Show-Me Spotlight: Canton’s Clay finds college fit that makes her feel right at home

Canton senior Nariah Clay, left, is a three-sport standout who has committed to play basketball at Morton College, an NJCAA Division II program in Cicero, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

CANTON, Mo. — Nariah Clay admits the college recruiting wasn’t going the way she had envisioned. Then Morton College came along. Playing with the Cross Over Hoops AAU basketball program last summer, the Canton senior three-sport standout was introduced to Morton College women’s basketball coach Jason Nichols and assistant coach Kevin McManaman during a tournament…

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Don’t call it an upset: Canton defends Lenzini Tournament title, beats top-seeded Palmyra

The Canton girls basketball team captured the Tony Lenzini Tournament championship Saturday night with a 74-61 victory over Palmyra in Palmyra, Mo. | Submitted photo

PALMYRA, Mo. — An upset? “I guess it depends who you talk to,” Canton girls basketball coach Danielle Baker said. Canton successfully defended its Tony Lenzini Tournament championship Saturday night with a surprisingly easy 74-61 victory over top-seeded Palmyra. Canton had been seeded second going into the week-long, eight-school hoopfest. The Tigers (12-6) controlled the…

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Palmyra boys in position to chase first Lenzini tourney championship since 1999

PALMYRA, Mo. — Bear Bock pulled no punches. He made it quite clear the Palmyra boys basketball team is on a mission. “It’s been 24 years since Palmyra won this tournament,” the 6-foot-4 junior forward said. “We want to bring the Lenzini championship back home.” Palmyra moved one step closer to that goal Wednesday night…

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Canton girls see Highland Tournament championship as step in right direction

The Canton girls basketball team celebrates winning the championship of the 51st Highland Tournament with Saturday's 52-48 victory over Highland in Lewistown, Mo. | Ron Kinscherf photo

LEWISTOWN, Mo. — The Canton girls basketball team entered the 51st Highland Tournament as the third seed and with a losing record. “I call it the state softball championship hangover,” Canton coach Danielle Baker, referencing the Tigers’ Class 1 state title from last October. “It took us a little while to get going.” This week,…

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Palmyra girls breathe life into second-half rally, use third-quarter surge to power past Canton

CANTON, Mo. — Never underestimate the power of a deep breath. Palmyra girls basketball coach Tim Southers said his primary goal at halftime Friday night was to simply try and get his club’s emotions under control. “I just told the girls to breathe and relax,” he said. They listened. And then they responded. The end…

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Palmyra boys show maturity with strong finish to put away Canton for third straight victory

CANTON, Mo. — What a difference a year makes. At least for the Palmyra boys basketball team. “A year ago, I’m not sure we would have won a game like this,” Palmyra coach Brian Rea said. Rea was assessing Friday night’s 64-52 victory over Canton, a game that saw the Panthers pull away down the…

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Prize of the Tigers: Canton shows moxie in upending Polo and winning Class 1 state softball championship

The Canton softball team celebrates after receiving its Class 1 state championship trophy following the 4-2 victory over Polo at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield, Mo. | Photo courtesy Mary Chiles

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — An ominous beginning couldn’t darken the Canton softball team’s mood. It certainly didn’t ruin the Tigers’ mojo either. Under cloudy skies and dealing with windy conditions Saturday afternoon, Canton was forced to wait through an epic Class 3 state championship game in which Fatima defeated Chillicothe 16-14 and not start the Class…

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Photo gallery: Canton softball team wins Class 1 state championship, beating Polo 4-2

The Canton softball team celebrates after recording the final out against Polo in the Class 1 state championship game Saturday in Springfield, Mo. | Photo courtesy Mary Chiles

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Canton softball team is back to being the undisputed best. The Tigers defeated previously undefeated Polo 4-2 Saturday in the Class 1 state championship at the Killian Softball Complex, capturing the second state title in program history. The Tigers won the state title in 2017 and have six state trophies in…

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Don’t stop believing: Canton softball team rallies to earn spot in state championship game

The Canton softball players celebrate with Tigers coach Kristyn Arens, center, after winning the Class 1 state semifinal against Marion C. Early on Friday in Springfield, Mo. | Photo courtesy Mary Chiles

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Even when trailing Marion C. Early by two runs in the fifth inning of Friday’s Class 1 state semifinal, the Canton softball players showed confidence. “I thought we were gonna win it from the beginning,” sophomore shortstop Kadee Guilfoyle said.                                                                                    That faith was rewarded with a 3-2 victory at the Killian Softball…

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Photo gallery: Canton softball team wins Class 1 state semifinal against Marion C. Early

The Canton softball players celebrate their 3-2 victory over Marion C. Early in the Class 1 state semifinals Friday at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield, Mo. | Photo courtesy Christoper Parker

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Canton softball team is one victory away from winning the second state championship in program history after beating Marion C. Early 3-2 on Friday in the Class 1 state semifinals at the Killian Softball Complex. Check out this gallery of images from the Tigers’ come-from-behind victory:

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Final four bound: Hultz, Canton keep Braymer off-balance in state quarterfinal victory

The Canton softball team celebrates following its 10-0 victory over Braymer on Saturday in the Class 1 state quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl in Canton, Mo. | Submitted photo

CANTON, Mo. — Canton catcher Kinsey Biggerstaff said Emma Hultz has one pitch in particular that stands out in her nasty repertoire of off-speed offerings. “It’s her changeup,” Biggerstaff said matter-of-factly. And Hultz, a junior right-hander, doesn’t disagree with her battery mate’s assessment. “The change is my No. 1 pitch,” she said with absolutely no…

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Tigers exact their revenge, overwhelm Bulldogs with extra-base hits to reach state quarterfinals

The Canton softball team celebrates with its fans following a 12-0 victory over La Plata on Wednesday in the Class 1 sectional in La Plata, Mo. | Submitted photo

LA PLATA, Mo. — Redemption and revenge came with a full-fledged offensive assault. Now, the Canton softball team sits just one victory away from a return to the final four. The Tigers capitalized on a bounty of scoring opportunities in the first three innings of Wednesday’s Class 1 sectional, building an insurmountable 11-run lead and…

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Canton softball team carries confidence, belief in itself into matchup with postseason nemesis

CANTON, Mo. — The circumstances suggested the Canton softball team was doomed. The Tigers never believed that. And when they escaped a controversial, fingernail-biting seventh inning in last Saturday’s Class 1 District 9 championship game unscathed, they embraced the belief nothing was going to stand in their way. “We definitely felt that in our huddle,”…

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Canton escapes tenuous seventh-inning jam, captures fourth straight district championship

The Canton softball team outlasted North Shelby 3-2 in nine innings to win the Class 1 District 9 championship Saturday in Shelbyville, Mo. | Submitted photo

SHELBYVILLE, Mo. — Some confusion about the rules regarding pitching circle visits put the Canton softball team in a precarious position with the season on the brink Saturday afternoon. Yet, the Tigers never flinched. With the Class 1 District 9 championship game tied at 2 in the bottom of the seventh and North Shelby having…

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The Rundown: QND wins at Great River Classic, two homers carry Canton, Illini West cruises

The fall slate of postseason events is underway, but that doesn’t mean the action is simmering down. Here is a look at the highlights from Thursday’s action: • Cole Henkenmeier scored off a Colin Kurk assist in the first half as the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team beat Normal U-High 2-0 in the opening…

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JWCC Show-Me Spotlight: Pressure to perform brings out best in Canton’s Gorrell

Canton senior right fielder Madison Gorrell has helped the Tigers to a 7-1 start to this season. | Photo courtesy KHQA Sports Director Chris Duerr

CANTON, Mo. — Freddie Mercury and David Bowie sang about it. Madison Gorrell embraces it. The pressure of being under pressure brings out the best in the Canton two-sport athlete, who excels at both softball and soccer. It is what is guiding her post-high school path. Gorrell plans to attend Central Methodist University to study…

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Monroe City fends off Canton’s seventh-inning rally to snare title of own tournament

Monroe City's Lucy Pratt delivers a pitch during the Panthers' opening game of the Monroe City Tournament against Hannibal on Saturday at Lions Field in Monroe City, Mo. | Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

MONROE CITY, Mo. — Audri Youngblood kept her composure and the Monroe City softball team made certain the championship of its own tournament didn’t leave the city limits. Leading Canton 6-0 in the seventh inning of the championship game Saturday night at Lions Field, the Panthers allowed a rally to be extended when an infield…

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Area Distributors Area Athlete of the Week: Canton’s Nariah Clay

Second-seeded Canton’s Nariah Clay gets off a shot during last Saturday’s championship game of the 79th annual Tony Lenzini Invitational against top-seeded Palmyra in Palmyra, Mo. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

PALMYRA, Mo. — Nariah Clay’s clutch free-throw shooting and consistent play throughout the week carried the second-seeded Canton girls basketball team to the championship of the 79th annual Tony Lenzini Invitational. That included going 8 of 9 from the line and scoring 14 points in a 68-54 victory over top-seeded Palmyra in last Saturday’s championship…

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Monroe City boys, Canton girls capture titles at 79th annual Tony Lenzini Invitational

Monroe City’s Kyle Hays lays the ball in during the Panthers’ victory over Hannibal in the championship game of the 79th annual Tony Lenzini Invitational on Saturday night in Palmyra, Mo. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

PALMYRA, Mo. — The Hannibal boys basketball team relied on its defense to keep it within striking distance of top-seeded Monroe City at halftime of Saturday night’s championship game of the 79th annual Tony Lenzini Invitational. The Panthers didn’t allow that to happen in the second half. After being held to just nine points in…

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Youngblood leads three Panthers receiving all-state softball honors

Monroe City senior outfielder Carly Youngblood was a first-team Class 2 all-state selection. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

MONROE CITY, Mo. — Three Monroe City softball players headlined the area’s haul of all-state honors from the Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association. Panthers senior outfielder Carly Youngblood was a Class 2 first-team selection, while senior infielder Mackenzie Moss and freshman utility player Audri Youngblood were both second-team honorees. Highland sophomore infielder Emma Harshberger…

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