​     The Grain Valley Lady Eagles basketball team took an 11 point lead into halftime against a tough conference opponent in the Fort Osage Indians on Tuesday, January 21st. Grain Valley was initially unable to build a sizeable lead due to a Fort Osage team that played tough man to man defense and was efficient at moving the basketball for open looks with screens.
     Junior Forward Jordyn Weems started the third quarter determined to stretch her team’s lead while also drawing the assignment of defending the leading scorer for Fort Osage in Junior Guard Kiyley Flowers. Weems was up for both tasks.
     “My confidence is growing because Coach Draper gives me a job and I do it. Offense is not my special suit and I have been working to improve there. It seems like it’s starting to come together. Coming off my injury last year, I felt like a Freshman again at certain points early in this season,” Weems said.
     “The challenge tonight defensively for us was not losing the player we were assigned to guard. We had good help off the screens along with being quick to recover if we were screened. My favorite part of the game tonight was seeing us relax at the start of the second half due to us getting up and down the court in transition as well as creating turnovers. It provided a confidence that calmed us.”
     Weems would contribute 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 well timed steals. The decisiveness displayed with her passing, driving the lane, and stepping in front of passes to create turnovers fired up her teammates and Lady Eagles Head Coach Randy Draper.
     “I was really pleased tonight with the way we played defensively. We got a couple of kids in (Malia) Guttierrez and Weems that are tough and athletic players that match up well against the good scorers of our opponents. Sound rebounding allowed us to sprint out in transition and get a couple of easy ones. In this game every easy basket is valuable,” Draper said.
     “Weems is starting to figure out how to play to her strengths. She caught the basketball in places where she could hurt them and that got Grace (Slaughter) open more. It’s a bonus for us that teams are starting to have to worry about other people offensively when they play us.”
     Freshman Guard Grace Slaughter drove the lane and worked for position under the basket while showcasing a drifting shot with her left hand; quite an impressive feat considering Slaughter is right handed and learned to shoot efficiently with her left hand due to an injury in middle school.
     “I broke my right collar bone in sixth grade, and it required surgery. I now write with my left hand. For six months straight I was shooting the basketball left handed in the gym. It has allowed me to be comfortable finishing drives with my left hand along with drifting that direction shooting with my left hand,” Slaughter said.
     “We knew tonight that Fort Osage was an athletic team. Kiyley Flowers was going to handle the basketball and shoot a lot tonight. Coach Draper preached staying on her, crashing the middle, and hitting the boards to prevent them from having second chances. Seeing Jordyn take off tonight was awesome. She played lock down defense at times on Kiyley (Flowers).”
     Slaughter would score 28 points, pull down 8 rebounds, and contribute 1 block. The strength of play by both Weems and Slaughter assured the 53-32 win for Grain Valley over Fort Osage. The Lady Eagles improve to 10-4 on the season.
     Up next for Grain Valley will be a chance at redemption when they host the Kearney Bulldogs on Thursday, January 23rd. Kearney is responsible for one of Grain Valley’s four losses. Draper provided insight on the importance of the upcoming game.
     “Kearney is next for us. That’s one of our four losses. They beat us by twenty points last time. We are looking forward to the matchup again, and it will be a lot of fun. I love how much we’ve improved. It will be a challenge for us as they (the Bulldogs) are a really good team as well,” Draper said.
 

​     One word can be used to sum up the Grain Valley Eagles win against the Clinton Cardinals on Tuesday, January 14th. That word is hustle. The Eagles Boys Basketball team would stretch a 16-10 lead at the end of the first quarter into a 66-39 victory in their opening game of the 95th annual Pleasant Hill Boys Basketball Invitational.
     The hustle that defined Grain Valley’s win was a team effort. Seniors AJ Salisbury, Caden Matlon, Josh Kilpatrick, Gavin Oyler, and Seth Dankenbring were all active in providing contributions in helping to assure the outcome. Salisbury is becoming a swiss army knife for the Eagles, capable of fulfilling many roles for the team.
     “All of us played our tails off tonight. Coming off the North Kansas City loss last week we wanted to turn the page and play our best. We as a team found a good rhythm tonight moving the basketball and finding who’s open,” Salisbury said.
     “My teammates have really good court vision. We were unselfish tonight in moving the basketball and it paid off. Doing that allowed us to have fun and win the game.”
     The tools that Salisbury is continuing to develop in his repertoire of shooting, passing, rebounding and defending are padding the stat sheet as well as his team’s confidence. Salisbury would score 17 points, contribute 9 rebounds, 5 steals, and 1 assist on a night that saw himself and the rest of Grain Valley’s starters head to the bench with four minutes left in the final quarter with the outcome secured.
     Eagles Boys Basketball Head Coach Andy Herbert is not surprised by Salisbury’s growth or the effort he put forth in the team’s win.
     “AJ is our band aid guy. He’s the one that not enough people talk about, but when you look, he’s typically doing something good. He doesn’t say much and he’s a tough nose kid that plays the game the right way,” Herbert said.
     “He’s (Salisbury) a great cutter without the basketball and our guys did a good job finding him in open spots tonight. That unselfish play was part of the formula for our win.”
     Matlon and Kirkpatrick were active in creating offense for the Eagles when screens and ball movement did not yield open shots against Clinton’s man to man defense. Matlon weaved through defenders driving the lane for contested layups. Meanwhile, Kirkpatrick would drift from the post to the arc in locating open looks at the basket. Both would finish with 14 points.
     “Matlon created a lot for us in the second half. He wasn’t his typical explosive self tonight. He got banged up in practice yesterday. His IQ allows him to see things happen before they develop on the court. We have guys that have played together for so long that they know what the other one’s going to do and that contributes to our success,” Herbert said.
     Dankenbring and Oyler divided five fouls among them in avoiding the Cardinals having easy scoring opportunities. Their hustle on the defensive end of the court for the Eagles allowed them to play sound man to man defense for much of the game.
     Herbert reflected on where his team is at during this point of the season.
     “I thought last Friday (against North Kansas City) we took a step. Every year there’s a game where you see things click for your team. I thought last Friday in our loss we figured some things out that we will need moving forward,” Herbert said.
     “The chemistry and comradery that have always been there were solidified through the adversity we faced. This is a good and tough group that like each other and that matters as it can’t be replaced. I don’t know as a coach if your ever completely where you want to be, but we are in a pretty good place right now moving forward.”
       
 

​     Candidate filing for mayor and board of aldermen positions with the City as well as the Grain Valley school board began December 17th, and a number of new candidates have filed in the new year.
      Two candidates have filed to challenge Mayor Michael Todd, who is up for re-election in April. Jeff Craney and Chuck Johnston have both filed as candidates for the mayoral race as of January 13th.  Additional candidates in Ward II have also filed since December. In Ward I, incumbent Jayci Stratton has filed for re-election. Ward II incumbent Yolanda West will face two candidates: Joey Burgett and Rick Knox. In Ward III, Bob Headley has filed for re-election.
Candidates for city positions may file for such offices during normal business hours (8:00am—5:00pm Monday through Friday) starting until 5:00pm on January 21, 2020 in the office of the City Clerk, 711 Main Street, Grain Valley.
     Three positions are open on the Grain Valley school board and five have filed as of January 13th. Candidates include Janice Reding (incumbent), Tisha Homfeld (incumbent), Jeff Coleman (incumbent), Jeff Wolff and Justin Wulff. The top three vote earners in the April election will be seated as School Board members for three-year terms beginning in April.
     The election for both City candidates and school board candidates will be held Tuesday, April 7, 2020. In order to be eligible to vote you must be registered at your current home address by the fourth Wednesday prior to the election in which you wish to vote.
     Residents may register in person at the Jackson County Election Board office at 215 N. Liberty, Independence, MO 64050 or any one of the authorized locations in this jurisdiction. Locations in Grain Valley include the Mid-Continent Public Library Grain Valley branch and Grain Valley City Hall. Residents may also print and complete the Missouri Voter Registration Application form found at the Election Board website, www.jcebmo.org, and deliver in person to JCEB or mail to Jackson County Election Board, P.O. Box 296, Independence, MO 64051.
 

​Valley News will feature a candidate for City or Grain Valley School board in the weeks leading up to the April election. This week, we profile Jeff Craney, candidate for Mayor.
     “I've been a resident of Grain Valley for close to 11 years, my spouse is Joey Burgett. I am a retired USAF member and currently work at Whiteman AFB as a civilian employee for the 442nd Fighter Wing over seeing all facilities for new construction, remodels, and airfield maintenance and repair.  
     We have two daughters Bridgette and her husband Craig residing in Independence, Kaitlin and her husband Don with our grandson James who live in Windsor Missouri. I am running for mayor for the following reasons: I want to see a more transparent government, I support a more supportive community for all military citizens, both Active Duty, Reserves and Guard.  More communication between the city and residents of our community is necessary.  I have extensive experience in budgets, fiscal responsibility, administrative, and management of personnel and resources. 
     I want to hear from all residents of the city. My contact information is bridgenkatesdad@gmail.com.”
 

​     The Lady Eagles Basketball team turned in an impressive performance with their victory over the visiting Smithville Warriors on Monday, January 6th by a score of 53 to 34.
     Grain Valley used efficient and unselfish ball movement with their passes to find open post players, shooters, and cutters to the basket. This was attained primarily by the Lady Eagles attacking the third side of the defense with their crisp passes around the arc and to the post. The game plan worked, as it wore down Smithville in the second half and afforded Grain Valley to build a sizable lead.
     Top offensive performers for Grain Valley included Senior Keely Hill and Freshman Grace Slaughter. Hill produced 9 points, 9 offensive rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in a strong showing. Slaughter was robust as well while pouring in 25 points, pulling down 4 offensive rebounds, and 2 assists of her own.
     Hill’s efforts were aided by her growing ability to box out in the paint, not giving up ground in the post defensively, and looking to pass first to open players when on the perimeter.
     “At practice we have worked on getting lower in our stance defensively, which allows you to be lower on their leg or knee when turning towards the basket and boxing out when a shot goes up. That has made it easier to be aggressive when rebounding,” Hill said.
     “Offensively it’s the best when I see an open teammate sneaking to the basket and get them ball to score. I have to hide my smile. I got two of those tonight while I was on the perimeter.”
     Slaughter is the tallest player listed on Grain Valley’s roster at 6’ 1” tall. The freshman is also listed as a point guard in the program but displayed versatility in both handling the basketball and being comfortable scoring around the goal in the post.
     “I was excited to play Smithville tonight because I know they are a conference opponent and a tough team. We were pumped to match up against them and played one of our best games of the season,” Slaughter said.
     “The key offensively tonight was we were unselfish. Hitting the open man and a willingness to cut and continually move has been an area of improvement for us.  On the defensive side, we talked and that helped us be aware.”
     The Warriors game plan included spreading the floor in trying to locate open three point shooters behind the arc and people motioning through the lane to force close outs by Grain Valley.
     Head Basketball Coach Randy Draper’s squad was up for the challenge. The Lady Eagles were vocal in calling out the needed switches in their man to man defense in thwarting much of Smithville’s game plan.
     Drawing perimeter assignments against the Warriors and not allowing easy looks at the basket were Juniors Jordyn Weems and Malia Guttierrez. The four fouls committed collectively by both players prevented easy shots and forced Smithville to try and earn points at the foul line instead.
     Draper was pleased with his team’s effort in picking up the win.
     “We talked after the game about how good the sharing of the basketball was offensively tonight. This team is starting to figure it out that you are hard to guard if you will share it all the time. We cut, we want to pass to our teammate, and that makes us fun to watch right now,” Draper said.
     “Our kids were on top of the needed switches defensively. We work on that every day but it’s really nice to see in a game and they didn’t keep secrets from one another. The communication came naturally. This was a great win.”
     Draper continued, “Keely is one of the best defensive rebounders that’s ever played here. She will box you out and is a tremendous outlet passer. If your open, number 4 is going to get you the ball. She’s also getting her shot rolling which will be huge for us.”
     “When people ask me about Grace and what position she plays, I just say yes. That’s due to her versatility. What’s neat is how her teammates are playing off that and what she can do for the good of our team.”
 

​After months of practice, GVHS band students selected for the District Honor Band traveled to University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO to play at Hendricks Hall on Saturday, January 4th.
 
Pictured left to right:
(Front row) Emily Knowles, Ezra Whitaker, Zack Jenkins, Emily Stokes
(Middle row)Braden Fulk, Brooke Florida, Jack Martin, Jack Temples
(Back row) Michael Cluney, Shane Pence, Alex Clements, Tristan Spooner
 
Photo by Mr. Daniel Berard, Director of Bands GVHS
 

     The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released Building Level Per-Pupil Expenditure information for the first time on each school district’s 2019 Annual Report card. This change is part of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and its focus on ensuring equitable resources and opportunities for every student at every school. Previously, per-pupil expenditures were only reported at the district level.
     There are several variables to note when attempting to compare expenditures between buildings, whether those buildings are within the same school district or belong to different districts.
     Expenditures at buildings can vary for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to:
 
The needs of students in that school and the programs facilitated at that building;
 
The experience and education, and therefore the salaries, of staff members in that school, as well as the cost of living associated with that geographical area (i.e. metropolitan versus rural school districts).
     Below is a list of building level per-pupil expenditures for the Grain Valley School District.
 
Grain Valley High School: $9,328.04
Grain Valley South Middle School: $10,124.33
Grain Valley North Middle School: $8,475.48
Matthews Elementary: $8,827.10
Sni-A-Bar Elementary: $9,705.58
Prairie Branch Elementary: $8,951.72
Stony Point Elementary: $9,383.46
 

 The Prairie Branch Elementary Student Council attended their 8th annual Toys for Tots field trip on November 26th. This year, the group raised $2,300 from a variety of events, including hat days, trunk or treat, and Easter egg sales. Funds raised were used to buy 232 toys for the US Marines Toys for Tots program.
     Students shopped together at Wal-Mart in Blue Springs and then traveled to Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in Kansas City, Missouri to deliver the toys to Marines at the Toys for Tots Distribution Facility. 
 

     The Grain Valley Boys Wrestling team split their home Tri Meet Match on Tuesday, December 10th against Raytown South and Oak Park. The Eagles dropped their first dual against Oak Park by a score of 45-33 before coming back to defeat Raytown South in their second dual by a 60-6 margin.
     Overseeing the action is first year Boys Wrestling Head Coach Jeff Bowman. Preparing rosters, making sure things get mopped, and delegating the assembly of mats are just a few of the logistical items that come with hosting a meet.
     Bowman has prepared for this opportunity through his background in starting his educational and coaching career at Blue Springs South. Doug Black was his mentor and Bowman attributes him taking him under his wing when he was a young assistant coach. Bowman credits learning a lot of great wrestling technique due to the leadership and talented wrestlers he worked with at Blue Springs South.
     Bowman’s career continued upon his arrival to Grain Valley where he credits former Eagles Wrestling Coaches Jesse Whitson and James Evans with supporting his continued growth in the sport. Bowman is joined this season with longtime suburban area wrestling coach Matt Cox as one of his assistants.
     With any wrestling program comes changes with someone new at the helm. Bowman reflected on what the transition has been like for him.
     “Things are both hectic and relaxed in a positive way. I am laid back and relaxed with my personality. I also have responsibilities that need to get done that can make things hectic at times. The kids miss Coach Whitson. We talk about our legacy as a program due to that as well as how we prepare and bring intensity to continue that legacy. I’m excited with what the future holds for all of us,” Bowman said.
     “I enjoy that wrestling is one on one competition. You get to truly test yourself by seeing who the better wrestler is in this sport. There’s no way to hide in these contests. It’s a celebration if you win. If you lose, you have to look at yourself and how you can improve to get better.”
     The allure of coaching to Bowman is the desire to help people reach their goals while working to build a positive rapport with young men (as well as young women with the addition of the girls wrestling program). Happiness through watching student athletes grow is another element of why Bowman is in his current profession.
     There are several wrestlers Bowman has been impressed with regarding their leadership and ability at the outset of the season.
     “Drake Tipton, Trent Starr, Jayden Jacobson, Drew Azcona, and Hunter Newsom are a few guys that have put forth a lot of effort so far to go along with their ability. However, wrestling is a team sport and it takes a lot to get this thing going. I’m proud of our team,” Bowman said.
     “This season I want to see strong young men, who encourage one another and show what’s needed to get past boundaries that prohibit growth. As far as we can get towards state and having as many wrestlers get to state is also at the forefront.”
     The Eagles Boys Wrestling Team will next be in action on December 13th-14th at the Helias Catholic Tournament as well as December 17th with their next Tri Meet at home.
    
 

​     The Grain Valley Eagles Boys Basketball team was off and running in their home opener on Wednesday, December 11th as they defeated the Smithville Warriors by a score of 77-46.
     The transition game was paramount as the night progressed with Eagle rebounds leading to the ball being pushed up court to find open cutters to the hoop. Grain Valley was opportunistic in finding open shooters at the elbow and three point arc as well on the rare occasions when the basketball was stopped.
     Senior Point Guard Caden Matlon was an ace at ball handling and identifying cutters to pass to when he wasn’t finishing the scoring himself. Matlon finished with 11 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals.
     His knowledge of the offense and confidence to push the ball in the open court helped the Eagles to break away after only leading by five points after the first quarter.
     “I noticed early on that they intended to pressure me at the point. Josh (Kilpatrick) was able to get the basket with ease tonight and I knew we needed to start feeding him. His scoring also opened up the offense for other people to contribute,” Matlon said.
     “Us working on our transition game last night at practice helped us tonight. They are a pressing team and we like to get out and run as much as we can.”
     It is easy to tell that the game has slowed down for Matlon in how he handles the basketball and knowing where he wants it to go when passing.
     “My confidence has improved a lot over the past year and getting to play with Josh for three years now of varsity ball is special. Once one of us starts to score and get going it just eases everything else and we smile and feed off one another,” Matlon said.
     To say that Senior Forward Josh Kilpatrick fed off Matlon during the game would be an understatement. Kilpatrick had a superb night with a career high 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist.
     Just as impressive is how seamlessly Kilpatrick has transitioned from a wing player last year to a post player this season. Kilpatrick was solid at establishing his pivot foot and turning to the basket with ease while getting separation from the defender. No small task for someone who’s newer to the role of mixing it up in the paint.
     Kilpatrick credited the Eagles coaching staff in his post-game comments all while holding back a wry smile when asked about his performance.
     “We played good defense at the beginning of the game tonight. That lead to easy fast break points that got us going. My teammates were unselfish in passing the ball and putting me in a spot where I could score for the team and that boosted us throughout the game,” Kilpatrick said.
     “This offseason I worked on playing more inside because of some of the players that graduated and Cole (Keller) being injured right now. I’m trying to do as much as I can for my team and teammates. Coach Quintrell was a post guy and he pushes us to do our best and he’s been an inspiration to me. It’s definitely helped my game.”
     Grain Valley’s formula for victory also included effective rebounding due to boxing out under the basket. The confidence in understanding angles of approach to the basket as well as where other team members were on the floor helped the team’s efficiency in scoring.
          The Eagles mainly stayed in man defense throughout the game. Smithville tried to take advantage of that strategy by stretching the floor in looking to take open three point shots and identifying cutters to the bastket. The strategy did not yield the results Smithville wanted in the outcome of the game.
     Eagles Head Basketball Coach Andy Herbert was pleased with his team’s 31 point margin of victory while also identifying opportunities for improvement with his team moving forward.
     “We are at our best in transition when we get out and run. We haven’t got to do that much this year mostly because we haven’t been getting the ball in quick enough. Seth (Dankenbring) and Caden (Matlon) did a good job tonight of getting it going by being willing passers who understand the angles of the game. Compound that with getting the taste of if I sprint, I might get to score, and things become easier,” Herbert said.
     “The second half I was disappointed with how easy it was for Smithville to drive to the basket at times. We have plenty still to work on with our on the ball defense. Our rotation at times has also left us four on five defensively with a free runner to the rim if we don’t box out across the board.”
     Herbert continued with his thoughts on Kirkpatrick’s outstanding individual effort of scoring a career high 35 points.
     “Josh is such a relentless cutter without the basketball. He’s in constant movement. As a defender if you relax or don’t have the will to chase him all night, he’s open. That also makes him hard to block out if you are out of position as a defender. He’s worked extremely hard and I am obviously happy for him,” Herbert said.
     The Eagles will face their next opponent at home on Friday, December 13th when the Harrisonville Wildcats pay a visit.
 

 The Prairie Branch Elementary Student Council attended their 8th annual Toys for Tots field trip on November 26th. This year, the group raised $2,300 from a variety of events, including hat days, trunk or treat, and Easter egg sales. Funds raised were used to buy 232 toys for the US Marines Toys for Tots program.
     Students shopped together at Wal-Mart in Blue Springs and then traveled to Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in Kansas City, Missouri to deliver the toys to Marines at the Toys for Tots Distribution Facility.