It’s almost as if an author dreamed up one of the most compelling American sports stories, grabbed a notepad and, lo and behold, produced a New York Times best-seller. After all, how else to explain Tony Armstrong’s coaching career? He was the kid who once shot hoops in a southwest Missouri armory and years later,… Read more »
News
Team: West Plains High School
Lance Brown
He could have flung aside his ball glove and walked away at age 18 when life tugged on the back of his jersey. After all, Lance Brown graduated from West Plains High School in 1960 with a bum pitching arm and without so much as a scout or college recruiter on his heels. In fact,… Read more »
Kerensa Barr Cassis
She still remembers it like yesterday: A basketball in her hand, dribbling and shooting baskets, and competing in summer camps. And this was years before she starred for West Plains High School and the University of Missouri basketball teams. Yes, Kerensa Barr Cassis breaks into a smile just reminiscing about it all. “I was probably… Read more »
2022 Class – Diamond Nine
CLASS of 2022 Dr. Mark Baker — Webb City High School/Missouri Southern State University Charlie Burt — Truman High School/Ban Johnson League/Missouri State University Tim Clubb — Eureka High School/Missouri State University Mary Stratton-Johnson — Hillcrest High School/Slow-Pitch Softball Jordan Logan — North Callaway High School/Jefferson College/Columbia College Renay Ries Spilker — Blue Springs High… Read more »
Joe Bill Dixon
Joe Bill Dixon is a life-long resident of West Plains, Missouri. He attended West Plains High School and competed in basketball and track. Dixon’s teaching and coaching career began in 1968 at Richards R-5 School in West Plains. He transferred to West Plains High School in 1978 and started a new cross country program for… Read more »
Elite 11- Class of 2021
CLASS of 2021 Brock Baker — Bolivar High School/Western Kentucky University Blaise Bauer — Monett High School/Pittsburg State University Joe Close — Parkview High School/University of Missouri Lance Johnston — Branson High School/Northwest Missouri State University Marcus Klund — Scott City & Cape Central High Schools/Lindenwood University Drew Newhart — Cameron High School/Missouri Western State… Read more »
Steve Hunter
For years, Steve Hunter’s basketball teams “pressed the dog out of you.” Those were his words and for good reason. In the early 1990s, after about seven years as a high school coach and clearly frustrated, Hunter and assistant Rick Boyce installed their own version of the run-and-jump press while at West Plains High School,… Read more »
Trish Kissiar-Knight
A native of Licking, Mo, Knight coached the West Plains High School Zizzer volleyball teams to four consecutive Class 4A state championships. With Trish at the helm of the MSU-West Plains Grizzlies Volleyball team, they have accumulated a record of 607-141-3 over 14 years of play. Trish reached a career milestone with her 600th career… Read more »
Fred Merrell
Fred Merrell coached 46 years at various stops throughout the state, including Blue Springs and West Plains high schools. As a head coach for 41 of those years, he compiled a 216-177-12 record, including 28 winning seasons. Merrell explained the origins of his journey this way: “From a boy, by third grade, who had a… Read more »
Greg Simpkins
When Greg Simpkins arrived in West Plains in 1990, it reminded him of home. The setting, the people, the values all made Simpkins think about his days growing up and playing football in Cassville. “They’re both towns and programs made up of good people, with a great Ozarks living, and nice places to live and… 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 »