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SPRING SPORTS NEWS...
Updated 03/07/2007 Tennis | Baseball | Golf | Track Spring Sports Archives | Spring Sports Schedule The Spring Sports Banquets are all being held on Wednesday night, May 17. |
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TENNIS
Narrow Miss at
State Tennis for CHS Pair
SPRINGFIELD - The Chillicothe Hornets doubles team of Roy Yeomans and Jacob Fellhoelter nearly had their hands on a state tennis tournament medal Saturday, but it slipped away. Having won two of three matches on Friday, Fellhoelter and Yeomans led Marshall's Jesse Murphy and Jake Schulenberg one set to none when the second set went to a 12-point tiebreaker at 6-6 in games. The Marshall duo, which had lost in straight sets to the CHS pair in the district tournament finals, managed to win the tight tiebreaker 7-5 to even the match and then took the decisive third set 6-2 to advance to the fifth-place match (where it lost), while Yeomans and Fellhoelter packed up and headed home. “We are real proud of how the boys played,” CHS co-coaches Ron Keith and Ed Douglas jointly commented. “They won two matches at state on top of winning the district doubles. “They went farther at state in doubles than any other team we've had. We've won one doubles match several times, but this is the first time we've had two wins.” Fellhoelter and Yeomans commenced state play Friday with a strong 6-0, 6-2 victory over James Newton and Kyle Saige of Monett. “I think we had a good first-round draw and expected to win this match,” said Keith. In the second round, however, loomed the team which would eventually win it all - Jonathan Pang and Max Shapiro of the St. Louis suburb of Clayton. The 2005 runnersup up dispatched the Hornets pair 6-2, 6-0, sending Yeomans and Fellhoelter into the consolation bracket, where they'd need two match wins to medal. “We didn't play as well as we hoped in that match,” assessed Douglas, “but, realistically, we were probably not going to win that match anyway.” The relatively-quick loss may have been a blessing, since it didn't drain the energy level of the Hornets players too much. That became important when their consolation quarterfinal match against Ian Clark and Frank Leone of St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond, district champions themselves and winners over Fellhoelter and Yeomans during the regular season at the Benton/Savannah Tournament at St. Joseph. The Chillicothe duo got off to a quick start, taking the first set 6-2 and seizing a 3-1 lead in the second. Clark/Leone rallied at that point and claimed the second set 7-5. With a chance to continue play on Saturday and be within one more win of a medal on the line, Yeomans and Fellhoelter saw the LeBlond duo go up a break early in the third set. Down 3-1, the Hornets team stormed back “reminiscent of their 4-1 third-set deficit (comeback) against Kirksville (in team subsectional play) to win 7-5,” Douglas said. “This was the important match of the day for us,” he noted. “This match was the one that could go either way. You are glad to win those.” With a split of four matches at state, junior Fellhoelter and senior Yeomans completed their 2006 doubles play with a record of 17-5. CHS Tennis Hornets
Shut Out in State Opener
MARSHALL - Team play for the 2006 Chillicothe tennis Hornets came to its anticipated conclusion Saturday with a 5-0 loss to St. Louis: Westminster Christian Academy in the sectional round of the Class 1 state tournament. The very successful season for the Hornets, which has included both team and individual championships in tournaments and individual play both during the regular campaign and postseason, now will continue on with the individual play of senior Roy Yeomans and junior Jacob Fellhoelter. As district champs, they'll compete in the doubles competition of the state tournament this Friday and Saturday at Springfield's Cooper Tennis Center. Although their specific first-round opponent there is not yet known, it is certain - under tournament bracketing rules - that they will be paired against a duo which finished second in a different district tournament May 13. State doubles play is double-elimination format (barring weather interruptions that curtail outdoor court availability). This past Saturday at Marshall, the Hornets lost in state play to a Westminster Christian Academy program which has continued to grow in stature since the two met in state play in 2003. "Westminster Christian is a very strong team this year," CHS co-coach Ed Douglas commented after the sectional action. "They have a lot of seniors and they already have beaten (traditional St. Louis powers) Mary Institute/Country Day School and John Burroughs and (perennial Kansas City state title contender) Pembroke Hill earlier this year. "I think they have a good chance to win the state team title." Against such high-caliber opposition, the Hornets - with three underclassmen and three seniors in their lineup - gave a solid account of themselves, co-coach Ron Keith mused. "Our guys played as good as we could," he reflected. "Westminster was a strong team. We played them respectably." Westminster went on to defeat St. Louis: Priory in the quarterfinal-round match Saturday, too. Priory had defeated Marshall 5-3 with two doubles victories after a split of the singles matches, according to Keith. The dual match lasted only the minimum five matches. While Blake Shearer was able to win a set in the No. 6 singles position match which wasn't completed Saturday, the remainder of his Chillicothe teammates were unable to break through against the formidable big-city, private school opponent. Fellhoelter had the next-most-competitive match, losing to David Conley 2-6, 3-6 in No. 1 singles. At No. 2 spot, Yeomans dropped a 2-6, 1-6 decision to Andy DeRoussie. In No. 3 singles, sophomore Morgan Saunders fell 1-6, 1-6 to Jack Reed and, in No. 4, it was senior Tyler Hardie dropping a 1-6, 0-6 match to Joe Hunsicker. In No. 5 play, Chillicothe sophomore Cody Greenlaw was defeated by Quinn Zielonko 2-6, 2-6. "Most of our matches were competitive," assessed Keith. "We told our kids to just give it their best and they did. That is all we can ask." Tennis Banquet -
Return of the Hornets
After an “off” year in 2005, when they “only” won the Midland Empire Conference team championship, the Chillicothe tennis Hornets - with the majority of their lineup returning from a year ago - were expected to be markedly improved in 2006. When they bolted from the starting gate with a shutout win over an admittedly-overmatched Carrollton team and followed it up with a team title in the Cameron Invitational tournament, they seemed right on course. However, when they split their next six dual matches with the three losses by decisive margins, the fact that the teams to whom they'd lost seemed to be of good quality didn't keep them from being at something of a crossroads. Was their confidence shaken? Were they willing to pay the price to ratchet their racquets up a notch? Were they even able to elevate their game to the levels their CHS predecessors had reached? Consider those questions answered - and in a decisively positive manner. After losing at St. Joseph to Bishop LeBlond on April 11, the 2006 Hornets won one tournament and finished second in the other, had their top player win the Midland Empire Conference singles crown, and went unbeaten in nine dual matches, the most-recent of which not only extended their team season into the state tournament, but may well have been the most outstanding victory in program history. That stirring story of challenge answered and success earned was recounted with pride by Hornets co-coaches Ron Keith and Ed Douglas Wednesday night at the team's annual awards banquet in Chillicothe High School's Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center. Because of the aforementioned memorable triumph in their latest dual - this past Tuesday's 5-4 comeback win over Kirksville in the Class 3 team subsectionals, however, the story the coaches told doesn't have an ending yet. Tomorrow (Saturday), they will take their group of plucky players to Marshall to compete in the Class 3 team state tournament's sectional (and possibly quarterfinal) round. Tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., the Hornets will begin a dual match against St. Louis: Westminster Christian, which won its district title last weekend and rates as a clear-cut favorite to handle the Hornets. “We faced Westminster in the sectionals three years ago and lost 5-3,” Douglas recalled. “For them to have beaten (long-time St. Louis power) Mary Institute/Country Day School (in subsectional), they apparently have really brought their program up to a high level.” The chance to play Westminster was provided by a near-miraculous comeback victory over Kirksville in subsectional play this past Tuesday. After losing a few close, three-set matches in going 2-4 in singles play, Chillicothe beat the odds and the Tigers by sweeping the doubles - two of those matches going three sets - for a 5-4 win. Even if Westminster's elevation translates to beating the Hornets again, it won't totally end the CHS season - the Chillicothe district-champion doubles team of senior Roy Yeomans and junior Jacob Fellhoelter has qualified for next week's state tournament - nor will it take away from the significant accomplishments of this year's Hornets team. With its final-month run, the team stands 13-3 in duals, heading into the sectional match. Good to the Last
Drop (Shot)
After the singles competition of yesterday's Class 1 state sub-sectional dual match against the visiting Kirksville Tigers was over, the Chillicothe Hornets found themselves “working without a net,” which makes things a lot tougher when you're playing tennis. What almost certainly was the longest boys' tennis match (213 games) in Chillicothe High School history certainly will rank as one of the most memorable - if not the most memorable - as well. Against the odds, that memory will be pleasant. With no margin for error after losing four of the six singles matches of their state-tournament-qualifying match against Kirksville Tuesday, the CHS Hornets won the Nos. 1 and 3 doubles in three-set thrillers to even the match 4-4. Then, minutes after seniors Tyler Hardie's and Blake Shearer's No. 3 victory tied things, they won it when sophomores Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw closed out a 6-4, 7-5 triumph in No. 2 doubles. Hornets co-coach Ed Douglas, a former collegiate player who has played competitively for decades and helped coach CHS the past nine years, called yesterday's hyper-contested action “the best match I have ever been involved with. Or maybe the craziest.” While the caliber of play at the Daryl Danner Memorial Park courts may not always have been the players' finest, there was nothing lacking in the fierceness and intensity they brought to the match, which determined which squad would qualify for the 16-team state tournament. So keyed up were the combatants that, while they maintained excellent sportsmanship toward their opponents from start to finish, they were hard on themselves. In one match alone, both the Chillicothe and Kirksville players' disappointment with their own mistakes prompted outward displays that cost each a penalty point. In one case, the penalty point produced a lost game. By coming out on top with its improbable sweep of the doubles, Chillicothe gained a spot in this Saturday's sectional/quarterfinal state tournament competition which Marshall will host. Chillicothe will meet St. Louis' Westminster Christian Academy in a dual match at 9 a.m. while Marshall faces St. Louis: Priory. The winners of those two duals will meet in the afternoon at Marshall to decide which one goes on to the state team semifinals at Springfield Thursday, May 25. Reports to the C-T indicate both St. Louis teams appear very, very strong. Douglas commented today, “We won't have any pressure on us. We'll just go out and try to have fun and see how well we can do.” Yesterday's match here was expected to be close and keenly fought. The teams' regular-season dual at Kirksville had resulted in a 6-3 CHS win, but five of the six singles sets in that one were very close - either being 10-8 or 10-7 final scores. With Kirksville expected to realign its doubles pairings after losing two of three there in the prior match, the sub-sectional battle figured to be tight. It was that and more. “(Chillicothe fans) were pretty enthusiastic,” Douglas said, self-acknowledging, “I know I went crazy. “That is amazing, to win all three doubles to win the match 5-4. It's the greatest and/or wildest I've ever seen.” So, after a year's absence, Chillicothe's boys' tennis is again represented both in state-level team and individual competition. After the team concludes its play, either Saturday at Marshall or in the semifinals and finals at Springfield the next Thursday, Yeomans and Fellhoelter will carry the red-and-black CHS colors into the state doubles tourney May 26-27 at the Cooper Tennis Center in Springfield.
MARSHALL - Led by surprise doubles champions Jacob Fellhoelter and Roy Yeomans, the Chillicothe tennis Hornets ended a one-year absence from state competition Saturday. The Yeomans/Fellhoelter pairing, despite having not played a match in competition for a while beforehand, marched to the Class 1 District 4 tournament title, beating a Marshall team in straight sets in the finals. Led by the 12.5 team points that duo earned, but also getting points from each of their four entries (Morgan Saunders and Blake Shearer in singles and Tyler Hardie and Cody Greenlaw in doubles), the Hornets solidly earned second place in the district team standings. That qualifies CHS to host a sub-sectional dual match against third-place Kirksville Tuesday for the right to be part of the 16-team state team tournament field. The time of that match has not been finalized yet. Kirksville pulled out third place when Jared Maberry defeated Miles Yokeley of team champion Marshall in the singles finals and a Missouri Military Academy duo lost the third-place doubles set after falling to Yeomans/Fellhoelter in straight sets in the semifinals. Had either MMA won that third-place set or Yokeley beaten Maberry, Chillicothe would have hosted MMA Tuesday.
Caption: A large contingent of fans attended the District Tournament Saturday, May 12, despite the cold, windy conditions. Pictured here are four team members and some members of the Chillicothe Girls Tennis team who attended with their Coach, Amy Baker. (Note: Blake Shearer, singles, and Tyler Hardie, doubles, had already left when this photo was taken.)
Caption: The winning District Doubles Champions pictured with their co-coaches, Ed Douglas (left) and Ron Keith (right).
Caption: Chillicothe Hornets senior Roy Yeomans (right) and junior Jacob Fellhoelter battled their way to the Class 1 District 4 doubles championship Saturday, earning a spot in the state tournament May 26-27. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Faultless
Fellhoelter
His showing led the expected overall dominance by Chillicothe's entries in the non-team event. The MEC's team champ also produced the first- and fourth-place singles and second- and third-place doubles finishers in Thursday's individual-play tournament at the Noyes Tennis Center. In addition to Fellhoelter's title, the CHS doubles team of sophomores Morgan Saunders and Cody Greenlaw placed second, the Tyler Hardie/Brandon Merrill duo third, and Roy Yeomans fourth in singles. Chillicothe players also made the biggest splash in the junior-varsity competition, with senior Blake Shearer beating teammate Tristen Biswell in the singles title match and Ben Nibarger and Brandon Langwell claiming second in doubles. Fellhoelter, who lost to graduated Andy Gordon of Savannah in last year's first-place singles match, handled St. Joseph: Lafayette's Camron Corbet fairly easily in this year's finals. Fellhoelter prevailed 6-1, 6-4 after winning 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals and 6-1, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. He had a bye in the first round. In doubles, St. Joseph: Benton's top team of Luke Talbot/Mike Weil topped Hardie/Merrill 7-6(5-7), 6-2 in a semifinal match that turned in the close first-set tiebreaker and then beat the Hornets' other pair, Saunders/Greenlaw more convincingly - 6-2, 6-3 - for first. “This was a fun day for our kids,” co-coach Ed Douglas remarked. “We are very pleased with how they all played.” Caption: Chillicothe's Blake Shearer earned the singles title in the junior-varsity division of Thursday's Midland Empire Conference tennis tournament. (C-T file photo / Paul Sturm)
Title Racket
(C-T file photo / Paul Sturm) ST. JOSEPH - For a sixth-successive year and the eighth time in the tenure of co-coaches Ron Keith and Ed Douglas, the Chillicothe tennis Hornets are Midland Empire Conference boys' tennis champions in 2006. The Hornets wrapped up another MEC crown yesterday, easily besting the St. Joseph: Lafayette Fighting Irish 6-3. The victory completed an almost-unresisted march to another conference title. In winning all five of their MEC team duals, the Hornets lost only three of 42 sets - and those were Tuesday's three doubles at St. Joseph when the coaches sat out their top two doubles pairings to give other players a chance to compete at the varsity level. During the nine seasons former collegiate netters Douglas and Keith have guided the CHS program on a volunteer basis, the Hornets have lost only one of 45 dual matches. They've won at least 30 in a row, dating back to 2000. The tennis Hornets easily handled overmatched Lafayette even though the No. 2 CHS player, senior Roy Yeomans, missed the match with an injury, according to Douglas. Yeomans' absence elevated everyone below him in the Hornets lineup one position, but the closest any Irish player could get in any of the Nos. 2-6 singles sets was 8-3. That was the score by which CHS senior Blake Shearer defeated Derek Bloxon in No. 5 singles. The triumph continued an unbeaten season in singles for the Chillicothean. He now stands 15-0. In No. 1 singles, junior Jacob Fellhoelter of the Hornets bested Cameron Corbet 8-3, moving the tall 11th grader's record up to 14-7. Moving up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup, sophomore Morgan Saunders handled Michael Conn 8-2, improving the CHS youngster's record to 12-3, by C-T count. Another Hornets sophomore, Cody Greenlaw, improved to 12-7 in singles with an 8-1 victory in No. 4, the highest position he's played this year. In doubles, Brandon Merrill teamed with junior Casey Prewitt for the first time in competition as the No. 2 duo and lost by a close 6-8 margin to Jesse Conn and Brent Venner. At No. 3 doubles, seniors Tristen Biswell and Zach Wiegel got in some additional varsity action - for Biswell, his sixth doubles set of 2006, and, for Wiegel, his fourth. They fell to Derek Bloxon and Zane Callister 4-8. The Hornets will pursue individual conference honors Thursday at St. Joseph when the MEC individual singles and doubles tournaments are held at St. Joseph's Noyes Tennis Center. Tennis Hornets Claim Hannibal
Tourney Title
HANNIBAL - Winning three of the six singles brackets and No. 1 doubles, along with three second-place finishes, the Chillicothe tennis Hornets earned the team championship in Saturday's Hannibal Invitational tournament. CHS singles champions were Roy Yeomans at No. 2 position, Morgan Saunders at No. 3, and still-unbeaten Blake Shearer at No. 6. In doubles, Yeomans and Jacob Fellhoelter won their bracket while Tyler Hardie and Brandon Merrill at No. 2 and Casey Prewitt and Saunders at No. 3 were taking second at theirs. Fellhoelter was second in No. 1 singles. Mainly on the strength of those showings, the Hornets amassed 87 team points, finishing fairly comfortably in front of runnerup Kirksville (70-1/2) and third-place host, Hannibal (70). “The Hornets continue to play well in tournaments this year,” co-coach Ed Douglas remarked. “So far this year, we have won the 12-team Cameron tournament and finished second in the seven-team Marshall tournament.” Yeomans was the only Hornet to win his position's title relatively easily at Hannibal Saturday. The senior never lost more than five games in the first-to-10 format, routing Zack Peoples of Trenton in the No. 2 singles finals. Sophomore Saunders faced progressively tougher tests as he navigated the No. 3 singles bracket. In the semifinals, he avenged his tiebreaker loss to Trenton's Skyler Barron in last week's dual match at Trenton by gaining a 10-7 victory. In the title set, he then outlasted John Blesz of Kirksville 10-8 in a match pivotal to Chillicothe's eventual team triumph over KHS. “Morgan changed how he played (Barron),” co-coach Ron Keith of the Hornets pointed out, “and it worked. He played smart.” In No. 6 singles, Shearer improved his personal 2006 singles record to 9-0 by fending off a semifinal challenge in another key head-to-head meeting between a Hornet and a Kirksville Tiger and then maintaining his focus in the finals. The CHS senior defeated Zach White of the host Pirates 10-6 for the title. “Blake is a wall,” Keith said metaphorically. “He gets everything back and drives opponents crazy” with his ability to keep points alive. In No. 1 doubles, Fellhoelter and Yeomans, by far, had their toughest test in the semifinals when Mexico's Chris Doolittle - obviously feeling much better, physically, than when the Bulldogs were in Chillicothe week before last - and George Cyriac forced them to a tiebreaker at 10-10. The Hornets' tandem, which had beaten Doolittle/Cyriac 10-5 in Chillicothe, captured the tiebreaker 7-4 and then blew away Hannibal's best duo - Ben Gentry and John Johnston - 10-1 in the finals.
Tennis Hornets Second in Benton-Savannah
Tourney ST. JOSEPH - Despite a continuation of senior Blake Shearer's perfect season in singles competition and also a position title for the Morgan Saunders/Casey Prewitt doubles team, the Chillicothe tennis Hornets fell just a bit short in its try for the team championship in yesterday's Benton-Savannah Tournament at the Noyes Tennis Center in St. Joseph. Bishop LeBlond of St. Joseph shaded the Hornets 3-2 in the abridged championship dual match to earn the crown. “LeBlond is a tough team, but we thought we had a good matchup against them,” CHS co-coach Ed Douglas remarked, referring to the lineup he and co-coach Ron Keith designed for the two-singles, three-doubles tournament format, “but LeBlond played better than we did.” After whipping St. Joseph: Lafayette 4-1 and Trenton 5-0, Chillicothe got a 10-6 victory from Shearer in No. 2 singles and a 10-3 win by Prewitt/Saunders in No. 3 doubles, but couldn't come up with the third win necessary to take the match. In No. 1 doubles, Jacob Fellhoelter and Roy Yeomans fell 5-10. In No. 2, Tyler Hardie and Brandon Merrill battled hard, but lost 6-10. At No. 1 singles the Hornets' Cody Greenlaw was defeated 0-10. With three wins Thursday, Shearer improved to 13-0. Following their action in the tournament Thursday, the tennis Hornets played a quick Midland Empire Conference dual against Maryville at the same Noyes courts. The match was abbreviated to singles only when Chillicothe won all six singles sets. The closest any Hornet came to losing was Shearer's 8-4 victory over Ole Kristian in No. 6 singles. In No. 1 singles, Fellhoelter whipped Ky Hill 8-1. Also winning 8-1 were Saunders at No. 3, Hardie at No. 4, and Greenlaw at No. 5. Yeomans was an 8-2 victor at No. 2. The truncated win pushed the Chillicothe dual-matches record this season to 7-2 with a 4-0 conference mark. Having not lost a set out of 33 in conference play in 2006, they now are assured of no worse than a share of another MEC team title. Tennis Hornets
Roll Past Trenton on Road TRENTON - With senior Blake Shearer maintaining his unbeaten ways in limited singles play opportunities this season, the Chillicothe tennis Hornets dominated the singles and used a makeshift doubles lineup as they topped the host Trenton Bulldogs 6-3 in non-conference tennis action Tuesday. Shearer improved to 4-0 in singles this spring, according to CHS stat totals, winning the No. 6 singles set over the Bulldogs' Austin Thompson 8-2. Shearer's overall unbeaten record for 2006 did vanish when he and Tristan Biswell fell to Jason Meek and Thompson 6-7 (3-5 tiebreaker) in the No. 3 doubles set. Chillicothe, which improved to 6-3 in all duals this spring, earned victories in five of the six singles sets yesterday. Its only loss came on a tiebreaker after 16 games were split. In No. 1 singles, Jacob Fellhoelter topped Justin Hendricks 8-4. Hornets senior Roy Yeomans remained the winningest Hornet in singles, improving to 9-5 with an 8-4 victory over Zack Peoples in No. 2. Trenton's lone singles win came from Skyler Barron, who outdueled CHS sophomore Morgan Saunders 7-3 in their No. 3 position tiebreaker. Team victory already assured, Chillicothe coaches Ron Keith and Ed Douglas juggled their doubles pairings and positions. Youngsters Saunders and Greenlaw played No. 1, losing to Peoples and Barron 4-8. Hardie teamed with junior Casey Prewitt for the first time in No. 2 spot and they rallied to win 8-6. “Tyler and Casey had a great comeback,” Douglas praised. Net Hornets
Blank Mexico
C-T photo / Paul Sturm Chillicothe's tennis Hornets probably expected a tougher battle from the visiting Mexico Bulldogs than they received Thursday. The Hornets raised their 2006 dual-matches record to 5-3 with a 9-0 whitewash of the usually-tougher Bulldogs. No Chillicothe singles player or doubles team lost more than five games in the pro-10 scoring format used. The tone for the match was set when Mexico's top player, Chris Doolittle, showed up ailing. Taking the court gingerly and in pain as he repeatedly reached for his lower back on the left side, Doolittle had trouble moving or bending over. That left him as no match for Chillicothe's top player, junior Jacob Fellhoelter, who quickly registered a 10-0 triumph. Also posting a shutout victory in singles was CHS senior Brandon Merrill at No. 5. He defeated Jonah Krueger. Singles winners by 10-2 counts for the Hornets were No. 2 player Roy Yeomans and sophomore No. 3 player Morgan Saunders. Tyler Hardie at No. 4 and Cody Greenlaw at No. 6 were victorious by 10-4 margins. The closest match of the day was in No. 1 doubles where Doolittle, with less court he had to cover, a bit more effective. However, Fellhoelter and Yeomans still dominated, beating Doolittle and George Cyriac 10-5. No. 2 doubles went to the Hornets' Merrill and Hardie 10-2 and Saunders teamed with Greenlaw for the first time in doubles for another 10-2 win. Tennis Hornets Dominate
C-T photo / Paul Sturm
C-T photo / Paul Sturm The 2006 Hornets opened MEC dual-match team play yesterday with a 9-0 home win over St. Joseph: Benton. Chillicothe's advantage in depth was easily apparent as, aside from the No. 1 singles and doubles sets, it lost more than four games in the pro-10 set format (first player to win 10 games) in only one of the other seven playing positions. However, Benton's Luke Talbot showed he was a player with which to be reckoned in this year's conference play.
He battled the Hornets' top player, Jacob Fellhoelter, hard in No. 1 singles before falling 10-7. Then, in No. 1 doubles, Talbot and Mike Weil fought Fellhoelter and Roy Yeomans to the wire before the Chillicothe duo prevailed 10-8. Tennis Hornets
Tops at Cameron Tourney
CAPTION:
The Chillicothe tennis Hornets brought home the championship plaque and two individual entry place medals from Friday's
(March 31) Cameron Invitational tournament. Junior Jacob Fellhoelter (back right) placed second in singles while the senior doubles team of Brandon Merrill and Tyler Hardie (holding plaque) earned third. The rest of the team included, from left, Morgan Saunders, Casey Prewitt, co-coach Ed Douglas, Roy Yeomans, and co-coach Ron Keith. Chillicothe earned 25-1/2 team points with all four entries (Jacob Fellhoelter, Roy Yeomans in singles, doubles teams of Tyler Hardie/Brandon Merrill and Morgan Saunders/Casey Prewitt) contributing. Every contribution was needed as Kansas City: Park Hill South totaled 25 points. "We had several upset victories, a few very close wins, a number of victories on the consolation side, as well as a final-match tiebreaker win that made the difference,” Douglas noted. Fellhoelter, Chillicothe's No. 1 player, was seeded only sixth, but stormed past three foes (after having a first-round bye) before losing to Cody Pflugradt of St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond in the championship match. The tall Hornets junior upset a pair of higher seeds - Higginsville's top player, Derek Gillilan and second-seeded Jarred Mayberry of Kirksville - each by 8-5 counts to reach the title match. There, he was blanked by top-seeded Pflugradt 8-0. “The Kirksville coach remarked that Jacob is a much-stronger player than a year ago,” Keith related. “We agree.” In doubles, the senior pair of Merrill/Hardie blew away their first opponent 8-0 before toughing out consecutive 8-6 victories, the third-round match seeing them come from behind to do so. In the semifinals, they lost 8-9 on a 4-7 tiebreaker to a Park Hill South duo, but didn't let down in the third-place set, withstanding a match point in the tiebreaker to win 9-8 (7-5). That gutty third-place victory not only earned them individual medals for doubles, but proved to be the difference for the team title. “We told the boys when they were behind that a win by them would most-likely win the tournament for us,” Douglas recalled. “They responded under the pressure and raised the level of their games another notch. “These guys really exceeded everyone's expectations.” All told, every Chillicothe entry played at least .500 tennis for the day, allowing the Hornets to rebound from a seventh-place team finish in last year's tournament to win it in 2006. Individual results are shown below: CAMERON INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT - Friday, March 31 Team Standings 1. Chillicothe 25-1/2, 2. KC: Park Hill South (PHS) 25, 3. SJ: Bishop LeBlond (LB) 22, 4. Higginsville (H) 17, 5. (tie) Kirksville (K), KC: Winnetonka (KCW) 15, 7. (tie) Savannah (S), Warrensburg (W) 11, 9. Trenton (T) 10, 10. Excelsior Springs (ES) 8, 11. Cameron (Ca) 6, 12. SJ: Lafayette (SJL) 3. Chillicothe Individual Results SINGLES
DOUBLES
MARSHALL - The Chillicothe tennis Hornets won twice against what their coaches termed "quality" opponents before falling in a closer-than-expected finals match to the powerful host team in Saturday's Marshall Invitational tournament. "It was a very good day," CHS co-coach Ed Douglas remarked. "We are proud of how the team played and our second-place finish." In a depth-testing format in which players could be in only singles or doubles in a particular team match, the Hornets won over Fulton 6-3 in the first round and then topped St. Charles: Duchesne 6-3 in the semifinals. In the championship match, Marshall defeated Chillicothe 8-1 for the second time in the week, although the individual matches were somewhat closer this time. "Marshall is as strong this year as I have ever seen them," Douglas commented. "Even though we lost, we played them much closer than last Tuesday. Last Tuesday, we had no close matches in singles; (Saturday), Blake Shearer won at No. 6 singles and Jacob Fellhoelter at No. 1 and Cody Greenlaw at No. 5 split sets before losing on a super-tiebreaker (used in place of a third set). Tyler Hardie also almost won a set. "We were very close to being 3-3 at the end of the singles, which is a huge improvement." The CHS lineup was altered some from the prior meeting with Marshall because a couple of underclassmen had other commitments which occupied them early in the day. With sophomore Morgan Saunders unavailable the first two matches, Tyler Hardie, Brandon Merrill, and Greenlaw moved up and Shearer got in his first varsity singles action. When Saunders arrived later, he tagged in for Merrill at No. 4. Shearer made the most of his opportunity, having a perfect day with a 10-2 victor over Rod Fischer of Fulton, a forfeit win against St. Charles: Duchesne, and then a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Morgan Evans of Marshall. Merrill also was undefeated, downing Paul Matthews of Fulton 10-8 and Bobby Goellner of Duchesne 10-6. Because of the tourney format, the doubles were handled by usually junior-varsity players. The only exception was that junior Casey Prewitt, like Saunders, arrived in time to pair with Tristen Biswell in No. 1 spot in the finals. Biswell teamed with Brandon Huddleston in No. 1 spot the first two matches, with Huddleston then joined Zach Wiegel in No. 2 doubles against Marshall, replacing Brandon Langwell. Justin Littrell and Chris Cooper handled No. 3 doubles throughout. Chillicothe's doubles entries sustained three close losses against Fulton, but, after the teams split the singles, they won all three matches against St. Charles: Duchesne, the No. 2 seed which entered with a 6-1 record. "These were big wins for our doubles teams," co-coach Ron Keith stated. "These guys don't normally get to play varsity matches, but they put us over the top." Against Marshall, they lost all three, the No. 1 match being very close (5-7, 4-6). Greenlaw's
6-1, 2-6, 6-10 (super-tiebreaker) loss to Hunter Lewis of Marshall
denied him a perfect day. He had outlasted Fulton's Michael Smith 11-10
(8-6) and then dominated Adam Maddox of Duchesne 10-3. Chillicothe's top
three singles players Saturday - Fellhoelter, Roy Yeomans, and Hardie -
each went 1-2. |
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BASEBALL
Two CHS Baseball
Hornets All-District MARSHALL - Two members of the Chillicothe Hornets were selected to the all-Class 3 District 15 team chosen by coaches who participated in the District 15 tournament after that recent event, CHS coach Dave Mapel has informed the C-T. CHS senior pitcher/infielder Andrew Campbell was chosen as a position player and sophomore center fielder Clint Singleton as an outfielder. For the 2006 season, Campbell led the Hornets with a .333 batting average and a .461 on-base percentage. He also drew a team-high 15 bases on balls. Singleton paced this year's Hornets in home runs (2) and runs batted in (18), despite hitting either ninth or first all season. His slugging percentage of .447 also led the squad, as did his 11 stolen bases, 38 total bases, and 28 hits. Other players on the all-District 15 team were:
Baseball Banquet -
Character Highlighted CHS Baseball
Caption: Five players from the 2006 Chillicothe baseball Hornets shared in six special awards presented at last night's annual awards event by head coach Dave Mapel on behalf of himself and his staff. From left, sophomore Clint Singleton was offensive player of the year; senior three-year starter Andrew Campbell the pitching award and Coaches' Award; senior Ryan Wallace the most improved player award; senior Brett Johnson the defensive player of the year award; and senior Cory Hanavan the Coaches' Award. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm) The 2006 Chillicothe baseball Hornets didn't get the on-field winning rewards they sought, going 7-18, but, in head coach Dave Mapel's view, they consistently practiced and performed in a winning way. That was the key theme of Mapel's comments to the squad and their families and friends at the annual postseason awards banquet held at Daryl Danner Memorial Park last (Wednesday) night. “The character of this group is tremendous,” Mapel proclaimed, a sentiment he expressed in different ways several times during his remarks. “You parents are to be commended.” With only two returning full-time starters from a 2005 team which made a surprising run to the Class 3 state tournament, the '06 team was going to need to catch some breaks, especially in the development of its pitching, to continue to play .500 ball or better. That the breaks might not fall their way very often probably started becoming apparent during preseason practices when would-be returning catcher Clayton Spears - also being counted on to flesh out the pitching staff - went down with a severe ankle sprain. The lingering effects of the injury made it unwise to put him back behind home plate, where the ankle would be flexed as he crouched hundreds of times a game, and he never seemed to regain full speed with his overall game, either at bat or on the mound. A couple of weeks into the season, another would-be pitcher, Stephen Beck, went down with a leg injury for a week or so, forcing Mapel to dip deep into the ranks of younger players in a search for arms. The results he got from the likes of sophomore Zach Dunn and freshmen Alex Singleton and Colin Parker, while not always able to help provide wins this year, produced positive feelings about the program's prospects over the next two or three years. With this year's junior-varsity team going 8-6 under Jim Radel and the freshmen 13-2 for Mike Lewis, brighter days clearly seem to lie ahead for the baseball Hornets. However, while there may be more wins on the field for future Hornets, Mapel stressed that this year's varsity team - especially the nine seniors - had contributed to notable Hornets success of their own, including their part as starters or reserves on last year's district championship team. Directly addressing the seniors as a group, the head coach praised, “You are a class group. I know your (won-lost) record (in 2006) wasn't what you wanted, but you have a lot of ‘life victories' ahead of you.” After briefly reflecting on this year's season, including a record sandbagged by six one-run losses and two others by two runs, Mapel introduced his varsity squad and handed out letters and special awards. Senior Andrew Campbell was a double recipient of special awards - getting the Coaches' Award for a third year and also the top pitcher award. “His 3-4 record (as a pitcher) doesn't tell the story of how well he threw,” Mapel intoned. “It's a reflection of the way I used him. “As our most-experienced pitcher and our best one, I saved him for our toughest opponents.” The pitching award was sponsored by Lauhoff Jewelry. The Coaches' Award also went to senior infielder Cory Hanavan. It is sponsored by the Constitution-Tribune. Senior left fielder Brett Johnson picked up the top defensive player award and fellow senior Ryan Wallace the most improved player honor. Both of those are sponsored by Elks Lodge No. 656. Receiving the top offensive player award (sponsored by Vern R. Glick Post No. 25, The American Legion) was sophomore center fielder Clint Singleton. The speedy Singleton led off for the team most of the year, but also swatted its only two home runs - a grand slam at Maryville and a three-run shot at Smithville. He also was the leader in runs batted in (18) and hits (28). Campbell finished with the team's best batting average (.333) and earned run average (2.86). Radel and Lewis took a few minutes each to review the play and recognize the members of the teams they coached, following the Hy-Vee Kitchen-prepared meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken. Mapel thanked various people, businesses, and groups for their support of the program and strongly encouraged 2006 underclassmen to play baseball and train in the CHS weight room during the summer.
Baseball Hornets'
Season Ends MARSHALL - The Chillicothe baseball Hornets concluded their 2006 season Saturday when they fell to third-seeded Marshall 3-1 in the first round of the Class 3 District 15 tournament at Marshall. The Hornets finished the season 7-18.
Baseball
Hornets Just Miss Surprise Title in Tournament
(C-T file photo / Paul Sturm) KEARNEY - Thanks to an improbable confluence of weather, a prom, and five innings of no-hit pitching from a freshman emergency starter, the Chillicothe baseball Hornets found themselves only six outs away from being the champions of the 2006 Kearney Invitational tournament Saturday night. Even though, in coach Dave Mapel's words, “the wheels fell off” in the last two innings of the championship game, resulting in a 10-2 loss to Lee's Summit West, the Hornets come out of the tournament with some positive momentum continuing to build as they head toward the start of district tournament play this coming weekend. “I was very happy with the way these guys responded to the difficult challenge of playing in a top-notch tournament against very strong Class 3 and Class 4 teams,” Mapel reflected after losing twice in three games in the revamped Kearney tourney. “This tournament is when we want to start peaking and, with certain exceptions, I think we're playing pretty well right now. The Hornets come out of the Kearney tournament with only a 7-16 record, but they're virtually a .500 club since an 0-8 start to the year. Even in dropping three of their most-recent four games, they've:
The Chillicothe baseball team will have its last regular-season game and its Midland Empire Conference finale Tuesday, visiting Smithville. CHS stands 2-4 in league play to date.
CHS Baseball
Frosh Finished 13-2 The Chillicothe ninth grade baseball team wrapped up its 2006 schedule last Thursday with another doubleheader sweep, topping Maryville twice on the road by scores of 3-0 and 4-2. The freshman Hornets concluded their season with an outstanding record of 13-2. In last Thursday's finale, Parker threw the complete-game shutout in the opener. He allowed only two hits, struck out four, and didn't walk a batter in his five innings. At the plate, Hargrave led the way with a three-hit game, coach Mike Lewis reports. Jacob Rockhold delivered two big runs with a single to right field, Lewis noted. In the second game, Clayton Dahlberg twirled a route-going effort, yielding five hits. He recorded three strikeouts. Hargrave again had three hits, including a double, to pace a seven-hit Chillicothe offense. Baseball Hornets
Hang In, Hang On, Win Home Finale (C-T photo / Paul Sturm) Chillicothe baseball Hornets head coach Dave Mapel was wondering if his 2006 team would ever catch a break. When it finally did yesterday, it used it to claim a 10-5 victory in the Hornets' final home game of 2006. Having watched numerous dribblers and bloops by opponents turn into hits and runs while the Hornets couldn't seem to experience similar good fortune, the CHS coach might have been ready to pull his hair out - if it weren't already shaved off - midway through Tuesday's Midland Empire Conference contest with the visiting Maryville Spoofhounds. The topper may have come in the bottom of the fourth inning when, despite having given away several runs with poor defensive execution, Chillicothe (6-13) seemed ready to build on a 10-5 lead it held. However, after scoring twice to make the lead five runs and having the bases full with one out, a seeming run-scoring hit into a stunning, inning-ending double play. However, just when one more bad break might have opened the gates for a Maryville rally, the worm finally turned Chillicothe's way. After allowing a leadoff single, CHS starting and winning pitcher Andrew Campbell (3-4) induced No. 3 hitter Ryan Steins to ground sharply to shortstop Correy Miller. Moving to his left toward second base, Miller had the ball carom in and out of his glove. Instead of bouncing away for an error, however, the ricochet carried the rolling ball right toward second baseman Cory Hanavan waiting at the bag. He scooped it up to force Archer and turned and threw out Steins to complete the unusually-manufactured, but ultimately-satisfying twin killing. “That's the first break we've gotten like that all year,” Mapel commented between innings. The Hornets, now 2-3 in the MEC, jumped on MHS starting pitcher Matt Blackney for four hits and five runs in the bottom of the first inning and were never headed. After a couple of walks and a single, Correy Miller singled in the game's first run. Cody Lowe's fielder's choice grounder made it 2-0 before Stephen Beck drove home a third run with a hit. After another walk, No. 9 hitter Brett Johnson delivered a big two-run single to right-center field for a 5-0 advantage. The Hornets would go on to score 10 times on nine hits plus drawing seven bases on balls. Campbell and Clint Singleton each had two hits. Benefit Raffle to
Aid Cancer-Stricken CHS Frosh Key with Medical Treatment Costs The Chillicothe High School baseball team, in conjunction with two businesses, is conducting a fund-raising event to assist a CHS freshman suffering from a rare form of cancer. A raffle for a shotgun to raise money to assist Zach Key and his family with the costs associated with medical treatment for his illness will continue through May 2. Assisting with the effort are Community Press and Wal-Mart. The prize to the winner will be a Mossberg Maverick 12-gauge pump shotgun. It features a 3-inch chamber and black synthetic stock and fore end. Tickets are being sold during baseball Hornets home games and also are available any time from any member of the varsity/junior-varsity or freshman teams or program head coach Dave Mapel. Mapel may be contacted by phone at 646-0741. Tickets are $3 for one (1), $5 for two (2), or $10 for five (5). The drawing for the winner will be held after the varsity Hornets' May 2 “Senior Night” home finale against Maryville. Ticket buyers need not be present to win. CHS
Squeezes by LeBlond on Diamond ST. JOSEPH - The Chillicothe baseball Hornets posted their fourth victory in their last six games Tuesday, in hair-raising fashion. Having twice used big innings to rally and take the lead in their losers' bracket semifinal game in the Pony Express Tournament, the Hornets found the shoe on the other foot when St. Joseph: Bishop LeBlond's Ryan Rush poled his second home run of the game with two on and one out in the top of the seventh inning. That erased a 12-9 Hornets lead, but CHS freshman Alex Singleton (2-1) came in to strike out consecutive batters to end the LeBlond seventh with the score still tied and then singled in Andrew Campbell with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to win it for CHS, 13-12. “I was especially happy that we didn't give up when LeBlond tied the game in the top of the seventh,” Chillicothe head coach Dave Mapel reacted. “This showed a lot of character and I am proud of our guys for that.” The coach also hopes the victory might be a turning point for a defense that has struggled all year. Against LeBlond, Chillicothe played errorless ball. “I was also very pleased with our zero errors. "We played a pretty good game in the field,” he commented. After Rush, who had also slugged a two-run homer in the top of the first inning, pulled LeBlond even in the top of the seventh, Campbell pounded a one-out double off the Bartlett Park fence for the Hornets, barely beating the throw at second base. Cleanup hitter Clayton Spears followed with a hit that moved Campbell to third, but a shallow fly kept Campbell at third as the second out was recorded. That brought up A. Singleton, who fell behind on the count, but then lined a shot to right to end the game, Mapel reported. Overall, Chillicothe (4-10) racked up 11 hits after being one-hit by powerful St. Joseph: Benton the day before. Leading the CHS assault on LeBlond's pitching staff was junior center fielder and leadoff hitter Clint Singleton. He went three for four with a double. He drove in three runs, including a pair with a fourth-inning double as Chillicothe, having let a 7-3 lead slip away in the top half, countered with a five-run fourth of its own. C. Singleton also scored twice. “Clint is hitting the ball very well,” Mapel remarked, “and he had lots of help last night.” Also having a multi-hit game for CHS against LeBlond was Campbell, who also had a single in the big fourth before starting the winning rally in the eighth. The Hornets had eight different players hit safely Tuesday. Cory Hanavan had only one hit, but reached twice on errors and had a sacrifice fly. He finished with four runs batted in, one each time at the plate until the eighth. No. 9 hitter Brett Johnson drove in a couple of runs and scored two. Correy Miller, DHing to start the game before pitching in relief, scored twice and A. Singleton, serving as courtesy runner for catcher Drew Hibner before taking over on the hill, scored three times. Freshman
Diamond Hornets Kings at Cameron
CAPTION: Chillicothe High School's freshman baseball team earned the championship of this week's Cameron Invitational tournament Wednesday night with an 10-0 victory over St. Joseph: Benton. Team members are, from left: Front - Lance Surber, Chase Bonderer, Jacob Rockhold, Cory Lowe, Alex Singleton, coach Mike Lewis; Back - Aaron Manning, Clayton Dahlberg, Cody Reed, Mathias Godsil, Colin Parker, Tommy Hargrave, and Lance Williams. The freshman Hornets now stand 6-1. (Photo supplied) CAMERON - The Chillicothe freshman Hornets baseball team captured the championship of this week's Cameron Invitational tournament Wednesday night with a pair of wins. Having shut out St. Joseph: Lafayette Monday in the first round, on Wednesday, the Hornets whipped Platte County 11-3 in the semifinals and then blasted St. Joseph: Benton 10-0 in three innings on the 10-run rule (freshman games are scheduled for only five innings) in the title tilt. Clayton Dahlberg pitched a no-hitter in the abbreviated championship-game win, walking three and striking out four. “Clayton has done an excellent job of pitching and he has been supported by great defense behind him,” Lewis says. Offensively, the lusty CHS attack saw Alex Singleton double and single and Dahlberg double. Chillicothe didn't score in the first or second innings against Benton, but then exploded for a 10-spot in the third. Godsil's single - which would have scored two runs had it not been for the 10-run rule going into effect - ended the rout. Against Platte County earlier in the afternoon, Parker pitched a complete-game four-hitter and was backed by a strong offense. Hargrave had a triple and single and Cory Lowe a double and two singles to 10-hit Hornets attack. Godsil and Dahlberg each doubled and singled once. The Chillicothe freshmen now stand 6-1, heading into a Monday game at home against Savannah. The ninth grade games are played at Daryl Danner Memorial Park. Baseball Hornets
Edge Cameron
C-T photo / Paul Sturm With a strong, southerly wind blowing in from right field at Chillicothe's “June” Shaffer Memorial Park, there would have been some excuse for the Chillicothe baseball Hornets and visiting Cameron Dragons to have some trouble on defense with fly balls and popups. However, both teams' defensive generosity had little to do with tracking balls in the wind. Fortunately for the Hornets, in the end, they made just enough defensive plays to eventually claim a 4-3 Midland Empire Conference victory. Tied 3-3 after each side scored once in the eighth inning to force a second extra frame, Chillicothe scored the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth on two hits and a walk, with a final Cameron error - its sixth - mixed in.
Hornet second baseman Cory Hanavan stroked a single to center field to lead off the bottom of the ninth and was able to get to second when the Dragons' center fielder let the ball get between his feet. “It wasn't the most well-played game we've had, but we managed to hang in there and finally get it done,” Chillicothe head coach Dave Mapel remarked. “We could have let down after letting in that go-ahead run in the top of the eighth.” The victory lifted the Hornets' record to 3-9 overall and 1-1 in the MEC. Cameron dropped to 5-4, 1-2. Baseball Hornets Finally
Get in Win Column - Twice Chillicothe's Zach Dunn works in relief on his way to earning the victory in Saturday's 6-3 win over After dropping games to Grain Valley and Savannah Friday, the Hornets stood 0-8 on the season, having lost on every day of the school week except Monday, on which they'd been rained out twice. However, in their first Saturday action of 2006, the Hornets not only won once in the Marshall Invitational tournament, they did it twice. Rallying from a 3-1 deficit after 4-1/2 innings, Dave Mapel's club gained its initial victory of the season with a 6-3 decision over Richmond early Saturday afternoon, then turned around to best the host Owls 8-4 behind an early barrage. After being blasted 11-2 by 2005 Class 3 state tournament quarterfinalist Grain Valley in its first game Friday, Chillicothe errors in the fifth and sixth innings allowed Savannah to score the tying and winning runs in a 3-2 Hornets loss. The chances of the Hornets snapping their season-opening skid at eight games didn't seem that promising when Richmond, an 8-6 winner in Chillicothe in the teams' season opener a couple of weeks before, built a 3-1 lead with three fourth-inning runs off CHS ace hurler Andrew Campbell in Saturday's noon game. However, the Hornets' bats, held to only two hits the first four innings, suddenly awakened in the home half of the fifth and in the sixth to turn the trick. Sophomore pitcher Zach Dunn got the win in relief while 10th grade classmate Singleton not only had three hits, but also three runs batted in from the leadoff spot. He was the only Hornet with more than one hit. Austin Harlow, catching while Drew Hibner played third base, scored both times he was struck by pitches. Against Marshall, with Clint Singleton having sustained a hopefully-slight injury during the Richmond game, freshman Alex Singleton (not related) took over the leadoff spot in the batting over and the center field duties, too. A. Singleton got Chillicothe started on the right foot in its last game, stroking a hit to center. After Hanavan bunted him along, Campbell - starting to find his batting stroke - ripped a double to left that made it 1-0. Spears, serving as designated hitter this time while Ryan Wallace played first base, singled Campbell to third and, after Spears stole second, sophomore Correy Miller reached when his third strike got away. That left the bases full for freshman Colin Parker, getting his inaugural varsity start at third base. Parker delivered, his single scoring Campbell to give CHS starting pitcher Miller a 2-0 lead before he threw a pitch. After Miller blanked Marshall in the home first, the Hornets tripled their lead. Right fielder Ryan Guthrie led off the second with a hit to left and, after Guthrie swiped a bag, Johnson dropped a hit into left center to make it first and third. While A. Singleton batted, Johnson stole second before a balk plated Guthrie. A. Singleton ended up drawing a walk. Hanavan tapped to third with Johnson being hung up between there and the plate and being tagged out. However, A. Singleton stole third and scored on a wild throw. After Hanavan swiped third, Campbell walked and stole second. With two out, Miller helped his own cause by singling to center, scoring both runners to make it 6-1. In the third as Miller ran out of gas and A. Singleton made his second mound appearance of the tourney, eventually earning the win. Chillicothe tacked on two more in its fourth to move in front 8-2. Clayton Spears reached on a dropped third strike and Miller, who had moved to shortstop with Campbell shifting to center field, pounded a double down the line in left. Spears and courtesy runner Harlow held as Parker tapped back to the mound, but catcher Hibner delivered a clutch, two-out, two-run double just inside the right field line. Diamond Hornets Dominated by Macon in Every Way Friday
In dropping the Hornets to 0-4, the Tigers showed almost no negative impact of their lack of previous game action. At the plate, they roped 20 hits, getting multi-hit 2006 debuts from no less than two-thirds of the lineup and multi-RBI production from five hitters, all while striking out only three times against a trio of Chillicothe pitchers. On the mound, senior lefthander Garrett Wiggins was as tough as expected, allowing a paltry four baserunners, only one of whom advanced past first. He shackled the struggling CHS sticks on only three hits while walking none and recording 12 strikeouts. In the field, the Tigers were relatively untested defensively, handling only six of the 18 outs. The only blemish on Macon's day was a solitary error on a fourth-inning grounder. The game was scoreless through two innings, but Hornets starting and losing pitcher Stephen Beck (0-1) didn't make it out of the third, being kayoed as Macon trooped seven runs across the plate. Chillicothe had its only scoring threat in its half of the third when No. 9 hitter Clint Singleton's one-out line drive to the left-field side of center field barely got beyond center fielder Greg Kindle's reach. By the time the ball came back in, Singleton was sliding into third with a triple. Up 8-0 after five, Macon once more batted around and then some, nearly doubling its run total in the process while knocking out a second Chillicothe pitcher. Chillicothe's other hits besides Singleton's three-bagger were singles by third baseman Cody Lowe in the second inning and by Hanavan in the sixth. Lowe also reached on the Macon error in the fourth. The shutout loss was Chillicothe's second in succession and extended to 15 their early-season stretch of scoreless innings. The Hornets have scored only one run in their last 20 innings. Mape's Marching
Orders
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GOLF
Golf Banquet - CHS
Golfers Stayed the Course
The Chillicothe golf Hornets had a remarkably-successful season in 2006, even if the final action for some team members may have left a bittersweet taste in their mouths. The Hornets' season was reflected upon and celebrated last (Wednesday) night in the Green Hills Golf Course clubhouse at the annual team awards banquet. After the gathering dined on a meal prepared by the Hy-Vee Kitchen, coach John Musser shared with the team, the parents of its members, and others on hand his thoughts on the year - what he'd hoped, prior to the season, they could accomplish, how the players progressed during the campaign, and the numerous individual and team accomplishments attained. “It was a great year,” Musser shared in recounting his comments for the C-T. “We wanted to win our district so we could take our entire team to (the Class 3 state tournament at Bolivar), but, even without that, these guys still had lots and lots of success.” “We repeated as (Midland Empire Conference) champions for a second-straight year, we smoked everyone in our (Chillicothe Invitational) tournament, and we didn't lose a single dual match.” The only damper on the mood of the coach as he recapped the '06 campaign was that the Hornets' two individual-play state tournament qualifiers - junior Spencer Whiteside and sophomore Logan Gilliland - didn't experience greater success there. He said he felt his players and the entire Class 3 tournament field were unfairly tested by the way the Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club course was set up for state, especially on the opening day this past Monday. “Normally, a golf course is set up with (over 18 holes) six relatively easy pins (placement of the hole on the green), six average, and six hard,” Musser reported. “Down there, not only did they have hardly any holes in the middle, many of them were near the edge with pot bunkers and traps and water nearby. “With all the rain that area's had, the rough was tall, too, and the wind was gusty. A player might correctly gauge the wind prior to his shot and, then, when the ball was in the air, a gust would come up and either knock (the ball) down or push it long and into trouble.” His suggestion that those who decided the pin locations should have been able to take the prevailing weather conditions into account when they set the course each day. “Give the kids a chance to shoot a decent score, especially the first day,” he told the C-T, pointing out that, after the first day, 22 of the 126 players - representing the best Class 3 golfers in the state - were below 80. “Then let the best players rise to the top the second day.” As it was, the CHS coach opined, “Most of the kids had no shot at even medaling (top 15 finish) after the first day. What did they have to play for Tuesday?” CHS' Whiteside, in his second state appearance, finished with a 166, tying for 56th, and Gilliland carded a 36-hole total of 168, tied for 66th. The rest of the season saw the Chillicothe links lads answer the call as a group virtually match in, match out. Although some players experienced ups and downs, the varsity squad routinely produced a couple of very good scores and enough other solid scores to generate strong low-four team totals. In 11 dual matches, the Hornets won 10 and tied one (with Trenton, which eventually had a Class 2 state medalist and another top-20 state player). The dual highlights were the team's 143 - possibly a school record, although Musser hasn't had time to research it yet - in a home win over Brookfield and, individually, Gilliland's scorching 32 in that same match. In tournaments, the Hornets tore up their home course for an outstanding 295 total in winning their own tourney by 11 shots over Trenton and then, also at home, made it back-to-back MEC titles with a 302 total. Musser's special awards were made to the team's three seniors - Clint Macoubrie, Nick Mata, and Austin Jones, who shared the Coach's Award (sponsored by Chillicothe State Bank and the Chillicothe Booster Club), and Gilliland (sponsored by Investors National Bank), for the lowest average (37.9). Musser introduced his full squad and predicted a strong 2007 season to come. Hornets' State
Golfers Finish Around Middle of '06 Tourney Pack
BOLIVAR - The Chillicothe Hornets' two players in the Class 3 boys' golf state tournament held their own in Tuesday's second and final round of the 36-hole event, but that left them in the middle of the 126-player pack. Junior Spencer Whiteside trimmed eight strokes off his first-day score, shooting a closing 79 yesterday (Tuesday), while sophomore teammate Logan Gilliland came in with a second-straight 84 at the Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club. Whiteside's final score of 166 tied him for 56th, while Gilliland settled for a 168 that tied him for 66th place. The Class 3 state team title was won by defending champion St. Louis: Mary Institute/Country Day School (MICDS) with a 640. The individual state crown was shared by Pleasant Hill's Clay Ederer and Ozark's Will Hogan, each shooting 150, six over par. Making his second appearance in state play, Whiteside's 166 was just a couple strokes off his 164 in 2005 which tied him for 40th place at Springfield's Rivercut Golf Course. This year, 164 tied for 42nd. Gilliland, in his first trip to state, never could find the form that carried him to a team-best average of 37.0 strokes per nine holes during the regular season. At state, where a higher score naturally would be expected, his average was 42 shots per side.
CAPTION: Popping the ball in the air a bit as he putts from the fringe on No. 9, Chillicothe's Wade Koehly makes the final shot which earned him Midland Empire Conference golf tournament medalist honors at Green Hills Golf Course yesterday. The freshman posted a 74 and then prevailed over Savannah's Derek Baade in an eight-hole scorecard playoff. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm) Like someone with more money than he or she really knows what to do with, the Chillicothe golf Hornets apparently decided yesterday that their sophomore district champion was too old and out of date and traded him in for a newer, younger model. One week after the Hornets' Logan Gilliland earned a Class 3 district tournament title and a trip to next week's state tournament, Chillicothe trotted out a highly-polished and freshly-buffed freshman conference champion Monday. With ninth grader Wade Koehly leading the way with a 2-over-par 74, the Hornets captured a second-straight Midland Empire Conference tournament championship with an eight-stroke victory over runnerup Savannah at Chillicothe's Green Hills Golf Course. The Hornets' low-four total of 302, seven strokes higher than their title-winning total in their own invitational tournament a few weeks ago, included 75s from Nick Mata and Spencer Whiteside and a 78 - either the one shot by Gilliland or Clint Macoubrie's. “The final team outing of the year brought out a great team effort on our home course,” Hornets coach John Musser commented. “I am very pleased the team won the conference championship for the second year in a row.” By putting all five players in the 70s, Chillicothe could have won their second-straight MEC title no matter which four players' scores they used. Even dropping Koehly's 74 and using the second 78, CHS still would have finished four shots ahead of Savannah. Because of their lineup-wide excellence, all five Hornets earned all-MEC status and tournament medals by being among the 10 lowest scorers. Whiteside and Mata tied for third, with Whiteside getting the higher place on a scorecard playoff. Gilliland's 78 had a playoff advantage on Macoubrie to gain him ninth place. Macoubrie, like Gilliland and Whiteside having his second-straight all-MEC performance, was 10th. By being medalists, all five Hornets earned all-conference honors, duplicating the performance of the CHS Lady Hornets last fall. “Having all five players end up in the top 10 and earning all-conference recognition is the icing on the cake,” mused Musser. Except for the Hornets' two state tournament qualifiers - Whiteside and Gilliland, yesterday's tournament concluded the 2006 season. Golf Hornets
Finish Duals Unbeaten
(Photo supplied / Mary Pat Whiteside) LAWSON - Bouncing back from a couple of somewhat-disappointing performances on the road, the Chillicothe golf Hornets completed an undefeated 2006 dual-match season yesterday with a strong performance on an out-of-town course. In a nine-hole match which saw both teams put three players in the 30s, the Hornets outdueled the Lawson Cardinals 149-152 at the Hidden Valley Golf Course. The triumph left the CHS boys with an 11-0-1 record in dual competition this spring. “I am very proud of the record the team posted this season,” remarked John Musser, the Hornets' coach. “This team effort was a definite improvement over our dual (against St. Joseph: Lafayette) earlier this week.” Leading the way to victory for the Hornets was senior Clint Macoubrie. In the final dual match of his CHS career, the three-year varsity player fired a 1-under-par 35, his best dual-match score of the season by a shot. Joining him in the 30s were the Hornets' No. 1 player, Logan Gilliland, with a 36 and No. 2 player Spencer Whiteside, with a 38. Those two qualified for the upcoming Class 3 state tournament earlier this week. Rounding out the low-four scoring group for CHS was Wade Koehly, who carded a 40. The 2006 Hornets' last outing as a team will be in the Midland Empire Conference tournament Monday at Chillicothe's Green Hills Golf Course. The Hornets are defending champs. Logan Continues
His Run
ST. JOSEPH - A year of focus came to a satisfying conclusion for a Chillicothe Hornets golfer Monday. However, for the Chillicothe High School team, it was another case of the prize of state qualification remaining just beyond reach. Hornets sophomore Logan Gilliland continued his strong, determined, late-season play Monday by earning the Class 3 District 8 tournament individual title with an 2-over-par round of 74 at Fairview Golf Course. However, as a team, the Hornets shot a 321 which left them in third place, four strokes behind unexpected champion Kearney. Gilliland and junior teammate Spencer Whiteside, whose 79 tied him for eighth place individually, earned the right to compete in individual play in the May 15-16 Class 3 state tournament at Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club at Bolivar. “Congratulations to Logan for being the district champion,” saluted Hornets coach John Musser, also adding a nod to Whiteside for his requalification for state play. Nine others from
yesterday's play also have the chance to play individually at state, while
Kearney's five players will be involved in both the individual medalist and
the team championship competition in a couple of weeks. Kearney's winning
total of 317 was nine shots better than Savannah's championship total of
2005, when the Savages finished a stroke ahead of Chillicothe's Hornets.
This year's CHS total of 321 would have won last year's title by five shots,
but instead only matched Savannah for the second-best low-four team total of
the day. Because Savannah's fifth player had a better score than did the
Hornets', the Savages technically earn second place, even though that
carries no real meaning.
Golf Hornets Fry Brookfield
With 143 Thursday C-T photo / Paul Sturm The record-breaking contagion among Chillicothe High School spring sports teams appears to be spreading. Don't expect any quarantine to be requested. Getting in tune for Monday's district tournament at St. Joseph's Fairview Golf Course (start time 9 a.m.), the CHS Hornets golf team, coming off a strong performance in winning their own invitational tournament Monday, burned up the Green Hills Golf Course yesterday in chaining up the visiting Brookfield Bulldogs 143-162. The low-four CHS team total, paced by sophomore Logan Gilliland's sharp-shooting 4-under-par 32, may be a school record for nine holes, Hornets coach John Musser advised, saying he'll be checking up on that. Gilliland's 32 doesn't set a CHS nine-hole mark, but it may have tied one. In the 2004 Class 3 state tournament, Kyle Marcolla closed his state-record-setting final round 66 with a 32 on the back nine. Coming on the heels of his CHS Tournament medalist round of 69 (including a 33 on his last nine) Monday, Gilliland has cut almost a full stroke off his already-very-good nine-hole average this week. In that brief time, he's cut it from 37.6 to 36.7. Freshman teammate Wade Koehly, who has shot his way into the No. 3 spot in the lineup after starting the year at No. 5, tagged an even-par 36 Thursday onto his 75 Monday. That dropped his season average below 41 (for nine holes) for the first time. Also carding an even-par round was senior Clint Macoubrie, a 2005 state tournament qualifier who has battled to bring his practice game to match competition this spring. Junior No. 2 player Spencer Whiteside continued his remarkably steady, season-long play with a 39. In 10 outings this season, Whiteside - also a 2005 state tournament participant - has been out of the 30s (or, in 18-hole tournaments, the 70s) only once, when he had a 40. His average is 38.2 through 117 holes of 2006 match play. Not needed for the team scoring for Chillicothe yesterday was senior Nick Mata's 40. Golf Hornets
Stroll Past Pirates The Chillicothe golf Hornets remained undefeated in dual-match play thus far in 2006 yesterday with a 24-stroke victory over the visiting Platte County Pirates. With senior No. 5 player Nick Mata shooting a personal-best (in competition) 38 to be match medalist, the Hornets put together a 159 low-four team score. Platte County shot a 183. The win was the Hornets' fifth in as many duals. Their next action will be at Trenton Tuesday. Mata's 38 was one of two Chillicothe scores in the 30s Thursday at Green Hills Golf Course. Junior No. 2 player Spencer Whiteside continued his very steady play with another 39. Hornets No. 1 player Logan Gilliland had his first 2006 round of higher than 37 strokes for nine holes, logging in at 41 for the day. That's the same score freshman No. 4 player Wade Koehly had. Not needed in the Hornets' scoring was a 46 from Clint Macoubrie. Golfers Get By
Machin |
Caption:
The Chillicothe Hornets doubles team of Roy Yeomans and Jacob Fellhoelter came up two points shy of capturing a Class 1 state tennis tournament medal Saturday at Springfield. After winning the first set of their consolation semifinal match against Jesse Murphy and Jake Schulenberg of Marshall, who they had beaten for the district title two weeks earlier, the Hornets pair lost a second-set tiebreaker 7-5 and then were eliminated with a 2-6 loss in the decisive third set.
(C-T file photo / Paul Sturm)
Caption:
Sophomore Cody Greenlaw of the Chillicothe Hornets is one of three underclassmen eligible to return in 2007 after helping the 2006 Hornets to the Class 1 team state tournament. In the state tourney's sectional round Saturday at Marshall, the Hornets fell to St. Louis: Westminster Christian Academy 5-0. Greenlaw dropped his No. 5 singles match 2-6, 2-6, but still ended the season with an above-.500 record.
(C-T file photo / Paul Sturm)
Caption:
With a spectacular effort and execution, Chillicothe Hornets senior Tyler Hardie backhands a lob return of a potential Kirksville winner down the alley as doubles partner Blake Shearer watches during their No. 3 doubles match in yesterday's sub-sectional match against Kirksville. Hardie's return saved the point for the Hornets as a Kirksville player swatted an ensuing overhead attempt into the net. Hardie and Shearer eventually would earn a clutch 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-2 win over Weston Newell and Josh Bowers, tying the team match 4-4 after Kirksville led 4-2 after singles play. The Hornets then won the team match 5-4 to advance to the Class 1 state team tournament's first round at Marshall Saturday. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Caption:
As partner Cody Greenlaw watches and waits from near the net, Morgan Saunders of the Chillicothe Hornets whacks a baseline backhand toward their Kirksville opponents on the final point of their No. 2 doubles match Tuesday. Kirksville's return went into the net, giving the CHS sophomores a 7-5 victory in the game, a 6-4, 7-5 win of the match, and Chillicothe a thrilling 5-4 comeback triumph in the Class 1 state subsectional dual match. (C-T photo / Paul Sturm)
Fellhoelter and Yeomans
State Bound in Tennis; Hornets Reach Sub-Sectional
ST. JOSEPH - Chillicothe Hornets junior Jacob Fellhoelter earned the Midland Empire Conference individuals tennis tournament singles championship yesterday in a convincing manner.
Fellhoelter lost only nine of 45 games in moving up from the runner-up spot a year ago to No. 1 this year.
Caption:
Sophomore Cody Greenlaw scored the most-convincing singles win for Chillicothe Tuesday, defeating his opponent at No. 4 8-1.
CAPTION:
Chillicothe Hornets sophomore Morgan Saunders withstood the pressure of tight matches in both the semifinals and finals to win the No. 3 singles title in Saturday's Hannibal Invitational tournament, helping the Hornets also earn the team championship. (C-T file photo / Paul Sturm)
CAPTION:
Chillicothe tennis Hornets No. 1 player Jacob Fellhoelter's whacks a serve toward Mexico's Chris Doolittle early in their match at the Simpson Park courts Thursday. With Doolittle clearly hampered significantly by lower back pain, Fellhoelter had no trouble ringing up a 10-0 victory. As a team, the Hornets also had little difficulty with the Bulldogs, winning 9-0 to improve their dual record to 5-3.
CAPTION:
Chillicothe Hornets senior Roy Yeomans jumps as he makes a forehand return during his No. 2 singles set against Mike Weil of St. Joseph: Benton at the Simpson Park tennis courts in Chillicothe Monday. Yeomans handled Weil easily, winning 10-2, and the Hornets did the same overall, shutting out the visiting Cardinals 9-0 in Chillicothe's opening Midland Empire Conference dual match of the 2006 season.
CAPTION:
Chillicothe's Brandon Merrill tracks down Wade Bricker's shot to his forehand side during their No. 5 singles set Monday. Merrill defeated the St. Joseph: Benton player 10-2 and then teamed with Tyler Hardie for a 10-2 victory in No. 2 doubles.
Net Hornets
Use Depth to be Second in Tourney
Caption:
Sophomore pitcher Correy Miller threw a complete game for the Chillicothe Hornets as they defeated Kansas City: O'Hara 4-2 Saturday in the Kearney Invitational tourney.
CAPTION:
Brett Johnson of the Chillicothe Hornets slides into third base safely with a stolen base during the third inning of Tuesday's 10-5 Midland Empire Conference victory over visiting Maryville at “June” Shaffer Memorial Park. Johnson scored moments later on a passed ball.
CAPTION:
Chillicothe sophomore shortstop Correy Miller makes a nice play in the strong wind on a pop fly to shallow left field to end the top of the third inning and strand a Cameron runner at third base during Thursday's Midland Empire Conference game at “June” Shaffer Memorial Park field. The play ended up being critical to Chillicothe's victory as the Hornets ended up needing extra innings to gain a 4-3 victory. Had Miller not successfully played the wind-blown popup, Cameron would have scored at least one run in the inning and then won in regulation play.
Richmond in the Marshall Invitational tournament. It was the Hornets' first victory of the season after eight losses. (Marshall Democrat-News photo / Chris Allen)
CAPTION:
Chillicothe's Clint Singleton slides safely into third base with a third-inning triple during Friday's
(March 31) 15-0 six-inning home loss to Macon.
CAPTION:
Three seniors and a sophomore shared the special awards presented by
Chillicothe Hornets golf coach John Musser at the team's annual awards
banquet, held last night in the Green Hills Golf Course clubhouse. Receiving
the Coach's Award were, from left, seniors Austin Jones and Clint Macoubrie,
along with Nick Mata, who was not present for the photo. Logan Gilliland,
right, was presented a plaque for having the team's best scoring average
during the season. (C-T
photo / Paul Sturm)
CAPTION:
Chillicothe
Hornets junior Spencer Whiteside cut eight strokes off his first-day score
in yesterday's second round of the Class 3 state golf tournament, shooting a
79 Tuesday to finish tied for 56th with a 166. (C-T
file photo / Paul Sturm)
Golf
Hornets Go Up-SKoehly
CAPTION:
The 2006 Chillicothe Hornets golf team of seniors Clint Macoubrie and Nick
Mata, sophomore Logan Gilliland, junior Spencer Whiteside, and freshman Wade
Koehly finished off an undefeated season (11-0-1) Thursday with a 149-152
win over a good Lawson team at Lawson's Hidden Valley Golf Course.
CAPTION:
Chillicothe High School will be represented in the 2006 Class 3 boys' golf
state tournament by junior Spencer Whiteside (left) and sophomore Logan
Gilliland. Both medaled in yesterday's District 8 tournament at St. Joseph,
Gilliland being tourney medalist with a 74 and Whiteside tying for eighth
with a round of 79. It will be Whiteside's second-straight trip to state. (Photo
supplied / Mary Pat Whiteside)
CAPTION:
Logan
Gilliland of Chillicothe is given a congratulatory handshake by Class 3
District 8 boys' high school golf tournament manager Mike Zeisel of St.
Joseph as Gilliland is announced as the 2006 district tournament individual
medalist (champion) Monday at Fairview Golf Course in St. Joseph. The CHS
sophomore earned the district title by shooting a 2-over-par 74, one stroke
better than Ross Keesling of team champion Kearney.
(Photo supplied / Mary Pat Whiteside)
CAPTION:
Chillicothe senior Clint Macoubrie strokes a birdie putt attempt toward the hole on No. 2 Thursday. He just missed, but did shoot a par 36.
CAPTION:
Nick Mata of the Chillicothe Hornets watches his drive on hole No. 9 sail into a cross-breeze during Tuesday's home match against Smithville. Mata shot a 48 that turned out to be just enough for the Hornets to edge the Warriors 166-167. Also watching Mata's shot is CHS' Austin Jones, who played No. 1 in the junior-varsity lineup.
C-T photo / Paul
Sturm