Sports

Confidence on the gridiron is crucial, and the Monett football team (1-2) is building it. Coming off a 14-0 victory over East Newton, the Cubs head to McDonald County this week hoping to repeat Friday’s success, especially on the defensive end. Derrek Uhl, Monett football coach, said the Mustangs are an experienced team and will put the Cubs to work.”...

It has been six years since the Pierce City football team (1-2) had a sub-.500 record going into Week 4, and the Eagles are hoping to right the ship this week against a talented Ash Grove squad. The 2015 season ended at 4-6 for Pierce City, starting off with a loss to Carl Junction’s junior varsity, a win over Liberal and a loss at Jasper. Last season, the Eagles won a 42-36 shootout on the Pirates’ home turf, then ousted Ash Grove from the playoffs with a 28-9 victory...

The Monett volleyball team (0-4) fell last week to Central and Neosho. Against Central, Monett lost all three sets, 25-9, 26-25 and 25-14. Kylie Knight led in kills with 9, Emily Hinojosa had 2 aces, Lexi Jones had 7 assists and Karlee McCallister tallied 11 digs. ...

West Monett, 1-0 Lamar, 1-0 Nevada, 1-0 East Newton 0-1 McDonald County, 0-1 Seneca, 0-1 Cassville, 0-1 East Reeds Spring, 1-0 Marshfield, 1-0 Aurora, 1-0 Logan-Rogersville, 0-1 Springfield Catholic, 0-1 Mt. Vernon, 0-1 Hollister, 0-1 Logan-Rogersville at Cassville...

It was a great day to be a Monett Cub. Surrounded by their families, friends, teammates and coaches, the eight inaugural members of the Monett Sports Hall of Fame shared smiles and tears as they were inducted into the newly minted Hall...

The Verona volleyball team (2-5-2) picked up its first regular-season win on Tuesday, defeating Southwest, 3-0. The Lady Wildcats won the first set 25-13, the second 25-14 and the third 25-13. Sophomore Zoe Saylor led with 5 aces, junior Aubrey Baker tallied 7 kills and senior Grace Nelson led in digs with 10. The junior varsity also won, 2-0 (25-4, 25-17). Verona returns to action on Tuesday, hitting the road to face Marionville at 6 p.m...

The Pierce City football team fell to 1-2 on the season Friday with a 50-20 loss to a physical Sarcoxie team in the Eagles’ home opener. Brad Hocker, Pierce City coach, said the difference was in the trenches and in assignments. “I thought Sarcoxie played very physical up front, and we need to play better assignment football,” he said. “We played hard, but we need to get better up front and be better at tackling, so that’s what we will work on.”...

After two weeks of watching early leads evaporate into heartbreaking losses, the Monett football team dug deep to record a 14-0 victory over East Newton. The Cubs (1-2) used a pair of Ethan Umfleet touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead, and the defense took care of the rest...

A Monett graduate and former Pierce City head coach will be honored by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at the same time as the induction of Kansas City Chiefs pass rusher Tamba Hali and University of Missouri running back Devin West.

There are two main objectives to achieve to win a football game — score when you have the ball and stop the other team when you don’t — and though it may seem basic, those are the focuses for Monett this week. The Cubs (0-2) led Aurora at halftime last week, but they ultimately came up short in a 36-18 loss that Head Coach Derrek Uhl said could have been different with one play...

For the first time this season on Friday, Don Keebaugh Stadium will be rocking. The Pierce City football team (1-1) opens its four-game home stretch this week with a familiar and powerful foe, hosting Sarcoxie (2-0) for the Battle for Wentworth. “It’s an important game for a lot of folk around here, and the kids do a good job in that regard,” said Brad Hocker, Pierce City football coach. “Sarcoxie is really talented this year, and they have a lot of players coming back.”...

Ashtyn Blakey slides into second base for the Lady Cubs during a 15-0 loss to Republic on Friday. Blakey tallied 2 hits in the contest.

The Monett cross country teams ran in their first meet of the season last week in the SWCCCA Richard Clark Invitational in Bolivar, trudging through tough conditions for a solid performance. “We ran well for our first meet of the season,” said Kelly George, Monett cross country coach. ...

West Seneca, 2-0 Nevada, 2-0 McDonald County, 2-0 Lamar, 2-0 Cassville, 1-1 East Newton 1-1 Monett, 0-2 East Reeds Spring, 1-1 Aurora, 1-1 Marshfield, 1-1 Hollister, 1-1 Springfield Catholic, 0-2 Mt. Vernon, 0-2 Logan-Rogersville, 0-2 Sarcoxie at Pierce City...

At small, rural schools football and volleyball are typically the only two athletics options for the fall — not anymore in Pierce City. The Eagles have launched a cross country program this year under the tutelage of Micah Miller, former Monett cross country participant in his third year teaching at Pierce City...

The Monett softball team got off to a difficult, 0-3 start to the season this week against some quality opponents. The Lady Cubs fell to Neosho on Monday, 12-2, then Marshfield on Tuesday, 14-1, and Webb City on Thursday, 16-6. Monett fell behind early and couldn't come back in the loss to Neosho. ...

The Pierce City football team (1-1) lost a close contest on the road Friday to Diamond, 21-12. Diamond put up the first score, but the Eagles answered with a 5-yard Clayten O’Hara touchdown run to make it 7-6 for the Wildcats with 7:05 to go in the opening quarter...

AURORA – The ground attack of Aurora proved too much for Monett as the Cubs (0-2) fell 36-18 to the Houn' Dawgs Friday night. Monett took momentum and an 18-12 advantage into the locker room at half, converting a fourth-and-14 with a 37-yard pass to Ethan Umfleet, which set up a Corbin McCully 1-yard scoring run with a second left in the first half...

Growth from Week 1 to Week 2 for prep football teams is often immense, and for Monett, sustaining a full four quarters of play is the goal for Friday’s matchup with Aurora. Derrek Uhl, Monett football coach, said his Cubs started the season hot at home against Hollister, but the flame fizzled by the game’s end...

The Pierce City football team is ready to get back to full 11-man play on Friday, traveling to Diamond for a district clash among early-season unbeatens. The Wildcats topped Ash Grove in Week 1, 16-6, and the Eagles dispatched Lockwood in an 8-man contest, 32-6...

The Monett athletics programs received word on Friday of their class and district assignments, and while the Cubs’ placements largely didn’t change, their district groups did. Most notably, the Monett softball team has dropped back to Class 3 and is in District 4 with Aurora, Logan-Rogersville, Cassville, Reeds Spring, Salem, Seneca and Willow Springs...

West Lamar, 1-0 Cassville, 1-0 McDonald County, 1-0 Seneca, 1-0 Nevada, 1-0 Monett, 0-1 East Newton 0-1 East Reeds Spring, 1-0 Hollister, 1-0 Mt. Vernon, 0-1 Marshfield, 0-1 Aurora, 0-1 Springfield Catholic, 0-1 Logan-Rogersville, 0-1 Monett at Aurora...

The Monett girls tennis team (0-1) dropped its first contest of the season to Carthage, 8-1. “The score does not reflect how hard we fought,” said Jason Smith, Monett tennis coach. “We lost a lot of deuce points to lose the game. Overall, I am really proud of the team because we did not give up on any point. This match was a great test to see our strengths and weaknesses.”...

The Monett girls golf team working toward one big goal this season — qualify someone for state. Five girls are on the team’s roster, three of whom are returning. Senior Jisell Canales and juniors Claire Nation and Alondra Arreola return, and joining the team are senior Anna Krueger and sophomore Katie Geiss...

The 2021 football season did not get off to the start that Monett had hoped for, as the Cubs fell 42-27 to Hollister at Burl Fowler Stadium. The game was a seesaw affair in the second half, but too many miscues by the Cubs allowed the Tigers to finally take control...

Pierce City reversed its fortunes this season compared to last, opening the 2021 gridiron campaign with a 32-6 victory over 8-man Lockwood. Brad Hocker, Pierce City coach, said the contest was an exciting one. “It was a good game and evenly matched,” he said. “Their quarterback went down with an injury, and I think we were able to take advantage of that.”...

The Monett football team will remain in Class 4 this season, with three Big 8 foes in the Cubs’ seven-team district. The Missouri State High School Athletics Association announced district assignments on Friday, placing Monett in Class 4, District 6 with Carl Junction, Hillcrest, Logan-Rogersville, Marshfield, McDonald County and West Plains...

All the early summer mornings, weight lifting and camps start to fulfill their purpose this week, as the Monett football team will kick off the 2021 campaign on Friday at Burl Fowler Stadium. The Cubs welcome a Hollister team to town they defeated last season, 20-13, at the season’s start, but Cubs Coach Derrek Uhl said no games are gimmies...

The Pierce City football team will start this season on the road Friday, traveling to Lockwood aiming to reverse the 2020 result against the Tigers. Lockwood last season had returned nearly all its players, and the Eagles were a young squad looking to gain experience. This year, Pierce City has another year under its belt, and Coach Brad Hocker said if the boys do the right things, a win is attainable...

Ask any area prep football coach and they’ll tell you wins are great, but the bigger goal is to develop strong leaders, husbands and fathers. It’s said so often by southwest Missouri coaches it seems like a cliche, but fostering success off the football field just as well as on it is a focus — and the best way to do that is by creating the right culture...

Mu Ku connects on a header for the white team, in front of the black team’s Alex Ramirez, nearly scoring a goal at the Pride Night scrimmage Saturday.

The Monett boys swimming and diving team is entering its third year under Coach Charles LaGarce, and the sights for the upcoming season have been set high. The Cubs will have about 8-9 returning swimmers and 13-14 total, including 4-5 new swimmers to replace the two 2020 graduates...

A young Monett girls tennis team will take to the courts this fall with hopes of turning heads by the season’s end. Jason Smith, Monett tennis coach, said his team has a pair of returning seniors, Sofia Semerad and Meagan Hull. “They are our two four-year players,” he said. ...

At least 10 times this regular season, Monett cross country runners are scheduled to trek 3.1-mile courses across southwest Missouri, including a special now-annual meet at home. Kelly George, Monett cross country coach, said her boys and girls teams have been practicing three days per week, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, since the start of June, gearing up for the fist meet of the season on Sept. 9 and the newly minted home meet on Sept. 14...

The Monett football team hits the road to Carthage on Friday for its annual jamboree, aiming to put a touch of polish on things as the regular season approaches. The Cubs went in full pads for the first time on Saturday at Pride Night, which Coach Derrek Uhl said was a good opportunity for a first look at the team...

The Pierce City football team has seen a summer of improvements, and the Eagles have one more week to put it all together before the regular season begins. The Eagles will test themselves on Friday in Sarcoxie, facing El Dorado Springs, Ash Grove and Stockton in the annual jamboree...

The Purdy volleyball team capped an uncertain, COVID-affected 2020 season with only 10 players on the roster, but that should not be the case this season. Mica Propps, Purdy volleyball coach, said her team has been holding open gyms throughout the summer and recently started practice, working with twice the number of girls that finished last season...

In honor of the inaugural Monett Hall of Fame Class, Monett is seeking the support of business sponsors to help offset the cost of the purchase of rings for the inductees. In May 2021, the Monett School District announced the Hall of Fame inductees. Daryl Bradley, Athletic Director, Michael Calhoun, Assistant Athletic Director, and the Hall of Fame committee, organized, planned and accepted nominations in 2020...