Sports

By Jason Hoekema The Lady Bears put on quite the show of athleticism and drive Tuesday during their home contest against New Covenant Academy, hitting a milestone goal set by coach Emily Petty.  “The success over the weekend and today is that we are playing Lady Bear volleyball,” said Petty. “We’re playing to our speed,…

By Jason Hoekema NORWOOD – They say that defense wins championships. If that is the case, the Ava Lady Bears are heading in the right direction with a 2-1 win over Norwood; despite small setbacks from a continued slew of mental mistakes.  The top of the first didn’t yield any runs, but a solid liner…

Isaac Dalton poses for a photograph after placing 13th in the boys junior high division at Steve Waggoner Invitational in Willow Springs, Missouri with a final time of 10:35. The Ava High School Cross Country team competed on September 12th at the Steve Waggoner Invitational in Willow Springs, MO.  41 Schools were set to compete,…

By Jason Hoekema The Lady Bears put on quite the show of athleticism and drive Tuesday during their home contest against New Covenant Academy, hitting a milestone goal set by coach Emily Petty.  “The success over the weekend and today is that we are playing Lady Bear volleyball,” said Petty. “We’re playing to our speed,…

By Jason Hoekema The Lady Bears were in a bit of a slump last week, dropping games to Dora (7-6), Salem (16-1), and a 5-4 loss to Hillcrest this past Thursday, September 12th. With Julia Henry currently out of the lineup pending a medical clearance, the defense had to rally around JV pitcher Sara Mendel…

By Jason Hoekema MOUNTAIN GROVE – The Ava Bears hit Highway 60 to take-on a bitter SCA rival and hand them their fourth loss in the last three years. It hasn’t always been pretty for the Bears, but their record against the Panthers continues to improve to 5-8 since 2010.  The first quarter was pretty…

By Jason Hoekema   “As cliché as it is, they have heart. They don’t have any give up.” -Dan Swofford In their second game of the season, the Ava Bears football team may have given their fans a reason to watch their blood pressure. For the second week in a row, the Bears have put on a heart-stopping show of athleticism on the gridiron.  The Hallsville Indians won…

By Jason Hoekema The Ava Lady Bears topped the Lady Eagles, 2-0, in Monday’s matchup by scoring, 25-15, 25-20.  Ava lashed out against Fordland with a four-point run on their first service with a tip over the net by senior Claire Fossett. A kill from Haley Herrera won back the ball for Ava after the…

By Jason Hoekema Sarah Dobbs was busy making assists Tuesday evening as she worked the court to set up attacks for teammates like Olivia Heriford, Lauren Hall and Haley Herrera. Dobbs was in on digs, saves, and also worked her role as a setter.  The Lady Bears knew that Hollister was a tall task to…

By Jason Hoekema “Whoever makes the fewest mistakes will win that ballgame.”  Those were the last words in an interview with softball coach Rex Sawyer on Tuesday, September 3 when the Lady Bears topped Gainesville 13-3. He was right.  The Lady Bear defense had a few “little things” go wrong for them while facing the…