1. James wins state title, multiple Wildcats medal
Cassville senior Faith James wrestled her final high school match on Thursday, and she left the mat with a new title to add to her resume — state champion. Upon pinning Oak Grove’s Lauren Phillips in 2:12 in the 135-pound title bout of the 2024 MSHSAA State Championships at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, James screamed, jumped and cried as she began to process accomplishing the biggest goal of her prep career. Also at state, Hailey Roark finished in fourth, Colton Roark and Riley James took fourth, and Tristan Thompson was sixth.
2. Southwest wins second consecutive district championship
A sizable contingent of Southwest boys basketball fans collectively held their breath on Feb. 24 as a Lamar 3-pointer sailed toward the basket as the game’s final buzzer sounded. The shot missed, and that held breath escaped into screams of joy as the Trojans secured their second consecutive Class 3, District 12 championship, 68-66. The Trojans finished the season at 22-7, winning 10 of its last 12 and falling to Greenwood in sectionals.
3. Wheeler, Williams break school records
Preparing for his second long jump at the Cassville Relays on April 16, Wildcat senior Ashton Wheeler had a feeling he might could make history. His personal record at 6.3 meters, Wheeler leaped into the Cassville history books with a jump of 6.71 meters, surpassing Devin Linenbrink, who held the record with a 2010 jump of 6.58 meters. At the Class 3, Sectional 3 in Mountain Grove on May 11, junior Jadyn Williams ran a 1:00.53 to place third in the 400-meter dash, topping the previous Cassville record of 1:01.40 set by Amber Keen in 2000.
4. Softball loses in 13-inning battle for district title, sets wins record
The No. 2 Lady Wildcats (19-14) fell to No. 1 Nevada by a score of 7-6 in a 13-inning Class 3, District 6 championship lasting more than three hours. The contest comes in as the third-longest game in Missouri high school softball history. In total this season, the Lady Wildcats tallied 19 wins, the most in program history, according to new Head Coach Jordan Savage.
5. Big 8 restructured
The Big 8 Conference returned to a setup similar of years past, with five schools leaving the conference and nine remaining. Teams playing in the Big 8 this season included: Cassville, Aurora, East Newton, Lamar, Nevada, McDonald County, Monett, Mt. Vernon and Seneca. The restructure does away with the East and West divisions, meaning only one team wins the overall conference title in each Big 8 sport. The realignment was announced in 2023 but effective in 2024, with Reeds Spring, Marshfield, Hollister, Springfield Catholic and Logan-Rogersville departing.
6. Lady Wildcats soccer sets wins record
A new era of Cassville girls soccer is dawning following a record-setting season. This year’s Lady Wildcats set the record for wins with a 13-6-2 mark, besting the 11-10 record of the first varsity season in 2019, and it tied its season record for shutouts with 8. Individually, senior Emma Berndt set the single-season goals record with 19, and fellow senior Audrey Gosvener set the single-season assist record with 14.
7. Savage hired to replace Coach V
A Barry County native who returned to the area recently has taken over the Cassville softball program this fall, succeeding Coach Lori Videmschek after the program’s first ever district championship. Jordan Savage, a 2012 Southwest graduate, attended and played baseball at Mineral Area Community College and Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.), then student-taught at Purdy under Eagles Baseball Coach Joshua Hughes. He had been assistant coaching in McDonald County prior to accepting the Cassville position.
8. Wildcats log win over state champion Lamar
The Cassville football team rose from the depths of Week 3’s East Newton loss to surprise Lamar in Week 4 at home, 35-34. After suffering its first loss to the Patriots in nearly 20 years, the Wildcats returned home with resolve. It was the first win over the Tigers, Class 2 defending state champion ranked No. 1 coming into the contest, since 2018, when the Wildcats finished as Class 3 state runner-up. Lamar finished this season as the Class 2 state champion.
9. Stewart hired in Purdy
The Purdy boys basketball team is under new management this season, and the first taste of action saw the new coach’s squad win the tournament at his previous place of employment. Brad Stewart, who had coached in Verona for 31 years, is now the boys basketball coach in Purdy, with the Eagles starting off the season by winning the Verona Tournament. Stewart brings to Purdy 34 total years of coaching experience, more than 500 career wins and a 2003 undefeated state championship team.
10. Paulsen 4th ever All-State winner from Southwest
Southwest High School senior Brendyn Paulsen was named to the Class 3 All-State Team this year. A First Team All-District, All-Conference and All-Area selection, as well as district and conference Player of the Year, Paulsen averaged 18.9 points per game, 10.9 rebounds per game and 2.9 assists per game this year. He is the fourth All-State basketball player in Southwest history.
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