 |
 |
| FALL SPORTS ARCHIVES... |
|
Football | Homecoming | Softball | Cross Country | Golf | Volleyball | Tennis 2005 Fall Sports Banquet Schedule (all at 6:00 p.m.): October
25 - Softball (Commons); Tennis (PAC); Golf (GHGC) |
|
Football
Football Hornets' Macoubrie Repeats as All-State Linebacker
C-T Photo / Butch Shaffer What's in a name? If you're talking about Chillicothe Hornets football and the name is Macoubrie, you're talking about excellence in performance and six-time All-State recognition by the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Hornets 2005 senior Clint Macoubrie
was named Class 3 first-team All-State linebacker by the MSSA for the second-consecutive year after his play helped carry the team to a 6-4 record which included losses only to teams which qualified for the state playoffs. Four members of the 2005 Chillicothe football Hornets, including a repeat two-position choice, have been selected to the combined Classes 3-5 all-northwest district high school football team by area members of the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Chosen from the Hornets were senior Clint Macoubrie at both linebacker - at which he was All-State in 2004 - and running back, senior “monster” (strong safety) R.B. Quinn Jr., junior defensive tackle Michael Smith, and junior offensive guard Phillip Earley. Those four are among 13 players from C-T-area teams selected for inclusion on either the Class 1, 2, or 3-5 teams determined during a meeting of MSSA members at Cameron last week. Hail to the 1985
Hornets
About 15 players and several coaches, including head coach Bob Fairchild (with football), from the 1985 high school Class 4A state football champion Chillicothe Hornets and members of their families were at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis Friday for the Missouri State High School Activities Association's 20th anniversary recognition of that team. The ceremony was held on the field prior to the start of the Class 4 championship battle during the 2005 Show-Me Bowl. In conjunction with the on-field salute, the group held a reunion celebration at a nearby hotel later in the evening. (C-T photo / Butch Shaffer) CHS Football
Hornets' 2005 Season Celebrated
Accolades for the accomplishments of the just-past season were accompanied by admonitions about applying themselves to the assignment ahead at Monday night's annual Chillicothe High School football postseason awards banquet. CHS Hornets head coach Phil Willard and the coaching staff saluted the 2005 varsity team, which included 17 seniors, for battling through an injury-dampened season well enough to post a 6-4 win-loss record, but chastened the underclassmen, 11 of which earned letters, on that squad that they must dedicate themselves to an even-greater level of commitment if the program is to climb again to the heights of playoff qualification and state championship contention. “We had a good season,” Willard told the crowd of players, cheerleaders, dance team members, family, friends, and supporters in attendance. “ŠWe had some pretty good competition, losing only to four teams which went on to the state playoffs, including three teams from our (Midland Empire Conference) who are playing in the quarterfinals tonight. Those four teams had a (composite) record of 36-3 during the regular season.” Looking ahead, but with the program's five state championships and 20-plus playoff appearances of the past as benchmarks, he later stated, “We (the coaches) hope our young guys jump in there and help us get back to where we want to be.” The evening's festivities included the presentation of special awards (as selected by the coaching staff), the announcement of senior Clint Macoubrie as 2005-06 recipient of the Shawn Trager Memorial Scholarship, the screening of a season-highlights video produced by assistant coach Bill Shaffer, and the presentation to Willard of a plaque which commemorates his reaching the 100-wins level for his high school coaching career during the 2005 season. Four-year letterman and three-year starter Macoubrie deservedly was the dominant figure in the awards presentations. The team's leading ballcarrier and tackler for a second-successive season, in addition to being the punter and placekicker most of the year, he carted home the trophies for best offensive back, defensive back/linebacker, and special teams player. Fellow senior Tyler Hardie was named the 2005 team's best offensive lineman, while junior Michael Smith was chosen best defensive lineman. Junior Austin Sloan earned the Coaches' Award for hard work and dedication to improvement, encompassing both in-season and offseason work. “Most improved” awards for four position groups also were presented by Willard on behalf of himself and his long-time staff. Those also were split evenly between two seniors and two juniors. Senior R.B. Quinn Jr. was chosen at defensive back/linebacker and classmate Steven Scott at offensive line. Junior Alex Thurmon was tabbed among the defensive linemen while Sloan was honored among the offensive backs.
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm) |
|
Out In Style: Lines
Pace CHS Romp in '05 Finale
On a night when senior Clint Macoubrie broke one of the most-notable school career records and senior Brett Johnson bounced back from a mid-game benching the week before to intercept three passes - one shy of Buddy Beetsma's 37-year-old CHS single-game defensive mark, junior quarterback Austin Sloan tantalized the Hornets faithful with “what ifs.” Sloan, whose sharp start to the season was ruined by a leg injury that effectively wiped out the middle half of the 2005 campaign, shredded overmatched Boonville's pass defense for three touchdown passes and his first 100-yard game as Chillicothe concluded a 6-4 season with a 42-7 home victory over the Pirates. One of the finest players CHS has ever produced in its storied history, Macoubrie capped a highly-successful four-year varsity career by edging past former great Wyatt Pickering into first place in the CHS record books with 55th career rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The angling run to the pylon off right tackle covered four yards and gave him three rushing scores for the night and 19 for the year. That touchdown dash followed first-half scoring runs of 24 and three yards and brought his yardage total to 165, unofficially, for the contest and 1,376 for 2005. That's the most yards in a season by a Hornet since Pickering's 1,698 in his senior year (1998). He also played his standard standout game at linebacker, which included the pivotal defensive plays of the tilt, stopping 220-pound Boonville sophomore quarterback Zach Pruitte for no gain on an option play on third-and-goal from the CHS 1 in a 15-0 game. Senior Clayton Spears made two big plays - one on defense and one on special teams - that set up short-field touchdowns. “Our lines were terrific tonight,” Willard emphasized. “The offensive line - we had those two long drives (16 plays for 95 yards and 11 plays for 92 yards) - and our defense made that big stop on their first-and-goal in the first quarter.” The offensive line of Trevor Lair Daniel Smith, Nick Mata, David McKahan, Steven Scott, and reserve Jake Brinkley actually paved the way on three long touchdown marches, including the 12-play, 76-yard trek late in the first half. Statistically, the most notable and uncharacteristic number was the four takeaways the Hornets' defense produced (not counting the special teams' blocked punt and the safety on the bad punt snap). Through their first nine games, the Hornets had given the ball away 12 times more than they'd taken it away. In this one, they were plus-3, their lone turnover on the game's meaningless final play when freshman quarterback Tyler Trammell bobbled the ball coming away from center. Led by Macoubrie's 166, Chillicothe's 273 rushing yards were very good. Coupled with the season-high 122 passing yards co-produced by Sloan and Macoubrie, the Hornets finished with 395 yards of total offense, compared to Boonville's 146. Willard expressed satisfaction and pride over how his team wrapped up 2005.
(C-T photo / Butch Shaffer)
Hornets ‘Whited' Out ODESSA - The stage was nearly set. What would have been high drama - a 0-0 district playoffs football game going to overtime - seemed more and more certain with each second, each minute, each snap, each exchange of pointless possession between the visiting Chillicothe Hornets and host Odessa Bulldogs Friday night. Then, in a stunning moment for the Hornets and their fans, Odessa's “fight song” hit perfect pitch and left Chillicothe's 2005 postseason hopes hanging by a thread. In a game ruled by defenses, what looked likely to be another stalwart stand by the CHS defenders went off-key on a fourth-and-12 play by Odessa from the Hornets' 29 with just under nine minutes left in the game. Odessa sophomore reserve running back Adam Whited slipped down the left hashmarks as four other potential receivers drew attention to his left and right, settled into a vacant patch of gridiron at the 3-yard-line, patiently waited and caught Atticus Dyer's on-target throw, and turned and strode unchallenged across the beckoning goal line with 8:29 left in the game to give the undefeated Bulldogs the contest's only touchdown and a 7-0 victory.
Caption: Chillicothe sophomore free safety Clint Singleton (30) and freshman linebacker Kyle Dosterschill corral an Odessa ballcarrier during last Friday's 7-0 CHS loss. The Hornets' defense played very well in that game, but a breakdown by one player on one play allowed Odessa to score the game's only touchdown and take charge of the Class 3 District 14 race. The Hornets will try to keep their postseason hopes alive Friday night when they host Richmond, but will need Boonville to upset Odessa also for that to happen. (C-T photo / Butch Shaffer)
Football Hornets Hold
Off Smithville Comeback Try SMITHVILLE - With less than 1:30 remaining in the first half and the ball around midfield, the Chillicothe Hornets wanted to score, and did. With under 2:30 to play in the game and the ball in virtually the same spot, the Smithville Warriors needed to score, but couldn't. Largely because of those two sequences, Chillicothe captured a 22-14 Midland Empire Conference road decision over the Warriors Friday night. ”Right now, it's kind of tough because we really wanted to win that game and we felt like we had some opportunities,“ remarked Smithville coach Greg Smith afterward. ”It was a pretty well-played ballgame. My hat's off to Chillicothe.“ The visiting Hornets, 4-2 overall and in the MEC going into their conference finale at Platte County (a 44-17 loser at Cameron Friday) this coming Friday, held a 22-0 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter, but found themselves in a position to be forced into overtime. Smithville scored on two short runs - once late in the third period and once in the fourth - that capped drives featuring mostly aerial yardage to get within eight points. It then regained the ball on downs at its own 27 with 2:40 remaining. A first-play pass was good for 22 yards and the Warriors - needing a touchdown and two-point conversion - seemed to be on their way. However, small gains on a run and swing pass were followed by two incompletions and Chillicothe was headed home with a nervous win. ”We felt we were able to get some good things going,“ Smith said afterward. ”Momentum swung our way. We just ran out of time. ...It's too bad we weren't able to sneak one out in a tight ballgame.“
Homecoming Hornets Reprise Rapid Rout
The Chillicothe football Hornets apparently can't wait for their Homecoming coronation festivities any more. A year ago, the post-game royalty announcement got an early start and was over by 9:30 a.m. - sooner than most prep pigskin games end - as the Hornets raced to a 41-0 lead in the game's first 21 minutes and ended up 47-7 winners over Smithville. Friday night, it wasn't quite as lopsided as soon, but it ended up ever so slightly worse. Chillicothe's defense stymied speedy St. Joseph: Lafayette's misdirection perimeter running attack and the CHS offense capitalized in familiar, pulverizing fashion as the Hornets (3-2, 3-2 MEC) registered a 41-0 2005 Homecoming victory over the winless visiting Irish. Although Chillicothe put six fewer points on the scoreboard before intermission this year, Drew Frizzell's 34-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown with 10 seconds remaining in the first half still was enough for the "running clock" rule to be in effect throughout the second half. That led to another approximately 9 p.m. conclusion to the football competition and post-game activities that were concluded right around 9:30 again. For the game, Chillicothe outdistanced Lafayette 319 yards to 93, unofficially. Lafayette also had two turnovers to CHS' none, not counting the two times it yielded the ball on downs outside the Chillicothe 40. With his 177 yards, Macoubrie went past the 800-yard mark for the season's first five games. His three touchdowns and five extra points boost his 2005 totals to 11 rushing scores and 77 points. Defensively, CHS statisticians listed sophomore reserve linebacker Nathan Followwill with six tackles - a team-high five unassisted. Senior "monster" R.B. Quinn Jr. and linebacker Macoubrie had three solos and three assists each. Junior defensive tackle Michael Smith had three unassisted stops and two assists, including one play where he impressively chased Cruse on a reverse and brought him down for a very short gain. Starting cornerback Spears got his first sack of 2005 when he moved to defensive end midway through the second half. Chillicothe will play the first of three-straight road games next Friday, visiting Smithville.
Senior defensive end Tyler Hardie glances back to make sure no one can catch him as he nears the goal line on his 20-yard scoring return with a third-quarter pass interception Friday night. Giving vain pursuit is St. Joseph: Lafayette quarterback Jake Davis. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Meet
The Hornets Night
C-T Photo / Butch Shaffer
2005 Football Schedule (10-12 Varsity)
Return
to Top |
|
While the Hornets may have fallen short of making a 9th-straight trip to the state playoffs and finished with their most regular-season losses since a 5-5 1995 campaign, Chillicothe played consistently well and had to. "We had five offensive starters back and four on defense from 2003, so we had some spots to fill," stated Coach Willard. A highlight of the awards banquet was the announcement of special award recipients. This year included the introduction of four winners of the inaugural Shawn Trager Memorial Scholarship Award. It was instituted by the family of the former CHS football and track star, who dies in a Kansas traffic crash last spring while a freshman at Baker University. The annual award includes a $1,000 check to be used toward college education and a plaque. four 2004 seniors were awarded the price - Tyler Monier, Zach Morgan, Michael Marriott, and Brent Christopher. The Coaches' Award, for overall dedication to the team and its success, was shared by three seniors - Trent Figg, Christopher, and Marriott. Best Player (by position) Awards went to: Gene Saunders Offensive Line Award - Tim Shafer and D.. Midgyett; Offensive Back - Clint Macoubrie; Defensive Line - Keith Minnis and Jordan Cassity; Linebacker/Defensive Back - Macoubrie; Special Teams - Alex Chaney. Most Improved Player (by position) Awards were presented to: Offensive Line - Ben Coult; Offensive Back - Dillon Harp; Defensive Line - Brett Grozinger and John Thurmon; Linebacker/Defensive Back - Zach Morgan and Monier. Willard also presented what he and his staff named "Hornet Persistence Awards" to senior Adam O'Dell and sophomore Seth Turbyfill, each of whom came back from prior knee injuries to play some in 2004 and Clay Regan, who missed only two practices in three years. This year's team set or tired three CHS pigskin marks, including new records for fewest turnovers in a season (7) and highest pass completion percentage and tying the mark for fewest pass interceptions thrown in a season (2). Willard introduced 37 lettermen - 27 of them seniors. Senior statisticians Cassie Cox and Kelley Gengelbach and ball boy Jacob Stull were also acknowledged. Six Chillicothe players were honored with inclusion on the combined Classes 3-5 all-district squad: Clint Macoubrie at both running back and linebacker, senior Tyler Monier at defensive back, senior offensive guard D.J. Midgyett on the offensive line, senior end Jordan Cassity on the defensive line, senior punter Alex Chaney, and sophomore place kicker Austin Sloan. Three hornets - seniors Alex Chaney and D.J. Midgyett and junior Clint Macoubrie - were included on the MHSFBCA's Class 3 All-State squad, which consisted of first-, second-, and third team honorees. Macoubrie, previously chosen Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association (MSSA) first-team All-State at linebacker, was tabbed for second-team status at running back by the coaches' group. The Chillicothe back led the Hornets with 1,017 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns this past fall. His touchdown total was the highest in the strong MEC. Midgyett and Chaney were third-team choices at offensive line and punter, respectively. Midgyett was named MSSA first-team offensive lineman earlier. The 2004 selections of Macoubrie, Midgyett, and Chaney bring to 59 the number of Chillicothe players chosen football All-State over the years. MRVC
Teams Are Football Hornets' New District Foes
2003 Football Season The 2003 Hornets' season reached its zenith November 12 when they defeated three-time defending champion Platte County 28-14 at Platte City. The state playoff win not only ended the Pirates' reign as state champs, but also halted their 52-game winning streak, second-longest in Missouri high school football history. In 2003, top players by positions were: Offensive line - Josh Gannan, senior end; offensive back - Drew Lollar, senior running back; defensive lineman - Nathan Yardley, senior end; defensive back/linebacker - Josh Gannan, senior linebacker; special teams - Clint Macoubrie, sophomore punter. The 03 Hornets established three new team records - most rushing touchdowns in a season (50), most average yards per offensive play for a season (6.6), and most rushing attempts in a game (66 at KC: O'Hara). Eight players and head coach Willard were honored on the Northwest Missouri All-District football team. Josh Gannan and Nathan Yardley were honored as two-way players and Coach Phil Willard was named Class 3-4-5 Coach of the Year. Others named to the All District Team were seniors Scott Lowe, Drew Lollar and Matt Wilson and juniors Jerald Potter and Brent Christopher and sophomore Clint Macoubrie. |
|
Walter Is CHS'
First D-II Softball Signee
Previously, a few Lady Hornets had received junior college and NAIA college scholarships. Walter was a three-year starter behind the plate and a four-year letter winner for the Lady Hornets. During her three years as a starter, the team had a composite 58-19 record with two district championships and state tournament appearances and three Midland Empire Conference titles. As a sophomore, she had a .366 batting average, followed by a .436 mark as a junior and .341 as a senior. As a senior, she led the team in hits, runs scored, at-bats, and doubles and shared the lead in walks. She also is durable and an excellent defensive catcher who remarkably made only two errors while catching every inning (164) of all 24 games this fall. On hand to share in the milestone moment were Walter's parents, Karen and Mark (seated), along with CHS head coach Stan Baldwin (right) and Walter's summer team coach for a number of years, Robert Cowherd (left). (C-T Photo / Megan Neis) CHS Cooks Up Another
All-Stater
Junior softball pitcher Kerri Cook second-team coaches' association honoree; Lady Hornet was 15-4 with 0.98 ERA for conference, district champions in '05. Chillicothe Lady Hornets junior pitcher Kerri Cook has been named a Class 3 second-team All-State softball pitcher by the Missouri High School Fast-Pitch Coaches Association (MHSFCA). Her selection makes it three-consecutive years Chillicothe has had a player honored for her performance with state-level recognition by the MHSFCA. A year ago, Andrea Walter was named a first-team catcher and shortstop Amber Parker a second-team infielder in Class 3. In 2003, outfielder Sharla Fender earned second-team All-State recognition, the first such CHS player honored since the program was inaugurated in 1996. Cook's 15-4 won-lost record and 0.98 earned run average (per seven innings) were part of a 19-5 season for the 2005 diamond Lady Hornets, who won a third-straight Midland Empire Conference championship and second district crown in three years. Chillicothe's second appearance in state tournament play in three years ended quickly, but very respectably, when they were beaten by eventual state champion Kearney in sectional play. Congratulating the righthanded hurler on her honor, Chillicothe head coach Stan Baldwin said maturity and physical conditioning keyed Cook's rise. “As a freshman, as our No. 2 pitcher behind Natalie (Ream), she was lights out when we used her,” Baldwin recalled. “Of course, she didn't have to pitch in the ‘big' games because we had Natalie.” "When it was all her (in 2004) and she had to perform (at a high level) every game, it was tougher.” Baldwin felt she had the tools to be much better than what she showed as a sophomore. That belief was borne out this fall. Her '05 season highlights included a 1-0 shutout of St. Joseph: Lafayette in the tense district championship game, Chillicothe's first-ever no-hitter Sept. 8 at home against first-year program Savannah, and the first perfect game ever tossed by a Lady Hornet when she retired all 15 Savannah batters she faced in a 10-0 victory in a pool-play game in the Chillicothe Invitational tournament Sept. 17. Lady Hornets '05 softball
MEC, District Champs Lauded at Annual Post-Season Awards Event
Special award recipients for the 2005 Chillicothe softball Lady Hornets season, announced at Tuesday night's postseason recognition banquet were, from left: Co-Most Improved Players Mandi Brock and Carole Myers, Kerri Cook - Most Valuable Player, Andrea Walter - Best Defensive Player, and Angel Maxwell - Coaches' Award. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm) Conference champions for a third-consecutive year and district champs and state tournament participants (losing out to eventual state champion Kearney) for a second time in three seasons, the 2005 Chillicothe High School softball Lady Hornets were saluted Tuesday night at the program's annual postseason awards banquet. Head coach Stan Baldwin and assistant Jim Radel recounted the performances and highlights of this fall's varsity and junior-varsity squads during the ceremony in the CHS commons. Following the season recaps and the coaches' traditional “gag” gifts presentations to the players, Baldwin announced the recipients of the four special awards he gives. Selected by the coaches as the 19-5 varsity team's Most Valuable Player was junior Kerri Cook. Senior catcher Andrea Walter was named Top Defensive Player and senior third baseman Angel Maxwell was given the Coaches' Award for team dedication and leadership. Infielders Mandi Brock, a junior, and Carole Myers, a sophomore, shared the Most Improved Player award. The team's primary pitcher and No. 3 hitter in the lineup, Cook posted a 15-4 pitching record with a 0.98 earned run average. Sharply improving her pitch control from her sophomore year, the righthander allowed only 78 hits in 122 innings while issuing only 24 bases on balls. She struck out 105. She threw three shutouts and one no-hitter. Offensively, Cook's 17 runs batted in led the club. In addition to announcing the special award winners, Baldwin recounted the numerous, previously-announced all-MEC, all-district, and all-region honors accorded to members of this year's Lady Hornets. Third-Timer Maxwell
Paces CHS All-MEC Diamond Picks Four members of the 2005 Midland Empire Conference softball champion Chillicothe Lady Hornets - including three seniors and the team's top pitcher - have been selected first-team all-conference, it has been announced by league representatives. Chosen all-MEC for the third year in a row - yet at a third different position - is CHS third baseman Angel Maxwell, along with repeat first-team catcher Andrea Walter, utility player Abby Sallee, and junior pitcher Kerri Cook. The confusing all-conference list released (full list appears in today's By The Numbers) is comprised of what are listed as first- and second-team selections and honorable mention players by position (pitcher, catcher, infield, outfield, utility), but also includes another seven additional players in a separate “honorable mention” listing. That seems to effectively indicate the by-position honorable mentions are third-team picks. In addition to Chillicothe's four first-team honorees, it has two other players recognized at three positions. Junior second baseman Mandi Brock was chosen as a second-team infielder, while sophomore Mallory Lowe was “third-team” outfielder and pitcher. In addition to the announcement of the all-MEC teams, the all-tournament team for the Class 3 District 16 tournament which Chillicothe hosted and won has been announced by Lady Hornets coach Stan Baldwin. That one-team-only recognition included three pitchers, five infielders, four outfielders, two catchers, and two “utility” players from the tourney's six-school field. The champion Lady Hornets had five players selected for the all-district tournament team - Walter at catcher, Maxwell and Myers on the infield, Cook at pitcher, and Brock “utility” (even though she played only at second base). In addition to the all-MEC and all-district teams, Baldwin also relayed the all-region team selected by the coaches of the four teams who played in Districts 13-16 quarter of the Missouri State High School Activities Association's Class 3 state tournament. Four Lady Hornets were tabbed all-region first-team - pitcher Cook, catcher Walter, infielder Maxwell, and “utility” player Sallee, while Myers was second-team on the infield. One Chilli Combo, Please
Chillicothe Lady Hornets pitcher Kerri Cook leaps into the arms of catcher Andrea Walter as third baseman Angel Maxwell (left) celebrates after the final out of Saturday's Class 3 District 16 championship game win over St. Joseph: Lafayette. Chillicothe won the title 1-0 and now stands 19-4 on the year. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Make Mine a Chilli Combo. When Saturday dawned, one was a favorite, the other a rising, but still unproven, possible contender. By the time the calendar page flipped to Sunday, both were district champions and state tournament bound. In the bright sunlight of midday, the softball Lady Hornets fought off strong challenges from Maryville (3-2) and St. Joseph: Lafayette (1-0) to successfully defend their No. 1 seeding in the Class 3 District 16 tournament at Chillicothe's Daryl Danner Memorial Park. Then, after laying the groundwork with stalwart daytime showings, the tennis Lady Hornets shone bright in the night at St. Joseph's Noyes Tennis Center by outdistancing St. Joseph: Lafayette to unexpectedly earn the Class 1 District 7 team championship, including freshman Ellyn Turner's individual singles crown. With a state tournament berth at stake, a bunt single by their very first batter of the game was the only hit the Chillicothe softball Lady Hornets could muster Saturday afternoon. However, thanks to superior defensive execution in support of junior pitcher Kerri Cook and a fifth-inning, two-out, wild pitch, the top-seeded Lady Hornets still got the job done, edging second-seeded St. Joseph: Lafayette 1-0 in the championship game of the Class 3 District 16 tournament at Chillicothe's Daryl Danner Memorial Park. With the bases full in the bottom of the fifth, Mallory Lowe darted home without a play when a high, outside pitch to Andrea Walter ticked off the Lady Irish catcher's mitt and to the screen, scoring the only run of the title game. With the title comes a trip to the Class 3 state tournament, starting with a 7 p.m. sectional-round game against Kearney at Kearney Wednesday. ”I'm thrilled to death. The girls deserve it. They've worked hard,“ Baldwin stated. Diamond Lady Hornets
Shine Again Behind Lowe The Chillicothe softball Lady Hornets are heading into their postseason play at or near the top of their game. Tuesday, in their final pre-district tournament outing, the CHS girls used their No. 2 pitcher, Mallory Lowe, to turn back visiting St. Joseph: Lafayette 5-1 at Daryl Danner Memorial Park. The game was a possible preview of this Saturday's district tournament championship game at the same site. Chillicothe is seeded first and Lafayette second in the six-team Class 3 District 16 event. "We are playing pretty good ball right now," Chillicothe head coach Stan Baldwin assessed. "If we play like we can, we'll do great (in the district tournament)." The Lady Hornets raised their record to 17-4 with Tuesday's win. Lowe, a righthander who normally patrols center field for the Lady Hornets, retired the first 10 batters she faced. By the time Lafayette got anyone on base, it trailed 3-0 and had barely half the game to try to catch up. Lowe walked only one batter and held the Lady Irish to five hits and one earned run in raising her varsity record to 4-1. Chillicothe scored once in the first inning on Andrea Walter's one-out double and Abby Sallee's two-out single and never was headed. It added two two-out runs in the second on an error, Claire Constant's single, a passed ball, a fielder's choice, and another error. Walter had CHS' only multi-hit game in its seven-hit offense against Lafayette's top pitcher, Samantha Donoho. In the final junior-varsity game of the season, Chillicothe (13-5-1) used a 13-run fourth inning to win 14-4. Senior Day' for Softball
Team September 29, 2005 The senior members of the 2005 Chillicothe High School softball Lady Hornets will be saluted tomorrow (Thursday) prior to their second-to-last home game. To be honored are Andrea Walter, Angel Maxwell, Abby Sallee, Tiffany Perry, and Randie Lowe. The ceremony recognizing the seniors will take place prior to the varsity game against St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond at Daryl Danner Memorial Park. In order to give more working people - especially the seniors' parents - the opportunity to be on hand for the ceremony, the 4:30 p.m. doubleheader will begin with the junior-varsity game, rather than the varsity. Super Senior
Sendoff
Facing a team with a 13-2 record from a program which produced last year's Class 2 state runnerup, the Chillicothe softball Lady Hornets had no easy task in making their 2005 "Senior Night" one full of happy memories for the five 12th grade members of the team, but they were up to the task. With all four available seniors in the lineup and playing start to finish, Chillicothe registered a 7-3 victory over the visiting St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond Lady Golden Eagles last (Thursday) night at Daryl Danner Memorial Park. Chillicothe improved to 15-4 on the year with the non-conference triumph. LeBlond fell to 13-3. Honored, along with their parents, after the game were Chillicothe's Andrea Walter, Angel Maxwell, Tiffany Perry, Randie Lowe, and Abby Sallee. Chillicothe never trailed in the game and led the rest of the way after scoring twice in the bottom of the third inning as LeBlond's defense faltered and the Lady Hornets' speed and aggressive baserunning took full advantage. Lady Hornets head coach Stan Baldwin was proud of the victory, noting it was achieved in much the same way most of the previous 14 had been. "We play well as a team," he commented. "No real superstars, just unselfish ballplayers." Chillicothe's seven runs were produced on only seven hits. Kerri Cook had the only multi-hit game with two plus she walked once and drove in two. Walter scored twice and also was on base three times. On the mound, junior Cook walked only two while striking out six and allowing six hits, two of them to Meyer. Cook's Early
Blast, Hurling Power Softball Hornets' Win
(C-T file photo / Paul Sturm) Making up a rained-out home game Wednesday, the Chillicothe softball Lady Hornets rode the arm and bat of junior pitcher Kerri Cook to a 3-1 victory over the St. Joseph: Benton Lady Cardinals. After working out of a two-on, none-out jam in the top of the first inning without damage, Cook slammed the first pitch she saw as a batter some 200-plus feet and over the fence at Daryl Danner Memorial Park to give the Lady Hornets a lead they would not relinquish. Chillicothe added another run in the third on hits by seniors Andrea Walter and Angel Maxwell and, after Benton scored an unearned tally in the top of the sixth, one in the sixth to finish off its 14th victory of the season and third over Benton. Midland Empire Conference champions for a third year in a row, the Lady Hornets stood 14-4 heading into their "Senior Day" meeting with St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond Thursday. Return
to Top |
|
The Lady Hornets finished the 2004 season with an 18-8 record, including a perfect 6-0 record in MEC play. Senior shortstop Amber Parker and junior catcher Andrea Walter were named to all three post season first teams. Senior third basement Meghann Gilliland and junior outfielder Angel Maxwell were second-team all-region and first-team all-district and all-MEC. Senior first baseman Katie Nibarger was first-team all district and all league. Sophomore pitcher Kerri Cook was second-team all-MEC and sophomore second baseman Mandi Brock honorable mention all conference. Parker received the team's MVP award chosen by Coach Baldwin and assistant coach Jim Radel. Given the award as the team's top defensive player was first baseman Nibarger, who had only two errors in 201 chances. The Coaches' Award was presented to Gilliland, who adapted well from her left field spot of her first three years with the Lady Hornets to third base. The team had four seniors - Holly Burnett, Parker, Gilliland, and Nibarger. Other team stats included most runs batted in - Nibarger, 20; most runs scored - Cook and Walter, 29 each; most triples - Cook, 3; most sacrifice bunts - Walter, 4. Cook was the team's busiest pitcher, going 14-8 in 22 starts. Freshman Mallory Lowe was an impressive 4-0 in fuor starts with a 0.00 earned run average. Cook had only a 1.36 ERA.
Return
to Top |
|
2003 Season Shutting out the Maryville Lady Spoofhounds 6-0, the Lady Hornets claimed the Class 3 District 16 tournament championship. Coach Stan Baldwin was very proud the team reached all its preseason goals: first-ever district title and accompanying state tournament berth, as well as the Midland Empire Conference crown they shared with Maryville, and a second-straight 20-2 in season. The 21 wins were a new school mark. Softball Hornets receiving top honors included Sharla Fender (Offensive Player of the Year), Ashley Kelly (Most Improved Player), Kerri Cook (Most Runs Batted In), Sophie Pyrtle (Coach's Award), Natalie Ream (Co-Most Valuable Player), Dionne Cook (Student Manager and Co-Most Valuable Player). The team finished with a 21-6 record after winning districts and was crowned the MEC co-champions for the first time in school history. Return
to Top |
|
CHS Cross Country
Runners Saluted at 2005 Awards Event
Photo by Paul Sturm, C-T Sports Editor One of the best team finishes in the boys' division of the MEC race in years and a continuation of the school's streak of consecutive years of having at least one state meet qualifier were highlights of the 2005 Chillicothe High School cross country season reviewed and celebrated during the teams' annual postseason awards banquet. Coach Jill Watkins presided over ceremonies in the high school media center which honored the 14 male runners and one female who comprised the 2005 CHS teams. The ceremonies closed with her presentation of two special awards. Receiving this year's Coach's Award was senior Brett Dowell. The Most Improved Award was given to sophomore Logan Gilliland. Dowell clearly had the Hornets' best overall performance for the year, capturing t medals in eight meets, including the MEC and Class 2 district events. While the Hornets didn't capture any first-place finishes as a team this season - their highest finish was second among three teams in their own season-starting meet - they did create a highlight moment with their 3rd place performance in the conference meet, which Chillicothe hosted for the first time. Gilliland was cited by Watkins as having clearly committed himself to the sport and its demands during the year, with that commitment showing up in the form of good results several times. The 2005 season saw the conclusion of the career of two-time state qualifier Jimmy Griesbach. The senior missed his third trip to state by one place in the district race after earning medals in six regular-season meets. He produced his season-best time (18:01 at Marshall also. The Hornets had two other seniors - Brandon Merrill and Chandler Stagg. CHS' Brett Dowell to
State Cross Country
(C-T file photo / Paul Sturm) Senior Brett Dowell will carry the red-and-black colors of Chillicothe High School into the Class 2 Missouri Cross Country Championships at Jefferson City's Oak Hills Golf Center Saturday morning, November 5. Dowell, who finished 76th at state in 19:33 as a junior, will compete in the 3.1-mile (5-kilometer) race over the hilly south Jefferson City terrain at about 10:35 a.m. Also in state cross country competition Saturday will be the Class 1 defending champion Hamilton Lady Hornets, Benjamin Dawson of Hamilton, and two freshman brothers from Mendon: Northwestern - Jeff and Josh Kornbrust. Dawson and the Kornbrusts will be in the day's first race, starting at 10 a.m. That will be followed by the Class 2 boys' test involving Dowell before the Class 1 girls' race, slated for 11:10 a.m. Representing Hamilton in its quest for a repeat championship will be seniors Mary Reed and Natalie Clevenger, junior Emily Snyder, sophomore district champion Jordan Esry, and freshmen Joanna Dawson, Ashley Flock, and Lanna Stubbs. 2004 third-place finisher Esry, Clevenger, Snyder, and Reed were part of last year's champs. Dowell figures to be a long, long shot for a state medal (top-15 finish), but would love to improve significantly on his time and finish of 2004. “I know Brett is looking forward to the state competition,” CHS coach Jill Watkins commented earlier this week. “He ran well last year, "but he's looking forward to placing higher and challenging himself to run a personal best (time).” Dowell's best time has been an 18:01 at Marshall this year. Brett Dowell MEC Medalist
Again
Running confidently at home, Chillicothe senior Brett Dowell strode across the finish line in 18:27, earning fifth place in Tuesday's annual Midland Empire Conference race at Chillicothe's Green Hills Golf Course. That made Dowell an all-MEC runner for the second-straight year. ‘This year he earned first-team all-conference honors by placing in the top seven,” reported Hornets coach Jill Watkins. “This wasn't Brett's best time of the season, but he still ran a strong race. ŠHe started at a fast pace and ran most of the race in sixth spot. Through the last mile he was able to pass a Smithville runner to get in the top five.” His showing helped Chillicothe finish third in the team standings behind champion St. Joseph: Benton and Smithville. Benton had 37 points, Smithville 51, and Chillicothe 96. Jimmy Griesbach was the second CHS runner to finish, taking 19th in 19:26. Hornets freshmen Casey Pryor (19:44) and Ben Griffin (19:54) took 21st and 25th, respectively. Sophomore Logan Gilliland was 26th (19:57), Ben Nibarger 37th (20:52), and Jacob Fellhoelter 41st (21:42). Chillicothe had no varsity girls. The distaff team title also went to Benton, followed by Smithville and Platte County. Individual MEC varsity champions were a Benton pair - Andrew Kennedy (17:45) and Blair Sample (20:43). On the junior-varsity level, CHS had two medalists - its lone girl runner, Brittanee Jacobs (25:55), who was fourth, and Chris Rogers (personal-best 20:57), who was sixth. “Brett truly earned his accolades with this performance. He was mentally and physically tough, which is exactly what he had to be in order to run as well as he did in a competitive conference meet. “Brett is peaking at the right time. Due to his work ethic and determination in practice, race days have simply been one success after another,” she concluded. CHS Cross Country
Runs Solidly in Big Excelsior Springs Meet EXCELSIOR SPRINGS - In one of the biggest (in pure numbers) meets of their regular season, the Chillicothe cross country teams competed well, for the most part, in Tuesday's meet at Excelsior Springs. Even though she knew it probably would negatively impact where her varsity boys would finish in the team standings, Chillicothe coach Jill Watkins chose to have freshmen Casey Pryor and Ben Griffin who normally run with the varsity to compete against runners their own age. The decision led to those two capturing medals, Pryor for finishing the abbreviated (two-mile) ninth grade race in fourth place in 11:25 and Griffin taking ninth in 11:56. The varsity, despite solid runs by seniors Jimmy Griesbach and Brett Dowell in a meet that featured about 30 teams, placed ninth out of about 14 small-school-division teams. In the varsity division, Griesbach led the Hornets with a 34th-place finish in 18:56 and Dowell was 40th in 19:09. "Regardless of their finishing places, both Jimmy and Brett ran competitive races and beat a lot of conference runners that have eluded them in the last two races," noted Watkins. "While we are making progress as individuals and as a team, we need to continue to improve in the next two weeks in order to perform our best at conference and districts," Watkins summarized. The Chillicothe cross country teams' next meet is slated for this Saturday at Kearney. CHS Harriers Medal
Only One at Savannah SAVANNAH - Brett Dowell finished 23rd to be the only Chillicothe medalist in Saturday's Savannah Invitational cross country meet. Dowell ran an 18:45. Teammate Casey Pryor just missed medaling, taking 26th in 18:52. None of the other Hornets broke 20 minutes. "Saturday was a tough day for our team," commented coach Jill Watkins. "Unfortunately, we struggled in both the varsity boys' and junior varsity boys' races."
Kearney was the boys' team champion with CHS seventh. Ben Griffin placed 47th (20:05), Jacob Fellhoelter 52nd (20:53), Logan Gilliland 53rd (20:54), Jimmy Griesbach 55th (21:10), and Ben Nibarger 57th (21:19). Cross Country Hornets
Continuing to Make Strides; Medal Three
At the Lafayette Invitational, senior Brett Dowell became the third different runner to be the first Hornet across the finish line, finishing eighth in 18:53. Also medaling were Jimmy Griesbach (12th) and Casey Pryor (19th), each of whom had the top CHS runner twice in the team's four previous meets. With that trio again leading the way, Chillicothe took fourth among six teams, totaling 109 points. Excelsior Springs was the boys' division champion with 54 points, followed by Lawson and St. Joseph: Benton. "Brett ran a superb race," stated Chillicothe coach Jill Watkins. "Like Saturday, Brett ran with confidence and remained focused throughout the entire course. "Brett is improving each race, which is exactly what he needs to do at this point in the season. He needs to continually get stronger and faster so that he is competitive at conference and districts at the end of next month." Griesbach completed the 3.1 miles in 19:06 and Pryor in 19:21. |
|
2004 Cross Country Season Under enthusiastic second-year coach Jill Watkins, the 2004 campaign ended with three Chillicotheans running in the Class 2 state meet, the largest CHS group advancing to state since the boys' team qualified in 1997. Cappi9ng the season were solid performances in the Midland Empire Conference and district races, along with the trip to state by senior Kelley Gengelbach - the only varsity girl CHS had - and juniors Jimmy Griesbach and Brett Dowell. At state for a third-consecutive year, Gengelbach placed 32nd - one spot better than her 2002 performance. Dowell finished in the middle of the 150-plus runners, taking 76ht, while Griesbach struggled the second half of the race as was 139th. For her season-long excellence - she medaled in every race except state, where she missed by a relatively small margin, Gengelbach was presented the Coach's Award. In addition to her third state qualification, the senior earned all-conference and all-district status by finishing sixth and fifth, repsecively, in those races. She also marked 2004 by posting her best-ever time - a 20:56 - during a meet at Marshall and was the winner in the girls' division of the season-opening CHS Invitational, Chillicothe's first home meet in years. The other special award Watkins presented went to another senior, Daniel Leatherman, whose dedication and team leadership she praised effusively. Citing his nearly-season-long consistency, she noted how hard it was to see Leatherman miss out on qualifying for state. Leatherman's final prep campaign did include several highlights, including earning all-MEC status by finishing 12th in the conference meet in a season-best 18:09 and winning medals in the first four meets. Fiery Dowell, coming on stronger and stronger as the season went along, aslso was all-MEC (9th place) and added all-district honors to that by snaring the 15th and final state-qualifying spot in that race at Richmond. The junior medaled five times,including being a team-best third in the CHS Invitational to pace the Hornets to their first team crown in a meet in years. His fastest time of 2004 was an 18:07 at conference. Fellow 11th grader Griesbach earned his second-straight trip to state when he took 10th in the district race at 18:56. He medaled three times and had a season-best time of 18:21 at Marshall. In addition, three other CHS cross country seniors - two of them who had not been out for the team previously - medaled. Craig Putnam medaled twice, including his personal record time of 18:47 in the MEC. Jason Quick ran junior varsity the first seven meets, but was in the varsity line-up the last three. His best 5-k time was 22:12 at Savannah in a JV race. Senior vet Tyler Griesbach never regained the form he showed the first year or two of his career, but he remained a contributor to the team's growing success. In 2002-2003, the boys were third in Conference, 5th in District. The girls had two runners who qualified for State competition, finishing in the top 25%. |
|
Caption: Madison Marcolla, a four-time All-State and four-time Midland Empire Conference champion golfer for Chillicothe High School, last week signed a letter-of-intent to join the University of Missouri Women's Golf team. Present to observe Madison's signing were her parents John and Laurie, CHS girls' golf coach Vickie Garrett, and Phil Willard, CHS athletics director. (Photo supplied) University of Missouri women's golf head coach Stephanie Priesmeyer announced Monday that Madison Marcolla of Chillicothe has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to join the Mizzou women's golf team in fall 2006. Marcolla is a four-time all-state golfer for Chillicothe High School, finishing in the top 10 all four years, including three top fives. Marcolla took fourth place in the State Tournament as a senior after taking third place finishes in her sophomore and junior season and a 10th place finish as a freshman. She took the conference title in each of her four seasons with Chillicothe High and was a three-time district champion. The St. Joseph News-Press named her the Golfer of the Year all four years of her high school career. She won the Westfield Junior Midwest PGA Championship in 2004 and 2005 and tied for sixth at the Missouri Girls' State Championship in 2005. Along with her accolades on the golf course, Marcolla has excelled in the classroom as a four-time academic letterwinner and a member of the National Honor Society. She will graduate in May in the top five percent of her class, compiling a 3.98 GPA. Marcolla's brother, Kyle, is a redshirt freshman on the Mizzou men's golf team. State Golf
Runners-up Saluted
The finest-ever season of Chillicothe High School girls' golf - a program which has had its share of success and more over the years - was recapped and the players responsible for its achievement recognized and honored last (Tuesday) night at the team's annual postseason awards event. In the end of an era, although not necessarily an end to the program's success, the 2005 golf Lady Hornets - led by four-time All-State golfer Madison Marcolla - were saluted during the event held in the clubhouse of the Green Hills Golf Course. Others who played in the varsity lineup this year were fellow 2005 All-Stater Sarah Sivill, four-time state qualifier Maggie Weldon, freshman Mollie Marcolla, sophomore Katelin Gann, and sophomore Shelby Wayman. Junior-varsity players included junior Betsy Brick and freshmen Vanessa Jones, Maddie Anderson, and Melissa Cooper. Two special awards were presented by coach Vickie Garrett, both going to Marcolla. The senior earned her fourth “Outstanding Golfer” award (sponsored by Merrill-Lynch), given annually to the player with the team's best scoring average, and the Coach's Award (sponsored by Edward Jones), given for dedication to the team. Marcolla, who began her association with the team back in the sixth grade as a manager, the coach noted, averaged 39.3 shots per nine holes this year. Garrett recounted the team's many achievements in 2005 - second place in the Class 1 state tournament, the program's best-ever finish after a couple of thirds; two state medalists (Ma. Marcolla, Sivill) a fourth-straight trip to state as a team; an undefeated record in dual matches; a third-straight district title; a fifth-consecutive Midland Empire Conference championship; a first-ever title in the Brookfield Invitational tournament; a third team title in as many appearances in the Platte County Invitational; second place behind eventual Class 1 state championship Kansas City: Pembroke Hill in the tough Sedalia Invitational; and third (behind winner Pembroke Hill) in the strong Richmond tourney. A couple of team records were broken during the Sedalia tourney - best 18-hole score (333, bettering the 334 set the second day of the 2004 state tournament) and best nine-hole score (165, breaking a 1999 mark of 166). Historic Hardware Haul The Chillicothe golf Lady Hornets accomplished the school's highest-ever finish in the state tournament yesterday by taking second place in the 2005 Class 1 state tournament at Bolivar. With four of its five players markedly reducing their scores from Monday's first round, Chillicothe easily sewed up second spot behind runaway state champ Kansas City: Pembroke Hill with a two-day, low-four team total of 724. That was 62 shots behind Pembroke Hill, which won for a third-straight year in Class 1. Team members are, from right, Katelin Gann, Sarah Sivill, Maggie Weldon, Madison and Mollie Marcolla, and coach Vickie Garrett. Madison Marcolla and Sivill each medaled (top 15 finish) individually, Marcolla with a 162 that earned her fourth place and Sivill with a 174 that shared 13th.
BOLIVAR - With three veterans of state tournament play on the squad, the Chillicothe golf Lady Hornets figured to have an excellent chance to hold onto the runnerup spot they put themselves in after one round of the two-day Class 1 high school girls' state tournament at Silo Ridge Golf & Country Club. Those veterans - seniors Madison Marcolla, Sarah Sivill, and Maggie Weldon - did not disappoint. With Marcolla whacking 10 shots off her first-day score to wrap up her fourth individual state medal with a fourth-place finish, Sivill nabbing her first state medal by trimming four strokes to tie for 13th, and Weldon also chopping 10 shots off her Monday score, Chillicothe posted a low-four team score of 354 yesterday (Tuesday) to finish the 36-hole tournament with a 724. That left the Lady Hornets - third-place team finishers in 2004 and fourth in 2003 - as runnersup to three-time repeat champion Kansas City: Pembroke Hill, which ran away, as expected, with a record-tying 662. “Our goal was to get second. Pembroke Hill - they're just loaded,” coach Vickie Garrett stated. The second-place state finish is the best by a CHS girls' team. “I was real pleased with our comeback (Tuesday),” Garrett said. “The first day was the worst score we had all year.” Even with that, the Lady Hornets were second to Pembroke Hill after day one. When they improved by 16 strokes on day two, they created big separation between themselves and any would-be pursuers. Third-place Kirksville wound up 42 shots behind Chillicothe. “We came back and played the way we're capable of,” the coach said of the Lady Hornets' Tuesday performance. Deeply disappointed in her first-round 86, Marcolla showed what she's capable of yesterday, firing the day's second-best round - a 76 - to climb into undisputed fourth place with a 162. That follows third-place
Sivill, who sat just off the medal-earning (top 15 finish) pace after the first 18 holes, responded admirably the second 18, moving up to a 13th-place tie with an 85 that left her at 174. That gave her a three-shot cushion for making the medalist ranks and she was only two strokes away from being “top 10.” “I was real proud of Madison and Sarah,” Garrett commented. The dual medalists also are a first for Chillicothe. Caption: Chillicothe Lady Hornets senior golfer Madison Marcolla closed with a 76, second-best round of day two of the Class 1 state tournament Tuesday, to finish fourth individually and lead CHS to second place, its best finish ever. Marcolla now is one of only 17 Missouri girls to have medaled in state golf play all four years of her high school career. (C-T file photo / Paul Sturm) Fighting The Urge
Medalists in Monday's Midland Empire Conference girls' golf tournament at Chillicothe's Green Hills Golf Course were, in the order of their finish: Madison Marcolla and Sarah Sivill, Chillicothe; Megan Chaney, Cameron; Sarah Hayes, Maryville; Maggie Weldon, Chillicothe; Abby Dillon, Savannah; Mollie Marcolla and Katelin Gann, Chillicothe; Fairann Campbell, Maryville; and Erin Bullock, Platte County. If you crave drama, Chillicothe's Green Hills Golf Course definitely wasn't the place for you Monday. Led by senior Madison Marcolla, who fired a 1-over-par 73 on her home course to sew up her fourth-consecutive individual league title, the Chillicothe golf Lady Hornets stifled the impulse to yawn their way through this one and easily secured their fifth-straight Midland Empire Conference championship and eighth in the last 10 years, scoring a 64-shot win over their nearest challenger. Chillicothe secured its ninth overall MEC team title with a low-four team score of 340, leaving second-place Maryville in the dust at 404. Individually, Chillicothe was so dominant that even dropping four-time champ Marcolla's score and using the Lady Hornets' highest round - fast-improving sophomore Katelin Gann's very-respectable 93 - would have still given CHS a 44-shot margin over Maryville. All five Lady Hornets players not only medaled (top 10), but were among the top eight on the day. ”I'm real proud of Katelin,“ CHS coach Vickie Garrett commented. ”A 93 is her best score of the season. She's coming on when we need her. ”I think she's getting more confident because she's been playing longer.“ The Chillicothe golfers now will turn full attention to preparing for their appearance in next Monday's and Tuesday's Class 1 state tournament at Bolivar. CHS Golf Lady Hornets Overwhelm MEC Tourney Field With the outcome of yesterday's MEC tourney in no doubt even before play started, Chillicothe manufactured its own internal motivation. ”Our goal was to better our district tournament score (from last week) of 342,“ coach Vickie Garrett related, ”and we did by two shots.“ In addition to Ma. Marcolla's 73 - one shot better than what she carded in last year's event at Fairview Golf Course in St. Joseph - and Gann's 93, Chillicothe received an 82 from Sivill, who earned second over Cameron's Megan Chaney in a scorecard playoff; a 92 from Weldon, who was fifth after winning a scorecard playoff from Savannah's Abby Dillon, and a 93 from freshman Mo. Marcolla. Ma. Marcolla's individual win made it five-straight years Chillicothe has produced the MEC tourney medalist. That streak began with Mandy Hicks in 2001. Prior to Hicks' title, the only Lady Hornet to win the conference crown was Jamie Coult in 1994. Behind Maryville in the team standings, in order, came Cameron (411), Platte County (419), Savannah (426), Smithville (429), St. Joseph: Lafayette (470), and St. Joseph: Benton (482). Golf Lady Hornets
Cruise to District Championship The Chillicothe golf Lady Hornets will participate in the Class 1 state tournament for a fourth-consecutive time and fifth time in six years after winning the District 4 tournament title yesterday with a team score of 342. Led by senior Madison Marcolla's 77, which earned her district medalist laurels for a third time, Chillicothe far outdistanced runnerup Gallatin by 37 shots. All five CHS players finished among the top 11 individuals, earning district medals. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Class 1 District 4 golf tournament medalists and state tournament qualifiers from Thursday's play in Chillicothe are shown below. Madison Marcolla and Sarah Sivill, Chillicothe; Cassie Murphy, Trenton; Ashley Bugbee, South Harrison; Maria Burge, Gallatin; Maggie Weldon, Chillicothe; Megan Chaney, Cameron; Whitney Boyd, Gallatin; Mollie Marcolla, Chillicothe; Taylor Henderson, Gallatin; Katelin Gann, Chillicothe; Cami Swope, Maysville; jalane Alden, Hamilton; and Danielle Critten and Kathryn Everly, Gallatin. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Madison Marcolla has mastered her threes and has started on her fours. No, this isn't one of those family newsletters reporting on a toddler's learning to count or that little student getting the hang of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. This reference is to the outstanding accomplishments of the Chillicothe Lady Hornets senior golfer who is in the final stages of a career of unprecedented achievement in CHS girls' golf annals. Marcolla - who entered this season a three-time Midland Empire Conference champion, three-time state qualifier, and three-time state tournament medalist - yesterday (Thursday) completed another trifecta and earned the first of several four-time accomplishments to her prep golf resumé. On a chilly, windy day at Chillicothe's Green Hills Golf Course, Marcolla fired a 5-over-par 77 to capture her third individual Class 1 district title and earn her fourth trip to the state tournament. Combined with teammates who also played well - one her best ever - despite conditions they hadn't confronted previously this fall, the Lady Hornets romped to their second-straight district team championship, as well, with an 18-hole score of 342, 37 shots better than runnerup Gallatin. CHS senior Sarah Sivill took second individually with an 81 and classmate Maggie Weldon tied for fifth with a 90. Freshman Mollie Marcolla overcame a slow start to shoot a 94, good for ninth place, and sophomore Katelin Gann broke 100 for an 18-hole tourney for the first time, shooting a 97 that earned her a district medal, too, as she took 11th. The players with the 15-best scores earned individual district medals. ”They played great, considering the weather,“ Chillicothe coach Vickie Garrett concurred. ”The wind chill was 36 degrees, I think, when they teed off at 9 a.m.“ The Lady Hornets coach said her team's exposure to tough tournament competition a couple of times during the season seemed to have the squad, especially first-time district participants Gann and Mo. Marcolla, mentally ready to play district. ”When you've played in the Richmond and Sedalia tournaments, you've faced big fields and good players and teams,“ the coach remarked. ”That experience really helped. Playing teams like Lee's Summit, (and Kansas City private schools) Notre Dame (de Sion) and Pembroke Hill (the 2004 state champion), got us ready.“Chillicothe will host the Midland Empire Conference tourney Monday before competing in the state tournament at the Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club at Bolivar on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 17-18. Golf Lady Hornets
Continue to Cruise
With the time for achieving their biggest goals now rapidly drawing near, the Chillicothe golf Lady Hornets continue to sail through the dual-matches portion of their 2005 schedule. Tuesday at Chillicothe's Green Hills Golf Course - site of the Oct. 6 Class 1 district tournament, veteran coach Vickie Garrett's Lady Hornets hiked their dual record to a perfect 11-0 with romps past Cameron and Maryville. With none of its scoring golfers shooting over a 44, Chillicothe carded a dual-match season-best 164, far ahead of Cameron's 192 and Maryville's 212. Leading the way to victory for the Lady Hornets in their final home dual was senior No. 2 player Sarah Sivill. She continued her solid play of the past couple of weeks by firing a 2-over 38. It was her third 2-over nine-hole round in the past four duals - all on the GHGC - and gives her a stroke average of 40 for her last 54 holes. Chillicothe's top player, Madison Marcolla, had a struggling final hole, but still shot a 40, the day's second-best round. No. 3 player Maggie Weldon was another two shots back at 42 and Chillicothe freshman Mollie Marcolla, Madison's sister, was yet another two strokes behind that at 44. Not used for the Chillicothe team scoring was sophomore Katelin Gann's 55. Cameron's best round came from top player Megan Chaney, who carded a 43. Maryville was led by No. 2 player Fairann Campbell's 44. With the regular season drawing to a close, the golf Lady Hornets - defending district champions and third-place finishers in the state tournament a year ago - were slated to play in today's scheduled Platte County Invitational tournament, weather permitting. Chillicothe's final dual match is scheduled for Savannah next Monday.
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Golf Lady Hornets
Cruise to Platte County Title
PLATTE CITY - Chillicothe's 2005 golf Lady Hornets continue to steamroll their area competition. The Lady Hornets posted a 52-stroke margin over runnerup Platte County in winning the team championship of yesterday's (Wednesday's) Platte County Invitational tournament. Chillicothe recorded a team score of 350 in the uniquely-formatted 18-hole event, with Platte County having a 402. Third among the 10 teams competing was the Park Hill South junior-varsity team from the Kansas City metropolitan area with a 414. It was the third-straight time and third time in four years the Chillicothe girls had prevailed in the tournament. CHS did not compete there in 2003. Individually, senior Madison Marcolla of the Lady Hornets earned the championship for the third time in as many tries, carding a 7-over-par 78. That had her five shots clear of teammate and classmate Sarah Sivill, whose 83 was five strokes better than third-place Megan Chaney of Cameron. Chillicothe's other individual entry, senior Maggie Weldon, claimed the fifth-place medal with a 98. The tournament has each team enter three players in solo stroke play and two in a two-person scramble. Each of the four scores then comprises the team's total. Chillicothe not only easily produced the solo medalist, but also the scramble team champions - sophomore Katelin Gann and freshman Mollie Marcolla. They combined to fire a 91, six shots fewer than the total needed by the Cameron and Smithville duos. The Lady Hornets are idle until Monday when they're scheduled for a road dual at Savannah, their last dual match of the season. They'll then host a Class 1 district tournament at Green Hills Golf Course next Thursday, weather permitting. Return
to Top |
|
2004 Girls Golf Season The most-accomplished performances off the CHS fall season came from long-time coach Vickie Garrett's golf squad. The links Lady Hornets completed a season of high expectations by meeting virtually all of their goals, save one. Instead of winning the Class 1 state tournament title, they had to settle for third place, even though they knocked 15 shots off their fourth-place state total of 2003. On their way to that sterling state showing - which included a second straight individual third place finish by junior Madison Marcolla (#1 position), the Lady Hornets decimated most of their competition and rewrote many entries in the CHS girls' golf record book. They blew away the MEC Tournament field, finishing nearly 90 strokes ahead of second-place Maryville, with Marcolla earning her third-straight individual title, one of her numerous CHS records. Not only was Marcolla all-MEC, but so were all four of her teammates - juniors Sarah Sivill (#2) and Maggie Weldon (#3) and seniors Christy Todd and Megan Thompson. They claimed five of the top seven spots in the tourney standings. That followed a clutch district-tournament performance which, facing the pressure of knowing only the top team would be sure of going on to state, they outdueled talented neighboring rival Trenton 334-340. Marcolla won her second district title in three years with Sivill second and Weldon and Todd also earning all-district recognition. CHS records et or matched were Marcolla and Sivill each having a nine-hole round of 1-under par; Marcolla shotting a 1-under 18-hole round; best 18-hole team score (334); best district tourney team score (334); best state tourney team score (723); best state tourney team finish (3rd); most MEC tourney individual titles (Marcolla - 3); most district tourney individual titles (Marcolla-2); most times state medallist (Marcolla - 3); best 18-hole score (Marcoll, 73); best 9-hole score (Marcolla, 35); best individual state tourney score (Marcolla, 156); and best season scoring average compared to par (Marcolla, 2,643 strokes over par). 2003 Girls Golf Season In 2003, Coach Garrett named all six of her players who played varsity at some time this season as recipients of her Coach's Award for overall team contributions (Chauncey Meneely, Christy Todd, Maggie Weldon, Madison Marcolla, Megan Thompson, and Sarah Sivill). Madison Marcolla also received the Outstanding Golfer Award for having the lowest season average. In addition to winning team fourth at state, the 2003 season included all-conference and all-district status for all five players in the CHS lineup, as well as Midland Empire Conference titles for the team and sophomore Madison Marcolla, the state team participation, and Marcolla's third-place individual finish at state. In the season recap, the squad won 13 dual matches, lost two (both to Trenton), and tied one. Its best low-four team score for a dual match was a 169 in its home win over Maryville. In tournaments, Chillicothe repeated as MEC champs for a third year in a row, took second at district, took second at Brookfield, and finished fifth at Sedalia before placing fourth at state. Any high school girl is eligible and welcome to join the team each year. Return
to Top |
|
Volleyball Lady
Hornets Made Good Strides in '05, Coach Says
Paul Sturm C-T Sports Editor Perseverance which led to improvement manifested in eight varsity-match victories marked the 2005 Chillicothe Lady Hornets volleyball season celebrated at the program's annual postseason awards banquet. Head coach Pam Gabel and assistants Karen Jackson and Jim Wheeler introduced the team members and spoke briefly about them and the varsity, JV, and freshman teams' respective years. At the conclusion of her remarks, Gabel presented three special awards. The Coaches' Award went to senior three-year-letter winner Brooke Gabel, the only full-time player back from the 2004 team which set a school record with 23 wins. Two statistics awarded - for highest serving percentage for the season and most digs - went to junior Natalie Hughes (95.1 percent serving) and B. Gabel (188 digs). Coach Gabel recounted some highlights of the team's 8-18-1 season which probably was better than most would have anticipated after losing nearly everyone from the strong 2004 squad. Among the highlights were splitting games with a strong Smithville team in Smithville's tournament, going three games with Maryville (twice) and Cameron, the Carrollton tournament match against Marshall (including one very long rally), and defeating St. Joseph: Benton in straight games at home in the final Midland Empire Conference match to avoid the league cellar (2-5 record). The year's team had three seniors - Brooke Gabel, Taylor Bozarth and Whitney Saunders. CHS' Brooke Gabel
All-Midland Empire Conference in Volleyball
(C-T file photo / Paul Sturm) Two members of the 2005 Chillicothe volleyball Lady Hornets have been honored with inclusion on this year's all-Midland Empire Conference team, CHS coach Pam Gabel reports. Chosen to the all-MEC first team was Lady Hornets senior Brooke Gabel, a second-year starter and third-year letterwinner. More of a backline, defensive specialist and server her sophomore and junior seasons, Gabel - the only returning player from the 2004 team which was the most successful in program history - was utilized in more roles this year to try to take advantage of her experience. In addition to her being selected all-MEC, she also was named to the all-district tounament second-team last week, coach Gabel reported. Among the honorable mention choices on the all-MEC team was Chillicothe senior middle blocker Taylor Bozarth, who led the team in kills and blocks in her only year of varsity play. The 2005 Lady Hornets, despite their vast inexperience, posted a 2-5 records in MEC matches and went a respectable 8-18-1 overall.
Whitney Saunders, one of four Chillicothe seniors honored before their final home match last night, pounds a first-game serve toward the Trenton end of the court. Saunders strung together several good serves on which CHS won the rallies to break open the game and propel the Lady Hornets to a 25-15 victory. They won the match in straight games with Saunders serving seven winning points and making a team-high seven assists. C-T photo / Paul Sturm Being the sixth seed in a six-team district tournament next week, the Chillicothe volleyball Lady Hornets don't figure to make much noise in it. However, if they can reprise their level of play of the past two nights, they might cause third-seeded first-round opponent Maryville and others some anxious moments. Coach Pam Gabel's Lady Hornets concluded their home play for 2005 Tuesday night with their second straight-games victory in as many nights. Riding the serving and setting of senior Whitney Saunders and serving of sophomore outside hitter Heidi McCoy, the Lady Hornets blitzed visiting Trenton 25-15, 25-7 on “Senior Night” at the CHS gym. McCoy notched a team season-high (for a single match) 15 winning points served and also led the club with five kills. Saunders' string of four or five winning serves in a row provided the spurt that opened up daylight in the first game and she closed out the game, too. Saunders went on to record seven won service points and distributed seven assists on successful CHS kills. The win improved Chillicothe's regular-season record to 8-17-1, not bad for a team which had only one true returning player from a year ago. Over the course of their last 10 matches, they're 4-5-1, including two wins over Trenton. “It's a good time of the season to peak,” Gabel acknowledged. "We served the ball very well. Heidi had an awesome night at the line. Her serves were ‘on.' She had six aces.” Tuesday night's home finale was marked by “Senior Night” recognition for the Lady Hornets four 12th grade team members. Introduced, along with the parents, were outside hitter/defensive specialist Brooke Gabel, Bozarth, Saunders, and reserve outside hitter/defensive specialist Rebeka Ballantyne. Volleyball Lady Hornets third at Carrollton CARROLLTON - In the midst of a struggling season, the Chillicothe volleyball Lady Hornets couldn't have been blamed much had they simply played out the string in their third and final round-robin match of Saturday's annual Carrollton Quad. Beaten in straight games by Carrollton and then Marshall - the loss to the MHS Lady Owls having been by excruciatingly-close scores of 23-25, 22-25, the Chillicothe girls dropped the first game of their match with Richmond 25-14 and looked to be fading to black. However, they resurrected their hopes by getting into game two with Richmond and outlasted the Lady Spartans 25-21 to force a third game. Chillicothe kept the wave going and posted a 25-16 victory. On a roll, Pam Gabel's Lady Hornets outlasted Richmond twice more, 25-22 and 25-21 to garner third. ”Our performance improved with each match,“ the proud Chillicothe coach related after her team's record improved to 6-16-1 with its first back-to-back match wins of 2005. ”The amount of digs from our team (80 from three players) was amazing!“ Sophomore Holly Williams made 40 of those and senior Brooke Gabel, the coach's daughter, 34. The CHS spikers are idle now until visiting Maryville Thursday for conference play. Volleyball Lady Hornets
Start Strong, but Fade,Lose A constant thread ran through the Chillicothe volleyball Lady Hornets' entire evening of competition with the visiting St. Joseph: Lafayette Lady Irish Tuesday night. Beginning with the freshman match, extending through the junior-varsity competition, and finishing in the varsity play, Chillicothe opened with strong play and notched a first-game victory, only to have its level of play slip - or Lafayette's climb - as the Lady Irish rallied to win the final two games and claim each match. In the varsity action, the Lady Hornets posted a 25-21 triumph to start, but then fell 13-25, 14-25. The junior-varsity score ended up 25-23, 8-25, 12-25, and the freshman result 25-20, 19-25, 23-25. The fast starts contrast with how the inexperienced Lady Hornets began the season. They tended to be beaten decisively in the first game of matches, then play and score more respectably, even though most of the time they still suffered straight-games defeats. Now, they either need to find ways to maintain their early focus or intensity or be ready, as opponents ratchet up their intensity or level of play, to do the same. CHS Spikers Again
Don't Advance SMITHVILLE - Despite playing quite competitively three of their last four games, including winning one over the host Lady Warriors, the Chillicothe volleyball Lady Hornets failed to reach bracket play in the annual Smithville Invitational tournament Saturday. It was the second time in as many tournaments thus far this season that the CHS girls have been eliminated in pool play. "We finished fourth in our pool and therefore did not get to play in bracket play," Pam Gabel, CHS coach, reported. "We had some exciting games, but we just couldn't pull off the close ones. "It was great for our team to split games with Smithville. That was a boost to our confidence level." After opening the day losing both games of their pool opener against West Platte (16-25, 13-25), Chillicothe turned around to whip Smithville 26-24 in the opening game of their matchup. Smithville, however, rebounded to claim game two 25-17. In the Lady Hornets' final pool match, a close battle throughout saw North Platte take both games, 27-25, 25-21.
Volleyball Lady Hornets
Earn Third Victory POLO - The Chillicothe volleyball Lady Hornets chalked up their most-convincing win of the season thus far last (Tuesday) night. At Polo, the Lady Hornets came out confident and attacking and defeated the Lady Panthers 25-16, 25-13. "A fun match to watch!" reported Pam Gabel, Chillicothe's head coach. "The Lady Hornets played with no inhibitions. "We blocked big, hit hard, and dug deep. Our serves were effective tonight." Chillicothe's previous wins had been a three-gamer against Maryville and a 25-15, 25-20 triumph over Richmond's junior-varsity. With the victory, Chillicothe - virtually without varsity-experienced players at season's start just three weeks ago, improved its season mark to 3-9. Leading the way to the win at Polo were senior middle hitter Taylor Bozarth, senior setter Whitney Saunders, and junior middle hitter Natalie Hughes. Saunders racked up CHS' only double-digit statistical performance, providing 12 assists on winning shots. Bozarth paced both the offense and defense at the net with four blocks and nine kills. Hughes added five kills and also served seven winning points. Senior Brooke Gabel, who plays in several different roles for the team as its only returnee from last season, provided a team-leading seven digs and had six winning points served. Megan Sharp, a junior outside hitter, topped Chillicothe's serving with nine points won and sophomore outside hitter Heidi McCoy made four kills. The Lady Hornets spikers will visit Cameron for Midland Empire Conference play Thursday night. Return
to Top |
|
2004 Volleyball Season A season which far-exceeded the modestly-high expectations of CHS volleyball Lady Hornets coach Pam Gabel and squad members became by far the most successful in the program's 11-year history. The senior-dominated 2004 Lady Hornet spikers compiled a 23-7-2 record while setting numerous team and individual marks. Beginning September 18, the Lady Hornets ran off a new team-record winning streak of seven consecutive matches, starting a stretch of 11 wins in 13 matches that carried them above .500 and sent their confidence skyrocketing. The season concluded in the semifinal round of the Class 3 district tournament when Maryville, which had lost two close regular-season matches to Chillicothe, got the better of them. Following the season, four Lady Hornets were selected for all-Midland Empire Conference recognition and three for all-district tournament laurels. Setter Emily McCoy and outside hitter Amanda Laidler were chosen first-team all-MEC, while hitter Tracy Crose and defensive specialist Brooke Gabel - the only junior among the varsity regulars - were given honorable mention. McCoy and Gabel were chosen to the all0-district first team and Laidler was second-team. Voted the squad's Most Valuable Player by team members - subject to the coach's endorsement - was offensive fulcrum McCoy. She set the ball a CHS- record 1,737 times and saw a CHS-record 569 of those turned into assists when converted into winning shots by teammates. The 569 assists were second-most in the MEC. McCoy also had the team's second-best serving percentage (serves which forced a return) at 94%, including 19 aces. Haley Beier was given the Coaches' Award for being coachable and likeable and working hard to improve. Beier led the club in service points won (189), passes (652), and passing percentage (90%). She was second in aces (35). Laidler was named by Gabel as the Most Improved player, which the coach attributed to hard work in the off-season. A fourth-year letter winner, she broke the CHS kills record with 202 this year. Another 4-year letter winner, Crose, was chosen Most Inspirational, which the coach awards to the player who has progressed the most during a CHS career. Both a hitter and middle blocker, Crose set a new CHS mark for blocks in a season (112 vs. 88), while posting strong numbers and solid percentages in several other phases. Gable termed her "a great all-around player." Cassie Cox was selected for the Gatorade sponsored "Player of the Year" award, and Er4ica Minnis the Gatorade "Will to Win" award. Cox, voted captain by her teammates, led in aces (43) and was solid all around. Minnis came on as a strong middle blocker and supplemental hitter. Statistical awards went to Rachel Hughes for serving (97%), and B. Gabel for the most digs (160). Those eight, along with junior Whitney Saunders, lettered. 2005 Photo by Paul Sturn, C-T ; 2004 Photos © Bailey Studios, All Rights Reserved.
2003 Volleyball Season On October 23, 2003, CHS volleyball seniors Lindsey Buddemeyer and Lauren McDaniel and their parents were recognized and honored. During the annual awards banquet, four team members earned top honors including Haley Beier (all conference honorable mention), Tracy Crose (second team all district, all conference, honorable mention; coach's award), Amanda Laidler (first team all conference), and Emily McCoy (all conference, honorable mention). As of the regular-season finale, the Chillicothe record was 9-18 overall and 2-5 in the Midland Empire Conference. Return
to Top |
|
Surprising Success of CHS
Tennis Lady Hornets Celebrated
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm) The annual postseason awards banquet for the Chillicothe tennis Lady Hornets Tuesday night was far more upbeat and celebratory than might have been predicted at the time of last year's event. The 2005 Lady Hornets, minus eight of the top 10 players from the prior year's team, came together more quickly that foes would have liked. The result was a solid regular season that narrowly missed extending the program's long run of Midland Empire Conference team titles, followed by an outstanding district tournament that produced both unanticipated team and singles champions, and a continuation of the streak of consecutive years in which Chillicothe has had at least one entrant in the state tournament. “No matter how you look at it, we had a very successful season,” long-time head coach Amy Baker declared, “and one you should all be very proud of.” The coach and first-year assistant LeAnn Polen presented one special award, the Coaches' Award. It went to senior Brooke Langwell, one of only two players with varsity experience prior to 2005. The award is sponsored by Barnes Baker Motors. “We knew going into the season that we were going to be inexperienced at the varsity level, to say the least,” Baker recalled. “ŠOne thing kept me hopeful - these girls had put in hours on the tennis court over the summer, and that's the reason they had the success they did.” That success included the surprise district tourney team title and berth in the new sub-sectional round of the Class 1 team state tournament, freshman Ellyn Turner's state tourney trip, district singles title, and MEC tournament singles crown, a second-place finish in MEC regular-season dual matches with a 4-1 record, the team title in the St. Joseph: Benton/Savannah Invitational tournament, and a 9-6 record overall in duals. “Most of those were won or lost by a (team) score of 5-4” with lots of close individual sets, Baker pointed out, saluting her team of three seniors and three freshmen for its ability to handle those pressure situations well. The coach said she considered the district titles the team and Turner earned and the dual-match victory over then-undefeated Maryville top highlights of the 2005 campaign. Ellyn Turner's Stay at
State Brief
SPRINGFIELD - The stay in this past wekend's Class 1 high school girls' tennis state tournament was brief for Ellyn Turner of Chillicothe, but did nothing to diminish what turned out to be an unexpectedly-remarkable season of success for the freshman. Turner, the District 7 champion, lost 1-6, 0-6 to Stephanie Dudzinski of Kansas City: Barstow in their rain-delayed, opening-round match Friday and then to Jenni DeWitt of Sikeston 2-6, 4-6 to be eliminated. There was honor in those defeats as both players who topped the Chillicothe entrant went on to claim state medals. Dudzinski took third after being beaten in the championship semifinals by repeat champion Susan Sullivan of St. Louis: John Burroughs. DeWitt advanced all the way through the consolation bracket to its finals before dropping the fifth-place match. “I was very proud of Ellyn,” veteran CHS girls' tennis coach Amy Baker commented. “She played well against some extremely-tough competition.” With those final two losses, Turner concluded her season with a 17-10 singles record. Among her accomplishments were the trip to state and both the district and Midland Empire Conference singles championships. “She had an awesome freshman season,” Baker stated. “Going to state was a great learning experience for her.” One Chilli Combo, Please
When Saturday dawned, one was a favorite, the other a rising, but still unproven, possible contender. By the time the calendar page flipped to Sunday, both were district champions and state tournament bound.
The Chillicothe High School softball and tennis Lady Hornets added their names to that of the tennis Lady Hornets, crowned two days earlier, in the ranks of 2005 district champs with stirring, teamwide-fashioned performances Saturday. ”I'm thrilled for the girls,“ an elated CHS tennis coach Amy Baker told the C-T in the moments after the third-seeded Turner had concluded her title-winning run with a victory over top-seeded Erin Kinney of Kansas City: St. Pius and the team win became official. ”Everything we've gotten this year, we've had to scratch and claw for it, really. All of our matches, except for a couple, have been we either won 5-4 or lost 5-4. They've been that close all year long, and these guys just never gave up." With a team of three freshmen and three seniors, Baker's racquet squad may not have been untouchables, but was a wild card in the district field and turned out to be aces. Coming in playing their best tennis of the season, the Lady Hornets not only saw Ellyn Turner qualify for state individual play in a couple of weeks, but, with tremendous contributions from all six players, outdistanced Midland Empire Conference champion St. Joseph: Lafayette and everyone else to earn the district title. The CHS doubles team of seniors Nicole Doerr and Brittany Gillilan upset the tourney's No. 2 seed in the second round and went on to finish fourth, while the pairing of senior Brooke Langwell and Lily Pyrtle shook off a second-round loss to come back and win four consolation-bracket matches that tacked on four highly-important team points. Add in freshman Jaimie Baker winning her first two matches to earn four points and then a couple of consolation-bracket matches and a Lady Hornets team everyone had big doubts prior to the season sat atop the district. ”That was crucial,“ coach Baker said when asked if she felt Doerr/Gillilan's early upset was the day's turning point. "They played as well as they've played all season. I knew they were a good doubles team, but today they were just awesome!" For their effort and excellence Saturday, the CHS netters earned the right to host new sub-sectional dual match against District 7 fourth-place team St. Joseph: LeBlond Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at the Daryl Danner Memorial Park courts. Freshman Ellyn Turner of Chillicothe
Battles Way to MEC SingleTitle
ST. JOSEPH - On a rainy day, the Chillicothe Lady Hornets ruled the hive in the Midland Empire Conference individual-play girls' tennis tournament. Serving as the host school (schools host MEC-wide events on an annually-rotating basis), Chillicothe produced the singles champion for the second year in a row, both the singles and doubles third-place finishers, and the consolation-bracket doubles winners. CHS freshman Ellyn Turner, seeded No. 1, succeeded ex-Lady Hornets great Allison Conrad as MEC singles champ by outlasting second-seeded Lindsey Frisbie in an ”instant-classic“-type 8-6 title match at the Noyes Tennis Center. In doubles, Chillicothe seniors Nicole Doerr and Brittany Gillilan produced the day's most-unexpected showing. CHS' No. 3 doubles team emerged from unseeded status to take third place, defeating fourth-seeded Kaleigh Hicks and Shannon Schurmann of St. Joseph: Benton and third-seeded Megan Jobst and Karissa Euler of Maryville along the way. The Lady Hornets' Jaimie Baker also took third place, right where she was seeded, turning back Savannah's Mery McCampbell 8-3 in the finals. Baker had needed a tiebreaker to beat McCampbell earlier this season. Rounding out the very good day the Chillicothe contingent produced - one the Lady Hornets would love to duplicate this Saturday in Class 1 district tournament play at St. Joseph, the Lily Pyrtle/Brooke Langwell duo captured fifth place in doubles. They wrapped up their fourth win in five matches on the day with a 9-8(2) tiebreaker victory over Sara Clark and Kelsey Mahlandt of Savannah. ”I'm really proud of them,“ long-time Chillicothe coach Amy Baker commented. ”They all did well.“ Turner Second in CHS
Net Quad
PHOTO: Chillicothe Lady Hornets senior Brooke Langwell (left) serves as doubles teammate Lily Pyrtle (right) waits near the net for a possible volley during their first match in Tuesday's Chillicothe Quad. In the foreground, Chillicothe's Brittany Gillilan (foreground) waits in readiness near the net as partner Nicole Doerr (not seen) gets ready to serve. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm) Chillicothe tennis Lady Hornets freshman No. 1 player Ellyn Turner was the only CHS varsity entry to reach the finals in Tuesday's annual Chillicothe Quad tournament, placing second in singles. Turner dropped the championship set to top-seeded Chelsea Woodard of Trenton. The score was not listed on the results sheet turned in. Like Chillicothe's mixed varsity showing, the Lady Hornets' junior-varsity entries met with mixed overall results. However, the CHS jayvees' top doubles team of sophomores Megan Moore and Kate Lindley marched to the championship of their competition. Moore/Lindley defeated Molly Bauer/Johanna Gronniger of St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond in the finals. The score was not reported. The Chillicothe racket team is playing Wednesday at St. Joseph in the annual Midland Empire Conference individual-play tournament. Yesterday, Turner turned back Sarah Potts of LeBlond 8-2 in the opening round. The third-seeded Chillicothe player then surprised second-seeded Alexa Moberly of Kearney 8-2.
The Chillicothe tennis Lady Hornets captured the championship of the 2005 Benton/Savannah Invitational tournament at St. Joseph Friday, defeating St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond 3-2 in the title match. CHS team members included Jessica Boyer, Ellyn Turner, Megan Moore, Brooke Langwell; Back - Nicole Doerr, Jaimie Baker, Lily Pyrtle, Brittany Gillilan. (Photo supplied) ST. JOSEPH - The lineup strategy of long-time Chillicothe tennis Lady Hornets coach Amy Baker paid off Friday. Putting her six best players in doubles, but also getting a key win from her No. 8 player in singles, Baker saw the Chillicothe squad capture the championship of the Benton/Savannah Invitational tournament. With each match consisting of three doubles sets and two singles, Chillicothe defeated, in order, Excelsior Springs, Savannah, and St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond, each by 3-2 scores. The Excelsior Springs and LeBlond wins came via sweeps of the doubles sets by No. 1 team Ellyn Turner and Jaimie Baker, No. 2 duo Lily Pyrtle and Brooke Langwell, and No. 3 pair Brittany Gillilan and Nicole Doerr. However, in the semifinal win over Savannah, it was No. 8 overall player Jessica Boyer saving the day by defeating the Lady Savages' Kristin Keely 10-3 in the No. 2 singles set while Doerr/Gillilan were falling in No. 3 doubles. There's a key outing today at Savannah as the Lady Hornets play their final Midland Empire Conference dual, needing a win to clinch no worse than a share of another MEC championship, this one somewhat unexpected after graduating all but one of last year's top six players. The CHS girls set up that possibility last Thursday by blanking St. Joseph: Benton 9-0 at St. Joseph's Noyes Tennis Center, where Friday's tourney was held and the upcoming district event will be played. After wrapping up league play today, the Lady Hornets host their annual quad. Tennis Lady
Hornets KO Maryville
(C-T file photo / Paul Sturm) ST. JOSEPH - Hold the phone on that interruption of the Chillicothe Lady Hornets' string of consecutive Midland Empire Conference tennis championships. Showing grit when the going was tough and the matches close against big female tennis names like Lindsay and Serena, the 2005 Lady Hornets moved themselves back into position to at least share in this year's MEC title - a championship Chillicothe has held alone or shared for at least a decade - by defeating Maryville 6-3 yesterday (Tuesday) at the Noyes Tennis Center in St. Joseph. Maryville entered the action in the driver's seat, having already defeated St. Joseph: Lafayette, which had handed Chillicothe its first MEC loss in years earlier in the month. However, by capturing one set on a tiebreaker, three others by a two-game margin, and a fifth 8-5, the Lady Hornets put themselves back into a tie for first place with Maryville, at least, and possibly Lafayette. CHS coach Amy Baker said she wasn't sure if Lafayette has played Savannah yet. Now 2-1 with two league duals remaining, Chillicothe has its MEC fate back in its own hands. If the Lady Hornets can post victories at St. Joseph: Benton tomorrow (Thursday) and at Savannah next Monday, they'll be assured of no worse than a share of the 2005 MEC crown. "This was a big win for us," Baker enthused. "I'm proud of our young team (three freshmen in top three singles slots). They played well against a team which returned all of its players from last year." The Lady Hornets won four of the six singles sets to position themselves for the team victory, then took it with wins in Nos. 1 and 2 doubles. The team win boosted Chillicothe's overall record to 7-5. Return
to Top |
|
2004 Girls Tennis Despite their greatest lack of experience in quite a few years, the 2004 Chillicothe tennis Lady Hornets enjoyed another successful season, including another undefeated season of Midland Empire Conference dual-match play and having the area's top individual player. The team finished the season with a record of eight wins and five losses in dual matches, won the St. Joseph Benton/Savannah tournament, and finished with a perfect 5-0 record in conference. Senior Allison Conrad posted a 21-4 singles record and took first place in both MEC and district singles for the first time after twice being runner-up. She also won the singles division of the CHS Quad. The 2004 squad included 12 letter winners. Seniors to letter in 2004 were Allison Conrad, Katie Quinn, Candace Lindley, Kayla Riekena, Amanda Steely, Sarah McCumber, and Sarah Johnson. Juniors included Brooke Langwell, Brittany Gillilan, Andi Booth, and Nicole Doerr. The other letter winner was freshman Kate Lindley. Quinn and Riekena teamed in doubles to finish second in the conference tournament, as well as the CHS Quad and Benton/Savannah tournament, and were 10-4 as a duo. Candace Lindley copped third place in singles in the conference tournament and upset Cameron's best player for a victory in the district tournament. She finished 13-10 in singles. Steely scored a pair of upset singles wins in the Trenton Quad and placed third in No. 1 singles in the Benton/Savannah tourney and the CHS Quad. She also fashioned an above .500 season in singles at 10-6. Langwell and Gilliland took third in doubles in the CHS Quad. 2003 Girls Tennis The girls' tennis team played a huge role in what was virtually the greatest fall sports season ever for Chillicothe high school girls' teams this fall. The team was undefeated (14-0) in regular-season duals, won the Benton-Savannah tournament team title again, won the Midland Empire Conference and district tournaments, and won our state tournament sectional match. Individually, the team sent two entries to state and won three total matches. The Coach's Award went to one of the four seniors, Devon Doss. The other seniors were Amy Patel, Penny Denton, and Staci Kincaid. Junior foreign exchange student, Anna Uhlitz, teamed with Doss to advance to the state tournament in doubles. Top singles player, Allison Conrad, ended the season 21-8, including a pair of wins at state. The junior also won the singles title of the Chillicothe Quad. Return
to Top |
Caption: Chillicothe 2005 Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Class 2 first-team All-State linebacker Clint
Macoubrie.
Caption:
Special award recipients as the coaching staff's selections for the 2005 Chillicothe football Hornets “best at position” awards announced at Monday night's annual postseason awards banquet were, from left: Junior Michael Smith, best defensive lineman; senior Tyler
Hardie, best offensive lineman; and senior Clint Macoubrie, best offensive back, defensive back/linebacker, and special teams player.
Junior Austin Sloan was recipient of the Coaches' Award.
Caption:
2005 Chillicothe football Hornets named by the coaching staff as "most improved" at their respective position groups were, from left, senior Steven Scott, offensive linemen; junior Austin Sloan, offensive backs; junior Alex
Thurmon, defensive linemen; and senior R.B. Quinn Jr., defensive backs/linebackers.
The Chillicothe Hornets punt return unit was at it again in last (Thursday) night's 2005 season finale, blocking an opponent's punt for the fourth time this year. This time, senior Clayton Spears gets in to reject the kick of Boonville's Dillon Slaughter during the first quarter of Chillicothe's 42-7 victory.
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Caption:
PHOTO CAPTION: Brad Smith breaks into the open on his 45-yard touchdown run that snapped a 24-24 tie in the third quarter.
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
The
Dyer-to-White connection may well propel Odessa (8-0) into the Class 3 state playoffs.
It could clinch a postseason berth as soon as this Friday when it visits Boonville, a 33-6 winner over defending district champ Richmond in the first Friday of district playoff action.
Should Odessa prevail, as it will be heavily favored to do against the 4-4 Pirates, and Chillicothe win at home over Richmond, as the Hornets will be expected to do, the Bulldogs will clinch the District 14 championship and playoff spot, since it would hold the head-to-head first tiebreaker advantage over both Chillicothe and Boonville, even if Odessa were to somehow stumble the final week against Richmond.
Michael Smith gets one of his two quarterback sacks in Chillicothe's 22-14 win Friday.
(C-T photo / Butch Shaffer)
St. Joseph: Lafayette running back Curtis Cruse is undercut and sent flying by a Chillicothe defender during the first quarter of Friday's 41-0 CHS Hornets victory. The Chillicothe defense held Cruse to 64 rushing yards on 11 carries and limited the Fighting Irish to 93 yards of total offense unofficially.
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
The first glimpse of the CHS football season created a sense of energy at Jerry Litton Memorial Stadium during "Meet the Hornets Night" Monday night. After a Booster Club-sponsored meal, players of all the fall sports teams were introduced and both of the freshman and varsity football teams had an intrasquad scrimmage.
The 2004
Chillicothe football Hornets can prepare for their season knowing
they'll have a chance to avenge their 2003 season-ending playoff loss.
The Hornets will visit the Richmond Spartans October 29 in week two of
Class 3 District 14 play and week 9 of the regular season. The other
District 14 teams paired with those two 2003 state-quarterfinal
opponents will be Missouri river Valley Conference mates of Richmond -
Odessa and Boonville. The Missouri State High School Activities
Association announced its enrollment-based school classifications for
the 2004-05 school year (also in effect for football for 2005-06) on
February 4. The Hornets will open at home September 3 against
Savannah, then Maryville in week two, then to Cameron in week three.
The Platte County game will be in Chillicothe in week 7 on October 15.
Chillicothe will open District play at home against Odessa, then go to
both Richmond and Boonville. The finale will be Thursday, November 4.
In the MEC, St. Joe Benton and Smithville will be here, along with
Platte County and Savannah. If the Hornets win their District, they
will face the District 13 champ (Oak Grove, Grain Valley, Pleasant
Hill, KC Southeast) in the Sectional game.
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
A first for the Chillicothe High School softball program has been achieved for 2005-06 senior Andrea Walter. She recently signed her letter-of-intent to accept a scholarship to play the sport at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. Walter (center), a 2004 All-State catcher, is the first CHS player to receive a scholarship from an NCAA program (CMSU is in Division II).
Chillicothe softball Lady Hornets junior pitcher Kerri Cook has been selected to the Missouri High School Fast-pitch Coaches Association's 2005 All-State team. She was placed on the Class 3 second team. She is the fourth player in CHS history to earn All-State laurels in softball, following Sharla Fender, Andrea Walter, and Amber Parker. (C-T file photo / Paul Sturm)
With several sets of eyes on her anxiously, Chillicothe Lady Hornets sophomore center fielder Mallory Lowe steps on home plate, scoring the game's only run on a fourth-inning wild pitch, during the title game of Saturday's Class 3 District 16 tournament. Chillicothe advanced to the sectional round of the state tournament with a 1-0 victory over St. Joseph: Lafayette. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Her feet already on the move, Chillicothe Lady Hornets sophomore center fielder Mallory Lowe uses a punch-type half-swing to poke an RBI single to right-center field in the fourth inning of last (Thursday) night's 7-3 "Senior Night" home victory over the St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond Lady Golden Eagles. Lowe's hit scored Abby Sallee, who had led off the inning with a single, from second base as part of a four-run inning that turned a tenuous 3-2 CHS lead into a comfortable 7-2 margin.
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Chillicothe junior Kerri Cook swatted a solo home run over the fence at Danner Park during Wednesday's 3-1 win over St. Joseph: Benton.
In
the Midland Empire Conference where the Lady Hornets won their first
outright championship after sharing it in 2003, five CHS players were
tabbed for first-team all-MEC berths, with another on the second team
and another given honorable mention. First-team choices were seniors
Meghann Gilliland (3rd base), Katie Nibarger (1st base), Amber Parker
(shortstop) and juniors Andrea Walter (catcher) and Angel Maxwell (right
field). CHS sophomore pitcher Kerri Cook was chosen second team by other
league coaches and classmate Mandi Brock (second base) got honorable
mention. For the Class 3 District 16 tournament, the same CHS quintet
that was named first-team all-conference was included on the
all-district tournament team by the coaches of the five teams involved.
All-region first team included Parker and Walter, while Gilliland and
Maxwell ere named second team. Photo © 
Special
awards for the Chillicothe Hornets' 2005 season were presented at last
night's annual team awards banquet. Senior Brett Dowell was presented with
the Coach's Award with sophomore Logan Gilliland named the Most Improved
Runner.
Chillicothe senior Brett Dowell will run in the 2005 boys' Class 2 state high school cross country championships at Jefferson City Saturday morning.
Senior Brett Dowell of the Chillicothe Hornets heads south down an incline at Chillicothe's Green Hills Golf Course on his way to a fifth-place finish in yesterday's Midland Empire Conference race. Dowell ran an 18:27 to be an MEC medalist for the second year in a row.
(Photo Supplied / Terry
Nibarger)
ST. JOSEPH - Continuing to run times better than on the same course in the same meet a year earlier, the Chillicothe cross country Hornets once again medaled three runners in the varsity boys' division of another meet yesterday (Tuesday), albeit not in the same order.
Madison
Marcolla Signs With MU
Four-time state tournament medalist Madison Marcolla earned the Chillicothe Lady Hornets'
‘Outstanding Golfer Award' for 2005 by having the team's best scoring average (39.3 strokes per nine holes) and received the Coach's Award for her work and play with the program since the sixth grade.
efforts last year and in 2003 and a 10th as a freshman in 2002.
Owner of most CHS girls' golf records, Marcolla added one last line to her premier prep resumé - one of 16 four-time state medalists. Probably less than half of the other 15 - maybe only a few - were in the top 10 each year as Marcolla was.
Freshman Mollie Marcolla flies her fairway iron toward the 18th green at Green Hills Golf Course in Chillicothe Tuesday. Marcolla shot a 44 to help Chillicothe defeat Cameron and Maryville.
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Chillicothe senior Sarah Sivill fires a fairway iron toward the 14th green at Green Hills Golf Course in Chillicothe on her way to a match-best 38 during the CHS Lady Hornets' dual-match victories over Cameron and Maryville Tuesday.
The Chillicothe Lady Hornets golf team had more reasons to smile after Wednesday's Platte County Invitational tournament. Chillicothe captured its second tournament championship in less than a week, far outdistancing a field of 10 teams with a team score of 350. It was the third time Chillicothe has won the tourney. The Lady Hornets' Madison Marcolla (second from left) was individual champion with a 78 for the 18-hole event, five shots ahead of runnerup and teammate Sarah Sivill (middle). CHS' Maggie Weldon (second from right) was fifth with a 98. Lady Hornets Katelin Gann (right) and Mollie Marcolla (left) took first place in the "scramble team" standings with a 91, six shots ahead of Cameron's entry in that phase of the uniquely-formatted tourney.
(Photo supplied / Laurie Marcolla)
Chosen
for the Coaches' Award for the 2005 CHS volleyball season was senior Brooke
Gabel. The award for the team's highest percentage of successful serves went
to junior Natalie Hughes. Gabel also earned the award for most digs.
Senior Brooke Gabel of the Chillicothe Lady Hornets has been named to the all-Midland Empire Conference volleyball first team and the district tournament second team.
CHS
Volleyballers Close Regular Season in Style
Natalie
Hughes had 15 kills, 12 "won" service points, and 11 blocks during
Saturday's Richmond tournament. (C-T
file photo / Paul Sturm)
Senior Brooke Langwell was presented the 2005 Coach's Award by Chillicothe High School girls' tennis coach Amy Baker as the highlight of Tuesday night's annual team postseason awards banquet.
Facing eventual top-six place finishers, CHS' Ellyn Turner lost both of her matches in the Class 1 state tennis tournament over the weekend. (C-T file photo / Paul Sturm)
Chillicothe Lady Hornets freshman Ellyn Turner prepares to stroke a mid-court forehand during her three-set, singles-division championship-match win over Erin Kinney of Kansas City: St. Pius X in Saturday's Class 1 District 7 tournament at St. Joseph.
(C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
All six Chillicothe Lady Hornets placed during Wednesday's annual Midland Empire Conference individual-play girls' tennis tournament at St. Joseph. Ellyn Turner
won the singles division championship and Jaimie Baker took third, while the doubles teams of Nicole Doerr
and Brittany Gillilan took third and Brooke Langwell and Lily Pyrtle captured fifth. Top-three finishers received conference medals.
(Photo supplied / Rachel Moore)
PHOTO: Chillicothe Lady Hornet Ellyn Turner eyes the ball as she prepares for a forehand shot Tuesday morning on her way to a second-place finish in singles in the Chillicothe Quad.
CHS
Net Lady Hornets Double Pleasure
With freshman No. 2 singles player Jaimie Baker improving her team-best record to 8-4 with an 8-5 victory over Karissa Euler, the Chillicothe tennis Lady Hornets handed Maryville its first Midland Empire Conference loss of 2005 Tuesday, moving defending conference champion CHS into a tie for the MEC lead.