High School Sports

Benton baseball’s quest for a second straight trip to the Class 4 quarterfinals was spoiled on Monday against an MEC foe it had become quite familiar with over the course of the season. The Cardinals met Chillicothe for the fourth time in 2025 in the Class 4 sectional round Tuesday night out at Missouri Western,

On a sunny afternoon at Victory Field on the St. Joseph Christian campus, the Lions celebrated their seniors with a signature victory, beating Class 4 opponent the Lafayette Fighting Irish, by a score of 11-3, improving to 16-5 on the season.

The Benton Cardinals basketball team is coming off a historic 2024-25 season, capturing 28 wins while finishing in second place in the Class 4 semifinals for the first time in 84 years. One of those athletes, senior guard Myles Bachali, will take his winning ways to Trenton, Missouri, where he’ll continue his academic and basketball career at North Central Missouri College. 

With a younger, less-experienced roster than last spring’s title contender, head coach Johnny Coy crafted a daunting schedule to accelerate his team’s growth. The scheduling led to back-to-back tournament appearances in the Walkoff Wood Bat Tournament and this week’s Pony Express Tournament, leading to six games being played in seven days. 

Rain poured over Bishop LeBlond High School as clouds rolled across the pitch, setting the stage for a damp but dominant performance in some Midland Empire Conference girls soccer. The Bishop LeBlond Golden Eagles wasted no time taking control, cruising to an 8-0 win over the winless Benton Lady Cardinals, sealing the match with 15 minutes to play via the mercy rule.

What started as a tight game through three innings quickly turned into a rout, as the Cardinals exploded with big innings in the fourth and sixth to roll to a 16-4 win, getting back in the win column and restoring momentum at just the right time.

The gym is now alive with many sounds and sights, as the Fighting Irish are in the midst of their inaugural MSHSAA-sanctioned boys volleyball season.

The program’s growing pains continued Tuesday evening, as visiting East (Kansas City) handed Lafayette its fourth straight loss, sweeping the match 25-17, 25-18, 25-8. The Bears improved to 4-3, while the Irish dropped to 3-9-1.

Clouds hung low over Hyde Park on Thursday evening as Benton crossed the road to face Class 5’s St. Pius X, a team eager for revenge after last year’s state tournament loss. Despite a late push from the Warriors, the Cardinals held firm for a 2-1 win, marking their third straight victory.