Missouri Southern football falls 30-27 to University of Central Oklahoma

(From Missouri Southern Sports)

Edmond, Okla. - After a huge shutout win at home against Northeastern State, the Lions traveled to Edmond, Okla. to take on the University of Central Oklahoma for the Bronchos' homecoming game, which resulted in a 30-27 loss for the Lions.

Central Oklahoma won the toss and elected to receive, giving Central Oklahoma first possession. The Bronchos went on to punt shortly after, giving the Lions their first look on offense. 

The Lions were forced to punt, but recovered the muffled reception to immediately bring the offense back out on the Bronchos 28 yard line. Five plays after the punt recovery, Anthodius Ashley took a handoff for a 17 yard touchdown, giving the Lions an early 7-0 lead in the first.

Mid-way through the second quarter, the Lions pushed the ball all the way to the Bronchos 1 yard line and one play later scored a touchdown from the rush of Ja'Veon Marlow. After forcing the Bronchos to punt on the proceeding drive, the Lions were able to end the first half with a field goal from Drake Reese from 22 yards out, giving the Lions a 17-10 lead at the half.

After an early second-half touchdown from the Bronchos to tie things up, the Lions went on a seven play drive that resulted in Ja'Veon Marlow's second touchdown on the day with a 23 yard rush, and giving the Lions the 24-17 lead over the Bronchos with 5:24 remaining in the third quarter.

Drake Reese was able to drill a 43 yard field goal to tie the game at 27-27 with 4:31 remaining in fourth quarter, but the Bronchos were able to run the clock down to 0:01 and make a last second field goal to win the game over the Lions, 30-27.

Luke Sampson posted a solid game for Southern, completing 16 passes for 180 yards. His 16 completions went to eight different receivers. Jaedon Stoshak led the receivers, catching five passes for 63 yards. Nathan Glades led the run game for Southern, carrying the ball 15 times for 63 yards. Ja'Veon Marlow had nine carries for 52 yards and two of the Lions three touchdowns.

On defense, Halid Djibril led the way with 10 total tackles, seven of which were solo tackles, and a tackle for loss.

Southern will head back to Joplin, Mo. to host Fort Hays State in our homecoming game on Saturday, October 7th at 2:00 PM.

Webb City R-7 announces 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees

 

Carthage High School alumnus named to NEO Athletics Hall of Fame

(From Carthage R-9 School District)

We're thrilled to celebrate the incredible achievements of one of our very own, Quincy Atwood, a proud CHS Alumni! Quincy has been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, and we couldn't be prouder!

Graduating from Carthage High School in 2013, Quincy showcased her exceptional talent as a pitcher for NEO Softball from 2013-2015.

 
Her list of accolades is truly remarkable:
NJCAA All-American
First Team All-Region
NJCAA Academic Honors
Member of the 2015 National Runner-Up team
Named to the 2015 NJCAA National Tournament team
Throwing an impressive 70 out of 71 innings in the NJCAA Region II and National Tournament
Accumulating 226 strikeouts overall

After graduating from NEO, Quincy continued to shine at Texas State University, earning Academic All-American honors. 

While she had the opportunity to play in the European Professional League, she chose to embark on a successful career as an insurance agent at Specialty Risk Insurance, her father's agency. Quincy, her husband Colt, and their lovely children have made Carthage their cherished home.

Dominant MSSU rolls over Northeastern State 42-0

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

Joplin, Mo. - For the first time since their home opener on August 31, the Lions played at Fred G. Hughes Stadium, playing host to the Northeastern State Riverhawks.

The Lions dominated the day, taking down the Riverhawks 42-0 for their first shutout win since 2013. With the win, MSSU improves to 3-1 on the season.







Northeastern State won the coin toss and elected to defer, giving the Lions the first possession. Wasting little time, the Lions drove 75 yards for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. The 3-yard touchdown run by Anthodius Ashley was set up by a 25-yard completion from Luke Sampson to Akeem Gilmore. On NSU's opening drive, the Riverhawks went for it on 4th and 5, but Ife Current was there to break up the pass.

Midway through the second quarter, NSU was threatening to score with the ball on the MSSU 12-yard line. Evrin Hawkins was one step ahead of the Riverhawk quarterback, coming down with the interception to keep the visitors off the scoreboard. Starting from their own 6-yard line, Southern used nearly the rest of the quarter to drive 94 yards for the touchdown, taking a 14-0 lead. Luke Sampson found Akeem Gilmore twice on the drive, the first for 17 yards and the second being the 18-yard touchdown.

After a three-and-out by NSU to start the second half, the Lions scored another touchdown on a 6 play, 65-yard drive. JarMichael Cooper had a 32-yard catch from Sampson on the drive, and was responsible for the 7-yard touchdown reception to give MSSU a 21-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Drake Reese popped it up perfectly to confuse the Riverhawks. Dillon Ramella jumped on the loose ball to give Southern the ball again with just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter. The Lions drove the short distance for a touchdown, this one taken on the ground by Luke Sampson, 28-0 Lions. NSU was beginning to gain some ground on their next drive, but Maurion Clemons made his presence known with a strip-sack that was returned by Jermaine Young Jr. for a touchdown.

Isaac Kittrell took over at quarterback following Sampson's rushing touchdown. In the fourth, he connected with Logan Speer for 14 yards on a 3rd and 3 to extend the drive. A few plays later, Kittrell broke free for a 25-yard rushing touchdown to extend the Lion lead. Defense held strong for the remainder of the game, completing the 42-0 shutout, the program's first shutout win since 2013.

In two and a half quarters of play, Luke Sampson completed 16-22 passes for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns in the air, also picking up 28 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Deontay Campbell was the leading receiver with 90 yards on 5 catches. Akeem Gilmore also had 5 receptions, going for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Ife Current led the team with 4 tackles, all done by himself. He also had a pass break-up. Evrin Hawkins and Maurion Clemons forced MSSU's turnovers. Hawkins had the interception just outside of the end zone, and Clemons was responsible for the strip-sack that led to a touchdown taken back by Jermaine Young Jr.

The team will play on the road next week, taking on the Bronchos of Central Oklahoma. Kickoff for that contest is scheduled for 2:00 PM in Edmond, Oklahoma. Following that contest, the Lions will be at home for back-to-back games.

Webb City football field named after Coach John Roderique

(From Webb City School District)

Last evening, the Webb City community honored former head football Coach, John Roderique, with the unveiling of the newly named field bearing his name.

Coach Roderique's 26-year stint produced countless accolades including 13 state titles. The first of these titles was achieved during his first season in 1997.

Missouri Southern football defeats Washburn 30-23

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

Topeka, Kan. - The Lions traveled out west for their first road competition of the 2023 season Thursday, taking on the Washburn Ichabods who were picked fourth in both MIAA preseason polls. 

After nearly upsetting the #5 team in the nation last week, MSSU handed Washburn a 30-23 loss this week to improve to 1-1 (1-1 MIAA) on the year. Southern last defeated Washburn in 2014, but their last victory in Topeka was in 1997.

It was the Lions getting on the board first, as Akeem Gilmore took a sneak on third and short from the 21-yard line to the house. The Ichabods responded in the first and used the second quarter to take a 13-7 lead into the half.

Right out of the break, Luke Sampson threw a beautiful pass to Ezekiel Lang for a 21-yard touchdown, giving the Lions a 14-13 lead. Not long after, Sampson tossed another touchdown pass, this one going to Jaedon Stoshak for 44 yards. Drake Reese went on to nail a 49-yard field goal to push Southern's lead to 23-13, but Washburn scored before the end of the third to make it 23-20 MSSU heading into the final frame.

With 4:07 left in the game, Luke Sampson gave the ball to JarMichael Cooper at the 10-yard line and he did the rest. That touchdown would go on to be the final score of the game. Washburn made a late push, but Zach Bergmann tipped the Ichabod pass in the air and Halid Djibril hauled it in for the interception in the end zone to seal the victory for the Lions, 30-23.

Luke Sampson recorded his second three touchdown game of the season, completing 14-23 passes for 235 yards. He targeted Jaedon Stoshak and Ezekiel Lang four times each, going for 93 and 77 yards respectively. Anthodius Ashley was the team's leading rusher, going for 45 yards on 9 carries.

Defensively, Colton Winder led the team again with 14 tackles, six solo, and one for loss. Zach Bergmann was also in the double digits for tackles with 12, and had an important hand in the game sealing interception. Coming down with the interception was Halid Djibril, who also recorded 10 tackles, 2.0 for loss, and another pass break up. Solomona Fetuao recorded the team's lone sack, going for a loss of seven yards.

The team continues play on the road for next week's competition, heading to Kearney, Nebraska to take on the Lopers. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM on Saturday, September 16.

MSSU football falls to No. 5 Northwest Missouri 31-24 in opener

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

The Southern football team kicked off the 2023 season at home Thursday evening, hosting the #5 Northwest Missouri Bearcats.

After winning the toss, MSSU elected to defer to the second half, giving Northwest Missouri first possession. The Bearcats went on to punt shortly after, giving the Lions their first look on offense this fall. Just three plays in, Luke Sampson connected with David Bethune for a 68-yard touchdown to put the first points on the board. Another big completion came late in the first, as Sampson hit Ezekiel Lang for 32 yards on 3rd and 5 to extend the drive.







The following play which started the second quarter was a 10-yard strike to Deontay Campell to put MSSU up 14-0. NWMSU bounced back and got on the board on their next drive, but a 46-yard boot from Drake Reese put the score at 17-7 midway through the second. Northwest was able to put 10 more points on the board, heading into the break with a tied score of 17-17.

On their opening possession of the second half, Southern was facing a 3rd and 13 when Luke Sampson hit Jaedon Stoshak in stride for a 62-yard bomb to take a 24-17 lead. The Bearcats answered with a lengthy drive to tie things up once again.

Northwest Missouri had another long scoring drive late in the fourth, taking nearly nine minutes for the go-ahead touchdown. Missouri Southern was unable to score again, ending in a 31-24 NWMSU final.







Luke Sampson shined for Southern, completing 13 passes for 307 yards and 3 touchdowns. His 13 completions went to seven different receivers. Jaedon Stoshak was one of those, crossing the century mark on four passes for 107 yards. Nathan Glades led the run game for Southern, carrying the ball 15 times for 61 yards.

On defense, Southern had two players in double digit tackles- Colton Winder with 15 and Halid Djibril with 13.

The team will play in another mid-week game next Thursday, traveling to Topeka, KS to face Washburn. Kickoff for that contest is scheduled for 6:00 PM.