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by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News It didn’t take long for the Grain Valley boys basketball team to put its imprint in the game. The Eagles took on Suburban White Conference foe William Chrisman Tuesday on the road and put on a clinic on defense from the jump. They held the Bears without a point until the 2:18 mark when Chrisman junior Kenneth Heath made a driving layup. Grain Valley carried that defensive momentum into the rest of the game and didn’t allow more than 12 points in the quarter en route to a 65-38 victory. “I thought our defense and rebounding was better (than the previous three games),” Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert said. “We had spurts where I thought we were tremendous defensively. We were very connected and our communication was at a high level. “When we are locked in like that defensively, we are pretty good.” Last season, the Eagles had three players who were 6-foot-5 or taller in the rotation, which allowed the team to use a variety of zones to use their length to get deflections and contest shots at the rim. Two of those tall players graduated in May, so Grain Valley (3-1) has had to adjust their offensive and defensive strategies with a more guard-heavy rotation. The Eagles rotations were sharp, the guards pressured the ball and created turnovers and they limited open looks in the paint for the Bears. “We knew their game plan was to screen a lot,” Grain Valley senior Anthony Juarez said. “We just talked and communicated and we took away the drive first because they don’t shoot the ball very well. After we took the drive away, we then closed out.” The defense of star senior Eli Herbert was a big part of Grain Valley’s success. The Liberty University commit made things tough on Chrisman’s guards, using his length and athleticism to cut off passing lanes and disrupt shots. He had two blocks and three steals on the day to cap off his stellar defensive performance. “I think my defense has gotten a lot better,” Herbert said. “I think that is because I spent the summer working on getting bigger, faster and stronger. My athleticism has gotten a lot better.” “We were enthusiastic on defense as a team. We took everything away they wanted to do. When we can guard the ball and not have to rotate behind it, we are pretty good.” Grain Valley raced out to a 15-0 lead to start the first before going into the second period with a 17-6 lead. The Eagles then expanded the advantage to 34-18 at halftime as Herbert hit two key 3-pointers while coming off screens and releasing the shots from the right wing. Senior 6-foot-7 center Sam Pendergrass then made his presence felt in the third period by dominating the interior and putting in nine points to put the Eagles ahead 65-28. From there, Andy Herbert went deep into his bench and used 10 players in the contest. Juarez had one of his best games of the season as he finished with a team-high 17 points, while Herbert had 15 and Pendergrass chipped in with 12.  Grain seniors Anthony Juarez, left, and Eli Herbert combined for 32 points in a 65-38 victory over William Chrisman Tuesday on the road. Photo credit: Michael Smith
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by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News With last year’s leading scorer, Addy Seyfert, still recovering from a left ankle injury, the Grain Valley girls basketball team has needed others on the team to step up. That’s exactly what’s happened to start the 2025-26 season for the Eagles as they have looked good on offense. In Monday’s Suburban White Conference opener against William Chrisman, the Grain Valley offense was humming thanks to well-executed set plays and juniors Bella Bollinger and Madison Rust combining for 37 points in a 75-25 blowout victory on the road. “It really accelerates the scoreboard when you share the basketball,” Grain Valley veteran head coach Randy Draper said. “This group is doing a good job of that.” Bollinger has stepped up in a big way for her team on offense. She just came off a 25-point performance against Lee’s Summit last Friday and stayed hot against the Bears. Seven of those points came in a first quarter in which the Eagles led 23-13. “I played all over the country this summer,” Bollinger said. “I play competitively and that helps me prepare for games like this.” She was a part of an offense that utilized off-ball movement on cuts to the basket that resulted in wide-open layups. Rust, who had 17 points, received a quick pass from senior Aspen Reed on a cut for an open layup in the second period. Senior Chloe Hernandez scored on a similar play later in the period on a pass from junior McKenna Heidrich. “We have really been spreading the floor and moving without the ball well,” Bollinger said. “We want to constantly move and not stay in one spot. It benefits everyone when we do that.” Draper emptied the bench in the second period as his team took a 43-16 halftime advantage. Sophomore guard Malaina Green was the beneficiary of the extended minutes that the reserves received as she was the third Eagle in double figures with 10. Four of those points came in the third period, one of her steals and a fast-break layup as she helped extend Grain Valley’s advantage to 69-22 going into the final period. “Getting turnovers and playing fast really helps us get ahead early in the game,” Rust said. “We broke their press and they started sitting back. Then we can start working on (halfcourt offense).” From there, the mercy clock ran for the remainder of the contest as every available reserve on the roster received playing time. Chrisman (3-1) struggled with turnovers as the Eagles converted many of those into baskets in transition. Many of those turnovers came on passes that went out of bounds as Grain Valley’s zone defense threw coach Reid Titus’ offense off. “Our four freshmen who started probably haven’t seen a team (at Grain Valley’s) level before,” Titus said. “There are going to be errors. We played really well in the first quarter, but you would tell the floodgates opened after that.” Bears junior Camila Woodruff led the Bears with 13 points.  Grain Valley juniors Madison Rust, left, and Bella Bollinger combined for 37 points in a 75-25 rout if William Chrisman Monday on the road. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News Veteran head coach Randy Draper said Bella Bollinger was frustrated after the team’s 59-46 loss in the semifinals of the Winnetonka Invitational’s Cardinal Division. Because of that, she was hard at work the next morning, working on her game. “She was back in the gym in the morning getting up shots,” Draper said. “That’s how you answer. You get back to work.” That work ethic paid off in Friday’s third-place game against Lee’s Summit. She scored a career-high 25 points and she was aided by some clutch plays from junior Madison Rust and senior Chloe Hernandez in a 62-59 victory at Winnetonka High School. “We played simpler, which is good for us,” Draper said. “We did a great job defensively on them.” Grain Valley went into the fourth period trailing 43-39 and Bollinger helped her team get back in it with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, a cutting layup and a free throw. The latter tied the game at 48-48, but the Tigers countered with a 6-0 run as junior Ryann Arnold scored six of her game-high 33 points during the run to put her team up 54-48. A trey from Grain Valley senior Aspen Reed cut the advantage to 54-51 then the Eagles got a stop on defense and Rust made a cutting layup to narrow the gap to one on the following possession. After both teams came up empty on their next two possessions, Hernandez hit a cutting Rust who put the team up for good with a layup to make it 55-54. That sparked a 6-0 run capped by a corner 3-pointer from Hernandez, which put the Eagles up 59-54. Arnold brought the Tigers back with a layup and a 3-pointer that was sandwiched around a cutting layup from Bollinger to pull within 61-59. Rust was fouled with 18.6 seconds left and split a pair of free throws to put the team up by three. Lee’s Summit missed a layup on the other end and Hernandez secured the rebound for the win as Grain Valley improved to 2-1. “I think our team chemistry is getting better and we are moving the ball well,” Bollinger said. “We’re hitting the shots that we should hit. “Chloe has been doing good this season. It’s a lot of help.” Bollinger started out hot, scoring 11 points in the first period as her team took a 20-17 advantage. Freshman Sophia Epping made a 3-pointer and a fast-break layup in the second as the Eagles pushed the lead to 32-24 at halftime as their defense limited Lee’s Summit. Arnold went off for 11 points in the second half as Lee’s Summit forced turnovers that led to baskets in transition in the third period as it pulled ahead 43-39 going into the fourth. From there, clutch plays from Rust, Bollinger and Hernandez sealed it for Grain Valley. “We knew we needed to cut and slip to the basket more in the second half,” Rust said. “We got good shots off of that and that helped us.”  Juniors Madison Rust, left, and Bella Bollinger score 14 and 25 points, respectively, to help the Grain Valley girls basketball team take a 62-59 victory over Lee's Summit in the third-place game of the Winnetonka Invitational. Photo credit: Michael Smith, Grain Valley News  by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News After enjoying 50 years as a journalist, broadcaster and podcast host, I'm still keeping busy. I write for the Grain Valley News, host the Sonic Locker Room radio show, co-host the Bill and Tony's Excellent Adventure podcast and write weekly freelance game and feature stories for The Examiner - my professional home for the past 43 years (I retired in January). I have met countless friends in the professional and college ranks, and many were on hand this past Sunday in the banquet room of the Intercontinental Hotel on the Plaza. With 1,000+ guests in attendance, I became the 21st journalist to be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Yep, I'm a hall of famer, and like you - I can't believe it. I received a call from Kary Booher, the director of media for the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, a few weeks ago, and he simply said, "Congratulations, you are a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Congratulations." I wish I would have been sitting down when I got the call, because I was shocked, stunned and thrilled by Booher's comments. I remember when I was a kid going to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on a family vacation. Stan Musial, Zach Wheat, Ken Boyer, Len Dawson, Willie Lanier and Otis Taylors are Hall of Famers. And now, friends and athletes I have covered over the years like George Brett, Frank White, Bill Maas, Nick Lowery, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer share their plaques and statues with the best of the best dating back to the early 1900s. And Sunday, I became the 21st sports writer inducted into this elite group of legends. What made the night extra special was that my two sons, Zach and Sean, were able to attend (unfortunately my wife Stacy was out of town) along with friends both old and new. My high school journalism teacher Ron Clemons, who has been my mentor the past 53 years, was there and I believe he enjoyed the evening as much as I did. And I sat on the dais with my buddy Tim Crone, the orneriest activities director and coach in the history of Blue Springs High School. And the brightest star of this Hall of Fame galaxy was Mike "Moose" Moustakas, the former Kansas City Royals third baseman who was the heart and soul of the 2014 American League and 2015 World Series championship teams. In true hall of fame style, Moustakas showed a great deal of emotion during his speech and then stayed after the gala was wrapped up - to sign hundreds of autographs. I wish everyone I know could experience an evening like this one. There we smiles, hugs, a few tears and more hugs as the evening concluded. To Kary Booher, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame committee and everyone who thought I was a deserving candidate, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I experienced more than five decades of memories in one night - a night I will never forget.  Bill Althaus, and his sons Zach (left) and Sean (right) are all smiles before the longtime area sportswriter is inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at the InterContinental hotel on the Plaza. Photo courtesy of Bill Althaus  Bill Althaus received this plaque as he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at the InterContinental hotel on the Plaza.
by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News Seeing is believing. Just ask any of the 3,197 vocal fans who attended the Kansas City Mavericks 4-2 victory over the Iowa Heartlanders Wednesday night at Cable Dahmer Arena. Jackson Berezowski scored a back-handed, game-winning goal that ranks among the top goals in Mavericks history. And the Mavericks defender hopes that someone got a photo of his one-in-a-million game-winning goal Wednesday night at Cable Dahmer. Joining Berezowski in the spotlight were Casey Carreau, who had his first two-goal game of the season, goaltender Logan Terness and the Mavericks entire defensive unit as they dominated the Heartlanders. Iowa led 1-0 when the Jake McLaughlin scored a short-handed goal at 11:33 of the second quarter to even the score at 1-1. Carreau scored his first of two goals at 4:33 of the third quarter when his power play goal gave the Mavericks their first lead of the game. Then, at 6:01, Berezowski scored on a 360 back handed shot that defied the laws of physics. "That is the first goal I've ever seen like that," a grinning coach Tad O'Had said after his team improved to 12-6. "I want to see a replay, or a photo. And the simple fact that it was the game-winning goal added to its significance. "This was a big win for our team and nice rebound from Saturday's 5-1 loss at Wichita. I'm proud of the way the guys competed tonight." Berezowski asked Mavericks director of public relations Emma Wiley is she was aware of a photo that captured the special moment. She assured Berezowski that she would contact the team photographers and videographer to see what she could come up with. "I saw some space in front of the net," Berezowski said, "put the puck on my stick and somehow found the back of the net. I just scored - and I don't really know how I did it. I've never attempted a back-hand shot like that, and probably never will again. I don't know where the goal stands in the history of the organization, but it's the best goal I've ever scored." Carreau finished the big offensive night with a goal at 17:47 that put an explanation point on the night. "This was a great collaborative effort," Carreau said. "A lot of different guys got in on scoring, Logan was amazing in the net and I finally scored a couple of goals. And when you score two goals in a 4-2 win, it feels great." Terness stopped 17 of 19 shots on goal and praised his teammates following the home win. "This win is even more special because we gave our fans their money's worth tonight," Terness said. "The guys playing in front of me were awesome. When my teammates are giving that type of effort, it makes you want to work even harder to reward them with a win."  by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News Kansas City Comets president/general manager Brian Budzinski does not own a crystal ball. He doesn't need one. The amount of hard work he and coach Stefan Stokic put together in the offseason is paying some high dividends. Before the start of the season, Budzinski watched his team practice at the Soccer Down in downtown Kansas City. He was intent on disecting the spirited practice, as it offered the same intensity fans might expect from a regular-season game. When it concluded, Budzinski shook his head and said, "The 10 most talented players in the league might be on the field right now, practicing against each other." He might be right as the Comets opened the season with a 7-3 win at St. Louis and then topped the Ambush 8-3 Saturday night at Cable Dahmer Arena. "When I took over as coach, I had a three-year plan," Stefan Stokic said after the home victory Saturday night. "After our first two games, we have the talent and the depth to make a have a great season and to make a serious run in the playoffs. We've never had depth like this, and there are so many talented players on our roster." Stefan Mijatovic, Rian Marques and Mikey Lenis did not play in the season opener and Dom Francis, Nacho Flores and Lenis did not play Saturday. "We had some outstanding players on the sidelines Friday and Sunday, and I believe that type of depth is going to be a key to our success this season," Stokic added. "We hope to have a healthy roster for every game this season because of our depth." Midfielder Christian Anderaos started the season with a bang as he had four goals and an assist in the weekend sweep against the Ambush. "I'm here for whatever Coach needs," Anderaos said, as he signed autographs for a group of young fans. "I played midfield the first three quarters and was a defender in the fourth. The entire team is off to a great start, and our depth and talent are two big reasons for our 2-0 start. "No one wants to let anyone down. We're playing for Coach and each other. And looking at the big picture, I think this is going to be an amazing year." Forward Zach Reget, a scoring icon in the MASL, also had four goals and an assist in the first two games. And he was pumped up after the hometown win. "I am not saying this to be disrespectful, but we are not going to let St. Louis win a game this season," Reget said, as the Comets took a 2-0 lead in the Missouri Cup series. "I have a lot of friends and players I respect on the Ambush, but this year's team is unbelievable. We're off to a 2-0 start, we have outscored them 15-6 and our goal is simple - we're going to work hard to win our next game. That's all we need to think about - winning that next game. Then, we can prepare for the next game and the next game and the next." Lesia Thetsane (10) and reigning MASL Defender of the Year Chad Vandegriffe (6) combined for 16 blocks in the first two games, and are part of a defense that has never wavered. "We've allowed six goals in the first two games, and most of them have been off set plays," Vandegriffe said. "There are some things we need to clean up - but I've been a team with this much depth. We score eight goals tonight without Mikey, Nacho and Dom - that's the type of depth we have." Marques, who missed the first game, serving out a one-game suspension that resulted from the 2024-2025 playoffs, had two goals came back with a vengeance Saturday night with two goals and an assist. He honored his young son Adriano by placing a pacifier in his mouth following goal No. 1. "That goal was dedicated to Adriano," a smiling Marqes said as he held his son after the big win. "It's so great to be back. Watching last night's game in St. Louis was hard to watch. I wanted to be out there with the boys." Another key to the team's success this season in the play of goalkeeper Phillip Ejimadu, who leads the MASL in point allowed (3.0) and wins (2-0). "The win was big in St. Louis, but nothing tops a win in front of our fans," said Ejimadu, who answered questions and signed autographs for a group of youngsters. "We play in front of the best fans in the league, and we want to give them something to cheer about." The Comets are 4-1 against their cross-state rival in opening day games and 10-6 in career season openers. Kansas City is on the road this weekend, playing at Baltimore Saturday night and Utica City Sunday afternoon.  Kansas City Comets goalkeeper Phillip Ejimadu signs autographs for young fans following an 8-3 victory over St. Louis at Saturday night's home opener. Ejimadu leads the MASL in wins (2), goal against average (3) and point allowed (6 in two games). Photo credit: Bill Althaus  by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News The Grain Valley girls swimming and diving team is growing. The Eagles are coming into the season with 17 swimmers and divers and return five swimmers who qualified for the Missouri State High School Girls Swimming and Diving Championships in 2024. “We are super excited for this year, because this is the most girls we have ever had,” senior Katelyn Epple said. “It’s still a pretty new program for our school.” Added head coach Julie Reilly: “We have four freshmen coming in and two girls who moved to Grain Valley. We originally had 28 during tryouts, but it dropped down to 17.” Grain Valley had six all-state finishes last season and qualified in 13 out of 14 events in 2024. The team is looking to make a leap going into 2025-26 as it lost only one senior from last season’s team. Epple was one of those swimmers who has experience swimming in the state meet. She qualified in the 100- and 200-meter freestyle and normally missed out on an all-state honorable mention honor in the former event after losing a swim off for 16th place. This season, she will be looking for the first all-state finish of her high school career. “I am working on improving my strength and getting faster,” Epple said. “I’m working on the 200 free and 100 free. I am working on getting faster and to get a better place in the state.” Seniors Elizabeth Martin and Kaili Beard return with two all-state honors each. Martin was honorable mention in two events as she took 11th in the 200 individual medley and 15th in the 500 freestyle. This season, she is going to swim following a torn labrum injury and said she will have to fight through it. “I am not sure what my goals are for the season yet,” Martin said. I just want to develop all of my strokes. In the past, I have specialized in long-distance races, but with an injury, I have been switching it up.” Beard was the only Eagle who earned an outright all-state honor as she was sixth in the 50 free with a time of 24.96 seconds. She also was honorable mention in the 100 butterfly as she took 11th. She said her style of swimming is more suited for sprinting events and she is aiming to cut time and place higher at state this season. “I feel like I have a better tempo,” Beard said. “I am not very good at pacing myself so I do better at quicker events. I think I am going to stick with the butterfly and freestyle. I want to make all state in at least one of my events or both and place higher than I did last year.” Beard, Epple and Martin were also a part of the all-state, 8th-place 200 freestyle relay team and the 13th-place 400 free relay team in 2024. The Eagles also return senior Emily Holzwarth, who was a state qualifier in the 100 backstroke and Caroline Hooper returns as she was a part of the state-qualifying 200 IM team. “I hope to make top 16 this year and make it to the finals,” Holzwarth said. “I see a lot of high level backstrokers stay underwater for most of it. It’s hard to make it halfway underwater, but I want to get to that level.” The Eagles also have two new divers and one of their four freshmen is the fourth fastest swimmer on the team, Reilly said. With a handful of returning swimmers coming back from the 2024 team, Grain Valley could make a run at a Suburban White Conference title this season. Last season, the Eagles were just two points out from getting first place. “We are hopeful that we can win the conference meet this year,” Epple said. “We also hope to win some smaller meets like the Belton Invitational.”  From left, Caroline Hooper, Emily Holzwarth, Kaili Beard, Katelyn Epple and Elizabeth Martin are a part of a Grain Valley girls swimming and diving team returning a good amount of experienced swimmers for the 2025-26 season. Photo credit: Michael Smith, Grain Valley News  Eagles girls wrestling team sees growth in numbers, boys return multiple varsity competitors11/26/2025 by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News It was just seven years ago when the Grain Valley wrestling team had its first girls wrestler. At the time, three-time state champion Sevreign Aumua was the only girl on the team and had to practice against the boys. Since then, the girls team has grown a lot, and going into the 2025-26 season, the Eagles will have the most on the team in the history of the program with 14. “We have 14 girls, which is pretty good,” Grain Valley coach Donald Horner said. “We have grown just a hair every year and we would love to see it keep growing. We would love to have 40 girls on this team.” The girls team will be led by its only senior, Jayden Moehle, who is working to move down a weight class. She is a three-time all-state medalist and finished as a runner up the past two seasons at the state meet in the 235-pound weight class. She has been working on eating healthier and bumping up her exercise in an attempt to move down to the 190-pound weight class. So far, she has lost a lot of weight and is close to reaching her goal of 190 pounds. “It’s about staying disciplined,” Moehle said. “Coach Horner has shown me how to eat right and exercise and get on weight programs. I have been changing my habits and have been eating low carb and high protein foods. “I was big on weight lifting during the summer time. Ever since wrestling practices have started I have been working on a lot of cardio.” Horner praised Moehle for the amount of progress she has made in cutting weight and it has helped with her wrestling. “She’s losing weight the right way and she’s really healthy,” Horner said. She’s moving really quick. We haven’t seen her move this quickly since she was a freshman or a sophomore.” Because of the weight loss, Moehle has been working on adding more moves to her arsenal. “I have been hitting things a lot differently,” the senior said. “I have been trying to change my strategy a little bit because a lot of the time, I would hit my outside sweep and that was my go-to move and I didn’t change anything. “I really changed up my tactics. I have been working on double legs and head outside singles.” The Eagles will have some returners from last year’s lineup including juniors Lucy Dampf, Cecilia Del Real, McKenna Lane and sophomore Ellerae Hay. They also have an incoming transfer in junior Tairyun Blocker, who wrestled in Cherryvale, Kan., last season and qualified for the Kansas state tournament. Horner said freshmen Brooklyn Koepkey, Adalynn Burch and Hadleigh Scott are some names that could make an immediate impact this season. “I believe we all have a chance to make some noise this year, especially some of the incoming freshmen,” Del Real said. Boys On the boys side, the Grain Valley wrestling team returns multiple wrestlers who competed at the varsity level last season. The boys are led by senior Zac Bleess, who is a two-time state medalist and three-time qualifier. Last season, he fell short of a state medal for the first time but he’s looking to come back and finish strong for his last high school season. “The focus in the offseason has been freestyle and working on my feet because there is not a lot of transition from top and bottom,” Bleess said. “On my feet, I have been working on fine tuning my dump series and I have been watching lots and lots of film. “We all want to be state champions. Every single day I want something extra to do. I want to show my training and preparation is working. Whether I win or lose, if I wrestled the best I could, that is a win in my book.” Horner gave Bleess high praise and expects him to make some noise in 2025-26. “He is one of the best wrestlers in the state in my opinion, and he can make a push to make the state championship,” Horner said of Bleess. “He’s a great leader and he works with our younger kids.” Bleess said he will likely bump up to the 138- or 144-pound weight class after wrestling at 132 last season. I have been wrestling at 138 and 144 all summer, so I have gotten used to it,” Bleess said. “I think the biggest adjustment is not having to cut as much. Being able to bump and being able to just focus on wrestling is going to be a big thing for me.” Senior Tyler Jones also is a returning state qualifier, who will be coming back to wrestle for the Eagles. He qualified for the state tournament for the first time last season and finished with a 27-15 record. He is a wrestler who is strong on his feet and has utilized a double-leg takedown to score a lot of his points. His goal is to earn a state medal in his final high school season. “I have been working on my neutral game while wrestling freestyle,” Jones said. “I feel like I can match anyone in the state on my feet. The main thing for me is improving on bottom. If I can get better at getting up from the bottom, I can beat anyone. “I want to place at state and impose my will on my opponents. I want to show the world I can do it.” Other returning from last year’s varsity lineup are junior Sjoeren Aumua, who was a state qualifier as a freshman; junior Brody Braa, sophomores Grant Burd, Dalton Burch, Brodie Davis, Brady Jones, Kobe Hughes and Kaeler Byrd; and seniors Alec Fenstermaker and Justin King, a returning state qualifier. Grain Valley also added Kansas City Northeast transfer Maui Sua, who finished fifth in the Class 3 heavyweight division last season. There also will likely be some new faces in the lineup to replace the three seniors that graduated in 2025. “It’s different,” Bleess said of the team overall. “There are going to be a lot of new faces in the lineup. I think if we grow and develop, we will be where we need to be at the end of the season. It’s just going to be a very new team. Almost everyone in the room has experience with wrestling.”  Jayden Moehle: Three-time state medalist and two-time runner-up Jayden Moehle, top, is looking to cut her weight down to 190 pounds and is aiming for her first state championships. File photo: Addie Kennedy  Senior Zac Bleess, left, is a two-time state medalist and has been wrestling all offseason in tournaments to prepare for his final high school season. File photo: Addie Kennedy by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News The Grain Valley football team was sitting on the doorstep of the Class 5 semifinals. The Eagles were in a battle with the No. 1-ranked Platte County Pirates in the quarterfinals as both teams exchanged leads four times in the second half. However, a late-game interception from Pirate defensive back Mogie Walkingstick on a screen pass from Grain Valley Cohen Morris quashed Grain Valley’s hopes of making the semifinals for the first time since 2007 as it fell 46-33 Friday at Moody Murray Memorial Field. “The kids believed in the gameplan and came out and executed it,” Grain Valley head coach David Allie said. “Unfortunately the bounces didn’t go our way in the finish. They left their hearts on the field.” Platte County scored touchdowns on all five of its possessions in the second half, while Grain Valley scored on its first four. Grain Valley had a chance to take control of the game when it had a 33-32 lead late. The Pirates had the ball at the Eagles 33 on fourth-and-2. With a stop, the home team would have had a chance to milk the remaining time off the clock for the win, but quarterback Landon Marriott got the edge on left side on a designed run, broke a tackle near the 2-yard line and hit pay dirt and gave his team a 40-33 lead after a successful two-point conversion pass to senior tight end Brooks Hall. The Eagles got a first down on their ensuing drive, but Morris tried to get a screen pass to sophomore running back Dawson Head and Walkingstick jumped the route and intercepted it at the Grain Valley 30-yard line and returned the ball to the 6 with 1:48 remaining. It took two plays for Platte County to put it away from there as Marriott scored on a 5-yard misdirection run to the right side to make it 46-33 after a failed two-point conversion. The visitors then recovered a Morris fumble on Grain Valley’s final possession and were able to run out the remaining clock and advance to the final four. Rain poured down onto the field for much of the first half as Platte County went into halftime with a 14-7 lead. Head helped the Eagles strike first and put his team up 7-0 when he broke a tackle and rumbled 28-yards for a scoring run at the 3:53 mark in the first. However, the Pirates used their potent passing game to take the lead as Marriott threw a rocket over the top of the Eagles defense for a 35-yard TD pass to senior wide receiver Tres Baskerville late in the first quarter. Marriott also connected with Baskerville on a 4-yard scoring pass on an out route with 32 seconds left in the first half. In the second half, senior Braiden Stevens gave Grain Valley’s defense fits as he got wide open down the field twice for touchdowns of 70 and 20 yards on passes from Marriott. On a third-and-11 play with 9:57 left in the contest, Marriott burned the Eagles deep once again as senior wide receiver Ty Christopher was wide open on a deep 52-yard scoring pass to make it 32-27. Marriott, who will be playing at NCAA Division I James Madison next season, rushed for 96 yards and two TDs on 10 carries and completed 15 of 10 passes for 256 yards and five scores through the air. Stevens finished with 145 yards receiving and two TDs on eight receptions. Grain Valley’s strong running game helped keep them in it as Head, who had four touchdowns and 196 yards on 31 carries, scored on runs of 53, 14 and 1, with the latter score being set up by a creative play drawn up by Allie. On fourth-and-7, offensive lineman William Chrisman, who normally wears No. 53, put on a No. 91 jersey so he could be eligible as a tight end. He was wide open on an out route and got his first varsity reception as he took it 23-yards and down to the Platte County 1. “We have been working on the play for about four weeks,” Allie said. “That was a special one. Will has some great hands for a big man. Every time we ran that, he caught it. He had to wear one jersey over the other one, so it was kind of tight for him.” The Eagles’ last score came on an impressive throw from Morris, who fit a pass between three defenders and got it to junior wide receiver Terrell King for a 12-yard score to make it 33-32, Grain Valley, with 5:36 left. Morris had three varsity starts this season, all in the playoffs, following starting quarterback Chase Neer’s shoulder injury. The sophomore was a key part in Grain Valley making it to the quarterfinals. On Friday, he completed 8 of 12 passes for 112 yards and a score and rushed for 47 yards on 12 carries. “I can’t thank the boys up front enough,” Morris said. “They had my back every single day. Chase also was doing everything he could to help be out. I knew I was going to be able to execute well because of them.” The Eagles season comes to an end with a 8-4 record and the team will graduate 24 seniors. by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News The Grain Valley football team is in familiar territory. The Eagles have made it to the state quarterfinals for the sixth time in the last seven years. Last Friday, they defeated Raytown 49-28 to win the Class 5 District 7 championship. They will take on defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Platte County at 7 p.m. Friday at home for the right to advance to the semifinals. The Pirates won their district following a 2-yard touchdown run from quarterback Rocco Marriott with 2 seconds left in the game in a 29-22 victory over Rockhurst. Platte County will be the Eagles’ toughest matchup this season as the Pirates have not lost a game since Nov. 10, 2023, which was a 27-25 defeat in the district title game to Grain Valley. The Eagles fell to Platte County in Week 2 of the regular season in a 54-23 loss, which was their largest margin of defeat in 2025. But Allie and his players have noted that the team has made some major improvements since that loss and will be prepared for the Pirates. “We’re pretty confident,” Grain Valley senior safety Brody Jones said. “We have had a great week of practice. All we have left is something to prove this Friday.” Some of those improvements include a leap in the offensive line play, which has led to some gaudy rushing numbers. Grain Valley has rushed for 2,444 yards since the Platte County game. That production has been led by sophomore Dawson Head, who took over as the lead back when junior Sjoeren Aumua went down with a shoulder injury in a Week 6 game against Kearney. Since the game with the Bulldogs, Head has totaled 1,367 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. Any time Head discusses his big-yardage performances, he always gives credit to the offensive line. “I feel like we are playing a lot more physically,” Grain Valley senior left guard/defensive end Logan Bennett said. “I think we all have turned that up since the Kearney game. It will be a good matchup in the trenches. “We do grades after every game. At the beginning of the season, we struggled a little bit, but we all have had passing grades in recent weeks and we are understanding the game better.” The Eagles potent run game will be key against the Pirates as the home team will need to keep Platte County’s explosive offense off the field as much as possible. Added senior tackle Will Page: “We have to sustain our blocks and sustain our drives. We have to be more physical with them. If we can do that, we will kick their (behind).” Platte County has an explosive offense led by Marriott, who will be playing for Division I James Madison University next fall. He was a first-team, all-state selection in 2024 along with tight end Jack Utz, who is one of his top targets. He also has a big target in 6-foot-5 tight end Brooks Hall and has three experienced receivers in Tres Baskerville, Braiden Stevens and Ty Christopher. The spread offense of the Pirates will challenge the Eagles secondary and the rest of the defense as Allie said the key was limiting their big plays and containing Marriott, who is a dual-threat signal caller. “We have to make them earn it,” Allie said. “We can’t let their receivers get behind us. One thing Rockhurst did in the first half was get pressure on Marriott. They got some turnovers because of that. “Marriott can scramble so we have to be able to contain him. Last time, he got outside the pocket and was able to run on us. We can’t give them easy plays. They are multi-faceted so it’s hard to do that. We have been preparing for that.” The Grain Valley defensive line has been a strength for the defense this season despite having several newcomers up front, including Kansas City Northeast transfer Muai Sua, who has racked up several tackles for loss for his team. The defensive line has been doing a great job,” Allie said. “We had some injuries there so we have had some kids that have had to play both ways, which makes things hard. Luckily we have been able to spell those guys and not use them as much.” If Grain Valley can get its run game going and contain Platte County’s passing game, the Eagles could make their first state semifinal appearance since 2007. “We need to sustain drives to keep that offense on the field,” Allie said. “We also need to finish drives. Platte County is going to score a lot of points.”  Grain Valley has rushed for 2,444 yards since the Platte County game. That production has been led by sophomore Dawson Head (pictured above in Grain Valley's first game this season against Platte County), who took over as the lead back when junior Sjoeren Aumua went down with a shoulder injury in a Week 6 game against Kearney. Photo credit: Addie Kennedy
by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News One of the largest signing classes in the history of Grain Valley High School put pen to paper Friday morning in the field house as a standing-room-only crowd of family members, friends and students watched from the bleachers. Fifteen seniors signed national letters to continue their academic and athletic hopes and dreams at the next level. "I know there a lot of proud parents, family members and friends here today to see their friends sign their national letters of intent," said Hart, whose daughter Morgan signed a letter to play softball at William Jewell. "I'm a proud today, and I'm proud of all the students who will be signing." Grain Valley softball coach Flip Courter had the most signees as six of his players signed their letters. They are, Ashlynn McConnell, Lincoln; Olivia Slaughter, University of Central Missouri; Addie Wright, South Dakota; Morgan Heart, William Jewell; Riley Hodson, Park University; and Sydney Wagner, Southern Illinois. "They are the most softball players who have participated in National Signing Day and I am so happy and proud of all of them," Courter said. Wagner was first-team all district and second-team all conference and all region. Hodson was honorable mention all conference and Hart was second team all conference and all district. Slaughter was first team all conference and all district, second team all region and won the Eagle Award for overall excellence. McConnell was honorable mention all conference, second team all district and was named the Newcomer of the Year and Wright was second team all district. Baseball had two signees as Bryce Meyer signed with Fort Scott and Brody Welp signed with Simpson College. "Brody has been steady player behind the plate and Bryce is rock steady and ready to pitch in any big-game situation," coach Brian Driskell said. "I'm proud of them."' Three of coach Brett Lewis' soccer players signed their letters - Aubrie Henson and Taylor Nicholson signed with Avila and Riley Pesce signed with Graceland. "We had another outstanding season, and these three young ladies played a big role in our success," Lewis said. "They are all leaders and they have been such a special part of our teams the past four years. We're going to miss them" Addy Seyfert signed with Rockhurst, and Eli Herbert signed with Division I Liberty University in Lynchburg, Tenn. "It all seems real when you sign your letter," said Seyfert, who recently had an surgery to repair ankle tendons, which could keep her sidelined through January of 2026. "I promise you I am going to come back better than every. This my senior year, and I hate to miss so many games, but I'm working hard." Kyleigh Casey, who nailed her 1,000th kill this season for the Eagles volleyball team, signed with Quachita Baptist. "She is one of the best players and leaders I have coached since I took over the volleyball program," coach Tori Squiers said. "We can't wait to see what she does in college." Landon Blew, who became of the most honored cross country runners in Grain Valley history, signed to run cross country at Park University. "Landon spent four years in this program and became a great leader," coach Nick Small quipped, "while he made everyone look bad. "It's been amazing to watch him grow into the leader and great runner he is today."  Fifteen athletes at Grain Valley High School participated in one of the largest National Signing Days in the history of the program. Six softball, three soccer, two baseball, one volleyball, one cross country and two basketball players signed their national letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level. Photo credit: Bill Althaus Signing Day a family affair for three EaglesOne of largest National Signing Days in Grain Valley High School history turned into a family affair as 15 players signed their letters - including three who had special ties within their respective sports. Eli Herbert is the son of Eagles basketball coach Andy Herbert. His younger brother Isaac is a freshman in the program this season and his older brother Owen played basketball for the Eagles and is now a junior basketball manager at the University of Missouri. Eli signed a letter to play basketball at Liberty University, a Division I program in Lynchburg, Tenn. Morgan Hart, the daughter of Gain Valley activities director Brandon Hart and cousin of teammate Olivia Slaughter both signed letters to play softball. Hart will play at William Jewell and Slaughter at the University of Central Missouri. "Lynchburg is a 16-hour drive, but once Eli visited the campus I knew that's where he was going to go to college," Coach Herbert said. "It's a Christ-based school and the coaches and players really made him feel at home. That took all the anxiety away from me and my wife (Natasha). Eli finished last season averaging 24.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks on his way to all-state honors for the 16-9 Eagles, who claimed the Suburban White Conference title with a 13-1 record and two wins over a strong Raytown team. He was the Suburban White Conference Co-Player of the Year and a Missouri High School Basketball Coaches Association Class 6 All-State selection last season. "Eli has great numbers, but the things I'm most proud of are his work ethic and team approach to the game," Coach Herbert added. "All he wants to do is win!" Eli is excited about his senior season, which is right around the corner. "I can't begin to think about college, because I'm about to start my senior season, and we have a lot of team goals to reach," Eli said. "Before I actually signed my national letter, it was like, 'Is this real? Is this really happening?' It's going to be great to play my final season with my dad. He means everything to me. We've had some great moments on the court and I can't thank him and my mom for all the sacrifices they made so today could happen" As she neared the end of her final season of softball, Hart had no plans to play softball. "Then I had this opportunity to play softball at William Jewell, and so many members of my family attended William Jewell (her bother Keagan is a defensive back for the Cardinals) and I couldn't say no. When you think your softball career is over, and unexpectedly you have an opportunity play collegiately, it's super exciting." The Eagles are the only team - on any level of play - to hit for cycle, with each batter hitting a home run. Hart started the remarkable accomplishment in a 13-run fourth inning of a 13-0 win over Fort Osage on Sept. 15 with a three-run homer. Sydnee Wagner followed with a grand slam, Abe Scott drilled a two-run homer and Addie Wright capped the unheard-of feat with an inside-the-park solo home run. "I'll never forget that," Hart said. "The best part of it was sharing the accomplishment with three of my teammates." Brandon Hart, who was the emcee of the signing day festivities, was proud to share the moment with his family. "Today, I am a proud dad," Bradon Hart said. "I understand the sacrifices these players and their parents made. And I'm proud of Morgan and all our signees today." Slaughter has been the premier metro area catcher for the past four years, and she is excited to take her catching skills to UCM. "The last four years have been so much fun," said Slaughter, whose older sister Grace plays basketball at the University of Missouri, where she is one of the premier players in the SEC. "I don't even know where the last four years have gone. Now that my softball career is over, it's exciting to take my game to the next level."  National Signing Day was a family affair for boys basketball coach Andy Herbert. He and his wife Natasha were joined by sons, from left, Isaac, Eli and Owen as they celebrate Eli's National Signing Day. Isaac is a freshman this season, Eli is a two-time player of the year and Owen is a former player who is now a basketball manager at the University of Missouri. Photo credit: Bill Althaus  Morgan Hart, left, whose father Brandon is the activities director at Grain Valley High School, shares a special moment with her cousin Olivia Slaughter as they each signed their national letters of intent at Friday's largest National Signing Day in the high school field house. Morgan will play at William Jewell and Slaughter will play at the University of Central Missouri. Photo credit: Bill Althaus  by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News The Force was with the Mavericks as they took an early 2-0 lead but needed Crawford's 300th career goal to improve to 8-5 on the season in front of 5,790 fans. LaFontaine improved to 6-0 with 1.81 goals against average. He stopped 32 of 34 shots against the Thunder. "First, I'm happy for Craw (Crawford), he's played here a long time and it's great that he scored the game winner when the house full tonight," the personable LaFontaine said. "This was a big win. I know it's early in the season, but we had a disappointing (6-3) loss against them Friday night, and we came out played the type of hockey we're capable of and we got the big win." Luke Loheit scored the Mavericks first goal at 3:29 of the first period and Bobo Carpenter added a goal with 1:05 left on the clock. "I really liked the way we started," coach Tad O'Had said. "We really needed a win after Friday night's loss. Tonight, we got some breaks and showed a lot of poise and played our game. We didn't do much in the second period, but we came out strong in the third period." Wichita's Kirby Proctor scored the lone goal of the second period making it a 2-1 game going into the final 20 minutes of action. Crawford scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at 12:06 of the third period as Wichita's Lucas Vanroboys cut the deficit to 3-2 at 16:07. "I've been fortunate enough to have a great career, and I'm proud most of my goals and points came here with the Mavericks," Crawford said. "And to have my 300th career point be the game winner in a 3-2 win over one of our biggest rivals on a sold-out night - well, I couldn't have written a better script." Jackson Jutting assisted on Crawford's 300th goal and shared his teammate's excitement. "I'm super excited to be a part of Marcus' game winner," Jutting said. "He's a role model and leader on our team. If you want to know how to play Mavericks hockey, just watch Marcus. He's a force defensively and offensively on the ice." Nearly lost in the excitement of Crawford's game winner was the brilliance of LaFontaine. "Jack's one of the best goaltenders in this league, he's a rock," O'Had said. Crawford added, "It's an honor to play in front of a guy like Jack. We're confident that we're going win a game if we get two or three goals and Jack is in the net." Kansas City will be back on home ice Thursday at 7 p.m., for their fourth straight game against the Thunder. The game will feature a Black Friday theme. The Mavericks have won two of the first three games against Wichita.   Jack LaFontaine starred in the net and Marcus Crawford's milestone goal proved to be the game winner as the Kansas City Mavericks edged Wichita 3-2 at a sold-out Star Wars game Saturday night at Cable Dahmer Arena. Photo credit: Kansas City Mavericks
by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News Last season was a rare one for the Grain Valley football team. The Eagles didn’t win a district championship for the first time in five years as they fell to Webb City 21-9 in the semifinals of the district tournament. They were back in familiar territory Friday as the Grain Valley took on Raytown in the Class 5 District 7 championship at Moody Murray Memorial Field. The Eagles leaned on sophomore running back Dawson Head and the running game as he totaled 290 yards and three touchdowns on a whopping 35 carries to help lead his team to its sixth district title in the last seven years following a 49-28 victory. Grain Valley (9-3) will advance to the Class 5 quarterfinals to face the defending state champion Platte County Pirates at 7 p.m. next Friday at home. Following the game the Eagles circled around head coach David Allie, jumped up and down and shouted with jubilation as the veteran coach held the district championship plaque up high. “The work ethic, leadership and determination has all been great this season,” Allie said. “That’s a quality win. They had a good record. That was a big-boy win for us.” Once again, Grain Valley’s high-touted offensive line and Head did the heavy lifting for Grain Valley on offense. Head grinded out some tough yards as he scored on TDs of 7 and 9 in the first half. He said his weakness of his coming in 2025 was being a physical, between-the-tackles runner as he was known more for his speed prior to the season. In the playoffs he showed his physicality and opposing defenses have had a tough time bringing him down. On his 9-yard TD run that put the team up 14-7 at the 3:08 mark in the second period, he powered through a Raytown tackler to make his way into the end zone. “I had never been a physical runner,” Head said. “I worked on getting better and better at that every week and it’s paid off.” Head got the opportunity to be the lead back for the Eagles after junior Sjoeren Aumua went down with a broken collarbone in a Week 6 loss to Kearney. From the game against the Bulldogs going forward, Head has exploded for 1,367 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. Head has accomplished in six games what a lot of running backs don’t in a full nine-game regular season and one playoff game. “It all starts with the guys up front and Dawson will tell you that,” Allie said. “Coach (Mike) Tarrants does a great job with our offensive line. Dawson has definitely improved at being physical and breaking tackles. He got some tough yards today. He earned them all.” The sophomore did get some help from junior wide receiver Terrell King, who made arguably the biggest play of the game. With nine seconds left, Grain Valley quarterback Cohen Morris connected with King near the right sideline at the Raytown 20. King quickly turned around, raced past a Blue Jay cornerback and outran the rest of the defense for a 40-yard TD reception as time expired to put Grain Valley ahead 21-7 going into halftime. “I saw the (defensive back) drop down and take the three, so I was wide open,” King said. “I saw I could make the spin there and get into the end zone.” On their first drive of the second half, the Eagles created separation as a block from left guard Logan Bennett paved the way for Head to score on a 35-yard run untouched to make it 28-7 at the 7:22 mark in the third. The Blue Jays (7-5) never got closer than two scores the rest of the way as sophomore running back Brody Davis scored on a 1-yard run, King returned a squib kick 67 yards for a touchdown on a kickoff and half back Zach Dowhower scored the Eagles final TD with 2:19 left on a 10-yard run up the middle on a scissor run play concept. Raytown got its only touchdown in the first half on a 14-yard strike from quarterback Kayden Downing to wide receiver Jayden Davis. The Blue Jays had a 19-yard touchdown pass from Downing to wide receiver Roger Haney waived off due to a chop block penalty. Had the score held, the score would have been tied at 14-14. The Blue Jays turned the ball over on downs on that possession In the second half, Downing connected on TD passes of 38 and 11 to Haney. Senior Aaron Giles scored on a 1-yard run midway through the fourth on a drive set up by a recovered onside kick for Raytown. But in the end, the Eagles had a big enough cushion to withstand Raytown’s late push. They will now turn their attention to the Pirates, who defeated the Eagles 54-23 in the regular season. “We will have to do what we did this week,” Head said when asked what it would take to get past Platte County. “We need to stick to our assignments, execute and play our style of football.” Grain Valley football’s past, present, and future collided in the best way this past week, as the city’s youngest Eagles lined up alongside its oldest. In a community-building event that blended mentorship with plenty of friendly competition, the Grain Valley Sports League’s (GVSL) 2nd/3rd-grade 8-man tackle team joined the senior members of the Grain Valley High School football team for an evening of stretches, drills, and a spirited mini-scrimmage. With full support from both the high school coaching staff and the youth program, the seniors paired with their pint-sized counterparts for warm-ups, skill stations, and challenges like the longest pass, 20-yard dash, and route-running drills. What followed was equal parts instructional and entertaining—an opportunity for the varsity players to inspire the next generation, and for the little Eagles to show the big guys they can bring the heat too. From modified halftime stretches to youth-vs-senior scrimmages, the night showcased the tight-knit spirit of Grain Valley football and the joy of watching tomorrow’s athletes challenge today’s leaders. The youth coaches coached their players and a couple of the seniors' past youth coaches, Derek Craver and Nilesh Patel, helped referee the games. Participants included: Youth coaches: Dane Heller and Jon Adams Former GVSL coaches of many of the seniors: Derek Craver and Nilesh Patel GVHS Seniors: Logan Bennett Jack Fuller DJ Pechar Chase Kitsmiller Titus Jennings Brody Jones Bentley Craver Hunter Nally Landen Marriott Alec Fenstermaker Alby Negrete Brett Boyle Will Page Nico Caldarella Landen Marcum by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News Grain Valley High School girls basketball coach Randy Draper is in his element when he is working with members of the Eagles during the preseason. The veteran coach spent time working with varsity and junior varsity players and he was having as much fun as the players. When asked how the practices are going, he has a ready answer. "We're having fun and our practices are going well," said Draper, who is entering his 26th year as a boys and girls basketball coach. "We let 'em go a little bit early today because they have been working so hard. "This group is great to work with, and they have already found an identity. We have four starters back from last season and some exciting newcomers. This is always one of my favorite times of year." Returning starters are Addy Seyfert, the reigning area player of the year; Aspen Reed, Bella Bollinger, and four-sport star Madison Rust. It might be a few days before Seyfert joins the Eagles practices because she is dealing with an ankle issue. "When you're as good as Addy, and you're not at practice, inquiring minds want to know what's going on," Draper said. "She's going to be fine, and we're excited to get her back on the court." Draper's Eagles have been one of the most consistently winning teams in Eastern Jackson Count, and he expects more success this season. "We can score and we can defend," Draper said. "And with all the starters back from last season, we're already a team out there. That was evident early in our practices. And we've got some youngsters who are fitting in nicely and will play some important minutes this season." Correction: 11/15/2025. Bella Bollinger was incorrectly identified as Ava Bollinger in the original story. This error has been corrected.  Longtime Grain Valley girls basketball coach Randy Draper works with members of the Eagles during a recent practice session at the high school. Photo credit: Bill Althaus
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