By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

Friday night will be the culmination of a summer full of work.


It’s when all the blood, sweat, and pain of two-a-days will come to fruition.


Friday night means football season is here.


The ‘Cats, recently ranked No. 9 in the state in Class 3, have been hard at work all summer preparing for their season opener against Ste. Genevive, who cracked the top 15 in the same poll.


Head coach Aaron Pixley noted the returning talent on Ste. Gen.’s roster.

“They didn’t lose anything. They got basically every player back except for two or three position players,” Pixley said. “We expect them to be one of the best teams on our schedule, maybe the best team we’ll play. They’re going to be very good, and we’re going to have to play very well. We expect a good football team to show up Friday night.”


After a solid showing in their preseason jamboree, coupled with the momentum of being state-ranked, the ‘Cats are poised to do great things this season.

“As long as we stay together and keep playing hard and working on the little things, we’ll have a chance,” Pixley said.

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Senior Jake Lee fights off a block during team defensive drills. Lee will be starting at one of the defensive end slots, as well as tight end, for the 'Cats this season.

From Scott Holste, Press Secretary - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon

Face-off between Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams will include fan donations to Joplin Recovery and Relief funds, recognition of first responders and volunteers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Gov. Jay Nixon today joined Kansas City Chiefs President Mark Donovan and St. Louis Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff to preview this Friday’s Governor Cup match-up at Arrowhead Stadium, which will include a number of activities to benefit and recognize Joplin recovery and rebuilding efforts.

The August 26th game will be the 42nd annual Governor’s Cup game, a series that has included exhibition and regular season games between the Chiefs and the St. Louis Rams (1996-present) and, prior to the Rams, the St. Louis Cardinals (1968-1987). 

The Governor made the announcement with Donovan and Demoff today at the Chiefs practice facility at Arrowhead Stadium.

“Missouri is fortunate to be one of a handful of states with more than one NFL franchise, and it is always exciting to see the Chiefs and Rams square off in the Governor’s Cup game,” Gov. Nixon said. “At the same time, it’s also great to have these two hometown organizations that truly care about the people of Missouri.

“This year’s Governor’s Cup will be dedicated to both assisting the people of Joplin in their continued recovery and rebuilding efforts, and to recognizing the thousands of volunteers and first-responders who have helped in Joplin,” the Governor said. “Friday’s clash at Arrowhead will provide fans with a preview of both teams’ regular seasons, as well as an opportunity to support Joplin.”

Fans attending the Chiefs-Rams game will have the opportunity to support the Joplin Recovery Fund and the Joplin Relief Fund by making donations as they enter Arrowhead Stadium.

Throughout the evening, the Chiefs will recognize first responders and volunteers, including more than 100 AmeriCorps volunteers, with both on-field ceremonies and video productions. Sideline personnel from both teams will also wear specially-designed hats and shirts worn by the teams during its recent visits to Joplin, which will be available at the stadium and online for purchase.

The Governor noted that the first responders who went to Joplin included more than 400 law enforcement and public safety agencies, including members of the Kansas City Fire Department and from several area police departments. More than 60,000 volunteers have turned out to help Joplin in the aftermath of the tornado, including those from the Harvesters Community Food Network and Heart to Heart International, both based in Kansas City.

“From the first hours and days following the tornado, we have been inspired the resiliency of the people of Joplin,” said the Chiefs’ Donovan. “Our employees who traveled to Joplin to volunteer experienced firsthand the power of their collective spirit. We’re hopeful that the Governor’s Cup game will give much-deserved recognition to the volunteers who have helped in the progress so far and bring visibility to the ongoing needs as the city rebuilds. We’re proud to join with Gov. Nixon and the St. Louis Rams in this important effort.”

“This year’s Governor’s Cup presents us with a unique opportunity to keep the spotlight on our fellow Missourians in Joplin, and remind people of the ongoing needs in that community,” said the Rams’ Demoff. “Our organization’s trip to volunteer in Joplin was a sobering reminder of both the devastation that occurred and the spirit of the community as it rebuilds. The Rams look forward to working with Gov. Nixon and the Kansas City Chiefs to leverage the power of sports to bring awareness and support to the people of Joplin.” 

“Beginning with the Cardinals-Royals ‘Teams United for Joplin’ series in June, Missouri’s professional sports organizations have stepped forward to help the people of Joplin, and that help has been tremendously appreciated,” Gov. Nixon said.

Photo above
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon inspects the Governor’s Cup before the 2010 edition of the game.

From Jim Low, Missouri Department of Conservation

Bruce Cunningham was hoping for a “nice” fishing trip.
Thanks to Missouri’s world-class fishing, he got a bonus.

GAINESVILLE–“You’re not going to believe this until you try it.”

According to Bruce Cunningham, that is what his brothers said when trying to persuade him to go fishing with them in June. Brad and Brock Cunningham had discovered the excitement of catching striped bass at Bull Shoals Lake, and they wanted to share it with their older brother.

Bruce decided to play along, and at 1 a.m. June 18 he found himself holding a new state-record striper weighing in at 60 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch nudged aside the previous pole-and-line record, a 58-pounder caught by John West, of Republic, in July 2010.

Cunningham, 30, of Fordland, was fishing from a boat in the upper reaches of Bull Shoals when the record fish grabbed the large plastic minnow he was casting. He was fishing in about 40 feet of water.

The fish was 47 inches long and had a girth of slightly more than 36 inches.

The two younger Cunningham brothers were rewarded for sharing their discovery. They boated several other stripers that topped 40 pounds the night Bruce caught his.

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) are native to the Atlantic Ocean but make spawning runs up rivers along the East Coast. These ocean-run striped bass can grow to 6 feet long and 125 pounds. Although not native to Missouri, “stripers” have adapted well to fresh-water reservoirs and streams. However, they do not grow as large in fresh water.

Bull Shoals is Missouri’s striped-bass mecca right now, thanks to a one-time stocking by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 1998. That year, a mix-up resulted in the stocking of 19,000 striped bass. Ken Shirley, district fisheries supervisor for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said the fish were intended for Norfork Lake.

“We were expecting a shipment of walleye for Bull Shoals,” said Shirley. “A summer helper called to tell us that a shipment of fish had arrived at the hatchery and asked where they were supposed to go. We thought it was the walleyes, so we told him to take them to Bull Shoals. It turned out they were striped bass.”

Shirley said the surviving fish from that mistaken stocking now weigh between 30 and 60 pounds and are near the end of their lives. He expects the boom in trophy striper fishing at Bull Shoals to taper off over the next four or five years as fish from the accidental stocking slowly disappear.

More information about Missouri fishing records is available at mdc.mo.gov/fishing/reports/records.

Special To SMT
By Richard Forshee
Richland Rebel Yeller Staff

ESSEX - Led by new coaches, the Richland High School volleyball team prepares to meet the 2011-12 season by putting in lots of hard work.

With new coaches - Lisa Taylor and Stephanie DePew - the Richland volleyball players started practice as soon as school began. The team is ready to spike down their competition every chance they get! The new Varsity and Junior Varsity teams are already serving up a good combination for some great volleyball.

Take a new season, add in new coaches, mix in some new players and we have an awesome recipe for Rebel Volleyball. But that’s not all you needed or expected.

“I expect for our girls to work hard to become the best they can be,” said Taylor. “I expect that all of their hard work will pay off on the court.”

DePew agrees. “I expect the girls to continue to work hard, and to improve throughout the season,” DePew said.

Although official practices have just begun, the girls on the team aren’t out of shape. In fact, they were getting in shape all summer.

“We had a team camp this summer and the girls worked on the fundamentals of the game,”said Taylor. “Also, practices have been very intense and the girls have responded well to the challenge.”

Taylor and DePew are dedicated to working hard side-by-side to make the best season they can with the young Lady Rebels. Not just on the game, but also the teamwork.

“We are working on fundamentals, communication, and working as a team,” said DePew.

The girls have definitely been working hard, but this team is not all work and no play.

“I expect for a couple more wins than last year because we are all returning players,” said senior Shelby Lampkin. “I also think we will have loads of fun!”

The Richland Volleyball team is hosting a Gatorade Scrimmage game, scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 25.

The team’s first conference game is against Dexter at home, at 6 p.m., Aug. 29.

“Come out and see us!” both Coach Taylor and Coach DePew said to all fans!

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

Everyone at the ShowMe Times is proud to announce the launch of the 2011 Pigskin Pick’Em Challenge.

In the PPC, the object is simple: we give you 22 games a week for 10 weeks, spread across local high school teams, the NFL, and the NCAA, and you pick who wins. No scores, no ‘upset predictions’, just winners and losers. Every game that you pick correctly will get you a point - 22 possible points a week, and 220 possible points in the whole contest.

Your picks will be 'unlocked' at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings, and will be open until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, at which point they will be locked in.


All you have to do to enter is provide your full name and a working email address - used to notify you of any prizes you win - and then make your picks on a weekly basis.


Wait, PRIZES?!?


Yes, you read that correctly: we’re giving out prizes every week. Once the scores are tallied each week, the top three finishers will win a prize.

Don’t fret if you aren’t a football guru - we’re also giving out two prizes from a random drawing each week. Prizes have been donated by Locust Street Flowers, Montgomery Bank, Dexter Queen, Hideaway Pizza & Package, Faye’s Doughnuts, and other great local businesses.


At the end of the 10 week period, the top point scorer will win the grand prize: a 46” Flatscreen TV and a ‘Bearcat Fan Pack’ with all the essential fan gear you’ll need - t-shirts, blankets, stadium chairs, etc - to tough out cold Friday nights in the stands during Bearcat football games.

The full rules and regulations for the contest can be found here.

To go directly to the game page, click here, or you can navigate to the page by mousing over the sports button and clicking the link on the drop-down menu, or you can, from the home page, click the link on the left of the three buttons beneath the search bar.

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Make sure to check back with the ShowMe Times for updates on this exciting contest - the 2011 Pigskin Pick'Em Challenge can only be found on the ShowMe Times!