Sports
Lady ‘Cats evaluate depth over summer
With five returning starters and several varsity roles still to be filled, Clayton Bagby, Cassville girls basketball coach, used this summer’s practices and team camps as an opportunity to evaluate the Lady Wildcats’ depth while experimenting with new ideas before the upcoming season.
Year in Photos — Cassville boys basketball
Publisher’s note: Throughout the summer, the Cassville Democrat will feature the best unprinted photos from each team photographed during the 2025-2026 athletics seasons. — KT
Year in Photos — Barry County cross country
Publisher’s note: Throughout the summer, the Cassville Democrat will feature the best unprinted photos from each team photographed during the 2025-2026 athletics seasons. — KT
Young Lady Trojans learn to compete
A season filled with growing pains also resulted in steady progress for the Southwest softball team, as the Lady Trojans developed a young roster to lay a foundation for the future.
Eagles rack up 27 wins
Purdy Baseball Coach Joshua Hughes said the Eagles’ 27-win season was about far more than victories, pointing to the growth of his players on and off the field as the program’s biggest accomplishment.
Year in Photos — Cassville cross country
Publisher’s note: Throughout the summer, the Cassville Democrat will feature the best unprinted photos from each team photographed during the 2025-2026 athletics seasons. — KT
Lady Tigers meet goals on the diamond
The Exeter softball team accomplished the goals it set before the season began, overcoming a young lineup to finish above .500, win a conference championship and make another postseason run.
Year in Photos — Barry County volleyball
Publisher’s note: Throughout the summer, the Cassville Democrat will feature the best unprinted photos from each team photographed during the 2025-2026 athletics seasons. — KT
Exceeding expectations
A 3-6 start to the season was no setback for the relatively young Purdy softball team, as the Lady Eagles turned their results around to wind up taking third place in Class 1 with a 6-1 win over Plato to cap an 18-9 campaign.
Year in Photos — Cassville boys soccer
Publisher’s note: Throughout the summer, the Cassville Democrat will feature the best unprinted photos from each team photographed during the 2025-2026 athletics seasons. — KT
