North Callaway officially named longtime assistant coach Kevin O'Neal as the Thunderbirds' next head football coach on Monday.
O'Neal will take over for former head coach Mike Emmons, who retired in November with a 157-94 record over 24 seasons.
"I'm honored that I have the opportunity to take over for Coach Emmons," O'Neal said Monday. "He's always been an idol of mine.
"He's a big reason why I got into teaching and coaching."
Girls' basketball
New Bloomfield 66
Linn 27
NEW BLOOMFIELD - The Lady Wildcats outscored Linn 34-8 in the first half in cruising to a Show-Me Conference home victory on Monday night.
New Bloomfield (7-6, 1-1) held Linn to four points in each of the first two quarters in continuing a solid stretch of defensive play in the words of head coach Brett Craighead.
"I think the last three ball games our defensive intensity has been good and our ball movement has been good," Craighead said. "We need that amount of intensity every night..."
North Callaway 51
Community 37
LADDONIA - The No. 10 Ladybirds rebounded from a sluggish first half in the words of head coach Matt Miller to upend the Community R-6 Lady Trojans in Eastern Missouri Conference play on Monday night.
Miller challenged his North Callaway team - which only led 28-22 at halftime - which is coming off a 47-20 loss to No. 1 Hermann in the South Callaway Invitational Tournament last Saturday. They responded by holding the Lady Trojans to just 15 second-half points, including five in the final quarter.
"I just refocused them and refocused our effort on the defensive end," Miller said. "...The second half tonight, we really did that and it enabled us to pull away from them at the end."
Boys' basketball
Community 56
North Callaway 42
LADDONIA -Senior guard Chance Kee led the Thunderbirds with 17 points in an EMO loss to the Community R-6 Trojans on Monday night.
North Callaway (5-8, 1-2) found themselves in a 12-4 hole after one quarter and at a 26-8 disadvantage at halftime. The T-Birds outscored the Trojans 21-10 in the third quarter to draw to within 36-29 after three quarters, but would never get any closer.
College
Women's basketball
Spalding 64
Westminster 59
The Lady Blue Jays' season-high four-game winning streak came to an end as they fell to the Spalding Lady Golden Eagles in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Monday afternoon at Historic Gymnasium.
Westminster (7-8, 5-4) opened the game on a 10-0 run and held a 30-20 advantage with 3 minutes, 6 seconds remaining in the first half. The Lady Golden Eagles would go on a 9-3 spurt to close out the half and find themselves only down 33-29 at intermission.
Men's basketball
Spalding 85
Westminster 82
Blue Jays senior guard Joe James' double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds came in a losing effort for Westminster in a double-overtime SLIAC loss to the Spalding Golden Eagles on Monday afternoon at Historic Gymnasium.
The Blue Jays - which scored the game's first nine points - trailed 34-30 at halftime and by five with 4 minutes, 21 seconds left in regulation. Senior guard Travis Cleveland's layup with 1:55 left tied the game at 67-all but a part of free throws by Spalding's William Barber pushed the Golden Eagles back out to a two-point lead with 1:32 left.