February 2024

During a busy spate of contests last week and early this week, the Brookfield High School varsity basketball teams’ long-shot bid to salvage at least a .500 final record from their 2023-24 seasons stalled, although they didn’t die – at least not yet.Playing four games each in a span of seven nights, both the Bulldogs and Lady ’Dogs won once apiece, sending them into the final four games of the regular season, including a recently-added replacement game this past Wednesday at Lawson, with 7-13 overall marks.For both Brookfield teams, their current predicaments effectively mean they must not only sweep the remainder of their regular-season slate, but unexpectedly win a district championship to conclude the season with at least a non-losing mark.After visiting Lawson, the BHS cagers go to Macon tonight, host Fayette Monday, and then welcome Monroe City in the regular-season finale this coming Tuesday prior to starting their Class 3 District 16 tournament play the following week.With a new site approach by the Missouri State High School Activities Association this season, the Brookfield girls’ district tournament will be played at Carrollton, while the boys’ will be at Trenton.Below is a recap of the recent BHS play, with the most-recent action first…(G) South Shelby 58, Brookfield 23(B) South Shelby 71, Brookfield 38At Shelbina this past Tuesday, the home team poured in 28 points in the very first quarter and rolled on from there.The Lady ’Dogs were led in scoring by Maddie Wilbeck’s 10 points.

Consecutive victories over Novinger and Westran spiced recent basketball action for the Marceline High School Lady Tigers, while their male counterparts saw one of their better chances of tasting victory this season slip past.A week ago Tuesday at Novinger, the Lady Tigers used 23 points from their Penningtons to prevail, 49-41.

By PAUL STURMLCL Sports Editorpsturm@cherryroad.comWith the end of the regular season only a couple of weeks away, the county’s Class 1 high school basketball teams scrambled to make up conference and other early/mid-January postponed contests and replacement games last week and early this week.As this week began, there continued to be two teams anchoring the success spectrum across the county: Meadville’s Lady Eagles moved past the 50-games milepost in their 2-seasons run with their 21-0 mark, while nearby Linn County R-1’s Mustangs remained saddled with an “oh-fer,” 0-16.However, there is a glimmer of hope for the Purdin-based LCHS squad.