​​Weston • Platte County • Missouri

The Weston Chronicle

Blue Jays Volleyball Team Highlights Potential of Young Players

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Following last year’s successful 16 win season Head Coach Holly Lintner looks to build on last year and add more wins.  The Lady Jays are a great blend of experience and youth and are led by senior pitcher Sophie Grier and the rest of the senior class, Addy Hughes, Molly Cline and Morgan VanNatta.  
The hallmark of the team is Sophie Grier’s pitching, team’s solid defense, and potent offense.  Most of last year’s starting lineup returns.
Coach Lintner is counting on some help from the young newcomers.  She cites freshman shortstop Maddie Cline, younger sister of Molly Cline, as a threat on both offense and defense.
Starting the season again this year the Lady Jays traveled to Chesterfield, MO for the Rockwood Summit Tournament where they “see competition from larger school”.  Coach Lintner says “This is our second year playing in this tournament, and I feel that playing against tougher competition set the scene for the rest of the year.”
The Class 2, District 7 is made up of KCI schools with West Platte joined by Eat Buchanan, Lathrop, Mid-Buchanan, North Platte and Plattsburgh.  Last year the Lady Jays were second in their district and they up to play for and win the title this year.
Coach Lintner says  “As long as our girls play hard and continue to show clean defense and timely hits, I feel that we can compete with high-level teams,
“These girls have such great team chemistry and really are a fun group to coach.  We sure will be sad to see our senior class go, but want to make a memorable season for their last one.”

Blue Jays Head Coach Connor Kellerstrauss and Assistant Coaches Dana Roe and Alexa Vandel return for another exciting season.  Last year the Lady Jays record was 11-16-5 and 3-4 in the KCI Conference.
The Lady Jays return three experienced players, a senior, junior, and a sophomore.  Senior middle blocker Blair McHenry is a three year starter.  Junior middle blocker Kaelyn Eades earned honorable mention KCI conference last year.  Sophomore setter Amber Rutherford started her entire freshman year and is ready to lead the offense.
Kellestrauss expects three newcomers to make impact this year.  Junior outside hitter Catelyn Carlson missed all of last season with an injury, but is excited to make an impact this season. Freshman Nora Meyerkorth is the varsity libero after having a great summer. Kellerstrauss describes her as tenacious and competitive.  Freshman Kendall Dover took advantage of every opportunity this summer to earn a starting role.  Kellerstrauss says she brings a ton of energy to the varsity team.
Kellerstrauss describes the Lady Jays as very young but they should be a competitive team.  He lists keys to success and expectations s continuous improvement throughout the season will be something we are striving for.  Two of our strengths should be our pacing and our defense which should keep us in matches.  Being smart on offense will be a big key yo success.
The Lady Jays face several talented teams in the KCI conference. He lists Lawson, East Buchanan, Mid-Buchanan and Plattsburg as particularly strong.  Post-season for Class 2, District 8, West Platte is joined by fellow KCI teams East Buchanan, Mid-Buchanan and North Platte plus Bishop LeBlond and St. Joseph Christian.  Kellerstrauss concludes with “we know there will be some growing pains, but are excited to get started….”

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Lady Jays Softball Has Hopes For Post Season Run

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Football Season Preview

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Blue Jays Outlast Hornets 

Week 3 Football Conference and District Standings and Results

With one-third of the regular football season over, there may very well be some clarity.  
West Platte is one of four teams with a KCI Conference win and one of three Class 1, District 6 with 2 wins and 1 loss.  After a narrow 13-7 win over conference and district foe, Penney High School from Hamilton, the Blue Jays have navigated the early season in good shape.
Taylor Gallagher is in his second season as the Blue Jays Head Coach and is beginning to put his stamp on the program.  He is experimenting with using two quarterbacks, senior Jhett Chandler and junior Mark Sanders.  
It will be interesting to see how this works out as the season progresses.  
The running game features junior Brady McMillan and senior Canton Wilkins.  There is a wealth of receiving talent with junior Blaze Masoner, senior Alex Kinslow, and senior Joe Blake.  The offense show a lot of balance and has the potential to win some big games this season, bit it could be tough in the post season.
The defense and special teams have a solid crew with senior Alex Allison handling the kicking chores with long kick offs, good punting distance, and point after accuracy.  He is also a stalwart defender.  
Most of the players are on both offense and defense.  Key defenders include Jhett Chandler, Alex Kinslow, Canton Wilkins, Joe Blake, Brady McMillan, and Blaze Masoner.
The next three games should show if the Blue Jays can realize their potential to be a factor in the conference race.  
This Friday the Blue Jays host the Mid-Buchanan Dragons, 3-0.  West Platte needs to play their best if they are to be a conference contender this year.  
The next two weeks the Blue Jays are on the road first against Plattsburg. 0-3 so far, and then visiting the always tough Lawson Cardinals, 2-1

Mid-Buchanan 49
Centralia (KS) 13
Lawson 65
East Buchanan 17
Gallatin 41
Polo 14
Lathrop 26
North Platte 22
Maysville 22
Milan 18
Miller 56
Plattsburg 27
West Platte 13
Penney 7
Class 1, District 6
School Record
Gallatin 2-1
North Platte 2-1
West Platte 2-1
Penney 1-2
Maysville 1-2
Plattsburg 0-3
KCI Conference
School KCI       Overall
Lathrop 2-0 3-0
Mid-Buch 1-0 3-0
Lawson 1-0 2-1
West Platte 1-0 2-1
North Platte 0-1 2-1
East Buch 0-1 1-2
Penney 0-1 1-2
Plattsburg 0-2 0-3

  Sports

The story line from Friday’s Conference game between West Platte and the Penney Hornets was the Blue Jays put together two efficient scoring drives and rallied to stop the Hornets often enough to win.  
It was a game won with effort and grit.  West Platte won 13-7 over Penney High School from Hamilton to improve to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the KCI Conference.
Head Coach Taylor Gallagher praised the team saying “Really proud of the kids for their effort and resilience.  The kids stayed the course, and continued to fight even during the moments when the momentum got away from us.  Happy for the boys and our program.”
Statistically the Hornets out gained the Blue Jays with 301 net yards to 197 yards.  They had 13 first downs to West Platte’s 10.  
The Blue Jays kept the Hornets in check on three of their drives, once when Jhett Chandler intercepted a pass and after a 16 yard return, a second time when James Schulte recovered a Hornet fumble, and finally on great defense late in the fourth quarter.  
The Blue Jays broke a 7-7 tie with a touchdown with 4:39 remaining for a 13-7 lead.  The Hornets started their final drive from their 23 yard line.  The drive stalled at the 15 yard line.  
With a 3rd down and two yards to go the Hornets only gained one yard.  The Blue Jays’ defense stopped the Hornets short of a first down and took over with 1:48 remaining in the game and ran out the clock for the win.
West Platte took an early lead in the game with a 14 yard scoring pass from Jhett Chandler to Joe Blake.  Alex Allison kicked the extra point and the Blue Jays led 7-0.  The Hornets tied the game with a 12 yard scoring pass in the 3rd quarter.
The game’s momentum seemed to shift in favor of the Hornets as they started the fourth quarter with a 3rd down play on the West Platte 8 yard line.  On the first play of the quarter the Hornets fumbled  and Jame Schulte recovered at the 15 yard line.
Quarterback Jhett Chandler and running back combined for an 85 yard march down field with Chandler scoring on a one-yard run with 4:39 left in the game.
Canton Wilkins was the leading tackler on defense with 12.  Jaxon David was credited with 10 tackles, Jhett Chandler had 8 tackles and one interception.  James Schulte had 4 tackles and a forced fumble and recovery.
Jhett Chandler rushed for 95 net yards on 16 carries and one touchdown.  Brady McMillan rushed for 50 net yards on 16 carries.
Chandler completed four passes on 7 attempts for 41 yards and one touchdown.  Mark Sanders had one completion on 3 attempts for 11 yards.  Joe Blake had 3 receptions for 32 yards and one touchdown.  Canton Wilkins had 2 receptions for 20 yards.