stjoelive.com | Stories for October 2008

A truck load of rainbows delivered to Western

Missouri Western State University got some new residents last week, and while they're not professors, I think they may be able to teach a few local anglers a lesson or two. These newcomers were of the finned variety, and their home has now become the Everyday Pond on the northeast side of the campus.

Tradition runs deep for local duck hunters

What do you do with a young duck hunter who can hardly wait till the first rays of sunlight to begin streaming in over the beautiful wetlands around his blind? You go to a kickoff party the evening before. It's a tradition that John Chezik and ranch manager Robert Lee have held onto for many years on Chezik's hunting property north of Mound City, Mo. In attendance among all the crusty old waterfowl hunters was a 9-year-old boy who was about to make the transition from being just an observer to toting his own shotgun into the blind as a hunter.

Christian impressive as it dominates SW Livingston

LUDLOW, Mo. - St. Joseph Christian aired it out in the Lions' regular-season finale, connecting on three touchdown passes in a 58-8 rout of Southwest Livingston on Friday that was called at halftime. In a 30-24 win in Week 3, Christian (9-1) completed just five passes and threw three interceptions. Since then, coach Mark Juhl decided the Lions weren't going to pass until they showed improvement. But heading into this week, Juhl finally believed quarterback David Welchert was throwing the ball well to four steadily improving receivers.

Near-perfect Mound City annihilates South Holt

OREGON, Mo. - Victory isn't the final measure of success for Brian Messer and his dominant Mound City squad. Not even the too-familiar blowouts seem to suffice. The Panthers practically expect perfection. They weren't far from it Friday night, when they annihilated South Holt 76-0 in a game that lasted all four quarters. The win sent Mound City (10-0, 7-0 Highway 275) into the playoffs with a flawless record, which will be tested next Saturday against North Andrew. "We want them to play a perfect football game," Messer said. "They do believe that we can score several ways, and they have a lot of confidence they can do that."

NFL suspends Chiefs' Larry Johnson

Chiefs running back Larry Johnson was suspended for Week 10 of the NFL season by commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Kansas City already deactivated Johnson the last two weeks and also won't play this Sunday against Tampa Bay. He will miss the Chiefs' game at San Diego next weekend under the NFL's suspension.

Indians end unpleasant season

Facing a four-touchdown deficit against Park Hill, Central played Friday night's fourth quarter the only way the Indians knew how. Central put up three fourth-quarter touchdowns, but like much of the Indians' season, the outcome didn't favor them. Park Hill held on for a 33-21 victory at Noyes Field, and Central's season ended at 2-8. "Coach (Tony) Dudik kept telling us all season not to give up until the four quarters were over. That's the way we played all year," said senior running back Ghaali Muhammad, who totalled 119 yards of offense and ran and threw for a touchdown. "We played a tough schedule, but we hung in there and battled until the end. That's what brought us together, even though we didn't have a winning season. It brought us together as a family and a team."

Lawson, Plattsburg battle to the last play

Tigers mishandle point-after play in 3rd OT, handing Cardinals the victory

PLATTSBURG, Mo. - After Lawson took its first lead of the game on its second possession in overtime, Plattsburg coach Andy McNeely beaconed to his defense to get set for the point-after kick because he knew every point counted. In an awkward twist of events, his Tigers botched the game-tying point-after attempt on their third overtime possession and allowed the Cardinals a 35-34 win in front of 1,200 fans Friday night in Plattsburg.

College sports 10-31-08

Friday's prep sports 10-31-08

Week 10 Pick 'em

Four of the five MIAA games this weekend hold playoff implications with the Missouri Southern-Truman game looming as the lone exception. I'm not sure who is going to win in Kirksville, but I do know it won't be a thing of beauty.

Rivalries can define careers

Coaches' legacies hinge on in-state clash

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Rivalry games can define a coach's career, the wins and losses in those handful of games sometimes overshadowing everything they've done against every other opponent. Michigan coach Lloyd Carr knows all about it. He led the Wolverines to a national title, five Big 10 championships. What his 13-year career will most likely be remembered for, though, particularly in Ann Arbor, is the six losses in seven years to Ohio State, including the final four. Kansas State coach Ron Prince is feeling the squeeze of the rivalry.

Missouri Western-Central Missouri scouting report

Missouri Western (4-5, 3-4) at Central Missouri (6-3, 4-3), 1:30 p.m., Walton Stadium

Missouri not looking past Baylor

WACO, Texas - Dreams of a national championship dashed by consecutive losses, the Missouri Tigers have narrowed their focus. While the Big 12 North title and a return to the league's championship game remain a very distinct possibility for the 14th-ranked Tigers, even that is more broad than coach Gary Pinkel wants his team to consider. After losses to top-ranked Texas and No. 9 Oklahoma State, Pinkel challenged his team to hone in on the week at hand and not the long-range possibilities. The Tigers (6-2, 2-2 Big 12) responded with their biggest conference shutout ever, and first in the Big 12, 58-0 over Colorado after being held to 54 points combined in their losses.

Northwest-Emporia scouting report

Emporia State (4-5, 2-5) at No. 3 Northwest (8-1, 7-0), 1 p.m., Bearcat Stadium

Payback doesn't work out so well for 'Cat

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Regardless of whether there's a rule against hitting the long snapper when he is in a vulnerable position, Northwest Missouri State's Cody Lanus usually winds up flat on his back by the end of the point-after play. "It's illegal to hit the center when his head's down, but they do it anyway," said Lanus, who finally got his revenge after dozens of plays that ended with him taking a solid shot. He got his chance to strike back last Saturday against Washburn in Topeka, Kan. - but things still ended badly.

Bearcat has a whole different view

Northwest long snapper fills unique role for Bearcats

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Cody Lanus looks at his key moments of Northwest Missouri State football games from an unusual perspective. Usually that's upside down, peering between his legs. Maybe that's why Lanus, a senior long snapper from Liberty, Mo., acts like such a character around his teammates. "The most vulnerable position you can possibly be in to take a block is what I'm in," said Lanus, a smile never leaving his face. "My legs are about double the length of shoulder width apart, and my head's between my legs. It's not fun."

Top 10 scary movies of all-time

These are the ten best scary movies ever.

The Beatles say "Hello!" to video games

The Fab Four get their own "Rock Band"-style video game in 2009

To enjoy and purchase The Beatles music in the digital age, the saying "all you need is love" isn't quite going to cut it. You're going to need a video game console.

Eight stories that defined music in '08

The musicians and movements that made headlines this year

It was a turbulent and poignant year in music that brought on many new trends and big comebacks. Here are the eight most important music stories in 2008:

Going down the rabbit hole

Missoula Children's Theater presents 'Alice in Wonderland' this weekend

This weekend, kids will be decked out in Halloween garb for the Oct. 31 holiday. But the young actors involved in the Missoula Children's Theater will have two reasons to get dressed up.

Motivated... charismatic... Melismatic

Hard-working indie rockers visit the Vous

There's one guarantee: Whether The Melismatics are playing in front of thousands of music fans or a few guys in a bar, the band plays with the same passion.

Looking for BBQ? Say Goochy Goo

You won't have trouble finding Goochy Goo Barbecue if you follow your nose. Owner Michael Ventucci has his smoker fired up right in front of the restaurant with wafts of barbecue aroma beckoning you inside.

The art of assembly

Mash-up specialist Girl Talk takes sampling to lofty heights

If you have written or performed a song within the last 40 years that could be qualified as "pop music," Pittsburgh mash-up specialist Girl Talk has probably sampled it, remixed it and made it his own. But before becoming a phenomenon in the world of sampling, Girl Talk, a.k.a. Gregg Gillis, had an experimental streak for music in high school as a member of an avant-garde rock band.

The Shuffle: Horror without the scare

Well, it's Oct. 31. You know what that means? It's time to celebrate the anniversary of the formation of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Harry Houdini's death. Actually, you're probably more excited because it's Halloween, aren't you?

That game we play: Dating can be scary

Tonight is Halloween, and being scared is part of the deal. Ghosts, witches, skeletons, devils... all very scary. You know what else can be scary? Dating.

'Zack and Miri Make a Porno'

It's your typical boy-meets-girl, boy-and-girl-make-porn story

Amidst the sex jokes, foul language, raw dialogue and one really disgusting scene, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" is a romantic comedy at its core. In fact, of all of director Kevin Smith's films, this one is more like "Chasing Amy" than "Clerks." At the beginning of the film, the relationship between Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) can be best described as a stagnant friendship. They share an apartment in the Pittsburgh area and neither have any money because of their dead-end jobs and bad spending habits.

This is: Hans Bremer

What's in that?: Liquid cocaine at The Brown Bear

Briefs for Oct. 31, 2008

Lafayette stops Benton, earns first playoff trip since 1998

Bryston Williams soaked in the adulation, a hint of blood on his bottom lip. Surrounded by Lafayette students, faculty and fans, the Fighting Irish's senior quarterback reflected on two and a half quarters of frustration and big hits and touchdown runs on back-to-back drives in Thursday night's Class 4 District 16 finale. The second score lifted Lafayette to a 14-7 victory at Alumni Stadium. The win advances Lafayette to the playoffs for the first time since 1998, and Williams' back-to-back 200-yard rushing performances were the driving force.

Calendars for Oct. 31, 2008

Chillicothe rolls to MEC title

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. - Chillicothe rolled to its first Midland Empire Conference title in 12 years with a 34-3 thrashing of Smithville on Thursday. The Hornets finished their season 10-0 (7-0 MEC) and also locked up their second district title in three years. Next Wednesday, Chillicothe hosts the winner of Lincoln Prep-Pembroke Hill, which play tonight. "It's a great feeling. Our kids just worked extremely hard all year," Chillicothe coach Phil Willard said. "They really made a commitment and did all the stuff we asked. That really paid off for us."

Humes, West Platte hard to stop

WESTON, Mo. - There is nothing tricky about the plays and schemes that West Platte's offense runs. Stopping those simple plays is the tricky part. That's why for the second time this season, the Blue Jays came away with a 23-14 victory over East Buchanan on Thursday night. Seeing the Blue Jays offense earlier this season didn't help the Bulldogs find anything in West Platte's offense to exploit in their second matchup. "What is there to look for? It's Humes right, Humes left, Humes throw the ball," East Buchanan coach Kevin Bryan said. "It's just what they do well. Their lineman get on you, and then he just picks his hole and runs wherever there is daylight."

LeBlond volleyball scores 3-peat

LATHROP, Mo. - Bishop LeBlond earned a three-peat as district champs after defeating Maryville for a straight-set win Thursday at Lathrop High School in the Class 2 District 16 finals. The win puts the Golden Eagles (29-5-1) in the playoffs for the third straight year. They play Lafayette County (25-5-3) at 4:30 p.m., Saturday in a Class 2 sectional at Lexington High School.

Royals trade for Marlins' 1st baseman

MIAMI - The Florida Marlins traded power-hitting first baseman Mike Jacobs on Thursday to the Kansas City Royals for relief pitcher Leo Nunez. The Marlins were shopping Jacobs because he was due a big raise in arbitration, and they have plenty of options at first base. In exchange, they got a right-hander who throws in the mid-90s. "We are trading from an area of depth to an area we wanted to create more depth in," said Larry Beinfest, Marlins president of baseball operations. Nunez, a native of the Dominican Republic, was 4-1 last year with a 2.98 ERA in 45 relief appearances. He has a 9-7 lifetime record in the majors.

LeBlond scores 3-peat

LATHROP, Mo. - Bishop LeBlond earned a three-peat as district champs after defeating Maryville for a straight-set win Thursday at Lathrop High School in the Class 2 District 16 finals. The win puts the Golden Eagles (29-5-1) in the playoffs for the third straight year. They play Lafayette County (25-5-3) at 4:30 p.m., Saturday in a Class 2 sectional at Lexington High School.

'Hounds finish regular season strong

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Coaches loathe the "X-Y-Z" games. Plain and simple. Those season-ending scenarios listed in the standings - "X" equals conference champion, "Y" equals district champion, "Z" equlals clinched playoff spot - are the monikers coaches don't like to see next to their squad, except after the regular season is over. Count Maryville coach Chris Holt as one of those coaches. With the Missouri Class 2 District 16 champion already decided along with a playoff spot, the Maryville Spoofhounds ignored the two clinching monikers in the standings prior to a 48-8 thumping of Bishop LeBlond Thursday night in Maryville.

Troy defense makes enough stops to upend Wathena

WATHENA, Kan. - After combining for the game-clinching sack, Ethan Robinson and Kyle Smith didn't spring up from the turf in celebration. Exhausted relief seemed to be the prevailing emotion. Thanks to a series of defensive stands, Troy survived its climactic regular-season finale Thursday by upending conference rival Wathena, 20-13. The Trojans earned their eighth consecutive playoff berth and will play Tuesday against Valley Falls in a Class 2-1A bi-district.

Thursday's College Sports

Thursday's Prep Sports

Missouri eliminating distractions

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Instead of watching television in the locker room, Missouri players can only gaze at a sign covering the screen that reminds them: 2 p.m. Saturday vs. Baylor. It's coach Gary Pinkel's way of combatting distractions, real or imagined, he feels have led to a midseason slump that knocked Missouri out of national title contention. He can't control them 24 hours a day, but he would like them to ignore family and friends who tell them the road to a Big 12 championship berth remains clear, avoid surfing the Internet for opinions and - perhaps most of all - not pay a lick of attention to TV prognosticating.

Is Joaquin Phoenix retiring?

Because he is focusing on a new album, Joaquin Phoenix has retired as an actor. Don't worry, he'll be back.

Poll: Graves broadens lead in 6th District race

Congressman Sam Graves has broadened his lead over challenger Kay Barnes in the 6th District U.S. House race, according to poll released Wednesday.

Watch if you dare

On Halloween, get your thrills and chills with a scary movie marathon

Tomorrow is Halloween, but that doesn't mean you'll be out. Maybe you're not in the mood to go trick-or-treating or to get all dressed up and go to a costume party. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you're going to stay home on Halloween, you should at least get in the spirit of things with a scary movie marathon. Several local movie (and horror) buffs gave us their lists of the must-see scary movies. So lock the doors, turn out the lights and prepared to be scared.

Pick 'em blog: Week 9 review, Week 10 picks

On the final week of the regular season, this week's slate seems loaded with a slew of games that features one of the hardest dynamics to predict: the best team vs. the best player on the field. Case in point. Last Friday, I watched Bishop LeBlond's Mark Lawhon make play after play - including an insane interception return with no time remaining that came up five yards short - for the Golden Eagles. Trenton used a better all-around effort to smooth its playoff path, but if Lawhon breaks a couple plays here and there, you're looking at a much different outcome.

Area Football Capsules, October 30

A look at top games involving area teams this week

Lifelong friends become week-long enemies

Benton, Lafayette coaches clash tinged with big implications

After sharing breakfast Saturday, life-long friends Paul Woolard and Matt Tabor became week-long enemies. The two city coaches - Woolard at Lafayette, Tabor at Benton - traded scouting videos and pleasantries over biscuits and gravy at Betty's Cafe before turning to the task at hand. After sharing the same sideline for the Fighting Irish a year ago, the duo will oppose each other tonight at Alumni Stadium for the first time during the regular season. "We knew this was inevitable," Tabor said. "I have the utmost respect, obviously, for them and their program, but our main focus this week is to win."

Prep Football Standings/Schedule, October 30

A look at standings/schedules for area teams

Prep Football Leaderboard, October 29

News-Press 8-man Football Power 5 Poll, October 30

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press 8-man Power 5 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

News-Press 11-Man Football Power 10 poll, October 30

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press Power 10 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

City Football Capsules, October 30

A look at football games involving city teams this week

Benton, Lafayette set to clash for playoff spot

The 3-6 records aren't impressive, the postseason chances bleak. But for the first time since 1999, city rivals Benton and Lafayette meet with a trip to the playoffs at stake. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Lafayette's Alumni Stadium.

City's first black quarterback reminisces

Bill McGaughy doesn't remember the last time he attended a high school football game and never thought about his place in this city's history. But he is content to hear Lafayette's Bryston Williams finally followed in the footsteps he laid down so many years ago. McGaughy is believed to be the first black high school quarterback in the city of St. Joseph after starting as a sophomore at Christian Brothers High School in 1964.

Unassuming in command

Lafayette's Williams takes attention in stride

Bryston Williams never intentionally draws attention to himself. The Lafayette senior rarely acknowledges his athletic abilities, routinely downplays his achievements and readily passes off the credit to his teammates, coaches and family. But sometimes, history has a way of finding people who would much rather avoid it. Williams never realized when he took his first varsity snap as a quarterback Aug. 29 at K.C. Central that it started a year-long journey into city history.

8-man District 4: Craziest district in the state?

Andy and I were sitting around trying to figure out the playoff scenarios for this district with North Andrew, Worth County and Stanberry fighting for two playoff spots. Of course, Andy quickly gave up and left the heavy lifting to me. Whatever. With all of the 11-man classifications going to four-team districts -- save for a single district in Class 5 -- this appears to leave the complicated scenarios in 8-man. The five-team districts have chances for tougher three-way ties to break due to the extra game.

Republicans weigh in on Obama military backing

How low will he go, Republicans want to know. Does Barack Obama believe the nation's defense budget should be cut by 25 percent?

College sports 10-28-08

MIAA Basketball Luncheon: Steinmeyer's take on Emporia and Washburn's dominance

Washburn and Emporia State have won nine of the past 11 MIAA regular season women's basketball championships - 10 if you take away Western's tainted title from 2006-07. On Tuesday, the conference's coaches picked that duo to finish 1-2 yet again, a sign the landscape in the conference isn't really changing. The always-candid Gene Steinmeyer broke down why that is.

Tuesday's prep sports 10-28-08

Platte County volleyball edges out Savannah

Platte County did exactly what it was expected to do going into district play Tuesday night. The No. 1 seed earned a trip to the district finale by edging out a game Savannah squad that took the Pirates to the wire in each game of the 26-24, 25-22 Platte County victory. The first semifinal of the Class 3 District 16 tournament was a hard fought affair that saw the Savages step up their aggressiveness at the net, something that coach Deb Couldry had urged her team to do after a more passive Savannah team suffered back-to-back losses last week to finish out the regular season.

Southwest Baptist men picked No. 1 in MIAA basketball poll

KANSAS CITY - Tuesday provided a first for Southwest Baptist, and men's basketball coach Jeff Guiot wasn't thrilled with the recent recognition. "I really appreciate the bull's-eye you put on our backs," Guiot quipped at the MIAA's basketball luncheon after his peers picked the Bearcats No. 1 in their annual preseason poll for the first time in the school's history.

Expectations appear static in MIAA women's basketball

KANSAS CITY - The question usually isn't which two schools will come in at the top of the coaches' annual preseason poll. It's the order. The Washburn and Emporia State women's basketball teams have been the toast of the MIAA for most of this decade, and Tuesday the conference's coaches tabbed that duo to finish 1-2 for the sixth consecutive year with Washburn taking the top honor this time.

LeBlond, Maryville volleyball advance to district title game

Kelly Walker flicks her fingertips skyward, directing Bishop LeBlond's swirling offense. As she moves fluidly around the court, the junior setter looks naturally suited to the position that prefers to deflect attention rather than receive it. You'd never know by watching her, but she's still learning on the job. Three and a half months after switching from hitter, Walker helped top-seeded LeBlond cruise to a two-game win against Plattsburg during Tuesday's Class 2 District 16 semifinal play, 25-7, 25-18.

Carnahan family hits the road for Obama

Two Carnahans appear on Missouri ballots next week, but even more of them can be found on the campaign trail for Democrats. Tom Carnahan came to St. Joseph Tuesday evening with a get-out-the-vote message and a pitch for Barack Obama.

Best and the rest: Week 10

Your latest regional rankings are out, and the difference between the playoffs and the Mineral Water Bowl is apparently 43 yards.

GRIFFON NOTES: Western defense shows signs of maturation

For the first time in 2008, Missouri Western outscored its opponent in the fourth quarter Saturday, and, not surprisingly, the Griffons posted their largest margin of victory this season - 17-3 over Missouri Southern. Prior to Saturday, opponents were outscoring Western 121-29 in the final frame and had shut out the Griffons three times in the last 15 minutes.

Chiefs not likely to sign Culpepper

KANSAS CITY - The Kansas City Chiefs are not as eager to sign former Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper as many people thought. Although adding the veteran quarterback to the roster remains a possibility some time down the road, coach Herm Edwards said Monday that Culpepper would not even come in for an interview.

Class 3 District 16 volleyball: Savannah upsets Benton

After dominating the net for a game and a half, Savannah's potent offense seemed to suddenly shut down. All the energy seemed to drain from the Savages' attack, as they let a seven-point lead slip away to a resilient Benton squad playing for its season on its home court. A pivotal third game seemed imminent. Instead, the Savages switched the intensity back on and slammed the on a Benton comeback during Class 3 District 16 play at Springer Gymnasium - 25-18, 28-26.

Chiefs' running back Johnson officially charged, out indefinitely

KANSAS CITY - Larry Johnson, already facing possible suspension by the NFL, was charged Monday with simple assault for spitting his drink in a woman's face. Several hours later, the Kansas City Chiefs indicated the two-time Pro Bowl running back would not play for the foreseeable future. A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Johnson would meet with league officials in New York today. The person requested anonymity because the league has not announced the meeting.

Western's Hanson deals with MRSA, part of larger trend

Infections becoming more aggressive, harder to treat

The scene was reminiscent of classic sports movies - the injured athlete in his hospital bed hanging on every word of the radio broadcast. In "Remember the Titans," a car crash was responsible. In Hoosiers, it was alcoholism. Reality, in this case, is much less dramatic but every bit as serious. Missouri Western punter Jamie Hanson spent last Saturday at Heartland Regional Medical Center, listening to the Griffons' 17-3 victory at Missouri Southern on the radio. Eight days ago, Hanson thought he just had an ingrown hair on his right foot. By Friday, his foot had doubled in size, and he was hospitalized with a MRSA infection.

Monday's prep results

Led Zeppelin reunion - Robert Plant = ?????

Band's bassist hints to replacement lead singer search

When Led Zeppelin reunited to perform in London for a one-night concert late last year, the reunion tour speculation began.

Live review: Metallica at Sprint Center

Thrash metal titans deliver powerhouse performance

A common theme in Metallica's latest album "Death Magnetic" is the inevitable demise we all face, living life with death hanging overhead. And a symbol of death was literally hanging overhead during Metallica's performance at the Sprint Center in Kansas City Saturday night, where nearly 14,000 people witnessed an old-school metal show where the rock icons performed the genre with maximum toughness and precision.

Injuries rob Bearcats of posts

MARYVILLE, Mo. - When assistant women's basketball coach Lori Hopkins delivered the news on Tuesday afternoon, Northwest Missouri State head coach Gene Steinmeyer clearly wasn't pleased.

Newcomers flood Northwest men's roster

MARYVILLE, Mo. - For the first few days of preseason basketball practice at Northwest Missouri State, coach Steve Tappmeyer might have thought he was watching an old movie clip of the "Keystone Cops."

Favre throws 3 interceptions, but Coles' late TD catch beats Chiefs

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The bellowing boos said it all. Brett Favre trudged back to the New York Jets' sideline after throwing his third interception, this one returned for a touchdown, and the fans let him have it. "I've heard them in Green Bay before," Favre said. "I don't blame them, but it was a little premature, as we see now."

Perched up top again

Jefferson needs extra innings to earn first state championship since 2001

With every frantic step down the third baseline, Rachael Schmitz sprinted closer to redemption. After coming up short of the Class 1 state title game the past two years, the Jefferson senior wanted to trample any crushed expectations that remained. By scoring on an eighth-inning squeeze play, Schmitz wiped the slate clean of any prior disappointments.

Random observations: Northwest 24, Washburn 21

TOPEKA, Kan. -- It was a windy day at Yager Stadium in Topeka, Kan., and the breeze created somewhat of an optical illusion that made more than one reporter do a double take during pregame ceremonies of the MIAA battle between Northwest Missouri State and Washburn.

Northwest still perfect in MIAA with victory against Washburn

TOPEKA, Kan. - This was Northwest Missouri State's great escape of the MIAA football season. Safety Myles Burnsides intercepted a pass with just more than 3 minutes remaining, and the Bearcats hung on for a 24-21 victory Saturday against Washburn.

Ravens roll on the road

A balanced effort on both sides of the ball helped Benedictine cruise to a 30-7 against Graceland at Bruce Jenner Sports Complex. The Ravens (4-4) moved to .500 for the first time this season by scoring four rushing touchdowns and taking advantage of four Hornets turnovers.

Bearcat Notes: Northwest 24, Washburn 21

TOPEKA, Kan. - Big plays like a fake punt for a huge gain played a role, but Washburn coach Craig Schurig credits a 5-yard pass play from Joel Osborn to tailback LaRon Council with changing the momentum in Northwest Missouri State's 24-21 MIAA victory against the Ichabods on Saturday.

Platte County earns first state softball title

Sarah Elliott didn't just think Platte County's offense would come through. She knew. After three quiet innings, the Pirates broke loose for six runs in the fourth and never looked back during a 7-1 victory Saturday in the Class 3 softball championship against Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) at Heritage Park.

Griffon Notes: Western 17, Missouri Southern 3

Dustin Strickler's job description most Saturdays is "place kicker." Against Missouri Southern, Strickler became simply a kicker.

Central cross country qualifies boys, girls teams for sectionals

As he waited at the one-mile mark, Central coach Roger Price waited for a pack of Liberty runners to lead the way. Instead, there was Yout Aye - his breakout senior - out in front of the pack at the Class 4 District 8 meet at Kansas City's Swope Park. In his first year on the varsity squad, Aye couldn't keep the lead but helped the Indians team advance to sectionals Saturday with a fourth-place finish. Central's girls also advanced by placing third.

Chillicothe's Turner, Baker-Pyrtle tandem earn state tennis medals

A day after ending her winless streak at the Class 1 State Tennis Championships, Chillicothe's Ellyn Turner realized a long-sought goal. In her fourth trip to the state meet in Springfield, Mo., the Hornets senior earned an elusive medal Saturday at Cooper Tennis Complex. Despite a pair of losses that wrapped up her superlative career, Turner notched a fourth-place finish in the singles bracket.

Still upbeat, Herm Edwards prepared for former team

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Herm Edwards is still as quick-witted and entertaining these days as he was when he was with the New York Jets. After hearing a few familiar voices on the other end of a conference call with New York reporters, the Kansas City Chiefs coach came up with a grand plan that drew big laughs - like back in the old days. "We need to get some marshmallows and do some s'mores," Edwards said. "That's what we need to do."

Western clamps Southern with solid defensive effort

JOPLIN, Mo. - Forget gaudy passing numbers, shootouts and last-second drama. Traditional Missouri Western football is much more mundane - pound opponents with a bruising running attack and play sound defense. The Griffons found that ole familiar formula for the first time all season Saturday, beating Missouri Southern in a 17-3 victory at Hughes Stadium.

GET USED TO IT: Chiefs' struggles appear here to stay

KANSAS CITY - With 16 rookies making up the youngest team in the NFL, the rebuilding Kansas City Chiefs knew this would be a bite-the-bullet, grin-and-bear-it kind of year. They didn't know they'd be grabbing kickers and quarterbacks off the street, benching their highest-paid player and cooperating in a criminal investigation. They didn't know they'd be blown out in three of their first six games and go into the Tennessee Titans' record book for giving up 320 yards rushing. Only now is everyone beginning to realize that 2008 could turn into nothing less than the sorriest season in franchise history.

Local College Football Box Scores

Saturday's Prep Sports

ACCHS records 'no-nonsense' win

EFFINGHAM - ACCHS coach Terry Porter said the key to his team's game against Big 7 League rival Maur Hill-Mount Academy on Friday was limiting the "nonsense" surrounding it. Although the game itself featured plenty of hooplah, his team did just enough to contain it.

Kansas to provide true test for No. 8 Texas Tech

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Texas Tech breezed through its nonconference schedule, winning four games by an average of 32 points. A rout over Kansas State to open the Big 12 schedule followed, then came tougher-than-expected wins over Nebraska and Texas A&M. Now, the Red Raiders get a chance to see just how good they really are - four ranked opponents, four weeks, a month that will determine their national title chances. It starts today when eighth-ranked Texas Tech (7-0, 3-0) heads to No. 19 Kansas.

Lafayette stuns Excelsior Springs, primed for playoff bid

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. - Don't look now, but the downtrodden Lafayette Fighting Irish suddenly put themselves in position for their first playoff berth in a decade. Lafayette used four touchdowns from quarterback Bryston Williams to bury Excelsior Springs 27-14 on Friday night at Tiger Stadium, setting up a Week 10 showdown this Thursday with rival Benton. A Lafayette win puts the Irish in the playoffs for the first time since 1998. In between was a decade of losing that made this chance seem like it would never come.

Troy gets back on track

TROY, Kan. - The Troy Trojans took home a victory Friday night against Doniphan West Mustangs, 45-28.

Chase Coffman unfazed by Mizzou's 2-game slump

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Before he was a three-time NFL Pro Bowl tight end, Paul Coffman had to walk on at Kansas State and make the Green Bay Packers' roster as an undrafted free agent. The path has been a lot smoother for his son. Everyone knows about Chase Coffman, Missouri's athletic, glue-fingered tight end who's almost certain to be a high draft pick next April. "NFL scouts have be drooling at the bit to get to him," Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel said. "His athletic ability, I think, is underhyped. "He creates a mismatch no matter who he's up against."

Mid-Buchanan settles for 3rd

Throughout the postseason, rattling Katie Wood has proved a difficult task.

Smithville tops Savannah

SAVANNAH, Mo. - Sometimes, football is much the same as real estate.

Kearney crushes Cardinals

KEARNEY, Mo. - Kearney has owned the No. 1 spot in the Class 4 state football polls since the preseason.

Christian kicks DeKalb

St. Joseph Christian junior Luke Mathes had one main responsibility as a member of the Lions kickoff team when starting the game against DeKalb Friday night - kick the ball.

East Buchanan overcomes miscues

GOWER, Mo. - East Buchanan turned the ball over twice in its own half during the first half, racked up 125 yards in penalties and still managed to beat Mid-Buchanan 21-7 on Friday night at East Buchanan High School.

LeBlond misses playoff opportunity at Trenton

TRENTON, Mo. - Wes Croy may have experienced a few flashbacks Friday night. After a season full of turbulence, the Trenton coach watched his Bulldogs playing last year's brand of football - grinding out tough yards, controlling the clock and repeatedly rolling into the end zone in a 35-13 victory over Bishop LeBlond.

Jefferson offense powers past Canton

Jefferson waited three years for an offensive performance like Friday's against Canton.

FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Central runs to second victory

KANSAS CITY - A week ago, Ghaali Muhammad was dazed. On Friday night, he dazzled. Muhammad ran for four touchdowns as the Central Indians defeated Park Hill South 42-35 in district football play.

Friday's prep boxes

Missouri Western-Missouri Southern scouting report

When WESTERN has the ball Southern entered last week with the nation's second-ranked pass defense, a bad sign for a Griffons squad that has struggled to run the football. But Central Missouri torched the Lions' secondary for 361 yards and five passing touchdowns. Southern coach Bart Tatum said of his defense's performance, "The biggest thing (Central) did that recent teams hadn't done is throw three premier athletes on the perimeter against us, and Western has guys who are every bit that good."

Northwest-Washburn scouting report

When NORTHWEST has the ball Northwest Missouri State's offense scored on eight of its nine true drives last Saturday, and there are few signs it will let up this week. Never mind that Washburn boasts the best scoring defense in the MIAA, allowing only 16.2 points per game. What was impressive was that Northwest needed only 13 minutes to rack up 56 points against Fort Hays.

Western's Mead set to be 2-sport athlete

Thunderstorms hastened Andrew Mead's return to the gym this week. And in two more weeks, he'll be a regular in Looney Complex as the junior attempts to become Missouri Western's first athlete to play football and basketball in at least two decades. Mead, a 6-foot-5 wide receiver, spent the past four seasons on the football team, redshirting in 2005 and catching a combined 94 passes for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns from 2006 through the first eight games of the current campaign. With three games left in the 2008 season, Mead's immediate goal is to help Western win out and salve at least a little of the disappointment of its current 3-5 record. The Griffons face Missouri Southern this afternoon in Joplin, and Mead, in spite of spraining a tendon in his right knee last Saturday, will play.

Show-Me Bucks Club returns

Deer hunters lucky enough to harvest a trophy whitetail buck this season can again look forward to joining the ranks of 8,000 record holders in the Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club. The club is accepting new applications for records under the typical and non-typical deer and shed categories. The club has not accepted applications in several years because of an outdated record-keeping system which made the process unmanageable.

Permit prices see 1st hike in 5 years

When sportsmen head to their favorite permit vendor to purchase their 2009 hunting, fishing, and trapping permits they'll notice some significant changes. In previous columns we discussed changes to youth, senior and landowner permits. This week we'll cover the price increases to resident permits and also the addition of a new "light geese" permit. While I'm fairly certain no one wants to hear the words "increased prices" mentioned in the same sentence, Missouri still remains among the cheapest states to hunt, fish and trap in the Midwest.

Duck season opens today

Marshes emerge from 2008's heavy rains, flooding

This could have been a lot worse. With spring and summer's frequent flooding, managers of Missouri and Kansas waterfowl marshes had feared the worst. Moist-soil food in the pools was flooded, levees were breached and access roads were damaged. But as today's duck-hunting opener approached, managers began breathing a big sigh of relief. For the most part, managed wetlands have bounced back nicely. And with the duck seasons opening today in Missouri's North Zone and Kansas' Late Zone, waterfowl already are streaming into the region by the thousands.

Jefferson softball advances to Class 1 championship

Jefferson waited three years for an offensive performance like Friday's against Canton. Playing in a third straight Class 1 semifinal, Jefferson broke out in a 15-3, six-inning victory at Heritage Park to advance to the state championship game. The Eagles were shut out each of the past two seasons in the semis on their way to third-place finishes. Now Jefferson (21-4) finally has its shot to add a fifth softball state championship, first since 2001. "The last two years we were disappointed we didn't make it to first (place)," senior shortstop Rachael Schmitz said. "This year, it's just overwhelming, and we're excited to be there. "Once we get to hitting, we just keep hitting."

I was a teenage Danny Zuko

When I was 17, after only one minor role in a musical my sophomore year of high school, I was cast as Danny Zuko for my high school's production of "Grease," At 6 feet 5 inches tall and only 145 pounds, I was the tallest, skinniest and lankiest actor to ever play the part. I'm not sure if that is a good thing.

There will be blood

Western students bring 'Night of the Living Dead' to the stage

Director Don Lillie has a message for those who go to see "Night of the Living Dead" at Missouri Western's Potter Theatre. "I would suggest that the first three rows might come dressed in things they don't particularly care about," he warns. "We'll just say that Gallagher would be proud."

Master's degree

Metal icons Metallica recapture old sound with new thunder

In 27 years, Metallica has gone from early thrash metal innovators to the kings of mainstream metal. They've sold millions of records while facing "sell-out" allegations from fans for cutting their hair and fighting Napster. But whether they decide to change up their sound, make a covers record ("Garage Inc.") or record a live album with a full symphony orchestra ("S&M"), the band's attitude has remained consistent.

Singing for a cure

St. Joseph Community Chorus presents 'Songs of Hope and Healing' this weekend

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and many people are doing things to raise money for a cure. The St. Joseph Community Chorus is singing for a cure.

That game we play: Moving on

This Wednesday marked a milestone of sorts for me. It was the two-year anniversary of the day I broke up with Jay, The Ex. Calling it an anniversary seems kind of weird, like I celebrated it, which I didn't. I did acknowledge it, though, because Jay is the only significant relationship I've had.

This is: "Straight Road to Storm" by Michael Duane

What's in that?: Felix Fuzz Shooter at Felix Street Pub

Calendars for Oct. 24, 2008

It's the word

Given "Grease's" popularity, first as a Broadway musical and more notably as the movie adaptation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in 1978, it shouldn't be hard to get people to come check out RRT's production of the show at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Oct. 25 and 2 p.m. Oct. 26. Tickets are $16 for adults and $9 for children ages 12 and under.

Briefs for Oct. 24, 2008

Birth defect doesn't slow down East Buchanan freshman's life

GOWER, Mo. - Mark and Emily West never let their son feel sorry for himself. With a perfectly healthy boy, they believed Nathan West's life could be full of the same activities and endeavors as other children. There was no time for excuses, nor did Nathan want to come up with them. He was too busy proving people wrong. Nathan was born with only half of his left arm due to a defect which restricts the growth of limbs or digits while in utero. Nathan never doubted he was different but never allowed himself to be handicapped.

Area Football Capsules, October 24

A look at top games involving area teams

City Football Capsules, October 24

A look at games involving city teams

Prep Football Leaderboard, October 24

News-Press 8-man Football Power 5 Poll, October 24

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press 8-man Power 5 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

West Platte football coach placed on leave

West Platte placed football coach Danny Brown on paid administrative leave this week, and superintendent Kyle Stephenson said Thursday that the veteran coach will not return to the sideline this season. Brown did not coach the Blue Jays this past Friday when West Platte beat Mid-Buchanan 27-21 to move its record to 7-1, and he will not be on the sideline tonight against North Platte. Beyond that, Brown's future with the school remains unclear.

News-Press 11-Man Football Power 10 poll, October 24

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press Power 10 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

Prep Football Standings/Schedule, October 24

Schedule/Results for area football teams

Chillicothe tennis 4th at state

Chillicothe can take solace in its fourth-place hardware, even after disappointing semifinal and third-place duals at the Class 1 State Tennis Championships. A qualifier for the state's semifinals for the first time in school history, Chillicothe didn't win a set - much less a match - Thursday at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo. Notre Dame de Sion beat Chillicothe 5-0 in the semifinals, and the Hornets lost by an identical score to MICDS in the third-place match.

Friday's Prep Sports

LeBlond finishes off unblemished MEC title

Bishop LeBlond's win over Savannah Thursday night punctuated an undefeated season in Midland Empire Conference play. A 25-18, 25-20 straight-set victory at Grace Gymnasium gave the Golden Eagles a conference title in their first year back in the MEC after nearly 20 years as an independent.

Plattsburg football bucks district struggles

For most teams, a runaway Week 8 victory against a winless opponent might seem like an expected accomplishment. With only one district win in the past four years, Plattsburg won't take its district-opening triumph over Van Horn for granted.

Mead to play Saturday

Western wide receiver Andrew Mead injured his right knee in the first quarter against Emporia State last Saturday and didn't return.

Central should have RB tonight

After stumbling to the sidelines, Ghaali Muhammad struggled to gain his bearings last Friday. Following two consecutive tackles against Oak Park, Central's senior running back didn't immediately recognize the familiar turf at Noyes Field. "At first, I didn't know what was going on. I was thinking to myself, 'Where am I at? How'd I get down here?'" Muhammad said. "It definitely scared me." Muhammad suffered a mild concussion during the first quarter against the Northmen and did not return to the game as a precautionary measure. Due in part to his absence, Oak Park went on a 21-3 run and handed the Indians their seventh loss.

Pick 'em blog: Week 8 review, Week 9 picks

I've been called many things by Ross - many of which are not fit to print - and taken most of them in stride. Being branded a cheater, I will not tolerate. Admittedly, our selections have been eerily similar throughout the season, but we've evenly split the games we differed on during the past four weeks or so. Plus, simply copying Ross from here on out won't do me any good.

Week 9 Pick 'em

Looking at my office window, I was considering beginning construction on an ark. I've opted to postpone those plans to make this week's picks.

Get your motor runnin'

Harley-Davidson factory tours show how motorcycles are made

When you pull into the parking lot of the Harley-Davidson Vehicle and Powertrain Operations plant just off Interstate 29 past Kansas City International Airport, one of the first things you notice is the line of bikes parked in front of the building. It looks like a bit of product placement from the company, but in reality those bikes belong to employees, their transportation to work each morning. Among the 20 or so bikes, there's a good chance a few were made at this very factory. Roughly 40 percent of all Harleys come out of this plant, according to communication manager John Mink. Harley enthusiasts, and those who are merely curious, have a chance to see how the bikes are made during the daily tours the plant offers.

Field of streams

Workers scurry to get soggy Heritage Park ready for state softball

Mid-Buchanan senior Kaitlin Steeby found confidence after the realization her Dragons qualified for the Class 2 State Softball Championships. With her high school just down the road from St. Joseph's Heritage Park, Steeby couldn't wait to play in front of a "home crowd."

One final chance for Chillicothe's Turner

Ellyn Turner doesn't have any reason to like the Class 1 State Championships.

Johnson to miss 2nd week; 2 Chiefs QBs on IR

KANSAS CITY - Saying he was "kind of disgusted with myself," a nervous-looking Larry Johnson apologized Wednesday for behavior that's led to an NFL investigation and to his benching for a second straight week.

Bond blasts Obama's foreign policy background

Missouri Sen. Christopher Bond found a reason to agree with Joe Biden, his Senate colleague and Democratic vice presidential candidate.

Guns N' Roses finally go "Chinese"

Axl Rose and Co. release new single

It's the album you thought would never come. Practically a decade in the making. Finally, Guns N' Roses will finally let the exhaustively anticipated album "Chinese Democracy" be heard by the masses.

Tuesday's prep sports 10-21-08

Rain suits Smithville runners fine at MEC meet

As the first rain drops fell on his buzz cut, a smile briefly flashed across Ben Barrows' face. This was his kind of weather. Running in a steady downpour that got worse by the stride, the Smithville junior appeared to be exactly in his element Tuesday at Krug Park - where he claimed his second straight Midland Empire Conference championship. His time (17 minutes, 9 seconds) was the quickest conference time since 2004.

Chiefs might bench Johnson again this week

KANSAS CITY - Coach Herm Edwards hinted Tuesday that Kansas City running back Larry Johnson, under NFL investigation for allegedly assaulting a woman, could be benched for a second straight game regardless of what the league decides. "Decisions of all that will take place when it has to be made," Edwards said. "I don't have to make a decision on who's starting, not starting. That's kind of where that's at. Whatever I do, hopefully I think you know me by now, people know me by now, I'm going to do the right thing for the football team. That's where it stands with me."

Practice makes perfect as Northwest offense recovers

Bearcat notebook

Practice made nearly perfect on Saturday against Fort Hays State. In fact, it was almost too perfect for Northwest Missouri State's offense, which was on the field for only 13 minutes in the Bearcats' 56-7 rout of the Tigers at Bearcat Stadium. While the lopsided score allowed coach Mel Tjeerdsma to get all his players involved pretty early in the contest, the extended Fort Hays offensive drives worked at cross-purposes with any attempts to get the backups on offense any seasoning.

Northwest not looking past Washburn

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Washburn who? A team that was all but written off by many fans after the first two weeks of the MIAA season won't be written off by Northwest Missouri State when the Ichabods host the Bearcats on Saturday in Topeka, Kan. Washburn stumbled out of the MIAA gate with losses at cellar-dwelling Fort Hays State and against Central Missouri. An 0-2 start does little to instill confidence in fans or fear in the hearts of opponents.

Savannah, Gallagher celebrate 2nd at state

Kate Gallagher settled for second place individually but celebrated a second-place showing for Savannah's team. The Savages' junior leader used another strong individual showing to help ensure Savannah brought home the first team state golf trophy in school history. Gallagher followed up her first-round 73 with a second-round 80 on Tuesday at Fremont Hills Country Club in Nixa, Mo. Gallagher - the defending state champion - finished nine strokes behind first-round leader Sky Seo of MICDS, and the Savages' two-day total of 739 placed them squarely behind Visitation Academy's 684. Seo's five-stroke first-round lead and Visitation Academy's 43-shot advantage entering the second round allowed Savannah to be proud of both second-place showings.

No coattails in the 6th District

Presidential campaigns have frequented the region. Missouri has been tagged a battleground state. The question arises about coattails on the state's down-ticket races.

Western's upcoming foe faces some offensive issues

Only MIAA two quarterbacks have passed for more yards than Missouri Southern's Adam Hinspeter - Truman State's Eric Howe and Missouri Western's Kasey Waterman. And the Griffons might not have to worry about defending Waterman's status as the conference's top all-time passer when they take on the Lions this Saturday in Joplin, Mo. Southern coach Bart Tatum benched Hinspeter during the Lions' 47-14 loss to Central Missouri last week in favor of freshman Collin Howard. Hinspeter, who is 1,626 yards behind Waterman and 698 behind Howe, was just 3-of-8 for 29 yards against the Mules. However, Tatum told the News-Press the switch had less to do with Hinspeter's performance than the offense's overall lack of productivity.

Savannah's Gallagher in 2nd at state golf after 1 day

Savannah junior Kate Gallagher still holds out hope for a second straight state championship. But Sky Seo of MICDS made that task a lot more daunting. Seo fired a state-record 68 on the par-71 on Fremont Hills Country Club in Nixa, Mo., taking a five-stroke lead into today's second and final round of the Class 1 State Golf Championships. Gallagher shot a 2-over 73 - 11 strokes better than her state round at Fremont Hills as a freshman - but knows the difficulty of making up five shots.

Western volleyball plans breast cancer awareness event

Seeing her mother losing weight, her hair and her teeth jarred Tiffany Mastin out of her complacency. Mastin sat in a hospital room, forced to wear a surgical mask because her mother's immune system was so frail, and realized breast cancer was no longer a statistic or stranger's name. "It's very shocking, the whole process," said Mastin, the head volleyball coach for Missouri Western. "You can cruise through life, and life is great. And then one day, you're like (crap)."

Best and the rest: Week 9

With three weeks remaining in the season, I've finally settled on what I think is a pretty accurate ranking of the conference. Six teams stayed in the same place this week, and no one moved more than one spot. While a Western win at Southern or an Omaha victory at Pitt (see final comment below) could shake these up a little bit, the final rankings should look more or less like this with one elite team, three upper-tier teams, four wannabes and two bottom feeders.

Regulators sue JBS, National Beef over deal

Regulators filed a lawsuit Monday to block the world's largest beef processor from buying the nation's fourth-largest operation, saying such a deal could push up beef prices for consumers and drive down prices paid to ranchers and feedlots. The Department of Justice and attorneys general for 13 states filed the suit against Brazilian beef producer JBS S.A. and National Beef Packing Co. of Kansas City, Mo.

Coldplay featuring...Jay-Z?

Megastars in hip-hop and rock collaborate on remix

So, when I wrote a CD review of Coldplay's latest album "Viva La Vida," I said that the beat on the track "Violet Hill" was begging for a Jay-Z remix. Well, while I can say that Jay-Z was recently featured on a new Coldplay song, I hate to say it wasn't the one I predicted. Either way, check out the Jay-Z remix of Coldplay's track "Lost" and tell me what you think.

Savages, Gallagher aim for state golf titles

One stroke tempered Kate Gallagher's state title celebration a year ago. Despite Savannah's best team finish in program history, the Savages finished a stroke out of trophy contention at last season's state tournament. But a summer's worth of dedication by the entire squad has improved the Savages' on-course performance and expectations. After dominating the area throughout the season, Savannah hopes to break into the upper echelon at today's Class 1 Golf Championships in Nixa, Mo. "We're hoping to place this time. I know we can if we keep playing like we have been," Gallagher said. "Everybody's so talented that it forces us to keep improving."

Plett infuses some new depth into Western women's basketball

Regardless how Lynn Plett's 10 new players and six returners mesh, one thing is certain this season: the Griffons' bench won't be empty. Plett's first season at Missouri Western was far from ideal. After a prolonged search for Josh Keister's successor, the Griffons finally offered the job to Plett in mid-June, and when he arrived on campus, Western had just 10 players - six of whom were freshman.

Griffon men turn to some familiar faces to rebuild program

Missouri Western's latest rebuilding effort - part four - at least will feature some familiar faces to local hoops fans. Two city players - Lafayette's Dominqiue Thuston and Central's Colby Smith - have a chance to start for men's coach Tom Smith, while East Buchanan's Andrew Mead and Central's Brandon Beck and Luke Anderson should figure in as role players. In addition, a couple of other Griffons grew up only a few postal codes away from the MWSU Fieldhouse. Junior forward James Bush is from Wyandotte, Kan., while senior guard Leonard Parker hails from Leavenworth, Kan.

Titans dominate Chiefs

KANSAS CITY - The Tennessee Titans haven't been this good and the Kansas City Chiefs haven't been this bad in 31 years. With Chris Johnson running for 168 yards and LenDale White 149, the Titans (6-0) remained the NFL's lone unbeaten team by rushing for a franchise-record 332 yards in a 34-10 blowout Sunday. The record that fell was set with 296 yards the Houston Oilers amassed on the ground against Kansas City on Nov. 27, 1977, almost two decades before the team moved to Tennessee. The Chiefs (1-5) also saw a record take a tumble in what's shaping up as one of their worst seasons since moving to Kansas City in the early '60s. The 332 yards erased the record of 330 by the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers which had stood as the most ever allowed by Kansas City.

McCain campaign heads to the Kansas City area

John McCain brings his Republican presidential campaign to the Kansas City area Monday.

Home, sweet, home for Bearcats

Home was sweet for Northwest Missouri State's football team ... and on homecoming, to boot. "You don't know how much you appreciate being home until you've been on the road for four weeks," coach Mel Tjeerdsma said after the Bearcats' 56-7 victory against Fort Hays State on Saturday afternoon.

Western 28, Emporia State 21: A disheartening win

The overall tone of our Missouri Western coverage has been understandably negative this season for a 3-5 team I think is underachieving. With a struggling team, the last thing I want to do as a sports writer is demean one of those rare victories. After all, programs like Emporia and Fort Hays - Western's last two wins - would be thrilled with any MIAA victory they can get at this point, no matter the manner. But I feel that if Western is satisfied with Saturday's result - a game the Griffons dominated for 33-plus minutes before folding up shop - then this program should be associated with the Emporias, Fort Hays and Southerns of the conference. And I don't get the feeling that the Griffons - after winning 27 games the past three years - believe they belong in that company. This is a team that was on the doorstep of hosting a playoff game last year. Those types of programs and players aren't satisfied with a victory like this.

Ravens hammer Peru

ATCHISON, Kan. - A couple of big first-half plays propelled Benedictine past Peru State 36-13 on Saturday at Larry Wilcox Stadium. Ravens quarterback Ryan Kelly spurred the action with a quick 23-yard scoring strike to Conor Walsh, giving Benedictine a 6-0 advantage. Jordan Banion's point-after kick failed. For the day, Kelly completed 25 of 33 passes for 333 yards. He also threw four touchdown passes.

Griffon notes

There is a youth movement afoot at Missouri Western. Injuries and suspensions thrust receivers Eric Anderson and Adam Clausen into the Griffons' 28-21 victory over Emporia State on Saturday. Previously, that pair had four total catches this season. But they filled in admirably Saturday. Anderson, syncing up with high school teammate quarterback Drew Newhart, caught two passes for 20 yards. Clausen, a freshman from Kansas City, caught four passes for 52 yards, including a second-quarter touchdown.

Bearcat notes

Northwest Missouri State needed only 39 plays to rack up 56 points on Saturday in the Bearcats' 56-7 homecoming victory against Fort Hays State. "We got killed in time of possession," Northwest coach Mel Tjeerdsma joked as he took his first look at the statistics at the end of the game.

Steeby proves clutch as she propels Mid-Buchanan to state tourney

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. - As she watched the ball sail toward center field, Kaitlin Steeby couldn't contain her emotions. Not accustomed to playing the hero's role, Mid-Buchanan's senior second baseman provided the clutch hit that sent the Dragons back to state for the first time in nearly a decade. Steeby's one-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a scoreless tie and gave Mid-Buchanan a thrilling 1-0 victory against Westeran in their Class 2 quarterfinal at Danner Park.

Chillicothe tennis advances to state

Chillicothe soaked in the excitement on one side of Court 3, while Bishop LeBlond stood opposite, feeling the pangs of disbelief. Saturday's Class 1 quarterfinal couldn't have ended any other way after two evenly matched teams battled for more than four hours at Noyes Tennis Complex. A state semifinal berth on the line, the two teams split six singles matches before Chillicothe earned the trip to Springfield, Mo., next week with two doubles victories. The Hornets won 5-3 with a third doubles match not finished with the team result already decided.

Western hangs on against Emporia

A Missouri Western blowout was a short run away Saturday. Instead, Cedric Houston opted to trot the final few yards to the end zone. It was the difference between a confidence-building victory, and a win that, in spite of the scoreboard, resurrected old themes and deficiencies. The Griffons settled for the latter in a 28-21 victory over Emporia State at Spratt Stadium. On the Griffons' first drive of the second half, quarterback Drew Newhart hit Houston behind Emporia State's defense for a 39-yard gain. Western needed 40. Houston, thinking the touchdown was a foregone conclusion, slowed up inside the 10 only to have Hornets' safety Tyler Mikkelson blind-side him and jar the ball loose at the goal line.

Bearcats' offense dominates

MARYVILLE, Mo. - This was not a ball-control offense. But it was effective. Fort Hays State controlled the ball more than four times as long as Northwest Missouri State on Saturday afternoon, but that didn't show up on the scoreboard in the Bearcats' 56-7 homecoming victory. The Bearcats punted only once and didn't have a drive last longer than 2 minutes, 19 seconds in racking up their seventh straight victory.

Chiefs face tough task in stopping unbeaten Titans

KANSAS CITY - Cleveland's dominating 33-14 upset of the New York Giants on Monday night provides a sobering reminder how perilous the road can be when a team that hasn't lost travels to a team that's barely won. The Giants were 4-0, but the Browns, with only one win, whipped the visiting Super Bowl champs up and down the Dawg Pound.

Western 28, Emporia State 21: A disheartening victory

The overall tone of our Missouri Western coverage has been understandably negative this season for a 3-5 team I think is underachieving. With a struggling team, the last thing I want to do as a sports writer is demean one of those rare victories.

Leblond stops S. Harrison

South Harrison came within 25 yards and 4 seconds of stealing a victory at Eagle Stadium on Friday night. But Bishop LeBlond survived as the Bulldogs' last-second field goal attempt sailed wide left, and the Golden Eagles won 9-7 to snap a six-game losing streak. The Eagles' fans held their breath and the Bulldogs' players watched with anticipation as South Harrison made a last-ditch effort to snatch away the district opener.

Troy can't knock off Centralia

TROY, Kan. - The Troy Trojans seemed to have everything ready Friday night. The no-huddle offense was ready; the wristbands for the offensive players were in place; the music was blaring over the loud-speaker, and the coaching staff had new haircuts. Perfect. But the big red circle on the Troy schedule that surrounded the Centralia Panthers on Oct. 17 disappeared in the middle of the second quarter along with Troy's vaunted offense. Centralia pulled away for a 34-14 victory in the Class 2-1A District 3 opener between two ranked teams.

Warriors shut out Cameron

SMITHVILLE, Mo. - The Smithville Warriors sent their seniors out in style.

Benton falls to Excelsior

Benton players snatched their helmets off, pained looks of frustration dotting their faces. Excelsior Springs quarterback Nick Anderson took a knee on the final play of Friday night's game, sealing a 13-7 win for his Tigers at Sparks Field. Benton lost for a fourth straight time, this one in the opener of Class 4 District 16 play. The Cardinals players and coaches knew they needed a win to keep realistic hopes of a playoff berth. Now, Benton goes into next week against No. 1-ranked Kearney needing a monumental upset or a Lafayette win against Excelsior Springs.

Oak Park storms past Central

These were the Werst of times at Noyes Field. Oak Park running back Nick Werst ran for 248 yards and three touchdowns Friday night as the Northmen opened Class 5 District 11 play with a 38-24 victory against Central. "He was a big load for us, and there were times we didn't tackle him," Central coach Tony Dudik said. "When they ran their counter play or pulled their guards, instead of attacking force with force, we kind of stood there and caught. When you're catching a guy coming full speed, the chances of being successful are pretty slim."

Kearney strolls past Lafayette

No. 1-ranked Kearney showed why it holds the top spot in Class 4 on Friday, scoring on all eight offensive possession as well as returning a punt for a touchdown during a 62-0 rout of Lafayette at Alumni Stadium.

Hornets survive Savage attack

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. - True to historical form, most Chillicothe running backs develop a hard-nosed, no-nonsense running style that goes along with their historically potent power rushing game. Bryce Young knows his mentality doesn't quite fit the mold. "I've got to stay outside and get away from people," Young said. "I can't run over too many people." It's a good thing, too. The Hornets' junior tailback used his superlative speed to shake his slumping team and sparked Chillicothe's 29-19 come-from-behind victory Friday at Jerry Litton Memorial Stadium.

Western scouting report

Emporia State (3-4, 1-4) at Missouri Western (2-5. 1-4) 1:30 p.m., Spratt Stadium

Northwest scouting report

Fort Hays State (2-5, 1-4) at No. 5 Northwest (6-1, 5-0) 1:30 p.m., Bearcat Stadium

Texas tries out its new No. 1 spot with a tough test against Mizzou

AUSTIN, Texas - Mack Brown knows it's coming. At some point during warmups before No. 1 Texas plays No. 11 Missouri tonight, Longhorns freshman safety Blake Gideon will seek out the coach who has won a national championship and say: "I hope you're not nervous." Gideon does it every week and it's a pretty funny line coming from a guy who has played six games. But Brown and the Longhorns have plenty to worry about if they expect to hold on to their first regular-season No. 1 ranking since 1984 for long.

Fullback fights his way back onto field

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Brant Gregg is just happy to be playing football again.

Kansas to test Sooners

Jayhawks provide challenge for Stoops' post-Texas perfection

NORMAN, Okla. - For all the attention and all the buildup that goes into the annual Red River Rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas, it's only natural that the next week would be a bit of a letdown. There's no neutral field split evenly with fans dressed in their choice of crimson or burnt orange, no state fair, no intense hatred - between the fan bases, at least - and, with this year's added stakes, no No. 1 ranking on the line. To come home after all of that, it must be hard to find the motivation for a run-of-the-mill Big 12 game. Not for Bob Stoops.

Youth permit system gets overhaul

Change. It's a word we've been seeing and hearing just about everywhere in the heat of political battle as both Democrat and Republican candidates spend the last few weeks competing for our vote. While most of us are growing tired of hearing all the political rhetoric, change is something all Missouri sportsmen will have to deal with in the coming year, regardless of who wins on election day. This is the second in a series of columns designed to give outdoor folks a heads up about the new permit changes passed by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) last month at the Conservation Commission's meeting in Poplar Bluff.

Friday's prep football boxes 10-17-08

Getting the lead out ... of venison

A new study by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) may have deer hunters from throughout the country reconsidering their choice of firearms and ammunition. The study began after several samples of ground venison from a North Dakota venison donation program (similar to Missouri's Share the Harvest) were found to contain lead fragments last winter. Minnesota officials tested samples from their donations with some unsettling results. Ultimately, 27 percent of the ground venison and 2 percent of the whole muscle cuts were found to be contaminated with lead fragments from hunters' bullets. This information prompted the MDNR to complete a preliminary study to improve their understanding of the problem.

Casting Our Votes

With the apex of the political season upon us, we're all familiar with the well-worn cliches that come with the territory. The over-dramatic attack ads. Promises of sweeping tax cuts. Change we can believe in. Still, all of those fall short of the most common, overused rhetoric thrown around this time of year: Now that we're seven weeks into the high school football season, every team is 0-0.

SNL to feature VP candidate

Tina Fey won't have to impersonate Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live this weekend: the real Palin will be there herself.

Tina Fey won't have to impersonate VP candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live this weekend: the real Palin will be there herself.

White noise

Ron White's upcoming appearance has St. Joe stirring

With a glass of scotch in one hand and a microphone in the other, he weaves together stories that are comic gems. With dry wit and perfect timing, he has audiences around the country hanging on his every word. Not bad for a good 'ol boy from Texas who's trademark line is "They call me... Tater Salad."

From the barn to the beach

Nashville duo Dirt Road Hotel performs at Terrible's this weekend

When you can carry your entire music collection in an MP3 player, the variety of your musical tastes is literally at your fingertips.

Beer, brats and music

Felix Street Experience to hold Oktoberfest Saturday

Take the Beatles, mix in some Elton John and ZZ Top and then add a big shot of Skynyrd and you have the kind of music that you'll hear when Sinful takes the stage at the Felix Street Experience Oktoberfest.

A raw return

Nineties alt-rockers Toadies are reunited - and it feels so good

Considering that Texas alt-rockers Toadies have only recorded two major-label studio albums over the last 14 years, you wouldn't think that many people would be ecstatic to learn that the group has reunited after a seven-year hiatus. But for those people, the string of sold-out performances the band has played since re-grouping in May 2008 would prove them wrong. "As we play more shows, there was a whole generation of fans who never got to see the band," says guitarist Clark Vogeler. "It's really floored us all along the way."

Review: W.

Oliver Stone gives us his take on how 'Dubya' got where he is today

In the past eight years, thanks to late-night comedians, political candidates or controversial documentary filmmakers like Michael Moore, there hasn't been a more popular punching bag than President George W. Bush. And the last person you think would show an ounce of sympathy to "Dubya" is adamant left-wing filmmaker Oliver Stone.

The Shuffle: 'Twilight' translation

While I am not one to put my personal life out there (I believe that would be dating columnist Lacey Storer's niche), I do have something that I need to confess. For the past two months, I have had to fight for the attention of my fiancee. The reason why is because she's left me for another man - and woman. Thank God they're only fictional.

That game we play: To go out or not to go out

At some point in your single life, you've accepted a date with someone that you're just not excited about going out with. But you've been single for awhile, and you tell yourself that you'd rather face a bad date than the possibility that this person really could be The One, and you stayed home and watched TV instead. At least, that's the rationale I always use when I'm trying to talk myself into going out with somebody. But, according to CNN.com, there are some times when it's just better to NOT go out with someone, when it's just better to stay home.

Eats: The heart of Germany in the heart of St. Joseph

Hidden away in a primarily residential area of St. Joseph's midtown, you'll find the Cabbage Roll, now in its 19th year of business. It's a German-themed restaurant decorated with all kinds of German knickknacks and a wall-size mural of a castle in the Rhineland. Owners Larry Matt and Andy Halamar are of German ancestry, and the recipes are authentic, Larry says.

This is: "McCainus Craneus" by Betty Estes

What's in that? Pumpkin-tini at Biggins

Briefs for Oct. 17, 2008

That's cool: Myvu Personal Media Player Shades ($199.99)

Calendars for Oct. 17, 2008

Thursday's Prep Sports

Thursday's College Sports

City Football Capsules, October 17

A look at football games involving city teams

Area Football Capsules, October 17

A look at top football games involving area teams

News-Press 8-man Power 5 poll, October 17

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press 8-man Power 5 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

News-Press 11-Man Power 10 poll, October 17

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press Power 10 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

Mid-Buchanan softball wins behind Wood

FAUCETT, Mo. - In her first real spot of trouble, Katie Wood should have been bursting with nervous energy. With the tying runner at the plate, Mid-Buchanan's ace had lost the strike zone in the game's final inning. One more off-target pitch would load the bases - with no one out, no less. What kind of churning emotions spill forth in such a pressure-packed moment?

Prep Football Standings/Schedule, October 17

Standings/Schedule for area football teams

Chiefs coach suspends Larry Johnson for Sunday's game

KANSAS CITY - Running back Larry Johnson will sit out Kansas City's game against Tennessee for violating team rules, a potentially crippling blow for a struggling young offense facing the NFL's last unbeaten team. Coach Herm Edwards refused to specify what team rules the two-time Pro Bowler broke. But Edwards did say his decision had nothing to do with the charge of simple assault filed against Johnson this week.

Home runs give edge to Jefferson in softball sectional

SAVANNAH, Mo. - Jefferson used three solo home runs to overpower King City 5-1 on Thursday night in their Class 1 sectional. But Shelbi Schieber's tie-breaking shot to left field almost didn't count. Knotted at 1 in the top of the sixth, Jefferson's senior first baseman blistered a line drive to left field off of King City starter Shelby Stoll. Eagles coach Tim Jermain, watching from his third-base coaching box, leapt up in celebration after the shot cleared the 12-foot fence at the Savannah Youth Sports Complex field.

Missouri expands playoff field for high school football

Jim Brockhoff thought a move out of the Midland Empire Conference would improve his postseason odds. If anything, they got worse. After moving from Savannah to North Platte four years ago, he moved into one of the most competitive - if not talented - districts in Class 1. In the past five seasons, District 15 has produced a state champion (West Platte in 2005) and a runner-up (East Buchanan in 2004) plus a slew of collegiate prospects.

Week 8 Pick 'em

MIAA schools hold five of the 10 slots in the latest regional rankings, and if the regular season ended last Saturday, three of the six playoff spots from Region 4 would belong to the MIAA - Northwest, Pittsburg and Central Missouri. Central Washington looks like a lock to grab one of those bids, leaving five for the MIAA and Lone Star Conference to divide up. The LSC's A&M Kingsville and Tarleton State sit at seven and eight, respectively, and easily could replace Pitt or Central if either of those schools stumble.

Obama will be in Kansas City on Saturday

Democrat Barack Obama plans to bring his presidential hopes once more to western Missouri this weekend.

Wednesday's Prep Sports

Wednesday's College Sports

High school picks

Andy swears he doesn't cheat, but I did hand in my picks first last week. Conveniently, my co-worker managed to make the same 10 selections as me. We both came out looking good -- regardless of how he came to his decisions. Our only errors came in selecting North Platte to beat Lawson and failing to predict West Platte would topple Plattsburg. One out of two wouldn't have been bad, but we're starting to get embarrassed and missing games from our area.

Softball playoffs postponed

Three straight days of rain in Northwest Missouri led to the postponement of all four sectional softball games involving local teams scheduled for Wednesday. All four will instead be played today.

Young North Andrew team shows progress

North Andrew let a lead slip away again last Friday night. But what a difference a week made for the youthful Cardinals. After watching Stanberry snatch a victory away Oct. 3, North Andrew took Worth County to overtime and found a way to earn a victory. North Andrew led 16-0 but went to overtime knotted at 16-16. The Cardinals scored on both of their possessions, setting off a raucous celebration at North Andrew High School in Rosendale, Mo.

A second Biden plans St. Joseph stop

St. Joseph, get ready for a second Biden. Jill Biden, the wife of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, will be in the "St. Joseph and Kansas City areas" on Sunday, the Barack Obama campaign announced Tuesday.

Central volleyball battles in defeat

Central may have dropped its 17th game of the season on Tuesday night, but none of the Indians dropped their heads during the game. After the straight-sets loss to Liberty, coach Monica Flaska felt as if her team should be encouraged by its performance.

LeBlond tennis advances

Intensity doesn't come naturally for Lane Hegarty and Lauren Looney. Even with the weight of postseason pressure bearing down on Bishop LeBlond's No. 2 doubles team, they'd rather relax and worry more about having a good time. "When we're serious, we do worse. Really," Hegarty said. "We have to be loose and not put pressure on each other." The Golden Eagles pair did just that Tuesday and helped LeBlond coast to a 6-2 victory against Kearney in Class 1 regional play at the St. Joseph Tennis and Swim Center. LeBlond swings back into action Saturday when it hosts Marshall in sectional play.

Tony Gonzalez staying a Chief as deadline passes

KANSAS CITY - Tony Gonzalez is staying with the Chiefs. Just minutes after the 3 p.m. trade deadline Tuesday, Kansas City coach Herm Edwards said no deal had been struck for the nine-time Pro Bowler. His announcement ended 10 days of tension for the player and his fans in Kansas City, most of whom were hoping he would get what he wanted and be traded to a contender.

Bearcats' Kirby to miss at least 2 weeks with injury

MARYVILLE, Mo. - A string of 48 consecutive starts will end Saturday for Northwest Missouri State offensive tackle Reid Kirby, who is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee today. "It's not good," Northwest coach Mel Tjeerdsma said of Kirby's pending absence from the lineup. It never is good when an All-America lineman is injured, but even Kirby would admit that his play had diminished from that lofty level of late, as the injury took its toll.

Bearcats bringing offense home

MARYVILLE, Mo. - It was a little scary, even 20 days before Halloween, when Central Missouri tied the score at 10 against Northwest Missouri State in the third quarter of the nationally ranked teams' MIAA showdown last weekend. But that might be just what the Bearcats needed to give this team's fans a treat this weekend, coach Mel Tjeerdsma said on Tuesday. "Sometimes it's good to be shocked a little bit, to realize that you have to practice better," Tjeerdsma said. "That's what makes it for you."

Kansas finally an underdog

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas embraced the role of underdog through years of losing and low expectations, an us-against-the-world bond becoming a common front against all doubters. Now that the Jayhawks are winning, no longer the laughingstocks of the Big 12, they still enjoy the part, relishing the chance to prove everyone wrong. Another opportunity comes on Saturday. An underdog for the first time this season, 16th-ranked Kansas is expected to put up a good fight against No. 4 Oklahoma, not expected to win - and loving every second of it.

Many Missouri Tigers returning home to Texas

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Plenty of Missouri players will feel right at home Saturday when the 11th-ranked Tigers take on No. 1 Texas. More than a quarter of Missouri's roster hails from the Lone Star State - 28 of the 105 players. Quarterback Chase Daniel is perhaps the best known Texan on the Missouri squad, but others include wide receivers Jared Perry, Danario Alexander and Earl Goldsmith, defensive lineman Stryker Sulak and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon.

Best and the Rest: Week 8

The release of the Madden video game each year has turned into a national holiday of sorts. But if Madden's release is Christmas for sports gamers, I prefer Hanukkah.

Royals hire John Gibbons, Kevin Seitzer as coaches

KANSAS CITY - Former Toronto manager John Gibbons returned to the majors Monday when he was hired by the Kansas City Royals to be their bench coach.

Gonzalez awaits word on trade

KANSAS CITY - Tony Gonzalez practiced with the Kansas City Chiefs for what could be the last time Monday and then went home to await word on whether he's been traded.

Mustangs enter expanded MINK League

The MINK League has expanded to 10 teams and will be split into two five-team divisions for next summer's play, league officials determined Sunday during the fall league meeting.

Whiters quietly displays tough-guy quality through pain

Sean Whiters quietly listened to coach Jerry Partridge's halftime speech - just like his teammates. The difference between Whiters and his fellow Griffons was a 90-degree angle. The senior linebacker dislocated his left index finger in the first half against Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday. When Whiters took off his glove, his finger was bent back 90 degrees and had broken the skin.

Hanson earns MIAA player-of-the-week honors

The MIAA named Missouri Western punter Jamie Hanson its special teams player of the week.

Western rushing attack stalls

Four pieces of Missouri Western's 2007 rushing attack are gone, and the Griffons have yet to put the puzzle back together during the current campaign.

Game Blog: Omaha 42, Western 14

No one-play what ifs, referees mistakes or statistical anomalies for the Griffons to lean on in this contest. This was 60-minutes of domination that could've been even uglier on the scoreboard had Nebraska-Omaha not stunted its attack with turnovers.

IHOP sign of progress

St. Joseph is only a demolition away from getting its IHOP. A sign for the International House of Pancakes popped up sometime last week yet the structure perched on the hillside doesn't look like the usual blue and white eatery. That's because it's not.

Drop kick follow-up

Reader Lee Smith of Atchison contacted me today and gave me an extra tidbit concerning the use of drop kicks in the area.

K.C. rookies learning it is a long season

KANSAS CITY - Most days, Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr wish the Chiefs season would last forever. Their team is 1-4, but the rookie cornerbacks are playing well and can hardly feel at blame.

WESTERN GAME NOTES: Hanson impresses again

Missouri Western punter Jamie Hanson struggled through a couple of games this season - a surprising development for one of the Griffons' pro prospect. But even as his teammates faltered all around him, Hanson shined as the Griffons' top performer during Saturday's game at Nebraska-Omaha. Of course, when a punter is a team's best player, that usually spells a loss - like it did for Western, 42-14.

Bad breaks plague Chiefs

Kansas City realizes 2006 playoff trip merely delayed rebuilding pain

KANSAS CITY - Like a giddy gambler hitting a four-team parlay, the Kansas City Chiefs beat Jacksonville on the final day of the 2006 regular season and then watched Tennessee, Cincinnati and Denver all fall like dominoes.

NORTHWEST GAME NOTES: Bearcats pick Czerniewski twice

Central Missouri quarterback Eric Czerniewski had been intercepted only once before - in the season opener - but Northwest Missouri State's defense got to him for two picks in the first quarter alone in Saturday's 20-13 victory against the Mules.

LeBlond sweeps district

Lafayette's Kendall earns state berth

Conner and Loree Hazelrigg have a rare connection that gives them and advantage on the tennis court.

Lindenwood nips Benedictine

Entering the fourth quarter, Benedictine had the lead and an upset bid in its sights. The Ravens couldn't seal the deal, however, and let No. 8 Lindenwood slip past then in the final frame at Larry Wilcox Stadium, 36-33.

DISTRICT SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Chillicothe makes way back into playoffs

Chillicothe earned its way into the Class 3 state playoffs for the fourth straight year on Saturday. The Hornets' big win came largely off the strength of freshman pitcher Sarah Baldwin's arm and the power of her bat.

Council's record day helps Northwest beat Central

WARRENSBURG, Mo. Â-- LaRon Council set a career high and an MIAA record on Saturday, but Northwest Missouri State's offensive performance paled in comparison to its defensive effort in a 20-13 win against Central Missouri.

Saturday's Prep Sports

Saturday's College Sports

COW-POKED: Oklahoma State lassoes No. 3 Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Oklahoma State stopped a Missouri offense that had been scoring at will all season, intercepting Chase Daniel three times in the second half and upsetting the third-ranked Tigers 28-23 victory on Saturday.

Report: Chiefs TE Gonzalez on trade market

Tony Gonzalez, the most productive tight end in NFL history, will be traded to a contender if the Kansas City Chiefs get the right price.

Nebraska-Omaha tires out Western's defense

OMAHA, Neb. - Daniel Atkinson summoned enough fight to slap away a Nebraska-Omaha Maverick who held onto his jersey after a whistle in the closing moments Saturday. But the Missouri Western tackle, and the rest of his defensive teammates provided little other resistance to stem the powerful tide of Brian McNeill and the Omaha rushing attack in the fourth quarter of the Mavericks' 42-14 victory at Al Caniglia Field.

Mustangs land big name for GM

St. Joseph's new baseball team will have Kansas City T-Bones former leader for chief executive

It's just an hour's drive between CommunityAmerica Ballpark and Phil Welch Stadium, but this summer they were worlds apart. The Kansas City T-Bones became champions of the Northern League, while St. Joseph's old ballpark was idle. Rick Muntean hopes that all changes next summer. The five-year general manager of the Northern League champion T-Bones has been named chief executive officer and general manager of the St. Joe Mustangs. Dan Gerson announced it Friday, explaining that Muntean will have a minority ownership stake in the Mustangs and handle the team's day-to-day operations. He begins his duties officially on Sunday at the MINK League meeting at Terrible's St. Joe Frontier Casino.

Central can't stop Ray-Pec quarterback

Loss keeps Indians winless in Suburban Big 7 play

A rattled Cameron Coffman, then a backup freshman, stepped off Noyes Field last year slightly shaken from his game-sealing interception against Central. On Friday night, the Raymore-Peculiar quarterback returned a much different - and more devastating - player. The Panthers' signal caller conducted a ruthlessly efficient offensive effort, as Ray-Pec, the No. 1 team in Class 5, blitzed Central 48-21. Already one of the state's top passers as a sophomore, he tossed three first-half touchdowns and ran for another.

Smithville overwhelms Benton

Cardinals' offense ineffective against Smithville

Seven yards separated Benton from the end zone Friday night, but plenty more than that separated the Cardinals from Smithville in the Warriors' 27-0 Midland Empire Conference victory Smithville (5-2, 3-1 MEC) never let Benton get any closer to the end zone, dominating the game both offensively and defensively, especially early.

Hamilton rolls past Princeton

PRINCETON, Mo. - Joe Pickrell doesn't receive many touches anymore. The Hamilton senior briefly spent time in the offensive backfield last year before moving back to guard where he has remained this year. But Friday night against Princeton as a wobbly pass fluttered his way, Pickrell knew just what to do with the ball. "Score," he said.

'Hounds survive Savages

SAVANNAH, Mo. - The battle for the first-ever 71 Showdown trophy was close for three quarters. But in the end, Savannah's inability to move the football cost them the game. Maryville defeated the Savages 21-0 Saturday in Savannah. "Our defense played well," Maryville coach Chris Holt said. "We were very disciplined on the option game and real solid so you got to be happy with that."

Time not on Atchison's side

ATCHISON, Kan. - The Mill Valley Jaguars weren't calling any timeouts down two points with the clock ticking at Atchison on Friday night. They didn't need to. On fourth-and-16 from his 34-yard line, Mill Valley's Nicholas Woods took a direct snap on a fake punt to the end zone for the eventual game-winning touchdown. The 25-21 loss moved Atchison's record to 1-5 and had head coach Jim Smith nearly speechless afterwards. "We just can't get over that hump," said Smith, whose team was in control most of the game, which is Atchison's third straight loss. "We had them." The Redmen started the game with a nine-play, 68-yard drive that featured nothing but running plays - capped off by a 12-yard touchdown by senior Kyle Downing.

Friday's prep boxes

Northwest Missouri-Central Missouri scouting report

Northwest Missouri at Central Missouri When NORTHWEST has the ball Running back LaRon Council leads the nation in scoring, averaging 17 points per game. He added four more touchdowns last week against Pittsburg State - the second time he's done that this season. Council is averaging 111.3 yards per game with four 100-yard games under his belt.

Missouri Western-Nebraska-Omaha scouting report

Missouri Western at Nebraska-Omaha When WESTERN has the ball The Mavericks rank eighth in scoring defense (26 points a game) in the MIAA this season, but that number is deceiving considering Omaha's offense has given opponents 28 points via defensive touchdowns the past two weeks. Subtract those scores, and the Mavericks are allowing a very respectable 17 points a game. Omaha isn't great against the run, ranking eighth in the MIAA at 132 yards a game, but Western's running backs and banged up offensive line have generated just 188 yards rushing the past two weeks, making the battle along the line somewhat of a draw.

Mound City's Division II loyalties

Mound City - a town chock full of Northwest Missouri Bearcat alumni and supporters - sits just 30 miles to the southwest of Maryville. Yet, in the past nine years, four former Panthers have gone on to be Griffons. Has it done anything to sway the collegiate loyalties in Mound City?

Mound City: Big game for little town

Town makes large contribution to Western

Mound City ends at the football stadium. Ceglenski Field - home of Missouri's best 8-man team - sits in the shadow of the town's water tower at the northeast corner of town. A cornfield provides the backdrop behind the visiting bleachers and scoreboard. The paint on the purple bleachers has started to yield to the weather. And on a balmy Thursday afternoon - one day before the Panthers demolish Craig, 72-0 in a game called at halftime - this field belongs to the crickets and the birds in a quiet town where the only constant sound is the hum of Interstate 29 a few miles away. Up the hill, it's walk-through time for the Panthers - a helmets-required, but not shirts apparently, exercise that has the atmosphere or a pool party. Mound City's practice field is an overgrown baseball diamond where the outfield boundary is a dirt road and the infield has given way to the weeds. But this is no rinky-dink, small-town football program.

Program on raptors set

Bill Whinery of Operation Wildlife (OWL) of Linwood, Kan., will present a program on the "Deluxe Raptor Program at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 in Room 206 of the Hearnes Building at Missouri Western. This Midland Empire Audubon Society meeting is free and open to the public.

Significant permit system changes face seniors, landowners

At a time when folks are just beginning to see a reprieve at the gas pumps, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is making changes to the permit system and asking all sportsmen to dig a little deeper into their pockets. March of 2009 will bring some drastic changes to our permit system that will affect everyone, including youth, seniors, college students, landowners, general residents, non-resident licenses and even special-permit purchasers.

Week 7 Pick 'Em

Prognosticating is a regular part of my day - has been for nearly two decades. Luckily for my self-esteem, none of these conversations were written down, and most of them have been forgotten along with the minutia of days past.

Pumpkin up

The 13th annual Pumpkinfest lights up St. Joseph this weekend

It's found in pies on Thanksgiving, in Charlie Brown cartoons and has served as an occasional cranium and projectile for the Headless Horseman. Yeah, we're talking about pumpkins. Those large, orange earth-grown orbs that always seem to show up everywhere this time of year. And there will be plenty of them, along with a ton of family-friendly activities, at the Pony Express Pumpkinfest, which takes place tonight, Oct. 11 and 12 across from the Pony Express National Museum at Ninth and Penn streets.

Go green

Ninth annual O'Malley's Weston Irish Festival this weekend

St. Patrick's Day is great, but getting to be Irish once a year is just not enough. There's something about all that hand-clapping, toe-tapping and shamrocking that makes you want more. That's why more than 7,000 people are expected to attend the ninth annual Weston Irish Festival scheduled to kick off tonight at 5 p.m. at O'Malley's Pub and Courtyard in Weston, Mo.

Putt-putt for a good cause

The Miller Lite Open will raise money for UCP

Everyone wants to help out a good cause. It's even better when helping out involves playing a round of putt-putt. The Miller Lite Open four-person putt-putt pubcrawl will tee off this Saturday, with all proceeds benefitting United Cerebral Palsy of St. Joseph.

Crossing the border

Canadian supergroup Broken Social Scene tries its hand at solo projects

When there are eight, nine or even ten talented people in one band, there's bound to be some lineup shuffling, scheduling conflicts and a desire to work on other projects. The Canadian art rockers of Broken Social Scene have weathered that storm the best they could. The band that was formed by Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew has had a total of 19 members in its nine years of existence, including Leslie Feist, Emily Haines and Justin Peroff. After a while, it became hard to get everyone in the studio for a record.

This is: Extreme Carlos

The Shuffle: The late night vote

Election day is less than a month away. We've seen both presidential and vice presidential candidates debate the big issues and campaign relentlessly for the votes of Americans. Wait a second. What am I doing talking about politics? Isn't this supposed to be an entertainment column? Don't worry, I'm not flip-flopping.

That game we play? Dating in KC - as bad as it seems?

Forbes recently came out with its list of best and worst cities for singles, ranking the top 40 major metropolitan areas based on seven categories - the number of singles. coolness, nightlife, culture, job growth, cost of living alone and ease of online dating. Not being a major metropolitan area, St. Joe obviously didn't make the list. But our neighbor down south, Kansas City, did. Out of the top 40 major metropolitan areas, Kansas City ranked 36th, beating out only Indianapolis, Cleveland, Salt Lake City and Jacksonville.

What's in that? Cool Breeze at Wiley's

Entertainment briefs for Oct. 10, 2008

Calendars for Oct. 10, 2008

Former Western AD axed at SEMO

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State fired athletic director Don Kaverman and placed men's basketball coach Scott Edgar on administrative leave on Thursday, three days after the NCAA notified the school of possible major violations.

Doniphan Who? Consolidation talks would affect sports in Elwood, Wathena and Troy

The identity of small midwestern towns often coincides with their high schools. In eastern Doniphan County, that mind set has always prevailed. The Trojans reside in Troy, the Wildcats in Wathena and the Panthers in Elwood, but the rekindling of consolidation talks threatens that existence. A hypothetical "Doniphan East High School" would forge a new identity. It's a problem that hasn't cropped up yet but eventually will rear itself, as three school boards toy with a monumental proposal. "There's a real concern that if you lose your school, you lose your town," said Troy principal Don Cash, who has been in the district for more than 30 years.

Prep Football Leaderboard, October 10

Savannah's Gallagher cards career-best 3-under during districts

Savannah's Kate Gallagher was standing over her ball on the fringe of the 18th green. All she needed was a two-putt. However, the defending district and state champion, was forced to settle for a three-putt bogey on the par-3 finishing hole. The late miscue forced Gallagher to settle for a 3-under-par 70 and a 12-stroke victory Thursday at Fairview Golf Course for her second district championship in a row. Gallagher knew on the tee box she needed only a par to dip her score into the 60s for the first time in her career.

News-Press 8-man Football Power 5 Poll, October 10

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press 8-man Power 5 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

News-Press 11-Man Football Power 10 poll, October 10

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press Power 10 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

Prep Football Standings/Schedule, October 10

A look at standings/schedule for area football teams

Area Football Capsules, October 10

A look at top football games involving area teams

City Football Capsules, October 10

A look at football games involving city teams

Area Game of the Week: Hamilton at Princeton

A look at the top game involving area teams

City Game of the Week: Raymore-Peculiar at Central

A look at the top game involving a city team

Lafayette recaptures homecoming magic

Football coaches often bemoan the distractions that come with playing on homecoming. Lafayette coach Paul Woolard is starting to enjoy the festivities surrounding the annual fall celebration. The Fighting Irish secured a second straight dramatic homecoming victory last week against Cameron by recording a sack on the opposition's final play. Lafayette scored a huge upset of Smithville the previous year when Josh Davis dragged down Smithville quarterback Brent Hastings on the homecoming game's final play.

FOOTBALL NOTES: Maryville-Savannah adds traveling trophy to rivalry

Maryville coach Chris Holt and Savannah Mark Cole's longstanding friendship helped bring a new twist into an old rivalry, starting with tonight's MEC clash at Savage Field. The two started pondering the idea for a traveling trophy to award in the annual rivalry game between Savannah and Maryville. With Savannah's fast start, the two converged a couple of weeks ago to make it a reality.

And then there were three: Houston on NFL's radar

Pro scouts making their way to Spratt Stadium has become somewhat routine this season. While scouts have given senior punter Jamie Hanson some looks, most of the attention has gone to right guard Roger Allen - projected anywhere from a fifth-round pick to a priority free agent signing in the 2009 draft. But Wednesday, one pro scout making a visit to St. Joseph surprised Jerry Partridge, telling the Western coach he would be back next year to watch No. 8. The scout was referring, of course, to junior receiver Cedric Houston.

Democrats turn out to welcome Biden

Democrats turned out in force Thursday morning to welcome their vice presidential candidate, Sen. Joe Biden, to St. Joseph.

Off the beaten (base) paths

Boys softball offers alternative to football for many small Northwest Missouri schools

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. - The stage pales in comparison to Mizzou Arena, but the pressure Kyle Schieber feels is on the same, state-championship level. Game winding down, the outcome resting in his fingertips. The lanky Jefferson senior has dealt with nerves throughout his high school career and has become well-known for his ice-cold demeanor during the winter months on small-town basketball courts. But there's another side to Schieber - equally dominant - many haven't seen.

Pick 'em blog: Week 6 review, Week 7 picks

I shouldn't have been surprised. I'd finally turned in my first breakout week of the year - a solid 8-2 effort that kept me within four games of assistant sports editor Ross Martin. Finally, a chance to gloat a little, redeemed from my previously pathetic picking.

College sports 10-08-08

Wednesday's prep sports 10-08-08

LeBlond tennis reclaims MEC title

For years, Chillicothe stood unchallenged as the perennial favorites on tennis courts throughout the Midland Empire Conference. Until Bishop LeBlond moved into the neighborhood. The Golden Eagles toppled the Hornets' reign atop the conference standings two weeks ago and claimed the de facto conference championship - LeBlond's first since rejoining the MEC.

Bearcat faithful does its part

Thanksgiving may still be nearly two months away, but Northwest Missouri State football coach Mel Tjeerdsma expressed his gratitude, nevertheless, to both the athletic department and the fans who made Saturday's Fall Classic at Arrowhead VII a success. The Bearcats defeated Pittsburg State 35-10 in front of 21,316 fans. "We had an unbelievable crowd," Tjeerdsma said. "There were over 21,000, and a large majority of those were wearing green and white.

Northwest defense doesn't rely on individual stars

MARYVILLE, Mo. - A "no-name" defense may be rising to prominence at Northwest Missouri State. Fresh off two straight shutouts, the Bearcats held the high-octane offense of No. 7 Pittsburg State to just 10 points in a 25-point victory at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.

Tuesday's prep sports 10-07-08

CD Review: Kings of Leon's "Only By The Night"

Nashville indie rockers continue atmospheric expansion

Nashville's biggest indie rock ambassadors Kings of Leon spent their first two albums creating libedo-driven, Southern-inflected garage rock equal parts Skynard and Gang of Four. But 2007's "Because of the Times" found the Followill boys injecting astral atmospherics into their bar-brawl riffage. On their latest "Only By The Night," they continue to expand a sound that orbits even further away from the underground and their Music City zip code.

Best and the Rest: Week 7

"Premature gray hair courtesy of the Griffons," Wes Bell said to me in the parking lot following Western's 31-28 win over Fort Hays on Saturday. Western's defensive line coach wasn't alone in blaming the Griffons for accelerating the aging process. Head coach Jerry Partridge said he doesn't think his heart can hold out much longer if the Griffons continued this last-second drama each week. They certainly don't make it easy.

Chiefs' Croyle says he's ready to return

KANSAS CITY - Quarterback Brodie Croyle is back after a four-week absence and will start for Kansas City in its next game against Tennessee on Oct. 19. Since sustaining a separated shoulder in the Sept. 7 season opener at New England, Croyle has seen the Chiefs go 1-4. Neither Damon Huard nor Tyler Thigpen, who have both started in his absence, has been able to generate any consistency for a young, rebuilding squad that has 16 rookies and hit a three-year low on Sunday in a 34-0 shutout at Carolina. The Chiefs have a bye this week.

Omaha confounds MIAA expectations

Missouri Western coach Jerry Partridge said Monday he came within "a hair trigger" of picking Nebraska-Omaha as his No. 1 team in the MIAA coaches' preseason poll this year. Instead, Partridge cast his lot with Northwest Missouri State - along with five other conference coaches. This writer and plenty of my peers were not so torn on the MIAA's preseason favorite. The Mavericks returned most of their offense from a team that went 10-0 during the regular season last year - especially senior quarterback Zach Miller, who helped Omaha defeat Northwest in 2007.

No need to worry about Western's offense

Missouri Western's offense mustered just three points and 88 yards in the second half of Saturday's 31-28 victory against Fort Hays State. The Griffons also went zero-for-7 on third down and turned the football over twice in the final 30 minutes, making the Tigers' fourth-quarter rally possible. It was the first time this conference season that Western struggled to move the football, but coach Jerry Partridge said his team was closer than it appeared to breaking Saturday's game open. On the Griffons' first drive of the second half, receiver Cedric Houston dropped an out route, and then quarterback Drew Newhart just overthrew Houston behind the Tigers secondary. Partridge also said Western was one block away from springing a screen play for a touchdown in the half as well.

Talk arises of Biden visit

Nothing official yet, but talk among Democrats is that vice presidential nominee Joe Biden will make a St. Joseph stop during a two-day visit to Missouri.

Missouri remains in the battleground mix

Presidential candidates land in 'margin-of-error' territory with state voters

Missouri treats presidential politics like one of Marty Schottenheimer's old Chiefs teams. Play good defense, keep it close and hope someone makes a play at the end.

Gas below $3

There may be one good thing to come out of the market crash on Wall Street. Gas prices are below $3 per gallon in St. Joseph with many stations posting prices at $2.99 per gallon on Sunday.

Pitt State's Broyles still toys with reporters

Not everybody is a fan of Pittsburg State coach Chuck Broyles. Some think he's brash, some think he's arrogant. Some even harsher, more personal words have even been used in our brotherhood of sports journalists.

Junior quarterback leads Benedictine to victory

The Kelly-Conor connection helped Benedictine soar to its second win of the season Saturday. Quarterback Ryan Kelly hooked up with Conor Walsh for the Ravens' first three scores - going for 22, 76 and 41 yards - on the road against Culver-Stockton, and Benedictine's offense continued to wake from its slumber in a 45-20 win.

Western survives Fort Hays State

It wouldn't be a Saturday of Missouri Western football without a little last-second drama. True to form, the Griffons' contest against Fort Hays State wasn't decided until the final moments, but in a plot twist, Western held on for a tenuous 31-28 victory at Spratt Stadium.

Chiefs' receivers feeling left out

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Devard Darling has begun following the Chiefs' quarterback off the field, whomever that happens to be on a given week, and dropping hints. Sometimes, they're more than hints.

FRIENDS NOW FOES

Chiefs' Edwards, Panthers' Fox started out in same secondary

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Herm Edwards always knew John Fox would be a coach. He wasn't too sure about himself.

Griffon Notebook: Home away from home

A strong southern wind greeted the Fort Hays State Tigers at Spratt Stadium on Saturday - a touch of the western Kansas plains in St. Joseph.

Bearcat Notebook: Oborn's run pretty, ugly

It wasn't pretty, but Northwest Missouri State quarterback Joel Osborn's touchdown pass to Nick Rhodes was effective.

STILL GOING STRONG: Northwest whips Pitt State

KANSAS CITY Northwest Missouri State owned third down on Saturday. The Bearcats converted for a first down on 9 of 12 chances on offense and smothered 8 of 10 third-down attempts on defense in a 35-10 victory against Pittsburg State on Saturday in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead VII.

Saturday's Prep Sports

Saturday's College Sports

Stanberry stops North Andrew tide

ROSENDALE, Mo. - Stanberry coach Dan Collins doesn't consider his halftime speeches particularly motivating or magical. He prefers to go the cut-and-dry, no-nonsense route. It's hard to argue with the results. After a sluggish first half, his Bulldogs mounted a blistering rally and notched a thrilling, come-from-behind victory Friday against North Andrew, 37-30.

Lafayette stops Cameron

The fans rushed the field on homecoming Friday night as the Lafayette Irish came back for a 33-29 Midland Empire Conference win against the Cameron Dragons. Lafayette stopped the Dragons four times on the 1-yard line in the final 30 seconds to secure the win. The Irish (2-4, 2-3 MEC) got off to a good start, scoring first on a 43-yard run by senior quarterback Bryston Williams. But Cameron (0-6, 0-3) quickly took control with four straight touchdowns for a 29-7.

Chillicothe holds off Maryville rally

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Chillicothe's biggest weapon during the second half Friday night against Marvyille wasn't running back Bryce Young's big-play ability or a turnover-forcing defense. The difference for the Hornets was the right leg of running back/defensive end/punter Clint Dysart. In a matchup of Midland Empire Conference powers, Dysart made the difference by pinning Maryville inside its 20-yard line four times in the final 24 minutes. The last punt put Maryville at its own 4 with only 1 minute, 31 seconds left.

LeBlond can't maintain early momentum against Smithville

It was a painful game for Bishop LeBlond, but probably even more so for the team's coach, Drew Shinn, to watch. Shinn saw the Golden Eagles hold their own in the first quarter, shutting out the Smithville Warriors. They looked promising on offense and hungry on defense.

Harris scores 4 TDs in losing effort for Atchison

Andre Harris scored four touchdowns for the Atchison Redmen in a losing effort at Pittsburg-Colgan in Pittsburg, Kan., on Friday night. The Redmen had a chance to tie the game late, but their 2-point conversion failed and Colgan batted-down a Hail Mary to preserve the 28-26 win. "The team is hurtin' because they know it was a game we should've won," said Atchison coach Jim Smith, whose brother Chuck coaches Colgan. "There were a lot of nerves. I didn't think I'd be so nervous."

Prep boxes from Friday

Missouri's Daniel gets in Heisman mix

LINCOLN, Neb. - Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel knows that if his destination is New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation, he must navigate the road through Nebraska. The fourth-ranked Tigers (4-0) have a long history of flopping in Lincoln against the Cornhuskers (3-1), but this year they seem to have a team that can win here for the first time since 1978.

Northwest Missouri State scouting report

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

Missouri Western scouting report

Here's a capsule look at today's matchup between Missouri Western and Fort Hays State.

Family, church help Northwest lineman turn life around

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Jeremy Davis had been to hell and back, but he found a slice of heaven in Maryville, Mo. Davis, Northwest Missouri State's 6-foot-3, 295-pound offensive right guard, is back on top, having earned Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America first-team honors last season as a junior. But if not for an ultimatum from his grandfather three years ago, he might be dead. Davis had begun experimenting with alcohol while in high school, then branched into prescription narcotics. Codeine and Xanax became the drugs of choice.

Week 6 Pick 'em

After a brutal week last week, Saturday's slate of MIAA games offers at least three no brainers for someone who went 2-3 six days ago - Emporia at Central, Fort Hays at Western and Omaha at Truman.

Big heads, aching arms for local anglers

While working in the Sugar Lake area last week, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Agent Steve Nichols ran into a Missouri angler with not one but four great fish stories and some arms that ached from handling a fishing rod. Millard McGlothen of Kansas City and his buddy had hooked up his boat and drove to the lake in hopes of snagging a few buffalo or other non-game fish, but what ended up at the end of their lines put them and their equipment to the ultimate test.

Have you seen this PSA yet?

Celebrities are telling you NOT to vote... unless you care about the issues

A new, star-studded PSA video on YouTube is encouraging young people NOT to vote... unless you care about issues like the economy, the war and civil rights.

Obama campaign manager insists Missouri in play

'I think you'll see our ticket up in that corner of the state,' he says

Whither the candidates? While the large cities and the southern reaches of the state have gotten attention from presidential hopefuls of both parties, they've mostly missed the scenery north of the I-70 corridor.

Comedy straight from Capitol Hill

The Capitol Steps are Washington's funniest political act - except for maybe the politicians themselves

Long before Jon Stewart was ripping on Sen. Larry Craig, before Stephen Colbert claimed he made Mike Huckabee, even before Bill Maher begged Ralph Nader to drop out of the 2004 presidential race, the Capitol Steps were poking fun at politicians like Ronald Reagan, Dan Quayle and the Clintons. The fun began in 1981 when Elaina Newport and Bill Strauss were working on the staff of Illinois Sen. Charles Percy. Newport, Strauss and other staff members thought it would liven up the Christmas party to roast Sen. Percy and others through song and dance. The group got lots of laughs, and in no time most of Washington wanted their brand of satirical comedy. "At first we thought we would do the show once, but then we kept doing it. We figured they would either tell us to stop or we'd get fired," Newport laughs.

Active art

Harold Schlotzhauer's 'Objects in Motion' exhibit is on display at Northwest next week

He may be 67, but mixed media abstract artist Harold Schlotzhauer has a hard time sitting still. He's an occasional runner, an avid snowboarder, and just last summer he decided to hang up his skateboard. He's constantly moving, so to him there's no reason for his art to appear stagnant.

Building a foundation

The Leading Average are big contributors to St. Joe's music community

If you've ever played a music show in St. Joseph, you undoubtedly know Marcus Words and Colby Walter. They've played venues on the Belt. They've played venues on Felix Street. They've played at Cafe Acoustic as much as anyone. Both are great solo singer/songwriters, but group them with a few musicians and they're The Leading Average, a band that plays original acoustic rock fused with jazz.

'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'

Finally, a romantic comedy for music snobs and their MySpace friends

It appears there's a Hollywood prerequisite for all romantic comedies to revolve around weddings or actors over the age of 30. But there is a music-obsessed, MySpace generation of movie-goers who want young romantic comedy characters that they can relate to.

Growing steady

Acoustic soul singer/songwriter Justin Nozuka is setting the pace for his success

Some people may have gotten word of the acoustic soul of 19-year-old singer/songwriter Justin Nozuka thanks to his "You Outta Know Artist" status on VH1 and his stripped-down single "After Tonight" getting steady spins on radio. But there was a time where Nozuka had the chance to reach a wide audience years earlier. At 15, he wrote the first of the 11 tracks that would eventually comprise his debut album "Holly," named after his mother. The songs got the attention of Universal Records, which wanted to sign him to a deal.

That Game We Play: Hello, my name is Lacey... and I'm single (again)

You may remember that a few weeks ago I wrote about some of the things that were good about being single. Maybe I was subconsciously foreshadowing my own life, because after two months of dating someone I am now single. Again.

The Shuffle: MySpace Music: The iTunes slayer?

Recently, a step was taken in the music world that was inevitable but could be instrumental to the future of the record industry. MySpace, the social networking site that is responsible for approximately 36 percent of the country's procrastination for people ages 12 to 38 (my own statistics), is deciding to reach for your musical dollars.

This is: "Lotus" by Jessica Lederer

What's in that? El Perfecto at 54th Street Grill

Briefs for Oct. 3, 2008

Calendar for Oct. 3, 2008

Thursday's Prep Sports

Diminutive cornerback makes impact for Worth Co.

GRANT CITY, Mo. - Zach Harmening occasionally creates doubt in Kyler Hiatt's mind. Hiatt, one of the best runners in Missouri 8-man history, has confronted that uncertainty in practice numerous times during the past two-plus years. Coming around the corner, the 6-foot-2, 200-plus pound Hiatt will often see Harmening as the Worth County scout-team cornerback. At 5-foot-6, 114 pounds, Harmening is a quandary for the bruising runner.

MEC battle highlights state football slate

Maryville and Chillicothe have established themselves as teams competing for a state title. Only one will have the chance to pursue undefeated championship aspirations. Ranked No. 2 in their respective classes, Maryville and Chillicothe meet tonight at "The Hound Pound" in possibly the marquee high school game in the state of Missouri. Maryville enters as undefeated defending Midland Empire Conference champions, and this matchup could determine the Spoofhounds ability to repeat.

Big plays propel Central softball past Benton

Benton trailed Central by five in the bottom of the seventh. But with Cardinal's runners on second and third, no outs and clean-up hitter Lynae Kelley at the plate, the Indians' lead looked fragile. Kelley laced a ball to straight-away center, and the runners took off for home. Unfortunately for Benton, the Indians' center fielder corralled the ball and threw it to the infield, where it was tossed around for a run-of-the-mill 8-4-5 triple play.

DeKalb executes rare drop-kick play

DeKalb coach Vernon Pike waited for his quarterback to reach the sideline, ready to send in the play. Instead, Jimmy Derry asked his coach if rather than a 2-point conversion try, the Tigers could go for an extra point. Not just any extra point - a drop kick.

News-Press 8-man Football Power 5 Poll, October 3

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press 8-man Power 5 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

News-Press 11-man Football Power 10 poll

The teams in the St. Joseph News-Press Power 10 are not selected on who could beat whom, but who we believe has the best chance to play for a state championship.

Prep Football Leaderboard, October 3

Prep Football Standings/Schedule, October 3

Standings/Schedule for area football teams

Area Football Capsules, October 3

A look at top games involving area teams

City Football Capsules, October 3

A look at football games involving city teams

Halloween haunts

Where to go when you want to be scared

It's officially Halloween time, so where are you going to go to get spooked and scared? If it's thrills and chills you want, just visit some of these Halloween haunts.

Wednesday's prep sports 10-01-08

Pick 'em blog: Week 5 review, Week 6 picks

You win some, you lose some in the world of high school pick 'em. Last week, Andy and I won eight each and lost two, which for me is good enough to retain my healthy five-game lead on my co-worker. This could be a week with some shuffle to it. There are many intriguing matchups out there, and by my count, six of this week's 10 games are nothing more than a coin flip.

Running out of time

Central athlete loses out on last year of competition because of paperwork issue

Running came so naturally for Akech Aye. A refugee from war-torn Sudan, it played a vital part in surviving his tumultuous childhood. But the lanky Central distance runner found an outlet for his sinewy frame a few months after finding a new home in St. Joseph. In his first season on the cross country team, Aye surpassed expectations and looked forward to improving on his trip to state last year.

Lincoln misery haunts Missouri Tigers

LINCOLN, Neb. - Whenever Jim Pillen talks to Bruce Dunning, he invariably asks, "Do you still have James Wilder's cleat marks on your forehead?" They can laugh now. Pillen and Dunning were members of the last Nebraska football team to lose to Missouri in Lincoln. That was in 1978, on a day Wilder ran for 181 yards and four touchdowns, running over Dunning for the last score in a 35-31 victory that dashed the second-ranked Huskers' national championship hopes.

D.J. finally makes impact for Chiefs

KANSAS CITY - Three years after the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Derrick Johnson as a playmaking linebacker, they've finally decided to let him be one. Told to forget about the details and techniques of his position and fly to the ball as he had done as an All-American at Texas, Johnson responded with perhaps his finest game as a pro. He had seven tackles and half a sack, made an interception and forced a fumble that led to a touchdown in Kansas City's 33-19 victory over Denver last Sunday. On Wednesday, he learned he had been named AFC defensive player of the week.

Jam icon reunion, free Oasis and AC/DC in KC

If you are a fan of jam bands, Brit-pop or classic metal, get ready for good news.

Stories for October 2008

Friday, October 31

Tigers mishandle point-after play in 3rd OT, handing Cardinals the victory

Coaches' legacies hinge on in-state clash

Northwest long snapper fills unique role for Bearcats

The Fab Four get their own "Rock Band"-style video game in 2009

The musicians and movements that made headlines this year

Missoula Children's Theater presents 'Alice in Wonderland' this weekend

Hard-working indie rockers visit the Vous

Mash-up specialist Girl Talk takes sampling to lofty heights

It's your typical boy-meets-girl, boy-and-girl-make-porn story

Thursday, October 30

On Halloween, get your thrills and chills with a scary movie marathon

Wednesday, October 29

Benton, Lafayette coaches clash tinged with big implications

Lafayette's Williams takes attention in stride

Tuesday, October 28

Monday, October 27

Infections becoming more aggressive, harder to treat

Band's bassist hints to replacement lead singer search

Thrash metal titans deliver powerhouse performance

Sunday, October 26

Jefferson needs extra innings to earn first state championship since 2001

Saturday, October 25

Friday, October 24

Marshes emerge from 2008's heavy rains, flooding

Western students bring 'Night of the Living Dead' to the stage

Metal icons Metallica recapture old sound with new thunder

St. Joseph Community Chorus presents 'Songs of Hope and Healing' this weekend