Jefferson, South Nodaway to Coop in Most Sports

Last week's Nodaway News-Leader reports that Jefferson and South Nodaway will coop in all sports but basketball and junior high track, effective next year. They will be known as Platte Valley. When competing at Jefferson, they will be known as the Platte Valley Eagles. When competing at South Nodaway, they will be known as the Platte Valley Longhorns. Their colors will be red and blue. Similarly, the North/West Nodaway football cooperative combined their names and school colors. Jefferson and South Nodaway will continue to compete separately in basketball.

The Express has learned that Jefferson will drop boys softball next year. This will allow them to supply more players to the South Nodaway football cooperative. The Eagles have had a strong run, securing several state titles; however, the sport is not sanctioned by the MSHSAA and other schools have been dropping the sport. North Harrison will compete in spring baseball for the first time this year.

Worth County's Junior High Girls Drop 1st Game, Take 3rd at NEN Tourney

Worth County's girls dropped their first game of the year, a 36-31 loss to Avenue City in the semifinal round of the Northeast Nodaway Tournament. However, they recovered to take third place Friday night, using a 23-0 run to erase an early deficit against North Nodaway and win 40-23.

Sami Jackson's Mustangs came into Friday's game a vastly improved squad after giving up 30 unanswered points to Worth County in their first meeting. But it was a totally different group that took the floor; they were attacking the middle of the press, they were going to the rim, and they were keeping up with the Tigers. Baskets by Jadon Dobbins, Karlie Emery, and Kandance Damgar put the Mustangs up 6-2 before Kaylee McElvain scored over three defenders and Anna Gladstone hit a runner to tie it at 6 after one quarter.

After that, North Nodaway got into foul trouble, and Worth County had their way with them in the second quarter. Anna Gladstone carried the team on her back in the period, getting 10 of the team's 20 points, starting with a play where Regan Allee threw her a breathtaking bounce pass from the opposite side 3-point line for a layup. Anna scored from inside and facilitated the next basket when she grabbed a defensive board and got a quick outlet to Kristin New, who threw ahead to Kaylee for the finish. Gladstone got loose again behind the North Nodaway defense for a pass from New, and later added a free throw to make it 15-6. Regan Allee and Kristin New jumped passes for layups, Jill Hardy scored from inside off a pass from Allee, Regan got a steal and hit Kristin New for a layup, Anna Gladstone got a putback, and then finished her quarter by taking on three defenders and turning it into a free throw to put Worth County up 26-8 at the half.

Merrideth Spiers got on the board in the third quarter with a pair of putbacks, one of which resulted in a 3-point play; Anna Gladstone went coast to coast following a block from Spiers and added a steal and layup, and Spiers hit a perfect high-low pass to Regan Allee for a layup. Coach Josh Smith subbed freely in the fourth quarter as Megan Cassavaugh hit Maddie Taute for an inside shot and Braidy Hunt hit a free throw.

For Worth County, Anna Gladstone had a season-high 16 points to lead the Tigers. Kaylee McElvain had 6, Merrideth Spiers had 5, Kristin New and Regan Allee 4 each, Jill Hardy and Maddie Taute 2 each, and Braidy Hunt 1.

For North Nodaway, Kandance Damgar had 10, Jadon Dobbins had 6, Shai Dailey had 5, and Karlie Emery had 2. Emery took a charge on defense.

Worth County shot 1 for its first 19 against Avenue City, but was fortunate to still be in the game as they started getting to the line after getting down 10-2 early in the second. They got 8 of their 12 first half points from the line as they fought back from a 16-6 deficit late in the half to trail 16-12. Avenue City pulled away again, getting a 28-16 lead at the third quarter buzzer, but then Anna Gladstone had her best quarter of the year, carrying the team on her back in the fourth and scoring 10 points before fouling out. But the Tigers didn't quit, as Kaylee McElvain took on two taller defenders and got the call, hitting both free throws with 58 seconds left to tie it at 31. But then Kenna O'Riley hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left from well behind the line to put the Aces back up three and Jozlin Bennett hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds left after Worth County couldn't answer.

Anna Gladstone led the Tigers with 12 points in the effort. Jill Hardy and Regan Allee had 6 each. Kaylee McElvain had 4, while Kristin New had 3.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

11-9 -- Highway Patrol in to meet with Sheriff.
11-9 -- Officer on bailiff duty for court.
11-9 -- Officer transports prisoner from Ringgold County Jail for court; officer returns prisoner back to jail.
11-10 -- Report of cow out on PP highway; owner notified.
11-10 -- Officer responds to 911 med alert; lady has fallen, officers assist in getting her up.
11-10 -- Person calls about someone messing with his car.
11-10 -- Person reports IRS scam by phone.
11-10 -- 911 call, domestic dispute, officer investigates.
11-10 -- Officers respond to 911 call of suicide attempt; subject transported to Maryville Mental Health.
11-11 -- Officer checks on possible tornado touchdown, no damage; report of electric wires down at 46 & Y.
11-12 -- Report of stolen manure spreader.
11-12 -- Person calls with several unfounded complaints.
11-13 -- Report of damaged silage wagon.
11-13 -- Cattle out near C & M highways; owner notified.
11-14 -- Report of possible anhydrous theft; nothing found.
11-14 -- Report of suspicious truck west of Grant City.

JH Girls Outwork, Outlast Jefferson

Worth County outworked and outlasted Jefferson in a 39-26 victory last Tuesday, keeping their unbeaten season alive in the second of back to back games. Jefferson has been known for its hardcore, defensive, physical style of ball over the last 10 years, one that a lot of teams have been intimidated by. But Worth County went toe to toe against Jefferson in a game that started off as a tight defensive struggle. But then Anna Gladstone went coast to coast against the Eagles with 3:55 left in the first to open the floodgates for the Tigers. They used a suffocating full court defense and strong offensive rebounding – trademarks that Jefferson teams have had over the years – to build up an 8-4 lead after one quarter. Another trait that Jefferson has – balanced scoring – was used by Worth County as well; four different players scored two points each in the frame.

The Tigers then rode Kaylee McElvain’s back the rest of the way; she had seven in the second as they got the lead into double digits. She was posting up at will and scoring against the taller Eagle defenders; Anna Gladstone added a pair of free throws, schooling the taller Ashley Mattson and sending her to the bench with three fouls in the process; Regan Allee scored off a Gladstone backdoor pass, and Regan Allee hit Kristin New and Gladstone in transition late in the frame to give Worth County a 22-9 halftime lead. Eagle skipper Tyler Peterson was so mortified that he kept his team in the lockerroom for the whole half.

Jefferson finally began doing a better job of breaking Worth County’s press in the second half, chipping away until they cut it to nine in the fourth. But then Jill Hardy hit a couple of pullups and Kaylee McElvain continued to be a force inside, getting the final six points as Worth County thwarted the Eagle rally.

The B team game was more of the same as Worth County’s girls outworked and outhustled Jefferson to a 10-0 victory. Allison Larison had 6 and Morgan Beagle and Nevada Hoff had 2 each.

The boys were not so lucky as they let an early 7-4 lead slip away as they fell to Jefferson 39-28 for their second loss of the year. Jaxon Anderson had 13 to lead the Tigers. Ethan Thomas had 5, Hayden Holmes 4, Tanner Parman 4, and Zayne Swope 2.

Both Tiger teams won at St. Gregory’s. The girls won 30-18; they were behind 12-10 after one quarter, but only allowed 6 points the rest of the way. The boys won 38-19 as they scored the first 12 points of the game and never looked back.

Kristin New is Fifth Tiger to Lead JH Girls in Scoring

Kristin New is the fifth Tiger to lead the Junior High girls in scoring this year, leading with 9 points in Worth County’s 33-24 win over South Nodaway. They remain unbeaten going into this week’s Northeast Nodaway Tournament. Playing against tougher teams this week, Worth County continued to win because other teams have not been able to guard just one player. Worth County scored the first 11 points of the game and looked like running away with it after one quarter. Kristin New had 5 points, Anna Gladstone 4, and Merrideth Spiers 2 in the frame.

But then Worth County did too much hacking and fouling in the second as the Longhorns clawed back, getting to within 11-10 at one point, mostly at the free throw line. But then Spiers hit an inside shot with 2:11 left to stop the bleeding and Regan Allee added a fast break 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Worth County back up 16-10.

South Nodaway pulled back to within three at one point in the third, but then Worth County pulled away late as Regan Allee scored consecutive shots late to put them back in front 24-17. In the fourth, the Tigers put on a clinic, running out the clock as South Nodaway could not get any closer than 6.

Kristin New had 9 points to lead the Tigers in scoring. Anna Gladstone had 7 along with Regan Allee. Kaylee McElvain and Merrideth Spiers had 4 each while Jill Hardy had 2. The B team won as they fell behind 4-0, but used Megan Cassavaugh’s free throw in the last seconds of the second to win 7-6. Emilee Brown had 4, Braidy Hunt 2, and Megan Cassavaugh 1.

Hayden Holmes’ 3-Pointer Bails Out JH Boys in Barnard

Leading scorer Jaxon Anderson fouled out in overtime against South Nodaway, but it didn’t matter as Andrew Alarcon hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Zayne Swope with 50 seconds left to tie it at 46. After CJ Sipes missed a one and one that would have put the Longhorns back in front, Mr. Prime Time, also known as Hayden Holmes, who had not played all game until Anderson had fouled out, hit a baseline 3-pointer with 20 seconds left and South Nodaway didn’t have an answer before time expired as Worth County avoided a two-game losing streak with a 49-46 victory.

Worth County needed some heroics at the end of regulation as well. South Nodaway had erased a 36-30 Tiger lead with a 9-0 run, sending the Longhorn crowd into a frenzy. Vincent Holtman’s drive with 1:05 left made it 41-38, but then Andrew Alarcon hit Ethan Thomas in the corner with a 3-pointer to tie it at 41. Clayton Walker, one of three South Nodaway freshman who is playing on the squad because of numbers, got a putback with 20 seconds left to make it 43-41 with 20 seconds left, but Jaxon Anderson stepped through a defender with 10 seconds left after getting an entry pass from Ethan Thomas to tie it and send it to overtime.

South Nodaway had scored the first five points of the game, but from there, Worth County came back and maintained a lead most of the night thanks to Jaxon Anderson and Ethan Thomas. It looked like Worth County would be able pull away after the Tigers started getting the ball into him in the post at will; at one point, he had nine straight Tiger points as Worth County erased a 27-27 tie and built up a 36-30 lead. But then he picked up his fourth foul and sat down as South Nodaway outworked Worth County on the boards in his absence to get back in the game.

Jaxon Anderson had 22 points in the winning effort. Ethan Thomas had 12, Andrew Alarcon had 5, Zayne Swope 4, Tanner Parman 3, and Hayden Holmes 3.

Obituary -- Clara “Louise” Hunt Koehler Hamilton 1936-2015

Louise  Hamilton, 79, of Lathrop, MO passed away on November12, 2015 in Kansas City, MO at the North Kansas City Hospital.

Visitation and services will be held at 1:00 Tuesday, November 17th at Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home, Grant City, MO. Burial will follow at Grant City Cemetery.

 Louise Hamilton was born in her home in Grant City, MO to Charles Marion & Nellie Faye Hunt on March 23, 1936.  She was a graduate of  Grant City High School. She attended Maple Woods, Penn Valley and Longview Community Colleges.  She retired as a Millwright for the Ford Motor Company  and was a member of the UAW Local 249.

Louise is preceded in death by; her husband LeRoy Koehler; parents, Charles & Nellie Hunt; brothers, Charles “Kobb” Hunt, John Hunt;  children, Suzanne Koehler, Christopher Koehler & Charles Koehler Sr. and a grandchild Keatyn Hemme.

Louise is survived by: an ex-spouse Edgar F Hamilton; children Karen Langner, Patrick Koehler, Debbie Koehler, John Hamilton, Jeff Hamilton, Candace Marley; a sister June Combs; 17 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home.

The Koehler and Hamilton family wish to extend our sincere thanks.