Southwest

Trojans reflect on successful season
In the summer of 2023, the Southwest boys basketball team declined to set any expectations. Coming off its first district title in 57 years, the Trojans had lost half the team to graduation and had yet to find an identity.
Rebuilding with mechanics
Six starters return to a Southwest softball team billing itself as in a rebuilding year and ready to battle through growing pains. Emily Snyder, Southwest softball coach, said the Lady Trojans have been working through the summer to improve, specifically in regard to mechanics.

SOUTHWEST SCHOOL BOARD QUESTIONNAIRE: Daniel “Danny” Dalton
As a veteran board member I have enjoyed my time on the board and want to continue serving the patrons of our area in helping to provide a quality education to the children of our district.

SOUTHWEST SCHOOL BOARD QUESTIONNAIRE: John Mulkey
I will give my time and effort to work with other members of the board to ensure SW success.

Paulsen wins 4th-ever All-State award for Trojans basketball
Southwest High School senior Brendyn Paulsen has been named to the Class 3 All-State Team. A First Team All-District, All-Conference and All-Area selection, as well as district and conference Player of the Year, Paulsen averaged 18.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this year.

Mission accepted
Multi-sport athlete Brendyn Paulsen, a senior at Southwest High School, narrowed his future focus on Friday, signing to play baseball at the next level with Mission University in Springfield. Paulsen, who is in the midst of district tournament basketball this week and has his senior season of baseball just around the corner, said putting his name down was a dream come true.

Royal sweethearts crowned
CENTER: Senior couple Brendyn Paulsen, right, and Brooklynn Slye were named Homecoming King and Queen on Jan. 30, and Paulsen took the moment to plant a kiss on his girlfriend, just like his father did to his mother when they were crowned King and Queen in 2002.

Cole crosses 1,000-point mark
An Aurora girls basketball player with a Barry County connection has crossed the 1,000-point mark in her prep career. Junior Kylee Cole was 14 points shy of 1,000 going into a Jan. 29 Warrior Classic contest against East Newton. Cole put up 28 points in the 55-24 victory, achieving the milestone in the process. Cole averages 22 points per game. She is the granddaughter of the late John Cole and Linda Cole, of Exeter, and Howard and Jackie Burns, also of Exeter. Her great-grandmother, Gwen Hilburn, lives in Seligman, and she has numerous aunts and uncles from both Barry County towns.

Southwest students look toward futures on Career Day
Blake Whitley, front right, and Kacy Whitley, front left, speak to Southwest juniors, from left, Jesse Townsend, Matthew Bise, Hunter Cain, Brycen Cox and Noah Lamphere, about a possible career as a pharmacist.

Trout Tales, Jan. 31
I tagged along with Publisher Kyle Troutman on Friday to the annual Career Day at the Southwest school district. He manned one of 26 tables filled with a myriad of local professionals who love their jobs enough to spend 90 minutes sharing the ins and outs of their industries.