Tucked into a hillside in Warrensburg sits one of the most impressive baseball facilities in the country – complete with synthetic turf, four rows of chair-back seats between the dugouts, a grandstand of chair-back seats and dugout heaters. Oh, and see that Morton building nearby? It houses indoor batting cages, a weight room and the… Read more »
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Category: Teams/Programs
1954 University of Missouri Tigers Baseball
Under the tutelage of legendary baseball coach John “Hi” Simmons, the 1954 University of Missouri Tiger baseball team won the eight-team NCAA College World Series National Championship in Omaha’s Municipal Stadium by defeating Michigan State University and then Rollins College of Florida in a three team championship round.
Valle Catholic High School Football
The story of Valle Catholic High School football may be best summarized by Joseph Hoog, a fan going back to the 1940s. He recalls a state championship game in which quarterback and future coach Judd Naeger tucked the ball and ran. “Somewhere around midfield he broke into the open, and there was a defender. I… Read more »
Walnut Grove High School Girls Basketball Program
In the fall of 1973, girls basketball officially joined Walnut Grove High School’s athletic department and, brick by brick, a path led to small victories here and there. And now? Well, the gym is decorated in banners – many touting the success of the Lady Tigers – while the trophy case out in the hallway… Read more »
Warrensburg High School Cross Country Program
Scroll through the list of Missouri high school cross country state top four finishers, and Warrensburg High School takes up a ton of real estate: 31 top-fours combined for the boys and girls programs, including 10 state championships. That’s why Warrensburg runners from the 1970s and early 1980s beam about it all these days. After… Read more »
1988-1995 Era Warsaw High School Football
Dynasties come in all shapes and sizes. One of the greatest football dynasties in Missouri sports history comes from the Benton County town of Warsaw. From 1988 to 1995, the Warsaw Wildcats were arguably the top Class 2 program in the state, winning state championships in 1990 and 1993, and reaching the state Final Four… Read more »
1973 Washington High School State Championship Football Team
Motivation from a disappointing ending the year before. Undersized guys willing to roll up their sleeves and put in the hard work, if not “run through brick walls,” as the old saying goes. And a little bit of luck. All of those descriptions seem suitable when talking about the 1973 Washington High School football team.… Read more »
Webb City High School Football
Days before Webb City High School football would win its 13th state championship since 1989, coach John Roderique made one thing clear: Winning, especially the dominating way the Cardinals win, never gets old. Clearly, it’s fun, and there are so many reasons why it’s become a way of life in their southwest Missouri community. To… Read more »
Webb City High School Softball Program
Just beyond the backstop of the softball field stands a press box with lists of team accomplishments. One sign screams “State Champions 2004 32-0” while others celebrate the 2007 state title and numerous other seasons. And to think that, gulp, it almost never happened at all for the Webb City High School Softball Program. The… Read more »
2002 & 2015 Webb City Little League World Series Teams
In the display case of Webb City Junior High School, you’ll find an interesting display: memorabilia and jerseys of Little Leaguers. That’s by design. Walking those hallways, of course, are boys who could be the next to take the city’s youth team to a quaint hamlet in Pennsylvania called Williamsport. In other words, the 2002… Read more »
West Plains High School Cross Country Program
They run in candy-stripe shorts not for show but to challenge themselves to maintain a standard and then, in the truest meaning of the word team, they don’t leave a teammate behind – even during the most important race of the year. In simple terms, this is why the West Plains High School Cross Country… Read more »
1984-1991 Era West Plains High School Volleyball
Back in 1984, just about any story published in newspapers about the West Plains High School volleyball team got clipped out and glued into a scrapbook. It seemed like a nice hobby for then-coach Trish Knight (MSHOF 2008). But there was a problem – a good problem – because newspapers kept publishing one story after… Read more »
1984-1999 Era Westran High School Softball
In his classic play Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare wrote, “Some are born great… others have greatness thrust upon them.” But over the years, part of the quote has fallen by the wayside. The complete quote reads, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, others have greatness thrust upon them.” Achieving greatness was the norm for… Read more »
1993-1997 Era Wheaton High School Softball
The Wheaton softball team’s success during the 1990s actually began a decade earlier. The Bulldogs were one of the top Class 1A-2A teams in Missouri during the 80s, reaching the state final four on four different occasions (1980, 1982, 1985, 1986). While those teams didn’t quite reach the goal of becoming state champions, they left… Read more »
1980-1983 Era Willard High School Volleyball
Willard High School volleyball has spent the last 40 years forging an identity as one of the top volleyball programs in the state. That period of excellence began with the 1980-1983 teams. During those four seasons, Willard reached the state Final Four three times, winning the program’s first state championship in 1981. Future Olympian and… Read more »
1968 William Jewell College Cardinals Baseball
The 1968 William Jewell College baseball team captured the NAIA National Baseball Championship. Coached by NAIA and William Jewell College Hall of Fame member Fred Flook, the Cardinals’ storied run to the National Championship began with a tremendous rally through the district tournament. They earned a spot in the National Tournament in St. Joseph. They… Read more »