by Michael Smith


The 2023-24 version of the Grain Valley girls swim team is arguably the best in the six-year history of the program.

Last Saturday, the Eagles had their biggest win in team history when they beat out 13 other teams to take first place with 454 points.

Not only that, but nine school records have been broken this season and have times in 10 different events that would qualify for an entry into the Missouri State High School Girls Swimming and Diving Championships in February.

While Grain Valley head coach Julie Reilly and her girls admit the team doesn’t have the numbers to compete for a state trophy, this could be a year the Eagles make some noise and have some girls earn all-state or honorable mention honors.

“I think this group of girls is amazing,” Reilly said. “I don’t know if it’s the best, but it probably is. They all want it.”

The 200 and 400 free relay teams are standing out for the Eagles as each of them are currently seeded seventh among all teams in the state in Class 1.

The 200 free relay team of Katelyn Epple, Kalli Beard, Riley Wade and Jay’me Whitley currently have a season-best time of 1:44.75, which was the first-place time at the Belton Invitational.

The 400 free relay team of Ellie Martin, Beard, Emily Holzworth and Epple had their season best time at the Belton Invitational with a time of 3:48.60.

“I have a lot of faith in our relays,” Beard said. “They are my favorite events to swim in. We work really well together.”

If the Eagles relay teams can stay in the top eight at the state meet, they would finish high enough for an all-state honor, given to the top eight finishers of each event.

The Grain Valley 200 medley relay team is also an event it could excel at during the state competition. It’s currently seeded at No. 14 with a season-best time of 1:59.85.

Reilly noted that continuity is a big factor in the success of the relay teams as many of the swimmers competed on the relay teams last season. Relays are events which require good teamwork and timing of dives once one swimmer is finished with their leg of the race.

“We have had some time to build it up and they want it a little bit this year,” Reilly said.

For the individual events, the Eagles have four swimmers who have times good enough to qualify for state in seven different events. The top 32 times qualify and swimmers can only compete in two individual events at the state meet.

Beard currently has times good enough to qualify in the 50 free (25.82 seconds, No. 24 seed) and the 100 butterfly (1:02.89, No. 22 seed). Last season, Beard made it to the finals of the 100 butterfly at state and hopes to repeat that feat this season.

“Hopefully I will rank higher than I did last season,” Beard said.

Martin is in a good position to push for an all-state honorable mention time at state as she is in the top 20 in two different events. She is ranked 20th in the 200 individual medley with a season-best time of 2:18.25 and is the No. 15 seed in the 500 free with a time of 5:33.43.

“I saw a lot of time drops at the Belton Invitational which helped move me up in the rankings,” Martin said. “I am really thinking I am going to improve as the season goes and I can’t wait to
see what happens.”

Epple said she didn’t make it to the finals for either of her events last season, but will push to do that this time around. She is currently ranked No. 31 in the 100 free with a time of 56.64 seconds and is 19th in the 200 free at 2:04.

Wade also has a state consideration time in the 100 breaststroke as she is currently seeded 25th with a time of 1:15.07.

“I think any of those girls could be top 16 or higher (at state),” Reilly said. “Our relays could be in the top 16 and two of them could end up in the top eight.”

Grain Valley will compete in the Suburban White Conference Championships at 1 p.m. Feb. 3.
 

by Michael Smith
 
​
The Grain Valley boys basketball team may have had their best offensive performance of the season.
 
The Eagles took on Fort Osage in the third-place game of the Grain Valley Invitational and looked like a well-oiled machine on offense. Cuts and screens led to wide open shots behind the 3-point line or an open look right at the basket in the second half.
 
Not only that, but seven players scored at least six points and three of them had double figures in Grain Valley’s 67-48 victory Friday at home.
 
“Coach told us that this was the best team and the best offensive basketball we have played this season,” Grain Valley senior forward Stylz Blackmon said. “It was very entertaining for him to watch, he said. Just watching us being able to orchestrate our offense for an entire 32 minute game, is something he’s been waiting for us to do.”
 
Grain Valley (10-7) was tied with the Indians 15-15 at the end of the first period and dominated from there. The Eagles outscored Fort Osage 20-10 in the second period to take a 35-25 lead into halftime.
 
“They went to the zone at one point and we were able to dismantle that.”
 
Blackmon dominated in the first half, scoring 13 of his game-high 19 points and junior Aaron Barr chipped in with nine points in the first 16 minutes.
 
Grain Valley then started to run away with it in the third by extending the lead to 54-37. The team ran the offense well and used organized plays to find easy looks.
 
In that period, a pick and pop set up by sophomore Eli Herbert led to a wide-open three from the right wing that he buried. Herbert also made an open layup on a back cut and a pin-down screen from Blackmon opened up a cutting lane for senior Logan Marcum, who put in an open layup.
 
In the fourth, the Indians didn’t get any closer than 14 points as the Eagles continued to get it done on the offensive end. Senior Jackson Schoen threaded a bounced pass through a tight window to hit a cutting Herbert, who converted on a conventional 3-point play after making a layup. Senior Matthew Leonard also had an assist in which he found Schoen cutting baseline for an open layup.
 
“We did a great job having balance,” Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert said. “We’ve found that groove and rhythm on how everyone is going to get theirs. We executed well. We laughed because we talked about how earlier in the year, we couldn’t even set up a play.
 
“There was the back cut Eli got that led to the and-one, we have worked on that all year. (That play) hasn’t gone well in the past.”
 
Andy Herbert noted his team looked better on defense in the second half and that was especially apparent on a play Leonard made midway through the fourth. He blocked the shot of Fort Osage’s 6-foot-2 forward Grayson Harris, rifled a pass to Marcum on the fast break, which led to another basket for the Eagles.
 
“I don’t know how tall he is, he’s 5-8, 5-9 or 5-10,” Herbert said of Leonard, “but he’s an explosive athlete and he can get off the ground quickly and he’s smart. He’s the unsung hero of this group.”
 
Barr and Herbert each added 13 points apiece for the Eagles and Marcum and sophomore forward Samuel Pendergrass added seven each.
 

by ​Cole Arndorfer
 

The Grain Valley Schools Board of Education met on Thursday, January 18, for their first meeting of 2024.
 
Superintendent Dr. Brad Welle led off the meeting with his report for the month. In his report, Welle recognized the first-year participants of the leadership seminar. Welle and Dr. Allen also talked about various leadership initiatives taking place in both North and South Middle School.
 
In wrapping up the report, Welle noted the construction and financial updates that were given to the board as part of his report.
 
Addressing construction updates, assistant superintendent Dr. Nick Gooch told the board that the projects are still trending ahead of schedule with crews working on painting and various other tasks.
 
Gooch reported that the district has been able to take some of the project’s contingency money and put it to other improvements around the district. So far, the district has been able to use some of the money to provide some additional storage outside of athletics and activities spaces at the high school. They are also looking into some asphalt replacements and improvements at the high school. The district is also awaiting findings from the safety audit to identify safety items that may need improvements within the schools.
 
Under unfinished business, the board unanimously approved ballot language to be placed on the April 2024 ballot requesting a levy increase. The main focus with this tax levy issue, Welle explained, is on improving and providing competitive teacher pay. Welle said that the ballot language will include safeguards that would allow the district to use that money in the general fund in the case that state funding was reduced, but he does not see that happening.
 
In an email to district parents and patrons, Welle addressed the levy issue.
 
“Voters will be asked to raise the operating tax levy rate ceiling by $0.65. The district commits to reducing the debt service levy by $0.40, resulting in an estimated overall tax levy ceiling increase of $0.25. With the passage of this measure, the owner of a home with a market value of $250,000 would see an increase of $119 per year. 

The primary purpose of this ballot measure is for competitive pay, but some general operating expenses of the district including security are also expected to be impacted.”
 
Under new business, the board discussed the timeline for the budget planning process for the 2024-2025 school year. After some discussion on that, the board discussed information about the 2024-2025 district calendar. Some priorities on the calendar, discussed by Gooch, would be to balance out the amount of time that students are in session across all district schools. According to Gooch, this would allow the district to add another professional development and teacher work day to the calendar, while still increasing the in-session hours for the district.
 
Following new business, the board adjourned into executive session. The next Board of Education meeting will take place on February 22 at 6 pm in the Leadership Center. 

by Cole Arndorfer
 
The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen met Monday, January 22nd for the second regularly scheduled meeting in January.
 
City Clerk Jamie Logan administered the oath of office for police officer Derek King. King was joined by his family in celebration of his joining the GVPD.
 
Following the oath, the board moved into the resolution portion of the meeting.
 
First, the board approved a resolution allowing the city to enter into an agreement with Earthworks Excavation to demolish and clear the former Sni-A-Bar farm structures at 600 SW Buckner Tarsney Road. This will remove all the structures on the property besides the park maintenance facility. It will also remove all the concrete around the pool area to provide a level property for further development. This was approved 4-1 with Alderman Arnold being the lone dissenting vote, and Alderman Bray absent.
 
The second resolution approved by the board allows the city to renew the software maintenance and support agreement with Brightly Software. The city has used Brightly Software for six years and this is just a renewal to their current agreement. The resolution was approved unanimously.
 
The final resolution unanimously approved allows the city to makes upgrades to eight sets of bleachers at Monkey Mountain Park, providing a better and safer seating area for spectators at the baseball/softball fields.
 
Next, the board heard the second reading of a bill to amend the section in the city code regarding court costs. This is essentially just an update to the codes, keeping up with state laws on the subject. This bill was passed 5-0.
 
The second bill the board took action on was the second reading of a bill to amend the section in the city code regarding rental rates and fees for the community center and pool. This must be done in order to reflect what is shown in the 2024 city budget. This bill was also approved 5-0.
 
Following this, the board moved into the City Administrator’s report. Ken Murphy used his brief report to thank the city workers who worked tirelessly in the snow and ice to clear roads and keep people safe, and to welcome Officer King to the team.
 
In Alderman Cleaver’s comments, he brought up the desire to move meetings to an earlier time. Alderman Arnold noted that a reason the meetings start at 7:00pm is to allow those who work outside of Grain Valley to come home and eat dinner without being rushed. In order to make a change to meeting times, the board would have to approve a change in the city code. After some discussion, the board agreed on 6:30pm and will prepare a bill for a future meeting including the time change and a clause that allows for virtual meetings in cases of inclement weather.
 
Mayor Todd shared that he met with the homeowners association from Woodbury Estates to gather information on the situation regarding a loan due on a neighborhood pool. Using this information, the board will hold a workshop to find some possible solutions for the homeowners association and present them their findings.
 
The next Board of Aldermen’s meeting will take place at 7:00pm on February 12 at City Hall. 

Sni-A-Bar Elementary students were among hundreds of students who attended the "Battle of the Brains" awards ceremony on January 23rd, and the team placed third for their "Disasster Strikes" proposal, winning a $20,000 grant for the school. Earlier in the school year, they were named Top 20 out of 740 big idea submissions in the Kansas City area in Burns & McDonnell’s STEM competition.

The 2023-24 competition included more than 6,800 students from 245 schools across 50 school districts throughout the Kansas City region. Judges — STEM professionals from Burns & McDonnell and Science City — followed an evaluation process to rank entries according to specific criteria, ranging from creativity and inspiration to how interactive and engaging the exhibit would be for visitors. 
​
“All of the students’ proposed exhibits were amazing — it was really hard to pick a winner,” George Guastello, president and CEO of Union Station said. “Battle of the Brains is an incredible program that has transformed Science City into a museum full of STEM activities for kids of all ages.”

Delta Woods Middle School in Blue Springs won the competition with its ElectroMAGNIFICENT! entry.

The Burns & McDonnell Battle of the Brains competition is one of the nation’s most unique K-12 STEM programs, with thousands of students competing to pitch their unique classroom idea for a permanent exhibit at Science City. Student participation has nearly tripled since the first competition in 2011.
Burns & McDonnell has designed and built seven major exhibits that have transformed Science City, or more than half of the nearly 100,000 square feet of the science center’s interactive exhibit space.

Brenda and Rob Eslinger have purchased the former Joeshmoes Coffee space and opened Valley Social Coffeehouse. The Eslingers have deep roots in Grain Valley. Brenda grew up in Grain Valley and their five children were also raised in Grain Valley. 

The new business celebrated its grand opening January 13th with a ribbon cutting on one of the coldest days on record. Despite the temps outside, the full house inside was an indication of the support the Eslingers have in this new endeavor. 

In addition to a full drink menu, the coffeehouse offers a variety of breakfast and lunch items, as well as retail items.  

​Valley Social Coffeehouse is located at 120 S Buckner Tarsney Road in Grain Valley. Their hours have recently expanded as follows: Monday to Friday: 6:00am to 6:00pm, Saturday: 7:00am - 6:00pm, and Sunday: 7:00am - 4:00pm.

For more information or to place an order, visit www.valleysocialcoffeehouse.com

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
 
        
 If you are a regular reader of this column then you know I’m on a quest to discover more about some of the oldest homes in Grain Valley.  This week, my curiosity led me to Yennie Street named for Peter Joseph Yennie who was a resident of Grain Valley according to the 1910 U. S. Census. His first wife, who died in 1912, was Minnie Cates.  That’s right, Mrs. Minnie Yennie! He later married Willa Ann Turner and they moved to Strasberg, Missouri, in Cass County.
 
On a 1904 city map, Yennie is an east/west street which ran along the northern edge of town. At that time there were only nine structures on the north side of the street. The building at the north end of Capelle Street was labeled Hard Shell Baptist Church. When it became a church and how long it existed is unknown to me. Several years ago, Patricia Parr Davis, spoke at a meeting of the historical society. Her talk, “Growing Up in Grain Valley,” included going up and down each street and telling who lived in each house in the early 1940s.

She also referred to the Hard Shell Baptist Church at this location. Hard Shell Baptist –also known as Primitive Baptist, Regular Baptist, Old School Baptist and Foot Washing Baptist – are conservative Baptist adhering to a degree of Calvinist beliefs. They coalesced out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 19th century over the appropriateness of mission boards, tract societies, and temperance societies. Primitive Baptists are a subset of the Calvinistic Baptist tradition. The adjective "primitive" in the name is used in the sense of "original".
 
If I were to talk about “growing up in Grain Valley, I would refer to the structure as the home of Guy and Hattie Thompson. According to the 1950 U. S. Census, the Thompsons lived in this house with their five children.  Mr. Thompson died in 1953. My memory of the house goes back to the late 1950s when Mrs. Thompson lived there with her grown son Paul. He was always working on cars in the garage at the back.

Maybe it was the steep roof, maybe it was because there was no front porch at that time, or maybe it was because my grandmother called it the old Hard Shell Baptist Church; at any rate, that’s what I think of when I drive past.  I wonder who attended, if it was a large congregation, and when did it cease to exist. As usual, I have many more questions than answers.
 
Today, at 120 plus years, it in an attractive, well-maintained piece of history with a pretty little front porch. If only the wall could talk!

Submitted by Xi Iota Phi chapter of Beta Sigma Phi


The ladies of Xi Iota Phi chapter of Beta Sigma Phi have been busy the last six months of the 2023 year.

In June we held our monthly meeting at the home of Chris Smith. Linda Ebert provided our program on the Princess Tree, which originates from China. Members enjoyed our yearly retreat at the lake at Linda’s home, as usual we all had a great time relaxing, playing in the lake and of course each other’s company.

For July Debbie Woods was our hostess for our meeting in Grain Valley. Since our programs this year are centered around flowers, Debbie did her program on Gazing balls and their history. For our service the chapter donated to the Chain of Hope, which supports reducing the overpopulation of pets and alleviating the suffering of abused and neglected animals in the Kansas City area.

August found us at the home of Cathy Talley. Cathy's program was about the Cosmos flower, once she was done she passed out cosmos seed packets to all of us to plant next spring. Discussion was had about the upcoming convention and ordering pink shirts for those in attendance to wear, as well as whoever else wanted one to order.

In September we enjoyed meeting at the home of Chris Smith again and her program was on the dogwood tree. Chris was gracious and served us “Miller tacos” for dinner, which were delicious!! For our social we went to Olive Garden for dinner and then went and played a really fun round of pre-historic mini golf in Independence. To our sad dismay we learned that one of our dear members had some serious health issues and needed to take a leave of absence. We all let her know we love her and will support her anyway we can.

Turning to the fall time of the year, October, Our social for the month was our yearly Pref Tea which was held at the Tea room in Greenwood, Mo.The committee did a great job on picking a location that was beautiful and delicious.Two of our sisters lost their father/father-in-law and yellow roses were sent to them along with our sympathies.

Our monthly meeting was held at Debbie Reardon’s home and her program was about Iris.

Going into the holiday season, beginning with November,  members met at the home of Karen Sutton. Karen taught us about the difference in pumpkins and which type is used for making pumpkin pies and which type is used for jack-o-lanterns. For our social, we went to Union Station to enjoy the Holiday Reflection exhibit, and the numerous electric trains. Afterward we went to dinner to one of our favorites, mexican. Members also enjoyed a night out at the yearly fund raiser Dazzling Diva’s for Cancer Action.

To finish off the 2023 year we met at the home of Karen LaJaunie for our Christmas celebration where she did a program fitting with Christmas on the poinsettia plant. Everyone brought appetizers to share, as well as a gift exchange with our secret sister, and our tradition of gifts for each other. We had  guests for the evening, Christy Donner and Kim Meyers,former members, which we were all glad to have time to catch up and visit with. We also voted on our Valentine Queen for 2024, which we are happy to say is Debbie Woods.

We are all excited to see what the new year brings and have many things to be grateful for, besides each other.  

Missouri nonfarm payroll employment increased by 5,600 jobs in December 2023, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point. Private industry employment increased by 4,200 jobs and government employment increased by 1,400 jobs. The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in December 2023, up from 3.2 percent in November 2023. Over the year, there was an increase of 48,100 jobs from December 2022 to December 2023, and the unemployment rate increased by six-tenths of a percentage point, from 2.7 percent in December 2022 to 3.3 percent in December 2023.

UNEMPLOYMENT          
Missouri's smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in December 2023, increasing to 3.3 percent from the revised November 2023 rate of 3.2 percent. The December 2023 rate was six-tenths of a percentage point higher than the December 2022 rate. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 101,920 in December 2023, up by 991 from November 2023.

The state's not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 2.8 percent from November 2023 to December 2023. A year ago, the not-seasonally-adjusted rate was 2.2 percent. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for December 2023 was 3.5 percent.

Missouri's labor force participation rate was 63.3 percent in December 2023, eight-tenths of a percentage point higher than the national rate of 62.5 percent. Missouri's employment-population ratio was 61.3 percent in December 2023, 1.2 percentage points higher than the national rate of 60.1 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in December 2023, four-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate has been at or below the national rate for more than eight years.
    
EMPLOYMENT 
Missouri's nonfarm payroll employment was 3,005,100 in December 2023, up 5,600 from the revised November 2023 figure. The November 2023 total was revised upward by 1,700 jobs from the preliminary estimate.

Goods-producing industries increased by 1,800 jobs over the month, with mining, logging, and construction gaining 1,400 jobs and manufacturing gaining 400 jobs. Private service-providing industries increased by 2,400 jobs between November 2023 and December 2023. Employment in private service-providing industries increased in trade, transportation, and utilities (1,900 jobs); financial activities (1,400 jobs); information (700 jobs); private education and health services (600 jobs); and leisure and hospitality (100 jobs).  Employment decreased in professional and business services (-2,200 jobs) and other services (-100 jobs). Total government employment increased by 1,400 jobs over the month with increases in local government (1,100 jobs) and state government (300 jobs).

Over the year, total payroll employment increased by 48,100 jobs from December 2022 to December 2023. The largest gain was in private education and health services (17,000 jobs); followed by leisure and hospitality (14,200 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (6,200 jobs); other services (2,800 jobs); financial activities (1,700 jobs); manufacturing (600 jobs); and mining, logging, and construction (400 jobs). Employment decreased in professional and business services (-5,500 jobs) and information (-700 jobs). Government employment increased by 11,400 jobs over the year, with increases in local government (9,800 jobs), federal government (1,200 jobs), and state government (400 jobs).

​Read the full report at https://meric.mo.gov/missouri-monthly-jobs-report. 

​The following information is derived from Grain Valley Police Department daily calls service log for the week of January 14-23, 2024.
 
January 14, 2024
1200 Blk Phelps Ct
Agency assist

Oak Grove
Agency assist

 
January 15, 2024
1400 Blk BB
Alarm

1500 Blk NW Eagle Ridge
Citizen assist

200 Blk Hannah Ct
Area check

100 Blk 3rd St
Alarm

 
January 16, 2024
800 Blk Harvest Dr
Unattended death

100 Blk Lindsey Ln
Welfare check

1100 Blk NW Bush Dr
Verbal disturbance

100 Blk McQuerry
Alarm

300 Blk SW Eagles Pkwy
Physical disturbance

900 Blk SW Sycamore Ct
Attempted stealing

 
January 17, 2024
1500 Blk NW Hilltop Ln
Threats

PHQ
Citizen contact

700 Blk Main St
Agency assist

500 Blk White Stone
Follow up

700 Blk Lakeview Dr
Identity theft

Tyler/Jefferson
Motorist assist

PHQ
Citizen contact

1100 Blk Pamela
Alarm

1200 Blk NW Phelps Ct
Sex crime

PHQ
Public service

 
January 18, 2024
200 Blk Jefferson
Disturbance

1400 Blk NE Deer Creek
Motorist assist

PHQ
Citizen contact

PHQ
Citizen contact

Greystone/Sni-A-Bar
Area check

200 Blk NE Hannah Ct
Suspicious activity

PHQ
Citizen contact

PHQ
Citizen contact

 
January 19, 2024
Main St/Eagles
Motor vehicle accident

PHQ
Citizen contact

EB I70 On Ramp
Agency assist

Main St/Front
Area check

900 Blk NW Eagle Ridge Rd
Animal control

100 Blk SW Rock Creek Ln
Animal bite

 
January 20, 2024
3300 Blk Outer Belt
Alarm

500 Blk Montana Ridge Dr
Parking complaint

Sycamore/Rosewood
Area check

1200 Blk NW Ashley Ln
Stolen vehicle

600 Blk Joseph Cir
Agency assist

 
January 21, 2024
100 Blk Sunny Lane
Motor vehicle accident

1000 Blk NW Pond
Area Check

400 Blk NW Orion
Verbal disturbance

1000 Blk NW Pamela Blvd
Alarm

500 Blk SW Brome
Residence Check

 
January 22, 2024
1000 Blk S Buckner Tarsney Rd
Citizen Contact

700 Blk SW Rockhill Dr
Suspicious Vehicle

800 Blk SW Highland Dr
Area Check

PHQ
Citizen Contact

500 Blk NW Willow Dr
Harassment

200 Blk Broadway
Citizen Contact

600 Blk SW Creek Ridge
Alarm

 
January 23, 2024
1000 Blk Erin Ct
Possible disturbance

PHQ
Citizen Contact

PHQ
Citizen Contact

PHQ
Fraud

Minter S/O SW Eagles Pkwy
Motorist Assist

 
Additional calls for service:
Suicidal subject: 1

by Michael Smith
​
 
Any basketball team led by veteran head coach Randy Draper is going to play fast.
 
His teams often use a full-court press to force turnovers and often will push the pace on offense to score before the opposing defense can get set.
 
That’s what happened in Friday’s non-conference matchup with Kearney as Grain Valley’s suffocating defense and fast-paced offense led to a 56-27 victory at Kearney High School.
 
“That’s when we are at our best,” Draper said of when his team pushes the pace on offense. I love our defense, it adds to the pace of play.”
 
Grain Valley led Kearney 16-2 at the end of the first period and cruised from there as Kelly scored eight of her game-high 17 points. The Eagles then scored seven points following Kearney turnovers in the second period which led to a 30-13 halftime lead.
 
“We had a lot of backside help,” Kelly said. “Whether it was me or Finley (LaForge) helping trap Aspen in the middle there was always help when a girl would cut through the middle. Our posts Meghan (Knust) and Addy (Seyfert) were always there to come down and get any pass that’s thrown over.”
 
“We also got into their heads by scoring and not letting them score.”
 
In that period, freshman Madison Rust scored all nine of her points to provide her team a boost. Draper recently inserted her into the rotation and she has proven to be a quality player off the bench.
 
“She’s a highly skilled player,” Draper said of Rust. “She is getting used to the pace of play and her ceiling is really high.”
 
Grain Valley (9-5) really pushed the pace in the third period. In the first five possessions, the Eagles got a shot up in seven seconds or less following either a turnover or a defensive rebound. Sophomore swingman Aspen Reed was the beneficiary of that as she scored 10 points in the period to extend the lead to 49-23.
 
“We had almost two weeks off at the beginning of the month,” Kelly said. “We have a drill where we have to get the ball down and back in 10 seconds and the ball can’t touch the ground. It contributes to our pace in games.”
 
Draper then emptied the bench in the fourth quarter as all 12 players on the varsity roster received playing time.
 
“Our bench did a really good job,” Draper said. “Our energy level was a lot better than it was the other night (a 54-43 loss to Platte County Tuesday). We needed to play like this.”

by Michael Smith
 

After a 5-game absence which landed him in the hospital for six days, sophomore guard Eli Herbert made his return.
 
The star sharpshooter was a game-time decision to play and ended up starting in Friday’s non-conference matchup with Kearney on the road.
 
He helped hold off a comeback attempt from the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter with a critical steal which led to a Grain Valley basket and he put in five points in the final eight minutes during a 66-57 victory.
 
“It was great to have him back,” Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert said. “It was good for our camaraderie and the guys were happy to have him back. He helped us handle the pressure and got us a couple of easy baskets.”
 
And Eli was happy to be back, too.
 
“It’s just nice to be out there,” Eli Herbert said. “It was about getting back to normalcy and being able to run up and down the court. Being able to play basketball is so much fun.”
 
Eli Herbert is an important part of the Eagles as he’s their leading scorer and a good defender. His team went into the fourth period with a 51-35 lead. Kearney then caught fire and went on a 14-2 run to cut Grain Valley’s lead to 53-49 midway through the period. During that stretch, Kearney senior Devin Hanna scored eight points, including two three pointers, one of which capped the run.
 
On the ensuing possession Grain Valley missed a shot and Kearney pushed the ball down court. Herbert then stripped a Kearney ball handler for a steal and rifled a pass to senior Logan Marcum for a fast-break layup, which pushed the lead back to six.
 
A 3-pointer from Bulldog senior guard Cameron Webster then sliced the Eagles’ lead to 55-52, but that was as close as Kearney would get the rest of the way. With 1:03 left in the game, with Kearney using a full-court press, senior Jack Schoen threw a baseball pass to Herbert on the other side of the court.
 
Hebert used head fake to deke two Bulldog defenders into contesting too early and he made a layup while being fouled. He pumped both his fists and screamed at the bench as Grain Valley went up 59-54. That seemed to help the Eagles regain momentum as that was the beginning of a 9-3 spurt that helped them put the game away.
 
During the final minute, Herbert made 3 of 4 free throws and Marcum put in a fast-break layup and made two free throws of his own.
 
“We kind of stopped playing defense,” Eli Herbert said of the fourth quarter. “Once we started to calm down and had a timeout, we did what we had done the entire game and everything worked out.”
 
Before the fourth, Grain Valley got into an early hole when Kearney began the game with an 11-0 run, sparked by eight points from Webster. Senior forward Stylz Blackmon helped the Eagles get back in it as he dominated the paint and scored eight points as his team cut the lead to 16-15 going into the second.
 
Grain Valley then took the lead early in the second period by forcing two Bulldog turnovers. Sophomore Samuel Pendergrass made a basket inside and senior guard Matthew Leonard, who had eight points, scored on a fast-break basket following a steal from junior Aaron Barr to make it 19-16.
 
Leonard, who has been a defensive specialist and hadn’t shot the ball a lot in previous games, was much more aggressive in this contest, as he attacked the basket when he had an opportunity.
 
“He had a fantastic demeanor,” Andy Herbert said of Leonard. “He was aggressive and this was the best game he’s played. He’s a team guy.”
 
Grain Valley held a 28-26 half time lead and ballooned the advantage to 51-35 at the end of the third quarter. Barr scored nine of his 11 points in the period, all on 3-pointers and Blackmon bullied Kearney’s interior defenders for 10 of his team-high 20 points.
 
“He’s such a tough matchup.” Andy Herbert said. “He stays after practice and works on some of those post moves you saw tonight. He, Eli, Raif (Graham) stayed and worked on it for a couple of hours the other day. He is starting to see the fruits of his labor.”
 
Blackmon made a left-handed baby hook early in the quarter and split a double team on the low block for a conventional 3-point play as he was fouled on a layup.
 
“I just trusted in my instincts,” Blackmon said. “Eli had me in the gym after practice the other night and we were working on strong finishes. Before, I was just moping my way up there. After practice, they had a dummy and they were hitting me with it and telling me to go through.
 
“I centered my chest and just had my elbows locked. I just went through the contact, expecting it to be there and when I went up for the layup, it was there.”

Community Blood Center (CBC) has joined blood centers across the country in an emergency plea for blood donors following a holiday season of low donor turnout and recent winter weather that resulted in widespread cancellation of appointments and blood drives. Additionally, a recent spike in seasonal illnesses across the region are preventing many from donating.
 
Last year, blood collections in the region were the lowest they’ve been in six years, down by nearly 18,000 donations since 2021 alone. Additionally, CBC has seen a nearly 40% drop in donations in the last three weeks, further crippling the inventory that was already in short supply. There is currently only a 1-day supply of types O-, O+, and B-, as well as a critical shortage of platelets. The Kansas City community is not alone; blood emergencies have been declared across the country, indicating that there is no national surplus of blood at this time.
 
"In the midst of the nation-wide blood emergency, and in the wake of recent winter storms, we are calling on all who are eligible to make an immediate blood or platelet donation,” Chelsey Smith, Director of Public Relations at Community Blood Center said. “After a year of record-low donations across our region, the current blood supply is dangerously low, and donors are needed to ensure patients in our community get the lifesaving treatment they need."
 
Blood donors can give every 56 days, and up to 6 times a year. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. To view current eligibility guidelines, click here or call 800.688.0900. To make an appointment, call 877.468.6844, or visit savealifenow.org.
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