell saw the opening. Chillicothe's senior quarterback came to the sideline and requested a pass play. The Hornets' coaches agreed, and Trammell hit running back Bryce Young down the seam. Young broke one tackle and raced in for a 66-yard score - the first of Trammell's two first-half touchdown passes.

Christian makes its way back to 8-man title game

St. Joseph Christian dealt out a repeat performance as it ousted Stewartsville 68-14 in an 8-man semifinal game. Under normal circumstances, David Welchert starts at quarterback, but starting fullback Cody Cornelius was sick. On Saturday at Christian Field, Welchert was called upon to fill the void at fullback - which he played as a freshman. Behind Welchert, Jake Rose ran for a game-high 140 yards on 12 carries and four touchdowns.

Turnovers trouble Maryville, but Spoofhounds find footing in time to advance

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Breaking off lengthy touchdown runs usually resides atop John Farmer's to-do list. For a short while, that goal took a backseat. Maryville's shifty halfback sacrificed loftier rushing totals for ball security - routinely cradling the football with a vice-like grip and not shying away from contact.

Ravens keep up streak

ATCHISON, Kan. - Benedictine capped its season with a 32-14 victory over Central Methodist on Saturday at Larry Wilcox Stadium, finishing the 2008 campaign on a five-game winning streak.

Princeton trick play knocks out Wellington-Napoleon

WELLINGTON, Mo. - Princeton's offense put Wellington-Napoleon against the ropes with the final play of the first half, and the defense dealt the knockout blow at the start of the second half Saturday in a 54-28 Class 1 quarterfinal victory. Princeton (12-1) stunned the hosts with a 35-yard halfback pass from Vance Purdun to Mace Ormsby as time expired in the first half, giving the visitors a 26-14 halftime advantage. "I just caught it on the run, and I was in the end zone," said Ormsby, a senior wide receiver. "He put it right on the money. It was a good pass."

Blue Jays can't top Orrick

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. - Orrick spent the majority of its first 12 games stifling its opponents into submission. But the unbeaten, No. 1-ranked Bearcats hadn't seen a spread passing attack like West Platte's until Saturday's Class 1 quarterfinal. West Platte put the first scare into Orrick's run towards a second straight unbeaten state championship. Quarterback Ryan Humes threw for nearly 400 yards but couldn't help the Blue Jays muster enough points in a 48-39 loss at Tiger Stadium.

Stanberry gets run over as Mound City earns trip to Edward Jones Dome

STANBERRY, Mo. - When Hickory coach Norman Dale led his fictional basketball team to the Indiana state title game in the sports classic "Hoosiers," he battled frequent issues: the number of players on his team; the size and caliber of the opponent; even the size and scope of Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. After remaining undefeated at 13-0, averaging over 50 points per game, shutting-out its opponents eight times, and knocking off Stanberry 52-0 in the Missouri 8-man semifinal football game on Saturday, the Mound City Panthers and coach Brian Messer seem about as ready as you can get for a state title game - even if it is at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

Friday's College Sports

Friday's Prep Sports

Central swimmers come up just a bit short at state meet

Fractions of a second separated Matt Zieger from his ultimate goal - making a championship final. The Central junior will have to wait another year, however, after an abundance of speed forced at the Missouri Swimming and Diving Championships placed him in two consolation finals at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

Pick 'em Blog: 11-man quarterfinals, 8-man semifinals

As I prepare for a long road trip to Pleasant Hill, Mo., on Saturday morning, I remember why I hate MSHSAA's hosting regulations - or, more accurately, hate it every other year. Part of the fun in covering high school sports, especially football, is following good teams in their quest for a state title. The past two years haven't been nearly as exciting; but this year, I've enjoyed watching Maryville, Chillicothe, West Platte and Hamilton chase state titles.

R.I.P: Mitch Mitchell

Drummer from the Jimi Hendrix Experience was a star in his own right

The last member of one of rock's most important, powerful and groundbreaking bands died on Nov. 12.

Who is the best Bond?

Entertainment Weekly ranks the best James Bond movies, villans and girls

"Quantume of Solace' comes out this weekend, and as always it bears the question: Which movie was the best James Bond movie?

Nicolas Cage has retired... from making good movies

Nicolas Cage is in 11 upcoming films. Unfortunately, none of them will be good.

Windshield Wiper Fluid shot at Muny Inn

The Windshield Wiper Fluid shot is one of the specialty shots at the Muny Inn. Bartender T.J. Morris wouldn't say exactly what is in the secret recipe, only that it includes vodka, triple sec and "11 original herbs and spices." The shot looks very fruity but is more sour than sweet, and its taste will make your mouth pucker.

Briefs for Nov. 14, 2008

Become an actual guitar hero The public is invited to a free guitar masterclass at Cafe Acoustic at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20. The session will feature Missouri Western State University guitar majors, the Brunette-Mayfield Guitar Duo, the St. Joseph Guitar Quartet and the St. Joseph Guitar Ensemble. The masterclass will be taught by Anthony Glise. The masterclass is an open music lesson where students perform for an audience and are then coached in front of the audience by a professor on various musical subjects including technique, stage presence, anatomy, historical performance practice and musicianship. Local guitarists are invited to bring their guitars and receive free coaching. All ages and musical styles are welcome.

That Game we Play: Dating advice from 'Mad Men' (It isn't really that great)

Something that fascinates me as a dating columnist - and as a woman in general - is reading the advice men give other men on dating. I know what 'Cosmo' and 'Marie Claire' are telling women to do to attract men, so it's always interesting to see what magazines like 'Maxim' or 'FHM' are telling guys to do. I like to compare and contrast and see how on-the-mark the male dating advice is.

Smart Brass

The Dallas Brass bring the joy of music to theaters and classrooms

Many nationally recognized performers interact with their audiences during their shows. Few, however, connect and leave an impression quite like the Dallas Brass. The Dallas Brass is a six-man brass ensemble that has appeared with symphony orchestras nationwide including the Cincinnati Pops and New York Pops. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington and have toured Europe. They have shared the stage with Bob Hope and have performed for Presidents Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush. They've even played on the CBS "Early Show."

Charlegmagne

If you've ever been to Charlemagne's in Weston, Mo. you know it's also the site of the National Silk Art Museum, a collection of more than 150 rare French silk tapestries belonging to Charlemagne's owner, John Pottie.

Dialog in the Dark

New exhibit at Union Station gives visitors a chance to experience being blind

The dark is a scary place, or at least that's the perception many people have. But if you are one of the 1.3 million blind people in the United States, it's simply the world you live in. And it's a world that sighted visitors will be able to explore at Dialog in the Dark, a new exhibit being presented at Union Station in Kansas City starting today and running through Sunday, March 29, 2009.

The Dude abides

Plaza 8 celebrates the 10th anniversary of 'The Big Lebowski'

Saturday is Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest. On Shabbos, Walter Sobchak doesn't get in a car or even turn on an oven. But on this Shabbos, there will be an event that many who love the Dude can enjoy.

Staying active

Hardcore punk group Rise Against take their message to the mainstream

While it's common for mainstream artists and musicians today to express their political views after they've made it big, it's rare that a band attains that status because of those views. But that's what the Chicago hardcore quartet Rise Against has managed to do. The group, with singer/guitarist Rim McIlrath, guitarist Zach Blair, drummer Brandon Barnes and bassist Joe Principe, came up from the underground punk scene while keeping their political message intact.

This is: Greg Camp

Kansas City singer/songwriter Greg Camp, 59, is a veteran musician who has kept himself busy playing music for more than 40 years. Currently, he plays in two bands - Camp Harlow and Greg, Tom and Rick - and works on his own solo material, which he describes as "country rock-ish" with an emphasis on acoustic guitar, Eagles-style three-part harmonies and simple, observational storytelling. "I usually just write something about some guy that I ran into or something," Camp says. "I've never sat down and write a rock opera. I don't have the patience or the talent to do that." Camp will perform a mix of his originals and covers with bassist Steve Nierman and drummer Mike Harvey from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. tonight at Magoon's. The lineup may frequently change for Camp, but the passion for playing doesn't waver. "It's still a ball and still fun to do," Camp says. "It's got me more than I've got it."

The Shuffle: Comic timing

November marks an interesting time for movies this year. Now that Hollywood is done raking in the bucks from a blockbuster-filled summer box office and a few successful fall releases, studios are beginning to trot out dramas they hope will be considered for Oscars.

Conditions appear good for deer rifle season

They've patiently watched as archers from all over Northwest Missouri have been bringing in some great whitetails. Youth hunters also had their turn and with less-than-favorable weather conditions still managed to complete their first weekend with an above-average harvest. And as firearms season gets started on Saturday, gun hunters finally get their chance.

Central swimmers dive into state championships

Matt Zieger never has much room for error. A sprinter by trade, the Central junior starts and finishes his best race - the 50-meter freestyle - in just more than 20 seconds. It's surprising just how much can go wrong in such a short time in the pool.

Some time on their hands ... for rest

Rest is a good thing for a football team this time of year. That's exactly what Northwest Missouri State is getting in general, and Reid Kirby is getting in particular as he tries to come back from arthroscopic knee surgery on his right knee.

Palin's a star, but don't expect Blunt to disappear

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's trip to Miami this week, his last as a member of the Republican Governors Association, provides a lesson in the speed of changing political fortunes.

Coaches miss calling

Some of St. Joseph's best coaches might have missed their career calling. At Wednesday's St. Joseph Sports Inc. Fall Round-Up, a handful of coaches treated the event like an open mic night. Called upon to preview their teams' seasons, Central's Kevin Kelley - who begins with a joke every year - and Steve Vertin of Bishop LeBlond displayed their impressive comedic chops. This year's material didn't disappoint. Here's a sampling of some of the better punch lines from the night:

St. Joseph Sports Inc. give award to LeBlond coach

As Steve Vertin trudged to the stage for a third time Wednesday night, he made an unusual declaration. "I don't know if I have anything left to say," Bishop LeBlond's boys basketball coach said after being announced as the winner the 2008 St. Joseph Sports Inc. Coach of the Year award. That sentiment didn't last very long.

Missouri Western Men's Basketball Box Score

Tuesday's Prep Sports

All-MIAA Football Team

Western wins exhibition tune-up

Dominique Thuston's 26 points paced Missouri Western in its only exhibition game - a 100-80 victory over Livin' The Dream at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffons hit 13-of-28 3-pointers with Thuston's four treys leading the way.

Mizzou ready for changing of the guard

COLUMBIA, Mo. - As strong as the veteran presence has been for Missouri (8-2, 4-2), the influx of first- and second-year players has been just as impressive. Through 10 games, the Tigers have put 11 true or redshirt freshmen on the field; three of them started games this season. Players such as Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman and Jared Perry have benefited from that strategy by Coach Gary Pinkel over the past few seasons. "I think it's really great because you had guys like Jared Perry and Danario Alexander play a little bit as freshmen and get better," Pinkel said. "It's really good for the program."

Chiefs could be missing many starters

KANSAS CITY - Once again, the injury-ravaged Kansas City Chiefs are scouring the landscape for usable, unemployed professional football players. They're in the market for linebackers and cornerbacks. A safety would also be nice. Recent experience is preferable but not mandatory. "You could see some new Chiefs on the horizon," head coach Herm Edwards said Tuesday, trying his best to keep a happy face. "They could be here. We'll look at this list again this afternoon, and we'll decide what we have to do."

City's prep coaches set to be honored

Some of St. Joseph's best high school coaches will be honored tonight, and one will earn coach of the year honors. St. Joseph Sports Inc.'s Fall Roundup and Coach of the Year Ceremony will be held at 7 this evening at the downtown Holiday Inn. Each year, the organization and the St. Joseph School District highlight the efforts of coaches from each city school and choose one winner as the coach of the year.

Bearcats tone down practice during bye

Lighter workouts and a three-day practice week greeted Northwest Missouri State's playoff-bound football team this week as it prepares for its second-round Division II opponent. The Bearcats (10-1), seeded No. 2 in Super Region Four, are enjoying a bye week and will play the winner of Saturday's game between Nebraska-Omaha and Pittsburg State. The Bearcats lifted weights and watched film Sunday, took Monday off and then began three days of practices on Tuesday.

Northwest takes top All-MIAA honors

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Call this one a clean sweep. When the MIAA announced its postseason football awards on Tuesday, conference champion Northwest Missouri State boasted the offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, freshman of the year and coach of the year. The coaches named Northwest quarterback Joel Osborn the league's top offensive player - one of seven Bearcats to earn first-team status on the All-MIAA team. Junior safety Myles Burnsides was the conference's top defensive player, while defensive lineman Josh Lorenson earned the league's best freshman honor.

Monday's prep sports 11-10-08

No need for theatrics

West Platte's Humes takes control, helps Blue Jays clinch sectional victory

WESTON, Mo. - Ryan Humes had seen enough and was in no mood for another nail-biter. With East Buchanan still hanging around during Monday night's Class 1 sectional, the West Platte quarterback single-handedly marched his team down Rudolph Eskridge Field for the game-clinching score. "I came in the huddle, and I told them we had to punch it in right there," Humes said. "We had to put the nail in the coffin." Throughout the night, Humes hammered the ball into the heart of the defense and captained the Blue Jays' 33-19 victory against their KCI Conference rival.

Maryville overwhelms Trenton

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Maryville senior Adam Mattson has waited quite some time before securing the elusive school record he had been missing. The Trenton Bulldogs wished he had waited a little longer. Mattson rushed 14 times for 259 yards - a school single-game record - and two touchdowns in leading the Spoofhounds to a 49-21 Class 2 sectional win over Trenton in front of about 500 fans at Maryville High School on Monday night.

Hamilton can't unseat state champs

HAMILTON, Mo. - With Orrick facing a fourth-and-1 at Hamilton's 6-yard line, the Hornets dug in, trying to make one more defensive stand. But Orrick running back Aaron Blyth took a pitch right and went into the end zone with 3 minutes, 28 minutes remaining in Monday night's Class 1 sectional. The score extended the Bearcats' lead to two scores and all but ended Hamilton's upset hopes. No. 1-ranked Orrick added an insurance score 2 minutes later and went on to an 18-0 win at Hamilton High School, eliminating Hamilton in its first postseason appearance since 1996.

Chillicothe rides big plays to sectional victory

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. - Big plays overcame early offensive sluggishness on Monday night, helping Chillicothe to a 40-0 victory against Smithville in Class 3 sectional football play. Two blocked punts and a fumble recovery in the end zone sparked the Hornets, who advance to play at Pleasant Hill on Saturday.

Hobbled Chiefs welcome back Larry Johnson

KANSAS CITY - After a four-week absence, running back Larry Johnson returned Monday to a Kansas City Chiefs team that has changed significantly while he was gone. For one thing, the offense and defense are both riddled with injuries. As many as six defensive starters could be out for this week's game against New Orleans.

Griffons find positives in women's basketball exhibition

Lynn Plett's two biggest concerns heading into Sunday's exhibition at Iowa State were turnovers and defensive rebounding. Those two facets turned into Missouri Western's most pleasant surprises in an 80-55 loss to the Cyclones, picked to finish third in the Big 12 this season. "We held our own and were pretty even in both of those categories," said Plett, whose team matched Iowa State's nine offensive rebounds and only turned the ball over one more time, 18-17.

Prep pick'em

To be honest, I never thought it would happen. Even after talking with Danny Brown and Kevin Bryan before the season, the odds of West Platte and East Buchanan both qualifying for the postseason - much less meeting in sectionals - seemed pretty remote. Yet, here we are. Practically unheard of in the modern era of scheduling, the KCI Conference rivals will clash for the third time this season and second time in 12 days. With wins in the previous two tilts, the Blue Jays have to be considered favorites heading in, but another rainy forecast could reduce the teams' potent spread offenses to stayed grounded.

Missouri high school sectionals

Here's a capsule look at the matchups for tonight's Missouri high school playoff games.

Griffons earn Mineral Water Bowl berth

Missouri Western's season didn't start the way the Griffons had hoped - a 1-4 record - but the team earned a chance conclude the year on a positive note. Western accepted an invitation on Sunday to play in the Mineral Water Bowl.

Northwest gets No. 2 seed in D-2 playoffs

MARYVILLE, Mo. - There was no cheering at the NCAA Division II football playoff watch party when Northwest Missouri State's name flashed up on the large-screen television as the No. 2 seed in Super Region Four. The Bearcats have been here before. In fact, three of the past four years they have been among the top two seeds and the recipient of a first-round bye.

Saturday's College Sports

Troy's 8th straight playoff trip ends early

TROY, Kan. - Another trip to the playoffs ended in all-too-familiar school tradition for Troy. Following a 36-9 Class 2-1A regional loss to St. Marys, Troy's players and coaches gathered in the end zone, somberly singing the school's fight song. Troy's eighth straight trip to the playoffs again ended in disappointment. The Trojans have lost in regionals each of the past two seasons and have only advanced to sectionals once during its recent postseason run.

Saturday's Prep Sports

Thoughts on another Western season falling one step short

Right now the Missouri Western Griffons probably feel pretty good about themselves. After coming up just shy so often early in the season, the Griffons finally won back-to-back games in the final seconds. They finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak, and their season continues for four more weeks, long after most Division II programs have hung up their helmets and called it a year. And they can point to a couple of plays against Pittsburg State and Washburn that separated them from the second playoff berth in the program's history.

Missouri Western football notes

The coin toss set the tone for the first half Saturday at Spratt Stadium. An unseasonably warm football season took a chilly, windy turn on the final week of the MIAA schedule. A 22-mph wind out of the northwest made temperatures hovering in the mid-30s feel even colder at Spratt Stadium. Missouri Western won the toss and took the wind in the first and fourth quarters.

Northwest football notes

LaRon Council would not take any credit for his new Northwest Missouri State record for touchdowns in a regular season, forged in the Bearcats' 48-24 victory against Missouri Southern on Saturday in the regular season finale. He had just rushed for four touchdowns, giving him 27 overall to surpass Xavier Omon and to match Omon's total of 26 rushing scores last season.

Central's Aye completes goal of representing brother at state cross country

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Running elbow-to-elbow at times, Central's Yout Aye didn't focus on the competitors surrounding him during his Class 4 race. He was running against a ghost. After his brother - Akech - lost his eligibility before the season, Aye made a pact with himself to represent his older sibling at Oak Hills Golf Center. Beating Akech's time was a secondary objective. "That was my goal from the beginning of the season - make it to state," Aye said. "And I tried to catch him."

St. Joseph Christian stomps Miami (Amoret)

St. Joseph Christian rushed to a 56-0 victory over Miami (Amoret) on Saturday at Christian Field. The Lions rushed for a total of 334 yards - 126 yards each coming from running back Luke Mathes and quarterback David Welchert. Thanks to a key fourth-and-long conversion on Welchert run late in the first quarter, the Lions opened up a big first-quarter lead.

Ravens find their footing just in time

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - After trailing for most of the game, Benedictine mounted its most effective drive of the game when it mattered the most. The Ravens moved efficiently down the field - eight plays, 68 yards - after taking possession with 4 minutes remaining and down 13-7 to Evangel. With just over 2 minutes left, Ryan Kelly finished the drive for the Ravens, plunged into the end zone from a yard out and secured the 14-13 victory. Quarterback John Weitlich sparked the Ravens' last-minute offensive surge. He completed passes of 7, 27, 19 and 6 yards on the drive.

Hamilton girls keep up championship streak

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - After receiving the day's final award, Hamilton's girls lingered atop the trophy stand a few extra minutes Saturday - savoring their most recent state title. No one could argue that the Hornets didn't deserve it. Sure, the team has spent plenty of time there in the past few years. With another runaway victory in the Class 1 team standings, however, the Hornets now stand alone atop the record books following their fifth championship in as many years.

Mound City thrashes North Andrew in quarterfinal

MOUND CITY, Mo. - North Andrew's defense stood up to Mound City for two drives Saturday afternoon. That only refocused and motivated the undefeated Panthers at Ceglenski Field. After needing 14 plays to score two touchdowns, Mound City used only 17 more to add six additional offensive touchdowns. The Panthers' defense forced four turnovers and added a score on a 46-yard Cole Rosier interception return.

Last-minute heroics propel Griffons again

Truman State forced Missouri Western to settle for the Mineral Water Bowl in 2007. Two days shy of a year later, the Griffons parried another Bulldog upset bid to partially salvage a season and almost certainly earn another postseason trip to Excelsior Springs, Mo. For the second straight week, Western kicker Dustin Strickler made the game-winning field goal in the final 10 seconds, hitting a 22-yarder with 3 seconds remaining Saturday to lift the Griffons to a 33-32 victory against Truman at Spratt Stadium. "It felt great. That one was the perfect ending," said the Griffons senior kicker, who also hit a career-long 50-yard field goal in the first quarter with a little help from a 22-mph wind. "That's what's supposed to happen on senior day. I just chipped it up in the air, and the wind took it."

Bearcats finish perfect MIAA regular season

JOPLIN, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State had not faced this predicament for a long time. Down by a touchdown late in the first half, neither the momentum nor the cold, stiff breeze favored the Bearcats. "I kind of questioned whether maybe we should just run out the clock and get out of there," coach Mel Tjeerdsma said. "Thank goodness (offensive coordinator Adam Dorrel) was persistent and said we had to drive."

SCOUTING REPORT: Truman at Western

A breakdown of today's game between Missouri Western and Truman State

SCOUTING REPORT: Northwest at Southern

A breakdown of today's matchup between Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Southern

Missouri increases nonresident permit fees

During its September meeting, the Missouri Conservation Commission approved a broad range of permit changes for the upcoming 2009 season. While the changes affect literally everyone who hunts or fishes in Missouri, nonresidents will see the most dramatic increases of all.

Western O-line eats it up

Tradition of wings on Thursdays shows larger trend of collegiate football players eating to gain weight

Fans show up by the thousands to watch Missouri Western play football on Saturdays. Thursday's crowd is much smaller - a handful of interested observers - but they seem no less impressed or intrigued with these Griffons' performances. Thursday's playing field is three tables pushed together in a corner of Applebee's. The Griffons' offense line meets here every week for 30-cent chicken wings in a ritual that still draws wonder from the wait staff four years later. "You're going to eat all of them yourself?" the waitress replies after right guard Roger Allen orders 40 wings. "I have to see this."

Northwest's Council in running for Harlon Hill

Northwest Missouri State junior running back LaRon Council has been named one of six regional finalists and one of 24 remaining hopefuls nationally for the 2008 Harlon Hill Trophy, given annually to the NCAA Division II college football player of the year.

First of 2 youth-whitetail seasons ends with success

Colby Burns and his father Chad headed out into the fog on opening morning of the initial youth deer season last Saturday with high hopes of harvesting a nice whitetail. The morning hunt was special to them, as it was Colby's first and the weekend youth hunt offered the perfect setting to get his feet wet.

Kansas Regional Football Capsules

A look at Kansas Regional matchups involving area teams

8-man Football Quarterfinal Capsules, Nov. 8

A look at today's 8-man quarterfinal games

Benton's Woodruff enters state cross country looking for redemption

On the rolling hills of Oak Hills Golf Center, little comes easy. Least of all redemption. That's exactly what a collection of Northwest Missouri runners will be seeking at today's State Cross Country Championships - Benton's Taylor Woodruff chief among them.

Chiefs' Bradley makes sudden impact

KANSAS CITY - The trick play was nice and all, but Mark Bradley has walked that road. He wants to talk about catches and what that means for the present in Kansas City, and - if he's not being too forward - his future here, too. This is a wide receiver whose career path had turned rocky until last month, when the Chiefs signed Bradley after Chicago cut him a week earlier. Bradley expected the Bears to release him after an icy relationship formed between him and the staff before the regular season began. Then again . . .. "That's the past," he said, changing the subject.

Friday's Prep Sports

Week 11 Pick 'em

With all due respect to the many seniors wrapping up their college careers this weekend and the coaches building for next season, there is only one MIAA game that really matters this weekend - Nebraska-Omaha at Washburn.

Romance and competition

Saint Joseph Symphony continues season with familiar works and conductor search Saturday with Beverly Everett

It turns out the Saint Joseph Symphony can benefit from more than just playing a few recognizable works. A bit of friendly competition helps, too. That was the case for the "Of Magic and Myth" concert on Sept. 27, which featured popular works by Mozart and Stravinsky along with guest conductor Mark Allen McCoy, the first of three finalists for the Saint Joseph Symphony's musical director and conductor positions. This combination of circumstances has brought out a larger and more appreciative crowd.

Going Greek

Northwest students present Aristophanes' 'The Birds' this weekend

In 414 B.C., the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes wrote "The Birds," a comedy built around Greek political themes. Are you bored yet? You shouldn't be.

Making a list

Sugarplum Festival a chance to get started on holiday shopping

It's only seven weeks until Christmas, have you started your shopping yet? If not, you can begin next weekend at the annual Sugarplum Festival.

Searching for that great counterpart

Rachael Yamagata is an analyst in heartache

Whether Rachael Yamagata is crafting a dark, beautiful piece or pumping out a rocking anthem, her music has one sole focus: Heartache. "It's probably one of my big lessons in life. I'm always kind of searching for that great counterpart," Yamagata says of her fascination with the subject. "It's the only thing that I can't articulate in any other way. I can't say it in just words. I need a melody. I need instrumentation."

That game we play: Dating in a down economy

The economic slump has affected almost every aspect of life, even trickling down to people's love lives. Across the country, there are reports that singles are struggling when dating. The hardest hit are single guys, who typically end up paying for the dates - at least in the beginning. Some guys are getting more creative with their dates, or looking for cheaper options to the traditional dinner and a movie. Others are just avoiding dating altogether. One guy I know recently told me he was taking a break from dating not only because he just needed a break from women, but so he could save up some money, too.

The Shuffle: Bands reunited?

That is apparently what Zeppelin fans will soon get - minus one other member. Bassist John Paul Jones told Rolling Stone that since singer Robert Plant wasn't interested in doing a reunion tour right now that Jones, guitarist Jimmy Page and drummer Jason Bohnam, filling in for his late father John Bohnam, would seek out a replacement. To many people, this would qualify as rock 'n' roll blasphemy.

This is: "Stirrups and Spines" by Rebecca Dew-Reilly

What's in that?: The Guido Tuxedo at Pappy's Grill and Pub

Briefs for Nov. 7, 2008

Thursday's Prep Sports

Thursday's College Sports

Central volleyball star to sign with Northwest

A difficult decision paid huge dividends for Central's Amy Majors. After forgoing her budding basketball career a year ago, Majors launched herself headlong into a year-round club volleyball program in Kansas City that pushed her to the point of burning out on the sport.

Bearcats aim to finish 3rd straight undefeated MIAA campaign

There was a time when the chance to face their former offensive coordinator Bart Tatum was big motivation for the Northwest Missouri State football players in their annual game against Missouri Southern. This year it has been relegated to a minor sub-plot in the Bearcats' regular season finale in Joplin, Mo.

Lafayette falls to Staley in regional playoff

KANSAS CITY - Lafayette scored on its first play from scrimmage Wednesday night and its final play Thursday night against Staley. In between, the Fighting Irish saw two touchdowns called back on penalties, completed two goal-line stands and allowed Staley to score just enough points in a game delayed a full day due to weather. Lafayette's first trip to the postseason in a decade ended Thursday night in a 19-14 loss at the North Kansas City District Activities Complex. Down 19-6, quarterback Bryston Williams completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Timmy Nelson with 5.6 seconds left, and after a 2-point conversion pass from Williams to Nelson, Lafayette had renewed hope.

Northwest: Interesting playoff scenarios

One good thing about Northwest Missouri State football this time of year is that its success forces you to not be quite so provincial in your thinking. That broader scope, of course, involves Super Region 4, where something interesting happened this week. ESPN has reported that Ryan Leaf, quarterbacks coach of West Texas A&M, has been placed on leave from his position with the school, which is currently ranked No. 4 in the region.

Region's reps remain solidly conservative

At nation's capital, Republicans seach for their soul

A Republican congressman from Virginia, Tom Davis, made some news last spring by writing a memo suggesting his party needs to "rebrand" itself. It was a soul-searching piece of writing, and a prescient one.

The fight for our freedom

On Veterans Day, take some time to learn about our country's military history

Next Tuesday is Veterans Day, a day dedicated to honoring those who have served our country. Not only is this a good time to remember our vets, it's also a chance to look back at the role they've served in times of war. For a look at our military history, visit one of these area museums.

Wednesday's prep results

Trenton upsets defending state champion Lawson

One year after recording the first playoff victory in school history, Trenton earned a second, stunning the defending state champions. Trenton endured a fourth-quarter lightning delay at Lawson High School and earned a 29-22 win in a Class 2 regional Wednesday night. Lawson led 15-0 in the first half, but Trenton earned its sixth win of the season

East Buchanan rolls past King City

KING CITY, Mo. - The Class 1 Regional plaque is the only thing on the East Buchanan bus that went home dry on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs defeated King City 33-12 in a game that was delayed twice for more than 20 minutes each time because of lightning. The Bulldogs improved to 7-4 overall and face West Platte on Monday.

Maryville leads in postponed playoff game

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Maryville took care of business early, but Mother Nature closed up shop on the Spoofhounds on Wednesday night. The Spoofhounds' Class 2 regional game against Plattsburg was called because of lightning at halftime, following an approximately one-hour delay. Maryville was leading 34-0 and had returned to the field for second-half warm-ups when officials ordered the field vacated and a series of delays began. "(Plattsburg has) to travel so far that their administration made the decision that if we don't get this thing started by 9:20, we're going home," Maryville coach Chris Holt said.

Lafayette's 1st trip to postseason in a decade postponed for a day

KANSAS CITY - Lafayette's first trip to the playoffs in a decade will last more than one day. Due to inclement weather, Lafayette and Staley were forced to postpone Wednesday night's Class 4 regional at the North Kansas City District Athletic Complex. The game will resume with Staley leading 7-6 at 5:30 tonight. "It's the same for both teams," Lafayette coach Paul Woolard said. "We get another day to evaluate everything, kind of look at some stuff.

Playoff Pick'em

Well, here we are on the threshold of change. Not only is the seemingly endless political season coming to a whirlwind conclusion, but the dawn of Missouri's new football postseason structure is upon us, as well. Like it or leave it, Wednesday's regional round marks the much-discussed debut of the state expanded playoff system and will look plenty familiar to folks on the Kansas side of the state line. Sunflower State natives call them bi-district games but serve the same purpose - giving twice as many teams a shot at experiencing a playoff atmosphere and providing district runners-up a shot at redemption.

Some Northwest insight

Here are a few items lost behind the headlines of Northwest Missouri State's 56-7 thumping of Emporia State on Saturday at Bearcat Stadium ... -- Coach Mel Tjeerdsma had high praise for junior running back LaRon Council at the end of the Bearcats' 56-7 thumping of Emporia State on Saturday. Council had spent the past two seasons battling leg fractures, and when he did play he was usually languishing behind current NFL rookie draft pick Xavier Omon.

Missouri playoff capsules

Here is a capsule look at the matchups for local team's in tonight's opening playoff round

Capsule: Lafayette at Staley

A look at the matchups between Lafayette and Staley

Garnett turns in strong first day at Q-School

SPRING, Texas - Former Missouri Western golfer Brice Garnett breezed through the first stage of the PGA Qualifying School over the weekend, finishing in a three-way tie for first place.

Lafayette prepares for first playoff appearance in a decade

Lafayette and Staley enter uncharted territory tonight during their Class 4 sectional. Both schools are making monumental playoff trips but on the opposite ends of the high school football spectrum. Staley opened this year as the fourth school in the North Kansas City School District, making the playoffs in the program's first year of existence. The once-proud Lafayette program makes its first playoff appearance since 1998, ending a decade of losing and frustration.

Bearcats aim to keep focus

Don't look for Northwest Missouri State's football team to let off the gas pedal this week. There is too much at stake when the Bearcats (9-1, 8-0 MIAA) play Saturday at Joplin, Mo., against Missouri Southern.

Atchison stomps Bishop Ward

KANSAS CITY - If you saw the Atchison Redmen play earlier this year, it might be wise to take another look. The Redmen are a totally different team, especially after a 42-20 road victory over Bishop Ward on Tuesday to open up the Kansas Class 4A playoffs. "They're just executing the offense right now," said Atchison coach Jim Smith, whose team is rolling on both sides of the ball at the perfect time. "Now's the right time to be doing it."

Troy rolls to easy win

VALLEY FALLS, Kan. - Colin Greaser faked to running back Kenny Tharman and darted toward the middle of the field. Troy's senior quarterback looked to have a third touchdown on his ninth carry Tuesday night during a 48-21 bi-district win against Valley Falls. Unfortunately, the head official blocked Greaser's path. "I saw two black jerseys on each side of me, so I had nowhere to go except straight in front of me," said Greaser, who finished with 252 yards rushing on 26 carries and five total touchdowns, four rushing.

Tuesday's prep sports 11-04-08

You can vote however you like

If you haven't voted, this YouTube video might give you some inspiration

Here's a special Election Day video, in case you needed more inspiration to go out and vote.

Turnout heavy before the sun rises

As a portent of what will be a major story in this election, and as a nice picture of the democratic process, hundreds beat the sunrise in St. Joseph Tuesday morning to cast votes.

Best and the rest: Final rankings of 2008

The 2008 season was a restoration of the old guard in some ways. Pittsburg State, after a couple of ho-hum years by its high standards, re-established itself as an elite team. Northwest re-asserted its dominance over everyone.

Kansas high school football playoff capsules

Here's a capsule look at the matchup for local teams in tonight's Kansas high school football playoffs.

Maryville soccer can't keep up with St. Pius X

Jon Rogers had been in this position dozens of times this year - fullbacks fruitlessly chasing after him, only the goalkeeper to beat. Ordinarily, celebration soon followed for the Maryville striker. But this was no ordinary defense, and Zach Guthier is no ordinary keeper. After staging a frenetic comeback effort, the Spoofhounds eventually relented and dropped their Class 1 District 8 semifinal game Monday to St. Pius X, 7-1, at Eagle Stadium.

Smith enthusiastic about Western men's program

For the first time in two years, Tom Smith is losing his voice from yelling in practice again. And he hasn't felt this good in quite a while. The Missouri Western men's basketball team begins the 2008-09 season Nov. 21 with historically low expectations for Smith's 21st year with the program. But the first weeks of practice have Smith downright giddy with his team - from the Griffons' unselfishness, to their work ethic, to their chemistry. "It's been two years since I've really enjoyed my team," Smith said Monday at the Griffon Luncheon. "Everyone who has ever followed me and my teams knows that my relationship with my players is what has made us successful.

Western defense shows improvement

With five seconds remaining Saturday, a Missouri Western assistant screamed at defensive end Brad Davidson, "He can't block you." And sure enough, Davidson flew around the Central Missouri tackle to sack quarterback Eric Czerniewski, ending the Griffons' 42-41 upset of the Mules at Walton Stadium. Western's pass rush, combined with a stingy showing from the secondary, helped the Griffons' defense turn in its best performance against the pass this season. Czerniewski had thrown for 650 yards and six touchdowns the two weeks prior, leading the MIAA's top pass offense. Western, meanwhile, couldn't stop Minnesota-Duluth's Ted Schlafke or Northwest's Joel Osborn earlier in the season. Both quarterbacks completed more than 70 percent of their passes for at least 270 yards in early season wins over Western.

What you missed this weekend

'The Bachelorette' is single again, John McCain scores big ratings for 'SNL'

John McCain had the second-highest ratings for 'Saturday Night Live' this weekend, and Leonardo DiCaprio released another star-studded PSA telling you to get out and vote.

Retail on the move in St. Joe

It may sound confusing but J.C. Penney is having a grand re-opening for its store and a grand opening for Sephora, the store located inside their East Hills Shopping Center location. Get it or are you confused yet?

Chiefs wilt against Bucs, continue losing skid

KANSAS CITY - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed some weird and lucky things to happen Sunday for them to make history. Matt Bryant missed a 38-yard field goal attempt on a third down play in overtime, but tackle Jeremy Trueblood was called for a false start. So the Bucs lined up for another third-down play and Jeff Garcia connected with Jameel Cook for nine yards, giving Bryant a second chance from 33.

Barnes wraps up campaign in the place it began

Party horns, posters and an air of celebration greeted Democratic congressional candidate Kay Barnes as she returned Sunday to the place her campaign began 538 days before.

Saturday's Prep Sports

Saturday's College Sports

Bearcats destroy Emporia State

MARYVILLE, Mo. - The word from the pregame injury report was that senior wide receiver Kendall Wright could be limited on Saturday by an injured hand. He didn't play that way. Wright caught one touchdown pass and rushed for his first career score as Northwest Missouri State trounced Emporia State 56-7 on Senior Day at Bearcat Stadium.

Western kicker lifts Griffons over Mules

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - Dustin Strickler dreamed it, Jerry Partridge predicted it and Saturday it finally happened. Strickler, Missouri Western's senior kicker, hit a 30-yard field goal with 6 seconds left to lift the Griffons to their six straight victory over Central Missouri, 42-41, at Walton Stadium. It was Strickler's first game-winning kick in a stellar career, though he and coach Partridge had entertained the thought for the past three years.

LeBlond volleyball falls just short in quarterfinal

LEXINGTON, Mo. - Bishop LeBlond's players choreograph celebrations for nearly every point they score. The Golden Eagles didn't have a plan on how to react after dropping a roller-coaster 21-25, 25-21, 25-17 Class 2 quarterfinal Saturday evening against Cole Camp. Just hours after recording the second playoff victory in school history at Lexington High School, LeBlond suddenly found its record-setting season over. Players briefly huddled on their side of the court, unable to find words. Then, or course, came the tears.

Quick start boosts Benton cross country

KEARNEY, Mo. - Hampered by a season full of inconsistent results, John Beamon tried to simplify his race strategy. "Just kind of start out fast and hold my position as long as I can," Beamon said. Not exactly scientific. But the tactic proved no less effective for the Benton sophomore during Saturday's Class 3 District 8 meet at Jesse James Park. Beamon finished eighth and earned his second trip to next weekend's state cross country meet in Jefferson City, Mo.

Benedictine seals third straight victory, improves to 5-4

ATCHISON, Kan. - Benedictine's defense clamped down on William Jewell on Saturday, and the Ravens dominated Cardinals 47-3. Benedictine allowed Jewell to rush for just 31 yards on 21 attempts. The Ravens then teed off on the Cardinals' quarterbacks - they played both Drew Witman and Nick Persell - while picking up six sacks, forcing three fumbles and one interception.

Hamilton cross country soars to 5th straight district title

With state just a week away, Hamilton's cross country team is swarming into shape. The Hornets breezed to its fifth-straight district title Saturday with the typically dominant showing that the four-time defending champs display this time of year. "We wanted to push the pace a little bit to get ready for next week," Hamilton coach Mark Vollmer said. "The girls ran extremely well probably our best overall performance of the year."

GAME BLOG: Western 42, Central 41

I'm fairly confident Jay Eilers is certifiably insane. As evidence, I submit the Western offensive line coach headbutting a player, who happened to be wearing a helmet at the time, last season after beating Central Missouri. After this year's win over the Mules, Eilers was his same crazy self, highstepping onto the field, screaming, shaking his head at the sky and tossing his child a good few feet in the air in celebration. But through the insanity, Eilers pretty much summed up the Griffons' season, yelling, "This is how it was supposed to go down."

Hunter Henry, role player?

Hunter Henry, role player? Hunter Henry led the Northwest men's basketball team in scoring last season, and the Bearcats return just three other players, who combined for 8.6 points a game, from last year's 24-8 team.

Picture-perfect Panthers

Achieving perfection can prove a tricky task. Look how it turned out for Dan Gabel, Tom Brady's Patriots or any number of athletes who've fallen short of the lofty goal. Well, Mound City might be capable of it this postseason -- and not just in the win column. The Panthers are akin to Cael Sanderson on the mat, Michael Phelps in Beijing or a Beethoven symphony - flawless on an 80-yard field.

Stories for November 2008

Sunday, November 30

Saturday, November 29

Roundup of observations from Northwest's quarterfinal victory

Bearcats advance to Division II semifinals

Bearcats advance to Division II national semifinals

Friday, November 28

A few things you might have missed while stuffing your face with turkey

A preview of the season's most anticipated movies

Rattle and Hum is one of the Irish superband's best tributes

Michael Cross's 'Resting Places Living Things' is on display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Soul icon Al Green continues to cement his legacy

A film as long as a drive through the Outback

Thursday, November 27

Marville vs. Clark County

Specialization propels Spoofhounds to title game

Ways to entertain yourself when you're stuck inside

Wednesday, November 26

The Billy Corgan Show delivers banter, obscure tracks and loose performance on second night in KC

Tuesday, November 25

Monday, November 24

Sunday, November 23

Saturday, November 22

Friday, November 21

Random headlines from this week in pop culture

Artists Helen Lea and the late Ray Ottinger will be featured at Albrecht-Kemper this weekend

Punch Brothers appear in concert at Northwest

Holiday Jazz Express offers a different take on Christmas classics

Murs stands out in the world of 'ringtone' hip-hop

Even if you don't like vampires, you'll swoon over Robert Pattinson

Thursday, November 20