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SPRING SPORTS NEWS...
Updated 05/07/2008 Tennis | Baseball | Golf | Track | Girls Soccer | SPA Registration Spring Sports 2005-2006 | Spring Sports Archives | Spring Sports Schedule The following Banquets were held as follows:
All meals were $5.00 each and with a count needed in the office. |
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TENNIS click here for last season...
MEC Champion,
State-Qualifying Net Hornets Lauded
The beat went on and is still going for the very successful Chillicothe Hornets' boys' tennis program this year. That was the overriding theme at the team's annual postseason awards banquet held last night in the high school commons. Co-coaches Ed Douglas and Ron Keith completed their 10th season at the helm by guiding their squad to a ninth Midland Empire Conference championship in that span with another 5-0 league record, a ninth berth in the state team tournament in 10 years, a 15-2 overall record in dual matches (including 12-1 in full-length matches), developing another state tournament entry in junior doubles players Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw, and more. "Overall, we had a good year," Douglas said of the ¹07 Hornets netters, having noted that this year¹s accomplishments also included the senior doubles team of Jacob Fellhoelter and Casey Prewitt winning the MEC Tournament doubles crown with a narrow win over teammates Greenlaw and Saunders, a first-place finish again thanks to a huge, clutch win from the senior doubles duo of Chris Rogers and Ben Nibarger in the annual tournament hosted by Savannah and St. Joseph: Benton, and Greenlaw completing the season undefeated in singles (mostly in No. 4 spot) at 15-0. At the conclusion of the coaches' remarks, Keith introduced Fellhoelter, a four-year varsity lineup member, as recipient of this year¹s Coaches' Award. The award not only recognizes Fellhoelter's playing accomplishments, which include a 2006 state tournament appearance in doubles, a district doubles championship (2006), and MEC Tournament titles in singles (2006) and doubles (2007) but also his leadership among the team and his dedication to personal and team success. The coaches noted, among the 24 players on the team, there was only one freshman, compared to five seniors. They encouraged the underclassmen to scout for and recruit potential new players. Lettermen were seniors Fellhoelter, Prewitt, Rogers, and Nibarger, juniors Saunders and Greenlaw (who'll play in the state doubles tournament next week) and Weston Baker, and sophomore Justin Littrell. Senior
Night Celebrated With Win at Home
Tennis Hornets
Tame Bulldogs TRENTON - The Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets had some close calls, but managed to survive them - twice on tiebreakers - as they shut out the Trenton Bulldogs on the road Friday. Having clipped Trenton 7-2 in an April match in Chillicothe, the Hornets gained a 9-0 triumph at Trenton in a match which easily could have finished at the same 7-2 score as before or even closer. In improving to 10-1 in full-fledged team dual matches this spring and 13-1 in all team competitions (including wins in the Savannah/St. Joseph: Benton Tournament), Chillicothe pulled out set victories in both Nos. 1 and 2 doubles by virtue of tiebreakers and had two singles wins in which Trenton players won at least five games in the first-to-eight format. While the schools' teams had met a while back, the matchups were not all the same as Chillicothe had some changes in its lineup from the earlier clash. In No. 1 doubles, the Hornets' Jacob Fellhoelter and Casey Prewitt outdueled Trenton's Zack Peoples and Skyler Barron 7-5 in a tight 13-point tiebreaker after the sides had split 16 games. Peoples and Barron had defeated CHS' then-No. 1 doubles team of Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw in the April 17 meeting. Saunders and Greenlaw played No. 2 this time and also needed a tiebreaker to win. They won seven of the nine tiebreaker points after they had played Ron Brock and Russ Murphy to a 7-7 standoff in games. In No. 3 doubles, CHS senior Chris Rogers teamed with junior Weston Baker for a 6-2 win over Kolton Chenoweth and Kile Brewer. The highlight singles set for Chillicothe was Saunders avenging his earlier 5-10 loss to Barron in No. 2 spot with an 8-5 triumph. The closest singles set was CHS sophomore Justin Littrell's 8-6 decision over Chenoweth in No. 5 play. Rogers, getting in his second varsity singles action of the season, posted an 8-4 victory over Brewer at No. 6 spot, while Fellhoelter, Prewitt, and Greenlaw all pitched 8-0 shutouts at Nos. 1, 3, and 4, respectively. The net Hornets are supposed to play their home finale against Richmond tomorrow and then be in the Class 1 district tournament at St. Joseph's Noyes Tennis Center Thursday. The district tourney rain date is Saturday. Benton/Savannah Invitational
Tournament
The Hornets pulled a major upset Thursday defeating the top seed and highly favored LeBlond team to win the 8-team Benton-Savannah Tournament. This is the 8th time in the last 10 years the Hornets have won this tournament. Chillicothe defeated Lafayette 5-0 in the first round. Team members participating were Jacob Fellhoelter and Casey Prewitt in singles and Morgan Saunders/Cody Greenlaw, Weston Baker/Justin Littrell, and Ben Nibarger/Chris Rogers in doubles. In the second round, the Hornets were within a point of losing to Benton who had defeated Maryville to advance. A loss would have pushed the Hornets into playing for third place rather than the championship round. Jacob Fellhoelter had lost at #1 singles 10-3 to Luke Talbot and #2 singles player, Casey Prewitt, was down 1-6 in a match to 10, and the #1 doubles team of Saunders/Greenlaw was down 1-4. Prewitt came back and won 10-8 as did Saunders/Greenlaw who won 10-6. The #2 doubles team of Littrell/Baker lost 3-10 to tie the match score 2-2. The deciding match came down to the doubles team of Nibarger/Rogers. The match was a nail biter, going to a 10-10 tie which then went to a 7-point tie breaker. The Hornet team came on strong at that point and won the tie break 7-1, giving the Hornet team the match. "That round gave us the match," related co-coach Ed Douglas. "Ben and Chris really earned their varsity letters today." "Without that win, we would not have even gotten to play in the finals." "I was really proud of the way Casey and Morgan and Cody came back to win their matches - Casey especially had to dig deep, but he gutted it out and came up with a big win." The win over Benton was crucial. In the finals, the Hornets played a LeBlond team that earlier in the year had won the 13-team Cameron Tournament (in which the Hornets placed 6th). LeBlond had advanced by defeating Cameron, then Trenton. With new life after surviving the Benton match, all the Hornets played well. Saunders/Greenlaw upset state qualifiers from last year, Leone and Clark (whom last year's state doubles team of Fellhoelter/Yeomans had also met at state and defeated in a 3-set duel) 10-5. Casey Prewitt defeated Mike Leirz 10-4 in #2 singles. Jacob Fellhoelter then defeated Ryan Walker 10-7 in #1 singles, after Walker had defeated him at the Cameron Tournament earlier in the season, sealing the match win. "All of our top four players played very well in winning the match, thus giving the team the tournament title. But, without Chris and Ben's win in the second round, it never would have happened. This was truly a "team" win," related Douglas proudly. Winning individual medals were Greenlaw/Saunders placing 2nd in their #1 doubles division, and Casey Prewitt earning 2nd in his #2 singles division. Fellhoelter was denied an individual medal in #1 singles because of the point system used in the tournament which earned points not only for winning the match, but also earning points for each game they won over their opponent. SCORES CHS
Tennis Hornets Suffer First Dual-Match Loss of 2007 Season The Chillicothe Hornets suffered their first dual-match loss of the season, falling 6-3 to Kirksville at home on Tuesday. The loss puts the Hornets' 2007 dual-matches record at 8-1; yet, the Hornets remain undefeated in Midland Empire Conference duals. Tuesday's match was tough for the Hornets on their home courts at Simpson and Daryl Danner Memorial parks, winning just two of the six singles sets and one of the doubles. Chillicothe's No. 1 singles player, Jacob Fellhoelter, won 10-8 over Kirkville's Alex Lobert; and Chillicothe's No. 4 singles player, Cody Greenlaw, won 10-4 over Kirksville's Josh Bowes. “Jacob Fellhoelter had a good win for us at No. 1,” said co-coach Ed Douglas. “Morgan Saunders at No. 2 had a closer match than what the score indicates,” he added. Saunders lost 1-10 to his opponent. In doubles play, the Chillicothe pair of Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw won over Kirksville's Weston Newell and Josh Bowes 8-6. It was a tough match which saw the Hornet pair recover from a 7-4 deficit. Tennis Hornets
Extend Unbeaten 2007 Start SAVANNAH - The Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets senior doubles combination of Casey Prewitt and Jacob Fellhoelter and three underclassmen in singles continued their undefeated ways thus far in 2007 as the Hornets registered another Midland Empire Conference dual-match victory yesterday. The Hornets improved their MEC mark this year to 3-0 and their overall '07 record to 7-0 with a 9-0 victory over the host Savages. Chillicothe's perfection figures to get a stern test next week when it hosts home duals Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It will welcome Cameron for an MEC dual Monday that the Hornets figure to dominate, but Kirksville and St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond will follow in that order. Last year, the Hornets had to stage a near-miraculous comeback with a doubles sweep to shade Kirksville 5-4 in the sub-sectional round of the Class 1 state tournament, so the Tigers will have extra motivation when they come back to town. Bishop LeBlond should be even tougher. The Golden Eagles won the season-opening Cameron Tournament in which Chillicothe finished sixth and currently project as likely favorites in the Class 1 district in which Chillicothe will compete at St. Joseph in a few weeks. Prior to those three duals, the Hornets originally were slated to participate in a tournament at Hannibal tomorrow (Saturday), but have scrubbed that for a couple of reasons, according to CHS co-coach Ed Douglas. One is that Chillicothe's prom is Saturday night and the other is that the tournament field had already dwindled to four schools, lessening the competitive value when placed in the context of the long trip. Yesterday at Savannah, the Hornets had next-to-no trouble handling the Savages, losing no more than four games in all but two sets. In No. 1 singles, Fellhoelter upped his record to 7-4 with a 10-3 triumph over Dan Curry. In doubles, CHS' No. 1 pair of juniors Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw had a tougher time with Curry and Caleb Phillips, but prevailed 8-5 to advance their 2007 record to 6-4, by C-T tabulations. Hornets staying undefeated in singles were Greenlaw, who blanked Ryan Hanna 10-0 at No. 4 spots; sophomore Justin Littrell, who outlasted Daulton Kerner 10-6; and junior Weston Baker, a 10-2 victor over Brett Terry. All three of those Hornets now stand 7-0. In doubles, Fellhoelter/Prewitt also raised their mark to 7-0 with an 8-0 whitewash of Hanna and Kerner. Seniors Chris Rogers and Ben Nibarger got in their third doubles set together this season and improved to 2-1 with a 10-2 victory over Zak Konyha and Terry. Tennis Hornets Prevail 7-2
C-T photo / Paul Sturm The Chillicothe tennis Hornets posted six one-sided wins as they defeated the visiting Trenton Bulldogs 7-2 yesterday and remained perfect in dual-match play on the 2007 season. Two Chillicothe singles players - sophomore No. 5 Justin Littrell and junior No. 6 Weston Baker - maintained their perfect status for the year with victories. Littrell had another close call, but outlasted Kolton Chenoweth 11-9 to improve to 6-0. Baker upped his mark to 6-0 with a 10-3 win over Kile Brewer. Also staying unblemished on '07 was the No. 2 doubles team of seniors Jacob Fellhoelter and Casey Prewitt. They cruised past Ron Brock and Russ Murphy 10-2 to also reach 6-0. Fellhoelter and Prewitt also were victories in singles - Fellhoelter winning 10-2 over Zack Peoples in No. 1 position and Prewitt topping Brock 10-3 in No. 3. Baker teamed, as usual, with senior Chris Rogers to win No. 3 singles, 10-4. Skyler Barron had a hand in both Trenton wins. The state wrestling champion spanked Morgan Saunders 10-5 in No. 2 singles and combined with Peoples to edge Cody Greenlaw and Saunders 10-8 in No. 1 doubles. Greenlaw was a 10-4 victor over Murphy in No. 4 singles. The team win improved Chillicothe's dual-match record to 6-0. |
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BASEBALL click here for last season...
Bright Future
Envisioned for Baseball Hornets CAPTION: Six members of the 2007 Chillicothe baseball Hornets shared in the special awards announced and presented by head coach Dave Mapel during last evening's annual postseason awards banquet, held in the high school commons. From left, sophomore Colin Parker shared the most valuable pitcher award with junior Zach Dunn, who was unable to be present. Junior Correy Miller was presented the Coaches¹ Award for team leadership and dedication. Sophomore Alex Singleton copped the most valuable offensive player award. Junior Tyson Blattner was named the most improved player. Junior Clint Singleton was chosen the team¹s most valuable defensive player.
The groundwork for a promising future for the Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets was lain this spring even as the 2007 club was producing a respectable season, including a third-place finish in the Midland Empire Conference, head coach Dave Mapel declared during last night¹s annual postseason awards event. At the conclusion of an 8-11 season which saw Chillicothe go 4-3 in the MEC, the Hornets had only one player in their lineup catcher/utility man Drew Hibner. Although Hibner was among the club¹s best and most consistent hitters, batting .308 overall and tying for the team lead in extra-base hits, the 2008 Hornets should have a player with starting experience available at each defensive position. That excites Mapel. "We have an awfully-talented bunch on these three teams," he told the audience, referring to this year¹s varsity, junior-varsity, and freshman CHS clubs. "I'm really, really, really looking forward to what we have coming back," he reiterated a bit later. However, the only head coach the baseball Hornets have had in their 11-season history also had a sobering thought for the players, their parents, and the rest of the audience. Most of this year's conference and district tournament foes featured a significant amount of underclassmen. "There's an unbelievable amount of talent we're going to be facing next year," he warned. Highlights of Wednesday's event, moved to the commons from the traditional Daryl Danner Memorial Park shelter house site because of worries about rain, included the announcement of the 2007 special award recipients, announcement of all-MEC honorees, and the presentation of letters (two provisional) to 14 players. One of the special awards was shared. Junior Zach Dunn, who could not be present, and sophomore
Colin Parker split the most valuable pitcher award, which is based on overall season statistical
leadership. Each tied for the team lead in winning decisions with three, while Parker edged Dunn
(2.29-2.30) in earned run average and Dunn had the most strikeouts (32). That award was sponsored by Lauhoff Jewelry.
The most valuable offensive player award went to sophomore Alex Singleton, who led the club in batting (.393 average) and hits (22), shared the on-base percentage (.500) lead with unrelated Clint Singleton, and topped the club in runs batted in with 17, even though he batted either first or second all year. That award was sponsored by Vern R. Glick Post No. 25, The American Legion.
Junior Clint Singleton received the most valuable defensive player laurels after making only one error in 93 innings of play.
Junior Correy Miller was honored with the Coaches' Award for his dedication and leadership on and off the field. That award is sponsored by the Constitution-Tribune.
Junior second baseman Tyson Blattner was tabbed by the coaches as the most improved player, which was sponsored by Elks Lodge No. 656. Chosen second team by opposing league coaches were Hornets Dunn (pitcher), C. Singleton (outfield), Hibner (designated hitter), and A. Singleton (utility player). Given honorable mention were Parker (pitcher and third base), Blattner (second base) and Miller (outfield). At 4-3 in league play, the Hornets finished behind undefeated champ St. Joseph: Benton (7-0), which is to begin Class 3 state tournament play today, and Platte County, which went 6-1. This year's team earned run average of 3.88 is the second-best in team history, according to statistics Mapel shared. Varsity letter winners included Hibner, juniors Austin Harlow, Casey Brock, Nathan Followwill, Blattner, C. Singleton, Dunn, and Miller, sophomores Tommy Hargrave, A. Singleton, and Parker, and freshman Bryce Young. Given provisional letters were junior Zac Truesdell and sophomore Jacob Rockhold. If those earn a letter in 2008, they'll get two. Also during last night¹s program, following a Hy-Vee-catered meal, the 2007 Hornets' junior-varsity and freshman players were introduced and their seasons recapitulated. Mapel noted that top assistant Jim Radel, who¹s been helping with the team the past seven years, will step aside next year to have more time to follow the senior season baseball play of his son, Matt, at Missouri Western State University. Jim Wheeler will move into the assistant coach's post. This year's JV team finished with a 9-3-2 record while the frosh were 7-4. Three CHS Baseball Hornets on Class 3
All-District Tourney Team BOONVILLE - Chillicothe baseball Hornets senior Drew Hibner and junior Clint Singleton are among the 20 players included on the Class 3 District 13 all-tournament team. Pitchers selected to the all-district team were Cody King, a sophomore from Kirksville, Brett Shelton a Boonville senior, Matt Curtis, a senior from Southern Boone County, and Drew Greiwe, a junior for Macon. Position players chosen were the Hornets' Hibner and Singleton, Travis Mundahl, sophomore third baseman for Kirksville, Zach Ruffel, Boonville junior third baseman, sophomore outfielder Joe Williams of Kirks-ville, senior shortstop Tyler Belt of Macon, senior Kurt Boardson of Moberly, junior outfielder Josh Glassmaker of Marshall, Macon senior catcher Andrew Ehly, junior catcher Zach Woody of California, senior Phillip Shawver of Southern Boone, junior Trae Hogan of Kirksville, junior catcher Kodi Phillips of Marshall, California junior outfielder Matt Spurling, Macon senior outfielder Zane Hildreth, and freshman outfielder Chuckie Jones of Boonville. Hornets
Quickly Ousted from Baseball District
BOONVILLE - For the Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets, the conclusion of their 2007 season arrived quickly and too quickly. However, head coach Dave Mapel and this year's underclassmen hope it won't actually be an end, but rather a lengthy pause. The Hornets had no offense for four innings of their Class 3 District 13 tournament first-round game against Macon Saturday and then couldn't come up with the clutch hit that could have drawn them even in the fifth or sixth inning before a base running mistake ended their 3-1 loss to the third-seeded Tigers. The loss in the district opener, which took barely 1:45 to play, left Chillicothe with an 8-11 final record for this season, one in which many underclassmen played extensive, integral roles. The hope is that the experience they gained, melded with talent and continued physical maturation, can translate into winning campaign next spring. "I told the team in the dugout after the game that I hope they're as excited about our potential for next season as I am," Mapel related. Although senior starter Drew Hibner won't be around to contribute, 2008 should see the baseball Hornets with experienced players to fill every position, including three of their four primary pitchers of this campaign. The starting defensive lineup for Saturday's contest at Boonville's Twillman Field had seven juniors and two sophomores and the batting order had only one senior - Hibner. "If our guys get some additional playing experience this summer and do work on their own through the fall and winter, I think we can have a strong team next year," Mapel declared. CHS Hornets Lose to Lafayette 7-8 After winning three straight games, the Chillicothe baseball Hornets came up just short yesterday (Wednesday) in their bid to add another “W” to their record. Chillicothe's Midland Empire Conference record dropped to 2-2 after the Hornets lost 7-8 in Chillicothe. “I guess it was bound to happen - we've played really good baseball as of late, so I guess we were due for a not-so-good game,” head coach Dave Mapel said. Noting that he was somewhat disappointed in his team's play, Mapel did point out that he understands that games like the one played yesterday “sneak up” on all teams sooner or later. “I am disappointed for our guys, because I know how hard they have worked at getting better with each game. Now our mission is to not dwell on it, but remember the sour taste it left in our mouths and work to get rid of that awful taste,” Mapel said. Hornets Hurler Zach Dunn had his head coach licking his chops after the first inning. “He (Zach) was blowing the ball by people,” Mapel said. However, when the lower part of Lafayette's line up came to bat, they had no trouble hitting the ball. Baseball Hornets
Get Consolation
C-T file photo / Paul Sturm ST. JOSEPH - The Chillicothe baseball Hornets have climbed above the .500 mark for the first time since the start of the 2005 season and have a golden opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the break-even mark in coming days. Ringing out a season-high 12 hits, including the team's first home run of the spring - a blast to center field by senior first baseman and cleanup hitter Casey Ralls, the Hornets dominated Savannah 13-1 yesterday in the consolation finals of the Pony Express Tournament at Bartlett Park field. It was the Hornets' second-straight win in the tourney and lifted their 2007 mark to 5-4 heading into home games Monday and Tuesday against the same Savannah club and then a St. Joseph: Lafayette team Chillicothe walloped 12-2 in five innings at St. Joseph earlier this season. Dunn (3-0) went six innings before being out of gas and turning things over to sophomore righty Alex Singleton for a 1-2-3 seventh. Dunn yielded only an unearned run on three SHS hits. He notched four strikeouts, but did walk the same number. While Dunn and the defense was blanking the Savages through four innings, Chillicothe's hitters were building a 10-0 lead. After a double play rubbed out a baserunner to end the top of the first, Ralls ignited a three-run second with a leadoff hit to right. After an error advanced him, senior Drew Hibner - who, playing left field instead of catching, went three for three to continue his hot hitting of late - drew a walk. Designated hitter Austin Baker was hit by a pitch to load the sacks for second baseman Tyson Blattner. Providing a huge pick-me-up out of the No. 8 spot in the order, Blattner singled to right-center to score a pair and send Baker to third. Casey Brock rolled out to third, but Baker scored for a 3-0 lead. With two out and none on in the third, Ralls jumped on a Jeff Lawrence delivery and lofted it over the barrier to the right-field side of dead center to make it 4-0. The Hornets effectively settled the outcome by parading 11 batters to the dish and scoring six of them in the fourth frame. After Savannah got its unearned tally in the fifth, Hornets freshman Bryce Young's bombed a three-run triple in the seventh to finish the game's scoring. Parker's Arm, Singleton's
Bat Propel Baseball Hornets to Pony Express Tournament Triumph ST. JOSEPH - Sophomore right-handed pitcher Colin Parker dominated the St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond Golden Eagles hitters and leadoff hitter Alex Singleton went three for three with two runs scored and one driven in as the Chillicothe Hornets gained a 6-2 victory yesterday in the consolation semifinals of the Pony Express Tournament at Bartlett Park. With the win, the Hornets (4-4) moved into the tournament's consolation game against Savannah Thursday at 4:30 p.m., also at the Bartlett Park field. Parker blanked LeBlond on one hit over the first five innings before yielding three hits and two runs in the top of the sixth. However, he recovered to work a scoreless seventh, closing out the victory with his 14th strikeout of the night. Parker also helped himself defensively early, scooping a chopper on the short hop and starting a 1-6-3 double play in the first inning. The Hornets gave Parker some working room at their first opportunity. Singleton led off the bottom of the first inning with a hit to left. After he moved up on a passed ball, Correy Miller reached on an infield hit to put runners at the corners. Parker then pounded a triple to center field, making it 2-0, and later scored on a wild pitch. Chillicothe added single runs in the third as Casey Ralls' grounder scored Singleton, in the fifth when Tyson Blattner doubled with one out and scored on Singleton's two-out hit to center, and in the sixth on Casey Brock's two-out single and senior catcher Drew Hibner's follow-up triple to right. Chillicothe had eight hits. ---------------------------- CHS Baseball
Jayvees Split First Two Games in Own Tourney Chillicothe's annual junior-varsity baseball tournament opened yesterday with the host team winning once and losing once at “June” Shaffer Memorial Park. The JV baseball Hornets were edged by St. Joseph: Benton 4-3 in their first game in the four-team, round-robin format tourney also being played at Daryl Danner Memorial Park. Chillicothe then whacked St. Joseph: Lafayette 11-0 in three innings in its second contest. In action, Chillicothe held a 2-0 lead through four innings of the scheduled five-inning tilt with Benton, but was unable to hold on. Benton scored four times in the top of the fifth with three run-producing singles, a couple of errors, and a hit batsman. It then staved off a CHS comeback bid in the bottom half. The Cardinals' rally turned Hornets pitcher Clayton Dahlberg from the prospective winner to the loser. The sophomore righthanded went the distance on the hill, allowing six hits. He struck out nine while walking two and plunking one. The CHS offense also produced six hits. Dahlberg had an RBI triple, Chase Fantazia a double and two singles, and Zac Truesdell two singles. Tommy Hargrave had two scoring flies. The second game for Chillicothe went better. The JV Hornets batted around as they put four runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning on Jacob Rockhold's two-run double and Joshua Lewis' two-out, two-run single. After winning pitcher Hargrave again blanked Lafayette in the second, Chillicothe went back on the attack at the plate. Hargrave ripped a two-run double to make it 6-0 in the second, Chase Bonderer added a two-run triple, and Lance Williams pushed a run across with a groundout as the JV Hornets scored seven times for an 11-0 lead. When Hargrave put another goose egg on the Lafayette side of the scoreboard in the top of the third, Chillicothe was the winner by the 10-run-lead rule. Bonderer had the Hornets' only multi-hit game in the win, adding a single to his triple. Hargrave allowed two hits and didn't walk anyone. The sophomore struck out three. --------------------------------------- Freshman Baseball Hornets
Sweep SAVANNAH - Chillicothe High School's freshman baseball Hornets improved their record to 3-2 Monday with a 26-4 and 11-0 doubleheader sweep of Savannah. Righthander Bryce Young threw a complete-game one-hitter in the first game, striking out 12 and walking only two. Ahead 12-4 after four innings, Chillicothe "exploded" for 14 runs in the fifth, according to coach Mike Lewis. The CHS ninth graders' offense included a whopping 20 hits. Young laced a pair of triples, a double, and a single. Chase Fantazia doubled three times and singled and Evan Metry also had a double. Lambert Eller and Seth Lowe rapped three singles apiece and Jared McCauslin two. In the second game, Fantazia held Savannah to one hit in a three-inning game. He issued one free pass while fanning seven. The CHS bats were still smoking, this time producing a dozen hits. Cameron Lollar, A.J. VanHoutan, and Fantazia each had a single and double and Young doubled. Dalton McMullin smacked two singles. Baseball Hornets
Rally, Lose
C-T photo / Paul Sturm Staring down the barrel of the disappointment of a season-opening 10-run-rule loss, the Chillicothe baseball Hornets bucked up and turned their initial 2007 outing into a positive yesterday. One out away from being blanked by the visiting Kirksville Tigers 10-0 in five innings, the Hornets jumped on several KHS relief pitchers for nine hits and eight runs in the last three innings to turn the budding rout into a respectable 11-8 defeat. “I was pleased with the way the guys kept their cool and didn't press when we were down,” CHS head coach Dave Mapel reflected. “They were patient (at bat) and battled back.” Down to their last out in the home fifth after handing the Tigers a gift run in the top of the inning to create a 10-run gap, the Hornets got a clutch single up the middle from junior center fielder Clint Singleton that scored Colin Parker to assure there'd be at least six innings played. Sophomore Alex Singleton, who started on the mound and took the loss for CHS, followed with a grounder to second base which was booted for an error as courtesy runner Zach Truesdell (for catcher Austin Harlow, who had walked) dented the dish. Correy Miller, whose single to center in the first inning was the only hit Chillicothe got in four innings off Kirksville starter and winner Chris King, collected his second hit, a single through the hole into left to plate C. Singleton. A passed ball then allowed A. Singleton to dart home from third and Chillicothe had a four-run frame. Chillicothe kept coming in the sixth, tallying twice more as substitute Austin Baker led off with a single, eventually scored on a wild pitch, and A. Singleton singled home Casey Ralls, who'd also singled. Were it not for a baserunning mistake that ended the inning, the Hornets would have had Miller up with the bases loaded, representing the tying run. After Kirksville tacked on an insurance run which proved important, the Hornets' bats continued to rock in the home seventh. Reserves Baker and Ralls each collected their second hits after Casey Brock walked. Brock and Baker each came in to score on wild pitches before the Kirksville shortstop threw out Tyson Blattner from the hole on a bang-bang play for the final out, preventing the top of the order - which was a combined five for 10 with five RBIs from - coming back up to bat as the potential tying and go-ahead runs. A. Singleton threw the first 31/3 innings, allowing six hits and eight runs, of which four were earned. Parker finished, giving three runs (none earned) on four hits. Kirksville took the six-inning JV game, 9-8. CHS' Joshua Lewis went three for four, Brock had two hits and two walks, and A.J. VanHoutan a two-run double.
C-T photo / Paul Sturm
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GOLF click here for last season...
CHS District Champ
Boy Golfers Honored
C-T Photo / Paul Sturm A more-focused approach which led to continued achievement of incremental high goals is the way Chillicothe High School golf Hornets coach John Musser views the just-concluded 2007 season, he indicated during his remarks at the team's annual postseason awards event last night. Following a Hy-Vee-catered meal of barbecued burgers, brats, and beans, Musser reviewed the Hornets' season, which saw them earn the boys' team¹s first trip to the state tournament in 20 years by winning the district tourney and repeat as Midland Empire Conference tournament title-winners. "We took a more serious approach this season," he related, noting he made the difficult decision to for the first time since he took over the coaching duties about six years ago cut the team roster to 11 from the original turnout. Instead of trying to manage and coach upwards of 20 players, he said, he was able to conduct more focused and concentrated practices with the remaining players and, he opined, it paid off. Musser shared his view on program building through setting of a high goal or two for each season and, once achieved, using that level of accomplishment as the base for future years. "Winning is contagious," he reiterated several times. Having established the Hornets as tough to beat especially on their home Green Hills Golf Course in dual-match play the past few years and then winning the MEC team title for the first time in a while a year ago, he said he set this year¹s team goal as, in addition to maintaining those accomplishments, ending the Hornets' absence from state play after 20 years. They did that when, after winning 11 of 12 duals, they edged Kearney for the title by one stroke in the district tournament at Liberty, with Logan Gilliland, Spencer Whiteside, and Kyle Dosterschill earning all-district status in the process, Whiteside for a third-straight time, Gilliland a second. A week later, they followed up by repeating as MEC champs with a season-low low-four team score of 300 at Cameron. Gilliland, Whiteside, and Wade Koehly repeated as all-conference. Joined by freshman Ben Dietz, Gilliland, Whiteside, Dosterschill, and Koehly then placed seventh as a team at state with Gilliland tying for 24th individually. Musser presented two Coach's Awards to Gilliland for the lowest scoring average and to Whiteside as a four-year letterman. Investors National Bank and Chillicothe State Bank sponsored the awards. Other lettermen were seniors Ricky Hanekamp and Adam Thomas. Provisional letters were awarded to junior Josh Copeland, sophomores Cody Graham and Parker Leatherman, and freshman Drew Lowrey. Managers receiving letters and recognized for their tireless efforts in assisting the players and coach were Cari Stockard, Kile Fletchall, Vanessa Jones, Cassanda Sherrow, Barbara Boley, and Jessica Copeland.
C-T photo / Paul Sturm Hornets Sing Back-Nine Blues CAMERON - The Chillicothe golf Hornets were in tune with the host Dragons, playing them to a tournament-best152-152 standoff on the front nine of the Cameron Veterans' Memorial Golf Course in Friday's Cameron Invitational tournament. Unfortunately for the Hornets, they got off-key on the second verse of the 18-hole tourney while Cameron found perfect pitch. Led by tournament medalist Daniel O'Connor's 33, the Dragons sizzled with a collective 144 on the course's back nine holes while the Hornets carded a 163 that not only left them 19 shots back of the champion Dragons, but back in fourth place behind Trenton and Savannah. In tournament competition, some players play the back nine (holes Nos. 10-18) first, while others begin at No. 1. The Hornets were hoping to successfully defend their title in their own invitational tournament today at Green Hills Golf Course. Having begun at 9 a.m., play still was ongoing at press time. With O'Connor shooting a 36-33-69, 2-under par, Cameron produced a low-four total of 296 on their home course, yielding a sizable 14-shot victory over Trenton's Bulldogs. Savannah was another four shots back of Trenton at 314, followed by Chillicothe at 315. The Hornets had one top-10 individual in the medalist standings. Senior Spencer Whiteside had a 36-38-74, tied for the fifth-best round. A 76 by Logan Gilliland, CHS' No. 1 player who went against the CHS grain by scoring two shots better on the back nine, put him in a tie for 12th. With matching 44s on holes Nos. 10-18, the Hornets' Kyle Dosterschill and Wade Koehly finished with an 82 and 83, respectively. Not included in the Chillicothe team total was the 95 of No. 5 player Ricky Hanekamp. Had Cameron only mirrored its front-nine total, it still would have won its tourney's team crown by six strokes. When all four of its lowest scorers on the front nine matched or bettered their front-nine totals on the back nine, the triumph became a runaway. Trenton couldn't keep up Cameron's pace on either side, but its 151 over the back side was a dozen shots better than Chillicothe, allowing the Bulldogs to move past them and up to second place. Savannah likewise made more hay on the back nine than did the Hornets, besting them by 11 shots to wind up one stroke better overall. Chillicothe's 315 in its second road tournament of the season is virtually the same score (314) it put up in the season-opening Savannah Invitational. With coach John Musser emphasizing at the start of the season the necessity for his players to do a better job on foreign soil, the relative stagnancy likely is disturbing to him. Golf Hornets Sustain
First Dual Loss in Two Years
C-T file photo / Paul Sturm SAVANNAH - The Chillicothe golf Hornets' run of consecutive dual-match victories ended yesterday, just over two years after it began. In a double-dual (or triangular) match at Savannah Thursday, the Hornets beat St. Joseph: Benton, but lost to the host school. Riding four sub-40 rounds, Savannah's Savages posted a low-four team score of 154, six shots better than the Hornets. Benton's team count was 177. Chillicothe hadn't lost in its previous 22 duals, dating back to an April 14, 2005, loss at Platte County. The Hornets tied one 2006 dual match. They had posted six-consecutive wins to start 2007. CHS junior Logan Gilliland continued to be rock-solid in the No. 1 lineup post, shooting a 36 yesterday to claim medalist status. No. 2 player Spencer Whiteside fired a 39 and Kyle Dosterschill a 40, but CHS' four-best score was a 45 from freshman Ben Dietz. Sophomore Wade Koehly continued to struggle to find consistent form, carding a 47. Savannah took advantage of that weak fourth score by posting one 37 and three 39s. The golf Hornets are playing again today, in the Cameron Tournament, before hosting their own annual tourney Monday. Golf Hornets
Edge Bulldogs
C-T photo / Paul Sturm The Chillicothe golf Hornets and Trenton Bulldogs had no trouble putting up low numbers in their dual match at GHGC, but no one torched the links-style layout like Hornets junior Logan Gilliland yesterday. The son of the course's clubhouse manager, Joe Gilliland, fired a 3-under-par 36 - nicely wrapping up his round with a birdie on the par-4 final hole - to pace Chillicothe to a close 149-151 non-conference win. How tame was the course on a mild, overcast, relatively-windless day? More than half of the 20 varsity and junior-varsity players from the teams shot under 40. All five Trenton varsity players were in the 30s - all between 37 and 39, a statistic which normally would be plenty good to win a dual. However, not only did Chillicothe have a below-par performance from its No. 1 player, but No. 2 man Spencer Whiteside bounced back from a bad day at Marshall the day before to shoot an all-pars round of 36. CHS sophomore Kyle Dosterschill went under 40 for the first time in his fledgling varsity career with a 38 and classmate Wade Koehly had a 42, allowing the Hornets to win by two. Not included in the Hornets' team scoring was the 44 of senior Ricky Hanekamp. Two Hornets jayvees - freshman Ben Dietz and sophomore Cody Graham - had 39s as CHS won the JV match 163-195. Trenton's Nos. 1 and 4 player, Evan Fries and Logan Wyant, respectively, each fired a 1-over 37. Jim Weaver had a 38 and Tyler Brinkley and Ethan Brownell 39s. |
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TRACK click here for last season... 
CHS Track and
Field Teams Had Solid Seasons
CAPTION: Recipients of special awards for the 2007 Chillicothe Hornets track and field team at last night's annual postseason awards banquet were, from left, seniors Brett Marriott, Dustin Murray, and Clint Ratliff. Marriott was named winner of the Coaches' Award for dedication to the team and leadership, Murray was named most improved squad member by head coach Bill Shaffer and assistants Ken Stull and Mike Jones, and Ratliff received the "Butch" Shaffer Award, presented by the Constitution-Tribune to a senior member of the team. The Shaffer family also provides a scholarship with the award Ratliff received. The Chillicothe High School track and field teams, with some individuals and one relay team still to complete their seasons by competing in the Class 3 state meet later this week, were honored for solid 2007 seasons at the program's annual postseason awards banquet last night at the school. Head coaches Bill Shaffer and Vickie Garrett and their assistants shared reflections on this spring's performances, recounted highlights, and recognized squad members, including presenting those who earned them their letters.
Coach Shaffer presented the boys' Coaches Award to senior Brett Marriott, the Most Improved Award to senior Dustin Murray, and W.L. "Butch" Shaffer III Award to senior Clint Ratliff. The latter award also recognizes dedication to the team and leadership. The Lady Hornets' season was marked by meet titles at the Mineral Water Classic and Irish, and Cardinal Relays, the setting or tying of three CHS records, and the qualification for five state-meet events, Garrett reported during her remarks. The Lady Hornets will send Stafford to state in both the shot put and discus throw, Fender in the 100-meter dash and freshman Samantha Figg in the pole vault, and the 3,200-meter relay team, probably to include regulars Morgan Quinn, Holly Williams, Kelsie Sewell, and Leanne Mathew. Also on hand, as potential substitutes on the relay team, will be Lindy Scott and Kaley Hayward. Stafford reset her own CHS record in the shot put a couple of times during the season, the last time with a toss of 39'81/4" during the Cardinal Relays hosted by St. Joseph: Benton. Mathew broke Sarah Cowherd's late 1990s record in the 3,200-meter run during the Mineral Water Relays with a clocking of 12:07. The last of the three girls¹ records tied or broken came only last Saturday when frosh Figg cleared 10' in the pole vault during the sectional meet. That not only tied Chauncey Meneely's 2004 mark, but also gave Figg fourth place and a date at state. The 2007 season did see the Lady Hornets' streak of nine-straight Midland Empire Conference meet titles end. Maryville squeezed past CHS 1621/2-145. On the boys' side, coach Shaffer and assistant Ken Stull will shepherd junior Joseph Stull, Ken¹s son, to the state meet this Saturday to compete in the discus. He¹s the only Hornet who made it to state this year. As a team, Shaffer said he was pleased with the Hornets¹ season and sees bright prospects for coming years. He was especially pleased that the team finished second in the MEC meet, its highest standing in several years. While no new boys¹ school records were set, numerous 2007 performances ranked among the program¹s top 10 in its history. Both coaches took time to state a number of
"thank yous," especially to athletics director Phil Willard and to everyone who assisted with staging the Chillicothe Joe Shy Relays meet. Six State Case For CHS
C-T photo / Butch Shaffer KEARNEY - Chillicothe High School will be represented by competitors in six events at this weekend's annual Class 3 state track and field championships at Jefferson City. Making the journey for CHS will be its lone entrant in the boys' division - junior discus thrower Joseph Stull - and five girls' qualifiers - senior Sara Stafford in both the shot put and discus, freshmen Samantha Figg in the pole vault and Samantha Fender in the 100-meter dash, and the 3,200-meter relay unit of juniors Holly Williams and Morgan Quinn, sophomore Kelsie Sewell, and freshman Leanne Mathew. Chillicothe girls' coach Vickie Garrett indicated she'll use Kaley Hayward and Lindy Scott for her two alternates (substitutes) spots for the qualified 3,200-meter relay. The state meet at Lincoln University's Dwight T. Reed Stadium will begin late Friday morning and end around 5 p.m. Saturday. The CHS girls' relay team will compete in the meet's first track event at noon Friday. About an hour later, Fender will be in a preliminary heat in the 100, needing to place either first or second or have one of the next four-fastest times to advance to Saturday's finals. Stafford will toss the shot Friday, starting at 11 a.m., so Chillicothe's action on the first day will be wrapped up by 1:30 p.m. or earlier. Stull's competition will be Saturday morning at 11, while Stafford will return for the discus, beginning at 2 p.m. At that same time, Figg, who matched the CHS record at sectional, will vault. Saturday's sectional meet competition at Kearney High School was highlighted by Figg's record-tying effort, Fender's beating the odds to advance to state in the 100, Stull salvaging one state qualifier for the CHS boys, and Mathew missing out on a seemingly-good chance to go to state in an individual race when she could not complete the 3,200 after having earlier been on the qualifying relay team and finishing sixth in the 1,600-meter run. “She got dehydrated,” Garrett told the C-T Sunday afternoon about Mathew's non-finish in the race in which she had the third-fastest district-meet time among the eight racers. Figg's clearing of 10' in the pole vault matched the Chillicothe mark set by Chauncey Meneely in 2004. Classmate Fender pulled off the real surprise of Saturday for Chillicothe when, after her 13.06 in the 100 at district had been only the seventh-fastest among the eight sectional qualifiers, she copped the fourth and final state berth from Sectional 4 even though she ran .03 seconds slower at 13.09.
First Step Taken
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS - Thirteen Chillicothe High School Lady Hornets in 10 events and five Hornets in five events will advance to this Saturday's Class 3 sectional track and field meet at Kearney after being top-four finishers in this past Saturday's district meet at Tiger Stadium in Excelsior Springs. The CHS girls, who - with 82-1/2 points - placed fourth behind champion Kearney, Maryville, and Kansas City: Lincoln Prep in the team standings, will have participants in eight individual events and the 3,200- and 400-meter relays at sectional. Three Lady Hornets individuals - senior Sara Stafford in the shot put and discus throw and freshmen Samantha Fender in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and Leanne Mathew in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs - will take their shots at qualifying for state-meet competition in two individual events apiece. The freshmen also will run in a relay apiece (Mathew the 3,200, Fender the 400). Also going to sectional will be junior Morgan Quinn in the 800-meter run and freshman Samantha Figg in the pole vault. Rounding out the 400 relay unit are junior Meghan Perry and sophomores Alexis Midgyett and Amanda Fender. Quinn also will be in the 3,200 relay with Mathew, junior Holly WIlliams and sophomore Kelsie Sewell. Chillicothe also will have alternates available for the relay squads. On the boys' side, where the CHS team scored 51 points - good for sixth place and best among the eight Midland Empire Conference teams at Excelsior Springs, junior weight thrower Joseph Stull heads to sectional in both the discus and shot. Also bound for Kearney this Saturday after producing a top-four finish at district are senior Dustin Murray in the pole vault, senior Brett Marriott in the 110-meter high hurdles, and junior Tim Derrickson in the high jump. Anyone or any relay finishing in the top four at sectional earns the right to compete at the Class 3 state meet at Jefferson City May 25-26. Kearney also won the boys' district title in a romp with 120-1/2 points. Chillicothe came up with one event win at district. That came from Stafford and by a fractional margin. Her shot put of 38'6-1/4” was 1/4” farther than the best effort of Jessica Donovan of St. Joseph: Benton. The next-best CHS finishes were by the girls' 3,200 relay unit, which was a distant, but solid, second to Kearney, and from Mathew in the open 3,200, who picked up a relatively-close second. Chillicothe thirds were delivered by Murray in the pole vault (13'), S. Fender in the 100 (13.06), Stull in the discus (144'1/2”), and Stafford in the discus (111'2”). Barely making the sectional cut by nabbing fourth places were Quinn in the 800 (2:31.26, a half-second ahead of fifth-place Sewell), Figg in the pole vault (9'6”), the girls' 400 relay team (52.64), Marriott in the high hurdles (16.46), Derrickson in the high jump (5'10”), Mathew in the 1,600 (5:41.38), Fender in the 200 (27.26), and Stull with a personal-best in the shot put (45'9-3/4”). Stull, son of CHS assistant coach Ken Stull, started the season throwing in the up 30s. Although they didn't earn a trip to sectional, also scoring (top-eight finishes) for the Lady Hornets at district were, besides Sewell, Williams (1,600 and 3,200), A. Fender (pole vault), the 800- and 1,600-meter relays, and Perry in the triple jump. Chillicothe's other boys' entries to score were Clint Dysart (pole vault), Clint Ratliff (triple jump), Ben Griffin CAPTION: Morgan Quinn takes the baton from fellow junior Holly Williams to begin the third leg of the Chillicothe Lady Hornets' effort in the 3,200-meter relay at the Class 3 district meet at Excelsior Springs Saturday. The CHS quartet, which had Kelsie Sewell running the leadoff leg and Leanne Mathew the anchor leg, ran a 10:07.66 to place second and advance to sectional. C-T photo / Butch Shaffer
Springs
Fever
C-T photo / Butch Shaffer EXCELSIOR SPRINGS - The special waters of Excelsior Springs obviously agree with the Chillicothe High School track and field teams. For the second time in three years, the CHS girls' and boys' teams won the combined championship trophy of the Mineral Water Classic hosted by Excelsior Springs High School, the Lady Hornets compiling a girls' division-winning 1011/2 points and the Hornets being a close third in their division with 81, only five back of champion Kansas City: St. Pius X. A year ago, Excelsior Springs barely edged Chillicothe for the combined title while the CHS girls also won their division and the boys took second in theirs. Friday's success of the Lady Hornets in winning a third-straight crown in the event flew in the face of coach Vickie Garrett's expectations, considering some mitigating circumstances. "We had team members at the state FFA convention," she related, "so two relay teams and five other events were affected by their absence. Garrett's gang earned its 191/2 point winning margin over runnerup Raymore-Peculiar by a combination of top-three and bottom-three finishes. The CHS girls had two event wins - from Kaley Hayward, Kelsie Sewell, Holly Williams, and Leanne Mathew in the meet-opening 3,200-meter relay and from Samantha Fender in the 200-meter dash. It also had six seconds or thirds, including a pair each by Sara Stafford and Mathew, one by Sewell, and one by Fender. Supplementing those were nine other placements in sixth, seventh, or eighth place which added cushion points. In between those extremes, the Lady Hornets picked up two fourths and two fifths to round out their scoring. The meet also provides the once-a-year opportunity for some athletes to try their hand at the five-event field-and-track-mix pentathlon. This year, Chillicothe had two girls give it a try, with sophomores Ellyn Turner taking seventh place and Camie Griffin 13th. On the boys' side, the Hornets' biggest news may not have been the good all-around team showing - they scored in 16 of the 19 events and twice each in the long jump and pole vault, but that senior Clint Ratliff - a state meet qualifier in the triple jump last year - was healthy enough to again compete in his best event. Sidelined from the event since an early-season hamstring pull, he was well enough to post a very respectable fourth-place finish with a jump of 42'6". He also took fourth in the long jump, in which teammate James "Bubba" Maxwell posted a runnerup showing. Maxwell's second was
one of three by the CHS boys. Joseph Stull also was CAPTION: Chillicothe Hornets senior Dustin Murray clears the bar during Friday's boys' pole vaulting competition at the Mineral Water Classic track and field meet at Excelsior Springs. Murray went on to clear 13' for the first time in competition, finishing second, as the Hornets took third as a team and, with the CHS girls, won the meet's combined championship for the second time in three years. C-T photo / Butch Shaffer Pair of Seconds
for CHS Track Teams In Cameron Relays
C-T photo / Butch Shaffer CAMERON - It was a familiar story for the Chillicothe High School track and field teams Tuesday, looking up at the Trenton boys and Hamilton girls in the team final standings for the Cameron Relays. Bill Shaffer's Hornets finished second to the THS Bulldogs, just as they had in last Friday's Chillicothe Joe Shy Relays, while Vickie Garrett's Lady Hornets again trailed Hamilton's Lady Hornets, although this time gaining a second place team finish. Chillicothe's boys scored 92 points, well back of Trenton's winning 139, but a scant four points ahead of two-time defending Class 1 state champion Polo's and 2006 Class 2 state runnerup Brookfield's 88. The CHS girls scored 128 points, 13 behind Hamilton. Putnam County was third with 93. Chillicothe's teams produced triumphs in four events - two by the boys and two by the girls. Samantha Figg won the girls' pole vault, clearing 8'6”, while the 3,200-meter relay squad of Kelsie Sewell, Morgan Quinn, Leanne Mathew, and Holly Williams broke the tape in 10:11. Both Hornets wins came in field events. Senior Dustin Murray captured the pole vault at 12'6” and junior Joseph Stull had the best discus throw at 134'11”. Both Chillicothe's boys and girls scored at least one point in every event except one. The CHS boys missed out in the high jump, the girls in the 100-meter high hurdles. Although he took only
third (300) and fourth (110) in his two hurdles races, Hornets senior Brett
Marriott was the team's top individual scorer with 141/2 points, 21/2 more
than Stull. Marriott also picked up points from being on the second-place
400-meter and third-place 1,600-meter relays, while Stull tacked on a
seventh place in the shot put. Distance runner Casey Pryor tossed in another
11 points to the The Lady Hornets' leading scorer yesterday was freshman Leanne Mathew with 20 points. She had two individual seconds, was on the winning relay, and also the 1,600 relay. Samantha Fender had 191/2, also via two runnerup finishes and two relays. CAPTION: With second-place finishes in both the 1,600- (above) and 3,200-meter runs and legs on the winning 3,200 relay and third-place 1,600 relay Tuesday, Leanne Mathew was the leading individual scorer for the Chillicothe Lady Hornets in their second-place finish in the Cameron Relays. C-T photo / Butch Shaffer Track Shoes on
Other Feet at CHS
C-T file photo / Butch Shaffer The Chillicothe High School track and field teams, to a degree, have traded roles from a year ago at this time. Heading into the 2006 season, the Lady Hornets were beginning life without one of the most outstanding performers they'd ever produced - two-time state champion middle distance ace Amber Parker - while the Hornets were looking to build around a weight thrower who'd broken a long-standing school record as a junior, Drew Frizzell. Both teams nevertheless went on to solid seasons. Although not necessarily up to their standards of some years, the Lady Hornets repeated as Midland Empire Conference meet champions as a squad of mostly non-seniors developed into a good squad by season's end. The Hornets saw Frizzell have a record-shattering early season and, despite some injury problems, a sweep of the state meet gold in the discus and shot put, and fellow senior Jimmy Griesbach emerge as an outstanding sprinter, including CHS' first state medal in an individual sprint race (fifth place in the 400 meters) since 1939 and a couple of new school records. The team also won several meets, including its own Joe Shy Relays. Now that the page has turned to 2007, the boys will try to cope with the departure of those two standouts whose names figure to remain on the CHS record board for years and the girls will seek to supplement what they hope to be the consistent strong scoring of senior thrower Sara Stafford. The CHS thinclads begin 2007 competition Tuesday with a meet at Kearney usually treated as a “time trial.” One thing Lady Hornets head coach Vickie Garrett knows even before the season progresses is that one expected key cog in her CHS squad won't be there. Junior sprinter Carole Myers injured her knee the last week of the basketball regular season and it turned out to be a torn anterior cruciate ligament. She underwent reconstructive surgery week before last and, according to Garrett, will have to be off the leg for months. While Myers certainly will be missed, Garrett still has state meet shot put finalist and sectional discus participant Stafford and junior sectional runners Morgan Quinn and Holly Williams around, as well as a number of others who contributed to last year's successes. After 33 originally turned out for the Lady Hornets at the start of practice several weeks ago, a few have departed. However, aside from a couple of 2006 contributors who have gone over to the new soccer program and the injured Myers, most of last year's underclass members of note are back, including many who helped the Lady Hornets to a runaway junior-varsity-level win in the conference meet to go with the one-point varsity win. While Garrett had a lone senior standout to build around last year in high jumper April Gillilan, who just missed going to state last May, Shaffer has a couple of seniors, one a state qualifier, to form the base of his 2007 team. Triple jumper Clint Ratliff was 11th at state as a junior and his coach anticipates a strong final campaign from him in '07. “He's done a lot over the offseason, lifting and getting faster, so we expect him to pick up where he left off,” informed the Hornets coach Friday. Ratliff leaped a season-best 42'10” in last year's sectional meet to make it to state. Chillicothe's other top senior is hurdler-long sprinter Brett Marriott. Chillicothe will lean on a strong, young group of distance runners who, led by sophomore Casey Pryor, had a fine cross country season last fall. Several pole vaulters, working with coach Mike Jones, also hold promise. “(Dustin) Murray and (Clint) Dysart and Tyler Todd in the pole vault - we've got three very good vaulters, so it will be interesting to see how they do,” agreed Shaffer. As champs or co-champs the last nine years, it goes without saying that the Lady Hornets will be in the thick of the battle for the league title. Beyond that, in the run-up to state, both Chillicothe squads should have the potential to make noise. “Excelsior (Springs) and Kearney always going to be real competitive (in the district meet). I know (MEC foe St. Joseph: Benton) has a good distance crew coming back,” Garrett projected. “It's an interesting year,” assessed Shaffer. “We're a young team. We do have some seniors that are good seniors and good people to depend on, but we do have a lot of young guys - freshmen and sophomores - that are going to be going to meets and that will be interesting to see how they respond.” |
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GIRLS'
SOCCER Boys will be coming in the Fall 2007
Soccer Lady
Hornets Made a Memorable Debut in 2007 Six victories in 16 games in their first-ever season and generally-competitive play against all but the most-accomplished teams they met made the Chillicothe High School soccer Lady Hornets¹ 2007 season one not only to be remembered, but treasured. The team was recognized and honored at a postseason awards banquet last week at which head coach Jeff Wolfe recapped the season, offered his perspective on the team¹s play and its future, and awarded letters to 19 players and the team manager. The CHS kickers opened their inaugural season by scoring the first goal of the first game, followed a season-starting three-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak, and won twice in the Midland Empire Conference. In summarizing the initial soccer campaign for the C-T, Wolfe remarked, "It's difficult for a diverse group of young players to have focus regarding achieving goals. "Attitude about the importance of learning and winning will wander among the less committed. The focus of the group grows apart as the season flows. "This was a good year because the group played physically hard early in the cold weather. Fitness requirements and frequency of matches often increase as the season goes along. This affects weaker-minded players and pulls the team more out of focus. "Also, spring for inexperienced athletes is worse than spring for experienced athletes because of the number of distracting activities," he continued. "In spite of these (factors), our team played well in selected matches late in the year." Being a coach, however, with one season barely behind him, Wolfe was looking ahead.
"Quoting the record of 6-10-0 doesn't help anyone understand the challenges for next year," he declared.
"Our top three players have to learn to give responsibility primarily in the form of the ball, but also in the form of important space, etc., to the rest of the team. The rest of the team needs to step up to the plate and assume responsibilities, then execute responsibilities in the form of technical and tactical know-how." Earning letters in the first year of Lady Hornets soccer were Brooklyn Shearer, Abby Pitchford, Mallory Lowe, Madeline Brick, Stephanie Wiedmier, Annie Steely, Montana Vinson, Megan Moore, Whitney Jordan, Maggie Greenwood, Rochelle Gillilan, Heidi McCoy, Meredith Brick, Megan Hall, Cynda Gear, Fiorella Anthony, Brittanee Jacobs, Kendra Ballantyne, Amanda Ireland, and manager Betsy Brick. First Season Over for
Soccer Lady Hornets ST. JOSEPH - Chillicothe High School's first-ever season of soccer ended on Saturday when the CHS Lady Hornets' team fell to Maryville 8-0 in the first round of the Class 1 district tournament. Chillicothe's girls ended a fine debut season with a record of 6-10. The 2007 Lady Hornets finished the season ahead of St. Joseph: Lafayette and Cameron in the Midland Empire Conference with a 2-5 record, but behind Smithville, Platte County, St. Joseph: Benton, Maryville, and Savannah, head coach Jeff Wolfe noted. Lady Hornets soccer graduates Maggie Greenwood, who has no college soccer plans at this time. Eligible to return to the roster next year are at least eight juniors, two sophomores, and eight freshman. Most of those logged significant match minutes this season and will be familiar with important team dynamics such as defensive responsibilities and attacking tactical decisions. The entire Lady Hornets roster saw significant action in the second half of Saturday's last match after Maryville rolled up a five-goal margin at the 45-minute mark. The Lady Spoofhounds looked sharp and converted a high percentage of their opportunities early in the match, according to CHS coach Jeff Wolfe. "Our Lady Hornets played thoughtful soccer in the mid-field, but both the attacking and defending thirds of the field were too soft to be winners with the stakes high at this time of the year." In other first-round games Saturday at host Bishop LeBlond High School's field, Lafayette upset Savannah in the Nos. 4 vs 5 seed match and moved on to the second round against Benton the No. 1 seed. LeBlond, the No. 2 seed, had to come from behind in the second half to escape the upset-minded Cameron Dragons. Chillicothe High School will begin a boys' program this fall, although, as of last week, no coach has yet been hired. Soccer Lady
Hornets' Four-Game Winning Streak Ended by VIsiting Maryville Tuesday
C-T Photo / Paul Sturm Despite one player getting her first-ever goal, the Chillicothe soccer Lady Hornets came up just short of a fifth-consecutive victory yesterday at Chillicothe's Daryl Danner Memorial Park. Abby Pitchford found the twine for the first time against Maryville, but the Lady Spoofhounds battled back from a 2-1 second-half deficit to shade CHS, 3-2. The Lady Hornets' record dipped back to .500, 4-4. Emily Felton of the Lady 'Hounds scored the game-winner with about 12 minutes to play, CHS coach Jeff Wolfe reports, after Alyssa Carmichael's shot at approximately the 66-minute mark had tied things. Chillicothe's Rochelle Gillilan had given her team its second lead about 15 minutes into the second half. “Credit is respectfully given to Maryville finishers placing wide, low shots out of the reach of (CHS goalkeeper) Amanda Ireland,” Wolfe commented. “It's interesting that, after a pre-game discussion (with the Chillicothe players) about needing to ‘score on the floor' (shoot low), Pitchford and Gillilan (like Maryville's Carmichael and Felton) converted their goals wide and low.” Chillicothe never trailed until Felton's late, decisive tally. Pitchford put her name in the scorebook for the first time with a late first-half goal which put the Lady Hornets up 1-0 at halftime. However, just over 10 minutes into the second half, Maryville squared things on a Libby Howell shot. Gillilan, moved by Wolfe up to the left forward position from her sweeper spot during the course of the game, made that change pay off only a few minutes after Maryville tied it. Break Up The Lady Hornets CAPTION: Meredith Brick boots the ball into the vacated net for the game-winner against Cameron C-T photo / Paul Sturm At this rate, the Chillicothe High School soccer Lady Hornets won't have any “firsts” yet to accomplish in their second season in 2008. Coach Jeff Wolfe's squad extended its remarkable run of success in the team's first year of existence yesterday, edging the visiting Cameron Lady Dragons 3-2 in Midland Empire Conference action at Daryl Danner Memorial Park. The triumph was Chillicothe's fourth in a row and pushed the Lady Hornets, at 4-3 on the year, above .500 for the first time in their very brief history. The victory also was a first for Chillicothe in league play. A hustling tying goal by freshman Meredith Brick late in the first half and two go-ahead goals by her twin sister Madeline in the second half, good ball distribution by right midfielder Brooklyn Shearer, and strong goalkeeping by junior Amanda Ireland, who recorded eight saves, was enough for Chillicothe to prevail by one. Junior Shearer also drew compliments from the coach. The Chillicothe triumph wasn't without some blemishes, Wolfe noted with caution. Marking confusion across the back line and impatient risk-taking on the part of some backliners in trying to create or join a counterattack left Cameron open space, especially in the first half, the coach indicated. Fortunately for the Lady Hornets, Cameron didn't capitalize. too extensively. While Chillicothe cracked 13 shots toward the Cameron net, forcing eight saves to be made, at the other end, Ireland was stopping seven shots. “She had to do a lot of covering for team mistakes,” Wolfe said of the junior goalkeeper. CHS Soccer
Girls Look Good in Home-Debut Loss
C-T photo / Paul Sturm In front of a fine-sized crowd, for nearly three-fourths of their first home game ever, the Chillicothe High School soccer Lady Hornets battled the more-experienced and physical Kirksville Lady Tigers to a scoreless standoff Friday afternoon at Daryl Danner Memorial Park in Chillicothe. Kirksville eventually avoided the distinction of being the newborn Lady Hornets' first “victim” with a breakaway goal with about 20 minutes to go and an insurance tally on a rebound after a strong save by CHS junior goalkeeper Amanda Ireland, netting the Lady Tigers (2-0-0) a 2-0 victory. Chillicothe battled hard in a contest with plenty of leg-to-leg and body contact, never seeming to back down and producing some scoring chances of its own when a goal would have given it either the lead or a tie after Kirksville drew “first blood.” Not only was the setup up to snuff, in the view of the Chillicothe coach who began his coaching career in Kirksville at then-Northeast Missouri State Teachers College 28 years ago, but so was the moxie of the foe. Perhaps buoyed by the support of the many in the crowd, the Lady Hornets pleased their coach with a performance which also drew the notice of the veteran game officials. Marking well when the ball crossed midfield into their end and doing a good job - for their very limited amount of experience - of getting position and confidently moving the ball out of harm's way whenever Kirksville tried to create a good scoring chance in the first half, the Lady Hornets moved to the sidelines to hear from coach Wolfe at intermission tied 0-0. In both their games thus far, they've been even at the mid-game break, a noteworthy accomplishment for a first-year team against far more-experienced foes. Unfortunately for Ireland and the Lady Hornets, Kirksville's Sadie Nelson rolled home the game's final tally with only minutes left in regulation time. Try as it might, Chillicothe couldn't manage to generate any other quality scoring chances in the remaining regulation and stoppage time and Kirksville soon headed home with the 2-0 triumph. According to stats Wolfe related, Chillicothe matched Kirksville in shots on goal (nine apiece), although only four of the Lady Hornets' made it through to McKenzie for saves. Seven of Kirksville's shot on goal got to Ireland, who stopped five of them, up from two in her and the team's debut at St. Joseph four days earlier. No junior-varsity game was played Friday. Soccer Lady Hornets
Score First in Debut, but Lose 4-1 ST. JOSEPH - The Chillicothe High School soccer Lady Hornets had some memorable moments as they made their competitive debut yesterday, even though they did eventually succumb. CHS freshman Madeline Brick scored the first Lady Hornets goal ever and gave Chillicothe its first-ever lead four minutes into their 2007 season opener at Lafayette High School's Alumni Stadium, but the Lady Irish bounced back with three second-half goals to claim a 4-1 non-Midland Empire Conference victory Monday. Head coach Jeff Wolfe's new team drew first blood against a Lafayette team coming off a 3-3 conference season a year ago, but having graduated several players who received some level of all-conference recognition. About 15 minutes into the contest, according to Wolfe, promising frosh Brick came up with the ball and drove it past Lady Irish goalkeeper Ashley Fowler, who was second-team all-MEC last year, and into the net for a 1-0 CHS lead. The coach called it a “demonstration of why she earned the team captain's role for the first match. Her goal was both a technical demonstration of lobbing the ball over the Lafayette keeper and a technical display of watching her foot passing through the bottom third of the ball in a straight line toward the far post of the goal.” Although Chillicothe eventually would produce a 15-9 advantage in shots on goal, according to Wolfe, it couldn't solve Fowler on any of the last 14, most of them being routine saves for the netminder. Wolfe said Lafayette's coach complimented the Lady Hornets as “salty” and said they impressed him with their play for a first-ever match. The CHS coach pointed out Lafayette had good overall size, good speed in its backfield, and a solid keeper in Fowler. The Lady Irish also had twice as many players come out for the team this year as CHS did with 38 still on the roster. Chillicothe has a 21-player squad. Because of Chillicothe's relatively-small roster, the junior-varsity game length was abbreviated from standard time. However, the JV game did produce Chillicothe's first victory celebration as junior keeper Brittanee Jacobs blanked the Lady Irish JV and freshman Courtney Robinson popped in the game's only goal in a 1-0 CHS triumph Monday. In addition to those two players' strong games, the CHS coach took note of freshman Kendra Ballantyne's play. She “was able to demonstrate better spin-turning skills from the first three weeks of practice than any other Lady Hornet,” he commented. The soccer Lady Hornets now prepare for their first-ever home game, Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Daryl Danner Memorial Park (west of the main softball field) against Kirksville. |
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Senior four-year varsity starter Jacob Fellhoelter last night was presented the 2007 Coaches' Award at the Chillicothe High School boys' tennis postseason awards event. During his career, Fellhoelter was a state tournament doubles qualifier, doubles district champion, and Midland Empire Conference tournament singles (2006) and doubles (2007) title winner.
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Chillicothe Hornets senior Jacob Fellhoelter slams a serve toward Trenton's Zack Peoples during their No. 1 singles match at the Simpson Park tennis courts in Chillicothe Tuesday. Fellhoelter prevailed 10-2.
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Chillicothe Hornets relief pitcher Colin Parker chases Macon baserunner Tyler Belt back toward third base during a rundown following an aborted suicide squeeze bunt attempt by the Tigers during the sixth inning of the team's district tournament first-round game at Boonville Saturday. Although Belt got back to third safely, a trailing baserunner was virtually already there and the Hornets got him out instead, denying Macon any more runs. However, Macon still prevailed 3-1 in a pitchers' duel, ending the Hornets' season.
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Chillicothe Hornets senior Drew Hibner continued to swing a sizzling bat Thursday, collecting three hits and a walk in four at-bats, driving in two runs, and scoring three times as the Hornets routed Savannah 13-1 in the consolation game of the Pony Express Tournament at St. Joseph.
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Colin Parker keeps the game going by scoring the first Chillicothe run of the 2007 season in the bottom of the fifth inning of Monday's home opener against Kirksville. Coming around from second base on Clint Singleton's two-out single up the middle, Parker's tally prevented Kirksville from winning by the 10-run rule. The Hornets continued to rally before eventually sustaining only an 11-8 loss.
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Correy Miller, Chillicothe Hornets junior, rips a two-out single up the middle in the first inning of Monday's 2007 season opener against Kirksville. After falling behind 10-0 after 4-1/2 innings, Chillicothe rallied before losing 11-8.
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Coach¹s Award winners for the 2007 Chillicothe High School golf Hornets are Logan Gilliland, left, and Spencer Whiteside. Gilliland, a junior, led the team in scoring average, coach John Musser reported, while Whiteside was a four-year letter winner. The awards were presented last evening.
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Chillicothe's Kyle Dosterschill watches his tee shot on hole No. 8 fly as he begins play this morning in the annual Chillicothe Invitational golf tournament.
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Chillicothe Hornets sophomore Kyle Dosterschill follows his tee shot on No. 6 at the Green Hills Golf Course on his way to a personal season-best round of 38 during this past Tuesday's win over Trenton. At Savannah Thursday, Dosterschill dropped his average a bit more (to an even 41 strokes per nine holes) with a 40 as the Hornets defeated St. Joseph: Benton, but lost to Savannah.
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Chillicothe Hornets junior Logan Gilliland fires an iron shot from the ninth fairway toward the green during yesterday's 149-151 dual-match win over visiting Trenton. Gilliland, CHS' No. 1 player who entered with a 37.7 strokes per nine holes average for the season, hit the green and sank about a 10-foot birdie putt to wrap up a 3-under-par round of 33.
The head coaches also announced their special award recipients for 2007.
Garrett presented the Coaches' Award and W.L. "June" Shaffer Award to senior Sara Stafford. The second award, for
dedication and hard work both as a senior team member and in the classroom, includes both a plaque
and a cash award. The Lady Hornets' High-Point Award went to freshman Samantha Fender.
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Chillicothe Lady Hornets freshman sprinter Samantha Fender stuck her tongue out at the odds in Saturday's sectional track and field meet, qualifying for this week's state meet 100-meter dash by finishing fourth.
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Chillicothe Hornets senior pole vaulter Dustin Murray shared the highest finish by any Hornet in Saturday's Class 3 district track and field meet by claiming third place with a best height of 13'. This coning Saturday, he'll try to place in the top four at the sectional meet at Kearney and earn the right to compete at the state meet May 25-26.
C-T photo / Butch
Shaffer
(1,600), Drew Hinton (300-meter intermediate hurdles), Brooks Stephens (110-meter high hurdles), James “Bubba” Maxwell (long jump), and the 400-, 800-, and 3,200-meter relays.
For Ratliff, it was a disappointing end to an injury-hampered senior season. A state qualifier in the triple jump as a junior and sectional qualifier as a sophomore, he was not able to round into top form after a leg injury healed in mid-April and allowed him to resume practicing in that event. His best jump Saturday - 41'7” - left him sixth.
Dysart cleared a personal-best-matching 12'6” in the pole vault to finish fifth, the only near-miss among Hornets non-advancers.
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Chillicothe junior Holly Williams was part of two scoring relay teams,
including the victorious 3,200 unit, and placed fourth and fifth in
individual races Friday.
second in the discus with a personal-best 145'101/2" and Dustin Murray
cleared 13' in the pole vault for the first time in competition. Maxwell,
Brett Marriott in the high hurdles, and Tim Derrickson in the pentathlon
came away with thirds. Ratliff had the only fourths and Chillicothe
collected three fifths, three sixths, three sevenths, and two eighths to
produce its team total.
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Joseph Stull prepares to launch the discus during one of his throws in
yesterday's Cameron Relays. Stull won the event, making him - with Dustin
Murray in the pole vault - one of two winners for the Chillicothe Hornets as
they earned second place in the team standings.
Chillicothe cause.
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Senior weight thrower Sara Stafford, who placed 10th in last year's state
track and field meet, should be a top performer for the 2007 CHS Lady
Hornets. During an out-of-season competition hosted by MU last month, she
threw shot put a new personal best of 38” 41/2” and took second place.
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Rochelle Gillilan (background in headband) makes a long run up the east sideline as the Chillicothe soccer Lady Hornets are four abreast as they mount a rush into the penalty box area on the Cameron end during the first half Monday. Gillilan scored her second goal of the season Tuesday, but the Lady Hornets lost to Maryville, 3-2.
Monday. Brick corralled a loose ball after the Cameron goalkeeper mishandled a long lob shot.
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Chillicothe Lady Hornets freshman Meredith Brick (white jersey) lets go a left-footed drive toward the Kirksville goal off her twin sister Madeline's corner kick during the second half of Friday's soccer match at Chillicothe's Daryl Danner Memorial Park. Seeking to tie the game 1-1, Brick and her teammates saw the shot deflected by a Kirksville defender and cleared out of harm's way. The visiting Lady Tigers went on to post a 2-0 victory.