By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
One week after being hired as an assistant boys basketball coach at McAuley Catholic High School, Chuck Williams was tabbed as the school’s head coach. He replaces Mike Scott who has resigned his position and will remain as athletic director and fundraiser at the school.
Scott will also coach golf and junior high basketball and volleyball.
“I was very shocked,” Williams told the Joplin Globe. “Now, of course, I’m also very excited.
“I was looking forward to learning as much as I could under coach Scott,” Williams told the Globe.
Scott began his career at Tyronza High School in Arkansas before moving back to Missouri where he coached at Gideon for nine years. The 26-year coach then guided the basketball programs of St. James, Stoutland and Crane before arriving at McCauley Catholic a year ago.
The Warriors were 18-10 last season during Scott’s final season, and finished 9-3 in the Ozark Seven Conference. Purdy ended Scott’s boys basketball coaching career at McAuley by knocking off the Warriors in the Class 2 District 12 Tournament.
Williams, a graduate of College Heights Christian High School, says he is up to the challenge.
“I believe I’m prepared and ready to go,” Williams told the Globe. “You learn a few things – just a few – under a Hall of Fame coach.”
Track and Field: Swineburg Improves High Jump Record
Camdenton’s Stacy Swineburg was in record-breaking form again at last week’s Ozark Conference track meet in Springfield (Mo.). Swineburg cleared the bar at 5-feet, 7-inches to better her own school high jump record of 5-6 1/2. She also ran her streak of conference championships in the event to four years.
The senior’s win led Camdenton to a third-place finish and 67.5 points. West Plains won the meet with 119 points. Waynesville was second with 118 points.
Track and Field: Devoy Sets New Mark
Dillon Devoy placed his name atop the Brookfield track and field record books with a record-breaking performance in the 110 hurdles Wednesday at the Tri-Rivers Conference track and field meet in Brookfield.
The junior buried the old record of 15.30, set back in 1989, with his new effort of 15.24.
Baseball: Westran Steals Win Against Atlanta
Westran stole home not once, but twice in an 8-6 win over Atlanta last week. Both steals occurred in the same inning, as well, and against two different pitchers.
Matt George stole home in the bottom of the sixth inning when Atlanta pitcher Cody Miller was in the middle of his windup. Following an Atlanta pitching change, Jared Hunt stole home when relief pitcher Zeke Garnett was in the middle of his windup, while throwing his first pitch.
“Before the season started, (assistant) coach Zach Adams and I told the kids that because we’re so young, we were going to rely more on our speed which we thought we had, and playing small ball like bunting quite a bit to move runners around and force the other team to make plays,” Westran head coach Lance Massey told the Moberly Monitor.
Baseball: Webb City Owns Southwest Conference…Again
For the eighth-straight season Webb City has earned baseball bragging rights in the Southwest Conference with an 8-4 triumph over Carthage Tuesday at Barnes Field. The four-run win paid the Tigers back for a pair of loses suffered earlier in the season by the Cardinals.
“Obviously it’s always nice to win a conference title,” Webb City coach Shawn Mayes told the Joplin Globe. “It’s one of our goals when we start the season and it’s nice to win it for the seniors.”
Tiger miscues contributed to Webb City’s 5-0 advantage after three innings before Carthage rallied to cut the deficit to 5-3 following two Cardinal errors in the fourth inning. Webb City then held on for the win.
Girls Soccer: Pritchard Scores Missouri Scoring Record
Less than a week after tying Anne Felts’ Missouri Class 2 career goals record, Waynesville’s Katie Pritchard wrestled the scoring mark from Felts’ grasp and made it her own.
Pritchard took over sole possession of the record by scoring the Tigers’ first goal of the night in a 4-3 triumph over Class 1 seventh-ranked Springfield Catholic. She then moved her scoring mark to 169 when she took a pass from senior midfielder Lauren Kelly and scored to put the Tigers up 3-2.
“I’ve heard about her,” Pritchard said of Felts to the Waynesville Daily Guide last week after tying for the state lead. “But I’ve never had the chance to meet her. (Tying Felts’ career goal record) is a huge honor. I’ve heard she was a great player. To reach that milestone is really exciting.”
