SALISBURY — It realistically can’t be viewed any other way. This season’s Meadville High School basketball Lady Eagles are “the real deal.” Taking down stateranked teams from higher classifications in both the semifinals and championship game of the Salisbury Invitational tournament last Thursday and Saturday, the MHS girls (13-0) clearly established their ceiling – serious state-championship contention.
LAWSON — Visiting a foe with a record slightly better than their own – one which gave their strong predecessor a decent tussle for a half in two of three meetings last year – and again without their most-versatile and accomplished all-around player, the Chillicothe High School basketball Lady Hornets projected to have a reasonably- strong challenge as they faced the Lawson Lady Cardinals Jan. 3.
TRENTON — Sports coaches these days love to proclaim the “next man/woman up” catch-phrase to describe not fixating on who is not available to play and trusting who is. Circumstances of various stripes for the Chillicothe High School basketball Lady Hornets tested that concept to the extreme in their “High School Holiday Hoops” clash with Milan’s Lady Wildcats last Thursday, but CHS head coach Darren Smith’s players answered the challenge.
with Wehrle Some Missouri hunting seasons are already over, and others will close soon. Unfortunately, the super-cold weather in late December cut some seasons short before they were officially over.
TRENTON — With resolute defensive positioning that thwarted their opponent’s offensive preferences, Chillicothe High School’s basketball Hornets closed out 2022 play on a solidly-positive note last Thursday. Facing a Milan Wildcats squad which seeks to break down foes who play man-toman defense with relentless dribble-drives, the bigger, stronger Hornets showed enough quickness and effective positioning to repeatedly deny the smaller-school foe avenues to the rim, paving the way to a 55-37 Hornets victory during the “High School Holiday Hoops” shootout event at North Central Missouri College’s Ketcham Community City in Trenton.
Cairns, Rossell, Stretch to pick up ailing Smith’s slack Their schedule set to accelerate as they resume post-holidays competition this Saturday in the Cameron Duals tournament, Chillicothe High School’s wrestling Hornets continue to adjust to the health-caused absence of veteran head coach Chad Smith. With Smith, hit by a heart ailment during the season-opening tournament at Pleasant Hill Dec.
As 2022-23 play for C-T area high school basketball squads for nearly everyone last night, two remained in possession of perfect records, a status certain to be tested for one by week’s end. Beginning last night against Marceline, Meadville’s 10-0 Lady Eagles will have to clear three larger- school hurdles in the Salisbury Invitational tournament to stay unbeaten.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE TODAY – Brunswick at Hardin-Central THURSDAY – Southwest Livingston at Higbee; Braymer at Norborne; FRIDAY – Northwestern at Southwest Livingston; Breckenridge at Higbee; Tina-Avalon at Hardin-Central; Hale-Bosworth at Brunswick; La Plata at Linn County; Jamesport: Tri-County at Mercer; Gallatin at Polo; Orrick at Norborne MONDAY – Brunswick at Northwestern; Keytesville at Breckenridge; Norborne at Alma: Santa Fe; Higbee at Prairie Home; Linn County in the Milan Invitational; Hamilton in Lawson Invitational; Jamesport: Tri-County in South Harrison Invitational; Polo in Osborn Invitational TUESDAY – Southwest Livingston at Brunswick; Breckenridge at Tina-Avalon; Bevier at Meadville; Higbee at Keytesville; Hardin-Central at Braymer
Chillicothe High School basketball fans who might be using the holiday pause to consider not just what the rest of this season hopefully might bring, but what future years might hold, will find encouragement on both counts. While Lady Hornets head coach Darren Smith and Hornets head coach Tim Cool have their squads on the plus side of break-even as 2023 begins, some promising reinforcements seem on track to transition from the middle school ranks to high school in 2023-24.
KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Chiefs expect to have wide receiver Mecole Hardman on the field for the first time in nearly two months tomorrow when they play the Denver Broncos in the penultimate game of the regular season. Hardman has been out since Nov.