Local sports to watch for the week of Jan. 16-21
Jan. 15—One of the best basketball teams in the state visits Carl Junction, Jasper opens Western Missouri Conference action, and a trio of local teams head to the Bill Hanson tournament in Pittsburg, Kansas, this week.
Plus, there's a heated wrestling rivalry and an intriguing non-conference matchup at Neosho.
Here are our picks for local sports to watch this week.
Carl Junction boys basketball v. Nixa, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Longtime head coach Jay Osborne retired after guiding Nixa to a runner-up finish in Class 6 last season (he's now at Springfield Catholic) and the Eagles haven't missed a beat in year one under Brock Blansit. Nixa will travel to Carl Junction with a perfect 14-0 record and is averaging 70 points per game and beating opponents by an average of 18. The Eagles won the prestigious Blue and Gold Tournament in Springfield last month and are currently ranked second in Class 6 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Carl Junction is 5-10 and has lost eight of nine but has the chance to help spoil Nixa's conference ambitions.
Neosho wrestling v. Carthage, 6 p.m. Tuesday
When it comes to local wrestling, the annual Black and Blue Brawl between heated rivals Neosho and Carthage is about as good as it gets. Last year the Tigers won 38-31 at home in their first win against the Wildcats in more than a decade. Carthage enters this year's matchup with a 6-5 record in duals, while Neosho is 13-0. The Wildcats are ranked 10th in Class 4 by Missouri Wrestling.
Jasper girls basketball v. Archie, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday
Jasper's girls basketball team tips off Western Missouri Conference action against a very good Archie team. The Whirlwinds visit Jasper County with a 12-2 record and having won their last eight games. Their only losses: by two points to Class 4 Clinton (12-2) and by four to Class 3 Sherwood (11-5). Jasper is currently 9-5 and has lost to Blue Eye, RUSH, Golden City, Greenfield (in overtime) and Liberal by an average of six points. Those five opponents are a combined 59-20 so far this season.
Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament in Pittsburg, 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday
Joplin, Carl Junction and Carthage will all have teams playing first-round games Thursday in the 4th Annual Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament at Pittsburg High School. First up: the Carthage girls against Blue Valley Northwest at 4 p.m. in the main gym. A home game against McDonald County on Tuesday will determine whether the Tigers are above or below .500 when they head to Pittsburg. Carthage got off to a 5-1 start but is 1-5 since. Blue Valley Northwest is 3-4.
The Class 5 No. 4 Carl Junction girls face Pittsburg at 5:30 p.m. in the main gym. The Bulldogs are 12-1 and picked up big home wins against Republic (13-2) and Nixa (11-3) last week. Both of those schools are ranked in the top six in Class 6. The Purple Dragons are having a tough season; they lost by 48 at Webb City last month. The Joplin boys take the court at 7 p.m. in Mallatt Gym in an unlikely matchup against Washburn Rural, from southwest of Topeka.
The Eagles are 8-5 after winning 50-48 in overtime at Carthage and losing 65-63 in overtime at home against Class 6 No. 9 Republic. Twelve of Joplin's 13 games this season have been decided by fewer than 10 points. In fact, the average margin in Joplin's games this year is just 6.1 points, and that includes a 20-point win against Rogers. The Washburn Rural Blues are 6-3.
Neosho boys basketball v. Forsyth, 7:30 p.m. Friday
The 12-4 Wildcats opened Central Ozark Conference action with a 54-41 win at Webb City and then won by 24 against Willard. They won't play a conference game this week, but Friday's home matchup against undefeated Forsyth looms large. Ranked ninth in Class 4, the Panthers are 14-0 but have only played three schools with winning records to this point. Forsyth has won half of its games by 22 points or more, and is also 4-0 in games decided by two possessions or less.
Other games to watch:
College Heights boys and girls will be at the Lancer Classic in Cherokee, Kansas, facing off against a number of teams from Southeast Kansas, including Riverton, Baxter Springs and Columbus.
Boy's tournament action kicks off at 4 p.m. today, with College Heights playing at 8:30 p.m. The Girls bracket starts at 4 p.m. Tuesday, with College Heights playing at 8:30 p.m.
McAuley Catholic boys have the week off, and won't play again until they take on Wheaton on Jan. 24; the girls have an away game Monday against Miami, and a home game Tuesday against Everton.
Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, both girls and boys, will be in Liberal for a tournament this week, with the girls playing Pierce City at 6:45 p.m. today, and the boys playing Bronaugh at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.
