Chiefs back in playoffs (05/16/08) CONCORDIA -- Santa Fe's hitters didn't exactly rake the ball Thursday during the championship game of the Class 1, District 15 Tournament at Concordia. They didn't need to. All that was required of the Chiefs in any of the three district games was a lone run, since junior Logan Kirchhoff -- as did the previous two starting pitchers, sophomore Matt Lovercamp and junior Taylor Wesley -- blanked Pilot Grove for a 9-0 title defense...

Chiefs roll into district finals (05/14/08) CONCORDIA -- The Santa Fe baseball team wasn't able to pound Bunceton like it has recent opponents, but the pitching remained suffocating. The second-ranked Chiefs posted their second one-hit shutout in a row during Tuesday's 8-0 victory over Bunceton in the semifinal round of the Class 1, District 15 Tournament at Concordia. ...

Chiefs breeze through district debut (05/13/08) CONCORDIA -- They call him "Puddin'," but there was nothing soft or squishy about Matt Lovercamp's mound performance Monday. The Santa Fe sophomore came one out away from a no-hitter, striking out 10 while tossing his first career shutout, as the defending Class 1, District 15 Tournament champions hammered first-round opponent Sweet Springs, 20-0 in five innings...

Four local teams have two dozen state entries (05/12/08) There are going to be some busy Saline Area athletes later this week at the MSHSAA Class 1 Track and Field Championships at Jefferson City. Sophomores Niki Kruger of Slater qualified for state in four events and sophomore teammate Jeremy Wilson placed three times Saturday during the Section 3 meet at Marshall. Santa Fe had three make the cut in three events -- senior Ramon Gordillo, junior Darin Buford and sophomore Lauren Aversman -- as did Lady Wildcats freshman Ana Jackson...

No. 3 Chiefs finish regular season at 13-0 (05/09/08) ALMA -- Junior Ben Catlett tied a state record by smashing two homers in one inning as the third-ranked Santa Fe baseball team closed its regular season undefeated Thursday with a 20-8 non-conference home win over Green Ridge. The Chiefs trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning, but Catlett tied the score with his first smash after junior Max Capps led off by drawing a walk. ...

Lady Chiefs come back to win (05/08/08)

No. 3 Chiefs roll over St. Paul (05/07/08) ALMA -- The Santa Fe baseball team used a 13-run rally Tuesday to remain undefeated with a 14-1, five-inning romp over visiting St. Paul. The third-ranked Chiefs banged out nine hits in the bottom of the third inning to break a scoreless tie. Santa Fe was helped by a Saints defense which committed six errors for 10 unearned runs during the frame...

Chiefs, Lady 'Cats third in district (05/05/08) Ana Jackson is a very fast young lady. The Slater freshman showed that Saturday throughout the MSHSAA Class 1, District 5 Track and Field Championships at Marshall -- especially in her final circuit. The Lady Wildcats were in sixth place halfway through the last event, the 1,600-meter relay, but a strong leg by sophomore Niki Kruger got them to within 20 meters of the leader...

Track & Field Round-up/Chiefs win four I-70 gold medals (05/01/08) A strong group of distance runners paced the Santa Fe boys' track and field team to third place Tuesday in the I-70 Conference Championships at Marshall Junior Darin Buford won the 800-meter run (2:12.19) and ran the third leg of the victorious 3,200-meter relay (9:09.50). Sophomores Jeff Knipmeyer, Derrick Kennedy and Hunter Rolf were also members of the quarter...

Baseball/Santa Fe 11, Carrollton 4 (04/29/08) CARROLLTON -- The third-ranked Santa Fe baseball team used the long ball Monday to crush Carrollton, 11-4. Junior Ben Catlett hit two of the Chiefs' five home runs, a two-run shot in the fifth inning and a solo blast in the seventh. Catlett's first dinger was followed by one by sophomore Hunter Rolf which made the score 10-1...

Chiefs nab first I-70 tourney title/Thorp ties Pujols' prep record (04/28/08) ALMA -- The Santa Fe baseball team is three-fourths of the way from avenging the four losses hung on it during the basketball season by Concordia. The Chiefs didn't let the visitor's three long balls upset them on the way to winning their first I-70 Conference Tournament championship Saturday at Alma -- the first time since 2005 the title game was played -- with a slow-moving 17-7, six-inning victory...

Lady Chiefs take third-place trophy (04/28/08) ALMA -- The Santa Fe softball team may not have been able to maintain their streak of I-70 Conference Tournament titles, but they didn't finish the meet empty-handed. The Lady Chiefs used a nine-run third inning to pull away from Crest Ridge in Saturday's third-place game at Alma, 14-5. The Lady Cougars, who won the earlier meeting between the teams, 7-5, were without their No. 1 pitcher -- junior Taylor Hazel -- according to head coach Edwin Bridges, a Marshall High grad...

Chiefs advance to I-70 Tournament title game (04/24/08) CONCORDIA -- The only team which has been able to hang with the fourth-ranked Santa Fe baseball team so far this season is Wellington-Napoleon. The Chiefs had only won their April 14 meeting by a 6-2 margin, the closest spread for a team which went into Wednesday's semifinal round of the I-70 Conference Tournament at Concordia with a cumulative 116-14 advantage over opponents...

Concordia nips Lady Chiefs (04/24/08) CONCORDIA -- There won't be a fourth straight I-70 Conference Tournament championship in the offing for the Santa Fe softball team. The Lady Chiefs can thank senior Jordan Payne and her Concordia teammates for that. Payne tossed a three-hitter, not allowing an earned run or a free pass and striking out 12 batters, to give the host Orioles a 2-1 victory in Wednesday's semifinal round...

Lady Chiefs win tourney opener (04/22/08) ALMA -- Junior Chelsea Gieselman pitched six shutout innings before allowing a run and sophomore Danielle Bock banged out four hits Monday as the Santa Fe softball team beat Sweet Springs, 5-1, in the first round of the I-70 Conference Tournament at Alma...

Baseball/Santa Fe 11, St. Paul 2 (04/18/08) CONCORIDA -- For four innings, the slugging Santa Fe baseball team was frustrated Thursday. After stranding seven runners, the fourth-ranked Chiefs finally put hits together during a six-run fifth inning, all they would need for an 11-2 victory at St. Paul...

Prep Diamond Round-up/Chiefs romp on Northwest (04/17/08) HUGHESVILLE -- Junior Taylor Wesley tossed his second shutout of the season Wednesday as the fourth-ranked Santa Fe baseball team pounded Northwest of Hughesville, 16-0 in five innings. Wesley struck out nine batters, although the four walks and three hits he yielded meant the Mustangs (3-1) had runners on base in every frame -- but wound up stranding seven of them...

Prep Diamond Round-up/Chiefs improve to 6-0 (04/15/08) WELLINGTON -- Senior Kenzie Thorp's two-run homer in the fourth inning Monday gave the Santa Fe baseball team the lead en route to a 6-2 non-conference victory at Wellington-Napoleon. In a rematch between 2007 Class 1 sectional foes, the Tigers (1-3) jumped out front on sophomore Christian Nixdorf's solo shot in the first, then got an unearned run in the second...

No. 4 Chiefs blank Concordia (04/14/08) CONCORDIA -- Junior Taylor Wesley tossed a four-hit shutout Friday as the fourth-ranked Santa Fe baseball team beat Concordia for the second time this season, 9-0. The Chiefs got all the offense they needed from senior Kenzie Thorp's three-run homer in the top of the first inning, his fourth blast in five games...

Prep Diamond Round-up/Chiefs keep pounding foes (04/08/08) ALMA -- How dominant has the Santa Fe baseball team been this spring? Consider this: the Chiefs banged out 14 hits Monday during a 13-3, five-inning home win over Windsor, and saw their team batting average fall. Going into the contest, Santa Fe was hitting a collective .616, but only managed one hit through the first two frames...

Baseball/Santa Fe 25, Crest Ridge 5 (03/28/08) CENTERVIEW -- The Santa Fe baseball team brought its whipping sticks to the yard Thursday in order to thrash Crest Ridge, 25-5. The visiting Chiefs scored at least four runs in every inning except the fifth and final one, when two were brought in on senior Kenzie Thorp's single. The previous frame Thorp had smashed this third homer of the season, a two-run shot which was part of his five runs batted in during the game...

Prep Diamond Round-up/Santa Fe calms Whirlwind (03/27/08) ALMA -- Having met in the MSHSAA Class 1 quarterfinals two of the previous three years, it appeared the Santa Fe and Archie baseball teams were starting to form a long-distance rivalry. While the programs' first two meetings were close, each winning once, Wednesday's clash at Alma showed a decided swing in the balance of power -- which now lies entirely with the Chiefs, who banged out 20 hits during an 18-0, five-inning drubbing...

2008 All-I-70 Conference Basketball (03/11/08) Boys First Team Honorable Mention Girls First Team Honorable Mention...

Concordia comeback dooms Chiefs (03/03/08) CONCORDIA -- Certainly it couldn't happen again, but it did. Santa Fe head boys' basketball coach Travis Zahl was "confident before the game we were going to win," his Chiefs having lost three times already this season to sixth-ranked I-70 Conference champion Concordia -- all after holding second-half leads...

Class 2, District 8 Hoops/Lady 'Hounds make first trip to district finals (02/28/08) CONCORDIA -- The Sweet Springs Lady Greyhounds are advancing to the Class 2, District 8 championship game, and they have the clutch shooting of senior Laura Keesaer to thank. The Greyhounds (17-10) trailed 32-30 when Keesaer drained the game-winning three-pointer with 45 seconds remaining. Sweet Springs went on to sink four free throws, sealing a 37-32 victory over the Fayette Falcons (10-16)...

District Hoops Round-up (Boys)/'Cats, Chiefs move into semifinal round (02/27/08) CONCORDIA -- There may be no hotter boys' basketball team in the Class 2, District 8 Tournament field than Slater. The Wildcats came from behind again Tuesday for their fifth straight win, a 61-58 decision over host St. Paul of Concordia -- senior Aric Falls making four straight free throws during the final 1:05 to pull out the victory...

Lady 'Hounds knock out Santa Fe (02/26/08) CONCORDIA -- This is the tale of two teams. Both of the girls' basketball squads which played the nightcap in Monday's opening round of the Class 2, District 8 Tournament at Concordia are very young, Sweet Springs with only one senior starter and Santa Fe with no upperclassmen on the roster. The slight edge in experience possessed by the Lady Greyhounds proved decisive in their 49-37 victory...

No. 7 Concordia outlasts Chiefs (02/18/08) ALMA -- Friday's I-70 Conference finale for the Santa Fe and Concordia basketball teams followed a familiar pattern: the Chiefs hanging around and hanging around, but the seventh-ranked Orioles eventually prevailing. Consider it the difference between a club which starts four seniors and another which is roughly a year younger...

Lady O's hold off Santa Fe, 46-30 (02/18/08)

Prep Hoops Round-up/Chiefs cruise to I-70 win (02/15/08) CENTERVIEW -- After a tight first quarter, the Santa Fe boys' basketball team went on a roll during the next two frames to dispense with I-70 Conference foe Crest Ridge, 64-52, Thursday at Centerview. Junior Luke Brandt scored nine points during the Chiefs' 17-8 second-period run and juniors Bryan Sander and Brett Case each had six points during the 22-9 third quarter -- opening up a 20-point gap...

Prep Hoops Round-up/'Cats end Salisbury jinx (02/13/08) SLATER -- Seniors Aric Falls and Austin Foster didn't start, but were around at the end Tuesday to help the Slater boys' basketball team end a 15-game losing streak against Lewis and Clark Conference rival Salisbury. Falls hit three shots down the stretch and Foster sank four free throws during the fourth quarter to give the Wildcats a 63-58 home victory -- their first over the Panthers since Feb. ...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Orrick hands Chiefs I-70 Conference loss (02/11/08) ALMA -- The Santa Fe boys' basketball team went into the fourth quarter Friday with a chance to stay in contention in the I-70 Conference race. However, the Chiefs' five-point lead quickly disappeared as visiting Orrick went on a 21-9 run to claim a 60-56 decision...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Santa Fe gets I-70 road sweep (02/08/08) WINDSOR -- The Santa Fe girls' basketball team survived shaky free-throw shooting down the stretch and Windsor senior Megan Sheffield's 26 points Thursday to claim a 47-39 I-70 Conference road win. The Lady Chiefs led by only one point after the first period, but went on a 17-6 run during the second quarter -- getting six points from junior Dani Heimsoth and a three-pointer by junior Molly Blomberg -- to take a 25-13 advantage into halftime...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Lady Chiefs, "Hounds post I-70 Conference wins (02/06/08) ALMA -- The Santa Fe girls' basketball team jumped out to an early lead and added to it steadily during the second half Tuesday, pulling away from Wellington-Napoleon for a 53-37 I-70 Conference home win. Freshman Gia Baldwin scored eight first-half points as the Lady Chiefs took a six-point lead into the break. Junior Dani Heimsoth keyed a 14-8 third quarter with eight points...

Hoops games rescheduled (01/30/08) Tuesday's snowstorm caused the postponement of several Saline Area high school basketball games. The Marshall boys' NCMC contest at Moberly has been rescheduled for Feb. 7, although the Lady Owls' home tilt against Chillicothe -- which was snowed out on its original Dec. 8 date -- has been canceled...

2008 prep grid districts, schedules announced (01/28/08) The Marshall football team will have familiar foes with which to contend in Class 4, District 8 the next two years. The Owls were put into a loop with NCMC rivals Hannibal and Kirksville, along with holdover district member Helias, in the biennial redistricting released Friday by the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA). ...

Gremlins haunt Santa Fe girls (01/28/08) SLATER -- The third time wasn't the charm for the Santa Fe girls' basketball team. Despite an all-new starting cast, the Lady Chiefs reached the championship game of the 27th Wildcat Classic -- only to lose it for the third year in a row as top-seeded Sacred Heart defended its title Saturday, 53-28...

'Cats close out Classic with wins (01/28/08) SLATER -- Both the Slater boys' and girls' basketball teams ended their 27th annual Wildcat Classic with three-point victories Friday. For the Purple boys, it was sweet revenge against a Santa Fe club which had beaten them by 13 points before Christmas -- the Wildcats pulling out a 75-72 decision for the consolation trophy. ...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Lady Chiefs return to finals (01/25/08) SLATER -- The seventh-seeded Santa Fe girls' basketball team pulled off another upset Thursday in the 27th Wildcat Classic at Slater. Two days after bumping off No. 2 seed Pilot Grove, the Lady Chiefs came from behind to register a 48-47 decision over No. ...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Lady Chiefs slug out upset win in Classic (01/23/08) SLATER -- Bruce Willis wasn't there, but "Last Man Standing" may be an appropriate title for Tuesday's first-round girls' contest in the 27th annual Wildcat Classic at Slater, when seventh-seeded Santa Fe knocked off No. 2 Pilot Grove, 57-44. The whistle was blowing throughout the night as the two teams combined for 53 fouls and 65 free throws -- with the Lady Chiefs getting the better of the bargain, especially during the second half with an 18-8 gap in team fouls. ...

Chiefs sweep Carrollton at home (01/21/08) ALMA -- The Santa Fe boys' basketball team tuned up for the tough week ahead Friday by disposing of Carrollton, 65-52, in a non-conference home contest. The Chiefs struggled early, but then broke away with a 22-8 third-quarter spurt behind nine points from junior Brett Case. The Trojans (10-1) -- who got 16 points from senior Andrew Malloy -- had their own difficulties, including 29 turnovers...

Lady Chiefs get first I-70 win (01/16/08) CONCORDIA -- A 13-1 fourth-quarter run allowed the Santa Fe girls' basketball team to break a three-game losing streak and pick up its first I-70 Conference win Tuesday, 44-32, at St. Paul. Junior Tory Kramer scored 10 of her team-high 12 points during the first half, as the Lady Saints (5-7, 0-1 I-70) went into intermission with a four-point lead. ...

Chiefs cruise in I-70 Conference opener (01/14/08) ALMA -- The Santa Fe boys' basketball team sure was glad to play before its home fans for the first time since Dec. 1. Better yet is that, instead of facing another state-ranked club -- which it had during a three-game losing streak -- the Chiefs opened I-70 Conference play against young Sweet Springs, rolling to a 76-49 victory...

Keesaer three gives Lady 'Hounds I-10 win (01/14/08) ALMA -- The term "senior leadership" is bandied about commonly, but it is seldom so starkly demonstrated as it was Friday for the Sweet Springs girls' basketball team. Late in a game in which she did so much of the grunt work, like playing sticky defense and banging the boards, the Lady Greyhounds' only senior starter had her chance to shine -- Laura Keesaer making the decisive shot of the contest from three-point range with 2:17 left for a 44-41 I-70 Conference victory at Santa Fe...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Lady 'Hounds win I-70 Conference debut (01/09/08) SWEET SPRINGS -- The Sweet Springs girls' basketball team rolled out to a 14-0 start Tuesday to defeat visiting Wellington-Napoleon, 51-31, in the I-70 Conference opener for both teams. The Lady Tigers (1-9, 0-1 I-70) had no player score more than six points, although they only lost the final three frames by six points...

Santa Fe boys, girls fourth at LaCoMo fest (01/08/08) CONCORDIA -- The Santa Fe boys' basketball program's recent struggles against rival Concordia continued Friday at the Lafayette County Tournament in Concordia. The Chiefs let go of a six-point lead during the final six minutes of their final pool match to drop a 54-48 decision, their first loss since being beaten by the Orioles in the championship game of the I-70 Conference Tournament. ...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Chiefs win fourth straight to open LaCoMo tourney (01/03/08) CONCORDIA -- Juniors Brett Case and Taylor Wesley each made all four of their free throws during the fourth quarter as the Santa Fe boys' basketball team eventually shook off tenacious St. Paul for a 57-44 decision Wednesday in the first round of pool play in the Lafayette County Tournament at Concordia...

Chiefs, Lady 'Cats come out on top (12/20/07) SLATER -- Santa Fe and Slater split a non-conference boy-girl basketball doubleheader Wednesday, with the Chiefs and host Lady Wildcats each claiming their third straight victories. Santa Fe broke open a four-point game with a 15-7 third-quarter run, junior Brett Case -- a transfer point guard from Wellington-Napoleon -- sinking three buckets to key the charge...

Prep Hoops Round-up/'Cats outlast Malta Bend (12/18/07) SLATER -- There was no lack of offensive firepower during Monday's cross-county hook-up between Malta Bend and Slater. The Tigers got 29 points from junior Ryan Armstrong, but that wasn't enough to counter the 36 points racked up by senior Aric Falls to lead the Wildcats to a 78-62 non-conference home win...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Chiefs impressive at Shoot-out (12/17/07) SEDALIA -- The Santa Fe boys' basketball team used a 13-0 third-quarter spree to turn an eight-point halftime lead into an easy 58-22 victory Friday over Northwest of Hughesville during the State Fair Community College/W-K Chevrolet-Buick Holiday Shoot-out at Sedalia...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Concordia beats Chiefs for I-70 tourney crown (12/03/07) ALMA -- The Santa Fe boys' basketball team stayed close for a while, but couldn't keep up with the hot shooting of senior John Miller during a 63-55 loss Saturday in the championship game of the I-70 Conference Tournament at Alma. The teams were tied at 11 after the first period, but Miller connected four times from long distance during the next two quarters to give the Orioles an eight-point lead heading into the final frame. ...

Prep Hoops Round-up/Lady Owls squeak by in season opener (11/30/07) For a little more than a half, the Marshall girls' basketball team's season opener went about as well as could be expected Thursday -- a little rough, but not especially pressing. Then the Lady Owls suffered a cold spell and saw a 14-point lead erased by Boonville before pulling out the semifinal victory in the second annual Marshall Tournament, 46-43...

Chiefs fly by runnin' 'Hounds (11/28/07) ALMA -- Nobody asked the Santa Fe boys' basketball team whether it was ready to run and gun, but the Chiefs didn't seem to mind. Sweet Springs debuted its new approach to begin the post-Kueker era Tuesday in the first round of the I-70 Conference Tournament at Alma, and the host team went wild. Santa Fe sprinted to a 33-11 start and rolled over the Greyhounds, 86-50...

Prep Girls' Hoops Round-up/Lady Chiefs win season, I-70 tourney debut (11/27/07) ALMA -- Whatever Dani Heimsoth's been eating lately, maybe Santa Fe head girls' basketball coach Tina Burton should buy it by the case. Heimsoth went off for a career-high 26 points Monday as the fifth-seeded Lady Chiefs upset No. 4 St. Paul, 55-38, in the first round of the I-70 Conference Tournament at Alma. Santa Fe blanked the Saints, 11-0, in the first quarter -- Heimsoth unloading for 11 points -- but saw that margin narrow to four heading into the final frame...

Prep Grid Round-up/'Cats stop losing streak at 20 games (11/05/07) SALISBURY -- What would become a 20-game losing streak for the Slater football team began at Salisbury during a Class 1, District 14 title showdown two years ago. That's also where the skid ended Friday, with the Wildcats pulling out a victory in the game's final minute, beating the Lewis and Conference rival and seven-time-defending district champions, 22-20...

Prep Grid Preview/‘Hounds have chance at winning season (11/01/07) SWEET SPRINGS -- Friday will make the end of the 2007 football season for all three Saline Area Class 1 teams, but only Sweet Springs has a chance to finish with a winning record. After back-to-back 4-6 campaigns, the Greyhounds are looking to wind up in the I-70 Conference's first division during their finale at winless St. Paul, which won last year's Class 1, District 8 tilt, 48-0...

Prep Grid Round-up/No. 4 Tipton sinks Sweet Springs, 47-0 (10/29/07) SWEET SPRINGS -- Sweet Springs head football coach Tim Smith can relate to Clint Hurdle's plight. Just as the Colorado manager was helpless while watching his team steamrolled in four World Series games by the Boston Red Sox' machine, Smith's Greyhounds "ran into one" Friday during a 47-0 home loss to fourth-ranked Tipton to eliminate them from contention in the Class 1, District 8 race...

Prep Grid Preview/Chiefs face No. 1 Orrick (10/25/07) ALMA -- The Santa Fe football team got the Class 1, District 13 schedule off to a good start last week with a 24-0 victory at Wentworth Military Academy. When the Chiefs return home Friday, though, they'll be facing a whole different cat -- a Bearcat, that is, from top-ranked Orrick. Those ‘Cats are looking to run the table on the I-70 Conference for the second straight year, after four one-loss seasons...

Lady Chiefs, ‘Hounds spikers done for year (10/23/07) HUGHESVILLE â€" The Santa Fe volleyball team’s dream of four straight appearances in the MSHSAA Class 1 Championships barely got started before it was stopped. Fifth-seeded Smithton beat the No. 4 Lady Chiefs for the second time this season Monday in the first round of the District 14 Tournament at Hughesville. The Lady Tigers’ 25-18, 26-24 victory was a bit more emphatic than their 19-25, 25-17, 25-19 home triumph Sept. 6 over Santa Fe...

Prep Grid Round-up/Chiefs open district play with win (10/22/07) LEXINGTON â€" Wentworth Military Academy had little more than heart to bring to battle Saturday during its Class 1, District 13 opener against Santa Fe. With six starters out of action, including speedy senior halfback Chris Doak, the Red Dragons were unable to generate much offense during a 24-0 home loss. ...

Volleyball/Santa Fe 2, Windsor 0 (10/17/07) WINDSOR -- The Santa Fe volleyball team closed out the regular season Tuesday with a 25-13, 25-9 romp at I-70 Conference rival Windsor. The Lady Chiefs' victory puts them into a three-way tie for second place in the league's regular season standings, tied with Crest Ridge and Orrick -- which lost to the Lady Cougars in three games Tuesday. Concordia took the title at 6-1...

Volleyball/Santa Fe 2, Lexington 0 (10/16/07) LEXINGTON -- Juniors Kylie Wagner and Joci Russell combined for 15 kills Monday as the Santa Fe volleyball team claimed a 25-21, 25-18 non-conference victory at Lexington. Wagner and junior Lauren Malan each had eight digs for the Lady Chiefs, who dropped in seven aces on the Minutewomen (3-15-1) -- three by junior Chelsea Geiselman, who also had 11 assists...

Volleyball/Santa Fe 2, Carrollton 1 (10/12/07) ALMA -- If nothing else, the young Santa Fe volleyball team is learning how to play under pressure. The Lady Chiefs got hooked up into their fifth straight three-game match during the past week Thursday, pulling out a 25-10, 26-28, 25-13 non-conference decision over visiting Carrollton (7-14-2). Santa Fe had won back-to-back three-set affairs Saturday to claim its fifth I-70 Conference Tournament championship in a row, but had dropped a pair of them earlier in the week...

Prep Grid Preview/'Cats hope to end skid before districts (10/11/07) SLATER -- When the season began, Slater head football coach Tom Doherty thought his team could be a factor in the Class 1, District 3 race. That may still be the case, but entering it with an 18-game losing streak would make it seem like an even steeper uphill climb. ...

Prep Net Round-up/Ervin, Lady Owls ace Rock Bridge (10/10/07) COLUMBIA -- Senior Cortni Ervin's jump serve can at times bedevil opponents, and that seemed the case Tuesday as the Marshall volleyball team enjoyed a 26-28, 25-16, 25-12 non-conference victory at Rock Bridge (8-9). Ervin recorded a school-record nine aces -- along with a team-high 12 kills, plus 15 digs and a pair of blocks -- while putting all 21 of her serves in play...

Volleyball/Concordia 2, Santa Fe 1 (10/09/07) ALMA -- It was a familiar pattern for the Santa Fe volleyball program: win the I-70 Conference Tournament on Saturday, lose to Concordia the following Monday. The Lady Chiefs did that two years earlier, when they wound up in the finals of the MSHSAA Class 1 Championships...

Prep Grid Round-up/'Hounds rally again to pull out I-70 win (10/08/07) SWEET SPRINGS -- For the second week in a row, the Sweet Springs football team needed a fourth-quarter comeback -- and got it Friday for a 20-19 I-70 Conference home win over Crest Ridge. That the Greyhounds were even close enough to salvage the victory was amazing, considering that the Cougars took their defense to the woodshed -- accumulating 429 total yards. ...

Lady Chiefs make it six titles in a row (10/08/07) ALMA -- And the winner is ... During the previous five years, Santa Fe has owned the crown of the I-70 Conference Volleyball Tournament -- and there were seldom more than a couple of legitimate challengers. With the Lady Chiefs much younger, having lost three all-state players from a team which reached the MSHSAA Class 1 Championships three years' running, at least five of the league's eight teams were capable of getting hot and taking the title heading into Saturday's meet at Alma...

Volleyball/Santa Fe 2, Sweet Springs 0 (10/05/07) SWEET SPRINGS -- The Santa Fe volleyball team reached the .500 plateau for the first time this season and moved into a tie for first place in the I-70 Conference with Thursday's 25-10, 25-19 win at Sweet Springs. The Lady Greyhounds gave a battle in the second set with a defense led by junior Morgan Fuehring's eight digs, but couldn't match the visitors' firepower at the net. Sweet Springs (3-10, 1-6 I-70) was limited to five kills, two by senior Laura Keesaer...

I-70 Conference net race up for grabs (10/03/07) The I-70 Conference volleyball race has been thrown into a tizzy this week, and Santa Fe finds itself right in the midst of it. After dropping their league opener to Crest Ridge, the Lady Chiefs have reeled off three straight wins -- including Tuesday's grueling 25-17, 25-27, 25-23 home decision over St. Paul, which came into the match as the only team without a conference loss...

Lady Chiefs 0-4 at Warrensburg tourney (10/01/07) WARRENSBURG -- The young Santa Fe volleyball team was unable to pick up a win in four matches Saturday while matched against established programs from mostly larger schools in the Warrensburg Tournament. The Lady Chiefs fell in pool play to the host Lady Tigers (26-24, 25-21), Pleasant Hill (25-10, 25-13) and powerful Lee's Summit Christian (25-11, 25-22) -- the eventual champion. Santa Fe was subdued in the seventh-place match by California, 25-18, 23-25, 25-10...

Prep Grid Round-up/'Hounds pull one out of the fire (10/01/07) BRAYMER -- A gamble which didn't work for Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren in his Super Bowl XXXII loss to Denver paid off Friday for Sweet Springs' Tim Smith. After a blocked extra point following senior Ronnie Hunter's 3-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter left the Greyhounds trailing Homecoming host Braymer by a point, Smith recalled a tactic used by Holmgren while watching the clock tick down towards defeat -- and it sparked a comeback for a 20-14 victory...

Prep Grid Preview/Chiefs challenge No. 6 Concordia (09/27/07) ALMA -- There may not be any special name to the annual clash between I-70 Conference neighbors Santa Fe and Concordia, but its still one of the most notable rivalries in high school football in this region. Up until the Orioles ended a 24-year drought with a 22-6 win at Alma last year, it was a rather lopsided series. The Chiefs are hoping that won't be the start of a trend when they head to sixth-ranked Concordia on Friday...

Volleyball/Santa Fe 2, Wellington 0 (09/26/07) ALMA -- After a three-week absence, the return home was sweet Tuesday for the Santa Fe volleyball team. And the outcome was indeed sweeter, too, for the Lady Chiefs: a 25-13, 25-19 sweep of I-70 Conference foe Wellington-Napoleon (1-8, 0-3 I-70). The last time it played in its own gym, on Sept. 4, Santa Fe was dropped in three sets by Crest Ridge...

Prep Grid Round-up/No. 1 Orrick hands 'Hounds first loss (09/24/07) SWEET SPRINGS -- Senior Taylor Eubank ran for 173 yards and three touchdowns Friday as top-ranked defending I-70 Conference champion Orrick downed No. 9 Sweet Springs, 42-12. The visitors' first two scores were within 57 seconds of each other in the opening period, when Eubank's 36-yard run was followed by a recovered onside kick and a 31-yard Eubank run...

Volleyball/Santa Fe 2, Orrick 1 (09/21/07) ORRICK -- The Santa Fe volleyball team played tenacious back-line defense Thursday to hold off an improved Orrick club which was coming off the Lathrop Tournament championship for a 25-16, 22-25, 25-16 I-70 Conference road win. The Lady Chiefs came up with 67 digs, including 29 by junior Joci Russell and 18 for sophomore Lauren Aversman. Junior Kylie Wagner and freshman Molly Sander led the offense with six kills apiece, with junior Lauren Malan adding five to go along with three aces...

Prep Grid Preview/No. 9 'Hounds face No. 1 Orrick (09/20/07) SWEET SPRINGS -- It may be early in the season, but that doesn't mean there aren't games of import in the fourth week of the high school football schedule. Take Friday's contest at Sweet Springs, where the ninth-ranked Greyhounds host defending I-70 Conference champion Orrick -- the No. 1 team in Class 1...

Volleyball/Santa Fe 2, Norborne 0 (09/18/07) NORBORNE -- Sophomore Lauren Aversman had six kills and eight digs Monday to lead the Santa Fe volleyball team to a 25-7, 25-18 non-conference win at Norborne (4-2). The Lady Chiefs dropped in 12 ace serves on the home team, six by junior Chelsea Geiselman and four for junior Joci Russell. Freshman Molly Sander knocked down four shots and set up nine attacks and junior Kyle Wagner and Russell combined for 13 saves...

Prep Grid Preview/I-70 backyard brawl coming between 'Hounds and Chiefs (09/13/07) SWEET SPRINGS -- Homecoming is a time for celebration, but it won't be much of a party if Sweet Springs suffers its first loss of the season. The Greyhounds play their first I-70 Conference home game Friday against Santa Fe -- which used to dominate the series until 2002, when Sweet Springs captured its first conference crown in 20 years. ...

Lady Chiefs split pair of matches (09/11/07) CONCORDIA -- The Santa Fe volleyball picked up its first win of the season Monday in the first of two matches at the Concordia Triangular. The Lady Chiefs used 19 aces -- six from junior Joci Russell -- to defeat Green Ridge, 22-25, 25-20, 25-11. Freshman Molly Sander had five aces and junior Chelsea Geiselman six...

Prep Grid Round-up/'Hounds open I-70 schedule with win (09/10/07) SWEET SPRINGS -- The Three Amigos are together again in the Sweet Springs backfield, and Blue and Gold boosters are glad to have them. With a combined 284 rushing yards, seniors Chris Dickinson (127 yards), James DeWeese (111) and Ronnie Hunter (46) each scored touchdowns Friday during the Greyhounds' 33-20 I-70 Conference victory at Windsor...

Volleyball/Smithton 2, Santa Fe 1 (09/07/07) SMITHTON -- The new-look Santa Fe volleyball squad is still searching for its first victory following Thursday's 19-25, 25-17, 25-19 non-conference loss at Smithton (4-1). Junior Lauren Malan had seven kills and juniors Joci Russell and Kylie Wagner split 26 digs for the Lady Chiefs during the hard-fought contest. Santa Fe, though, has yet to record a block this season, a year after averaging 1.5 per game...

Prep Grid Preview/Wildcats enter L&C territory (09/06/07) SLATER -- As dangerous as Paris proved itself to be last week with its 21-0 victory over defending Lewis and Clark Conference champion Marceline, at least it isn't Hogan Prep. Slater was glad to have survived its 73-6 drubbing by the seventh-ranked Rams -- which last year lost the MSHSAA Class 2 Show-Me Bowl by eight points to Blair Oaks -- without injuries. The 'Cats will even get all-conference senior Aric Falls back for Friday's home opener against No. 9 Paris, which they beat two years ago...

Volleyball/Crest Ridge 2, Santa Fe 1 (09/05/07) ALMA -- There have been years when the annual post-Labor Day get-together I-70 Conference opener between Santa Fe and Crest Ridge decided the league's regular season championship. That may be less likely this season, considering that both teams went into Tuesday's match at Alma in search of their first victory -- one secured by the Lady Cougars in a hard-fought 25-22, 19-25, 25-16, Crest Ridge (2-1, 1-0 I-70) used six kills and four blocks by junior Lauren Brockhaus to take the win...

Prep Grid Round-up/Upsets rule the day (09/04/07) My, how fortunes can change rapidly in Class 1 high school football. Take, for instance, the happenings in the I-70 and Lewis and Clark Conferences, not the least of which was Sweet Springs' shocking 27-0 upset of seventh-ranked Fayette. Meanwhile, new-look Santa Fe blanked Braymer, a playoff club last year, by a 12-0 margin in new head coach Andy Frerking's homecoming. Even defending L&C champion Marceline took its lumps, receiving a league hit at the hands of Paris, 21-0...

Volleyball/Higginsville 2, Santa Fe 0 (08/31/07) ALMA -- The young Santa Fe volleyball team played Higginsville down to the wire in two sets, but dropped a 25-21, 26-24 home contest in its season opener Thursday. Senior Liz Hinz and junior Kylie Wagner each had four kills, with Wagner coming up with eight digs for the Lady Chiefs. Although Santa Fe's defense came up with 28 saves, including six by junior Joci Russell, it wasn't able to block a shot offered by the Lady Huskers (2-0)...

Prep Grid Preview/Hogan Prep tall order for 'Cats (08/30/07) SLATER -- If Slater head football coach Tom Doherty is "anxious" about Saturday's season opener against Hogan Prep at Kansas City, there's a good reason why. "I think we know we're facing pretty tough competition," Doherty admitted. Doherty's concern comes from recalling last year's 41-6 home loss -- which began what would be an 0-10 season for the Wildcats -- but also the Rams' run to the MSHSAA Class 2 championship game, in which Hogan Prep lost a 32-24 decision to defending champion Blair Oaks.. ...

Fall '07 Prep Preview … SFHS Volleyball/Lady Chiefs begin new era (08/29/07) ALMA -- There's "a lot of new" surrounding the Santa Fe volleyball program this season, in the eyes of head coach Stacy Thomas. The Lady Chiefs will have to replace five players in the seven-man rotation which brought them three straight trips to the MSHSAA Class 1 Championships, finishing second for the second year in a row last fall with a 29-27, 20-25, 25-15 loss to Winona. ...

2007 MSSA All-State Baseball (06/27/07) Class 1 First Team Pitchers -- Tyler Abma, Soph., Miller; Nathan Grass, Sr., SteG-Valle Catholic; Cory Kyle, Jr., Stoutland; Scott Sory, Jr., New Haven Catchers -- KENZIE THORP, JR, SANTA FE; Caleb Sayer, Jr., Oran Infielders -- Ethan Baker, Jr., Canton; Curtiss Bunch, Soph., LaPlata; Jake Campbell, Sr., Jamestown; Daniel McMahon, Jr., Knox Co.; Trenton Moses, Sr., Advance...

Kirchhoff named to MHSBCA all-state squad (06/25/07) Pitcher Logan Kirchhoff was the only player chosen from Santa Fe for the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association's 2007 Class 1 all-state team as an honorable mention selection. Kirchhoff, a sophomore right-hander, posted a 7-2 record and 2.40 earned-run average, completing seven of nine starts among his 11 appearances on the mound. In 61-plus innings of work, he struck out 81 batters and walked 26, allowing only 1.19 walks and hits per innings pitched...

Kirchhoff named to coaches' all-state team (06/22/07) Pitcher Logan Kirchhoff was the only player chosen from Santa Fe for the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association's 2007 Class 1 all-state team as an honorable mention selection. Kirchhoff, a sophomore right-hander, posted a 7-2 record and 2.40 earned-run average, completing seven of nine starts among his 11 appearances on the mound. In 61-plus innings of work, he struck out 81 batters and walked 26, allowing only 1.19 walks and hits per innings pitched...

Chiefs settle for fourth place at MSHSAA (06/01/07) SPRINGFIELD -- The MSHSAA Class 1 Championships at Springfield this week didn't produce the most pleasant of memories for the Santa Fe baseball team, nor was it how it would like to be remembered. However, the Chiefs still accomplished much to become the first team since the program began nine years ago to get to the state tourney, especially since they didn't have a senior on the roster. ...

Stoutland walks off with win over Chiefs (05/31/07) SPRINGFIELD -- When Thomas Paine wrote that "these are the times which try men's souls," he wasn't referring to the final three innings of the MSHSAA Class 1 Baseball Championships semifinal game at Springfield -- but he might as well have been, as far as Santa Fe's concerned...

Unfamiliar turf awaits Chiefs (05/30/07) ALMA -- Life doesn't often present second chances, but the Stoutland baseball team has been afforded such an opportunity. The Tigers lost to Sacred Heart, 11-4, in the finals of the MSHSAA Class 1 Championships a year ago, but have returned this season in hopes of capturing its first title...

Chiefs join ranks of state's elite (05/29/07) ARCHIE -- It took nine years and three near-misses, but the Santa Fe baseball program has finally reached the promised land. The Chiefs held off host Archie, 7-6, Friday for its first quarterfinal victory in four tries -- the last being two years ago with a 5-4 loss to the defending state champion Whirlwinds -- and a berth in the MSHSAA Class 1 Championships this week at Springfield...

Chiefs at Archie in '05 playoff rematch (05/25/07) ALMA -- One might have envied new coach Paul Fletcher when he took over the Archie baseball season last year. A club with eight seniors was coming off back-to-back appearances in the state finals, winning in 2004. However, it didn't work out as expected. Despite a 20-win season, a 6-0 loss in the sectional to a good Leeton team made matters, in Fletcher's words, "a little difficult."...

Chiefs move on to state quarterfinals (05/24/07) ALMA -- Things got a little hairy Wednesday for the Santa Fe baseball team on its way to the MSHSAA Class 1 Quarterfinals. The Chiefs were rolling along, leading visiting Wellington-Napoleon by five runs, with sophomore right-hander Taylor Wesley taking a no-hitter into the top of the seventh inning. It took 24 pitches before Wesley could set down the Tigers, with the tying run in scoring position and their big slugger on deck, and hang on to a 5-4 sectional win...

Chiefs seek to maintain edge on Well-Nap (05/23/07) ALMA -- The Santa Fe baseball team today will test the sports maxim that it's hard to beat a good team three times in a season. When the Chiefs downed Wellington-Napoleon -- their guest in the MSHSAA Class 1 Sectional -- in back-to-back contests, 7-2 and 9-1, it was the beginning of a six-game losing streak for the Tigers. During the first five games of that stretch, Wellington only scored six runs...

Chiefs claim fourth district championship (05/21/07) CONCORDIA -- Santa Fe junior Kenzie Thorp has been through this before, but may not have expected it to happen again so quickly. Two years ago, the freshman was the only underclassman in the starting line-up as the Chiefs reached the Class 1 quarterfinals before dropping a 5-4 decision at defending state champion Archie. ...

Wright's gold leads area all-staters (05/21/07) JEFFERSON CITY -- A year ago, Santa Fe's Cassie Wright made a forgettable appearance at the MSHSAA Class 1 Track and Field Championships in Jefferson City. On Saturday, the Lady Chiefs' lone entry had a moment she will remember forever -- standing on the top of the podium to receive a gold medal in the discus...

Chiefs blow into district finals (05/18/07) CONCORDIA -- During the 10-year life of the Santa Fe baseball program, the road to the playoffs has usually led through Hughesville. For the seventh time, such was the case Thursday in the semifinal round of the Class 1, District 15 Tournament at Concordia, although the path wasn't as typically rugged -- the Chiefs cruising to a 10-2 victory over Northwest, which had won four of the previous six meetings...

I-70 Softball Tournament/Lady Chiefs claim sixth conference title (05/15/07) Santa Fe senior Sarah Christopherson had one more game left in her right arm, the soreness of which had kept her off the mound for nearly a month. The Missouri Valley College recruit tossed a four-hit shutout, her third of the season and the sixth in her career, as the Lady Chiefs won the championship game of the weather-delayed I-70 Conference Softball Tournament at Concordia -- beating Sweet Springs, 5-0, for their sixth title...

Class 1, District 15 Baseball/Chiefs romp; 'Cats, 'Hounds finished (05/15/07) CONCORDIA -- The top-seeded Santa Fe baseball team had no problem disposing of No. 8 Slater in the first round of the Class 1, District 15 Tournament at Concordia, rolling to a 26-4, five-inning blowout Monday. Earlier, No. 7 Sweet Springs lost a 9-3 decision to second seed Pilot Grove to see its season end...

Saline area teams qualify 21 for state (05/14/07) No matter what happens this week, Slater senior Craig Anderson may long and fondly remember Saturday's Class 1, Section 3 Track and Field Championships at Marshall. Anderson won two gold medals, including the 100-meter dash (11.44 seconds), and qualified for the state meet in four events. ...

Baseball/Rain spoils Chiefs' threat (05/11/07) GREEN RIDGE -- The Santa Fe baseball team was threatening to tie its game at Green Ridge in the top of the seventh inning Thursday, but the weather did more than that. Trailing 2-1, the Chiefs put runners on base with one-out singles by sophomores Max Capps and Ben Catlett before rain deluged the field to end the game -- with six innings completed, going down officially as a loss...

'Cats back on top of track district (05/07/07) Santa Fe's bid for a third straight boys' track and field crown in the Class 1, District 5 Championships at Marshall was derailed Saturday by Slater, which had won the title in 2004 before the Chiefs' run. The Wildcats won five events and qualified 13 entries for the sectional meet, to be held Saturday at Marshall -- a change in the MSHSAA format, which had previously dispensed with a second pre-state level for the small schools...

Santa Fe's Christopherson signs with MVC (05/03/07) ALMA -- Santa Fe senior Sarah Christopherson is hoping to continue her softball career, signing an NAIA letter-of-intent last week with Missouri Valley College. Christopherson has been the Lady Chiefs' No. 1 pitcher since her first game as a freshman, posting a 29-14 record with a 1.87 earned-run average in 44 career starts. ...

Chiefs finish in fifth place (04/30/07)