FAUCETT - Six months ago, it wasn't exactly clear how many high school sports could play, and for how long.

Wrestling, especially. How can such a high-contact sport, which builds its season around multi-team tournaments and traveling, go on in the midst of a pandemic?

"There was some time of worry in November," Mid-Buchanan head wrestling coach Daniel Kountz said, when local hospitalizations peaked and the statewide positivity rate was near 25 percent.

"We thought we were going to get shut down any minute."

Competing in smaller tournaments and duals with almost no spectators present, the elimination of handshakes, the increased cleaning and the enforcement of mask wearing off the mats helped the 2020-21 wrestling season transpire without major incident.

"We tried to just kind of take care of ourselves and do our thing and protect ourselves," Kountz said. "We're excited. Obviously, we'd have missed out on a wonderful season, had it not happened. So, we're very grateful to everybody for doing their part and allowing us to wrestle."

Kountz, a Mid-Buchanan alum and a three-time state wrestling champion himself (1998-2000), is overseeing one of the Dragons' best seasons ever in his 16th year as head coach.

Of the 28 boys on his roster, 12 of them are district champions, and 14 qualified for sectionals on Saturday, including four of the six seniors.

After sending a remarkable 11 wrestlers to state last year with four of them medaling, Mid-Buchanan has at least one competitor in every weight class with a chance to go to state this year.

"You know, not every team is like us," said senior Chase Davidson (160), who medaled 4th at state in 2019 and has amassed 169 career wins. "We have solid kids all around, from 106 to heavyweight. We can compete with anyone in the state, really."

Mid-Buchanan went a perfect 14-0 in duals this season, walloping schools like West Platte 71-9, or Lathrop 75-3, for example.

They went on to take the KCI Conference crown and the Class 1 District 8 title for a second year in a row.

In any season, 12 district champions on one team is remarkable. But due to smaller tournaments and brackets this postseason as part of COVID-19 protocol, Kountz says getting so many individual titles was more doable.

"In a typical year, getting 12 district champions would be really, really, really hard," he said. "It's broken down a little bit, now with sectionals. So, that made it a little easier to have district champions with smaller brackets, but in the same breath, we had to win some big matches, and we did that."

Normally, the top four placers from each weight class&nbsp;at districts  would qualify for state - a total of 16 qualifiers from each weight class.

This year, the number of state qualifiers has been reduced to 12 per weight class, “in order to comply with National Federation of High School rules regarding the maximum number of matches in a day" at the state tournament, which was moved from Mizzou Arena in Columbia to Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence.

Previously, the three-day tournament was set for Feb. 18-20. Now, it's March 9-13. The five tournaments, which includes four classifications for boys and one for girls, will each occur separately during those five days.

Also new this year is the aforementioned sectional round.

With each class having eight districts this year instead of the usual four, the top four placers from each weight class in each district qualified for sectionals, in which only the top three from each weight class will qualify for state.

For Mid-Buchanan senior Butch Walters (138), the toughest part has been the two-week layover from districts to sectionals, and then the extra 10 days of waiting before state.

"With the time they put in between each tournament, it drags," Walters said. "You've got to have a tough mindset to make it all the way through the season."

Walters is determined to make it through this season, having just eclipsed 100 career wins at districts. He now shoots for his third state appearance and his first state medal.

"Since it is my senior year and my last year and my last chance to place at state, it's been setting in for awhile," Walters said. "We honestly didn't know if we'd even have a season this year. So, it's kind of nice to get to have one."

Mid-Buchanan got its first taste of hosting district wrestling last year, and did it again successfully in 2021. Now, they're hosting sectionals Saturday, with competitors from 13 area schools coming in.

And just like <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/0b177aff-206b-4f75-8482-355a4ab59f46">girls' sectionals in Platte City</a> last week, the stands will be near capacity once again.

"The whole community is getting in on it," said senior Creed Webster (195), a three-time state qualifier and two-time state medalist. "It's just really cool to see the stands fill up."

With only the top three going to state from each sectional bracket, Kountz admits there'll be more heartbreak, but also more energy and excitement in what's already been an extraordinary season.

"Somebody's not getting through that normally would," Kountz said. "So, there's going to be some more energy. You know, usually the bubble match as we call it in wrestling, that's the exciting one. Now, there's almost two bubble matches, so to speak. Not only to you have to get to the third place match (to qualify for state), but now you have to win it to move on."

Webster, who medaled fourth at state last year and has piled up over 160 career wins, has lofty goals as his final season comes to a close. Whatever happens, Webster and his teammates are simply grateful that this season happened at all.

"I figured, you know, maybe, there'd have to be some sort of restrictions at some point," Webster said, "because it's such a contact sport. And then, to see that we don't have any, I mean, that was nice. We don't have to worry about masks on the mat or anything.

"And getting to finish out the year...I mean, not many people thought that would happen."

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614288532809.jpeg" alt="Mid-Buchanan practices ahead of Saturday's Class 1 Section 4 wrestling meet, which will be hosted by the Dragons. Mid-Buchanan has 14 wrestlers competing this weekend with a chance to go to state. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Mid-Buchanan practices ahead of Saturday's Class 1 Section 4 wrestling meet, which will be hosted by the Dragons. Mid-Buchanan has 14 wrestlers competing this weekend with a chance to go to state. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostFAUCETT - Six months ago, it wasn't exactly clear how many high school sports could play, and for how long.Wrestling, especially. How can such a high-contact sport, which builds its season around multi-team tournaments and traveling, go on in the midst of a pandemic?"There was some time of worry in November," Mid-Buchanan head wrestling coach Daniel Kountz said, when local hospitalizations peaked and the statewide positivity rate was near 25 percent."We thought we were going to get shut down any minute."<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/993165079&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac" title="KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac/mid-buchanan-head-wrestling-coach-daniel-kountz" title="Mid-Buchanan head wrestling coach Daniel Kountz" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mid-Buchanan head wrestling coach Daniel Kountz</a></div></div>Competing in smaller tournaments and duals with almost no spectators present, the elimination of handshakes, the increased cleaning and the enforcement of mask wearing off the mats helped the 2020-21 wrestling season transpire without major incident."We tried to just kind of take care of ourselves and do our thing and protect ourselves," Kountz said. "We're excited. Obviously, we'd have missed out on a wonderful season, had it not happened. So, we're very grateful to everybody for doing their part and allowing us to wrestle."Kountz, a Mid-Buchanan alum and a three-time state wrestling champion himself (1998-2000), is overseeing one of the Dragons' best seasons ever in his 16th year as head coach.Of the 28 boys on his roster, 12 of them are district champions, and 14 qualified for sectionals on Saturday, including four of the six seniors.After sending a remarkable 11 wrestlers to state last year with four of them medaling, Mid-Buchanan has at least one competitor in every weight class with a chance to go to state this year."You know, not every team is like us," said senior Chase Davidson (160), who medaled 4th at state in 2019 and has amassed 169 career wins. "We have solid kids all around, from 106 to heavyweight. We can compete with anyone in the state, really."<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/993165640&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac" title="KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac/mid-buchanan-senior-wrestler-chase-davidson" title="Mid-Buchanan senior wrestler Chase Davidson" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mid-Buchanan senior wrestler Chase Davidson</a></div></div>Mid-Buchanan went a perfect 14-0 in duals this season, walloping schools like West Platte 71-9, or Lathrop 75-3, for example.They went on to take the KCI Conference crown and the Class 1 District 8 title for a second year in a row.In any season, 12 district champions on one team is remarkable. But due to smaller tournaments and brackets this postseason as part of COVID-19 protocol, Kountz says getting so many individual titles was more doable."In a typical year, getting 12 district champions would be really, really, really hard," he said. "It's broken down a little bit, now with sectionals. So, that made it a little easier to have district champions with smaller brackets, but in the same breath, we had to win some big matches, and we did that."Normally, the top four placers from each weight class&nbsp;at districts would qualify for state - a total of 16 qualifiers from each weight class.This year, the number of state qualifiers has been reduced to 12 per weight class, “in order to comply with National Federation of High School rules regarding the maximum number of matches in a day" at the state tournament, which was moved from Mizzou Arena in Columbia to Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence.Previously, the three-day tournament was set for Feb. 18-20. Now, it's March 9-13. The five tournaments, which includes four classifications for boys and one for girls, will each occur separately during those five days.Also new this year is the aforementioned sectional round.With each class having eight districts this year instead of the usual four, the top four placers from each weight class in each district qualified for sectionals, in which only the top three from each weight class will qualify for state.For Mid-Buchanan senior Butch Walters (138), the toughest part has been the two-week layover from districts to sectionals, and then the extra 10 days of waiting before state."With the time they put in between each tournament, it drags," Walters said. "You've got to have a tough mindset to make it all the way through the season."<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/993166171&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac" title="KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac/mid-buchanan-senior-wrestler-butch-walters" title="Mid-Buchanan senior wrestler Butch Walters" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mid-Buchanan senior wrestler Butch Walters</a></div></div>Walters is determined to make it through this season, having just eclipsed 100 career wins at districts. He now shoots for his third state appearance and his first state medal."Since it is my senior year and my last year and my last chance to place at state, it's been setting in for awhile," Walters said. "We honestly didn't know if we'd even have a season this year. So, it's kind of nice to get to have one."Mid-Buchanan got its first taste of hosting district wrestling last year, and did it again successfully in 2021. Now, they're hosting sectionals Saturday, with competitors from 13 area schools coming in.And just like <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/0b177aff-206b-4f75-8482-355a4ab59f46">girls' sectionals in Platte City</a> last week, the stands will be near capacity once again."The whole community is getting in on it," said senior Creed Webster (195), a three-time state qualifier and two-time state medalist. "It's just really cool to see the stands fill up."<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/993166789&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac" title="KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac/mid-buchanan-senior-wrestler-creed-webster" title="Mid-Buchanan senior wrestler Creed Webster" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mid-Buchanan senior wrestler Creed Webster</a></div></div>With only the top three going to state from each sectional bracket, Kountz admits there'll be more heartbreak, but also more energy and excitement in what's already been an extraordinary season."Somebody's not getting through that normally would," Kountz said. "So, there's going to be some more energy. You know, usually the bubble match as we call it in wrestling, that's the exciting one. Now, there's almost two bubble matches, so to speak. Not only to you have to get to the third place match (to qualify for state), but now you have to win it to move on."Webster, who medaled fourth at state last year and has piled up over 160 career wins, has lofty goals as his final season comes to a close. Whatever happens, Webster and his teammates are simply grateful that this season happened at all."I figured, you know, maybe, there'd have to be some sort of restrictions at some point," Webster said, "because it's such a contact sport. And then, to see that we don't have any, I mean, that was nice. We don't have to worry about masks on the mat or anything."And getting to finish out the year...I mean, not many people thought that would happen."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614288734269.jpeg" alt="Mid-Buchanan's Chase Davidson (top) will try and get to state for a fourth straight year at the Class 1 Section 4 meet hosted by the Dragons this Saturday. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Mid-Buchanan's Chase Davidson (top) will try and get to state for a fourth straight year at the Class 1 Section 4 meet hosted by the Dragons this Saturday. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Mid-Buchanan builds on last year's success, goes on historic run in a season threatened by COVID

The Missouri Western women's basketball team lost to No. 5 Fort Hays State, 77-69, Thursday night atthe MWSU Fieldhouse.

The Griffons have lost four straight, falling to 6-15 overall, while the Tigers clinched at least a share of the regular season title with a record of 19-2.

Mychaell Gray&nbsp;scored a career-high 15 points to lead Missouri Western, wile&nbsp;Logan Hughes&nbsp;added 12.&nbsp;Asia McCoy&nbsp;and&nbsp;Brionna Budgetts&nbsp;also scored in double figures with 10 points each, while&nbsp;Camille Evans&nbsp;added seven points, a career-high seven assists and eight rebounds.

The Missouri Western men and women round out the regular season Saturday with home games against Nebraska-Kearney. The women tip at 1:30, with the men at 3:30. Both games will be carried on KFEQ (680 AM, 95.3 FM) with coverage starting at 1 p.m.

The top-ranked Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team (20-1) shot a sizzling 67.8% from the floor in a 95-59 rout of Nebraska-Kearney&nbsp;Lopers at Bearcat Arena Thursday. The victory gave Northwest its 20th win of the season, marking the 10th consecutive season the Bearcats have reached 20 or more victories.

It's also the 10th, 20-win season for head coach Ben McCollum, tying the school record of 10, 20-win seasons set by Steve&nbsp;Tappmeyer. Bearcat junior and Lafayette St. Joseph alum Diego Bernard put on a stat-stuffing performance with a game-high 21 points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. Bernard went 9-of-13 from the field, which featured 3-of-5 from three-point range.&nbsp;

No. 5 Lopers escape the Northwest women Thursday &nbsp;The Northwest women's basketball team narrowly missed an opportunity to upset No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney Thursday, falling to the Lopers 53-50. Molly&nbsp;Hartnett led the Bearcats with 19 points.&nbsp; &nbsp; Both Northwest teams finish the regular season Saturday at home against the Fort Hays State. The women tip at 1:30, followed by the men at 3:30.

Missouri Western Lacrosse to debut Friday

The Missouri Western women's lacrosse team is set to make its debut Friday night under the lights against Culver-Stockton at Spratt Stadium. The contest will start at 6 p.m. Missouri Western announced the addition of women's lacrosse in November 2019 as the school's 17th&nbsp;NCAA Division II varsity sport.

After more than 15 months of work to get the program up and running, head coach&nbsp;Rachel Benzing&nbsp;will finally get to showcase her team. Benzing will make her head coaching debut for the Griffons after helping start lacrosse programs at Lynn University and Maryville University as an assistant coach. She played at Maryland-Baltimore County and then finished up at Lindenwood. The Griffons will play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). They are the first public institution in the state of Missouri to have women's lacrosse. No other MIAA school has it yet. Benzing has put together a 24-player roster from all over the country with a mix of transfers and freshmen. Rutgers transfer&nbsp;Mackenzie Porter&nbsp;will likely be in goal for Missouri Western, while the Griffons will rely on transfers&nbsp;Jordan Shughrue&nbsp;(Mount Olive) and&nbsp;Karlin York&nbsp;(Oklahoma Baptist) to make an impact. Benzing expects many freshmen to contribute this season, including&nbsp;Jazmine Servance&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jorja Schooler.

Missouri Western volleyball opens its season this weekend

The Griffon volleyball team opens its spring schedule on Friday as they play three games at the Newman Crossover in Wichita, Kansas.

Missouri Western will play two games Friday, squaring off with Central Oklahoma at 11:30 a.m., and then they'll play Newman at 7:00 p.m.

The Griffons wrap up the weekend with a game against Oklahoma Baptist at 2 p.m. Saturday.

These games will be the first for the Griffons since the MIAA Tournament in November 2019. The fall season was canceled due to COVID-19. Marin Carbin is in her seventh season as the head coach at Missouri Western with a 133-89 overall record.

The Griffons were 17-13 in 2019 and they finished fifth in the MIAA with an 11-9 record in league play. Western returns two of its top three hitters from that team, as senior&nbsp;Ali Tauchen&nbsp;(3.37 k/s) and sophomore&nbsp;Allie Kerns&nbsp;(2.28) are back.

Two other sophomores in&nbsp;Karly Tharp&nbsp;(1.83) and&nbsp;Danielle Moje&nbsp;(1.55) return as well with a lot of experience from their freshman seasons. Senior defensive specialist&nbsp;Lindsey Hartline&nbsp;is also back this season, as she averaged 1.95 digs per set in 2019. Bearcat softball opens 2021 season

The Northwest Missouri State softball team is set to play their first games of the season this weekend at the Drury Invitational in Springfield. The Bearcats take on Southwest Baptist at 1 p.m. Friday before they meet William Jewell at 4 p.m.

On Saturday, Northwest meets Illinois-Springfield with the first pitch at 1 p.m. before their final game against Drury at 4 p.m. Northwest is ready to go after COVID-19 forced the 2020 season to shutdown halfway through, leaving the Bearcats with a 9-13 record.

The first six games of the 2021 season were also canceled due to poor weather.

You can follow St. Joseph Post on Twitter @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614344996970.jpeg" alt="Camille Evans dribbles at the top of the key during Missouri Western's 77-69 loss to No. 5 Fort Hays State Thursday. Photo couresty of GoGriffons.com." />
 <figcaption>Camille Evans dribbles at the top of the key during Missouri Western's 77-69 loss to No. 5 Fort Hays State Thursday. Photo couresty of GoGriffons.com.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Missouri Western women's basketball team lost to No. 5 Fort Hays State, 77-69, Thursday night atthe MWSU Fieldhouse.The Griffons have lost four straight, falling to 6-15 overall, while the Tigers clinched at least a share of the regular season title with a record of 19-2. Mychaell Gray&nbsp;scored a career-high 15 points to lead Missouri Western, wile&nbsp;Logan Hughes&nbsp;added 12.&nbsp;Asia McCoy&nbsp;and&nbsp;Brionna Budgetts&nbsp;also scored in double figures with 10 points each, while&nbsp;Camille Evans&nbsp;added seven points, a career-high seven assists and eight rebounds.The Missouri Western men and women round out the regular season Saturday with home games against Nebraska-Kearney. The women tip at 1:30, with the men at 3:30. Both games will be carried on KFEQ (680 AM, 95.3 FM) with coverage starting at 1 p.m.No. 1 Bearcat men roll UNKThe top-ranked Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team (20-1) shot a sizzling 67.8% from the floor in a 95-59 rout of Nebraska-Kearney&nbsp;Lopers at Bearcat Arena Thursday. The victory gave Northwest its 20th win of the season, marking the 10th consecutive season the Bearcats have reached 20 or more victories.It's also the 10th, 20-win season for head coach Ben McCollum, tying the school record of 10, 20-win seasons set by Steve&nbsp;Tappmeyer. Bearcat junior and Lafayette St. Joseph alum Diego Bernard put on a stat-stuffing performance with a game-high 21 points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. Bernard went 9-of-13 from the field, which featured 3-of-5 from three-point range.&nbsp;No. 5 Lopers escape the Northwest women Thursday &nbsp;The Northwest women's basketball team narrowly missed an opportunity to upset No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney Thursday, falling to the Lopers 53-50. Molly&nbsp;Hartnett led the Bearcats with 19 points.&nbsp; &nbsp; Both Northwest teams finish the regular season Saturday at home against the Fort Hays State. The women tip at 1:30, followed by the men at 3:30.Missouri Western Lacrosse to debut FridayThe Missouri Western women's lacrosse team is set to make its debut Friday night under the lights against Culver-Stockton at Spratt Stadium. The contest will start at 6 p.m. Missouri Western announced the addition of women's lacrosse in November 2019 as the school's 17th&nbsp;NCAA Division II varsity sport.After more than 15 months of work to get the program up and running, head coach&nbsp;Rachel Benzing&nbsp;will finally get to showcase her team. Benzing will make her head coaching debut for the Griffons after helping start lacrosse programs at Lynn University and Maryville University as an assistant coach. She played at Maryland-Baltimore County and then finished up at Lindenwood. The Griffons will play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). They are the first public institution in the state of Missouri to have women's lacrosse. No other MIAA school has it yet. Benzing has put together a 24-player roster from all over the country with a mix of transfers and freshmen. Rutgers transfer&nbsp;Mackenzie Porter&nbsp;will likely be in goal for Missouri Western, while the Griffons will rely on transfers&nbsp;Jordan Shughrue&nbsp;(Mount Olive) and&nbsp;Karlin York&nbsp;(Oklahoma Baptist) to make an impact. Benzing expects many freshmen to contribute this season, including&nbsp;Jazmine Servance&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jorja Schooler. Missouri Western volleyball opens its season this weekendThe Griffon volleyball team opens its spring schedule on Friday as they play three games at the Newman Crossover in Wichita, Kansas.Missouri Western will play two games Friday, squaring off with Central Oklahoma at 11:30 a.m., and then they'll play Newman at 7:00 p.m.The Griffons wrap up the weekend with a game against Oklahoma Baptist at 2 p.m. Saturday.These games will be the first for the Griffons since the MIAA Tournament in November 2019. The fall season was canceled due to COVID-19. Marin Carbin is in her seventh season as the head coach at Missouri Western with a 133-89 overall record.The Griffons were 17-13 in 2019 and they finished fifth in the MIAA with an 11-9 record in league play. Western returns two of its top three hitters from that team, as senior&nbsp;Ali Tauchen&nbsp;(3.37 k/s) and sophomore&nbsp;Allie Kerns&nbsp;(2.28) are back.Two other sophomores in&nbsp;Karly Tharp&nbsp;(1.83) and&nbsp;Danielle Moje&nbsp;(1.55) return as well with a lot of experience from their freshman seasons. Senior defensive specialist&nbsp;Lindsey Hartline&nbsp;is also back this season, as she averaged 1.95 digs per set in 2019. Bearcat softball opens 2021 seasonThe Northwest Missouri State softball team is set to play their first games of the season this weekend at the Drury Invitational in Springfield. The Bearcats take on Southwest Baptist at 1 p.m. Friday before they meet William Jewell at 4 p.m.On Saturday, Northwest meets Illinois-Springfield with the first pitch at 1 p.m. before their final game against Drury at 4 p.m. Northwest is ready to go after COVID-19 forced the 2020 season to shutdown halfway through, leaving the Bearcats with a 9-13 record.The first six games of the 2021 season were also canceled due to poor weather.You can follow St. Joseph Post on Twitter @StJosephPost.

MIAA round-up - Northwest men stomp UNK, Griffon women fall to Fort Hays State

What a night of hoops! Several district champions crowned Thursday, with more to come on the girls' side Friday. First, Thursday results.

Boys' basketball scores - Thursday

Class 2 District 16 title #2 North Andrew 47&nbsp;#1 Bishop LeBlond 45. What a fun game this was.&nbsp;<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/17cff9f6-7e1c-42f7-9f72-fdd76801cc17">Full coverage here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Class 1 District 15 title #2 Stanberry 55 #1 Winston 4o. The Redbirds end the season at 24-2. The Bulldogs will face Mound City in sectionals on Mar. 2 at 6 p.m. The site is to be determined.

Class 1 District 16 title #1 Mound City 53&nbsp;#2 Platte Valley 40

Class 2 District 15 title #1 Mid-Buchanan 71 Gallatin 35. That's five straight district titles for the Dragons (21-5) who face North Andrew in sectionals Mar. 2.

Regular season Maryville 63 Chillicothe 46 Macon 52 Benton 51

Class 1 District 15 title #2 DeKalb @ #1 Stanberry, 6 p.m.

Class 1 District 16 title #2 South-Holt @ #1 Platte Valley, 6 p.m. in Graham.

Class 2 District 15 title #3 Plattsburg @ #1 Mid-Buchanan, 6 p.m.

Class 2 District 16 title #1 Bishop LeBlond vs. #2 East Atchison, 6 p.m. at North Andrew High.

Class 3 District 15 title #2 East Buchanan @ #1 Lawson, 6 p.m.

Class 3 District 15 title #1 St. Pius X vs. #2 West Platte, 7:30 p.m. @ Lawson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614307868415.jpeg" alt="The North Andrew student section celebrates the Cardinals' 47-45 win over Bishop LeBlond in Thursday's Class 2 District 16 final. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>The North Andrew student section celebrates the Cardinals' 47-45 win over Bishop LeBlond in Thursday's Class 2 District 16 final. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostWhat a night of hoops! Several district champions crowned Thursday, with more to come on the girls' side Friday. First, Thursday results.Boys' basketball scores - ThursdayClass 2 District 16 title #2 North Andrew 47&nbsp;#1 Bishop LeBlond 45. What a fun game this was.&nbsp;<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/17cff9f6-7e1c-42f7-9f72-fdd76801cc17">Full coverage here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Class 1 District 15 title #2 Stanberry 55 #1 Winston 4o. The Redbirds end the season at 24-2. The Bulldogs will face Mound City in sectionals on Mar. 2 at 6 p.m. The site is to be determined.Class 1 District 16 title #1 Mound City 53&nbsp;#2 Platte Valley 40Class 2 District 15 title #1 Mid-Buchanan 71 Gallatin 35. That's five straight district titles for the Dragons (21-5) who face North Andrew in sectionals Mar. 2.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Final: C2D15 (C2#4) <a href="https://twitter.com/MBDragonHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MBDragonHoops</a> defeats (C2#6) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bulldogs_GHS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bulldogs_GHS</a> 71-35 to win the District Championship! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/5Peat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#5Peat</a> 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MBDragonPride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MBDragonPride</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SJNPSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SJNPSports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KQ2SPORTS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KQ2SPORTS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KKWKCameron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KKWKCameron</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepsKC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepsKC</a> <a href="https://t.co/6USDq1Mq2q">pic.twitter.com/6USDq1Mq2q</a>&mdash; Mid Buchanan (@MBDragonSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/MBDragonSports/status/1365109163932737538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Girls' basketball ThursdayRegular season Maryville 63 Chillicothe 46 Macon 52 Benton 51Friday schedule - girlsClass 1 District 15 title #2 DeKalb @ #1 Stanberry, 6 p.m. Class 1 District 16 title #2 South-Holt @ #1 Platte Valley, 6 p.m. in Graham.Class 2 District 15 title #3 Plattsburg @ #1 Mid-Buchanan, 6 p.m.Class 2 District 16 title #1 Bishop LeBlond vs. #2 East Atchison, 6 p.m. at North Andrew High.Class 3 District 15 title #2 East Buchanan @ #1 Lawson, 6 p.m.Boys' schedule for FridayClass 3 District 15 title #1 St. Pius X vs. #2 West Platte, 7:30 p.m. @ Lawson.You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school scoreboard - February 25, 2021

ROSENDALE - The only person on the North Andrew boys' basketball team who had played in a district title game on the Cardinals' home floor prior to Thursday was head coach Wade Bryson.

"I was telling the boys all week," Bryson says, "that I was the only one on this whole team who's played in a district championship here at North Andrew. It's been awhile since we hosted one here, and you saw the magic tonight, man."

North Andrew (20-8) took advantage of the rare opportunity, outlasting No. 1 seed Bishop LeBlond, 47-45, on Thursday night at North Andrew High School in front of a capacity crowd.

Student sections. Cheerleaders. Trash talk. The whole shebang. It had been awhile since players and fans experienced that. It felt a little more like normal. Like homecourt advantage.

"When this place gets packed, it's a special place to be," Bryson said, "and our crowd was huge for us and helped give us a little push to get the win."

The Cardinals raced out to a 7-0 lead to start the game before LeBlond stormed back and got to within 9-7. A big three-pointer by junior Owen Graham just moments before the buzzer put North Andrew ahead 14-9.

It was the only three the Cardinals would make all night, as Graham scored seven of his 10 points in the first quarter. It also happened to be his birthday Thursday.

"It feels great," Graham said. "The best birthday present you can ask for. So, feels good."

Bishop LeBlond (16-11), who finishes with its first winning season in six years, took its first lead midway through the second when sophomore Jake Korell buried a three, putting the Eagles ahead 17-16.

The lead changed hands four times in the second quarter, as the Cardinals took a 28-24 lead into the locker room, having scored 20 of their first half points in the paint.

The third quarter saw North Andrew's lead grow to as many as eight points, as seniors Brewer Wheeler and Tanner McDaniel each made bigtime layups in that period.

LeBlond wasn't done, however, answering with an 11-5 run in the fourth quarter to pull within 46-45 with just over a minute left.

A flurry of North Andrew turnovers and missed jump shots helped the Eagles stay in it, but on the sideline, Bryson was doing all he could to get his guys to stay in the right mindset.

"We knew (LeBlond) would make a run at some point," Bryson said. "When they did, it was our job to hit the reset button, calm down, go out and make a play one play at a time."

The score remained 46-45 for a little while, as LeBlond held the ball and took a couple of fouls from North Andrew, but not enough to get in the bonus.

With 13.5 remaining, the Eagles had the ball in the half court with a chance to win it, but just a few seconds after the timeout, the ball was loose on the floor, and North Andrew won a jump ball.

"I saw Brewer (Wheeler) and Tanner (McDaniel) go up for the ball, and I saw a tipped ball, so I started going for it, too," Graham said. "Then, I saw Brewer fall on the ball, and I knew then that we had a lot better chance to win."

LeBlond's Andrew Gardner fouled North Andrew sophomore Hayden Ecker as quickly as possible, sending him to the line for a one-and-one with just over five seconds left.

Ecker made the first, but missed the second. The Eagles rebounded and had enough time to push the ball down the floor and have a look at a tying shot.

Junior Chris Guldan, who led LeBlond with 13 points, had the best look just a few feet away, but the shot fell short and North Andrew held on, avenging a 63-55 overtime loss to the Eagles in the LeBlond Holiday Tournament back in December.

LeBlond also snuck by North Andrew in the 2019 LeBlond tournament, 55-53, as well.

"I was just thinking, 'third time's a charm,'" Bryson said. "Last year, they beat us at the buzzer. This year, they tied it at the buzzer and beat us in overtime. All I was thinking there was, 'Hey. Third time's a charm. This is the time where we get it done and we find a way to secure the loose ball, and I couldn't be prouder of the guys right now."

North Andrew, who won its first district title since 2018, advances to the sectional playoffs, which start Mar. 2. The Cardinals will face Mid-Buchanan (21-5) at 6 p.m. at a site to be determined.

North Andrew 47 - 14, 10, 13, 6 Bishop LeBlond 45 - 9, 15, 9, 12

North Andrew scorers - Tanner McDaniel - 14, Brewer Wheeler - 12, Owen Graham - 10, Clayton Linville - 6, Keaton Hannah - 4, Hayden Ecker - 1

Bishop LeBlond scorers - Chris Guldan - 13, Jake Korell - 10, Jeffrey Johnston - 9, Isaac Ferguson - 5, Noah Eidmann - 3, Landon Gardner - 3, Hayden Cross - 2

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614307748135.jpeg" alt="Owen Graham (32) goes up for a layup against LeBlond's Chris Guldan in Thursday's district final at North Andrew High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Owen Graham (32) goes up for a layup against LeBlond's Chris Guldan in Thursday's district final at North Andrew High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostROSENDALE - The only person on the North Andrew boys' basketball team who had played in a district title game on the Cardinals' home floor prior to Thursday was head coach Wade Bryson.You can say it had been a little while."I was telling the boys all week," Bryson says, "that I was the only one on this whole team who's played in a district championship here at North Andrew. It's been awhile since we hosted one here, and you saw the magic tonight, man."North Andrew (20-8) took advantage of the rare opportunity, outlasting No. 1 seed Bishop LeBlond, 47-45, on Thursday night at North Andrew High School in front of a capacity crowd.Student sections. Cheerleaders. Trash talk. The whole shebang. It had been awhile since players and fans experienced that. It felt a little more like normal. Like homecourt advantage."When this place gets packed, it's a special place to be," Bryson said, "and our crowd was huge for us and helped give us a little push to get the win."The Cardinals raced out to a 7-0 lead to start the game before LeBlond stormed back and got to within 9-7. A big three-pointer by junior Owen Graham just moments before the buzzer put North Andrew ahead 14-9.It was the only three the Cardinals would make all night, as Graham scored seven of his 10 points in the first quarter. It also happened to be his birthday Thursday."It feels great," Graham said. "The best birthday present you can ask for. So, feels good."Bishop LeBlond (16-11), who finishes with its first winning season in six years, took its first lead midway through the second when sophomore Jake Korell buried a three, putting the Eagles ahead 17-16.The lead changed hands four times in the second quarter, as the Cardinals took a 28-24 lead into the locker room, having scored 20 of their first half points in the paint.The third quarter saw North Andrew's lead grow to as many as eight points, as seniors Brewer Wheeler and Tanner McDaniel each made bigtime layups in that period.LeBlond wasn't done, however, answering with an 11-5 run in the fourth quarter to pull within 46-45 with just over a minute left.A flurry of North Andrew turnovers and missed jump shots helped the Eagles stay in it, but on the sideline, Bryson was doing all he could to get his guys to stay in the right mindset."We knew (LeBlond) would make a run at some point," Bryson said. "When they did, it was our job to hit the reset button, calm down, go out and make a play one play at a time."The score remained 46-45 for a little while, as LeBlond held the ball and took a couple of fouls from North Andrew, but not enough to get in the bonus.With 13.5 remaining, the Eagles had the ball in the half court with a chance to win it, but just a few seconds after the timeout, the ball was loose on the floor, and North Andrew won a jump ball."I saw Brewer (Wheeler) and Tanner (McDaniel) go up for the ball, and I saw a tipped ball, so I started going for it, too," Graham said. "Then, I saw Brewer fall on the ball, and I knew then that we had a lot better chance to win."LeBlond's Andrew Gardner fouled North Andrew sophomore Hayden Ecker as quickly as possible, sending him to the line for a one-and-one with just over five seconds left.Ecker made the first, but missed the second. The Eagles rebounded and had enough time to push the ball down the floor and have a look at a tying shot.Junior Chris Guldan, who led LeBlond with 13 points, had the best look just a few feet away, but the shot fell short and North Andrew held on, avenging a 63-55 overtime loss to the Eagles in the LeBlond Holiday Tournament back in December.LeBlond also snuck by North Andrew in the 2019 LeBlond tournament, 55-53, as well."I was just thinking, 'third time's a charm,'" Bryson said. "Last year, they beat us at the buzzer. This year, they tied it at the buzzer and beat us in overtime. All I was thinking there was, 'Hey. Third time's a charm. This is the time where we get it done and we find a way to secure the loose ball, and I couldn't be prouder of the guys right now."North Andrew, who won its first district title since 2018, advances to the sectional playoffs, which start Mar. 2. The Cardinals will face Mid-Buchanan (21-5) at 6 p.m. at a site to be determined.North Andrew 47 - 14, 10, 13, 6 Bishop LeBlond 45 - 9, 15, 9, 12North Andrew scorers - Tanner McDaniel - 14, Brewer Wheeler - 12, Owen Graham - 10, Clayton Linville - 6, Keaton Hannah - 4, Hayden Ecker - 1Bishop LeBlond scorers - Chris Guldan - 13, Jake Korell - 10, Jeffrey Johnston - 9, Isaac Ferguson - 5, Noah Eidmann - 3, Landon Gardner - 3, Hayden Cross - 2<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614307868415.jpeg" alt="The North Andrew student section celebrates the Cardinals' 47-45 win over Bishop LeBlond in Thursday's district final. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>The North Andrew student section celebrates the Cardinals' 47-45 win over Bishop LeBlond in Thursday's district final. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614307911594.jpeg" alt="The North Andrew students took time to pose for a group celebratory photo after Thursday's district final. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>The North Andrew students took time to pose for a group celebratory photo after Thursday's district final. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614307976674.jpeg" alt="LeBlond's Chris Guldan (middle) takes a jump shot against North Andrew's Hayden Ecker (24) in the second half of Thursday's Class 2 District 16 semifinal at North Andrew High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>LeBlond's Chris Guldan (middle) takes a jump shot against North Andrew's Hayden Ecker (24) in the second half of Thursday's Class 2 District 16 semifinal at North Andrew High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

North Andrew avenges loss to LeBlond, edges Eagles in raucous district title game

Another day of exciting district basketball action, and the boys are set to take center stage Thursday evening. But first, scores from Wednesday.

Class 2 District 16 semifinals #1 Bishop LeBlond 51&nbsp;#4 North Andrew 37. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/4d57b6de-f7e3-4c98-8f19-8d60f7c544ab">Full coverage here</a>. #2 East Atchison 38&nbsp;#3 Albany 31

The Eagles and Wolves meet in the district title on Friday night at 6 p.m. at North Andrew High school.

Class 1 District 15 semifinals #1 Stanberry 59&nbsp;#4 Worth County 29 &nbsp;#2 DeKalb 52&nbsp;#3 Pattonsburg 37.

The Bulldogs and Tigers will meet in DeKalb for the title on Friday at 6 p.m.

Class 1 District 16 semifinals #1 Platte Valley 65&nbsp;#4 Nodaway-Holt 16 #2 South-Holt 55&nbsp;#3 North Nodaway 37.

Platte Valley (24-0) will face the Knights in Mound City on Friday evening at 6.

Class 2 District 15 semifinals &nbsp;#1 Mid-Buchanan 47&nbsp;#4 Polo 33. #3 Plattsburg 53 #2 North Platte 48.

The Tigers and Dragons square off in the title at Mid-Buchanan High School on Friday night at 6.

Regular season St. Joseph Central 42 Park Hill South 36. The Indians are champions of the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference for the first time since 2011.

Boys' basketball scores from Wednesday

Class 3 District 15 semifinals #2 West Platte 58 #3 East Buchanan 50 #1 St. Pius X 80 #4 Lathrop 64

Lathrop will host the title between West Platte and Pius on Friday night at 7:30.

Regular season Center 45 Benton 36

Thursday schedule - boys' districts

Class 1 District 15 title #2 Stanberry @ #1 Winston, 6 p.m.

Class 1 District 16 title #2 Platte Valley vs. #1 Mound City, 6 p.m. in Graham.

Class 2 District 15 title #2 Gallatin @ #1 Mid-Buchanan, 6 p.m.

Class 2 District 16 title #1 Bishop LeBlond @ #2 North Andrew, 6 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614224615621.jpeg" alt="North Andrew' Riley Walker (21) goes for a layup in the second half of North Andrew's 51-37 loss to Bishop LeBlond in the Class 2 District 16 semifinal Wednesday. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>North Andrew' Riley Walker (21) goes for a layup in the second half of North Andrew's 51-37 loss to Bishop LeBlond in the Class 2 District 16 semifinal Wednesday. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostAnother day of exciting district basketball action, and the boys are set to take center stage Thursday evening. But first, scores from Wednesday.Girls' basketballClass 2 District 16 semifinals #1 Bishop LeBlond 51&nbsp;#4 North Andrew 37. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/4d57b6de-f7e3-4c98-8f19-8d60f7c544ab">Full coverage here</a>. #2 East Atchison 38&nbsp;#3 Albany 31The Eagles and Wolves meet in the district title on Friday night at 6 p.m. at North Andrew High school.Class 1 District 15 semifinals #1 Stanberry 59&nbsp;#4 Worth County 29 &nbsp;#2 DeKalb 52&nbsp;#3 Pattonsburg 37.The Bulldogs and Tigers will meet in DeKalb for the title on Friday at 6 p.m.Class 1 District 16 semifinals #1 Platte Valley 65&nbsp;#4 Nodaway-Holt 16 #2 South-Holt 55&nbsp;#3 North Nodaway 37.Platte Valley (24-0) will face the Knights in Mound City on Friday evening at 6.Class 2 District 15 semifinals &nbsp;#1 Mid-Buchanan 47&nbsp;#4 Polo 33. #3 Plattsburg 53 #2 North Platte 48.The Tigers and Dragons square off in the title at Mid-Buchanan High School on Friday night at 6.Regular season St. Joseph Central 42 Park Hill South 36. The Indians are champions of the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference for the first time since 2011.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">42-36. Conference Clinching W. Always cool to cut down nets. It&#39;s playoff time now 🏆 <a href="https://t.co/gI3p6S92fR">pic.twitter.com/gI3p6S92fR</a>&mdash; Indian Insider (@indianinsider_) <a href="https://twitter.com/indianinsider_/status/1364769076372000768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>Boys' basketball scores from WednesdayClass 3 District 15 semifinals #2 West Platte 58 #3 East Buchanan 50 #1 St. Pius X 80 #4 Lathrop 64Lathrop will host the title between West Platte and Pius on Friday night at 7:30.Regular season Center 45 Benton 36Thursday schedule - boys' districts Class 1 District 15 title #2 Stanberry @ #1 Winston, 6 p.m.Class 1 District 16 title #2 Platte Valley vs. #1 Mound City, 6 p.m. in Graham.Class 2 District 15 title #2 Gallatin @ #1 Mid-Buchanan, 6 p.m.Class 2 District 16 title #1 Bishop LeBlond @ #2 North Andrew, 6 p.m.You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school scoreboard - February 24, 2021

There's an old saying that goes, "it's hard to beat a team twice."

It's held up, because it proves to be true many times.

Bishop LeBlond (16-7) walloped North Andrew in the LeBlond Holiday Tournament, 66-20, back in late December.

It was by no means easy the second time around, but the Eagles beat the Cardinals in a rematch, 51-37, on Wednesday night at Bishop LeBlond High School in the Class 2 District 16 semifinals.

North Andrew (14-10), who entered Wednesday's game on a six-game winning streak, gave the No. 1 seed LeBlond all it could handle, trailing only 29-26 after three quarters.

"They played aggressive," Eagles coach Jackie Ziesel said. "Amazing man defense. It kind of threw us off. We prepared for it some, but props to North Andrew for coming out and just scouting us really well."

The fourth quarter belonged to LeBlond, as they opened the frame on an 8-0 run and were an impressive 16-of-21 from the free throw line over the final eight minutes.

"I think we were finally just ready to play," junior Sloan Lewis said after scoring a game-high 13 points. "We're a second half team."

Coach Ziesel concurred with that analysis.

"As Sloan said, we always say we're a second half team," she said. "We know that we'll continue to be that second half team. Right now, we're still trying to gain that confidence in the first and get that lead going so we don't have to be that second half team."

Even in the second half, it didn't come easy. Sloan picked up her fourth foul late in the second half, while her sister, Shae, had three fouls before halftime.

Ziesel rotated the bench plenty, but sent her starting five back out to start the third quarter.

"It was kind of nerve wracking there for a little bit," Ziesel admitted, "when we had three of our five starters with four fouls and sitting on the bench. That's where our young talent with experience at the of the game comes into play just to slowly take control and sometimes, they add that spark enough to where it gets everyone else up and going."

Indeed, LeBlond is young, with no seniors on the roster. But young stars, like sophomore Tatum Studer who scored 10 points, or freshman Kyla Conard who went 3-of-4 at the foul line in the fourth quarter, are rising to the occasion.

LeBlond, enjoying one of its best runs in basketball in recent years, will head to North Andrew High School on Friday to face No. 2 seed East Atchison (18-7), who upended Albany Wednesday, 38-31.

Like North Andrew, LeBlond has beaten the Wolves once before. A 61-56 victory in the Mound City tournament title in fact.

Clearly, a district tournament carries a little extra weight, and anything can happen in the postseason. But, Bishop LeBlond has proven one thing.

It's hard to beat a team twice. Hard, but certainly not impossible. Even when the season is on the line.

"They're going to be tough to beat," Ziesel said. "We beat them once, and it's always hard to beat someone a second time. But, I think if our girls come into the game with the right mindset, and be focused and determined like we were the last time we played them, we'll get the win."

Bishop LeBlond 51 - 13, 5, 11, 21 North Andrew 37 - 9, 4, 13, 11

Bishop LeBlond scorers - Sloan Lewis - 13, Shae Lewis - 12, Tatum Studer - 10, Kyla Conard -&nbsp; 7, Emma Raines - 6, Kayla Beam - 2, Katie Beam - 1

North Andrew scorers - Alaina Officer - 12, Riley Walker - 10, Brylie Brincks - 9, Carlie Grace - 2, Makenna Goldizen - 2, Reagan Walker - 2

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614222363309.jpeg" alt="LeBlond's Sloan Lewis (23) looks for an open teammate in the first half of the Eagles' 51-37 win over North Andrew Wednesday night in a Class 2 District 16 semifinal. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>LeBlond's Sloan Lewis (23) looks for an open teammate in the first half of the Eagles' 51-37 win over North Andrew Wednesday night in a Class 2 District 16 semifinal. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThere's an old saying that goes, "it's hard to beat a team twice."It's held up, because it proves to be true many times.Bishop LeBlond (16-7) walloped North Andrew in the LeBlond Holiday Tournament, 66-20, back in late December.It was by no means easy the second time around, but the Eagles beat the Cardinals in a rematch, 51-37, on Wednesday night at Bishop LeBlond High School in the Class 2 District 16 semifinals.North Andrew (14-10), who entered Wednesday's game on a six-game winning streak, gave the No. 1 seed LeBlond all it could handle, trailing only 29-26 after three quarters."They played aggressive," Eagles coach Jackie Ziesel said. "Amazing man defense. It kind of threw us off. We prepared for it some, but props to North Andrew for coming out and just scouting us really well."The fourth quarter belonged to LeBlond, as they opened the frame on an 8-0 run and were an impressive 16-of-21 from the free throw line over the final eight minutes."I think we were finally just ready to play," junior Sloan Lewis said after scoring a game-high 13 points. "We're a second half team."Coach Ziesel concurred with that analysis."As Sloan said, we always say we're a second half team," she said. "We know that we'll continue to be that second half team. Right now, we're still trying to gain that confidence in the first and get that lead going so we don't have to be that second half team."Even in the second half, it didn't come easy. Sloan picked up her fourth foul late in the second half, while her sister, Shae, had three fouls before halftime.Ziesel rotated the bench plenty, but sent her starting five back out to start the third quarter."It was kind of nerve wracking there for a little bit," Ziesel admitted, "when we had three of our five starters with four fouls and sitting on the bench. That's where our young talent with experience at the of the game comes into play just to slowly take control and sometimes, they add that spark enough to where it gets everyone else up and going."Indeed, LeBlond is young, with no seniors on the roster. But young stars, like sophomore Tatum Studer who scored 10 points, or freshman Kyla Conard who went 3-of-4 at the foul line in the fourth quarter, are rising to the occasion.LeBlond, enjoying one of its best runs in basketball in recent years, will head to North Andrew High School on Friday to face No. 2 seed East Atchison (18-7), who upended Albany Wednesday, 38-31.Like North Andrew, LeBlond has beaten the Wolves once before. A 61-56 victory in the Mound City tournament title in fact.Clearly, a district tournament carries a little extra weight, and anything can happen in the postseason. But, Bishop LeBlond has proven one thing.It's hard to beat a team twice. Hard, but certainly not impossible. Even when the season is on the line."They're going to be tough to beat," Ziesel said. "We beat them once, and it's always hard to beat someone a second time. But, I think if our girls come into the game with the right mindset, and be focused and determined like we were the last time we played them, we'll get the win."Bishop LeBlond 51 - 13, 5, 11, 21 North Andrew 37 - 9, 4, 13, 11Bishop LeBlond scorers - Sloan Lewis - 13, Shae Lewis - 12, Tatum Studer - 10, Kyla Conard -&nbsp; 7, Emma Raines - 6, Kayla Beam - 2, Katie Beam - 1North Andrew scorers - Alaina Officer - 12, Riley Walker - 10, Brylie Brincks - 9, Carlie Grace - 2, Makenna Goldizen - 2, Reagan Walker - 2<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614222435098.jpeg" alt="North Andrew senior Alaina Officer led her team with 12 points in a 51-37 loss to Bishop LeBlond in a Class 2 District 16 semifinal on Wednesday. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>North Andrew senior Alaina Officer led her team with 12 points in a 51-37 loss to Bishop LeBlond in a Class 2 District 16 semifinal on Wednesday. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Bishop LeBlond buries late free throws, pulls away from North Andrew in district semifinal

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a career filled with remarkable comebacks, Tiger Woods faces perhaps his toughest recovery of all.

The golf star was driving alone on a sweeping, downhill stretch of road through coastal Los Angeles suburbs when his SUV struck a raised median, crossed into oncoming lanes and flipped several times. The crash caused “significant” injuries to Woods’ right leg, and he underwent what was described as a “long surgical procedure” at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

(LA County Sheriff Villanueva discussed current events for 2 minutes and then the crash involving Tiger Woods in Rancho Palos Verdes)

Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer, said Woods shattered bones in his lower leg in multiple places. Some of his fractures went through the skin and were stabilized by a rod, while screws and pins were used for his ankle and foot injuries.

A statement on Woods’&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/1364447580520738820" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>&nbsp;said he was awake and recovering.

“I will say that it’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive,” said Carlos Gonzalez, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who was the first to arrive after a neighbor called 911.

Police said there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday on a Facebook livestream that it was “purely an accident” on a downhill section of road known for crashes.

Dr. Joseph Patterson, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, said injuries like Woods’ are among the most common seen in emergency rooms.

Patterson didn’t treat Woods and wouldn’t comment specifically about the golfer’s injuries but said the risk of infection is extremely high for patients with fractures that break the skin.

“Tissue can be exposed to bacteria, dirt and clothing. The outcomes can be a lot worse if that tissue gets infected,” Patterson said. Such open fractures can require multiple surgeries to repair.

Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith suffered an open fracture to his lower leg while being tackled. He nearly lost the leg due to infection but made a remarkable recovery and played last season.

The crash was the latest setback for Woods, who at times has looked unstoppable with his 15 major championships and record-tying 82 victories on the PGA Tour. He is among the world’s most recognizable sports figures, and at 45, with a reduced schedule from nine previous surgeries, remains golf’s biggest draw.

He won the 2008 U.S. Open with shredded knee ligaments and two stress fractures in his left leg. His personal life imploded on Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 when he was caught having multiple extramarital affairs and crashed his vehicle near his Florida home. He returned to win his 11th award as PGA Tour player of the year and reach No. 1.

And then after four back surgeries that kept him out of golf for the better part of two years, he won the Masters in April 2019 for the fifth time, a victory that ranks among the great comebacks in the sport.

Now it’s no longer a matter of when he plays again — the Masters is seven weeks away — but if he plays again.

Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Monday and Tuesday had been set aside for Woods to give golf tips to celebrities on Discovery-owned GOLFTV. A tweet Monday showed him in a cart with comedian David Spade. He also worked with NBA great Dwyane Wade, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLo-cCgH0H1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">posted a video</a>&nbsp;on Instagram.

“It was a great day,” Wade said Tuesday night on Turner Sports, where he is a studio analyst. “And I woke up today so proud to be able to post that moment for the world, like a little snippet of our moment together. And I took a nap, and I woke up to the news. So, you know, just like everybody out there, my thoughts and prayers are all to his loved ones.”

They have come from everywhere — Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson and former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Woods played golf with both presidents, and Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.

Woods had a fifth back surgery, a microdiscectomy, on Dec. 23, just three days after he played the PNC Championship with his son Charlie, who now is 12. Woods also has a 13-year-old daughter, Samantha.

Woods was driving his courtesy vehicle from the Genesis Invitational when he crashed. Gonzalez, the deputy, does traffic enforcement on the road and said he sometimes catches people topping 80 mph (129 kph) in the downhill, 45-mph zone. Crashes are common.

Police said Woods was alert as firefighters pried open the front windshield to get him out. The sheriff says the airbags deployed and the inside of the SUV stayed mostly intact, which “gave him a cushion to survive the crash.”

Villanueva said Wednesday that the department hasn’t yet pulled information from the vehicle’s event data recorder, or “black box,” which would give details about speed and could be a factor.

In 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road. He was arrested on a DUI charge and said he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine for his back pain. Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.

Woods hasn’t won since the Zozo Championship in Japan in fall 2019, and he’s reduced his playing schedule in recent years because of injuries. Besides his five back surgeries, he’s had four surgeries on his left knee.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a career filled with remarkable comebacks, Tiger Woods faces his toughest recovery of all.

Woods was driving through a sweeping, downhill stretch of road through coastal suburbs of Los Angeles when his SUV struck a sign, crossed over a raised median and two oncoming lanes before it toppled down an embankment, coming to a halt on its side.

The airbags deployed. A sheriff’s deputy poked his head through a hole in the windshield to see Woods, still wearing his seatbelt, sitting in the driver’s seat.

The crash caused “significant” injuries all down his right leg that featured rods, pins and screws during what was described as a “long surgical procedure” at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer, said Woods shattered tibia and fibula bones on his right leg in multiple locations. Those were stabilized by a rod in the tibia. He said a combination of screws and pins were used to stabilize additional injuries in the ankle and foot.

A statement on his&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/1364447580520738820" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>&nbsp;said he was awake, responsive and recovering.

“I will say that it’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive,” said Carlos Gonzalez, the deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department who was the first on the scene after a neighbor called 911.

“As if his body hasn’t endured enough,” Jon Rahm, the No. 2 player in the world, said from the Workday Championship in Florida. “I just hope he can get out of the hospital after recovery and he can still play with his kids and have a normal life.”

The single-car crash was the latest setback for Woods, who at times has looked unstoppable on the golf course with his 15 major championships and record-tying 82 victories on the PGA Tour. He is among the most recognizable sports figures in the world, and at 45 with a reduced schedule from nine previous surgeries, remains golf’s biggest draw.

He won the 2008 U.S. Open with shredded knee ligaments and two stress fractures in his left leg. His personal life imploded on Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 when he was caught having multiple extramarital affairs, and he returned to win his 11th award as PGA Tour player of the year and reach No. 1.

No charges were filed, and police said there was no evidence he was impaired.

Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Monday and Tuesday had been set aside for Discovery-owned GOLFTV for Woods to give playing tips to celebrities. A tweet Monday showed him in a cart at Rolling Hills Country Club with comedian David Spade. He also worked with NBA great Dwyane Wade, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLo-cCgH0H1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">posted a video</a>&nbsp;to his Instagram account.

Woods was headed to Rolling Hills on Tuesday when the accident happened.

Thoughts and prayers have come from everywhere — Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, and former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Woods played golf with both of them, and Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 after perhaps his great triumph — the Masters after he had gone through four back surgeries.

The news put a damper on the World Golf Championship in Florida, where Woods was eligible to play if healthy.

“I’m sick to my stomach,” said Justin Thomas, No. 3 in the world and among the younger players whom Woods has embraced. “It hurts to see one of my closest friends get in an accident. Man, I just hope he’s all right.”

The crash happened about 7:15 a.m. as he drove his courtesy vehicle from the Genesis Invitational through the upscale suburbs. Gonzalez says he sometimes catches people topping 80 mph (129 kph) in the 45 mph zone and crashes are common.

Police said Woods was alert as firefighters pried open the front windshield to get him out. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the airbags deployed and the inside of the SUV stayed mostly intact, which “gave him a cushion to survive the crash.”

Authorities said they checked for any odor of alcohol or other signs he was under the influence of a substance and found none. They didn’t say how fast he was driving.

This is the third time Woods has been involved in a car investigation. The most notorious was the early morning after Thanksgiving in 2009, when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree. That was the start of shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife with multiple women.

In May 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road. He was arrested on a DUI charge and said he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine for his back pain. Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.

He was asked during the CBS broadcast Sunday at Riviera about recovering from his back surgery in time to play the Masters and Woods replied, “God, I hope so. I’ve got to get there first.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614166677367.png" alt="The SUV Tiger Woods was driving in Tuesday's crash as it is removed from scene of the accident. photo courtesy KTLA" />
 <figcaption>The SUV Tiger Woods was driving in Tuesday's crash as it is removed from scene of the accident. photo courtesy KTLA</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a career filled with remarkable comebacks, Tiger Woods faces perhaps his toughest recovery of all.The golf star was driving alone on a sweeping, downhill stretch of road through coastal Los Angeles suburbs when his SUV struck a raised median, crossed into oncoming lanes and flipped several times. The crash caused “significant” injuries to Woods’ right leg, and he underwent what was described as a “long surgical procedure” at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.(LA County Sheriff Villanueva discussed current events for 2 minutes and then the crash involving Tiger Woods in Rancho Palos Verdes)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment%2Fvideos%2F741778876538172%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer, said Woods shattered bones in his lower leg in multiple places. Some of his fractures went through the skin and were stabilized by a rod, while screws and pins were used for his ankle and foot injuries.A statement on Woods’&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/1364447580520738820" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>&nbsp;said he was awake and recovering.“I will say that it’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive,” said Carlos Gonzalez, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who was the first to arrive after a neighbor called 911.Police said there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday on a Facebook livestream that it was “purely an accident” on a downhill section of road known for crashes.Dr. Joseph Patterson, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, said injuries like Woods’ are among the most common seen in emergency rooms.Patterson didn’t treat Woods and wouldn’t comment specifically about the golfer’s injuries but said the risk of infection is extremely high for patients with fractures that break the skin.“Tissue can be exposed to bacteria, dirt and clothing. The outcomes can be a lot worse if that tissue gets infected,” Patterson said. Such open fractures can require multiple surgeries to repair.Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith suffered an open fracture to his lower leg while being tackled. He nearly lost the leg due to infection but made a remarkable recovery and played last season.The crash was the latest setback for Woods, who at times has looked unstoppable with his 15 major championships and record-tying 82 victories on the PGA Tour. He is among the world’s most recognizable sports figures, and at 45, with a reduced schedule from nine previous surgeries, remains golf’s biggest draw.He won the 2008 U.S. Open with shredded knee ligaments and two stress fractures in his left leg. His personal life imploded on Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 when he was caught having multiple extramarital affairs and crashed his vehicle near his Florida home. He returned to win his 11th award as PGA Tour player of the year and reach No. 1.And then after four back surgeries that kept him out of golf for the better part of two years, he won the Masters in April 2019 for the fifth time, a victory that ranks among the great comebacks in the sport.Now it’s no longer a matter of when he plays again — the Masters is seven weeks away — but if he plays again.Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Monday and Tuesday had been set aside for Woods to give golf tips to celebrities on Discovery-owned GOLFTV. A tweet Monday showed him in a cart with comedian David Spade. He also worked with NBA great Dwyane Wade, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLo-cCgH0H1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">posted a video</a>&nbsp;on Instagram.“It was a great day,” Wade said Tuesday night on Turner Sports, where he is a studio analyst. “And I woke up today so proud to be able to post that moment for the world, like a little snippet of our moment together. And I took a nap, and I woke up to the news. So, you know, just like everybody out there, my thoughts and prayers are all to his loved ones.”They have come from everywhere — Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson and former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Woods played golf with both presidents, and Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.Woods had a fifth back surgery, a microdiscectomy, on Dec. 23, just three days after he played the PNC Championship with his son Charlie, who now is 12. Woods also has a 13-year-old daughter, Samantha.Woods was driving his courtesy vehicle from the Genesis Invitational when he crashed. Gonzalez, the deputy, does traffic enforcement on the road and said he sometimes catches people topping 80 mph (129 kph) in the downhill, 45-mph zone. Crashes are common.Police said Woods was alert as firefighters pried open the front windshield to get him out. The sheriff says the airbags deployed and the inside of the SUV stayed mostly intact, which “gave him a cushion to survive the crash.”Villanueva said Wednesday that the department hasn’t yet pulled information from the vehicle’s event data recorder, or “black box,” which would give details about speed and could be a factor.In 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road. He was arrested on a DUI charge and said he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine for his back pain. Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.Woods hasn’t won since the Zozo Championship in Japan in fall 2019, and he’s reduced his playing schedule in recent years because of injuries. Besides his five back surgeries, he’s had four surgeries on his left knee.___LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a career filled with remarkable comebacks, Tiger Woods faces his toughest recovery of all.Woods was driving through a sweeping, downhill stretch of road through coastal suburbs of Los Angeles when his SUV struck a sign, crossed over a raised median and two oncoming lanes before it toppled down an embankment, coming to a halt on its side.The airbags deployed. A sheriff’s deputy poked his head through a hole in the windshield to see Woods, still wearing his seatbelt, sitting in the driver’s seat.The crash caused “significant” injuries all down his right leg that featured rods, pins and screws during what was described as a “long surgical procedure” at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer, said Woods shattered tibia and fibula bones on his right leg in multiple locations. Those were stabilized by a rod in the tibia. He said a combination of screws and pins were used to stabilize additional injuries in the ankle and foot.A statement on his&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/1364447580520738820" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>&nbsp;said he was awake, responsive and recovering.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/vZitnFV0YA">pic.twitter.com/vZitnFV0YA</a>&mdash; Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/1364447580520738820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I will say that it’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive,” said Carlos Gonzalez, the deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department who was the first on the scene after a neighbor called 911.“As if his body hasn’t endured enough,” Jon Rahm, the No. 2 player in the world, said from the Workday Championship in Florida. “I just hope he can get out of the hospital after recovery and he can still play with his kids and have a normal life.”The single-car crash was the latest setback for Woods, who at times has looked unstoppable on the golf course with his 15 major championships and record-tying 82 victories on the PGA Tour. He is among the most recognizable sports figures in the world, and at 45 with a reduced schedule from nine previous surgeries, remains golf’s biggest draw.He won the 2008 U.S. Open with shredded knee ligaments and two stress fractures in his left leg. His personal life imploded on Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 when he was caught having multiple extramarital affairs, and he returned to win his 11th award as PGA Tour player of the year and reach No. 1.And then after four back surgeries that kept him out of golf for the better part of two years, he won the Masters in April 2019 for the fifth time, a victory that ranks among the great comebacks in the sport.Now it’s no longer a matter of when he plays again — the Masters is seven weeks away — but if he plays again.No charges were filed, and police said there was no evidence he was impaired.Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Monday and Tuesday had been set aside for Discovery-owned GOLFTV for Woods to give playing tips to celebrities. A tweet Monday showed him in a cart at Rolling Hills Country Club with comedian David Spade. He also worked with NBA great Dwyane Wade, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLo-cCgH0H1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">posted a video</a>&nbsp;to his Instagram account.Woods was headed to Rolling Hills on Tuesday when the accident happened.“It was a great day,” Wade said Tuesday night on Turner Sports, where he is a studio analyst. “And I woke up today so proud to be able to post that moment for the world, like a little snippet of our moment together. And I took a nap, and I woke up to the news. So, you know, just like everybody out there, my thoughts and prayers are all to his loved ones.”Thoughts and prayers have come from everywhere — Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, and former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Woods played golf with both of them, and Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 after perhaps his great triumph — the Masters after he had gone through four back surgeries.Woods had a fifth back surgery, a microdiscectomy, on Dec. 23, just three days after he played the PNC Championship with his son Charlie, who now is 12. Woods also has a 13-year-old daughter, Samantha.The news put a damper on the World Golf Championship in Florida, where Woods was eligible to play if healthy.“I’m sick to my stomach,” said Justin Thomas, No. 3 in the world and among the younger players whom Woods has embraced. “It hurts to see one of my closest friends get in an accident. Man, I just hope he’s all right.”The crash happened about 7:15 a.m. as he drove his courtesy vehicle from the Genesis Invitational through the upscale suburbs. Gonzalez says he sometimes catches people topping 80 mph (129 kph) in the 45 mph zone and crashes are common.Police said Woods was alert as firefighters pried open the front windshield to get him out. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the airbags deployed and the inside of the SUV stayed mostly intact, which “gave him a cushion to survive the crash.”Authorities said they checked for any odor of alcohol or other signs he was under the influence of a substance and found none. They didn’t say how fast he was driving.This is the third time Woods has been involved in a car investigation. The most notorious was the early morning after Thanksgiving in 2009, when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree. That was the start of shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife with multiple women.In May 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road. He was arrested on a DUI charge and said he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine for his back pain. Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.Woods hasn’t won since the Zozo Championship in Japan in fall 2019, and he’s reduced his playing schedule in recent years because of injuries. Besides his five back surgeries, he’s had four surgeries on his left knee.He was asked during the CBS broadcast Sunday at Riviera about recovering from his back surgery in time to play the Masters and Woods replied, “God, I hope so. I’ve got to get there first.”___

🎥  Lucky to be alive, Tiger Woods faces difficult recovery

Missouri Western athletics has announced attendance policies for the spring sports seasons.

Masks will be required for all patrons at all home events, including at outdoor venues. Venues will continue to operate at&nbsp;limited capacity, and seating will be socially distanced. Seat stickers will be placed on available seating.

Fans are asked not to congregate in large groups.

Griffon Women's Lacrosse plays their inaugural season in Spratt Memorial Stadium this spring and will host seven home dates. MWSU Gold Coat Members will be admitted by showing their membership ID card. MWSU students must claim a free ticket online for entry by using their G# as the passcode. Spratt Stadium's box office will open one hour prior to match time.

Griffon Softball returns to the Spring Sports Complex this spring with eleven home games on the calendar. Admission is FREE for all dates, except the Hy-Vee Classic March 19-21, where a $5.00 admission fee per day will be charged. Additional seating will be brought in behind each dugout to provide more socially distanced options for patrons.

Griffon Baseball will also have eleven home games this spring at the Spring Sports Complex. Admission is FREE for all of them.

Fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating down the lines, in addition to what's available in the seating areas.

Griffon Volleyball will host seven home games in the MWSU Fieldhouse this spring. Tickets will be available to the general public for $5.00 apiece, to which fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance online.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614205901903.png" alt="Attendance.png" />
 <figcaption>Attendance.png</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostMissouri Western athletics has announced attendance policies for the spring sports seasons.Masks will be required for all patrons at all home events, including at outdoor venues. Venues will continue to operate at&nbsp;limited capacity, and seating will be socially distanced. Seat stickers will be placed on available seating.Fans are asked not to congregate in large groups.GRIFFON WOMEN'S LACROSSEGriffon Women's Lacrosse plays their inaugural season in Spratt Memorial Stadium this spring and will host seven home dates. MWSU Gold Coat Members will be admitted by showing their membership ID card. MWSU students must claim a free ticket online for entry by using their G# as the passcode. Spratt Stadium's box office will open one hour prior to match time.GRIFFON SOFTBALLGriffon Softball returns to the Spring Sports Complex this spring with eleven home games on the calendar. Admission is FREE for all dates, except the Hy-Vee Classic March 19-21, where a $5.00 admission fee per day will be charged. Additional seating will be brought in behind each dugout to provide more socially distanced options for patrons.GRIFFON BASEBALLGriffon Baseball will also have eleven home games this spring at the Spring Sports Complex. Admission is FREE for all of them.Fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating down the lines, in addition to what's available in the seating areas.GRIFFON VOLLEYBALLGriffon Volleyball will host seven home games in the MWSU Fieldhouse this spring. Tickets will be available to the general public for $5.00 apiece, to which fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance online.MWSU Gold Coat Members will be admitted by showing their membership ID card. MWSU students must claim a free ticket online for entry by using their G# as the passcode. The Looney Complex Box Office opens one hour prior to game time.GRIFFON SOCCERGriffon Soccer has five home games in Spratt Memorial Stadium this spring. Tickets will be available to the general public for $5.00 apiece. Again, fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance online.MWSU Gold Coat Members will be admitted by showing their membership ID card. MWSU students must claim a free ticket online for entry by using their G# as the passcode. Spratt Stadium's box office will open one hour prior to match time.