The Nevada Griffons had an eventful weekend at Lyons Stadium, thrashing the Jefferson City Renegades 15-0 on Saturday, while also dropping a pair of games to the St. Joseph Mustangs. The weekend contests concluded the Griffons regular-season, with Nevada moving to 21-24 overall and 21-21 in MINK League play. ...

A record breaking total of 108 cars showed up to compete Saturday night at Nevada Speedway, with the festivities dedicated to the memory of former fellow racers Monty Grice and Mike Clark. A-Mods Jon Sheets nailed down pole position, en route to a wire-to-wire feature victory, netting the Nevada native a cool $3,000 payday, the biggest speedway payout of the season. (Note: A-mod race was in honor of Grice)...

From Honolulu to Arizona, from Nevada, Missouri to Florida and back, Griffons star outfielder Kainalu Pitoy has crisscrossed the map in search of baseball glory. The 21-year-old Hawaiian native was one of only two returning players from last year’s Griffons team, and the only one to complete both seasons. Pitoy, who blasted a pair of home runs in the Griffons 15-6 victory Tuesday night over the Joplin Outlaws, said he had a few primary reasons for returning to Nevada this summer...

With 90 percent of its schedule completed, the Nevada Griffons had yet to experience extra innings this season. That all changed Thursday night at Meador Park in Springfield, as the Griffons derailed the first-place Generals 6-3 in 11 innings. After Tuesday night’s monster performance in Joplin, Griffons center fielder Kainalu Pitoy stayed scalding hot at the dish, finishing 3-for-4 with four RBIs, which included a two-RBI single in the 11th...

The 90 degree July heat might make some people think the fishing wouldn’t be good, but anglers like Bill Sparks, of Billings, know otherwise. Sparks proved the point on a recent 94 degree day by catching lots of crappie ­— a 20-inch walleye, a three pound channel cat as well as having several fish break his six pound test line before he could reel them in...

Quitno garners Jack Swearingen golf scholarship

The Nevada Griffons got back on the winning track with a convincing 15-6 road victory over the Joplin Outlaws on Tuesday, snapping a three game losing skid. The Griffons (19-19 MINK, 19-22 overall) pounded out 23 hits as the switch-hitting Kainalu Pitoy smacked a pair of home runs. Rafael Villela’s second inning RBI-single, followed by a Nick Kreutzer two-out single, scoring Marco Young and Villela, handed Nevada a 3-0 advantage...

Hunter Mason is a prototype All-American kid. The soon-to-be Nevada High School senior is a 4.0 student in the classroom and a multi-sport standout. Mason’s hard work has culminated with a verbal commitment to play football for the Division I Western Illinois Leathernecks of the Missouri Valley Conference. Mason, who was on the WIU campus in Macomb, Illinois over the weekend, met with head coach Charlie Fisher...

The Nevada Griffons are a virtual lock to make the MINK League playoffs. With less than a week remaining in the season, however, they’re failing to finish out strong. The latest setback came Monday in Joplin, as Nevada blew a 4-0 lead en route to an 11-10 loss to the last-place Outlaws. The loss drops the Griffons to 18-19 in MINK League-play (18-22 overall). Meanwhile, the Outlaws, who have the worst record in all of the MINK League, improve to 11-25 in league-play and 12-26 overall...

Despite the temperature hovering in the low 90’s Sunday evening, the Nevada Griffons offense was chilled by St. Joseph Mustangs pitching in a 6-1 defeat at Lyons Stadium. The Griffons failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity to make up ground on the Ozark Generals, who reside in first-place in the MINK South division. ...

After more than a year away, Jenny Allard is returning to her true passion — teaching and coaching. Allard, who taught science and coached girls varsity and junior varsity basketball at Nevada High School from 2004 to 2015, is returning to the classroom and sidelines for the upcoming school year with Northeast Vernon County...

A lot of area catfish anglers are happy to see the Fourth of July come and go. No matter how they fish, jugging, trot line, stream or lake, day or night, cat fishermen are ready to get serious about their sport. Jack Baker is one of those anglers that does it all. He recalls that his first fish was a bullhead from a small stream near his home...

Two of the Cassville Arrows eight wins this season have come against the Nevada Griffons. After dropping an early-season home contest to Cassville, the teams squared off for a second time, with Thursday’s 9-8 defeat taking place in Cassville. The non-conference loss drops Nevada to 18-20 overall...

The Nevada Griffons bounced back from Tuesday’s 20-run loss to the Sedalia Bombers, defeating the Joplin Outlaws 9-4 Wednesday night at Lyons Stadium. The victory moves the Griffons to within 3.5 games of the first-place Ozark Generals in the MINK League South division, as Nevada improves to 18-19 overall (18-17 MINK-league play)...

Veteran basketball coach Jenny Allard has been named as the Northeast Vernon County boys and girls head basketball coach, as well as the school’s physical education teacher. Allard confirmed she was hired by NEVC when reached by phone Thursday evening...

Note: The following is a press release distributed by Cottey College NEVADA, Mo., — The Cottey College Athletic Department is pleased to announce several changes over the summer with the addition of two new coaches and the expansion of duties to include a Sports Information Director. ...

The Nevada Griffons were demolished 21-1 by the Sedalia Bombers Tuesday night. After its recent five game win streak in which the Griffons climbed over .500 in MINK-League play, Nevada has come crashing back down to earth, losing three of its last four contests...

Bill Phelps rise to Missouri’s lieutenant governor has small-town roots, with the former multi-sport athlete having graduated from Nevada High School in 1952. Phelps was elected Missouri’s 40th lieutenant governor in 1972, and re-elected in 1976. Prior to serving in that capacity Phelps, a Republican, cut his teeth in the Missouri House of Representatives in 1960. Representing Kansas City’s Plaza district, Phelps was subsequently re-elected to five terms...

After capping its six-game road swing with a 4-2 victory over the first-place St. Joseph Mustangs Saturday night, the Nevada Griffons returned to Lyons Stadium on Sunday as their five game win streak was snapped by the Clarinda A’s. The loss moves Nevada to 16-15 in MINK League-play. Griffons head coach Ryan Mansfield said he was pleased that his club ripped off a 5-1 record on the recently completed road trip...

Local racer Scott Johnson found himself in a familiar place Saturday night — Nevada Speedway’s victory lane. Johnson continued to exert his dominance in the Street Stock division, riding pole position to his third victory in as many weeks. Making it that much more impressive, Johnson led the feature from wire-to-wire...

Selections for the Golden Valley Vernon County Conference 2017 ALL-GVVC baseball team were recently released, with a half-dozen local players making the squad. Vernon County players making the team, were: Bronaugh senior Kolton Earnest; Northeast Vernon County’s Jackson Coleman and Jaxson Prough; and the Sheldon trio of Kaleb Martin, Jason Leavell and Zavery Lamb...

Racing is a way of life for the Campbell family. It started in 1970 when local rookie driver Keith Campbell hit the Nevada Speedway dirt oval for the first time. Campbell, who fully retired from the sport in 1993, passed the baton to his son, Dustin, whose racing career took off in the early 90s. Dustin, still a track regular, has been joined at Nevada Speedway by his sons, 18-year-old Cayden and 17-year-old Morgan...

A favorite Fourth of July weekend activity for many people, including the Harold Simms family is floating an Ozark stream. The weekend of June 24-25 was their fifth float and fishing trip this year. “We have two canoes so we load up with supplies and some fishing gear for the day,” said Harold Simms. “Although fishing wasn’t our main reason for floating, we managed to pull 11 nice crappie out of several deep holes that added to the enjoyment of the trip.”...