The high school basketball season has officially ended in Missouri, but the time for award has just begun.

With two-thirds of its starters returning, the Monett baseball team is looking to take another step forward this season.

Missouri baseball fans fall mostly into one of two camps — they are multi-generational St. Louis Cardinals fans, or they cheer on the 1960s upstart Kansas City Royals.

It was nearly a half-century ago the last time that the Monett eighth-grade basketball team could say they were the kings of the Big 8 Conference.

As the wrestling season winds down to its conclusion, Monett is preparing to take the next step on the season.

With just two grapplers returning with varsity experience Monett Girls Wrestling Coach Justin Semerad knew wins would be hard to come by this season.

Verona trailed Wheaton by a single point with just a shade over 8 seconds remaining in a basketball contest that had been brutal and back and forth.

Coming into the 2025-2026 basketball season, Monett had zero starters returning and just two players that had played meaningful varsity minutes.

Entering the new year with an 8-1 record, the Monett girls basketball team is not content to rest on its laurels.

It was Sunday January, 4 1998, a day I’ll never forget. I was three days shy of my 17th birthday but I received the greatest gift a boy that was a diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan could imagine.