By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
Former Neosho boys basketball coach Jonathan Wengert has decided to trade in his basketball whistle for an opportunity to coach softball at Carl Junction High School.
After weighing the pros and cons following a phone call from his new employer, Wengert decided it was time for a change.
“Neosho has been nothing but great to me and I have made a lot of friends,” Wengert told the Neosho Daily News. “It was hard to leave, but it comes down to what is best for your family.”
Wengert is not giving up coaching basketball completely. He is going to assist Carl Junction head boys coach Brett Gosch during the 2008-2009 season.
Before accepting the Carl Junction post, Wengert had head coaching experience in football, girls basketball and baseball. He also served as athletic director at one point in his career.
Now he just wants to get back in the dugout.
“I think one of my main interest was getting back on the diamond,” Wengert told the Neosho Daily News. “Being a baseball guy, just getting back on the field and getting back in the flow is a good thing. It is something I wanted to do. I’m very excited to go there. Carl Junction has a good school system and I’m excited about getting softball going and getting to work.”
Baseball: Manis Rallies Wildcats
Luckily, for Hazelwood West baseball coach Butch Beiter, Trevor Manis finished what he started in the bottom of the seventh inning during a Class 4, District 7 baseball game.
The top-seeded Wildcats trailed No. 3 seed McCluer North 7-2 going into their half of the final inning when Manis began his heroics. The junior started the late inning rally with a single and finished it with a two-out, two-run single to give the Wildcats an 8-7 win after the Wildcats plated six runs in the inning.
“That’s big,” Beiter told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. “He’s a player. He came up and stepped up. When you’re a little kid, you hope to be in that spot.”
The North Stars rallied from a 2-0 deficit by scoring five runs in the third inning to take a 5-2 lead following three Wildcat errors. They added two more runs in the top of the fifth inning to force West’s back to the wall before Manis made the game deciding plays.
The 14-8 Wildcats played at 15-6 Parkway Central Thursday in a sectional game. The host Colts carried an eight game winning streak into the contest with Hazelwood West. Results were not available when this story was submitted.
Track and Field: Lebanon Record Setters
The Lebanon track and field coaching staff was pleased with the results their athletes produced at the Missouri Class 4 sectional in Camdenton Saturday. They were especially satisfied with the accomplishments of sophomores Kendra McClure and Josh Mattes.
McClure qualified for the state track and field meet in the 1,600-meter run with a first place and school record time of 5:15.45. Mattes just missed qualifying for state in the triple jump, but he did reestablish the school record with a jump of 43-feet, 8-inches to net a fifth place finish.
Mattes will continue to run the 200-meters at the state meet this weekend at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, after posting a runner-up time of 22.5 in the event.
“I’m really proud of the way our kids competed today,” Lebanon sprint coach Shane Rebmann told the Lebanon Daily Record. “This is a hard day because some of the kids end their season and don’t get to move on.”
Football: Brown Rises to the Top
Former Columbia Hickman assistant football coach Devin Brown finally got his wish. An opportunity to coach at the top.
Brown was approved by the Mexico Board of Education, as the new head football coach at Mexico High School Tuesday evening.
“It’s exciting to finally get a shot at the top job,” Brown told the Mexico Ledger. “Ever since I started, I always knew I wanted to be a head coach and I welcome this chance.”
Brown, a starting safety on Columbia Rock Bridge’s 1992 state runner-up team, takes over a program that started 2-0 last season before losing eight straight games to end the season. He replaces Kent O’Laughlin, who moves on to the Palmyra Public Schools.
Before accepting his first head coaching opportunity, Brown accepted assistant coaching positions with Centralia, Jefferson City, Columbia Rock Bridge and Columbia Hickman. While he was at Hickman, the Kewpies captured the Class 6 state title in 2004.
Brown’s initial attempt at getting his first head coaching win takes center stage Aug. 29 against Wright City.
