Sports Roundup: Thunderbirds take Callaway Cup

Posted 9/13/21

The Thunderbirds were clinging to a 13-6 advantage late in the first half last Friday with South Callaway poised to even the score.

Riding a 72 yard drive behind running back Trace Helsel, the …

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Sports Roundup: Thunderbirds take Callaway Cup

Posted

The Thunderbirds were clinging to a 13-6 advantage late in the first half last Friday with South Callaway poised to even the score.

Riding a 72 yard drive behind running back Trace Helsel, the Bulldogs had the ball first and goal on the four. But Trevor Ray and the North Callaway defense stiffened. South Callaway came up empty handed.

"The momentum changed right there," said T-birds head coach Travis Blevins.

North Callaway scored 13 more in the third quarter to claim the Callaway Cup 26-6. The defense remained stingy the rest of the night, with Ray tallying 7 solo tackles and a sack.

Ray was prolific on the offensive side, as well. He scored twice and ran for 67 yards on 16 carries.

Manny Marino was the Thunderbirds leading ball carrier with 89 yards on 17 attempts. He also scored a touchdown.

Quarterback Braden O'Neal racked up 74 yards on the ground, throwing for 39 more on 4 of 7 passing. O'Neal added a score of his own.

Softball

North Callaway comes up short

North Callaway ended up on the wrong end of a see-saw battle on Tuesday at Wright City, falling 11-9.

Eight Thunderbirds collected hits on the night, led by Abigail Schmidt, who went 2 for 4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI. Although North Callaway used their offensive prowess to jump to an early lead, the hosts reeled off three in the third, three more in the fourth and added a pair of runs in the fifth.

North Callaway edged back out to a 9-8 lead with a three run sixth. But Wright City responded in kind.

Middle School Football

Bulldogs edged by Hannibal

Brixton Goerne's 2 yard touchdown reception put Mexico's eighth grade squad on top early, but a late score turned the game in Hannibal's favor. The Bulldogs were edged 8-6 in their home opener.

Mexico kept the visitors from the end zone for much of the game, despite some threatening moments. Jaden Hodge recovered a fumble to end one dangerous drive.

The Bulldogs showed promise on both sides of the ball. Drew DeMint had a big strike, connecting with Kinser Groves for a 30 yard reception.

"The game was a real slugfest, just like every other game against Hannibal," said Mexico head coach Dave Okenfuss.

Mexico loses numbers game

The 12 players on Mexico’s seventh grade team toughed it out against a Hannibal side four times its size, losing 22-8 on Tuesday.

Brayden Arnold scored the Bulldogs lone touchdown with a one yard plunge in the fourth quarter. The Mexico quarterback followed up with a two point conversion, running a bootleg.

Arnold and Titus Grubb were key to several time-consuming drives that proved Mexico could move the ball.

“They really fought through the adversity well,” coach Robert Meador observed. “The undermanned Bulldogs showed all the heart in the world.”

Middle School Softball

Mexico outduels Centralia

A late surge by the Bulldogs led to a 16-11 win over the Panthers. The game was knotted at 6-6 in the top of the fifth when Keerstan Ewing broke things open, drawing a walk.

Maddy Feger drilled a homer in the fourth. Feger, Hannah Loyd and Bethany Forbis all proved lethal at the plate for the Bulldogs. Forbis also harried the home side on the basepaths, collecting three steals.

Loyd started in the circle and fanned 9 Panthers in 5 innings.


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