District updates

District tournaments are well underway now across Missouri and we have some updates for you in a couple sports.

In baseball, the district championship game between Rock Bridge and Helias in Lebanon has been moved up to today at 4 p.m. because of the threat of rain on Thursday.

In girls soccer, Rock Bridge advanced to the district championship game last night with a 3-0 win over Wentzville Timberland. Alexis Bumby scored twice and Kelsey Reimler added another goal. The Bruins advance to play Troy, which beat Hickman 3-0 on Tuesday.

Watch for highlights of the baseball district title game tonight and soccer championship game on Thursday on KOMU-TV.

John Burns resigns from Hickman

Both KOMU and the Columbia Tribune reported tonight Hickman boys basketball coach John Burns resigned today to take a job at Mesquite High School in Gilbert, Arizona.

This comes as a shock to me as a semi-outsider who saw the Kewpies improve to a 17-9 record this past season. The team had several close, surprising wins, including a buzzer-beater in the district playoffs against Troy. It seemed the future was bright at Hickman with Burns' reputation and record coming in, and a very solid finish to what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Kewpies.

First Pitch: May 5, 2010

Brian Mortensen and Will Maetzold discuss the latest in mid-Missouri high school baseball.

Big night in Columbia

Last night was a huge night for high school baseball in Columbia. Both Rock Bridge and Hickman were home and both turned in interesting performances.

Hickman was down 2-0 to Rolla after just a half of inning, but rallied for an 11-run bottom of the third to beat the Bulldogs 14-3 in five innings with the run rule in effect. The Kewpies now stand at 9-6 as they head into a makeup game Wednesday afternoon at home against Francis Howell.

Rock Bridge, ranked first this week in the state poll, was knocked off by Helias 7-2 in Columbia. The loss ends a 14-game winning streak for the Bruins, who now stand at 17-2.

Check back for much more tonight on the latest edition of High School First Pitch.

Fulton vs. Hallsville baseball

Fulton and Hallsville got together on a nice Thursday afternoon for baseball. It was also long-time Fulton coach Darrell Davis' first game since announcing his retirement, effective at the end of this season.

Fulton beat Hallsville 3-2 after a Hallsville runner was thrown out at the plate to end the game.

First Pitch: 4/20/10

Catch Brian Mortensen and Will Maetzold as they break down Mid-Missouri high school baseball - including the Boonville Pirates, Rock Bridge Bruins, Hickman Kewpies, Jefferson City Jays, and Fulton Hornets, among others.

Highway 54 Bowl, Baseball Style

The Fulton and Mexico baseball teams met Thursday on a beautiful evening in Mexico. Here's a photo gallery of the game, which Fulton won 2-1. Fulton pitcher Wilson Christensen pitched a complete game, three-hitter with nine strikeouts for the win.

Jefferson City/Rock Bridge baseball slideshow

Here's a photo gallery from Monday's Jefferson City/Rock Bridge baseball game at Vivion Field in Jefferson City. The Bruins beat the Jays 4-1 behind a strong outing from pitcher Ryan Phillips.

Opening Tip: March 24, 2010

Here is our season wrap-up edition of Opening Tip:

Sturgeon - championship highlights

Well, I finally got around to uploading these highlights. Enjoy the full natural sound of the crowd going crazy, the big baskets, and the team celebrating as the buzzer sounds on Sturgeon's undefeated season. Almost makes me want to create a "One Shining Moment" montage video for Sturgeon and Harrisburg's state championships!




Meanwhile, here's a great game story from the Fireside Guard's James Smith - who adds some historical context to Sturgeon's win.

The Columbia Tribune's David Briggs has a feature on Trey Chisholm's amazing performance in the championship game, while photographer Don Shrubshell has a terrific photo gallery of the game here.

Then, here's the Tribune's Rus Baer's piece on Harrisburg senior Ashley Fisher - and how the Bulldogs' state title completed the family championship trifecta.

Sturgeon-Bernie Photo Gallery

Here are some photos from a great Class 2 boys state championship game. Sturgeon beat Bernie 82-80 behind 35 points from Trey Chisholm.

Harrisburg-Thayer Photo Gallery

Here's a photo gallery from Harrisburg's win over Thayer in the Class 2 state championship game.

Sturgeon postgame - as state champs!

Catch coach Greg Buescher, senior guard Trey Chisholm, junior forward Garrett Kelly, and junior guard Domenic Johnson discuss their dramatic state championship win over Bernie, and undefeated season!

Extended Harrisburg Post-game

Harrisburg coach Dan Bachmeier along with players Ashley Fisher and Chelcie Proctor discuss the state championship victory over Thayer.

Sturgeon and Pilot Grove Highlights

Here are highlights and reaction from Sturgeon's state championship game win over Bernie and highlights from Pilot Grove's loss to Scott County Central.

Pilot Grove Falls Short

Pilot Grove could not make it a sweep for Mid-Missouri teams in the state basketball tournament today. The Tigers went down to Scott County Central 96-47. Pilot Grove had trouble from the start against a very fast Scott County Central team. Otto Porter had 29 points in the game for Scott County Central.

Harrisburg State Championship Highlights

Here are highlights and reaction from Harrisburg's 52-40 win over Thayer in the Class 2 state championship game.

Picking up for Brian

A quote from Sturgeon's Trey Chisholm, who hit two free throws with 2.8 seconds left for an 82-80 win: "I wish everyone could feel what I'm feeling right now."

Correction -- it is Sturgeon's first state championship in boys basketball only. Garrett Kelly just confirmed to me the Bulldogs have won two state baseball championships. It's been corrected below.

What an incredible game. The state champion Sturgeon Bulldogs just met the media and it honestly didn't look like what they just did had hit them. First state championship in boys basketball. Down six with three and a half minutes left. Two clutch free throws from Trey Chisholm who scored a career-high 35 points. We'll have all the highlights and reaction from the Bulldogs tonight on KOMU 8 News at Ten.

Chisholm hits the second. Bernie desperation shot off the rim. 82-80 Sturgeon, state champs.

Chisholm hits one. Timeout Bernie.

Bernie missed a point-blank shot. Chisholm is fouled for Sturgeon. He's going to the line with 2.8 seconds left.

Sturgeon steals the ball near midcourt on Bernie's posession. Chisholm is fouled on his way to the hoop. First free throw no good. Second good. Tie game. This is a heck of a game.

Another three.. from Chisholm for Sturgeon. 80-79 Bernie.

A foul near midcourt puts Bernie at the line for free throws. Both are hit. 80-76 Bernie.

In just ten seconds, Sturgeon drives the length of the court and Garrett Kelly hits a three to cut the Bernie lead to 78-76. Big sigh from the Bernie fans. Wow!

One of two of free throws. 78-73.

Bernie drives to the hoop and a foul is called. Free throws to come. 2:08 remaining.

Free throw good, but Bernie answers with a basket. But Sturgeon comes right back for two of its own. 77-73 Bernie with 2:17 remaining. Crowd is going nuts. Almost everyone is on their feet.

Brian went down to shoot the end of the game, but I'll keep you updated. It's 75-70 Bernie now after a Trey Chisholm bucket and foul. Free throw to come.

Sturgeon Boys - State Championship game

WOW WOW WOW. All I can say. Sturgeon wins 82-80 in the BEST game I've seen all year. We'll have highlights at 10!

At 3:30 of the game, Sturgeon down now 73-67 thanks to a set of 3s from Jacob Owens and Jordan McGowan

WOW. Taylor Wells singlehandedly keeps the Bulldogs in it - nailing a layup "and one" hitting the FT, then a 3 to give the Bulldogs a short-lived 60-57 lead. But Jacob Owens of Bernie answers with a 3 of his own, and the game stays tied at 6:57 of the 4th quarter.

At the end of the 3rd quarter, Bernie retakes the lead 57-55.

An exciting 1st half of basketball! Sturgeon and Bernie are tied at 40. Here are some stats: Trey Chisholm leads Sturgeon with 12 points and is 3/7 from 3 point land. Domenic Johnson also in double figures with 11 pts. The Bulldogs' Dakota Reeves and Lane Arends both have 3 fouls from a physical 1st half. For Bernie, they have 3 players in double figure scoring - Jake Welch, Jordan McGowan (both with 13) and Jacob Owens (10) having a good first half. Sturgeon seems deeper so far on offense though as 6 of its 8 players have scored. For a stretch in the 2nd quarter the Bulldogs defense smothered the Mules, but Bernie found a way back in. We should have an excellent 2nd half.


Class 2 state final between the Sturgeon Bulldogs and Bernie Mules. Starting lineup for Sturgeon:

• Tory Hicks (G)
  
• Domenic Johnson (G)
  
• Dakota Reeves (F)
  
• Trey Chisholm (G)
  
• Garrett Kelly (F)
  

Live for Harrisburg/Thayer state championship

• Here are some photos of the celebration -
  
• A final from Mizzou Arena - Harrisburg Bulldogs champions of class 2 with a 52-40 win over Thayer.
  
• Looks like the Bulldogs are going to be champs! They lead by 14 with 57 seconds left. I'll be back in a few minutes with pictures from the celebration.
  
• At 2:14 of the 4th, Harrisburg still up by 12. It's 46-34. Both teams with 10 team fouls. Harrisburg's Shanna Proctor in foul trouble with 4 fouls.
  
• Thayer not done yet. Whitney Mills swishes down a 3 to cut the deficit to 12 - now 44-32 at 4:09 of the 4th.
  
• Approaching halfway point of the 4th quarter - Harrisburg cruising. They lead 44-29 with 4:45 to go.
  
• Harrisburg less than 8 minutes from a state championship - they lead 40-24 early 4th quarter. Ashley Fisher dominant so far with 14 points for the Bulldogs.
  
• Shanna Proctor steals the ball top of the key and drives downcourt for the layup...Harrisburg increases their lead to 34-18 midway through the 3rd q.
  
• Pep band playing Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" here at the half...
  
• Ashley Fisher nails a 3 at the buzzer to end the 1st half! Bulldogs lead 27-16 at the break. She now has 10 points.
  
• Harrisburg quickly answers with a jumper from Ashley Fisher. She now has 7 pts.
  
• Thayer cuts the lead to 21-14 thanks to a left-wing jumper from Samantha Oakes at 2:00 of the 2nd q.
  

• Great crowd on hand for today's games. Most of the lower chairback seating is full with fans clad in blue (Bernie or Sturgeon), green (Thayer), or red (Harrisburg). --- Here's what I mean:

• Midway through the 2nd quarter, Harrisburg leads 17-8. Shanna Proctor also has 5 points now for the Bulldogs. Thayer struggling with Harrisburg's size and athleticism right now.
• Make that 10 total team fouls combined. Each team with 5 at :37 of the 1st q.
• Very physical so far - both teams combined for 9 team fouls. Harrisburg has 5 as Paige Heibel picked up 2 fouls already.
• OK, I'm live here at Mizzou Arena for the Harrisburg girls state championship game. It's for all the marbles...the big trophy...the legends...huge!
• Harrisburg is off to a great start, it's 11-4 Bulldogs with 1:30 left in the 1st q. Chelsea Proctor has 5 points already.

Bracing for the moment

Harrisburg girls coach Dan Bachmeier (left) gets ready for the Class 2 final vs. Thayer today at Mizzou Arena.

Sturgeon Bulldogs will also play for state championship!

Here are the highlights from their win - with some postgame celebration video, too!



Then, here's what coach Greg Buescher, senior guard Trey Chisholm, and senior guard Tory Hicks had to say about the win.

Harrisburg Bulldogs will play for state championship...

...After beating Miller last night at Mizzou Arena. Here are some highlights with the full natural sound!



And here are some pictures of the Hearnes Center basketball experience - certainly much more low-frill than Mizzou Arena, but a quality place to see a game.

Harrisburg-Miller Photo Gallery

Here's a photo gallery from Harrisburg's 71-60 victory over Miller Thursday night in the Class 2 semi-finals.

Great day for Mid-Missouri

We just wrapped up a fantastic day of high school basketball at the state tournament for Mid-Missouri. Local teams went 3-1 in the semifinals Thursday. The Sturgeon boys, Pilot Grove boys and Harrisburg girls are all advancing to state title games. The Macon girls were the only area team not to advance to a state championship game.

I was at the first half of the Harrisburg game vs. Miller and it was a fun atmosphere. Miller brought in the all-time leading scorer in Missouri high school girls basketball, Hannah Wilkerson. The Cardinals went to Wilkerson early as she scored the first six points for Miller. But then the Lady Bulldogs seemed to slow her down just enough to make a run of their own. Harrisburg led 29-25 at halftime before a second half outburst that led to a 71-60 win. Harrisburg was able to overcome a 43 point night from Wilkerson. The 'Dogs play Thayer on Saturday at 3:20 p.m. for a state championship

The Sturgeon boys remained undefeated with a 61-50 victory over Clever in the Hearnes Center early Thursday. The Bulldogs will play Bernie at 5 p.m. Saturday for a championship trophy.

The Pilot Grove boys easily got by Braymer, 86-61, in the Hearnes Center later on Thursday night. The Tigers play Scott County Central at 8:20 Saturday evening in the Class 1 final.

The Macon girls couldn't pull it out against Cardinal Ritter in a 50-42 loss. Macon will play Maryville Friday at Noon for third place in Class 3.

Stay tuned to KOMU 8 for high school playoff coverage.

Opening Tip: March 17, 2010

Mid-Missouri arrives at the state final four at Mizzou. Brian Mortensen and Will Maetzold discuss in high school opening tip.

Video highlights from Saturday's playoff action

Here are the highlights of Hermann falling to Mt. Vernon in Springfield, MO:



And as promised, the highlights of Pilot Grove, Harrisburg, and Sturgeon advancing to play at the Hearnes Center/Mizzou Arena here:

Pilot Grove, Bulldogs all set for Hearnes Center

The Sturgeon Bulldogs boys muscled past Wellington-Napoleon this weekend 66-61 thanks to 19 points from Trey Chisholm. Rus Baer of the Columbia Tribune has the story here.

The Harrisburg Bulldogs girls team won handily over Penney, 68-45. Here's Rus Baer's game story from the Columbia Tribune. I'll put the highlights up later today when I get down to the station.

Both teams are a combined 59-0 this season...incredible!

And, the Pilot Grove Tigers won 81-63 over La Plata. Here are some stats, thanks to the Columbia Tribune.

All 3 teams advance to the state semifinals in Columbia.

• Sturgeon will play Clever (24-7) at 1:40 on Thursday at the Hearnes Center.
  
• Pilot Grove (now 27-3) will play Braymer (22-5) at 8:20 on Thursday at the Hearnes Center.
  
• Harrisburg will play Miller (27-4) at 8:20 on Thursday at Mizzou Arena.
  

Pilot Grove shoutout

The Pilot Grove Tigers - they're 26-3 and the only class 1 Mid-Missouri team still in the state playoffs. They face 26-2 La Plata at Missouri Valley College on Saturday the 13th at 2:45pm. Will and I showed some Pilot Grove highlights in our latest Opening Tip, so check it out here.

Sturgeon & Harrisburg video

Here are the Harrisburg Bulldogs highlights from last night - watch as they take down Cairo and stay undefeated...



And here, the Sturgeon Bulldogs defeat Putnam County and also stay undefeated! Both teams are now in the state quarterfinals of class 2.

Undefeated Bulldogs advance!

The Harrisburg girls topped Cairo 49-32 last night. The Bulldogs used a 24-8 run in the 2nd and 3rd quarters to pull away and advance to play Hamilton-Penney (27-1) on Saturday at 1pm. Ashley Fisher scored 19 while Chelsey Kroese downed 17 points for the Bulldogs. Harrisburg is 28-0 now.

The Sturgeon Bulldogs, meanwhile, beat Putnam County 50-39 thanks to 15 points from Domenic Johnson. Greg Buescher's squad will face Wellington-Napoleon on Saturday at 2:45. Sturgeon is now 29-0.

Both teams travel to Chillicothe for the games Saturday - you can check out the directions/location here:


View Larger Map

I'll post the highlights tonight!

Opening Tip: March 10, 2010

Brian Mortensen and Will Maetzold take a look at the area high school playoff action in the second edition of Opening Tip.

Opening Tip: March 10, 2010 from Will Maetzold on Vimeo.

Here's what we've got on tap tonight

This beautiful weather in Mid-Missouri has made it hard to sit down and post stuff on here, but I promise, we'll be back at it!

Tonight we'll have highlights from the Sturgeon boys as they play Putnam County at 7:30 at Moberly Area CC, then the Harrisburg girls team playing Cairo at 6. Both local teams undefeated - can they continue the winning season? We'll see!

Sunday afternoon links

The Columbia Tribune's Sam Miles has a rundown of yesterday's Harrisburg Bulldog girls' win over Salisbury here

Miles also details the Sturgeon Bulldogs' district title victory over Fayette here

Also in the Tribune, Rus Baer has the story of yesterday's Rock Bridge Lady Bruins season-ending loss to Kickapoo.

Daily Links 3/5/10

In the Columbia Missourian, Lexie Delaney has a rundown of how the Rock Bridge Lady Bruins are preparing for their state quarterfinal game against Kickapoo tomorrow.

The Columbia Tribune's Sam Miles tells how the Sturgeon Bulldogs found themselves in an unusual position in their win over Salisbury.

Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune details Southern Boone's win last night over Eugene.

High School Highlights: 3/4/10

Highlights of Pilot Grove vs. Glasgow girls basketball, Salisbury vs. Sturgeon boys bb, Westran vs. Fayette boys bb, California vs. Blair Oaks boys bb, and Eugene vs. Southern Boone boys bb.

VLog: 3/4/10

KOMU 8 Sports' Brian Mortensen reviews the Rock Bridge Lady Bruins' win over Jefferson City, and the Holt Indians' win over the Jefferson City boys basketball team. He also discusses the Moberly Spartan boys' team and their run in the playoffs so far.

Highlights from 3/3/10

Video of the games from last night - the Jefferson City/Rock Bridge GBB and Jefferson City/Holt thrillers, and the 2 Moberly games.

Thursday Morning

Recovered from a good night of high school basketball...

• Check out this great slideshow of the Rock Bridge/Jefferson City girls game from the Columbia Tribune's Don Shrubshel.
• Here's a little bit of a rundown on the Soldan Tigers - the Moberly boys' next opponent in the class 4 championship bracket.
  
• So here's what I can figure out for Mid-Missouri as far as upcoming games goes:
  

1. Class 2 basketball: Sacred Heart vs. Tipton - tonight, 6:30pm, then New Bloomfield vs. Stover at 8pm @ New Bloomfield HS. The Russelville girls face off against Sacred Heart tomorrow (Friday) night at 6:30, also in New Bloomfield. Further away in Louisiana, MO, the Paris Coyote boys (at 18-4) takes on 11-12 Louisiana. Paris could go all the way in that bracket - they've got some decent players, I've seen them play this year.
2. More class 2 - the undefeated Sturgeon boys take on Salisbury tonight at 6, then Fayette plays Westran at 7:30 at Moberly Area CC.
   
3. Class 3: Blair Oaks vs. California tonight at 6pm, then Eugene vs. Southern Boone at 7:30 at Hallsville. Also in Hallsville, the California Lady Pintos (20-2) play tomorrow night (Friday) at 6pm vs. Hallsville (22-5). On Saturday, the girls final at MACC will be between the undefeated Harrisburg girls and the 26-1 Salisbury team at 1:00. The boys district final is at 2:30 on Saturday.
   
4. Also in Class 3 at Linn HS - Hermann (17-8) vs. Dixon (13-12) at 6pm, then Fatima (13-8) vs. Linn (14-9) at 7:30. Tomorrow night, the 24-3 Hermann girls play Cuba at 6pm, also at Linn.
   
5. Class 1: Glasgow boys vs. Pilot Grove - Friday (tomorrow) March 5, 6:30pm @ Pilot Grove. The girls from the same teams face off tonight at 7.
   
6. Class 5: Rock Bridge girls vs. Kickapoo - Saturday, March 6 1pm @ Rolla.
   
7. Class 4: Moberly boys vs. Soldan - Saturday, March 6 2:30pm @ Lindenwood University in St. Charles.
   

Live in Union! [Episode 2]

• That'll do it for me on the KOMU Sports blog. We'll have the highlights online tonight for the 10, and surely plenty more coverage for ya - thanks for following us, we'll see you next time!
  
• OK - some final stats for you:
  
• Jefferson City: McMahon 10pts, Carlock 9 pts. Holt: Dantiel Daniels 14 pts, Benna 6 pts, Stix 6 pts.
  
• Burnett to inbound --- Kody Walker's last-chance desperation shot from midcourt is off the mark - Holt wins 40-39! What a game.
  
• Daniels at the line -- hits the 1st basket, misses the 2nd! Indians lead 40-39 with 1.2 seconds left! David Fox calls timeout immediately after the Jays get possession.
  
• JC coach David Fox takes a timeout.
  
• Holt draws the clock down to have the last shot -- at 7 seconds they go in motion, and who else but Dantiel Daniels inside with just a handful of seconds left is fouled. He'll head to the line for 2 shots with 1.9 seconds left!
  
• Holt calls a timeout with :46 remaining - score tied at 39!
  
• JC's Jeremy Tisdel ties it with a layup at about :55 - JC crowd erupts! Big 2nd half for the Jays' junior guard.
  
• JC's Spencer Carlock nails a 3 with 1:04 left to cut the lead to 39-37.
  
• Holt's Chase Benna gets another big basket with 1:14 left to extend the Indian lead to 39-34.
  
• Just noticed Holt has an Indian mascot in attendance a la Chief Illiniwek minus the paint and headdress
  
• Holt coach Chuck Moses Williams calls a full timeout with 1:41 left in regulation. Setting up for a tremendous finish here!
  
• JC's Tisdel is fouled (8th team foul for Holt) and hits the 1st end of a 1 and 1 - 37-34 Indians with 2:00 left.
  
• JC's Jeremy Tisdel comes up with a steal and an all-alone layup to tie the game, but the lead doesn't last. Holt's Dantiel Daniels AGAIN with a huge inside move, good basket, and draws a foul. Daniels misses the FT, but Holt's Chase Benna is all alone, rebounds the miss, and lays it up for 2 pts. Indians lead 37-33 with 2:15 left in the 4th.
  
• Then, JC's Drew Burnett hits a 3, Indian lead now 33-31 with 4:30 left in the 4th. What a game!
  
• HAHA, Dantiel Daniels just posterized a few JC players with a COMMANDING dunk while drawing the foul. This guy is GOOD. Holt crowd explodes.
  
• Holt's Sam Stix hits another 3 - Extends the Holt lead to 30-26, but right back downcourt, JC's Paul McMahon hits a jumper from virtually the same place as Carlock did moments earlier, keeping it a 2 pt game - Indians lead 30-28. Meanwhile as I wrote, Holt picked up their 7th team foul.
  
• With 6:35 left in the 4th, Spencer Carlock swishes a jumper to cut the Indian lead to 27-26.
  
• McMahon has been stifled so far in the 2nd half - he came into the half leading the Jays with 7 points, but he's been held to just 1 point so far.
  
• With 1.3 seconds left in the 3rd q, Holt's Lamar Thrash picks up his 3rd foul but on the inbound, Paul McMahon's layup try gets swatted away as the buzzer sounds. Indians head into the 4th quarter leading 27-22.
  
• Indians extend their lead on a physical inside move by Mitch Wilfer - he draws a foul from JC's Kody Walker but misses the FT, Indians lead 27-22 with 30 seconds left in the 3rd q.
  
• JC's Brenden Jackson has missed 3 open 3's in what seems like the past minute.
  
• Holt's Ezeamii picks up his 3rd foul with 1:15 left 3rd q.
  
• JC's Kody Walker with a 2pt jumper - cuts the lead to 25-22 at 1:33 of the 3rd q.
  
• Holt's Nathan Wadsworth again hits a big basket, a wide-open layup to make it a 2-possession game: Indians lead 25-20.
  
• JC's McMahon draws a foul inside, he heads to the line for 2 shots - nails the 1st, misses the 2nd, Indians lead 23-20 with 3:40 left in the 3rd q.
  
• Holt's Dantiel Daniels is a heck of an athlete - just a junior, this guy could easily play D1.
  
• JC's William Brehe nabs a layup to cut the lead to 23-19 at 5:30 of the 3rd q.
  
• Holt student section erupted as cheerleaders did flips down the length of the court during the JC timeout.
  
• Holt scores again to make it 23-17 - JC coach David Fox calls a full timeout with 5:33 left in the 3rd q. It appears Holt is a lot more physical than JC so far but JC doing a good job of playing disciplined basketball and avoiding mistakes.
  
• Sick alleyoop by Holt's Dantiel Daniels stretches the Indian lead to 21-17 at 6:51 of the 3rd q.
  
• 2nd half is underway here at Union HS - it starts off with a JC foul by Drew Burnett - his 1st.
  
• Some 1st half stats for you ---
  For the Jays, Paul McMahon leads the scoring with 7 points while Spencer Carlock has 4.
  For Holt, Dantiel Daniels leads a plethora of scorers with 4 pts for the Indians. The foul situation could be tough for the Indians in the 2nd half as 4 players each have 2 fouls - Thrash, Ezeamii, Benna, and Wilfer. It's a bit better for the Jays, despite William Brehe's 3 fouls, they're in slightly better shape. Spencer Carlock has 2 while Kody Walker has 1.
  
• End of the 1st half - JC gets a shot off but misses. Indians go into the locker room up 19-17.
  
• Holt's Chase Benna with a nice pump and move inside gets the Indians the lead back, 19-17 with just under 45 seconds in the 1st half.
  
• Indians already with 8 team fouls at 1:24 of the 2nd q. JC's Carlock at the line, he hits the 1st part of a 1 and 1, nails the 2nd end. Tie game at 17 with 1:24 left in the 1st half.

• Paul McMahon really setting the tone inside for the Jays - very physical, but he has to be because Holt's Dantiel Daniels is 6'5" and just as tough!
  

• JC's Spencer Carlock hits 2 FTs at 2:30 of the 2nd q. to cut the Indian lead to 17-15

Here are some pictures from up to this point in the 1st half:

JC's Paul McMahon at the line - hits both FTs to cut the Indian lead to 16-13 at 4:06 of the 2nd q.

JC's Jeremy Tisdale is fouled and hits the 1st FT but appears to be limping bit. Misses the 2nd shot, Indians lead 14-11 with 4:30 left in the 2nd. Right back down court, Holt's Mitch Wilfer forces his way inside and scores, the Indians extend their lead to 16-11 at 4:26 of the 2nd q.

Jays appear to be struggling with Holt's stingy fullcourt defense.

JC's Brehe picks up his 3rd foul, 5th team foul as Holt's Nduka Ezeamii nails a layup and then hits the FT to give the Indians a 14-10 lead.

JC's William Brehe shovels in an offensive rebound to give the Jays a 10-9 lead, but on the ensuing Holt possession he fouls Holt's Dantiel Daniels as his basket swishes through, Daniels misses the FT but Holt leads 11-10 with 5:30 in the 2nd q.

Holt coach Chuck Moses Williams calls a timeout with 6:29 remaining in the 2nd q.

Holt's Sam Stix swishes a 3, Indians regain the lead 9-8 with 7:05 remaining in the 2nd q.

To open the 2nd quarter, JC's Paul McMahon muscles his way inside and bounces a layup through - he's fouled on the shot, and hits the FT. Jays lead 8-6 with 7:30 remaining in the 2nd q.

Holt's Nathan Wadsworth swishes an absurdly tough fadeaway jumper right as time expires on the 1st quarter to give the Indians a 6-5 lead!

JC hits a 3 to take the lead - Jays lead 5-4 - unfortunately I was looking down and did not see who hit it. Just about a minute left in the 1st.

Holt hits a FT at 2:20 of the 1st to make it 4-2 Indians.

JC's Paul McMahon scores inside off the inbound underneath the basket, Holt still leads 3-2 at 4:00 of the 1st.

Holt's Lamar Thrash hits a 3 to break the ice - Indians lead 3-0 at 4:08 of the 1st.

No score so far at 4:25 of the 1st quarter.

We're underway in Union...big crowd on hand for Holt, and a large portion of it is the student section.

Starting lineups:
Jefferson City:
G 15 Brenden Jackson
G 21 Spencer Carlock
G 25 Kody Walker
F 35 Paul McMahon
F 55 William Brehe

Holt:
G 3 Tevin Brown
G 12 Lamar Thrash
G 15 Orlando Jackson
F 34 Dantiel Daniels
F 44 Chase Benna

As I tweeted on @brian_mortensen, the game ops crew here has an excellent musical playlist for pregame - tons of classic rock and great guitar riffs.

So we begin our live blog coverage of the Jefferson City/Holt boys game!

Here are a few pictures to whet your appetite of high school basketball:

Live in Union!

A few more pictures of the action

Some final stats:

Jefferson City:
Marli Hayes 9 pts, Rodnesha Wright 8 pts, Sadie Theroff 5 pts

Rock Bridge:
Allison Marshall 12 pts, Amaya Williams 5 pts, Hannah Dressler 6 pts

Marshall's 2nd shot no good - Jays miss the uncontested layup as time runs out - Lady Bruins win 34-30!

Thrilling possession downtown for JC - they miss 2 shots before Megan Marshall rebounds and is fouled with 7 seconds left. She ices the game with the 1st FT to give the Lady Bruins a 34-30 lead.

JC's Marli Hayes fouls out.

With 31 seconds left, Allison Marshall of RB hits the 1st shot, misses the 2nd, and the Jays run downcourt. JC's Lauren Coons drives the baseline, hits a layup, and is fouled with 24 seconds left - misses the FT and RB rebounds with 22 seconds left. Bruins lead 33-30.

JC's Kelsey Coffman heads to the line for 2 - hits the 1st (makes it 32-28 Bruins) then misses the 2nd and a box-out foul on the Jays brings the ball down for another 1 and 1 for RB.

Williams hits the 2nd FT, 32-27 Bruins.

JC looks like they'll be playing the foul game as they have a few left before the bonus. RB's Amaya Williams the go-to girl to hold onto the ball. She goes to the line for 1 and 1 with 40 seconds left, and hits the 1st shot to give the Bruins a 31-27 lead.

Ensuing possession, Megan Marshall swirls a 3 from the left corner - Bruins lead 30-27 with 45 seconds remaining as Jill Nagel calls a timeout!

At 1:20 of the 4th, the Jays' Rodnesha Wright drives all the way downcourt and scores despite great pressure from the RB defense to tie it at 27.

Under 2 minutes to go in the 4th - RB still leads 27-25

2:25 Megan Marshall hits a 10 ft. 2 pointer, Lady Bruins lead 27-25 - JC brings it down, loses the ball and in the scrum for the ball on the floor, Jill Nagel calls timeout with 2:08 remaining in regulation.

2:43 - every possession full of drama, game still tied at 25 in the 4th quarter.

3:40 - JC's Marli Hayes hits inside layup and is fouled - hits the FT - tie game, 25-25!

4:30 - Emily Holt of RB scores inside - Lady Bruins lead 25-22

4:57 - crowd getting into it for both teams!

5:45 - Rondesha Wright of JC cuts the lead to 23-22 -- Rock Bridge calls a full timeout.

At 7:30 of the 4th, Marsha Pendilton of JC ties it at 20 with a nifty layup -- ensuing possession, Hannah Dressler nabs the lead back with a very physical move inside. RB leads 22-20, the Lady Bruins' Lindsey Cunningham headed to the foul line for 2 shots. She hits the 1st, Bruins lead 23-20 with 6:30 remaining in the 4th quarter.

End of the 3rd quarter - RB leads 20-18. Very, very tough defensive game so far.

JC's Jasmine Jimmerson hits a short 2 - RB lead cut to 20-18 with 30 seconds left in the 3rd.

RB Coach Jill Nagel takes a timeout with 1:11 remaining in the quarter. 20-16 Rock Bridge.

Some tough defense all around in the 3rd quarter - with just over 2:00 remaining in the quarter, RB still leads 20-13, but a 3 by JC's Sadie Theroff cuts the lead to 20-16 at 1:45.

Lots of 2nd/3rd chance opportunities tonight for both teams - RB's Orreshia Chatman takes advantage and hits a layup to give the Lady Bruins a 20-13 lead with just under 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd.

JC coach Shane Meyer calls a timeout with 5:22 remaining in the 3rd q.

With just under 7 minutes remaining in the 3rd q, RB's Megan Marshall hits a 3 to give the Lady Bruins an 18-13 lead. That's her 2nd 3 of the game.

We're underway in the 2nd half - Lady Bruins still lead 15-13. Here are a few pictures from the 1st half:

End of the 1st half - Bruins lead 15-13, an exciting last few minutes of the 2nd half saw Rock Bridge take back the lead after Jefferson City led for most of the 1st half.

1:30 2nd q: An exciting few minutes sees Rock Bridge take the lead 15-12 after a 3 by Lindsey Cunningham

5:00 2nd q. Another Dressler layup ties it at 9 - and a JC foul on Lauren Coons (her 2nd, 5th for the Jays) gives the Bruins another possession.

A Bruins free throw ties it at 7, then on the ensuing possession the Jays take back the lead with a layup - they lead 9-7.

End of the 1st quarter - Jays lead 7-6.

Bruins going with a strong half-court defense here. Jays slowed down since - a pass out of bounds and the Bruins get the ball back. Jays lead 7-6 with 17 seconds left in the 1st q.

Hannah Dressler forces her way inside for the layup and the Bruins cut the gap to 7-4. 1:30 left in the 1st q.

3:00 another layup by Hayes gives the Jays a 7-2 lead. Bruins having trouble on offense so far.

At 3:26 a layup by JC's Marli Hayes gives the Jays a 5-2 lead. Jays using size advantage well so far. Amaya Williams missed a 3 - not getting many chances so far.

4:03 1st q: Jays tie it on free throws. Take the lead 3-2.

OK - made it to Union and the Bruins are off to a 2-0 start. Jeff. City is trying to slow down the pace of the game, but Rock Bridge doing a good job adapting.

The Jays call a timeout with 5:26 remaining in the 1st quarter.

What we're up to tonight

Big night of district basketball tonight - Will and I are headed to Union for the Rock Bridge/Jefferson City girls basketball game, and later, the Jefferson City/Holt boys game. We'll also have highlights of the Moberly/St. Dominics boys and girls games tonight during the 10pm sportscast! Hopefully we'll have plenty more scores too from around our viewing area.

Notes on the games tonight: The RB girls defeated J.C. earlier this year 39-34 - here's a good summary on the matchup tonight from the Columbia Missourian's Lexie Delaney: -- I (Brian) shot the 39-34 win, and it was indeed a low scoring game. Tight defense the whole way - and a slow Jefferson City 1st half really hurt the Jays. They'll need to get off to a quick start tonight if they want to stay in the game against a Lady Bruin team that can put up points and defend once they're ahead.

I'm going to try and get a live blog going of the game since Union HS is providing us with wireless internet - we'll be experimenting with it all - possibly some pictures on the go, video blogs during the halves via our webcams, and of course the final highlights tonight on KOMU which we'll send via the internet. Will is shooting the game, so I'll handle the internet communications during it. Enjoy - hope to see you online! I'll post a link to the live blog provided I get it up and running.

Opening Tip: March 3, 2010

Brian Mortensen and Will Maetzold preview high school playoff games coming up and review some of the games of the past week. Our first week of Opening-Tip!

March 2nd HS Sports

Here are the district tournament highlights from March 2nd - California vs. South Callaway, and Southern Boone vs. Osage. California and Southern Boone both advance in the Hallsville "regional".

Moberly sweeps district titles

Here's a slideshow from the Moberly girls basketball team's district championship game against Mexico Friday night at Moberly Area Community College. The Lady Spartans took down the Lady Bulldogs, 58-46, to win their first district championship in 29 years.

The Moberly boys also won a district championship Friday night, beating Mexico 69-62.

Potential path for the Lady Bruins

The Lady Bruins tip off against Troy-Buchanan Friday night - with a win, the Lady Bruins would clinch the district title and advance to the state tournament and represent district 9 - they'd face off against the winner of the Jefferson City/Waynesville/Rolla/Camdenton bracket.


Rock Bridge handily defeated both Jefferson City and Rolla (twice) this year, so a potentially lopsided matchup looms should the Lady Bruins advance as Camdenton and Waynesville have a combined 21-23 record.


That game would be at Union HS in Union on March 3.

Rock Bridge Girls BB: District Final Preview

A preview of the Rock Bridge Lady Bruins district final game against Troy on Friday night - hear what coach Jill Nagel has to say about the upcoming game. The game tips off at 6pm in Troy.

Mid-Missouri Wrestling Champs

Highlights of Fulton freshman Drew Benner's state championship victory in the 135 class, and Hickman grappler J'Den Cox's victory in the 171 class - and their reaction on the win!

"Brothers Millard"

KOMU 8's Tim Kanak has the story of Ky Millard - brother of Oklahoma football recruit Trey Millard - and his success on the basketball court.

Girls basketball: districts!

Some pictures from the Girls basketball district tournament games in Troy featuring Rock Bridge and Hickman - I'll have video highlights from the last few days posted on here later today!

What we're up to today

Solid day of sports in Mid-Missouri - we've got more of the High School state wrestling tournament from Mizzou Arena this afternoon, and tonight we'll have highlights from the State-Fair at Moberly CC men's and women's games. Looks like fans in Moberly will get a great game - the State Fair women are ranked #8 nationally. The Moberly men are 22-5 (5-1) while State Fair comes in at 18-9 (3-3).

Of course, can't forget about the Mizzou men's and women's basketball teams too! The MU men tip off at Nebraska while the women play at Iowa State. MU baseball plays Washington in Arizona at the Collegiate Cactus Classic, as the #5-ranked MU softball team plays at Arizona.

High School Highlights: Feb. 19

High school highlights from the state wrestling tournament at Mizzou Arena - check out Hickman's J'Den Cox, Boonville's Blake Stevens, Fulton's Drew Benner, and Centralia's Jared Fricke as they compete.

We've also got three high school games - Mexico boys and girls hosting Fulton, and Rock Bridge boys hosting Helias.

Mexico-Fulton: Video extra

Some extra video from the Fulton-Mexico game in Mexico - the crowning of "Mr. Bulldog" and some special fans celebrating Senior Night

2/19/10 Rock Bridge vs. Helias boys basketball

Rock Bridge vs. Helias - pictures from the night of basketball! Senior night at Rock Bridge.

Mexico-Fulton: Mexico HS

Some pictures from the Mexico-Fulton game in Mexico - enjoy! This slideshow features a pregame ceremony to honor the "best man" of Mexico HS.

Mid-Missouri highlights from 2/18

Check out the 1st day of the state wrestling tournament, and Rock Bridge/Helias girls basketball highlights - senior night at Rock Bridge!

Mid-Missouri highlights from 2/16

Check out the Columbia College men and women as they take on Hannibal LaGrange



Then here's the high school highlights from the night - Ruskin at Hickman, and Harrisburg boys and girls at Southern Boone.

HS Hoops 2/10

Here are the highlights from last night's boys and girls basketball doubleheader at Southern Boone as the Eagles faced off against the North Callaway Thunderbirds.

The Legend of Shelby Winkelmann

Here's the latest Blumberg Off the Bench story on Hermann HS junior Shelby Winkelmann - a basketball, track, and volleyball star setting records for the Bearcats!

Bulldogs Bark!

Here's a story on why the Sturgeon Bulldogs are undefeated so far at 20-0 - aired on Feb. 9.



Also, check out the story on KOMU.com here: http://bit.ly/bls0vZ

Slideshow of Sturgeon Tournament final

Here's a slideshow I made of the Sturgeon Tournament final featuring the Sturgeon Bulldogs and the Paris Coyotes. This game was played about 10 days ago. Look for more of these as the season comes along - hopefully more timely on my part!

Feb. 8 Update

We're going to try and start posting high school highlights from each day we have them! Here's the latest day of highlights from this past weekend - Saturday, February 6. We had a full slate of games lined up for tonight, but the snow is keeping teams at home!

In the meantime, keep an eye out for more updates from us. We've got a whole new sports web team anxious to cover plenty more Mid-Missouri high school sports!