High School Sports

By Calvin Silvers The St. Joseph community received an early holiday treat as the Civic Arena played host to the 2024 High School Holiday Hoops Tournament, which tipped off Thursday and will run through Saturday evening. The opening night featured two matchups and three teams. The first contest of the evening saw the visiting Battle

By Jacob Meikel Benton senior Chris Coy will take his talents up north after signing with the University of Nebraska Omaha on Thursday to continue his baseball career. After initially committing to the University of Kansas back in 2022 prior to his sophomore year, the Benton senior decommitted from KU back in early October, reopening

By Calvin Silvers A busy week of high school basketball continued Tuesday night as the Lafayette Fighting Irish girls took on the Mid-Buchanan Dragons in a non-conference matchup. Despite being a Class 3 vs. Class 4 contest, Mid-Buchanan stayed within striking distance throughout the first half, but Lafayette’s perimeter shooting kept the Dragons on their

By Calvin Silvers On a chilly Friday night, the gymnasium at Bishop LeBlond High School buzzed with anticipation as the Golden Eagles hosted Nodaway Valley. The girls’ matchup tipped off the evening, but despite flashes of promise, LeBlond struggled to overcome Nodaway Valley’s stifling defense and size advantage, ultimately falling behind early and unable to

By Calvin Silvers High school winter sports are in full swing, and Tuesday night marked a big moment as Bishop LeBlond hosted the St. Joseph Christian Lions in a basketball doubleheader. Both teams were stepping outside of tournament play for the first time this season. The girls’ matchup tipped off with the Golden Eagles establishing

By Jacob Meikel The St. Joseph Christian boys basketball team haven’t won a district title since 2012, but its core of experienced seniors this season could end that drought. The Lions are off the heels of a third-place finish last week in the Platte Valley Invitational, with still plenty of basketball to be played and

By Jacob Meikel A perfect season by Platte County football is accompanied by a Class 5 State title after the Pirates took down Helias Catholic 49-14 on Saturday. Met with little resistance all season long, Platte County left Helias with zero hope of capturing a state championship by jumping out to a 35-0 lead before

By Calvin Silvers The walls of Central High School have witnessed generations of standout athletes, each leaving their mark on the playing field. Yet, in recent memory, few have commanded as much attention as one relentless running back with game-changing speed and a punishing style that embodies “bully ball.” For the past four years, Gabe

By Jacob Meikel Savannah boys basketball is off to a 1-0 start after defeating Hogan Prep 62-50 in the first round of the 96th Annual Savannah Boys Basketball Invitational. Wins had not been easy to come by in the regular season opener for Savannah. Monday’s victory marked the first win in a regular season opener

By Calvin Silvers It was a frigid afternoon at Eagle Stadium on the campus of Bishop LeBlond, as the 8-man state semifinals showcased a rematch between the Golden Eagles and the visiting Archie Whirlwinds. The Whirlwinds bested LeBlond earlier this season with a decisive 38-14 victory, and while the Golden Eagles stayed competitive through the

By Calvin Silvers Bishop LeBlond High School returned an interception for a touchdown on the last play of the game Friday night for a 60-54 victory over Rock Port in the state eight-man football quarterfinals. The contest featured several lead changes and seemed to be heading to overtime until the Eagles intercepted Rock Port’s hail

By Leah Rainwater Six area teams competed in the state quarterfinals for high school football on Friday night.  LeBlond won against Rockport 60 to 54- 8 man Rockport ends its season 10-2, while LeBlond advances 10-1. These records include district play. Other area schools played in the state quarter finals Friday night.  Penney won against

By Calvin Silvers The 2024 St. Joseph Boys’ Basketball Jamboree kicks off Thursday night at Missouri Western State University, with the tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. Four high school teams will compete tonight- Bishop LeBlond, Benton, Lafayette and Central. The jamboree will have two, eight-minute quarters with one time-out per half. Additionally, there will be

By Calvin Silvers Two seasons ago, the Lafayette boys’ basketball team capped an impressive run with a third-place finish in Class 4, but that success left a big question mark heading into last season, as the Irish faced the challenge of replacing an abundance of experienced talent lost to graduation. Despite the uncertainty, Lafayette found

By NewsPress Now Central High School is looking to add some last-minute nominees to its 2024 Hall of Fame Class. “The Hall of Fame was created to recognize and honor outstanding individuals or teams who have accomplished and distinguished him/herself/themselves through extraordinary athletic achievements and contributions that command respect and admiration for both themselves and

By Jacob Meikel Check out the final scores for the third week of district play in high school football on Friday night. LeBlond defeats Plattsburg 76-22- Golden Eagles win 8-Man Class 5 Championship   Platte County defeats Pius X 45-23 – Pirates win Class 5 District 8 Championship   Cameron falls to Maryville 49-42 –

By Calvin Silvers We’re just one week away from the 2024 St. Joseph City Basketball Jamboree, where fans will get their first look at this year’s local teams in action. One of the squads competing in the jamboree is the Central Indians boys’ basketball team, who are hoping to replicate the success of their last

By Jacob Meikel Rainy and muddy conditions last weekend in Columbia didn’t thwart a hungry Benton boys cross country team from bringing hardware back to St. Joseph. The team, having already won a conference title and district title in 2024, finished the season with a third place finish in the Class 3 State Meet over

By Jacob Meikel 2024 had been a year of firsts for this experienced group of runners from Benton boys cross country, and they may not be done just yet. Over the weekend, the group captured its first district championship. Now, they earn themselves a trip to the Class 3 State Meet this weekend to add

By Calvin Silvers In sports, there are well-known instances where teams have been stripped of the opportunity to claim a championship, despite consistent postseason appearances. Take the Buffalo Bills, for example. They made a record four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1991 to 1994, yet they remain one of only two teams to reach the

By Jacob Meikel The Class 3 District 16 girls volleyball championship will once again head back to Savannah, as the Savages defeat Chillicothe 3-0 Monday night. Monday night’s matchup in Cameron between the two programs would be just the second time Savannah and Chillicothe have met, with the result being the same. Savannah came out

By Calvin Silvers On a brisk Saturday afternoon at Missouri Western, the fall season was winding down, setting the stage for the Class 3 State Quarterfinals. The Savannah Savages had the advantage of a home-field feel against the Oak Grove Panthers, but they quickly lost control of the game. A struggle in the first inning

By NewsPress Now Check out the final scores of your favorite city and area teams. East Buchanan falls to Mid-Buchanan 7-3 in News-Press NOW’s Game of the Week. The battle of the Buchanan’s was as defensive of a battle as it gets. The first half only saw once touchdown hit the scoreboard, when Dragon quarterback

By Calvin Silvers It’s the final week of the regular season for high school football, and the area is primed for a high-stakes showdown as the Mid-Buchanan Dragons travel to take on their bitter rivals, the East Buchanan Bulldogs. The bulldogs are not only aiming to play spoiler to the Dragons’ perfect season, but also

By Calvin Silvers As the high school football season reaches its ninth week, the regular season wraps up and the district tournament looms just around the corner. Before turning the page, Week 9 features one of the most anticipated matchups in the area, the Mid-Buchanan Dragons aim to preserve their perfect record against longtime rival

By Calvin Silvers As fall sports begin to slow down, excitement is still in the air in Plattsburg, Missouri, where the Class 2 District 7 Softball Championship unfolded between the Mid-Buchanan Dragons and the West Platte Blue Jays. With aspirations of capturing their fourth consecutive district title, the Dragons captured that goal in a decisive

By Jacob Meikel Mid-Buchanan softball punched its ticket to the Class 2 District 7 championship game with a 17-2 semifinal win over Plattsburg on Monday night. The Dragons wasted no time asserting themselves, dominating the first inning as only they could. Starting pitcher Kaylea Myers started off by striking out the side in the top

By NewsPress Now Central defeats Excelsior Springs 55-6 in News-Press Now’s Game of the Week. It had been a rough last month of games for Central heading into Friday night, but on a night when the Indians had a chance to get back to .500, they took advantage. Senior running back Gabe Fields had himself

By Calvin Silvers News-Press NOW’s Game of the Week, spotlights the Week 8’s matchup of the visiting Excelsior Springs Tigers as they try to rain on Central’s homecoming parade. Both teams enter this contest with losing records, falling short of the winning streaks they had hoped for. However, with just two weeks until district play

By Jacob Meikel With district tournaments starting next week, Bishop LeBlond girls volleyball will aim to sustain success as the number one seed in Class 2 District 16. In a field where three teams have registered 20-plus wins this regular season, the tournament the Golden Eagles find themselves in will be no gimme. “I think