Preview of the Scoreboard Guy Shootout for 1/23/16 at Ozark High School, Sponsored by Dennis Hanks Chevrolet, Hiland Dairy, Coca-Cola, The Rib Crib and Top of the Rock

PREVIEW: First day of Scoreboard Guy Shootout features a loaded field

Author: Byron Shive
Comments: 0

Published: 01/17/16
Edited: 01/18/16

Crane and Skyline are just two of the 11 state-ranked teams in action on the first day of the Scoreboard Guy Shootout on Jan. 23 at Ozark High School. (Staff Photo)

Last year, the Scoreboard Guy Shootout served up a full slate of games on a Saturday in late January. Several of the games featured nail-biting finishes, such as top-ranked Crane’s 51-49 win over fellow state-ranked Gainesville in a matchup of a pair of Class 2 boys basketball powers, and a battle of top-ranked girls teams won by Class 3’s St. James in a 63-60 thriller over Class 2 juggernaut Crane.

There will be twice the fun this year, as the Scoreboard Guy Shootout has expanded to two full Saturdays of games on Jan. 23 and Jan. 30. All of the games will be played at Ozark High School’s 2,400-seat arena, and the Shootout schedule features a loaded slate of teams, from Class 1 to Class 5, and some of the top boys and girls teams from across the state.

How loaded is this year’s Scoreboard Guy Shootout? Nineteen of the 36 teams in the Shootout were state-ranked in the most recent poll released on Wednesday by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA). Over half of the 36-team field won a district championship last season. Sixteen of the teams were state quarterfinalists. Three teams that will participate in the Shootout will defend state championships in March in four-time girls Class 5 defending state champ Rock Bridge, three-time defending girls Class 3 titlist Crane, and a Barstow squad which rolled to the boys Class 3 championship a year ago.

There will be plenty of individual talent on hand, as well. Fifteen players which earned All-State honors last season from the MBCA will play in this year’s Scoreboard Guy Shootout. Several other players who were on the cusp of earning All-State accolades will compete in the Shootout, as well as several exciting newcomers who are ready to make their mark on the hardwood. Simply put, the Scoreboard Guy Shootout truly is offering up a loaded field.

“We are very excited about the teams we have coming in for the Scoreboard Guy Shootout this year,” said the Scoreboard Guy himself, Guy Newcomb. “We have a lot of really good basketball teams in this area, and we wanted to feature those teams against some of the other good teams from across the state. We have teams coming in from the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, from Columbia, and several other teams from the Boot Hill.”

In all, 18 games will be played in the 2016 Scoreboard Guy Shootout. Nine games will be played on Jan. 23, with another nine games scheduled for Jan. 30. The 36-team field features a diverse lineup, with three Class 1 teams, seven Class 2 squads, six teams from Class 3, seven with a Class 4 classification, and 13 Class 5 teams. The Shootout will feature seven boys basketball games and 11 girls games.

“We want basketball fans to get their money’s worth at the Scoreboard Guy Shootout, and we think they will,” said Newcomb. “As a basketball fan myself, I know I’m excited about seeing these games.”

Here’s a preview of the nine games slated for Jan. 23:

CLASS 2 #2 CRANE (12-3) v. MANSFIELD (7-4)

Boys / 9:00 AM

Crane, which is one of six Final Four teams from a year ago in the Shootout field, lost four starters to graduation, but returned enough skilled players to earn a #2 ranking in Class 2 to start the season, which is where the Pirates currently sit with their 12-3 record. The Pirates have won the Pierce City and Miller Tournaments this season.

Crane's Tanner Gold (Staff Photo)

“We have played fairly well, but haven’t reached our potential,” said first year Crane head coach Craig Campbell. “After losing four guys that did most of the scoring and saw most of the minutes at the varsity level last year, there are question marks on who is going to step up and fill that void. The key for us will be if we can get over the ‘early morning game’ syndrome and get to playing our game early on and play the way we want to play.”

Senior Tanner Gold leads the Pirates in scoring (20 ppg) and assists (7 apg), while junior guard Dalton Hayes is scoring at a 16 points per game clip, while dishing out five assists per contest. The frontline is anchored by 6-3 junior Deven White (8 ppg, 7 rpg) and 6-4 senior Robby Williams (6 ppg, 6 rpg).

The Pirates will face a dangerous Mansfield team to tip-off the first day of the Shootout. The Lions, who currently sit at 7-4 on the season, returned four starters from last season’s 20-7 team. Yet, the youthful Lions have only one senior on the roster in 6-2 guard Justin Campbell, a three-year starter for Mansfield who is averaging 14 points per game this season. Junior guard Mason Roy is scoring at a 13 points per game clip, while 6-8 freshman newcomer Dylan Caruso (13.5 ppg) is a future standout. Jonah Williamson, a junior guard who is averaging nine points per game, gives the Lions production at both ends of the floor.

Mansfield's Justin Campbell (Photo by Denise Campbell)

“We are playing inconsistent at this time,” said Mansfield head coach Terry Writer. “We’ve had a few good games and others we have struggled. We are very young with only one senior. Crane is a very strong team that is well-coached and has a good group of guards. (Tanner) Gold is an outstanding player. We need to take care of the ball and play strong defensively. We need to control the tempo of the game and make it a half-court game.”

The Crane-Mansfield game will be a bit of a family affair, as first-year Pirates head coach Craig Campbell is the older brother of Mansfield senior Justin Campbell. The brothers both played for Lions coach Terry Writer at Mansfield.

“Mansfield is my alma mater,” said the elder Campbell. “I played for Coach Writer, and my younger brother is a senior on the team, so I am looking forward to it. Since I am from Mansfield, I have followed the (Mansfield) boys’ playing careers and have coached several during the summer months. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for Coach Writer and what he has done for me over the years. I appreciate the opportunity that Crane has given me on my first head coaching job. To have the opportunity to have good kids and good basketball players to teach, coach, and learn from.”

CLASS 2 #1 CRANE (15-1) v. CLASS 3 #6 ST. JAMES (12-3)

Girls / 10:30 AM

The long-awaited rematch between the Crane and St. James girls follows the Crane-Mansfield match-up. The Lady Pirates lost two games last year, the second of which was the 63-60 thriller to the Lady Tigers. It was Crane’s last loss of the season, as the Lady Pirates rolled to their third-straight state championship (avenging their first loss with a 58-51 defeat of Skyline in the Class 2 title game).

St. James' Shauna Rinehart (Photo courtesy of www.stlhighschoolsports.com)

The Lady Pirates (15-1) have continued their dominance this season, with victories over state-ranked Kickapoo, Republic, Strafford and Spokane to their credit. In fact, Crane is unbeaten against Missouri schools, as the Lady Pirates’ lone loss came against North Little Rock (Ark.) in the White Division championship game at the Pink & White Lady Classic on Dec. 31.

Crane will be without the services of the reigning Class 2 Player of the Year in Emma Lander, as an unfortunate knee injury has ended the senior’s standout prep career. Don’t feel bad for reigning Class 2 Coach of the Year Jeremy Mullins, though, as he has a roster stocked with the speed and talent to execute his up tempo, end line-to-end line style of play.

Leading the way is senior guard Lexie Vaught, a Drury University commit who has taken her game to another level, especially following the loss of Lander. The All-State Vaught is a stat sheet-stuffer who averages 17 points, 6.9 rebounds and a ridiculous seven steals per game, while dishing out 4.9 assists per outing. Fellow seniors Kylee Moore (11 ppg, 4 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.4 spg), Justeen Mahan (12.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 3.1 spg) and Shelby Roder (4.4 ppg, 2.1 apg) have also never ended their season with a loss and have stepped up their games of late. Junior Madison Fulp (6.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) also has an increased role.

Crane's Kylee Moore (Staff Photo)

“We’re playing pretty well this season,” said Mullins, in a bit of an understatement. “We have won two tournaments (Ash Grove and the Stephanie Phillips Classic) and placed second in the Pink & White. St. James is a great team. They have fundamentally sound players and are well-coached. We need to continue to play Lady Pirate basketball, knock down our open shots, and play pressure defense.”

St. James is one of the few teams that knows what it feels like to defeat Crane in the past few years. After dropping two of their first four games this season, the Lady Tigers have since won 10-of-11 games, which includes a Sullivan Tournament championship game victory over state-ranked St. Francis Borgia. The run of success has vaulted St. James back into their customary spot in the Class 3 state rankings, despite dealing with injuries all season long.

“We have had some inconsistencies due to multiple injuries throughout the year and have yet to play a game at full strength this season, but all teams deal with that,” said St. James head coach Terry Wells. “We are still learning and trying to adjust to new roles, but hopefully we will be ready in time for the post-season.

“Crane is an incredible opponent,” added Wells of the Lady Pirates. “They are sitting on three-straight state championships and are once again one of the best teams in the state. We look forward to this Shootout to see where we stand against some of the best competition we can find.”

St. James has been led in scoring this season by junior Kenzie Guese, who is averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game. The Lady Tigers have two other key players in junior Devin Fuhring, who scored her 1,000th career point on Dec. 7, and fellow 1,000-point scorer Shauna Rinehart, a senior sharpshooter who is only the second player in program history to knock down over 200 three-pointers for her career.

“It is great to be a part of the Scoreboard Guy Shootout,” added Mullins. “He (Guy Newcomb) does such a great job at promoting high school sports in Southwest Missouri.”

AURORA (7-5) v. HAYTI (6-6)

Boys / 12:00 PM

In a match-up of teams with comparable records yet contrasting styles, both Aurora and Hayti will be looking to pick up a big win as the regular season gets set to enter its final month. Both teams had high expectations entering this season, yet find themselves hovering around the .500 mark.

With all five starters back from last season’s 17-10 Big 8 Conference runner-up team, the Houn Dawgs expected to be better than their 7-5 record, and may very well be. Aurora, with several multi-sport players on the roster, may have been hindered by the football team’s run to the Class 3 state semifinals in November. The Houn Dawgs do have an impressive 67-49 win over a very talented Fair Grove team, which is indicative of the team’s potential.

Aurora's Josh Fronabarger (Staff Photo)

“We started off the year pretty strong and played pretty well,” said Aurora head coach Daniel Cutbirth. “As of late, we have not played as well. Hopefully we can get back on track as conference play gets started. In order to be successful (against Hayti), our keys will be defense, rebounding, and taking care of the basketball.”

High-flying senior Logan Bader, who was invited to compete in the second-annual dunk competition at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions Saturday night, leads the Houn Dawgs at 15 points per game, and also pulls down eight boards per contest. Fellow senior Austin Carmichael, a 6-4 load in the paint, averages 13 points and six rebounds per game, but is also capable of passing out of a double team, as indicated by his five assists per game.

Aurora will face one of the top teams from the Boot Hill in Hayti, a perennial threat to make a run to Columbia in Class 3. The Indians are loaded once again this year after a 20-6 campaign a year ago. The Indians are certainly capable of putting points on the board in a hurry, as evidenced by their 100-21 win over North Pemiscot in the season opener on Nov. 30.

“We have yet to peak, which is a good thing,” said Hayti head coach Dustin Ferguson. “We have struggled to close games so far this season. We have had many games that we have led good teams well into the fourth quarter and just could not finish. The kids are playing hard, so we trust that something positive will come from that.”

Hayti's Maurice Farr (Photo by David Jenkins/Standard Democrat)

The Indians are led by a trio of juniors in Maurice Farr, Kemron Rollings and Dayon Moore. Farr leads the team at 13.3 points per game, and also grabs 6.9 rebounds per contest while also coming up with 3.4 steals. Moore (7.8 ppg) leads the team in rebounding at 8.4 boards, while also averaging 3.9 steals. Rollings (9.8 ppg, 3.3 apg, 1.3 spg) is a solid contributor at both ends of the floor.

The Houn Dawgs figure to have a significant height advantage, while the Indians will be the quicker of the two teams. There will be no shortage of athleticism for either team.

“Given the size difference in both teams, rebounding will definitely be a focus for us,” said Ferguson. “We will have to really be precise on our box outs. Also, we will have to apply pressure and not allow their guards to get it inside. We hope to control the tempo of the game and speed them up a bit.”

Both teams are looking forward to competing in the Scoreboard Guy Shootout.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for us to play someone from out of the area, and see different kids with a different style of basketball,” said Cutbirth of playing Hayti, “It should be a fun atmosphere.”

“We are very excited to be playing in the Scoreboard Guy Shootout,” said Ferguson. “It will give us a great opportunity to see basketball from a different region in the state and play a great team that we would otherwise never matchup against. We will have our hands full with Aurora. From what I have been told, they have a good team and that is what we want to see right now. Our end goal is to win a district and compete beyond that. The only way to do so is to play good competition, even if it means your record will suffer.”

CLASS 4 #9 AURORA (7-2) v. CLASS 5 #5 WASHINGTON (8-0)

Girls / 1:30 PM

This game will feature a match-up of two of the top juniors in the state in Aurora’s 6-0 junior Drury commit Emily Parker and Washington’s Kyra Hardesty, both of whom earned All-State honors a year ago after stellar sophomore campaigns. It will also feature a couple of state-ranked teams with plenty of talent surrounding the two aforementioned All-State players.

Aurora started the season 6-0 before dropping two-straight games in the Pink & White Lady Classic. The Lady Houn Dawgs got a couple weeks off until Thursday’s 55-19 victory over rival Monett. Aurora will enter the match-up against Washington fresh off playing in the rugged Bolivar Tournament this week, which features the likes of state-ranked Republic and Branson, as well as highly-regarded teams such as Buffalo, Bolivar and Camdenton.

Aurora's Emily Parker (shooting) (Staff Photo)

“We are off to a solid start,” said Aurora head coach Jim Moore. “We got off to a 6-0 start before dropping two in a row in the Pink & White, but we feel like that was a great experience for us and showed us the areas where we have to improve. Our team is working hard and looking forward to the second half of our season.”

The 6-0 Parker is one of the top players in the state, and is currently averaging 24.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. She is a major match-up problem for opposing teams, and has the patience to wait to take over a game. Junior point guard Larissa Pyle-Moore averages 14.9 points, 5.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.1 steals per contest, and recorded a double-double in the win over Monett with 16 points and 10 steals. Together, Parker and Pyle-Moore comprise one of the top one-two tandems in the state.

“Aurora is a very talented team that would give many teams a great challenge,” said Washington head coach Adam Fischer. “With our schools not being very close together it makes it a challenge to scout each other, but that can be what makes playing in these games a lot of fun. Aurora has a great tradition of basketball and we expect our game with them to be a fight from the beginning.”

Washington's Kyra Hardesty (#1) (Photo courtesy of WHS)

Washington upped its record to 9-0 with a 47-36 win over St. Francis Borgia Saturday to win the championship game of the Union Tournament. The Lady Blue Jays are a scoring machine, with three players averaging in double figures and a lineup full of sharpshooters. Washington is lethal from behind the three-point line. For example, the Lady Blue Jays canned a ridiculous 20 three-pointers in their 84-71 season-opening win over Eldon on Nov. 24. Hardesty, who leads the team at 17 points and 5.8 assists per game, erupted for 28 points in the win over Eldon, including six three-pointers. Sophomore Nichole Brinker averages 16.4 points and four rebounds per game, while senior Paige Carpenter is the third double figure scorer at 13.8 points and a team-leading 8.2 rebounds per game. Six-foot junior Emma Boehmer (7.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and senior Katie Trigg (who hit 7-of-7 three-pointers against Eldon) add to the Washington firepower.

“We have done everything we needed to do so far this season to be (unbeaten),” said Fischer. “We have played well at times, but there has also been times when we needed to play better on both ends of the floor. We haven’t had a lot of games to date, but if we continue to improve each time we are on the floor, we should be where we need to be when the season comes to playoff basketball.”

“Washington is a very good, solid, fundamentally sound team,” said Moore. “They will be a great test for us. We are looking forward to the game because we know they are going to make us better. We know if we are going to have a chance to win we will have to guard and rebound on every possession. We will also have to be able to execute our offense and take advantage of scoring opportunities.”

For Washington, the keys to victory will be defense and tempo. “Our keys to victory are the same for every game,” said Fischer. “We need to play stingy defense and push the ball up the floor to get into our offense as quickly as possible. If we can limit their scoring opportunities and rebound the ball, we will give ourselves a chance to win.”

The Scoreboard Guy Shootout gives a lot of teams an opportunity to play a team they would not ordinarily face during the season. The Shootout can also help teams prepare for postseason basketball.

“We are excited to play in the Scoreboard Guy Shootout,” said Moore. “It is a fantastic event that allows us to play someone we don’t normally get to see. It’s also a great atmosphere for high school basketball.”

“We are looking forward to playing a great team like Aurora and spending some time watching some Southwest teams play basketball,” said Fischer. “Southwest Missouri is known for great basketball, and we are just excited to be a part of it.”

BOLIVAR (6-6) v. CLASS 4 #7 ST. CHARLES (9-3)

Girls / 3:00 PM

At the beginning of the season, this match-up pitted the preseason #4-ranked Lady Liberators against the #3-ranked Lady Pirates. Bolivar, the 3rd-place finisher in Class 4 last season, has battled inconsistency—and a schedule that has been nothing short of a gauntlet—all season long, though, and currently stand with a ho-hum 6-6 record.

Bolivar's Meleah Francka (Staff Photo)

Bolivar has the talent to compete against any team in the state, however, as evidenced by the Lady Liberators’ 54-51 upset of #4-seeded Rock Bridge in the Pink & White Lady Classic. Although inconsistency has plagued Bolivar, the next week should give the Lady Liberators a clear idea of how the rest of this season is going to go. First, the Lady Liberators will battle Camdenton and state-ranked Branson in pool play at the 23rd-Annual Gary Keeling Invitational Tournament before playing the Lady Pirates at the Scoreboard Guy Shootout.

“We have played a tremendously tough schedule and we are three possessions from being (9-3),” said Bolivar head coach Darin Archer. “We lost a lot of talent from last year’s Final Four team, but we are finding our way against some of the better teams in Southwest Missouri and the state. Our girls are adjusting to new roles and new faces, and I like our progress to this point. I have said all along with our rugged schedule and new roles, we are going to be a work in progress throughout the season. I believe we have the potential to be a very tough out come conference and district play.”

A couple of seniors lead the way for Bolivar in Kaylie Rothdiener and Meleah Francka. Rothdiener, a 5-10 inside-out threat, is averaging a team-leading 18.9 points, as well as 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Francka, a 5-6 sharpshooter, averages 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per outing. Michelle Gabani, a versatile 5-10 sophomore, is a future star who is averaging 11.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

St. Charles (9-3) features one of the top players in the entire state in 6-1 senior standout Gabby Walker, an All-Stater who is averaging 19.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Junior guard Alexa Chairs, who is averaging 13.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest, gives the Lady Pirates a nice complementary piece to Walker’s multi-faceted game.

“I don’t think we have played to our full potential yet this year, but the girls are competing hard and play well as a team,” said St. Charles head coach Ben Owens. “The keys for us is that we’ll have to use our depth and be able to play a solid, physical, defensive game.”

“St. Charles returns a load of talent from last year’s team that won 20-plus games,” said Archer. “They have size, quickness, and athleticism at each position, which could be a tough match-up for us on both ends of the floor. In my opinion, they are one of the better teams in Class 4 this season.

St. Charles' Gabby Walker (#20) (Photo courtesy of SCHS)

“We will need to play a very good game for 32 minutes to give ourselves a chance to win,” added Archer. “We will need to control the defensive boards, get stops on the defensive end, and maximize each offensive possession we have throughout the game. St. Charles has so many weapons on both ends of the floor. We will have to play a smart, defensive-type game to give ourselves a chance to win.”

Both coaches are excited about playing in the Scoreboard Guy Shootout.

“We are looking forward to competing against a very good Bolivar team that made the Final 4 last year,” said Owens. “We feel that this type of game is a measuring stick about where we are as a program at this point of the season. We are extremely excited to be invited to the Shootout with so many great teams and we want to thank everyone involved about the opportunity to come and show everyone our style of basketball.”

“We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the Scoreboard Guy Shootout against a very good St. Charles program,” said Archer. “This event is quickly becoming one of the premier shootouts in the state. Guy Newcomb and his staff have done a tremendous job in bringing in some of the best boys and girls basketball programs in the state to battle head-to-head on the court. Many of the teams in this shootout will make deep runs in March toward the 2016 Show-Me Showdown.”

CLASS 5 #7 NIXA (8-1) v. CLASS 5 #3 HAZELWOOD CENTRAL (13-1)

Boys / 4:30 PM

This is arguably the best game of the day on paper, and matches two teams that have their sights set on making a deep state tournament run in March. Nixa is perennially one of the top teams in the state. The Eagles regularly graduate All-State player after All-State player, only to plug in the latest future standout from the Eagles’ deep and talented stable of up-and-coming players.

Chase Allen, a multi-skilled 6-7 senior who is one of the top tight end recruits in the state on the gridiron, was a 1st-Team All-State honoree last year and is currently averaging 11.4 points per game. The Eagles also look to 6-6 senior Garrett Bacon (9.2 ppg) and 6-5 junior Christian Bundy (9.6 ppg) for production, and the Allen-Bacon-Bundy trio gives Nixa an imposing frontline. Junior guard Seth Viebrock is the leader in the backcourt.

Nixa's Chase Allen (#20) (Staff Photo)

“We still have a lot of unanswered questions about our team,” said Nixa head coach Jay Osborne. “We have played well at times. Our problem is our expectations are really high every season at Nixa. It’s tough to meet those expectations each and every season.”

“Nixa is a great team with tons of tradition,” said Hazelwood Central head coach Josh Martin. “They have had lots of success, and have a great coach and really good players.”

Hazelwood Central's Xavier Sneed (yellow) (Photo courtesy of HCHS)

Hazelwood Central features the top player in the entire state (that doesn’t wear a Chaminade uniform) in 6-6 senior Xavier Sneed, who has committed to play for head coach Bruce Weber at Kansas State next season. Sneed, who is averaging 20 points and 7.3 rebounds per game this season (while shooting 54.5 percent from the field), is an absolute beast on both ends of the floor. Dominique Dobbs, who is averaging a double-double (18.1 ppg, 10 rpg), and Steve Holloway (11.1 ppg) make sure opponents cannot pay too much attention to Sneed.

“Hazelwood Central is one of the best teams in the State,” said Osborne. “They are very talented. We haven’t scouted or prepared for them yet. I just know they are very talented.”

The Hawks, who have won the Jerry Boeckman Memorial Tournament at Vianney High School and the Meramec Holiday Tournament this season, still have not lost to a Missouri team. In fact, Hazelwood Central has not lost since before Thanksgiving, with their lone defeat a 64-53 setback to Michigan City (Ind.) in the season opener.

“We have played well,” said Martin. “We’ve won two tournaments, the Vianney and the Meramec, and both had really good teams in it. Our keys to success are simple: defend, rebound, and be selfless. We feel if we do those three things we can compete with anybody. We are really looking forward to playing in a great event against one of the state’s best teams and programs. This is a great opportunity for the Hawks. Thanks for the invitation!”

OZARK (12-5) v. POPLAR BLUFF (10-4)

Boys / 6:00 PM

Ozark will play host to Poplar Bluff in the seventh game of the first day of the Scoreboard Guy Shootout. The Tigers, who opened the season by winning the perennially-tough Republic Tournament, have found a way to replace four starters lost to graduation.

Poplar Bluff's Willie Lucas, Jr. (white) (David Jenkins/Standard Democrat)

“I think our kids have surprised many on the way they’ve competed,” said Ozark head coach Mark Schweitzer. “I have a very inexperienced roster learning on the fly and they’ve done a great job so far this season.”

What Schweitzer has is a coach’s dream, a balanced line-up in which any player can step forward on any given night and lead the way. In fact, five players average double figures in scoring, paced by Riley Simmons’ 13 points per game. Kyland Hewett-Newbill, Clayton Engel, Collin Bottoms, and Quinn Nelson are all averaging 10 points per contest. Bottoms leads the Tigers in rebounding with seven boards per game, while Curt Gracey and Riley Simmons are leading the way in assists with each averaging over four per outing.

“I don’t know much about Poplar Bluff as of right now,” said Schweitzer. “The keys for us are always taking care of the ball, rebounding, sharing the ball on offense, and playing solid defense.”

Ozark's Curt Gracey (Staff Photo)

Poplar Bluff opened the season by winning the Fountain City Classic and have been on a roll ever since. The Mules’ only loss to a Missouri school came against Class 4 #1-ranked Sikeston in the SEMO Conference Tournament semifinals on Dec. 10. Poplar Bluff did drop three straight to a trio of Tennessee teams at the Poplar Bluff ShowDown the week after Christmas.

“We have played inconsistent up to this point because of the lack of experience on the team,” said Poplar Bluff head coach William Durden. “Our team is learning to play harder, smarter and more together. Our keys to victory will be defense and rebounding.”

Poplar Bluff has a knack for producing talented big men, most notably former North Carolina star and current NBA player Tyler Hansbrough. The Mules have a couple of talented big men leading them this season in 6-6 junior Willie Lucas, Jr., and 6-5 freshman newcomer Marcedus Leech. Lucas leads the Mules with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, while Leech is a star-in-the-making based on his 18.5 point production as a freshman.

“I think it is a great opportunity for our team to play in the Scoreboard Guy Shootout,” said Durden. “It will be a huge test for our team. Ozark has had a great year up to this point and will be very hard to guard. They have multiple scoring options, get the right shots for the right people, and play hard.”

CLASS 2 #2 GAINESVILLE (12-0) v. CLASS 2 #3 SKYLINE (14-3)

Girls / 7:30 PM

The last of four games on the Jan. 23 schedule that features matchups of state-ranked teams will be a rematch of a Scoreboard Guy Shootout thriller from last season. The Gainesville Lady Bulldogs only lost three games last season. Two of those losses were to state champion Crane and the third was a 52-48 setback to state runner-up Skyline in last year’s Scoreboard Guy Shootout. With plenty of talent on both sides of this match-up, this game could once again provide one of the most competitive and thrilling games of the day.

Skyline's Kaylee DaMitz (Staff Photo)

Skyline has been to the past three Class 2 Final Fours, and currently stands as the #3-ranked team in the state. The Lady Tigers feature sophomore spark plug Kaylee DaMitz, who was one of just three players in the entire state—boys or girls—to be named All-State as a freshman last year. A pair of juniors, 5-7 southpaw McKinsey Mountain and 5-9 Lauren Wouters, give Skyline a couple of experienced and talented players to go with DaMitz.

“We continue to get better,” said Skyline head coach Kevin Cheek of his Lady Tigers, who have won the Warsaw and Skyline Tournaments this season. “I think we are in a good spot right now, but have a long way to go.”

The second-ranked Lady Bulldogs, who have won the Mountain Grove Holiday Tournament and the Sparta Lady Trojan Invitational, returned four starters from last year’s 27-3 state quarterfinal team, including one of the top players in the state in 5-7 senior standout Madison Strong, a two-time All-State honoree who is averaging 23 points per game while shooting 43 percent from behind the three-point arc. Senior Abby Britt is averaging 7.6 points and hitting nearly 40 percent of her three-pointers, while 5-10 junior Scout Jeckstadt is averaging 11 points and six rebounds per game, while shooting over 50 percent from the field.

Gainesville's Madison Strong (red) (Staff Photo)

“They are really good,” said Cheek of the Lady Bulldogs. “They have a good group of players surrounding a really good player (Strong). It’s a tough matchup for us. We have to find a way to pressure the basketball and create some turnovers. We will need to box out so they can only have one chance. We will really need to execute on offense, because they play really good team defense.”

“We are playing well right now having just won championships at the Mountain Grove Holiday Tournament and the Sparta Tournament,” said Gainesville head coach Jack Harris. “We defeated a very big and strong 4A Salem team that was state-ranked and had only one loss for the championship of the Mountain Grove Holiday Tournament, gave 2A state-ranked Fordland their first and only loss, and just beat a very good one-loss Norwood team for the championship of the Sparta Tournament.”

Gainesville entered last year’s Scoreboard Guy Shootout with an unbeaten record, too, only to have Skyline hand the Lady Bulldogs their first loss. This group of unbeaten Lady Bulldogs is determined to not leave Ozark with a loss.

“Skyline gave us one of our three losses last year,” said Harris. “They are a very quick and pressure-oriented team with many offensive weapons and Coach Cheek does a heck of a job. Just like last year this will be our toughest opponent to date. We’re gonna have to score inside and take care of the basketball.”

CLASS 3 #10 CLEVER (10-2) v. GAINESVILLE (2-8)

Boys / 9:00 PM

The Jan. 23 nightcap features an intriguing matchup between Class 2 Gainesville, a state quarterfinal team last year that was gutted by graduation and transfers, and Class 3 Clever, a talented squad that has the potential to be playing in Columbia in March. Clever expected to be good entering this season and has lived up to those high expectations so far this year, while Gainesville has been hampered by an extremely difficult schedule that has featured the likes of Mountain Grove, Liberty (Mountain View) and Thayer.

Clever features one of the top scorers in the area in 6-5 junior Jakob Partee, who is averaging 20 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Partee is open the moment he steps on the court and can break a game open with his shooting. A trio of players are all averaging 8.5 points per game for the Blue Jays, including seniors Jakob Albright (4.5 rpg) and Dawson Little (3 apg), and sophomore Devan Hampton (3 apg).

Clever's Dawson Little (blue) (Staff Photo)

“I think we have played pretty well through perhaps the toughest stretch of our season,” said Clever head coach Luke Brosius. “We were fortunate to get three great wins against the best three teams in our district in Fair Grove, Strafford, and Conway in what is shaping up to be an extremely tough district. We also performed well in the Blue & Gold with getting third-place and taking (eventual Gold Division champion) Bolivar down to the wire.”

“Clever is very good,” said first-year Gainesville head coach Matt Powell. “I don’t think they have any real weakness and they do an excellent job of executing what they want to do.”

The Bulldogs have been leaning on returning senior starters Aaron Swanson and 6-4 bruiser Braden Voss to lead the way this season. Both Swanson and Voss are averaging 14.1 points per game, with Voss adding 14.6 rebounds to his tallies each night. Tyelor Estes (8 ppg) and Brodie Chapman (5 ppg) are also making key contributions for the Bulldogs.

“We have played an extremely difficult schedule,” said Powell. “We have been very competitive, but still searching for ways to win. If we can keep the game at a slower pace, limit turnovers and defend the basket and the three line, we will have a chance to win. Offensively, we want to play inside out.”

“Gainesville has been one of the best Class 2 schools in the area over the past several years,” said Brosius. “I know that they are a little down this year from where they have been, but they will still bring a great effort to this game. We will have to be solid defensively, get out and run, and be consistent with our offensive play and shot selection. We look forward to getting a quality game in a good gym that hopefully prepares us down the road for districts.”

Gainesville's Braden Voss (#50) (Staff Photo)