St.
Joseph health officials report three additional coronavirus-related deaths,
more than 250 new cases, and a spike in the Buchanan County positivity rate.

The
St. Joseph Health Department reports a woman in her 70’s as well as a man and a
woman in their 60’s have died after contracting COVID-19. Buchanan County has
recorded 228 deaths since the pandemic began. The health department, in its
first official report since last Thursday, reports 253 new COVID-19 cases; 92
on Friday and 161 cumulatively from the weekend and Monday.

The
Buchanan County positivity rate has jumped 4.73% to 14.55% in a week.

Mosaic
Life Care reports it is treating 48 COVID-19 patients in its system with 39
being treated at the St. Joseph hospital and nine being treated in Maryville.

St. Joseph records 3 more COVID-19 deaths as positivity rate spikes

A group of House lawmakers last week introduced the CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act. The legislation will establish federal standards for CBD food and beverage products to protect consumers and provide marketplace stability for farmers and retailers. 

New York Democrat Kathleen Rice led the effort and says, “the lack of federal regulation surrounding CBD products has put consumers at risk and left businesses looking for clarity.” 

The bipartisan CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act would allow FDA to regulate CBD as it would any other food ingredient and subject the products to enforceable safeguards to ensure accountability. 

It also charges the agency with establishing CBD content limits and packaging and labeling requirements, and determining in which categories of food CBD is appropriate for use. The bill will help distinguish responsible players from bad actors that ignore federal requirements for quality, manufacturing, labeling, and claims, and bring safety and clarity to the market.

House lawmakers introduce CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act

While the U.S. and global economies have continued to grow, the pace has slowed over the second half of 2021. But in the construction and agriculture equipment industries, stronger-than-expected growth this year has many manufacturers feeling optimistic about 2022. 

According to results from AEM’s fall member survey, more than 80 percent of AEM members anticipate rising demand for construction and agriculture equipment over the next year. 

Roughly 65 percent think demand for ag equipment will be above normal, while 44 percent think demand for construction equipment will be above normal. Manufacturers face some headwinds, though, including labor, supply chain issues and widespread inflation. 

However, roughly 58 percent in the construction segment and 44 percent in the agriculture segment think the global economy will recover within the next year. Farmers have been taking advantage of their good financial position to invest in new equipment. In 2022, AEM members feel that most key ag equipment categories will see growth similar to this year.

AEM reports optimism for construction and ag in 2022

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service mails the National Agricultural Classification Survey this month. The survey goes to more than a million potential U.S. agricultural producers, in preparation for the 2022 Census of Agriculture. 

The survey will ask recipients if they are involved in agricultural activity and for basic farm information. Response to the survey is required by law for all who receive the questionnaire, even if the recipient is not an active farmer or rancher. 

USDA defines a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products are produced and sold, or are normally sold, during the year. The definition was first used for the 1974 Census of Agriculture and is consistent across USDA surveys. 

Census and Survey Division Director Barbara Rater says the survey “is one of the most important early steps to determine who should receive next year’s Census of Agriculture.” Questionnaires can be completed online or by mail. The response deadline is January 24.

USDA to begin National Agricultural Classification Survey

The USDA is investing $633 million to reduce the impacts of climate change on rural communities. 

“Rural America is on the front lines of climate change, and our communities deserve investments that will strengthen all of our resilience,” says Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This investment will create a roadmap on how we can tackle the climate crisis and expand access to renewable energy infrastructure. At the same time, we’ll create good-paying jobs and save people money on their energy costs.” 

The funding will help people in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Vilsack says the investments will help build and improve rural electric infrastructure and connect residents to affordable and dependable power. 

“The investments will help agricultural producers and rural small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements,” Vilsack adds. 

During the announcement, Vilsack highlighted 791 investments that USDA is making to help people and businesses in rural areas.

USDA investing $633 Million for Rural Climate-Smart Infrastructure

Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow and longtime committee member John Thune applauded the USDA announcement on prevented planting acres. 

The Risk Management Agency is implementing their recommendation to remove the arbitrary November 1 restriction for harvesting or grazing cover crops on prevented plant acres. The announcement gives greater flexibility to producers in northern areas of the U.S. 

“USDA will now encourage more cover cropping by making sure farmers don’t face a crop insurance penalty when extreme weather causes them to miss the planting season,” Stabenow says. “That means healthier soils, less erosion, and better capacity to capture carbon.” 

Thune also says he’s been a staunch advocate for this change for years. “Congress and this administration must support producers who use cover crops by working to remove the arbitrary barriers to ensure their success,” he says. Stabenow and Thune have worked together for several years to get the November 1 restriction removed.

Producers get more flexibility on Prevented Planting Acres

The Biden administration plans to issue its proposals on how much biofuel refiners have to blend into the nation’s fuel supply for this year and 2022. 

Sources familiar with the discussions say officials are reaching out to lawmakers to talk about the move that could come within days. The administration delayed the 2021 blending obligations by over a year and missed a deadline to finalize the 2022 obligations last week. A source told Reuters that the Environmental Protection Agency has told at least two Democratic lawmakers to expect retroactively lower volumes for 2021 and 2022. 

The oil and biofuel industries have both called for the EPA to announce the proposals, saying the delays are creating uncertainty in the fuel market. The delays came as COVID-19 continued to push fuel demand to low levels and while Democratic lawmakers focused attention on other legislation. 

Officials in the EPA, which oversees the mandates, declined to give specifics on the timing of the announcement.

Biofuel Blending Proposals coming in days

A dramatic rise in fertilizer prices weighs heavily on U.S. crop farmers and input suppliers as they prepare for the 2022 planting season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Prices for nitrogen-based fertilizers commonly used for corn production have skyrocketed to all-time highs in recent months. 

Fertilizer price increases are driven by nitrogen production challenges, tight global supplies, rising natural gas costs and steady demand. 

According to a new report from CoBank's Knowledge Exchange, fertilizer prices are expected to remain elevated for at least the next six months and throughout the 2022 spring agronomy season. 

The report also suggests that while U.S. soybean acres will rise nominally compared to 2021 because of higher fertilizer prices, the total volume of soybean acres will not exceed corn acres in 2022. 

U.S. crop farmers and farm supply cooperatives are facing operational anxiety heading into 2022, driven by high fuel prices, shortages of agrochemicals due to COVID-related disruptions and, most importantly, the rise in fertilizer prices.

High fertilizer costs to extend into spring planting

The Department of Agriculture Thursday announced improvements to crop insurance for hemp. USDA’s Risk Management Agency is adding flexibilities around how producers work with processors as well as improving consistency with the most recent USDA hemp regulation. 

RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger says, “RMA has worked to expand and refine our offerings to be responsive and dynamic.” RMA revised the policy to add flexibility to the insurability requirements for hemp under contract. 

Producers are no longer required to deliver hemp without economic value for insurability. However, contracts between producers and processors may still include delivery requirements. Additionally, RMA clarified how the amount of insurable acreage is determined if the processor contract specifies both an acreage and a production amount. 

The change was made in the policy to ensure producers know how their insurable acreage is determined for those contracts. To ensure consistency, RMA updated references to regulations, including the Agriculture Marketing Service final rule, which took effect March 22, 2021.

USDA improves crop insurance for hemp producers

United Airlines flew more than 100 passengers to Washington, D.C. this week on a plane with one engine running on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel. 

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 used 500 gallons of sustainable aviation fuel in one engine and the same amount of conventional jet fuel in the other engine to further prove there are no operational differences between the two. 

Also, Federal Aviation Administration regulations limit the use of sustainable aviation fuel to 50 percent of all fuel on board. 

Sustainable aviation fuel is made with non-petroleum feedstocks, such as biomass from plants, animal waste fat, solid waste from homes such as paper and food scraps and even used cooking oil, according to oil industry company BP. 

United recently agreed to purchase 1.5 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel from Alder Fuels - enough to fly more than 57 million passengers and is also an investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy.

United plane flies one engine on 100% sustainable aviation fuel

USDA’s Economic Research Service updated farm sector profit projections Wednesday, which are expected to increase in 2021. ERS forecasts inflation-adjusted net cash farm income, which is gross cash income minus cash expenses, to increase $12.6 billion to $133 billion. 

U.S. net farm income is forecast to increase by $18.4 billion from 2020 to $116.8 billion in 2021. Net farm income is a broader measure of farm sector profitability that incorporates noncash items, including changes in inventories, economic depreciation, and gross rental income. 

At that level, net farm income would be 24.2 percent above its 2000–2020 average of $94 billion and the highest since 2013. Inflation-adjusted net cash farm income would be 16.9 percent above its 2000–2020 average of $113.8 billion and the highest since 2014. 

Production expenses are expected to grow by $16.3 billion during the same period, somewhat moderating income growth. Additionally, direct government payments to farmers are projected to fall by $20.2 billion in 2021.

USDA updates 2021 farm income forecast

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest.

Just after 8:30a.m. Monday, officers responded to the 1500 block South 8th Street in Atchison to investigate reported trespassing, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Officers located a suspect later identified as 27-year-old Jason C. Price of Atchison several blocks.

Price ran from officers. He was apprehended in the 1000 block South 7th and he was in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to Wilson.

Price is jailed on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; Price has been jailed in Atchison on a variety of charges over a dozen times in the past ten years, according to online jail records. He has previous convictions that include theft, burglary, criminal damage to property and attempt to flee and elude law enforcement, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Police arrest Kansas felon again after reported trespassing

Two adults are dead after a structure fire south of Gower Tuesday morning.

The Clinton County Sheriff's Office began receiving multiple 911 calls about the fire just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Gower and Plattsburg Fire, along with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Tri-County Ambulance were dispatched to the scene. Crews discovered two adults victims who perished at the scene, along with several small animals.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The identification of the victims has not yet been released.

Two people dead after structure fire south of Gower Tuesday morning

A dean from the University of South Carolina Upstate has been
appointed provost and vice president of academic affairs at Missouri Western
State University.

Laura Reynolds will not become provost until the middle of
next year, July 5th.

Reynolds currently is dean of the College of Education, Human Performance, and Health at the
University of South Carolina Upstate.

“I am
confident that Laura’s combination of experience, skills and enthusiasm will be
a tremendous asset for Missouri Western as she leads Academic Affairs,” MWSU
President Elizabeth Kennedy said in a written statement released by the
university. “She will ably lead the implementation of our new Master Academic
Plan and Academic Program Review, will expand our commitment to our applied
learning mission, and will help us identify programs and strategies to continue
meeting the workforce needs of the region we serve.”

Reynolds
has been at USC Upstate since 2018. Previously, she served as a faculty member
and administrator at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

"I
am honored to be joining Missouri Western, and am excited to contribute to the
impact it has on the lives of students as well as the region and state," Reynolds
said in a written statement. "The faculty and staff at MWSU are passionate
about the students and community they serve, and the impact on students is
evident. I believe the applied learning mission of Missouri Western, combined
with the commitment of faculty and staff and excellent strategic and academic
planning create even greater opportunities to support the success of
students."

The
provost and vice president of academic affairs is Missouri Western’s chief
academic officer, overseeing the College of Business and Professional Studies,
College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Health, Graduate School, and a
number of academic support units.

Reynolds will
succeed Marc Manganaro, who has served as interim provost since July 1st,
following the retirement of Douglas Davenport.

South Carolina dean chosen as new MWSU provost

HARRISON COUNTY —A St. Joseph man was injured in an accident just before 11p.m. Monday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Chevy Tahoe driven by&nbsp; Tyler J. Travis, 39, St. Joseph, was northbound on MO 13 four miles south of Bethany.

The vehicle traveled off the east side of the road and the driver overcorrected. The SUV traveled back across and off the west side of the highway.

NTA ambulance transported Travis to Harrison County Community Hospital. The MSHP did not have seat belt usage information.

St. Joseph man injured after SUV travels off highway

CLINTON COUNTY—A boy was injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Monday in Gower.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Silverado driven by Steven A. Kline, 39, Agency, was westbound in the parking lot at 100 Smith Street,&nbsp;East Buchanan Elementary school, in Gower.

A 10-year-old boy from Gower who was leaving school, walking south across the parking lot struck the right front of the pickup. The pickup tire ran over the boy's foot.

Tri-County EMS transported the boy to Mosaic Life Care for treatment of a minor injury. The MSHP released no additional details.

10-year-old injured after accident in school parking lot

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug charges in connection with two recent investigation.

Just after 10a.m. Saturday, police arrested Allison R. Blakley, 25, Atchison, in the 700 block Kansas Avenue. She is being held due to a District Court warrant for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, interference with law enforcement, and criminal damage to property, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

This warrant was associated with a case officers investigated&nbsp; on November 15 when a police officer on patrol observed Blakley, known to have active warrants for her arrest, as a passenger in a vehicle near 10th and U.S. 59 in Atchison.

The officer stopped the vehicle in the 1000 block U.S.59. Blakley got out of the vehicle and ran to a wooded area north of U.S. 59. She was apprehended and the subsequent investigation that followed led to the recovery of methamphetamine. During the warrant arrest on Saturday officers found Blakley to be in possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia resulting in additional charges.

Since February 0f 2019, police have arrested her four time for failure to appear, according to online jail records.

Kansas woman hid in wooded area before arrest on drug warrant

HOLT COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Sunday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Ford F150 driven by Wyman R. Mather, 73, Weeping Water, Nebraska, was northbound in the driving lane on Interstate 29 three miles south of Mound City.

The Ford's towed unit became unattached but the safety chain remained attached. As the Ford swerved into the passing lane, a northbound 2017 Honda Accord driven by Terry J. Wilson, 54, Bellvue, Nebraska, struck the rear drivers side door of the pickup. Both vehicles traveled off the road.&nbsp;

The Ford pickup struck an embankment an overturned. The Honda came to rest on the undercarriage of the Ford.

Atchison-Holt ambulance transported Mather to Mosaic Life Care. Wilson was not injured.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Man hospitalized  in St. Joe after car lands on undercarriage of pickup

Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Esther George says
the Midwest regional economy is strong right now, coming out of the
restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. 

“So, our regional economy tends to track the nation pretty
closely,” George says. “We actually have lower unemployment than the nation as
a whole, so we have tighter labor markets in this part of the country. The ag
economy, which is really dominant here, is doing very well right now.”

George says the regional economy is a bit stronger than the
national economy, helped in large part by a stronger agricultural economy.

“So after five or six years of low farm incomes, we now hear
farmers much more optimistic with commodity prices where they are,” according
to George. “They’re starting to recognize, though, that inflation is pushing
their input costs.”

George says the biggest thing holding back both farmers and business
owners in the Midwest is the tight labor market and supply shortages.

“On the whole, this region looks pretty good. I think like the
nation, though, they’re looking for labor, they’re looking for supplies to ease
up so that they can meet the demand that they have right now.”

KC Fed Chief:  regional economy shows strength

A 55-year-old woman died in a tree-cutting accident in
Livingston County Saturday.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies responded to a
call shortly before noon Saturday in the 4000 block of Livingston County Road 424
and found a woman who had been struck by a falling tree. The investigation revealed
the woman had been cutting down the tree with a chainsaw when it fell and
struck her.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reports Chillicothe
Department of Emergency Services responders took the woman to Hedrick Medical
Center in Chillicothe where she was pronounced dead.

The office reports Missouri
Conservation Agent Caleb Pryor was the first emergency responder on the scene
and assisted the Emergency Medical crew and Deputy Jennifer Plummer.

55-year-old woman killed in tree cutting accident in Livingston County

ATCHISON COUNTY—A Kansas man was injured in an accident Just after 4:30p.m. Saturday in Atchison County.

According to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson, a&nbsp;pickup truck owned by Glen Parrott, Atchison, rolled from a stopped position in the 1100 block Commercial Street in Atchison and struck a parked vehicle.

 Parrott was in the cargo area of the pickup at the time it began rolling forward. He was injured as he jumped from the truck in an attempt to get it stopped. A private vehicle transported him to a local hospital for treatment, according to Wilson.&nbsp;

Kan. man injured after jump from rolling pickup before crash

Benton senior and volleyball standout Alyia Stillman signed her national letter of intent Tuesday to play volleyball at Mid America Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas.

Stillman finished her four-year Benton career with over 1,000 career kills, and was part of three winning seasons, including a 16-15-1 record this past fall.

Stillman was part of a Cardinal squad that won six of its last eight matches before coming up short in four sets against Smithville in district semifinals.

Stillman says the chance to continue her playing career beyond the varsity level means everything.

"I am over the top excited," Stillman said. "I just feel so blessed to have this opportunity to be pursuing this far in my career. I'm excited, and I hope it goes further than the collegiate level. I'm really looking forward to it."

For Stillman, the dream to play college volleyball started back in grade school.

"I've had this dream since sixth grade," she said, "that this could go to the next level. I didn't have a single doubt about that - as long as I work hard enough, I could get to where I want to be."

A variety of things drew Stillman to MNU, but particularly the energy of third-year head coach Molly Karagyaurov, who was present at Tuesday's signing.

"She just has so much passion for the game," Stillman said of&nbsp;Karagyaurov. "That makes it so much more fun to play and to be around and to be with, and I just love it."

Stillman also credits first-year Benton head coach Lauryn Doolan, who was promoted to that position in the spring after three years as an assistant with the Cardinals.

"Lauryn was amazing," Stillman said. "She transitioned very well and she knew what she was talking about and how to talk to us and push us even harder. That's what really made it an amazing season this year."

Mid America Nazarene competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference at the NAIA level. Stillman played primarily outside hitter for the Cardinals, and will start out at the defensive specialist position for the Pioneers.

Also signing NLIs Tuesday were St. Joseph Central’s Chloe Bell for North Central Missouri softball, and Savannah’s Kaylence Cook, who also signed for North Central Missouri softball.

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Benton's Alyia Stillman signs NLI to Mid America Nazarene volleyball

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Chiefs' Andy Reid is an offensive-minded coach to his core, so the Kansas City defense must have done something special against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night for him to call its performance “beautiful.”

Three turnovers. Three fourth-down stops. One pick-6 to seal a fifth straight win.

“It was just beautiful to watch,” Reid gushed after the 22-9 victory in chilly Arrowhead Stadium Sunday, which kept Kansas City in first place in the AFC West as it chases a sixth consecutive division crown.

Patrick Mahomes had just 184 yards passing with a touchdown run and an interception, and his receiving corps dropped so many passes he probably thought the ball was greased. But despite the Chiefs (8-4) gaining 257 yards of total offense, they managed to keep a one-game lead on the Chargers thanks to the other side of the ball.

“Mostly it's been about a commitment to each other, believing in each other, not letting outside noise dictate what we feel,” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said. “It's been a total team effort to stay committed to each other.”

Things went haywire for the Broncos early in the game, when a 20-play drive ended with a failed fourth-down play rather than an easy field goal. And they didn't get much better when Teddy Bridgewater threw a pair of second-half interceptions, including the one that Daniel Sorensen returned 75 yards for a score with 9 1/2 minutes left to put the game away.

“We moved the ball well in certain areas, certain times of the game. Guys stepped up and made plays,” Bridgewater said. “But when you give them opportunities and you don't maximize your opportunities, it's a recipe to get beat.”

Bridgewater was held to 257 yards passing for the Broncos (6-6), who have lost 12 in a row to their longtime rival dating to the 2015 season. Javonte Williams started in place of injured running back Melvin Gordon III and had 102 yards rushing along with a touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter.

“The loss makes you feel empty no matter what," Broncos coach Vic Fangio said.

The Chiefs must have spent their bye working on their opening offensive script, because they effortlessly flew downfield for a touchdown. They even overcame an offensive pass-interference call before Mahomes scampered for the score.

After the Chiefs forced a second consecutive three-and-out, Harrison Butker made a 56-yard field goal.

That was just about the last anyone saw of Mahomes and Co. for a while.

The Broncos answered with a field goal of their own. Then, after forcing a quick punt, they embarked on a 20-play odyssey that carried them 83 yards and chewed up nearly 12 minutes of the second quarter — and resulted in no points.

Denver twice converted on fourth down to keep the drive alive, then went for the hat trick on fourth-and-2 at the Kansas City 8. Williams took the handoff and was stuffed by linebacker Willie Gay Jr. for a turnover on downs, the first time since 2009 that a 20-play driving lasting at least 11 minutes didn't result in points.

“Frustrating. That's all I can really say,” Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton said. “It would be nice to get points.”

That wasn't the end of the Broncos' woes. They went three-and-out on their first drive of the second half, Bridgewater was picked off by Juan Thornhill on their next, and Caden Sterns ran into returner Diontae Spencer after forcing Kansas City to punt; the Chiefs managed to hop on the muff for a fresh set of downs.

Butker hit his third field goal a few minutes later, extending the lead to 16-3 with 13 1/2 minutes to go, and Sorensen tacked on his pick-6 to put the game out of reach.

“It's tough to win in this league,” said Reid, who improved to 20-3 coming off a bye, including 7-2 since his arrival in Kansas City. “And to have that opportunity against a good football team, we'll feel good about ourselves for a minute here until we get ourselves ready for the Raiders come Tuesday.”

The Chiefs stay home to host another divisional rival, the Las Vegas Raiders, on Sunday. Kickoff is set for noon central. The game will be carried on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3) and Q Country 92.7 FM in St. Joseph.

The Chiefs beat the Raiders in Vegas earlier this season, 41-14, on November 14.

Kansas City leans on defense in Denver victory Sunday, Chiefs win their fifth straight

Columbia, Mo- For the first time in program history, the East Buchanan Bulldogs football team has won the state championship.

East Buchanan faced the Marceline Tigers in the Class One State Show Me Bowl Championship, coming out on top 21-7, earning head coach Dan Ritter, in just his second year, a state championship.

"It goes back to the beginning of the season, we brought all these guys in and we talked about what we could accomplish this year," Ritter said to reporters after the game. "And they believed it and they finished the job, and I think it's redemption for a lot of people."

East Buchanan compiled 330 total yards of offense, most of those yards coming from their ground game (233), led by Sophomore Trevor Klein (28 carries for 169 yards, 2 TDs) and Senior Cru Conaway (17 carries for 68 yards, 1 TD).

East Buchanan forced a quick three and out to start the game, and then worked their way methodically down the field on a 14 play drive that went 67 yards, consuming almost seven minutes of the clock, before Trevor Klein got his first score, rushing in from five yards out.

"We ate pretty much the entire first quarter up just pounding the rock, we got a couple penalties but it didn't matter, we still got it in there," Ritter says. "And yeah, that has to be a back breaker for the other team, just having those good defensive blitzes but they couldn't quite get it done."

The Bulldogs would add one more score in the first half.  Runs of five and 15 yards from Cru Conaway would put East Buchanan at the Marceline one yard line, where they once again put it in Conaways hands for him to take it in from one yard out.  The Bulldogs led 14-0 at halftime.

Marceline would come out agressive to start the second half, attempting an onside kick which was recovered by East Buchanan, and after seven plays Klein would find the endzone again, fighting his way through defenders, from eight yards out.

Marceline was unable to get their run game going after rushing for 146 yards against Hayti, the Bulldogs were able to hold the Tigers to 67 yards, most of those coming from senior Hunter Nelson.

With the score 21-0 in the third quarter, the Tigers weren't done yet, as Nelson scored their only touchdown of the game, rushing in from one yard out, after the Tigers were led downfield by Senior quarterback Jacob Stallo and senior wide receiver Wyatt Molloy.

The Bulldogs end the season now with a 14-1 record, marking the end of the road for six seniors, including quarterback Conner Musser.

"All of us (everyone on the team) are all overwhelmed with joy, and I know everyone in our community is too," Musser says. "I figured I'd be crying right now just out of pure excitement, but we're all really happy, I'm sure my football career will probably set in here in a couple days, and realize it's all over, but in second grade we ended up winning our league championship and to go out as champions just as we came in is really something special for us."

East Buchanan wins state championship against Marceline

Columbia- For the first time in the history of the East Buchanan football program, the Bulldogs have brought home a state championship.

The Bulldogs took on the Marceline Tigers on Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium and took a 14-0 lead into halftime, scoring one more and only allowing one second half touchdown to down the Tigers 21-7.

East Buchanan compiled 330 total offensive yards, most of those coming from their ground game (233) which was led by Sophomore Trevor Klein (28 carries for 169 yards, 2 TDs) and Senior Cru Conaway (16 carries for 68 yards, 1 TD)

Stay tuned here for updates and a more detailed breakdown.

East Buchanan takes down Marceline to bring home first state title in program history

GOWER - It's starting to sink in a little bit.

On Wednesday, the first day of December, the East Buchanan football team was still practicing, getting ready for yet another game.

This time, it's the Class 1 state football championship at Faurot Field on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, where the Bulldogs (13-1) face Marceline (12-1) on Saturday at 3 p.m.

"Every day, it seems like more and more people come up to me and ask, am I ready for the big game?" senior quarterback Conner Musser said. "I tell them every time, 'Yeah, we are.' Just the way we've been on a role these last couple of weeks, just continuing to get better at practice and leading up to that big day...we're getting really hyped around here."

Wednesday would be the next-to-last practice of the season on the game field in Gower before the team departs on Friday.

For senior linemen Caleb McCartney and Trevor Rush, and the four other seniors on the roster, it's starting to sink in - these are the last practices. The last game of their high school football career.

"I mean, it's kind of like our Super Bowl," McCartney said. "Senior year, get to go to a state championship. Can't ask for much more than that."

"It's one of the best feelings ever," Rush admitted. "I mean, it's sad to see that it's our last game ever as brothers. We're doing our final practices, we're playing our final game. But then again, it's one of the best feelings there's ever been."

East Buchanan, winner of three district championships since 2014, finds itself back in a state football title game for just the second time in history and for the first time since 2004. It's been 17 years since the Bulldogs fell, 21-0, in their lone championship game appearance against St. Vincent.

Now, after winning a state-semifinal game for just the second time in program history this past Saturday, the 2021 Bulldogs are excited for their opportunity to give their school its first football title.

"I've never been anywhere near being as successful as this team has been," second year head coach Dan Ritter said. "So, we're just living it up and we're enjoying it, but we know we have to get to work if we want to go one step further. So, we're not taking it lightly and we're making sure we put in the time."

East Buchanan faces a Marceline team that's won three consecutive district titles and has been to four total state championship games - their lone win coming in 1986. Their last trip to the Show Me Bowl was 2013.

The Bulldogs and Tigers have met before - in the 2004 state quarterfinals. East Buchanan won that meeting handily on the road, 31-7.

Fast forward to 2021, and the Bulldogs expect a whale of a fight from a team seeking its first championship in 35 years, and a team that's won 10 straight.

"I mean, they're just stacked all the way around," Ritter said of Marceline, "with good quality Class 1 football players. And, if we're going to be able to compete with that, we better bring our A-game, because we know that they're good. They've got a quarterback that can fling the ball around. They've got defenders all over the field with a lot of good speed."

Marceline beat previously unbeaten Hayti, 31-30, in their state semifinal game on Saturday. The Tigers are led by senior quarterback Jacob Stallo, who's thrown for 1,964 yards and 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.

Stallo is also a threat to run the ball, racking up 488 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. Senior running back Hunter Nelson has been a work horse in the backfield, rushing for 1,347 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Nelson also leads the team with 100 tackles on defense, including 13.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. While coach Ritter believes his team will match up well with the Tigers, it's Marceline's ability to win close games as of late that stands out to him.

Marceline has won their last three games by a combined eight points, including back-to-back, one-point victories in their last two contests.

"I sure know they know how to win," Ritter said. "And they definitely know how to win close games. The fact that they won the last three games by a grand total of eight points tells you that they know how to win close games. So, if we want to take care of business, we're going to have to win one of those close games on Saturday."

The last time East Buchanan football was in a state championship game, most of this current team wasn't born yet. The last time the Bulldogs made a semifinal, the players were in middle school.

Now, in 2021, after being, perhaps, written off at times with an early October loss at Mid-Buchanan and a No. 3 seeding in the Class 1 District 8 bracket, the Bulldogs have reeled off seven straight wins and have made history by simply getting back to this big stage.

While the top priority is to win, there's something else East Buchanan's team wants to make sure they do. Particularly, those six seniors.

Andrew Mead, an all-district receiver from the 2004 state runner-up team, actually found Conner Musser after the Bulldogs' win over Thayer last week, and reminded him to do just that.

"After our win last week, (Mead) came up to me and he's like, 'Yeah. Soak this all in, because once it's gone it's going to be gone forever. Be the last one out here and cherish these memories, because you'll remember them for the rest of your life."

East Buchanan eyes history as Bulldogs head to Columbia for Class 1 title game

It was another busy night of tournament play for area high school basketball teams.

Girls’ basketball Mound City invitational - Mound City 27 Rock Port 16.

Platte Valley invite - Stewartsville-Osborn 59 Union Star 44, Nodaway Valley 52 Northeast Nodaway 26.

Savannah tournament - Chillicothe 52 Maryville 35, Smithville 56 Savannah 28.

Winnetonka Invitational - Raymore-Peculiar 52 Lafayette 39.

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