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SPRING SPORTS NEWS...
Updated 05/28/2008 Tennis | Baseball | Golf | Track | Girls Soccer | SPA Registration Spring Sports 2006-2007 | Spring Sports Archives | Spring Sports Schedule The following 2008 Banquets will be as follows:
Cost to attend any banquet: $5 |
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With winter sports wrapped up, the focus will shift to the school's spring sports, beginning next week, even if the weather seems less than ready for it. Monday, Feb. 25, is the first permissible day for team practices for the spring sports of boys' golf and tennis, baseball, track and field, and girls' soccer. The first permitted date for games, matches, or meets will be Monday, March 17. Chillicothe's head coaching roster for the spring sports has one change this year. Margie Lowe, who served as assistant coach to Jeff Wolfe for the inaugural season of girls' soccer last spring, will head up that second-year program in 2008. Even though he has retired as a CHS teacher, John Musser will remain the head coach of the golf Hornets, who should have a very veteran team with high expectations. Also back at the helm of their respective teams will be Bill Shaffer for boys' track and field, Vickie Garrett for girls' track and field, Dave Mapel for baseball, and volunteer co-coaches Ed Douglas and Ron Keith for tennis. Douglas and Keith were the United States Tennis Association's Missouri Valley region Missouri coaches of the year for the area's outside the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas last year. |
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TENNIS click here for last season... Fourth A CHS Net First
SPRINGFIELD - The best showing in at least 11 years and possibly ever by a Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets doubles team in state tournament play was provided by recent graduates Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw this past weekend when they medaled with a 4th-place finish. We've had nine doubles teams go to state during our time as coaches, co-coach Ed Douglas said of the 11 years he and Ron Keith have guided the CHS boys' tennis program, and we've never had one place (top-6 finish). We had (Keith's oldest son) Zach take third in singles in 2001, but none of our doubles teams have done this well. The Greenlaw/Saunders combination clinched a medal on the 1st day of the 2-day tournament Friday when it avenged a regular-season loss to Kirksville's Weston Newell and Jacob Tucker with a 6-3, 6-4 1st-round win and then 7-5, 7-6(6) victory over Jared Connell and Kyle Holt of Kansas City: St. Pius X in the quarterfinals. That put the Chillicothe pair in Saturday's championship semifinals and assured them of finishing no lower than fourth. Unlike in the state wrestling tournament, semifinal losers simply go to the 3rd-place match, rather than into a semifinal round of the consolation bracket in which they could end up as low as 6th overall. To start Saturday, Saunders/Greenlaw had to face seniors William Humphreys and Joe Newman of Joplin's Thomas Jefferson, which had won a 2nd-round duel between the doubles division's only unbeatens, 6-4, 6-3 over Charlie Curtis and Will McAlister of Class 1 team state tournament champion Mary Institute/Country Day School of St. Louis. Humphreys/Newman showed the Hornets why they were undefeated, steamrolling the Chillicothe duo 6-1, 6-0 on their way to the state title. Those guys were clearly the best team in the tournament, Douglas said of the Joplin private school duo. They didn't have a lot of trouble in the finals either. Humphreys/Newman subsequently gained with a 6-1, 6-3 conquest of Dakin Sloss and Orion Wilkinson of suburban St. Louis' Clayton. That capped a 14-0 season for the Thomas Jefferson combo. Greenlaw/Saunders made a strong early bid to gain the 3rd-place medal, battling St. Charles: Duchesnes Paul Amiri and Zach Merkle to 6-all in the opening set before dropping the set on a 7-1 tiebreaker. Amiri/ Another Strong Year of CHS Boys' Tennis Celebrated at Dinner C-T Photo / Paul Sturm
Another very good year of Chillicothe High School boys' tennis was reviewed and celebrated at the program's annual awards dinner and program last evening at the school. Special awards and letter winners for 2008 were announced by co-coach Ed Douglas. State tournament-bound senior players Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw were presented the Coaches' Award honoring those best exemplifying - in the coaches' estimation - the spirit of the sport. Saunders and Greenlaw were Midland Empire Conference doubles champions and runners-up at district. Currently 16-5 on the year, they'll play in the state doubles tournament May 23-24 at Springfield. After thanking school officials - especially retiring athletics director Phil Willard - and team members' parents, Douglas reviewed the 2008 season, saying, “We had a good year.” The '08 Hornets finished second in the Midland Empire Conference in team matches with a 4-1 record and went 10-4 overall. “As important to me as the wins is the number of kids that come out,” Douglas commented, referring to the 25 squad members in 2008. "We want to teach them about playing tennis and winning, but also teach them a little about life.” Varsity letters were presented to Justin Littrell, Weston Baker, Colton Allen, Laine Saunders, Ian Gramenz, Jordan Schneider, Chris Peterson, Ryan Riggs, M. Saunders, Greenlaw, and Donald Heaton, who doubled as manager. This year's Hornets had six seniors - Greenlaw, M. Saunders, Baker, Schneider, Peterson, and Joey Stagg. Return Engagement C-T Photo / Paul Sturm
ST. JOSEPH - Seniors Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw of the Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets are headed back to the Class 1 state tournament doubles division. With them, they'll carry an extra year's experience and clearly-increased maturity and a double dose of confidence bred of a strong showing at state a year ago and an extremely-fine performance in this past Friday's District 8 tournament. By the slimmest of margins, they won't carry the distinction of being a district champion nor will they get the slight 1st-round seeding/pairing advantage at state which goes with that distinction. Greenlaw and Saunders “played extremely well” all day Friday, according to Hornets co-coach Ed Douglas, but the 2nd-seeded CHS duo was relegated to a repeat 2nd-place finish when top-seeded Eric Dailey and Thilo Mehlin of Excelsior Springs, down a set and 3-5, rallied from match point to eventually win the district championship match 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 over Greenlaw/Saunders at the Noyes Tennis Center. “Morgan and Cody didn't lose it, the Excelsior Springs players won it,” Douglas assessed the match's turnaround. “Dailey and Mehlin raised their game when they had to and our guys couldn't get the momentum back.” While M. Saunders and Greenlaw, who impressively split four matches at state as juniors last year, advance to the May 23-24 individual singles and doubles component of the state tourney at the Cooper Tennis Complex at Springfield, the rest of the Chillicothe squad has to hang up their racquets after district for only the 2nd time in 13 years. That's because, despite laudable and noteworthy efforts by the remainder of the CHS district entries, the Hornets finished only sixth in team points with 171/2. The top four squads in the team-points standings earn the right to play team dual matches (1st place against 4th, 2nd against 3rd) in the subsectional round of state team play this week. St. Joseph: Benton, led by singles champion Luke Talbot and at least three match victories by each of its district entries Friday, earned the No. 1 seeding for subsectional with 261/2 points. Excelsior Springs wound up tied for second with Kearney with 23 and St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond scored 22. Allen, L. Saunders
Key Tennis Hornets Win No. 5 singles player Colton Allen and No. 6 Laine Saunders toughed out close matches to win, keying the Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets' 5-4 victory in the final regular-season dual match yesterday over the Richmond Spartans. Allen, slated to join No. 3 player Justin Littrell as CHS' singles entries in Friday's Class 1 District 8 tournament at St. Joseph, out-dueled RHS' Kayleb Dunwoodie 9-7 while L. Saunders was turning back Fletcher O'Dell 8-5. “Those were really important wins, as it turned out,” Chillicothe coach Ed Douglas remarked today. At the time, Allen's and L. Saunders' victories gave Chillicothe a 4-2 lead heading into the doubles. That cushion proved to be critical as Richmond's Blake Truby and Phillip Corwin, each of whom had won in singles, teamed to shade Littrell and Allen 9-8 on a 7-2 tiebreaker in No. 2 doubles and L. Saunders and first-time doubles partner Ian Gramenz fell 4-8. By that time, however, the Hornets' best doubles team, Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw, had clinched the CHS victory with an 8-2 win in No. 1 play. At the top of the singles lineup, CHS seniors Greenlaw and M. Saunders were dominant in what could be their last high school singles matches. Due to play doubles at district, they won 8-0 and 8-1 respectively. The outcome left the 2008 Hornets with a solid 10-4 overall dual-match record. CHS Netters Take a
Stroll in the Park C-T File Photo / Paul Sturm
Barring a state tournament appearance - one they hope to make against the odds - Chillicothe High School's tennis Hornets had their final home action in 2008 yesterday, albeit in very abbreviated fashion. Facing a Maryville program which has only three players participating this spring, according to Hornets co-coach Ed Douglas, the net Hornets won all four individual matches played in what has been recorded as a 5-0 victory over the Spoofhounds yesterday afternoon at the courts in Simpson Park. The triumph closes out Chillicothe's Midland Empire Conference competition for '08 with a 4-1 dual-match record and a tie for 2nd place behind St. Joseph: Benton. The racquet Hornets now have won 53 of their last 55 league duals against MEC foes over the past 11 years, winning nine conference titles in that time. Their only league losses in that time were earlier this year against Benton and in 2000 against Savannah. As for 2008, Chillicothe's record improved to 7-3 in non-tournament dual matches and 9-4 in all dual matches (including the 5-position truncated duals played in the Benton-Savannah tourney. Yesterday's matches consisted of three singles sets and two doubles, with one of the unplayed doubles set being recorded as an MHS default since it lacked enough players for a 2nd doubles pairing. Greenlaw Gets CHS's
Only Tennis Win at Kirksville The Chillicothe Hornets tennis squad traveled to Kirksville to face the Tigers Tuesday afternoon and suffered an 8-1 setback. No. 1 player Cody Greenlaw played well and registered the only victory for the Hornets on the day as he defeated Kirksville's Josh Bowers 10-4. Chillicothe lost the other five singles matches and then were defeated in all three doubles matches. The Hornets record now stands at 4-3 for the year. The Junior Varsity Hornets also took it on the chin at Kirksville suffering a 7-1 defeat. Chillicothe's lone victory came in the doubles match as Kevin Thomschke and Caden Haynes defeated their Tiger opponents 6-2. Tennis Hornets Blow Past THS Bulldogs Tuesday TRENTON - Chillicothe High School's boys' tennis Hornets moved back above .500 for the season for the first time since their second dual match of the season yesterday, posting a 7-2 victory for the 2nd day in a row, this time at Trenton. Chillicothe (3-2) took the top four and five of the six singles sets, then added two wins in doubles. Easily posting their fourth singles victories of 2008 were No. 1 player Morgan Saunders, No. 2 Cody Greenlaw, No. 3 Justin Littrell, and No. 6 Laine Saunders. No. 4 Weston Baker improved his season mark to 3-5 with a triumph. M. Saunders and Greenlaw and the 1st-time pairing of Littrell and Baker won in doubles. Tennis Hornets Square Record With Romp Past Dragons Its regular varsity lineup played only singles, but that was plenty for the Chillicothe High School boys' tennis team to steamroll Cameron in a Midland Empire Conference dual match at home yesterday. The Hornets swept all six singles sets, losing only seven of 67 games, in clinching the team victory over the Dragons. No results on doubles play, in which Chillicothe coaches used some of the Hornets' top junior-varsity players against Cameron's normal varsity doubles pairs, were available at press time. The triumph squared Chillicothe's overall and MEC records. Overall, the Hornets now are 2-2 in dual matches, while they're 1-1 in the league. In singles yesterday, Morgan Saunders played the No. 1 spot for the hosts and shut out Cameron's Jordan Rico 10-0. Fellow senior Cody Greenlaw did the same to Brandon Turner at No. 2. Benton Jumps in
MEC Driver's Seat The long-time perch of the Chillicothe High School Hornets atop the ranks of Midland Empire Conference boys' tennis may have been ceded to the St. Joseph: Benton Cardinals yesterday. Benton, which Chillicothe beat by a deceptive 7-2 count in their MEC dual match last year, swept the lower half of the singles play and then all the doubles to defeat the Hornets 7-2 here. "We knew it was going to be tough," commented CHS co-coach Ed Douglas, who - with volunteer coaching partner Ron Keith - has guided the Hornets to league team titles every year except 2000 since they picked up the reins in 1998. In that 10-year span (through last season), Chillicothe won 49 of 50 conference dual matches. Like last year's victory over Benton, the Hornets' second MEC match loss in their last 51 wasn't as lopsided as the final match score makes it appear. As anticipated, the Cardinals' top player, Luke Talbot, was a dominating winner, blanketing CHS' Cody Greenlaw 10-0 in No. 1 singles. However, the Hornets' Morgan Saunders and Justin Littrell claimed the Nos. 2 and 3 singles sets, respectively. Saunders topped Tyler Deatherage 10-5 and Littrell outlasted Mike Weil 10-7. None of the lower CHS singles players could capture more than five games, though, leaving the Hornets needing a sweep of doubles. They gave it a decent try. M. Saunders and Greenlaw led Talbot and Brandon Rickey 9-6 in No. 1 spot, Douglas reports, but lost the last five games and the set. Littrell and Colton Allen were respectable 10-5 losers an No. 2 spot and Weston Baker and Laine Saunders competitive in a 10-6 No. 3 loss. CHS Tennis Hornets
Struggle Some in Tourney CAMERON - Rained out a week earlier, the Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets found their participation in the 2008 Cameron tournament Friday not worth the wait. Failing to get any entry to the title match and failing to win a singles match, the Hornets generated only 13 team points, placing them seventh among 10 teams in Friday's competition. “We didn't have a good day,” CHS co-coach Ed Douglas commented stoically this morning. The Hornets' best showing came from the expected source, their 2007 state tournament-qualifying doubles team of seniors Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw. However, the duo couldn't live up to its top seeding on this occasion, being beaten 8-5 by the eventual title-winning team of Smith/Barth (first names not available) of Riverside: Park Hill South in the championship semifinals. The Greenlaw/Saunders pair then fell to a Kansas City: Winnetonka duo in the 3rd-place set. Chillicothe's other doubles entry - Justin Littrell and Colton Allen - followed an opening-round bye by posting an 8-6 2nd-round victory over Carpenter/Burford (first names not available) of Park Hill South. Littrell/Allen then fell to Wendt/Taylor (first names not available), the same pair which would top M. Saunders/Greenlaw for 3rd, by a 1-8 count to be knocked into consolation play. Tennis Hornets Battle,
But Lose C-T Photo / Paul Sturm
The Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets gave long-time area power Marshall a battle in nearly half of the individual matches yesterday, but, in the end, the visiting Owls once again claimed a decided victory. CHS senior Cody Greenlaw out-fought Marshall's Taylor Scarff 10-8 in their No. 1 singles set and teamed with Morgan Saunders for a 10-7 triumph over Scarff and Mac Evans in No. 1 doubles, but Marshall captured the decision in tight Nos. 2 and 5 singles play and won the other five matches handily. “Marshall has a very good team,” CHS co-coach Ed Douglas remarked. “Our top two guys (Greenlaw, Saunders) played very well in singles and then played a good doubles match and won 10-7 over a top-flight (doubles) team.” As close as Greenlaw's 10-8 triumph over Scarff in No. 1 singles was, Saunders' No. 2 battle with Mac Evans was even closer. That one went right down to the 20th game before Evans won it 11-9. In No. 5 singles, Hornets junior Colton Allen was tied with MHS' Ross Crawford through 14 games, but the Owl won the last three to prevail 10-7, according to Douglas. While Chillicothe won half of the four tight sets, Marshall was on cruise control in the other five sets. In singles, Chillicothe's Justin Littrell fell to Mac Bildstein 2-10 in No. 3 position, senior Weston Baker was defeated in No. 4 spots 1-10 by John Van, and, in No. 6, Jordan Schneider made his varsity debut, losing 4-10 to Ethan Murphy. Tennis Hornets Face Stern Test to MEC Dominance C-T File Photo / Paul Sturm
The trio of annual goals of the Chillicothe High School boys' tennis Hornets - to win the Midland Empire Conference, qualify at least one person for individual state play, and qualify for team state competition have been met nine of the last 10 years under co-coaches Ed Douglas and Ron Keith. They are unchanged this year, but the prospects of achieving all three seem more dicey than at any time in the past decade. Although returning seniors Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw, the 2008 Hornets are minus two of their top three players and, according to Douglas, will face some increasingly-rugged competition at both the conference and district levels. “The MEC is going to be challenging,” comments Douglas - who is doing a lot more of the coaching this year as fellow volunteer coach Keith's work obligations have restricted his availability. “St. Joseph: Benton has everyone back and we barely beat them (in conference dual-match play) last year. It clearly has the best player in the district in Luke Talbot.” In a bad scheduling break for the Hornets, they'll meet Benton in their first league dual April 7. With everyone in the CHS lineup moving up at least one notch in the lineup - and several two or more from 2007, there will be scant opportunity for them to get their feet under them before that test. “A lot of our young guys really have to step up if we're going to hold onto the MEC title” the Hornets have held since 2000, Douglas challenged. Saunders and Greenlaw will be the No. 1 doubles pair after a 27-9 record in that style last year, and figure to play 1-2, respectively, in singles. They were Nos. 2 and 4 in the singles order last year with 4-year letterman Jacob Fellhoelter at No. 1 and Casey Prewitt at No. 3 as seniors. “Hopefully they'll be better,” Douglas said of the top two returnees, “hopefully a lot better.” Two other varsity lineup regulars a year ago are back in junior Justin Littrell (14-7 in '07 singles) and senior Weston Baker (11-3 in singles). However, they've always played Nos. 5 and 6 singles, unless someone above them was absent, so they face a significant upgrade in the caliber of opponents they'll face. Also in contention for varsity lineup spots, according to Douglas, are returnees Colton Allen, Ryan Riggs, Jordan Schneider, and Chris and Jacob Peterson and freshman Laine Saunders. |
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BASEBALL click here for last season... Hornets Have Three All-MEC Baseball 1st-Teamers First-team selections Austin Harlow, Alex Singleton, and Bryce Young pace a parade of nine 2008 Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets chosen late last week as all-Midland Empire Conference. Senior Harlow was voted by opposing coaches as the 8-school loop's top catcher, while junior A. Singleton was one of five 1st-team infielders and sophomore Young one of four 1st-team outfielders. Selected as 2nd-team picks at their respective positions were CHS junior pitcher Colin Parker, senior outfielder Clint Singleton, and junior infielder Jacob Rockhold. Seniors Correy Miller (outfield), Tyson Blattner (infield), and Adam Dunn (pitcher) received honorable mention from the Hornets team which finished third in the MEC standings with a 4-3 record and set a program record for victories in a season with 18. Harlow, playing despite a significant shoulder injury which threatened to sideline him for the year, not only swung a productive bat from the No. 7 spot in the CHS lineup, but also was a key in the Hornets' strong pitching performance. Offensively, he had a .321 batting average, a team-2nd-best .483 on-base average, and a team-3rd-best runs batted in total of 20. Behind the plate, he called nearly all of the pitches for a staff which fashioned an admirable 3.3 earned run average (ERA). Alex Singleton led the club in hits (31), on-base percentage (.515), slugging percentage (.557) bases on balls received (19), and total bases (44) and shared the lead in extra-base hits with Miller (7), all while striking out a team-low four times in 99 plate appearances. Young, hitting ninth in the lineup most of the time, nevertheless finished fourth on the Hornets in batting average (.324) and struck out only eight times in 79 times up while driving in a solid 16 runs, one of nine Hornets to knock in that many. He also made his presence known in the field with several good catches, no errors, and an impressive six assists. Parker was CHS' leading hurler, winning eight of 10 decisions with seven complete games and a team-low 3.21 ERA. He also threw the most innings (61) and had the most strikeouts (48). Winningest CHS Baseball
Year Celebrated
CAPTION: Getting special awards last night for either intangible contributions or statistical achievement during the 2008 Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets’ outstanding season were, from left: Alex Singleton, offensive most valuable player; Jacob Rockhold, most improved; Colin Parker, most valuable pitcher; Bryce Young, defensive most valuable player; and Tyson Blattner, Coaches’ Award. A season of realized potential which produced the most victories a Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets team has ever earned was celebrated and the players responsible honored last night at the traditional postseason awards banquet. The 2008 Hornets completed play with an 18-7 record, the victories total two more than the 12-year-old program’s previous high-water mark. This year’s team also rode a torrid midseason stretch of 12 triumphs in 13 games to three regular-season tournament championships (Marshall, Pony Express [St. Joseph], and Kearney) and to a brief No. 9 ranking – the program’s first-ever – in the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association state rankings. “It was a great season,” head coach Dave Mapel declared. “The most wins we’ve ever had, one of the highest team batting averages (.308), and great team focus and dedication.” As part of last evening’s awards event in the CHS commons, Mapel presented a handful of statistics-based and other awards to five different players. Receiving the Coaches’ Award for team leadership was senior infielder Tyson Blattner, who will continue his playing days at Longview Community College at Lee’s Summit this fall. Tabbed most valuable pitcher was junior righthander Colin Parker, who led the team with eight wins and a 3.21 earned run average while appearing in the most games (12) and throwing the most innings (61). Cited as the most valuable offensive player was junior infielder Alex Singleton, who led the club in several statistical categories (including hits, runs, slugging percentage, and extra-base hits) and was second in several others while striking out only four times in 99 plate appearances. After driving in 22 runs this season, he’ll enter next year only seven shy of Wyatt Pickering’s school record of 53. Selected as most valuable defensive player was sophomore left fielder Bryce Young, who did not commit an error while also contributing six assists. Rounding out the special award recipients was junior Jacob Rockhold, who split time at first base. He ended up leading the Hornets with a .418 batting average. Mapel related that this year’s club was a joy to work with because of its mature and dedicated approach to preseason preparations and then game play and practices. Setting the tone was a group of five seniors who shined on and off the field, he said. “They were fantastic leaders,” the coach said of center fielder Clint Singleton, pitcher/first baseman Zach Dunn, catcher Austin Harlow, right fielder/pitcher Correy Miller, and Blattner. Along with some experienced underclassmen, the seniors set the right tone. “During the winter, when they’d come in when there was ‘open gym,’ those guys made sure everybody was doing the right things the right way,” Mapel praised. “That carried over to the season, once practices started. I didn’t have to be right there, looking over everyone’s shoulder, to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to.” While complimenting virtually every varsity player as he recounted their performances while presenting their letters, Mapel had special praise for Harlow, who persevered despite on offseason injury to his throwing shoulder, an injury which threatened to sideline him all season. Instead, the senior excelled in his in-game handling of the pitching staff, calling nearly all the pitches himself, and throwing with an effectiveness which belied his injury. Durable to the extreme, Harlow caught all but a couple of innings of varsity play. Presented varsity letters for 2008 were the aforementioned players, as well as Clayton Dahlberg, A.J. VanHoutan, Jake Meyers, Seth Lowe, and Conner Lindley. Managers Sally Baldwin, Stephanie Wiedmier, and Katie Worman also lettered. Mapel noted Miller was one of the rare players he's had who lettered all four years. Looking ahead, Mapel told the C-T, If we can get some youngsters to step up to fill the spots left by our five seniors, I don't see why we can't be as good next year. "The future can be bright, depending on what they do in the offseason." Also recognized during last night's program were members of the CHS junior-varsity and freshman teams. The 2008 jayvees, guided by Jim Wheeler, went 5-8, while the ninth graders, under Mike Lewis, were 3-7. Baseball Hornets Out Quickly, Quietly C-T Photo / Paul Sturm
MARSHALL - At least circumstances made the sad, final trip home not as long for Chillicothe High School's baseball Hornets. State-ranked and 16-4 only a couple of weeks ago after beating the defending Class 3 state champions and winning a third regular-season tournament, the Hornets saw their fine 2008 season come to an unexpectedly-early end at the Marshall High School field last night. The 6th-seeded Moberly Spartans got a complete-game, 3-hitter from left-handed pitcher Kyle Huffman and booming 3rd-inning home runs from Brett Boyer and Ivan Cater as they eliminated the 3rd-seeded Hornets 9-2 in the opening round of the Class 3 District 13 tournament. The game, originally-scheduled for Saturday at Boonville, was delayed and moved to Marshall because of rain and wet grounds. Because they had to be played on a school day rather than Saturday, the four 1st-round games were split between Boonville and Marshall yesterday. With its defeat, Chillicothe closed its '08 scorebook with an 18-7 record, the most wins ever achieved by a CHS team since the program began in 1997. The previous high was 16 back in the Hornets' 3rd year, 1999. It is only the 4th time in the 12-year history of the program that Chillicothe has finished with a winning record, the first time since 2004. "It's been a fantastic year,” commented Dave Mapel, the only head coach the CHS program has had. “I hope they will remember, when they wake up the next day or two, that they've had a fantastic season. "It's been one of the most enjoyable seasons I've had working with a group of guys like this." "They hit the ball and we didn't,” Mapel summarized. Only one of CHS' three hits left the infield. CHS Baseball Reset for May 12 The Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets' Class 3 District 13 tournament opening-round game against Moberly, scheduled for Saturday, was postponed, due to wet grounds. It is scheduled to be made up tonight at approximately 6:30 p.m. at the Marshall High School field. Because of Saturday's rainouts, the tournament's semifinal games now are slated for Wednesday and the championship game for Friday. The semifinals and finals will be played at Twillman Field in Boonville's Harley Park. Baseball Hornets Snap
Mini-Skid C-T File Photo / Paul Sturm
SMITHVILLE - Thanks to an efficient performance on the mound and in the batter's box, the Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets won't go into district tournament play carrying the baggage of a current losing streak. CHS junior right-handed pitcher Colin Parker had a no-hitter for 52/3 innings and used only 88 pitches to shackle the Warriors and Chillicothe hitters grouped three of their four meager hits into two innings to produce three runs that helped the Hornets post a 4-1 Midland Empire Conference triumph yesterday. Chillicothe scored twice on two hits, a hit batsman, and a 2-out error in the top of the 2nd inning to stake Parker to the lead and increased his working margin to four the next inning. That turned out to be plenty for the team's leading winner in 2008, who earned his 8th victory in 10 decisions. Despite making only 88 deliveries, Parker struck out nine Smithville batters, three of them on called 3rd strikes. He kept his pitch total low by avoiding long counts and walking only one man. His sharpness was needed as the CHS attack was not firing on all cylinders yesterday. However, the Hornets did bunch things well enough to manufacture the tallies needed to win. After its first five batters were retired by SHS starting and losing pitcher Josh Mitchell, Chillicothe's effective lower-half of the batting order came up big once more. State-Ranked CHS
Baseball It worked once before, but Chillicothe High School's state-ranked baseball Hornets pushed their luck just a tad too far yesterday. Shut out for the first six innings, the Hornets tried to overcome a 2-0 rally in their final at-bat against the visiting Maryville Spoofhounds Tuesday. However, after successfully pulling off - with the indispensable help of an error on a routine pop-up which would have ended the game as a loss - such a last-gasp rally to shade Macon early in the season, Chillicothe's comeback bid came up short as it stranded the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position as it dropped a Midland Empire Conference game to the 'Hounds, 2-1, at “June” Shaffer Memorial Park. With Maryville having scored single runs with the help of CHS defensive misplays in the 3rd and 5th innings, the Hornets were up against it as they came to the plate for the last time. They got the bottom of the seventh off to a promising start when sophomore left fielder Bryce Young singled leading off. Chillicothe (16-5, 3-3 MEC) then caught a bad break as Clint Singleton hit a line drive close enough to the shortstop to be caught for the 1st out, rather than find a hole for back-to-back hits. The lack of runs - a rarity for the Hornets most of the season - made senior right-handed pitcher Zack Dunn a loser despite an excellent outing. Dunn (4-3) yielded only three hits and no earned runs in going the distance. He struck out five - three of them looking - while walking three in a 100-pitch outing. State-Ranked
Baseball Hornets Ride Parker's C-T File Photo / Paul Sturm
A perfectly-placed bunt to the first-base side by Cameron's Aaron Earley with two outs in the top of the 2nd inning was all that stood between Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets junior right-handed pitcher Colin Parker and a no-hitter yesterday.
Bouncing back from his first defeat of the 2008 season, Parker improved his personal record to a staff-leading 7-1 with a 91-pitch complete game at Chillicothe's “June” Shaffer Memorial Park as the now-state-ranked Hornets rolled past the Cameron Dragons 6-1 in Midland Empire Conference play. Yesterday after Cameron used a leadoff hit batsman, a throwing error, and two groundouts to score a run in the top of the 2nd inning, Parker slammed the door, retiring 15 of the last 16 batters he faced. The only man to reach after the second was on shortstop Alex Singleton's high throw after making a diving stop of a ground-ball smash to start the Cameron sixth. That runner eventually was retired trying to score from third base when a pitch eluded catcher Austin Harlow as Parker took Harlow's quick-recovery toss. Mapel said the story of the game was Parker's pitching and “excellent infield defense by both teams.” “Our infield played extremely well,” the CHS coach praised. Baseball Hornets Claim 3rd '08
Tourney Title Photo Supplied / Karen Young
KEARNEY - A 4-1 showing in the Kearney Tournament which included the ending of 9-0 run didn't keep Chillicothe High School's sizzling baseball Hornets from improving three for three. A stunning 11-run top of the 1st inning in the championship game against Harrisonville late Saturday night set the stage for a 14-10 Chillicothe victory which gave the Hornets their third regular-season tournament title in three tries this spring. They previously had copped the crowns of the Marshall and Pony Express (St. Joseph) tourneys. Following a 2-1 mark in their tournament pool's round-robin schedule and a 5-4 semifinal conquest of Kansas City: Oak Park earlier Saturday, the Hornets began a new winning streak after a 9-game run had been halted with 10-3 loss to host Kearney Friday night. “I felt we were pretty focused for most of the tournament,” Hornets head coach Dave Mapel assessed. “We had fantastic pitching throughout, which is not easy when you're playing so many games (five) in just (three) days. It really wears on you, but we're fortunate to have so many talented pitchers who have worked so hard at being able to place the ball and keep hitters off-balance.” Mapel added that a hefty measure of the pitchers' success is owed to senior catcher Austin Harlow. “Austin calls pretty much the entire game himself,” the CHS coach related. “He's a very smart catcher and has done a remarkable job of taking care of our pitching staff.” Also supporting the pitching in excellent style has been a quick, ball-hawking outfield of senior center fielder Clint Singleton flanked by senior Correy Miller or junior Jacob Rockhold in right and sophomore Bryce Young in left. “Our outfielders are really fun to watch. Every one of them made fantastic plays in the tournament and throughout the season,” Mapel declared. “They've got quickness and speed and it has allowed them to make fielding attempts (like diving for balls) that you can't normally make because there's no one backing you up. Our guys know their neighbor has the ability to get there in case their extra effort doesn't succeed.” If the infield defense can solidify - “we've had our moments” of great plays, the coach noted, but added, “we're making too many mistakes with our fielding and throwing” - the CHS pitching could become even tougher to solve. Red-Hot Baseball Hornets at
Seven and Counting ST. JOSEPH - The Chillicothe Hornets baseball team continued their winning ways Tuesday evening with a 5-1 win over St. Joe Lafayette. Tuesday's victory is the 7th in a row for the Hornets as they continue to use strong pitching, solid offense and good defense as the cornerstone for their success this season. Zach Dunn got the the start on the mound for the Hornets and threw six strong innings allowing only one run on three hits. "Zach had exceptional control and did a great job of keeping the ball down in the strike
zone," commented Coach Dave Mapel. "We will need Zach to be strong for the upcoming Kearney Tournament so we pulled him after the sixth inning and brought in Alex Singleton to close out the game, as he pitched a one, two, three seventh inning" Hornets Rally,
Reign in Pony Express C-T Photo / Paul Sturm
ST. JOSEPH - At this point, Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets head coach Dave Mapel's stomach may not be churning when he finds his 2008 club trailing a good foe in the middle or latter stages of a game. The Hornets seem to have perfected both the comeback and the close win. For the third time in as many Pony Express Tournament games this week, the Hornets spotted a strong opponent - this time the top-ranked and defending Class 3 state-champion St. Joseph: Benton Cardinals - a multi-run lead yesterday, then overtook the foe to prevail. Behind 4-0 after two innings and, after Austin Harlow's 2-run home run in the top of the sixth tied it, 5-4 after six, the Hornets unleashed a 5-run 7th inning at Hyde Park Field No. 6 to defeat Benton 9-5 and claim the tournament crown. Their record now 10-3, the Hornets have beaten either in come-from-behind fashion and/or in 1-run games six strong programs this spring. That list includes St. Joseph: Central and St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond this week, future district tournament rival Macon, 2007 district champion Pleasant Hill (lost to Benton in state play last year), and Grain Valley. Add in the Hornets' near-miss against Benton on April 1 when they stormed back late from a 10-2 deficit to fall 10-9 and there's plenty of reason for Mapel and his players to stay confident until the last out that they'll find a way to win. "That's a fantastic attribute, but I would like a little rest,” Mapel said, half-jokingly. “Maybe a game here or a game there, it wouldn't be bad to get ahead and stay ahead, if we can do that." Beating a Benton club which has won a couple of state titles in recent years after losing the prior meeting by only a run in a game in which the Hornets committed nine errors should be an additional psychological boost for Chillicothe. "That's always a nice accomplishment,” acknowledge Benton alumnus Mapel. “We felt from the first game we were able to play with Benton this year. "We talked before the game as to (wanting to) play loose and play relaxed and not play intimidated." Another Crack At The King C-T File Photo / Paul Sturm
ST. JOSEPH - A second shot at temporarily being “king of the hill” is what Chillicothe High School's baseball Hornets will get today, thanks to another big come-from-behind victory in the Pony Express Tournament. The Hornets (9-3) this afternoon will face the St. Joseph: Benton Cardinals (10-1), the defending Class 3 state champions and currently ranked No. 1 in the state in rankings by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association (MHSBCA), for the championship of the 8-team tourney. The Hornets earned their way into the title game with an 8-6 comeback victory over St. Joseph: Central last evening after Benton pounded St. Joseph: Lafayette 19-9 in five innings. Game time for today's championship game was set for 3 p.m. The tournament's original schedule didn't call for the finals to be played until tomorrow, but because of the chance of rain returning Thursday, it was advanced to today. Chillicothe head coach Dave Mapel expects to send junior right-hander Clayton Dahlberg (2-0) to the mound today. He anticipates seeing Benton's ace Jake Kretzer toeing the rubber for the Cardinals after Kretzer threw only three innings in Benton's Monday win over Savannah. The Cardinals edged the Hornets 10-9 on April Fool's Day, erasing a 2-1 deficit after 21/2 innings with a 4-run 3rd and then increasing its lead to 10-2 in the 4th before Chillicothe rallied to make it close at the end. Kretzer started that game for the Cardinals, so Chillicothe has seen him before this season. Dahlberg has not thrown against Benton previously, but is coming off consecutive complete-game victories. The most-recent of those saw him and the Hornets defeat Marshall April 5 in the championship game of the Marshall Invitational tourney, a game in which Dahlberg also hit a pair of home runs. The Hornets got the home run ball from a different and unexpected source yesterday. Trailing St. Joseph: Central's Indians 5-1 in the bottom of the 5th inning after having been behind 5-0 in the top of the 3rd, Chillicothe got a leadoff single from senior Correy Miller, who was hitting 9th in a reshuffled CHS batting order. Leadoff man Clint Singleton followed suit, prompting the Central head coach to visit the mound. While he did so, Mapel gathered his base-runners and next hitter, Alex Singleton, for a strategy conference. The Chillicothe batter turned in on the pitch and rode it deep and over the fence about 320 feet away in right field, suddenly bringing Chillicothe within a run at 5-4. Dunn (1-2), who went the route on the hill to get his first victory of 2008, checked Central on four hits and two runs after a rocky 4-run top of the first. The Chillicothe right-hander finished with nine strikeouts while walking only two. He gave seven hits and only three earned runs. In Tuesday's victory over Central, Chillicothe followed Monday's 17-hit assault on St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond with a 14-hit onslaught. Baseball Hornets Roll in PE Tourney Opener C-T Photo / Paul Sturm
ST. JOSEPH - After a week's enforced idleness, due to bad weather, Chillicothe High School's baseball Hornets needed three innings to knock off the rust yesterday as they began play in the Pony Express Tournament at St. Joseph's Phil Welch Stadium. Once they did, they flashed the form which made them champions of the recent Marshall Tournament. Spotting St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond a 5-0 lead through three innings, the Hornets exploded for six runs on four hits in the top of the 4th and went on to steamroll the Golden Eagles 16-5 in six innings in a 1st-round game. By virtue of the triumph, the Hornets (8-3) moved into today's championship semifinals. They'll square off with St. Joseph: Central in a 6:30 p.m. contest at Hyde Park Field No. 6 in south St. Joseph. Central ripped Maryville 11-1 Monday. The tourney's other championship semifinal, also at Hyde No. 6 today, will pit St. Joseph: Benton, the defending Class 3 state champion and currently ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3 in the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association rankings, against St. Joseph: Lafayette. Benton edged past Savannah 11-8 in its 1st-round action yesterday while Lafayette turned back Cameron 4-1. Baseball Hornets Take Marshall
Tourney Title C-T File Photo / Paul Sturm
MARSHALL - A Friday loss in the Marshall Tournament to a team they had beaten 18-1 in five innings earlier this season did not deter the Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets this weekend. The Hornets overcame their 8-3 loss to Savannah to win the round-robin-formal tournament's championship on the strength of victories over three strong programs - 2007 state tournament qualifier Pleasant Hill, 2006 state qualifier Marshall, and Grain Valley. In what turned out to be a championship game to close the 2-day tourney at the Marshall High School field, the Hornets got a huge game from junior Clayton Dahlberg to obliterate Marshall's Owls 14-1 in six innings Saturday night. Dahlberg slammed two home runs over the left-center field fence, the second a 3-run shot, and threw a complete-game 2-hitter only three days after throwing 130-plus pitches in going the route in a victory over St. Joseph: Lafayette. Immediately prior to the triumph over Marshall, the Hornets (7-3) had set up that “winner-take-all” clash with the hosts by edging Grain Valley 7-6 on a walkoff passed ball that allowed Colin Parker to score in the bottom of the 7th inning. Chillicothe began its action in the tournament Friday with an 8-inning 5-4 triumph over Pleasant Hill, Parker's squeeze bunt plating Tyson Blattner in the home eighth to win it. “With the exception of the Savannah game, we played well in all facets of the game throughout the tournament,” a pleased CHS head coach Dave Mapel beamed Sunday. “We hit the ball really well Saturday and got great pitching from starters Correy Miller, Colin (Parker), and Clayton (Dahlberg), as well as an outstanding long relief stint from Alex Singleton against Savannah. “I think this weekend showed us we now have five pitchers (including Zach Dunn) we can count on.” Back In The Swing C-T Photo / Paul Sturm Incremental improvement often is the path sports teams follow on their way to impressive success. The 2008 Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets gave another indication yesterday they may be treading that trail. Responding crisply to an error-plagued game against St. Joseph: Benton the day before, the Hornets got right back on the winning track by brushing aside the visiting St. Joseph: Lafayette Fighting Irish 6-2 at “June” Shaffer Memorial Park. “That's why I'm on the kids all the time, because I know there's a good team there,” CHS head coach Dave Mapel commented after the game. "We played a heckuva lot better than we did (Tuesday), so I was real pleased.” The headliners in Chillicothe's fourth victory in six outings thus far this spring were a senior, junior, and sophomore. Senior second baseman and No. 3 hitter Tyson Blattner went three for four with three runs batted in and made a great defensive play which may well have deprived the Irish (2-5) of a lead-taking rally in the fifth inning. Junior right-handed pitcher Clayton Dahlberg, making his varsity debut on the mound, threw the Hornets' third complete game - Colin Parker has the other two - and limited Lafayette to two 3rd-inning runs and five hits. Sophomore left fielder Bryce Young had a perfect day at the dish, going three for three from the No. 9 slot in the lineup, scoring twice and driving in a run. Praised the head coach, “I thought Clayton did a real good job for his first varsity appearance.” Paced by Blattner and Young, Chillicothe scored its six runs - three tallies each in the third and sixth frames - with an 8-hit attack. It had at least one hit in five of the six innings. “I was pleased, for the most part, with our hitting,” Mapel remarked. After games on consecutive days, Chillicothe has today off from game action, but then is slated for back-to-back days of two games in Friday's and Saturday's Marshall Invitational tournament. They're slated to meet Pleasant Hill and Savannah Friday evening with senior right-hander Correy Miller expected to get the ball for the opener, according to Mapel. Either Parker or Zach Dunn, each of whom pitched against Benton Tuesday, projects to start against Savannah with the other probably available for relief in either Friday game. If not needed then, the one not thrown Friday should get the call in one of Saturday's contests. Baseball Hornets Nipped at
SJ: Benton ST. JOSEPH - After spotting the defending Class 3 state champions 10 runs over three error-plagued innings, Chillicothe High School's baseball Cardinals battled back to make it anybody's game late before losing 10-9 at Hyde Park field No 6 yesterday afternoon. Two CHS errors in the 2nd inning allowed Benton to score the game's initial tally. Then, after Chillicothe plated two runs on four hits in the top of the 3rd, three more Hornets miscues in the bottom half turned into four Cardinals runs and four Chillicothe errors in the 4th became five BHS markers and a 10-2 lead for the home team. “It's hard to win any game when you make nine errors,” Chillicothe head coach Dave Mapel reflected. “I have no idea where our defense disappeared to.” “I was very proud of the last three innings we played,” Mapel continued, referring to the Hornets answering Benton's six gift runs in the 4th inning with five tallies in the top of the 5th to close to within 10-7 and then getting another pair in the 6th to move within a run. “We did a great job of not throwing in the towel.” HORNETS: LF Young's
Throw Cut Down Man at Plate, Pitcher Parker Helped Self with Glove Backed against the wall by the Macon Tigers and sharp left-handed pitcher Drew Greiwe Friday, the Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets didn't back down. Instead they produced - with a couple of big breaks - a 3-2 victory on Austin Harlow's 2-out single to left field which could become a turning point in their 2008 season. Coming off a 10-run-rule loss at Platte County two days before in a contest in which they'd been tied 1-1 after 41/2 innings, the Hornets didn't get a batter aboard against Greiwe until Bryce Young walked with two outs in the sixth inning of a 0-0 game. Then, coming to bat for the last time still no-hit and now trailing the tough lefty 2-0 after a couple of soft, but well-placed hits got the Tigers on the board in the top of the seventh, Chillicothe (3-1) strung together 3-consecutive singles up the middle to knock Greiwe out and get within 2-1. A sacrifice put the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position, but an outstanding fielding play by MHS relief pitcher Tyler Walker appeared to save the day for the Tigers (2-1). However, the Hornets' Zach Dunn did what he absolutely had to do - put the ball in play - and the Hornets caught a huge break when Dunn's popup about 30 feet down the 3rd-base line was overrun and missed by the Macon 3rd baseman, allowing the tying run to score. Harlow then ripped a 2-1 pitch on a line through the hole between third and short and the Chillicothe bench erupted with glee at a significant comeback victory over the team which had ended their 2007 season in district-tournament play. “We talked (Thursday) night about our character and the way we kind of let the weather and the conditions help beat us down at Platte County,” CHS head coach Dave Mapel remarked, “so this was a tremendous turnaround. “I owe it all to the guys. They deserve all the credit. This is a group that really is a hard-working group. They were supporting Colin.” CHS Baseball Hornets
Start Crisply C-T Photo / Paul Sturm
The answer to the most-pertinent underlying question heading into yesterday's Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets 2008 season opener came swiftly and decisively, and to the Hornets' benefit. With cold, wet weather during their preseason preparations leaving teams throughout the region rarely able to practice outdoors, the issue as the season gets underway is which clubs are able to execute effectively. Those which play good defense, pitch well, or swing the bats with authority and consistency figure to get off to good starts. Do more than one of those things and not only should a team win, it likely will win big. That's just what happened at Chillicothe's “June” Shaffer Memorial Park on a mostly-sunny, increasingly-mild last official day of winter Wednesday. The host CHS Hornets pitched well against the Savannah Savages, didn't give away outs with their defense, and put the ball in play with their bats with regularity. When the Savages did none of the above, the Hornets claimed an 18-0 season-opening cakewalk in five innings. “I was very pleased with our focus before and during the game,” CHS head coach Dave Mapel commented. “The guys kept talking about the finish and not to be content with what we'd done up to that point. “I thought we were relaxed and played with confidence and determination.” It took no time at all for the answer to the question of which club was more ready, after truncated preparations the past three weeks, to begin game competition. After its leadoff hitter touched Hornets senior starting pitcher Correy Miller (1-0) for a game- and season-opening basehit to left field, Savannah showed its rough edges. The runner at first base barely avoided being picked off by CHS senior catcher Austin Harlow once, even though the receiver hesitated before pegging to first. A few pitches later, the runner wandered way too far off and was easy pickings for Harlow after handling a pitch, ending the top of the first inning with no damage to the Hornets. The Savages then committed errors - three of them throwing errors - on balls put in play by each of the first four Hornets hitters. That led to three runs which would prove to be all Chillicothe would require to win, even though it got five times that many more. Stir-Crazy Diamond Hornets
Hope to Debut Monday C-T File Photo / Paul Sturm
Chillicothe High School’s baseball Hornets have spent most of their preseason practices the past 2-plus weeks yearning for the great outdoors. They'll spend this weekend holding their collective breath, hoping the scheduled start of game play isn't fouled up by a long, cold, wet winter the way practices have begin. Prevented by inclement weather or its aftermath - soggy fields - from practicing at their June Shaffer Memorial Park field until this past week, the Hornets are slated to commence game action Monday with a trip to Kirksville. Being that weather and resultant field conditions there and elsewhere across north Missouri have been similar to Chillicothe's, the good news for the Hornets is that their lack of full-fledged practicing outdoors shouldn't leave them at a competitive disadvantage. Everyone else has been in the same boat, forced to improvise indoor practices in gymnasiums or on paved parking lots at their schools. “We were going a little stir crazy,” commented Dave Mapel, the only baseball coach in CHS history, on the lead-up to the start of the Hornets’ 11th season. “We did a little bit of infield work, but you can't do any outfield work (in a gym). We were able to go out on the (Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center at CHS) parking lot maybe twice, but otherwise when it was sunny, it was colder than you know what.” |
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GOLF click here for last season... 2008
Golf Hornets Made Lemonade, Rather Than Settling for Sour Year CAPTION: Senior state medalist Logan Gilliland of the Chillicothe High School golf Hornets received the 2008 Coaches’ Award at last night’s postseason awards banquet. C-T Photo / Paul Sturm A Chillicothe High School boys' golf season in which team fortunes were potentially jeopardized by a shockingly small turnout of players turned out reasonably well, according to coach John Musser last night at the golf Hornets' postseason awards event. With the absolute minimum number of players (four) needed to have team competition, the 2008 Hornets won six of eight dual matches, finished in the middle or upper half of four of their six tournaments – highlighted by a 4th-place team finish in what proved to be a very tough district tourney, and individually had achievement and improvement, the coach shared. "All things considered, this group of players stepped up and have a very good year," Musser told the C-T, referring to the 2008 squad of senior Logan Gilliland, who earned All-State status with a 10th-place finish in this week's Class 3 state tournament, junior Cody Graham, and sophomores Ben Dietz and Drew Lowrey. "Our players didn't play as consistently as they wanted," he commented, "but they all made improvements in particular aspects of their games. They may have made more than they would have if we'd had more players because they were able to get in more practice time." Overcoming, to a degree, the decision by two would-be returning starters not to come back, the Hornets turned what could have been a negative into a positive by focusing on the benefits of the skeleton crew situation. "There wasn't any stress for our young players to deal with because, with only four of them, there was no need for challenge matches to decide who got to be in the varsity lineup – they all were – and nobody having to deal with the disappointment of dropping out of the lineup," Musser related. "Partially as a result of our situation, the camaraderie was great because the guys knew they had to depend on each other." Gilliland had another outstanding season, crowned by his state tournament medal-winning showing at Springfield this past Monday and Tuesday. A 76-80–176 score for the 36-hole state event tied him for 10th place and made him CHS' first state medalist since 2004. The 4-time all-Midland Empire Conference and all-district player finished the season with a 9-hole scoring average of 38 strokes, a mark about 11/2 shots higher than last year. However, Musser postulated that all or most of that increase could be attributed to the far-more disagreeable weather and playing conditions with which this year's Hornets had to contend. Gilliland, who prior to the season committed to attend Missouri Western State University on a golf scholarship beginning this fall, had a best 9-hole round of 34 and a best tournament (18-hole) score of 71. He medaled in all seven tournaments in which he played. In recognition of his accomplishments and the veteran leadership he gave a squad of otherwise limited experience, he was presented this year's Coach's Award. In introducing the other three players, Musser pointed out that their season scoring averages improved from 2007 and that all had days when they flashed their potential. Dietz, jumping up all the way to No. 2 from the No. 5 spot in the ’07 lineup he earned late last year, knocked more than two strokes off his average of a year ago. He trimmed it to 43.0, including a season-best round of 39 in the double-dual with Savannah and St. Joseph: Benton. Graham, who played No. 3 spot, dropped his average to 44.6. En route to his 3rd varsity letter, he had a season-best dual-match score of 38 against Brookfield and a tourney-best 80 in the St. Joseph: Lafayette tournament. However, his best day of the season probably was in the district tournament at Excelsior Springs, the coach related. On that occasion, despite very tough conditions, he shot a 86 for 18 holes, coming up one frustrating shot short of the score he needed to advance with Gilliland to state. Lowrey's best dual-match score was a 43, also against Brookfield, and his tournament best was an 83 at Cameron. Like Dietz, he earned his second varsity letter after receiving a provision letter in 2007. Musser, who is stepping aside as golf coach for 2009, emphasized the need for the three underclassmen to lobby other boys – especially ones at the freshman and middle school levels – to get involved in the sport and, when eligible, go out for the CHS team. CHS' Gilliland State
Medalist Photo Supplied / Kathy Gilliland
SPRINGFIELD - A tough, long, tight Rivercut Golf Course made longer and more difficult by soft ground and wind both days was hard on the nerves, but Chillicothe High School 2008 graduate Logan Gilliland kept his game together well enough Monday and Tuesday to post a medal-winning 10th-place finish in this year's MSHSAA Class 3 Golf Championships and earn All-State status. “It was pretty good,” he said this morning of the feeling of being All-State and a state tournament medal-winner. Players whose scores are among the 15 best in the 36-hole event medal. “At the beginning of the season, I was wanting to get a medal,” he shared about the goals he'd had after being a state qualifier as a sophomore and junior. He tied for 24th a year ago. Gilliland opened the tournament with a round of 76 Monday, good for a tie for 6th place. Playing in the 2nd-to-last foursome yesterday, he carded an 80 to finish at 156, 12 over par. “After the 1st day, I was thinking, ‘I could win this,'” he told the C-T today. “I played pretty good Monday, although I left a couple of shots out there. I hit the ball really solid. Yesterday was a completely different day. I didn't think I played that well at all.” However, as he came off the course yesterday, he didn't feel discouraged long as he heard from others that most of the players in the last group - the first round's top scorers - had 2nd-day scores as high or higher than his. “I felt pretty confident then that I had at least medaled.” “Logan did what he had to do on the first day by hitting nearly all of the fairways and then following up and hitting the greens,” recapped CHS coach John Musser. “However, putting on the undulating and very sloped greens at Rivercut is no easy task. "He had only one birdie (Monday) and three bogeys plus a dreaded double bogey on the 18th hole.” Yesterday, with threatening weather a possibility as the day went on, tournament officials opted for a “shotgun” start, rather than having half of the field begin its round on No. 1 and the other half on No. 10. It proved to be a good choice, Musser commented, as play was able to be completed in good time even with a 1-hour stoppage for a thunderstorm. “Logan started on (No. 1) and played the flatter front side with a rough start,” Musser reported. “He wasn't hitting the ball as solid on day two as he was on the prior day, but he hung in there and came off the front side about 6-over par for the round. “He then went to the back side, which is very hilly, and played a little better.” Gilliland credited his ability to post the score he did on his play from the tee boxes. “I only missed four fairways both days. I don't think I could have hit the ball any better off the tees,” he related. Logan Gilliland to
State Golf Tourney Chillicothe High School senior Logan Gilliland will take strong medalist (top-15 finisher) hopes to Springfield's Rivercut Golf Course Monday and Tuesday as he plays in the Class 3 boys' golf state tournament for a third time. A 24th-place finisher (tied) with a 153 on a different Springfield area course a year ago, Gilliland likely would be in the thick of the medal hunt if he could shoot his season average (unofficially 37.8 strokes per nine holes) over the 36-hole tournament. Last year, when the Class 1 (small schools) tournament was held at Rivercut, 157 was the winning individual score. In the Class 3 play at Deer Lake Golf Course, it took a 142 to win. The last time the Class 3 tourney was played at Rivercut (2005), the winning score was a 1-under par 143 and the highest score among the medalists was 157. Chillicothe had three players involved then, with its best score being a 164. All three of its players managed to shoot near their regular-season averages, which bodes well for Gilliland's chances. CHS' Gilliland Second in MEC
Golf, Set for State PLATTE CITY - The Chillicothe High School golf Hornets' 3-year reign in the Midland Empire Conference Tournament ended with a thud yesterday, but their state-bound senior, Logan Gilliland, showed signs of being ready for a run at state medalist status next week by placing second. Smithville, last year's 4th-place team, improved to a 308 yesterday at Platte City's Shiloh Springs Golf Course to win the league title by three shots over Cameron. Chillicothe's 4-player team had its collective woes, having one of its poorer showings of 2008 with a 349 which tied it with Platte County for sixth place among the eight teams. Gilliland did what he could, matching the 73 he shot last year at Cameron. This year, that score was good for second, individually, after getting him third in 2007. “I'm glad for Logan with his all-conference honors, but somewhat disappointed with the team finish of 7th place,” reflected CHS coach John Musser. “I felt our district competition was more difficult and the weather (then) was much-more challenging.” While Gilliland finished on stroke behind conference champion Charlie King of Smithville and beat out defending Class 3 state champion Derek Baade in a scorecard playoff for 2nd place, the rest of the Hornets had their troubles. Sophomore Ben Dietz was respectable with an 85, but junior Cody Graham slipped to a 94 and sophomore Drew Lowrey posted a 97. Dietz Paces Golf Hornets
Past Savannah, Benton It was warmer, but still windy, for the Chillicothe High School golf Hornets as they made their final home competition appearance yesterday, making up a previous postponement behind a Ben Dietz-led double-dual victory over the Savannah Savages and St. Joseph: Benton Cardinals. CHS totaled 177, Savannah 186, and Benton 192. “I was hoping to have the best weather of the season,” coach John Musser remarked. “The temperature cooperated, but we had very high winds.” Sophomore No. 2 player Dietz fired his best 9-hole score of 2008, a 39, to share the team lead with senior No. 1 Logan Gilliland. It was the first time all season the state tournament-bound Gilliland had not been CHS' outright leader. “Ben had a good round,” reflected Musser. “He started with a triple bogey and then proceeded to reel off the next eight holes at even par. "I was very glad to see Ben recover from a shaky start.” Rounding out the CHS lineup, Cody Graham had the wind get the better of him as he recorded a 52 and Drew Lowrey posted 47. Although far from their best showings of the season, those two scores still were respectable enough for the Hornets still win with room to spare. Savannah's Derek Baade posted a 37 to be match medalist. He's the defending Class 3 state co-champion. Benton's scoring was topped by Brad Waller's 40. Gilliland Earns
State Golf Bid C-T File Photo / Paul Sturm
LIBERTY - A close call and a near-miss individually and one of the better team showings of the 2008 season were the story threads for the Chillicothe High School Hornets in yesterday's Class 3 District 8 high school boys' golf tournament. CHS senior ace Logan Gilliland didn't have his best day in what Hornets coach John Musser termed “really tough” playing conditions, but he still managed to qualify for this year's state tournament with an 18-hole score of 84. That tied him for 10th place overall and 7th-best among those not from state-qualifying district team champion Kearney. Advancement to the state level is Gilliland's third such occurrence. As a junior last year, when the Hornets went as a team, he tied for 24th individually at state with a 153, only three strokes off a state-medal-earning top-15 finish. While Gilliland does head on to May 12-13 state tournament, CHS junior Cody Graham has the agonizing “what if?” question lingering in his mind after missing state by a single stroke. Continuing his improvement which began around mid-season, Graham shot an 86 yesterday at the Liberty Hills Country Club course. That score tied him for 14th place overall and 11th-best among those not on the state-qualifying team. Unfortunately for Graham and one other player, only the 10 best scorers not on the district championship team get to go on to state. Saving one stroke somewhere along the line during the 18 holes would have been enough for Graham to join Gilliland at state. “I feel sorry for Cody,” Musser remarked, adding sympathy for sophomore Ben Dietz, who missed a chance to go to state for a 2nd time by three strokes after an 88. The fourth Hornets player, Drew Lowrey, posted a respectable 95 in the challenging conditions. “The wind was a factor for most of the players,” pointed out Musser. “The scores were as high as any time I can remember. Rough conditions were bad and anyone who found himself in the rough played a high penalty. “The best golfers had the skills to play the course well and the score shot by the young freshman from Kearney (district champion Ryan Zech, who shot a 72) was amazing, considering the wind and rough. He did what all coaches tell their players - try to hit the fairways and then you have a great chance to hit the greens.” Golf Hornets a Respectable
Sixth CAMERON - Chillicothe High School's golf Hornets are hosting their own annual tournament at Green Hills Golf Course today after a decent showing by the bare-bones team in Friday's Cameron Invitational tourney. About a dozen teams are in town for today's CHS Tournament, which was played under cloudy skies. Today's weather nevertheless is an improvement over that in which the Cameron event was held Friday. “The weather was cold and very wet and the course was pretty soft,” Chillicothe coach John Musser said. “Seventeen teams showed up and play was pretty good considering everything.” The Hornets, with one player earning a spot in the medal-winning ranks, carded a team total of 339, putting them sixth among the 17 teams. Golfers Split Trenton Triangular TRENTON - Chillicothe senior Logan Gilliland was the match medalist with a 38 as the golf Hornets split a double-dual at Trenton yesterday. Gilliland's round, two shots better than Trenton's Jim Weaver and Ryan Ware managed, paced the CHS team score of 172. That total handily beat Putnam County's 195, but trailed Trenton's 167. “The wind was really tough to play in,” commented Chillicothe coach John Musser after his team's overall record remained at .500, 3-3. In addition to Gilliland's round, the Hornets' Ben Dietz and Cody Graham each had a 43 and Drew Lowrey a 48. CHS Golfers'
Putting Troubles Lead To Loss To Cameron, But Maryville Beaten CAMERON - A poor day on the greens nearly was doubly-costly for Chillicothe High School's golf Hornets yesterday afternoon. Playing at Cameron against both the host Dragons and the Maryville Spoofhounds, the Hornets had all four of their players shoot in the 40s, leaving them well behind Cameron, but managing to net a 4-stroke victory over Maryville in the double-dual. Led by match medalist Trent White's 36 and having three players shoot in the 30s, Cameron easily rolled to a 24-stroke victory over the Hornets, 153-177. Maryville finished with a low-4 total of 181, leaving Cameron with two wins for the day and Chillicothe with a split. Chillicothe was led again by senior Logan Gilliland, but he was five strokes over his 9-hole average, carding a 41. Ben Dietz and Cody Graham had matching 44s for CHS and Drew Lowrey a 48. “I think everyone (on the Hornets) was kind of disappointed in their scores at this match,” Chillicothe coach John Musser commented. “Our putting was sub-par and it really cost us. We also had numerous double bogeys. That is pretty uncharacteristic for the squad." CHS Golfers
Improve, Gilliland Takes Second ST. JOSEPH - Chillicothe High School's golf Hornets moved up from almost the bottom to the middle of the team scoring standings in Friday's Lafayette Invitational, compared to their performance in the season-opening Savannah Tournament. The Hornets had Logan Gilliland's usual strong performance - his 1-under-par 71 on the St. Joseph's Fairview Golf Course earned him 2nd place behind medalist Derek Baade of Savannah's sizzling 67 - and got two scores in the 80s and one in the 90s, compared to one each in the 80s, 90s, and 100s at Savannah March 25. No. 3 player Cody Graham chopped 23 strokes off his first 2008 tourney showing by firing an 80. Ben Dietz carded an 87 and Drew Lowrey a 95 rounding out the CHS lineup, leaving the Hornets with a 6th-place team score of 333, one shot ahead of Kearney and five behind 4th-place St. Joseph: Central. "Our goal this season is to continue to try and improve as a team each week and also improve our individual scoring on the course," commented Hornets coach John Musser. Savannah, led by 2007 state co-medalist Baade, edged future Midland Empire Conference member St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond 310-312 with Lawson only three strokes off the team champs' pace. CHS Golf Hornets
Claim Comfortable Win in Opening 2008 Dual C-T Photo / Paul Sturm
Familiar surroundings helped enable the bare-bones 2008 Chillicothe High School boys' golf team to prevail in their first dual match of the season yesterday afternoon. The Hornets, with only four members this spring - the minimum for team scoring - opened their home season with a 164-191 win over the visiting Marshall Owls on Chillicothe's Green Hills Golf Course. On a very brisk, mostly-cloudy day, the Hornets had scoring improvement from everyone, compared to their initial outing of the season, last week's Savannah Invitational tournament. Match medalist was CHS senior Logan Gilliland, who breezily toured the windy GHGC front nine in 2-under-par 34, four strokes better than Marshall's top player, Cody Dusenberry. Gilliland had shot 38-37-75 in the Savannah tourney. Chillicothe's scores in yesterday's competition were a 40 by No. 2 player Ben Dietz, a 43 from No. 3 Cody Graham, and a 47 by No. 4 Drew Lowrey. Because there are only four CHS players, everyone's total counts in compiling the Hornets' team tally. Gilliland Strong,
but CHS Golf Hornets Show Some Rough Edges in 2008 Season Debut SAVANNAH - In what coach John Musser and his team hope won't become a recurring story line for the 2008 Chillicothe Hornets boys' golf season, senior Logan Gilliland of the Chillicothe Hornets did his "thing" in yesterday's season-opening Savannah Invitational tournament, but the team straggled in near the back of the pack. Gilliland tied for fourth individually with a 75 in the 18-hole tourney, but two of the four Hornets were in or near triple digits as Chillicothe finished 6th in the 7-team field, 54 shots back of champion Cameron. While sophomore Ben Dietz got off to a decent start with an 85, fellow 10th grader Drew Lowrey shot a 96 and junior Cody Graham a 103, leaving the Hornets with a team score of 359, ahead of only St. Joseph: Lafayette's 375. "We had a rough day as a team," Chillicothe coach John Musser admitted. "Hopefully we can get back on our course and work out some of our individual little glitches." The Missouri Western State University-bound Gilliland posted in a 38 on the front nine and improved slightly on the back side with a 37. While he played well, that score and the 4th-place finish may have ranked as something of a personal disappointment. The Chillicothe golfer had won the tournament's individual title each of the past two years and carded a 70 at the Duncan Hills Golf Course a year ago. Dietz's 85, including a 41 on the back nine, tied him for 16th among the 34 players competing. Senior
Gilliland Headlines Golf Hornets' Bare-Minimum Roster Coming off a 2007 season in which, with a lineup always featuring at least four underclassmen, they won both the Midland Empire Conference and district tournaments and finished 7th in the state tournament in their first team appearance there since 1987, the Chillicothe High School golf Hornets' 2008 season seemed set up for another banner season. However, some very surprising developments have the Hornets scrambling even before they hit the course for competition for the first time in today's Savannah Invitational tournament. An 11-member '07 squad which only had two seniors - neither of which played more than four varsity matches - and produced a 11-1 record in dual matches in addition to the aforementioned end-of-season tournament accomplishments startingly has given way to a bare-minimum 4-man turnout, led by senior No. 1 player Logan Gilliland this spring. The other '08 Hornets are junior Cody Graham and sophomores Ben Dietz and Drew Lowrey, each of whom played at least one varsity match last year. "It's really kind of disappointing," veteran coach John Musser commented yesterday on the eve of the season opener, saying he'd been given no advance indication by would-be junior lineup regulars Wade Koehly and Kyle Dosterschill that they would not be out. Not only that, but three others who participated at the junior-varsity level and were part of a 10-2 team are not back either. "It's a voluntary program," Musser acknowledged with reluctance. "Nobody has to participate." However, as he noted, having only four players on the team - the minimum needed to compile a team score in matches and tournaments - "puts a lot of pressure" on that quartet to score well and be healthy enough to compete. Without the luxury of being able to select the best four scores from five varsity lineup members for team scoring purposes, Musser days his players' goal must be "to minimize mistakes" such as poorly-hit shots or misjudgments in club selection or how aggressive to be. "We'll have to avoid big numbers (on a hole) any time we can," he warned. |
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TRACK click here for last season... CHS' Stull, Figg, Mathew
Medal in State Track Meet
Mathew's and Figg's placements don't tell the full story of how well they did. Mathew cleared a personal-best 5'2", a height only state champion Morgan Whitson of Moberly surpassed, getting over 5'4". Six others, including Mathew, went out at 5'4", and because she had the most misses at either 5'2" or a previous height, by tiebreaker, the CHS 10th grader was relegated to a 6th-place state finish. "She was real pleased and I know I was pleased," commented CHS Lady Hornets head coach, Vickie Garrett. Similarly, Figg's clearing of 10' Friday matched the 4th-best height attained. However, five others also went out at the next height attempted 10'6" and, based on prior misses, Figg, the CHS record holder, ended up being awarded the 7th-place medal. The pole vault title went to Michelle Lange of Ladue's Horton Watkins High, clearing 11'6". "It wasn't her best (height), but to medal at state is great," praised Garrett. Stull missed out on his attempt to bring home two state medals after his strong 159' throw of the discus got him 3rd place in that Friday event. CHS' 2008 Track and Field Teams Honored for Work
An achievement last managed in 1993 and three new school records highlighted another outstanding Chillicothe High School track and field season in 2008, head coaches Vickie Garrett and Bill Shaffer related during last evening's quick postseason awards banquet for the teams at the school. This year's boys' team won the Midland Empire Conference meet championship, getting at least one scoring finish from everyone who competed. For ending the program's 15-year drought between MEC titles, Shaffer and assistant Ken Stull decided to name them collectively as winners of the annual Coaches' Award for 2008. "These kids did things in ways and won events and took places in events that were not expected," the coach said of the squad's effort that day. While the CHS boys won the league crown, one of two large-scale meet championships they won - the other was the Mineral Water Classic at Excelsior Springs, the Lady Hornets came up a whisker short of capturing the MEC crown, losing out by three points to repeat champ Maryville. The girls' team, like the boys', won the Mineral Water Classic title and their separate efforts earned Chillicothe the overall champion award for combined girls' and boys' team scores. They also won the Cameron Invitational Championship. The Lady Hornets also were responsible for the three new school records set to date this season - CHS still ahs to compete in six events at the Class 3 state meet this weekend. The first to change hands was the 100-meter dash mark, which had stood since 1985 when Carla Gray set it and which had been matched by CHS all-time-great sprinter Renee Elliott in 1989. In a preliminary heat at the Cameron Invitational, current CHS sophomore Samantha Fender sped that distance in 12.42 seconds to lower the mark from 12.5. Then, at the district meet, sophomore Samantha Figg broke the 10' pole vault record she'd shared since last year with Chauncey Meneely, who set it in 2004. State-bound Figg cleared 10'6" at district. Finally, this past Saturday, the 800-meter relay record fell to the quartet of Meghan Perry, Carole and Ashley Myers, and Fender. They ran a 1:46, bettering the time of 1:46.79 set in 2000 by Brooke Lowe, Lauren Brodmerkle, Kristin Jackson, and Mandy Raney. In addition to their two big-meet wins apiece, each Chillicothe team took second four times. Each team's head coach announced the winners of three special awards, of which the boys' Coaches' Award was one.
The girls' Coaches' Award went to junior Lindy Scott for her "hard work and team loyalty, her improvement, and dedication to team spirit," Garrett disclosed.
The Lady Hornets coach also presented the traditional High Scorer Award for most team points earned by an individual to Fender, who earned it for the 2nd year in a row.
The third girls' award was the W.I. "June" Shaffer Memorial Award for hard work and dedication by a senior to both the sport and the classroom. It went to Holly Williams. Shaffer presented 19 full letters, including to four seniors - Stull, Scott Link, Jeff Bowman, and Casey Brock. Garrett handed out 23 letters, including to four seniors - Amanda Fender, Williams, Perry, and |
CAPTION - Seniors Cody Greenlaw, left, and Morgan Saunders were announced last evening as co-recipients of the 2008 Chillicothe High School boys' tennis Coaches' Award. The award honors those team members best exemplifying the spirit of the sport, according to co-coach Ed Douglas. The presentation came during the team's annual postseason awards event.
CAPTION - Morgan Saunders of the Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets makes a short volley from near the net as doubles partner Cody Greenlaw, left, looks on during their 2nd-round match in Saturday's Class 1 District 8 tournament at the Noyes Tennis Center in St. Joseph. The Greenlaw/Saunders team repeated as 2nd-place finishers at district, earning them another trip to the state tournament late next week.
CAPTION - Chillicothe's Justin Littrell had a 10-6 win in No. 2 singles in Monday's boys' tennis dual-match victory over Maryville.
CAPTION
- Cody Greenlaw, playing No. 1 singles for the Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets, starts a backhand ground stroke during his match against Marshall's Taylor Scarff at Chillicothe's Simpson Park courts yesterday. In a close battle all the way, Greenlaw shaded Scarff 10-8 in singles and then joined with doubles partner Morgan Saunders for a 10-7 No. 1 doubles win.
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- Seniors Morgan Saunders (serving) and Cody Greenlaw return for the 2008 Chillicothe High School tennis Hornets after going 27-9 as a doubles team last
year.
CAPTION -
Chillicothe shortstop Alex Singleton, right, prepares to throw on the run to get Moberly's Ivan Cater after charging to field a 2nd-inning tap past the mound. At left is CHS third baseman Colin Parker. Cater later drove in five runs as Moberly won 9-2.
CAPTION - Senior second baseman Tyson Blattner of the Chillicothe baseball Hornets reached base twice yesterday at Smithville via a hit by pitch and an error and came around to score two of CHS' five runs in a 5-1 victory.
CAPTION
- Chillicothe baseball Hornets pitcher Colin Parker threw a complete-game, 1-hitter in Monday's win.
CAPTION - Chillicothe High School's baseball Hornets continued their excellent 2008 season Saturday night by capturing their 3rd tournament title of the regular season. Flanked by his teammates and coaches Dave Mapel, left, and Jim Wheeler, senior second baseman Tyson Blattner holds the 1st-place plaque from the Kearney Tournament after the Hornets whipped Harrisonville 14-10 in the title game late Saturday night.
CAPTION
- Austin Harlow's 2-run home run in the 6th inning tied Wednesday's game with St. Joseph: Benton and his 2-run single in the 7th provided key insurance runs as the Chillicothe Hornets won the Pony Express Tournament title, 9-5. Harlow went six for 10 with 10 RBIs in the tourney.
CAPTION
- Alex Singleton slugged a 3-run homer to ignite a 7-run 5th inning Tuesday that carried the Chillicothe Hornets to an 8-6 comeback victory over St. Joseph: Central in the semifinals of the Pony Express tourney.
CAPTION
- Chillicothe's Blake Stephens arrives at 3rd base, where he was held up by coach Mike Lewis, while Justin VanHoutan (background) pulls into 2nd after VanHoutan's fly ball to right field was missed during yesterday's home doubleheader against Savannah. Although both would go on to score, CHS lost the winbill 11-5 and 8-0.
CAPTION
- Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets junior Clayton Dahlberg was a 1-man wrecking crew in Saturday night's de facto championship game of the Marshall Tournament. He slugged a pair of home runs - the second a 3-run shot , drove in four runs with three hits, and scored three times on offense while throwing a complete-game 2-hitter over six innings as the Hornets pasted the host Owls 14-1 to claim the tournament crown.
CAPTION
- Chillicothe High School Hornets second baseman Tyson Blattner rips a 1st-inning hit against St. Joseph: Lafayette yesterday. This hit - the first of three by the senior - went for a double when the Fighting Irish center fielder failed to make a shoestring catch. Blattner later knocked in the eventual winning run with a suicide squeeze bunt and singled in two insurance runs in a 6-2 win.
CAPTION
- Chillicothe baseball Hornets senior center fielder Clint Singleton is welcomed home by his teammates after homering over the left field fence at “June” Shaffer Memorial Park in the second inning of yesterday's 2008 season opener. The Hornets whipped error-prone Savannah 18-0 in five innings.
CAPTION
- Junior infielder/outfielder/pitcher Alex Singleton is among the top returning players for the 2008 Chillicothe High School baseball Hornets. As a hitter, he led last year's team in runs batted in (17), hits (22), batting average (.393), and bases on balls received (12), while, on the mound, the
right-hander had a team-best 2-1 won-lost record and two saves.
By PAUL STURM, C-T Sports Editor,
Friday, 05/16/08
CAPTION - Chillicothe High School 2008 graduate Logan Gilliland yesterday won a medal and earned All-State status by finishing tied for 10th in the MSHSAA Class 3 boys' golf state championship at Springfield. Gilliland carded an 80 in Tuesday's 2nd round to finish at 156.
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- Logan Gilliland, Chillicothe golf Hornets senior, earned his 3rd trip to the Class 3 state tournament yesterday with a 10th-place-tie finish in the district tournament.
CAPTION
- Chillicothe junior Cody Graham rolls a putt toward the cup on Green Hills Golf Course hole No. 1 just after the start of yesterday's CHS home dual match with Marshall. Playing No. 3 in the lineup, Graham improved his scoring significantly from last week's season-opening tournament at Savannah, shooting a 43 for nine holes as the Hornets defeated the Owls 164-191.
JEFFERSON CITY - A recent graduate and two 2007-08 sophomores produced medal-winning performances for Chillicothe High School's track and field programs this past weekend in the Class 3 MSHSAA Track Championships.
Qualified for state in six events, Chillicothe's Joseph Stull, Leanne Mathew, and Samantha Figg gave CHS a 50-50 split in them, Stull taking 3rd place in Friday's discus throw, Mathew getting 6th in the high jump Saturday, and Figg getting 7th in the pole vault Friday.