DGB at the podium, not long after choosing Mizzou on Wednesday.

After months of hearing Dorial Green-Beckham was undecided on where he was going play college football, he chose Missouri in a somewhat surprising decision. But, then again, the control of information was airtight that it had people guessing right up until he made his decision just after 9 a.m. on National Signing Day.

Everyone reporter in the free world acted like they had sources “close to” DGB. Here is a collection of those people and what they had to say after the decision.

• DGB’s father and Hillcrest football coach John Beckham: “We expected to have a sit-down discussion about it as a family, but he told us on Monday.”
• Hillcrest Athletic Director Darrell Johnson: “I found out right along with everyone else.”
• Springfield Public Schools Athletic Director Mark Fisher: “About 45 minutes (before the announcement).”
• Hillcrest offensive coordinator Andy McFarland: “I didn’t really know. I think he kind of tried to tell me yesterday, but he didn’t come right out and say it. I wore my Mizzou T-shirt (underneath my dress shirt) just in case.”
• Former Hillcrest and current Missouri State running back Mikael Cooper-Falls, who went with DGB on multiple recruiting trips: “Sunday. Me, (DGB and mother, Tracy) were in the car while everyone else was talking to the coaches. He said, ‘I’m ready to do this. Let’s get it going.”
• Hillcrest basketball coach John Schaefer: “Sunday.”

More Coverage:

The Decision with video
When did he actually choose?
Hoops possible, track probable
Photo Gallery

Will DGB play basketball or run track at Mizzou? He said maybe, "It's up to me."

While fielding questions during his National Signing Day press conference when he chose to play football at the University of Missouri, Hillcrest High School senior and nation’s No. 1 football recruit Dorial Green-Beckham surprisingly left the door open to do both basketball and track.

“It’s a possibility. I haven’t really thought about it, but I’ve got the opportunity to do it,” DGB said Wednesday.

The media seemed stunned. It led to further questions to his recruitment and whether or not schools – including the schools he didn’t choose, like Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Alabama — gave him the option to play multiple sports. He was asked if he and Missouri basketball coach Frank Haith spoke about the subject during his visit to Columbia last weekend.

“He (said he’d) be open to it,” DGB said. “It’s whatever I’d like to do. It would be up to me to decide.”

Of course, DGB and Hillcrest won a state basketball championship in 2010 and he’s been a multiple-time All-State forward. He was on the Tournament of Champions All-Tournament team, a few weeks ago, too, and delivered one of the best highlights from the weekend — a fastbreak dunk where he took only one dribble and three steps from halfcourt before delivering a one-handed dunk.

When it comes to track and field, DGB won the 100-meter dash (11.0 second) and triple jump (47 feet, 2 1/2 inches) and was second in the long jump (23-2 1/4).

“Probably track. Yeah.”

Stay tuned.

More Coverage:

The Decision with video
When did he actually choose?
Hoops possible, track probable
Photo Gallery

Charlie Spoonhour

We at TAGsgf.com are very sad to hear of the passing of Charlie Spoonhour, the former great Missouri State men’s basketball coach from 1983-92.

Here are the details from a Missouri State press release:

Missouri State men’s basketball coaching legend Charlie Spoonhour passed away this morning at his family’s home in North Carolina, at age 72.

“The entire Missouri State University family is deeply saddened by the passing of Coach Spoonhour,” said MSU Director of Athletics Kyle Moats. “His legacy is one of class, distinction and achievement, and he will be dearly missed by the many lives he touched in his many endeavors.”

Spoonhour received a lung transplant from Duke University Medical Center in 2010 after being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. His health had fluctuated since then with with a number of trips in and out of the hospital.

He coached the Bears from 1983-92 and compiled a 197-81 record while leading MSU to five NCAA Tournament appearances. He went on to coaching stops at Saint Louis University (1992-99) and UNLV (2001-04). He was 373-202 in 19 years overall as a Division I head coach.

Coach Spoonhour is survived by his wife, Vicki, and two sons, Jay and Stephen.

According to close family friend Bob Ramsey, Jay Spoonhour said his father died peacefully this morning surrounded by his family and was able to spend his final moments with them at the family’s condo near Raleigh-Durham, N.C. He had returned home from the hospital just a couple of days before.

Arrangements are pending. A moment of silence will be part of a pregame tribute to Spoonhour at tonight’s Missouri State men’s basketball game against Wichita State.

DGB chooses Mizzou on National Signing Day

Dorial Green-Beckham is going to play college football at Missouri, he announced this morning at a press conference at Hillcrest High School.

“I will be continuing my education this fall at……the University of Missouri,” he announced as he put on a flat-bill Mizzou hat and threw his hands in the air.

DGB, the Nation’s No. 1 wide receiver chose the Tigers over Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama (all of which came in second-place,” he said.). Why? Proximity and family.

“Just to be home, just to stay close to my friends and family, to have everyone come out here to support me (during) my high school career, (they can now) support me at the next level; in college football.”

Over the course of his high school career, he was earned numerous national high school athlete of the year awards, set the national record for receiving yards and rewrote the state record book. In four years, he had 297 catches for 6,367 yards and 73 TDs. DGB was the top uncommitted recruit in the country and many felt he might be leaning toward Arkansas. But much was made of a final trip to Columbia last weekend.

When asked when he made his decision, he said just recently.

“I slept on it Monday and felt good about it the next day, so I told them where I wanted to attend,” DGB said.

During the press conference, he said he didn’t alert any of the coaches, including Mizzou.

“I guess they know about it now,” he joked.

Other highlights from the press conference:

- He didn’t rule out the possibility of playing other sports in college, including track and field.

- An official M-I-Z-D-G-B chant

We will have more coverage throughout the day here at TAGsgf.com, including more video and photos.

More Coverage:

The Decision with video
When did he actually choose?
Hoops possible, track probable
Photo Gallery

COVERAGE

The Decision with video
When did he actually choose?
Hoops possible, track probable
Photo Gallery

DGB will decide today.

We will be broadcasting his decision live here on TAG TV starting at 9 a.m. Be sure to catch it, as well as the rest of our coverage here on TAGsgf.com throughout the day.

Despite a report from the Tulsa World earlier this week suggesting the nation’s No. 1 recruit will choose Mizzou, it’s believed Arkansas is in the running as well. A report last night said he had notified Texas they had been eliminated.

He is expected to make his decision between 9:15 and 9:30 a.m.

BJ Flores

B.J. Flores earned a 6th round TKO of 40-year-old Hugo Pineda on Saturday Night at the Shrine Mosque, giving him three straight cruiserweight wins in eight months. Legendary promoter Don King was in attendance.

We captured video of the entire 6th round, including when the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. There has been no announcement on what Flores’ next move is, but he should be inching closer to a world title shot.

SGF's Trey Starks

H/T Guy Newcomb/TheScoreboardGuy.com

And, we can’t post without this one:

According to a report by CBSSports.com’s Dennis Dodd, who appears to already be posted up in SGF, Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino has cancelled his trip to visit Hillcrest High School to visit super-recruit Dorial Green-Beckham.

Why? Dodd quotes Hillcrest coach John Beckham saying “A situation occurred” when both Petrino and DGB were in San Antonio — Petrino for the American Football Coaches Association convention, DGB for the Army-All American Game. The situation was apparently when Petrino and DGB “bumped into each other.” Arkansas issued a statement Wednesday saying no NCAA violation occurred.

“No violation has occurred and we are taking proactive steps we feel necessary to avoid any risk of one.”

This NCAA bylaw may apply:

In football, one contact per prospective student-athlete is permitted during each week of the contact period as specified in Bylaw 13.17.4 either at the prospective student-athlete’s educational institution or any other location (e.g., prospective student-athlete’s home). A visit to the prospective student-athlete’s educational institution and any other location (e.g., prospective student-athlete’s home) during the same calendar day shall be considered one contact.

The Army all-star game was Jan. 6. The AFCA convention was Jan. 8-11. There were NCAA recruiting “quiet” and “dead” periods during some of those dates. During those times no in-person contact is allowed with recruits by coaches. Beckham added that Arkansas will send other coaches on Thursday.

Of course, you know by reading our DGB Social Planner, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and assistant Jay Norvell visited the Beckhams on Monday. Texas coach Mack Brown was scheduled to be in town Wednesday. Green-Beckham made an Arkansas visit last week and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel flew in by helicopter to speak to the prospect last week. DGB’s finalists are Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri.

To SGF natives, this probably sounds an awful lot like a prior recruiting snafu involving the country’s No. 1 athlete, but in a completely different sport. In 2009, Kansas basketball coach Bill Self caught some heat for having contact with then-High School star John Wall.

Dorial Green-Beckham will bring his recruitment to an end on national television at 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Springfield Public Schools Athletic Director Mark Fisher confirmed this morning. DGB will make his announcement on ESPNU as what is planned as a day of college commitments and signings.

As chronicled here on this site, DGB is the No. 1 recruit in the country and has narrowed his list down to Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas and Alabama.

According to Fisher, the event will start at 9 and then a ESPNU representative will ask him some questions before he makes his choice. That will be followed up by more ESPNU questions.

Enjoy a recent video interview we conducted with DGB (and we’ve thrown in his most recent highlight, the No. 1 highlight from his performance in the Tournament of Champions)

Glendale HS coach Howard Bell has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Photo credit: GlendaleBaseball.com

First reported by KSPR.com, Glendale High School baseball coach Howard Bell was diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) last December. Two fundraisers have been set up to help Bell:

• Monday February 6th - Kickapoo at Glendale girls basketball: the night will include a silent auction, wristbands for sale, and passing the bucket.
• Sunday February 12th - Pancake Breakfast at Applebee’s on Primrose: the buffet breakfast will be served from 7-10 am, tickets are $5 at the door or can be purchased from various teams including Missouri State, Evangel, Drury, and several area high school teams

Also, Drury baseball coach and former Glendale coach Mark Stratton said the following on his Facebook page:

Looking for 1985-2011 Spfld. MO Glendale HS Baseball Alumni. Coach Howard Bell has been diagnosed with ALS. We are planning a future (June) alumni game/get-together along with Kickapoo, Hillcrest, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Parkview, and many others at Meador Park to help offset the financial stress for Coach Bell & his family. Help me spread the word to Falcon Nation and beyond…one of our own needs our help… Facebook me, or www.drurypanthers.com to reach me.

Before becoming the Glendale coach in 2005, Bell was a star at Parkview who was conference Player of the Year while at SMS. He was drafted by the New York Mets, but never got his career off the ground after a car accident. He has a 66-44 career record.

For more information on how to help, contact email Marsha Bauer at bauerx4@yahoo.com.

In 8 days, Hillcrest High School senior wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham will finally pacify the college football world and declare which program he will join. As we know, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound top-ranked recruit has done a masterful job of keeping his intentions private — both to local and national media.

But, we are in the home stretch of his recruitment, and according to various reports, it seems the north side of SGF will be a busy place to be as millionaire coaches of multimillion-dollar programs will invade the school. Here is what we’ve been able to piece together on what we will call DGB’s social planner:

• Yesterday (Monday): DGB hosted Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Co. in the Beckham home.
• Wednesday: Mack Brown will be in SGF to visit DGB, along with other members of his staff.
• This weekend: DGB will make an official visit to Mizzou, highlighted by the Texas Tech basketball game on Saturdat.
• Unknown, but sometime this week: Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino is schedule to meet in the Beckham home, as well.

All of that is on top of last week’s shenanigans events, which included:

• Last Wednesday: Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel brings a helicopter to visit DGB at Hillcrest High School. Oh, and Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino made the drive to say hi, too.
• Last weekend: DGB makes official visit to Arkansas, along with 17 other recruits. And, this photo was captured with DGB rocking an Arkansas jersey. Are we to read into this?

Of course, we don’t really know what could happen outside of this. With the absence of Alabama in these scenarios, is it true that this report was correct after all? No matter what happens, TAGsgf.com will bring you the latest in DGB news.

Rogersville RB Dylan Cole

Rogersville senior Dylan Cole will play college football at Missouri State. Rogersville offensive coordinator Tyler Overstreet didn’t deliver shocking news via Twitter on Wednesday as this had been circulating the rumor mill since early in the 2011 grid-iron slate. Cole made the most noise in the media as a bruising running back, rushing for more than 2,000 yards and reaching paydirt 43 times. However, Cole is expected to play on the defensive side of the ball for the Bears. He recorded 92 tackles last year.

Yes, that's DGB in the helicopter. HTV's video proves it's one that Mizzou football coach Gary Pinkel used to show up at Hillcrest. Photo credit: @MorgzWilson

While the rest of the media scurries for any semblance of news about Dorial Green-Beckham and his impending football recruitment, the student journalists at Hillcrest High School have them us all beat.

According to HTV, Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel flew in to SGF today via helicopter. How do we know? They have the video to prove it, right here, which happened at approximately 2:50 p.m.

No, really, click here. Nice two-step handshake, eh?

Of course, Mizzou and Oklahoma assistant football coaches showed up at the Tournament of Champions this past weekend, too, to let DGB know they were thinking about him – and decided to sit next to his family.

DGB spoke with TAGsgf.com recently, too, and confirmed he’ll be making his decision on Feb. 1 in a video interview.

Missouri State’s men’s basketball team has suffered back-to-back gutwrenching losses. First it was TravelGate at Northern Iowa (see for yourself) and then a blown 11-point lead late in the second half to Evansville.

There’s no time to hang heads and feel sorry about it now, because nationally ranked Creighton is coming to town tonight — and TAGsgf.com’s Live Blog crew will be on hand to provide game updates, photos and video highlights from the game. (It’s especially important because there’s no live TV option, and if you’re sitting in the stands, you don’t want to seem like you’re talking to yourself…)

Yes, on Dec. 28, MSU did beat Creighton 77-65 in Omaha. Now, we can see what that looks like in person, perhaps.

While everyone knows him as the country’s No. 1 football prospect in the country — including his Bass Pro Tournament of Champions peers on the court — Hillcrest High School senior Dorial Green-Beckham put on quite a show in the Hornets’ fifth-place finish.

But, in a video interview with TAGsgf.com, DGB talked to us about many things, but the most significant was how he said he was going to make everyone wait until Feb. 1 — National Signing Day — to make his college decision. A press conference has been scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Many in the media are scrambling to figure out what he is going to do. Recently KSPR’s Mike Scott had a report saying DGB had eliminated Alabama from his list after the national championship. A day later, the News-Leader’s Matt Schoch reported that he hasn’t informed the Tide of it.

That’s why we’re bringing you the video interview, that along with college football recruiting talk includes:

• His experience at the Army All-American Bowl, including his SportsCenter Top 10 catch (It was No. 4)
• How Oklahoma and Mizzou assistant football coaches showing up at the T of C doesn’t really matter.
• And more.

Day 1 of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions was a success, as usual. If you want to rehash our Live Blog, click here, and for the Day 1 video recap, click here.

But, while you’re here, get ready for the Day 2 Live Blog featuring words and analysis from Allen Vaughan, and videos and still photography from TAG’s Brett Johnston and BakedFreshDaily.com’s Kyle Green.

Here is today’s schedule:

Seventh-place game
Glendale vs. St. Rita, 2 p.m

Fifth-place game
Hillcrest vs. Sylvan Hills, 3:30 p.m.

Third-place game
Miller Grove vs. Christ the King, 5 p.m.

Championship game
Lincoln vs. Westbury Christian, 6:30 p.m.

Walk? Multiple walks? No matter, Northern Iowa’s Chip Rank scored with 2.2 seconds left to help the Panthers beat Missouri State 61-60 last night.

For a game recap, click here, but we have the video courtesy FoxSportsMidwest.com

Mizzou offensive coordinator Dave Yost shoots the breeze with DGB's sister, Sarah.

Oklahoma coaches Jay Norville and Josh Heupel surround John Beckham.

As the Dorial Green-Beckham clock ticks down to Feb. 1 on his college football decision, Mizzou and Oklahoma assistant football coaches have made the trip to round two of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.

And the Beckham family have split up to be the most gracious of hosts. DGB’s adoptive mother, Tracy, sister, Sarah, is sitting next to Mizzou offensive coordinator Dave Yost.

Just a few seats to Tracy’s right is John Beckham in the middle of an Oklahoma sandwich — co-offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and wide receivers coach Jay Norville.

Of course, both schools are in DGB’s top 5 choices. The others include recent national champion Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.

Day 1 of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions was a success, as usual. If you want to rehash our Live Blog, click here, and for the Day 1 video recap, click here.

But, while you’re here, get ready for the Day 2 Live Blog featuring words and analysis from Allen Vaughan, and videos and still photography from TAG’s Brett Johnston and BakedFreshDaily.com’s Kyle Green.

Archie Goodwin was just one of the T of C's Day 1 highlights.

We’d tell you everything that happened, but to recap, you can either find our Day 1 Live Blog or enjoy this video produced by TAGsgf.com’s Brett Johnston and BakedFreshDaily.com’s Kyle Green.

TAGsgf.com is your one-stop shop for Tournament of Champions coverage. Get your player interviews, game highlights, photography, score updates, people watching notes, entertainment, and, of course, general hijinks right here. You can set your reminders below.

You can set a reminder below so you don’t miss a moment of the live blog. The tourney (and accordingly, the live blog) kicks off Thursday at 5 p.m. Until then, study up with the Ultimate Tournament of Champions Guide (holy crap!, there’s more than team photos), and take a walk down memory land with the TAGsgf.com TOC Alumni Roll Call.

You can find the bracket and matchups by clicking here.

And, finally, if you’re not sure what a Tournament of Champions Live Blog consists of, check out last year’s installments here, here and here.

Kimbo Slice's fight in SGF has been moved to March because of an elbow injury.

Because of an injury, the Kimbo Slice fight at Drury University’s O’Reilly Family Event Center on Feb. 11 has been moved to March 24, according to fight promoter Wes Slay.

Slay said in his last fight, Slice took a shot on his left elbow and needed arthroscopic surgery to fix it. He has fully healed and will be back to fight an opponent to be named soon.

Since the Feb. 11 date has already been reserved, Slay said they are going to go forward with a mostly-MMA card headlined by local fighter Zak Cummings, who is on the verge of becoming UFC-bound. Cummings (13-3) will face Lamont “KO Kid” Stafford in the main event.

Slay also said that anyone who buys a ticket to the Kimbo Slice fight, or who already has, will get free general admission to the Cummings-Stafford fight. Tickets are available at DruryTickets.com.

The rest of the details on the undercards for both fights are still being worked out, and we will report them as soon as they’re available.

This is the best online photo of Hugo Pineda. We promise.

Despite rumors that surfaced last week that linked him to another fighter, cruiserweight B.J. Flores will fight Hugo Pineda at the Shrine Mosque on Jan. 28, according to Rumble Time Productions matchmaker Derrick Spicer.

Pineda is a native of Barranquilla, Columbia and has won 39 fights in his pro career including 28 knockouts.  Pineda recently moved up to cruiserweight and has fought the likes of Glen Johnson, Felix Trinidad, and Kosta Tszyu.

This isn’t the first time Flores has been linked to Pineda. We even got word that Flores was supposed to fight Pineda back on Oct. 15, rather than Paul Jeannette. But the contract was never signed and Flores beat Jeannette in a unanimous decision.

Spicer said the fight with Pineda will not be for the vacant NABO title, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good opponent. Actually, it might be better. As Spicer pointed out, while Pineda hasn’t been active, he’s a veteran guy who’s fought great fighters.

Flores signed on with promoter Don King in the fall and is hoping this path will elevate him to a World Title fight soon.

For the past 27 years, the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions has thrilled a basketball-hungry area with future basketball stars at the college and the professional level.

When someone says Tournament of Champions, what do you think? I harken back to Alonzo Mourning, Todd Day, Anthony Peeler and even as recent as guys like Erving Walker, DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall.

So, I’ve taken the time to put together the most comprehensive and interactive guide for this year’s T of C. This way, not only can you marvel at their skill, but be up on their background and be able to sound smarter when talking to total strangers in the concession line.

If you missed our post on the schedule, with a pairings, click here.

CTK's Omar Calhoun is back, and he looks like the real deal.

CHRIST THE KING (MIDDLE VILLAGE, NY)

School’s athletic website
Preseason No. 14 rated team by MaxPreps.com
Last year: 22-7, NY City champions
Coach: Joe Arbitello

The Stud

Omar Calhoun, a 6-3 senior guard
Rivals rank: No. 35 overall, No. 6 shooting guard
College commitment: Connecticut
Other schools that offered: Arizona, Florida, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma State, Pitt, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia

Calhoun has been described as a slasher who is becoming a better shooter as he matures. He was here with CTK two years ago and showed flashes of brilliance, but had a very thin frame. Well, he’s filled out and has been described as UConn’s best New York City recruit since Kemba Walker. High praise, indeed.

For a YouTube highlight package, here is some of Calhoun’s handiwork:

Calhoun was here two years ago and we dusted off the old video we captured then:

The other stud

Is Isaiah Lewis ready to commit to Kansas? Reports say he's close.

Isaiah Lewis, a 6-3 junior guard
Rivals rank: No. 53 overall, No. 6 point guard
College commitment: None
Other schools that offered: Kansas, Florida, Georgia Tech, Memphis, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina

This report says Lewis is very close to committing, and leaning toward Kansas.

Lewis, a 6-foot-3 prospect, is ranked No. 40 in CBSSports.com’s Top 100. They describe him like this:

Lewis is a high-level scorer who is very good in the mid-range. He has a good floater and pull-up jumper, and also knows how to get into the lane. Lewis has good athleticism, and has been developing into more of a facilitator than a scorer since moving over to the point. He said he is working on his 3-point shot.

The rest of the team

The Royals have two other players that are probably Division I players, including Jordan Fuchs — a 6-6 junior forward — and Jon Severe — a 6-1 junior guard. Fuchs has offers from Florida, Ohio State, Rutgers and Xavier. He’s been dunking in games since his freshman year. Severe is being recruited by Florida, Providence and Drexel.

Tony Parker is a big dude.

MILLER GROVE (LITHONIA, GA)

What looks to be an up-to-date MaxPreps page
Preseason No. 2 ranked team by ESPN
Last year’s record: 32-1, back-to-back state champs
Coach: Sharman White

Remember Milton (Ga.) HS? Last year, Milton had three big D-I studs (Shannon Scott, Dai-Jon Parker and Julian Royal) and Miller Grove took them down in the state playoffs, thanks in part to Tony Parker and emerged as a national powerhouse. He’s a big dude, but looks like he can move well. I’m sure conditioning is always going to be a problem, but he looks the part. Oh, he’s one of five future D-I players.

The studs

Tony Parker, 6-9 senior center (“270 pounds”)
Rivals rank: No. 33 overall, No. 5 center
College commitment: None
Schools that have offered: Duke, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Memphis, Ohio State, UCLA

ESPN breaks down Parker’s strengths as such:

With his combination of size and skill level, Parker is one of the elite big men in the 2012 class. He is a space eater in the post who can carve out position on the block. When watching him play you quickly see the skill he possesses; once he catches he has an array of post moves he is capable of throwing at you, led by the left shoulder jump hook. He is very adept at facing the basket from 15′ where his soft touch enables him to knock down a jump shot or drive the ball one or two dribbles to the rim. His greatest attribute though is his tremendous hands which are soft and sticky.

Here is a YouTube clip of Parker:

Miller Grove's Brandon Morris

Brandon Morris, a 6-8 senior small forward
College commitment: Georgia
Schools that offered: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia State, Kansas State, Memphis, Missouri, Nevada, NC State, Wichita State

The experts say:

Strengths:
Morris is another of the many Miller Grove kids that can play. He is an active athlete that is relentless on the glass. He has the potential to be a lock down defender with excellent length and lateral quickness.

Weaknesses:
He is going to have to develop his perimeter game to be a more effective wing player, but he has good instincts and a motor to match. Although we need to see him shoot it more from the perimeter to get a true evaluation of his shooting ability he looks like he will fine in this area.

Bottom Line:
For you old schoolers Morris is a Stacey Augmon look alike.

It looks like Morris is clutch, too. Here’s a clip of him hitting a game-winner.

The rest of the team

Aside from Parker and Morris, Rivals.com lists three other seniors in the D-I database. Toney Evans is a 6-5 small forward who has an offer from Georgia State, but is being recruited by other small majors including Appalachian State, UALR, Kennesaw State, Tennessee Tech and William and Mary. Florida State is interested, as well. Point Guard Davante Provost (6-foot, 175) is being recruited by Georgia Southern, Iona and NC Central. Christian Houston is another senior point guard (6-1, 165) that is grabbing D-I attention, even though Rivals doesn’t list a school. Look out for Justin Colvin, a 6-2 senior guard, too.

SYLVAN HILLS (SHERWOOD, ARKANASAS)

Last year’s record: 27-2, state runner-up
Coach: Kevin Davis

It’s rude to say Sylvan Hills is a one-man show, but in T of C terms, it is. That show is run very well by one of the top players in the entire country. Let’s get to it.

The stud

Archie Goodwin hangs from the rim.

Archie Goodwin, a 6-4 senior guard
Rivals rank: No. 12 nationally, No. 2 shooting guard
College commitment: Kentucky
Other schools that offered: Kentucky, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, Memphis

ESPN describes him as the following:

The long athletic small forward has brought back comparisons of the last great player from the state in Joe Johnson because of the smooth way he plays the game. Goodwin is a multi-skilled forward who can put the ball on the floor to attack the rim or spot up for knock-down jump shots out to the 3-point arc. He has tremendous length on his side which he utilizes to rebound and defend. It looks as if all facets of the game come easy to him. Goodwin has a nice handle that gets him where he needs to go, and has improved his perimeter stroke from behind the arc.

Here’s a video:

The rest of the team
In terms of big-time college hoops recruits, the rest of the team doesn’t have them. But, some other names to remember are Larry Ziegler (6-2, G, sr.) and Dion Patton (5-9, G, sr.)

ST. RITA (CHICAGO, ILL.)

What looks to be an up-to-date MaxPreps page
Last year’s record: 12-14
Coach: Gary DeCesare (former St. Raymond coach, has coached in T of C before)

St. Rita looks to be a quality program from Chicago that’s currently missing one of its two Division I players, A.J. Avery, a guard headed to Penn. He’s expected to be back in January, but it’s unclear if he’ll play in the T of C. Still, the Mustangs are ranked in ESPNChicago.com’s Top 20 and feature future Division I guard Tony Hicks.

Tony Hicks drives baseline

The studs

Tony Hicks, a 6-2 senior guard
Rivals rank: None
College commitment: Penn
Other schools that offered: Loyola, Dayton and South Florida

According to reports, few players in the entire 2012 improved their stock more than Tony Hicks. A combo guard, Hicks averaged 13 points as a sophomore and 16 points as a junior. Remember De La Salle HS with now-Illinois forward Mike Shaw? DLS is still a quality program and Hicks just scored 31 to beat them. Without Avery, Hicks has had to put his game in overdrive.

 
AJ Avery is a 6-6 senior forward who has committed to Western Michigan. So far, he’s been hampered by a wrist injury, but when healthy, he’s a force on both ends. Senior point guard Cullen Foulks (5-7, 140) is a key player, but the other excitement comes from a group of underclassmen.  Sophomore forward Victor Law (6-5, 170), sophomore guard Dominique Matthews (6-1, 165) and freshman guard Charles Matthews (6-2) are being recruited by Big East and Big 10 schools.

Sorry fans, I couldn’t find any videos.

L.J Rose is a 6-foot-4 pass-first point guard? Yes, please.

WESTBURY CHRISTIAN (HOUSTON, TEXAS)

Last year’s record: State runner-up (School has won 16 of last 21 state titles)
Coach: Russell Carr

The studs

L.J. Rose, 6-4 senior point guard
Rivals rank: No. 95 overall, No. 20 point guard
College commitment: Baylor
Other schools that offered:

ESPN.com wrote the following about Rose:

Strengths:
Rose is a pass first lead guard that can score when needed. He possesses good size and length to go along with his excellent basketball IQ. Recovered well from a foot injury and is in the process of getting back into game shape after being off the court since July (2010). Rose does a good job of beating defender with his size and IQ rather than speed and quickness. When he gets a defender on his hip while penetration Rose can get deep into the lane where he deliver the ball to an open teammate or score. Rose also uses his size to shoot over smaller point guards when he feels the need to score.

Bottom Line:
Rose is a terrific true point guard that can handle and pass. His court vision is great as well. He can score when needed mostly off the bounce. Rose has the IQ and talent to be a special player to go along with his size and length. Strength and verbal leadership and consistent shooting from behind the arc takes his game to the next level.

Here is some great YouTube footage of Rose:

Rose to Dickerson:

Delvin Dickerson (right) might be an instant fan favorite

Delvin Dickerson, 6-6 senior forward
Rivals.com: None
College commitment: South Alabama
Twitter handle:http://twitter.com/_Durrel2x

The rest of the team

Darin Minniefield (6-1, jr.) is a guard that’s being recruited by Florida State, Kansas, San Francisco and Texas. You might remember his father, Dirk, who played for Kentucky in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Devon Turk (6-3, sr.) is a guard that’s listed by Rivals and ESPN as a recruit, but doesn’t have schools listed. As you can tell by winning 16 of the last 21 state titles, they are a clinic.

LINCOLN (SAN DIEGO, CAL.)

Team’s MaxPreps Page
Last year: 31-2, state semifinalist
Coach: Jason Bryant

Why is it when twins are good at basketball, everyone assumes they are super-tall and post players? With Lincoln, that’s totally wrong. Instead, Lincoln is stacked with twin junior guards Tyrell and Tyree Robinson, both of whom are rated inside the top 150 players in the country and took California by storm last season. (Oh, and Tyree Robinson is a national top 150 football recruit)

The studs

Tyree Robinson is an athletic slasher/scorer who happens to be a dynamic basketball prospect, as well.

Tyree Robinson, 6-4 junior guard
Rivals.com rank: 69th nationally, 5th shooting guard
College commitment: None
Schools that are recruited Robinson: Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, San Diego State, Stanford and Texas

Robinson looks smooth in the video that follows. Not only is he a top-70 shooting guard, but he’s a top 100 recruit nationally in football as an athlete. Either way, here’s what ESPN.com has to say about him:

When discussing the top combo-guards in the country for the class of 2013, Robinson needs to be near the top. He has a chiseled frame with long arms and plays at a relentless pace. Offensively, he can attack off the dribble and utilize his strong frame and explosiveness to finish at the rim or drop off an assist to an open teammate%u2014had a number of high-level alley-oop passes during the regular season and AAU season. He can knock down the 3-point shot and he gets great lift on his shot. His release is smooth on his shot and he gets great arc on it as well.

Tyrell Robinson, 6-4 junior guard
Rivals.com rank: 111th nationally
College commitment: None
Schools that are recruited Robinson: Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, San Diego State, Stanford and Texas

Copy much of what you see from his twin brother, and jot it down here. It’s unfair to say he’s the lesser talented one, because there are plenty of games that he outscores Tyree. He’s also a big-time football recruit and is a wide receiver. Expect plenty of SGFers to get these two mixed up.

The studs

The third big piece of Lincoln’s squad is 6-6 junior center Jeremiah Turner. He’s an undersized shotblocker at the D-I level and is going to Cal-Irvine. Here are some highlights of Turner doing his thing:

The local teams

As for the local teams, Glendale and Hillcrest, we’ll talk more about them as the tournament approaches. But, there’s no need to worry about them right now. You’ve got some studying to do. Go ahead, share this link with your family and friends and feel free to print this out.

It’s a great time of year.

Want to get in touch with Allen Vaughan? E-mail him at Allen@TagSGF.com. You can follow him on Twitter here or on Facebook here.

DGB makes the sick catch that earned him co-MVP of the Army All-American Bowl and a new Bowl record.

When he took the national stage, Hillcrest senior and Rivals.com No. 1 football prospect Dorial Green-Beckham didn’t disappoint. OK, so he did better than that — he set an Army All-American Bowl record Saturday on his way to Co-MVP honors in San Antonio.

The guy with more receiving yards than any other receiver in high school football history has two catches for 88 yards, including an 80-yard TD catch that was the No. 4 play on SportsCenter early Sunday morning.

DGB’s 80-yard TD catch besting former Florida QB Chris Leak’s 78-yard TD to Andre Caldwell in 2003.

DGB hasn’t chosen a school yet, but CBSSports writer Bryan Fischer tweeted Saturday:

#1 overall recruit Dorial Green-Beckham said he would probably narrow his list down to three when he got back home.

Here is video of the remarkable catch (Yes, it was 3rd and 38):

Bass Pro T of C matchups, courtesy BassProTofC.com

The pairings for the 2012 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions were released this morning, and provide the platform for what is the Ozarks top yearly basketball event on Jan. 12-14.

For more information, check back for our Ultimate Tournament of Champions Guide which is the premier piece of T of C research, as well as the rest of our T of C coverage.

Here are the matchups for the tournament at JQH Arena.

First-round
St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.) and Miller Grove (Ga.), 5 p.m.
Hillcrest vs. Lincoln (San Diego, Cal.), 6:30 p.m.
Sylvan Hills (Ark.) vs. Christ the King, 8 p.m.
Glendale vs. Westbury Christian (Houston, Texas), 9:30 p.m.

Day 2 times are 5, 6:30, 8 and 9:30 p.m.

Day 3 times
Seventh-place game, 2 p.m.
Fifth-place game, 3:30 p.m.
Third-place game, 5 p.m.
Championship game, 6:30 p.m.

Get ready for more Blue and Gold Tournament action. Photo: Kyle Green/BakedFreshDaily.com

Crew lineup:

Brett Johnston and Kyle Green: Photo/video
Words: Allen Vaughan
Production: Chris DeRosier
Interning: Coleman Mitchell

Follow along with our Blue and Gold Tournament Consolation Finals Live Blog, orchestrated by TAGsgf.com intern Coleman Mitchell.

Nixa's Kam Bundy is the man.

If you missed our Live Blog from the winner’s bracket, click here.

If you missed our Live Blog from the consolation bracket, click here.

If you missed Nixa senior Kam Bundy’s legendary dunk against Rogersville, click here.

Or, just watch here.

Wednesday’s scores

Blue Division
(1) Nixa 54, (4) Rogersville 43
(2) Kickapoo 52, (6) Morrisville 29

Gold Division
(1) Hillcrest 77, Ozark 67
(3) Republic 45, (2) Marshfield 43

Thursday’s schedule

At Hammons Student Center
Blue Division Consolation Final
Lebanon vs West Plains, 12:30 p.m.

Gold Division Consolation Final
Hartville vs Greenwood, 2 p.m.

At JQH Arena
Blue Division Third-place game
(6) Morrisville vs (4) Rogersville, 4 p.m.

Gold Division Third-place game
(5) Ozark vs (2) Marshfield, 5:30pm

Gold Division Championship
(1) Hillcrest vs (2) Republic, 7 pm

Blue Division Championship
(1) Nixa vs (2) Kickapoo, 8:30 pm

GCL

Blue Consolation

Lebanon vs Branson 9:30am
West Plains vs Willow Springs 11:00am (Approximate)

Gold Consolation

Hartville vs Reeds Spring 12:30pm (Approximate)
Ava vs Greenwood 2:00pm (Approximate)

Follow along at home by clicking the link to launch the Cover it Live Blogging Window!

Ozark pulled off a stunning win, making coach Steve Hunter the most wins in Blue and Gold Tournament history. Photo: Kyle Green/BakedFreshDaily.com

Here is a collection of our coverage from Tuesday’s second round of the Blue and Gold Tournament at Missouri State University.

BLUE DIVISION

(1) Nixa 107, Buffalo 42
(4) Rogersville 51, Bolivar 34
(2) Kickapoo 78, (7) Strafford 53
(6) Morrisville 51, (3) Willard 42

GOLD DIVISION

(1) Hillcrest 68, Conway 45
(5) Ozark 58, (4) Mount Vernon 56
(2) Marshfield 61, (7) Spokane 20
(3) Republic 62, (6) Fair Grove 32

If you missed our Live Blog from the winner’s bracket, click here. We also did a Live Blog from the consolation bracket. If that interests you click here.

Otherwise, here is Wednesday’s schedule

Games at Hammons Student Center
BLUE DIVISION
(1) Nixa vs. (4) Rogersville, 4 p.m.
(2) Kickapoo vs. (6) Morrisville, 5:30 p.m.

GOLD DIVISION
(1) Hillcrest vs. (5) Ozark, 7 p.m.
(2) Marshfield vs. (3) Republic, 8:30 p.m.

You are in the right place if you’re looking for news, updates and analysis for Day 2 of the Blue and Gold Tournament. Check back for updates from both the Blue and Gold Divisions all day long. If you’re interested in the Consolation Bracket, you can follow its action by clicking here.

If you missed the results from Day 1, click here. That’s right, TAGsgf.com has everything you want to know about the Blue and Gold. Follow us on Twitter.com/tagsgf and on Facebook.com/TAGsgf.

NIxa's Austin Ruder looks to return to the Blue and Gold championship game.

For those of you wondering, here are Blue and Gold Tournament scores from Day 1 and the Day 2 schedule:

BLUE DIVISION

Buffalo 65, (8) Clever 49
(1) Nixa 100, Lebanon 45
Bolivar 83, (5) Branson 72
(4) Rogersville 76, Aurora 30
(7) Strafford 64, West Plains 44
(2) Kickapoo 51, Camdenton 43
(6) Morrisville 57, Skyline 41
(3) Willard 62, Willow Springs 36

GOLD DIVISION

(8) Conway 63, Hartville 61
(1) Hillcrest 66, Mansfield 34
(5) Ozark 82, Mountain Grove 56
(4) Mount Vernon 42, Reeds Spring 29
(7) Spokane 51, Miller 39
(2) Marshfield 48, Ava 44, OT
(6) Fair Grove 56, Crane 51
(2) Republic 49, Greenwood 27

DAY 2 SCHEDULE

BLUE DIVISION
(1) Nixa vs. Buffalo, 9:30 a.m.
(4) Rogersville vs. Bolivar, 11 a.m.
(2) Kickapoo vs. (7) Strafford, 12:30 p.m.
(3) Willard vs. (6) Morrisville, 2 p.m.

GOLD DIVISION
(1) Hillcrest vs. (8) Conway, 5 p.m.
(4) Mt. Vernon vs. (5) Ozark, 6:30 p.m.
(2) Marshfield vs. (7) Spokane, 8 p.m.
(3) Republic vs. (6) Fair Grove, 9:30 p.m.

Did you miss our Live Blogs from Round 1. Click here for a Blue Division wrap-up and here for a Gold Division summary.

Don’t miss Round 2′s Live Blog starting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Cory Spinks is coming to SGF.

While BJ Flores still doesn’t have an opponent for his Jan. 28 fight at the Shrine Mosque, Team Flores has announced that former world middleweight champion Cory Spinks (38-6) will fight Sechew Powell (26-3) in an IBF eliminator match.

According to Team Flores, the winner of the fight will face IBF champion Cornelius Bundrage at a later date.

While Flores doesn’t have an opponent for the main event, he will fight for the vacated NABF title, recently made available by Lateef Kayode. A victory should move Flores to a No. 1 world ranking and a title shot.

Tickets can be purchased at the Shrine Mosque Box office or on Metrotix. Call 1-800-293- 5949.

Glendale and Willard warm up before their Gold Division championship clash

There are few things more exciting in the Ozarks than holiday basketball tournaments, and the Blue and Gold is the king.

That’s why the TAGsgf.com crew will be posted up on the campus of Missouri State University, hawking both JQH Arena and Hammons Student Center for all four days of the Blue and Gold Tournament, Dec. 26-29, pumping out the greatest Live Blog the Ozarks can handle. Games start at 9:30 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday. If you missed the seeds and matchups, click here.

Be sure to set alarms to log on to TAGsgf.com, whether by computer, smartphone or tablet, because the TAG crew of Allen Vaughan, Brett Johnston, Kyle Green, Chris DeRosier and Coleman Mitchell will be providing TAG’s unique blend of commentary, analysis, photos, video highlights and news you can’t find anywhere else. Think of it as the best the Internet can provide — a website, Twitter feed, Facebook status updates — all rolled into one. It’s interactive, too, as you can post comments and get instant reaction, as well.

If you’ve never been a part of a TAGsgf.com Live Blog, we’ve included some links below. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season.

• 2010 Blue and Gold Final Round
• 2010 Blue and Gold – The Pictures
• 2010 Blue and Gold All-TAG Teams

Video highlights

This year’s tournament pairings

Blue Division
First-round games, Dec. 26
At Hammons Student Center

(8) Clever vs. Buffalo, 9:30 a.m.
(1) Nixa vs. Lebanon, 11 a.m.
(5) Branson vs. Bolivar, 12:30 p.m.
(4) Rogersville vs. Aurora, 2 p.m.
(7) Strafford vs. West Plains, 5 p.m.
(2) Kickapoo vs. Camdenton, 6:30 p.m.
(6) Morrisville vs. Skyline, 8 p.m.
(3) Willard vs. Willow Springs, 9 p.m.

Gold Division
First-round games, Dec. 26
At JQH Arena

(8) Conway vs. Hartville, 9:30 a.m.
(1) Hillcrest vs. Mansfield, 11 a.m.
(5) Ozark vs. Mountain Grove, 12:30 p.m.
(4) Mount Vernon vs. Reeds Spring, 2 p.m.
(7) Spokane vs. Miller, 5 p.m.
(2) Marshfield vs. Ava, 6:30 p.m.
(6) Fair Grove vs. Crane, 8 p.m.
(3) Republic vs. Greenwood, 9:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals and beyond at JQH Arena
Consolation bracket games at Hammons Student Center

DGB and Co. hanging out on Sunday Night Football. (H/T to KSPR)

As we creep closer to National Signing Day on Feb. 1, the spotlight on Hillcrest High School senior Dorial Green-Beckham is starting to intensify.

While in New York City doing promotion for the January 7th Army All-American Bowl, DGB told Rivals.com he has pared down his college destination list to 5 (in no particular order):

• Oklahoma
• Missouri
• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Texas

Many close to DGB don’t expect him to make a decision too far from Feb. 1, so don’t hold your breath (although that is only days away…)

Also, Green-Beckham has been named as The Sporting News High School Athlete of the Year. That’s not just football player, but overall athlete. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound senior wide receiver broke national and state records on both the single-season and career level, finishing with 119 catches for 2,233 yards, 24 TDs this season and 297 catches, 6,367 yards, 73 TDs in his career.

Sporting News named DGB the high school athlete of the year for 2011, beating out football players Maty Mauk (a Mizzou commit) and Johnathan Gray (Texas). Duke guard Austin Rivers, from Winter Park, Fla., was also a finalist.

DGB will be playing

According to the News-Leader, DGB met some impressive football names this past weekend while in New York City:

The group met Tony Dungy and the others during the NFL Sunday night football telecast, met Baylor’s Robert Griffin III at a Heisman Trophy dinner, and met coach Rex Ryan and many of the New York Jets at the practice facility.

Nixa's Austin Ruder looks to return to the Blue and Gold championship game.

The 66th Blue and Gold Tournament is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 26 to Thursday, Dec. 29, and the seeds were released this morning for the area’s top holiday high school basketball tournament.

Blue Division

1. Nixa
2. Kickapoo
3. Willard
4. Rogersville
5. Branson
6. Morrisville
7. Strafford
8. Clever

Gold Division

1. Hillcrest
2. Marshfield
3. Republic
4. Mount Vernon
5. Ozark
6. Fair Grove
7. Spokane
8. Conway

The Blue Division plays its first round at Hammons Student Center and the Gold Division plays its first round at JQH Arena. But in a new twist, all second-round and semifinals will be played at JQH. Why? Because the B&G is introducing a losers’ consolation bracket. All of those games will be played at Hammons Student Center.

Here are the matchups:

Blue Division
First-round games, Dec. 26
At Hammons Student Center

• (8) Clever vs. Buffalo, 9:30 a.m.
• (1) Nixa vs. Lebanon, 11 a.m.
• (5) Branson vs. Bolivar, 12:30 p.m.
• (4) Rogersville vs. Aurora, 2 p.m.
• (7) Strafford vs. West Plains, 5 p.m.
• (2) Kickapoo vs. Camdenton, 6:30 p.m.
• (6) Morrisville vs. Skyline, 8 p.m.
• (3) Willard vs. Willow Springs, 9 p.m.

Gold Division
First-round games, Dec. 26
At JQH Arena

• (8) Conway vs. Hartville, 9:30 a.m.
• (1) Hillcrest vs. Mansfield, 11 a.m.
• (5) Ozark vs. Mountain Grove, 12:30 p.m.
• (4) Mount Vernon vs. Reeds Spring, 2 p.m.
• (7) Spokane vs. Miller, 5 p.m.
• (2) Marshfield vs. Ava, 6:30 p.m.
• (6) Fair Grove vs. Crane, 8 p.m.
• (3) Republic vs. Greenwood, 9:30 p.m.

Don’t miss our extensive B&G coverage, including our unique Live Blogs and videos.

Cage fighting, MMA, whatever you like to call it, has never been more popular. And if you’ve never experienced it live, now’s a great time to try it out.

Thanks to the sharp team at UnCivil War, SGF is getting a taste of legitimate amateur Mixed Martial Arts on Saturday at the Clarion Hotel.  UnCivil War III will feature 12 bouts including 2 UCW Title Fights. Devian “Superman” Golden (a former Ozark footballer) return to fight Andy Hunter of Barry County fight club for the UCW Middleweight Championship Belt. Undefeated fighter Dewey Cloud faces the also Undefeated Shane Beck for the UCW Lightweight Championship Belt.

Yes, the event is brought to you in part by, ahem, TAG Media, and we are trying to make it easier on you.

RSVP to our Facebook event here and you will be in the running to win tickets to Saturday’s fight. Yes, it’s just that easy.

Also, the TAG Team will be in full effect, so be sure to get your picture taken and put here on our site.

Welcome to Friday's Second Round of action

It’s almost Bass Pro Tournament of Champions time, and you can now buy your tickets.

Call the Missouri State Box Office at 417.836.7678 or 888.476.7849 to get seats for the games on Jan. 12-14 at JQH Arena, and as you know, it’s the No. 1 highest attended high school basketball tournament in the country.

Schools included are:

• Christ the King (Middle Village, NY)
• Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.)
• St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.)
• Westbury Christian (Houston, Tex.)
• Lincoln (San Diego, Cal.)
• Sylvan Hills (Sherwood, Ark.)
• Glendale
• Hillcrest

TAGsgf.com is ramping up its coverage of the T of C this year, and you can expect a full arsenal of Live Blogs, video highlights, video interviews and the Ultimate T of C Guide, which will be coming out soon.

For more information on the tournament, click here for the website.

For now, enjoy our series of videos from last year’s tournament.

BJ Flores stylin' at his press conference.

It’s official — BJ Flores is back, again.

(Flores joined The High Road with Allen Vaughan Sunday. Click here for the conversation.)

The NABO and NABF cruiserweight champion and the WBC Continental Americas champion announced today he will be defending his belts at an event called “Rumble at the Shrine” on Jan. 28 at the Shrine Mosque, and should be taking his last step to earn his coveted world championship shot.

At a press conference at the Doubletree Hotel today, the Willard native announced he is not only continuing in his quest to earn a world championship shot, he’s looking to add the last of the North American belts to his collection. Because Lateef Kayode has vacated the NABA title — which he was going to have to defend against Flores, but chose not to — Flores will fight for that belt against an undetermined opponent. According to Flores and Rumble Time Productions matchmaker Derrick Spicer, a win over what’s expected to be a top 10 rated North American opponent would vault Flores into “the No. 1 ranking in the world.”

Currently, Flores is ranked No. 4 by the WBC (Kayode is ahead, so he should move up by default), No. 6 by the IBO, No. 15 by the IBF and outside the top 15 in the WBA.

While boxing is confusing to follow, most of the time it’s about who you know. That’s why Flores’ relationship with Don King was supposed to be a coup. It still might be, but Flores’ October win over Paul Jennette didn’t elevate the Willard native to a title shot, like we, and Flores, were led to believe. At the press conference, Flores said King saw how successful the October fight was monetarily and gave Flores the go-ahead to schedule one more local card, adding in the sanctioning fees. He also said that when Flores fights for a world title, it likely won’t be against WBA champion Guillermo Jones, a Don King fighter. Instead, King wants Flores to win a different belt and try to unify with Jones down the road.

Flores said as long as he gets some world title shot, he’ll be happy.

A possible opponent is former Canadian Football League player Carl Davis (16-4). The 38-year-old recently lost his USBO cruiserweight title in a third-round TKO to Mateusz Masternak. Others in Flores’ initial press release included Aaron Williams (22-3), Danny Santiago (31-4), Ryan Henny (17-2) and James Cermack (18-2).

Flores and his promotional team — which is different than the first two fights held at Drury’s O’Reilly Family Event Center — is willing to put up more cash for a higher quality opponent to come to Springfield. When asked how much money they are offering, Spicer joked it was in the millions, but declined to be specific.

Tickets are not on sale yet, and the undercard will feature a mix of boxing and MMA.

Here are scores and game story links from Saturday’s high school football playoff action

Class 6

CBC 66, SLU High 28
Blue Springs 28, Francis Howell 21

Class 5

Kirkwood 44, Hazelwood East 20
Staley 76, Lee’s Summit West 70, 4 OT

Class 4

MICDS 48, Farmington 14
Webb City 28, Savannah 24

Class 3

John Burroughs 39, Osage 14
Rogersville 48, Richmond 28

Class 2

Lamar 20, Maplewood 7
Lafayette 27, Blair Oaks 24

Class 1

Valle Catholic 14, Concordia 6
South Shelby 39, East Buchanon 26

Here are statewide scores from the high school football quarterfinals

Class 5

Parkway Central (10-1) vs. Hazelwood East (7-4), 6 p.m.
Kirkwood 46, Camdenton 18
Lee’s Summit West 42, Nixa 3
Staley 7, Fort Osage 6

Class 4

Farmington 31, Gateway 14
MICDS 39, St. Francis Borgia 17
Webb City 49, Hillcrest 0
Savannah 13, Harrisonville 6, OT

Class 3

John Burroughs 49, Ste. Genevieve 7
Osage 63, North Callaway
Rogersville 28, Cassville 7
Richmond 51, O’Hara 7

Class 2

Maplewood-Richmond Hts 36, Caruthersville 29
Lamar 33, MV-BT Liberty 18
Blair Oaks 27, Macon 14
Lafayette 42, Penney 0

Class 1

Valle Catholic 41, Skyline 8
Concordia 60, Archie 14
South Shelby 28, Westran 14
East Buchanon 36, Wellington-Napolean 29

Webb City's Jamison Cady

It was billed as the Ozarks’ best football program versus the Ozarks’ best player. Advantage Webb City.

That’s right, behind an intense running attack and an impressively disruptive defensive game plan, Webb City pounded Hillcrest 49-0 in a Class 4 Quarterfinal in front of an estimated 5,000-plus fans at Shumate Stadium today.

Then narrative was pitting two seemingly unstoppable forces. Webb City is the defending Class 4 champion, not having lost a game since the 2009 playoffs. On the other hand, Hillcrest won double-digit game for the first time in school history, won Ozark Conference and district titles and advanced to its first quarterfinal, mostly on the ridiculous talent of the nation’s No. 1 prospect, wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.

Saturday’s narrative was dominated by Webb City. The main plot? Try 5 touchdown runs from Webb City’s Jamison Cady, two 100-yard rushing performances by other Cardinals and a defensive attack that limited DGB to 6 catches for 58 yards and the Hornets to 117 total yards of offense. The game was so one-sided the second-half mercy rule — turboclock, meaning the clock doesn’t stop for incomplete passes, penalties, etc. — started with 10 minutes and 30 second left in the second half.

The game started inauspiciously for the Hornets as the opening kickoff was mishandled and downed at the Hillcrest 1-yard line. A 3-and-out and a 21-yard punt into the wind gave Webb City all the momentum it would need. Cady punched in the Cardinals’ fourth offensive play into the end zone. Less than 4 minutes off the clock, Cady did it again from 38 yards out. And less than 8 minutes later, he ran another one in from 5 yards for another TD. The fullback who 11 rushes for 80 yards and 5 TDs had 4 TDs on 6 first-half carries at one point. With their starters — because, yes, Webb City went to its bench midway through the third quarter — the Cardinals rushed 31 times for 357 yards and all the TDs.

Hillcrest could never find any rhythm early. Trailing 14-0 in the first quarter, the Hornets moved the ball inside Cardinals territory, but quarterback Matt Futrell was picked off by cornerback Jarvis Jones. Futrell had completed his last 5 passes, too. In the end, Webb City shut down the running attack and made Hillcrest one-dimensional. When it came to DGB, the Cardinals covered him with Jones and a safety over the top. Because the wind was so severe, Hillcrest tried to find receivers over the middle, but Webb City’s zone was too efficient and its pass rush too devastating. Futrell finished 13-of-27 for 112 yards and 3 interceptions. The Hornets rushed 8 times for 5 yards.

Webb City (12-0) advances to face Savannah (11-1), which beat Harrisonville 13-6 in overtime. The game is Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m.

Scoring summary

Webb City    14   15   13   7 — 49
Hillcrest         0     0    0   0 — 0

First quarter

WC — Jamison Cady 1 run (Alex Easley kick)
WC — Cady 38 run (Easley kick)

Second quarter

WC — Cady 5 run (pass failed)
WC — Safety, ball out back of end zone
WC — Cady 12 run (Easley kick)

Third quarter

WC — Phoenix Johnson 24 run (pass failed)
WC — Cady 1 run (Easley kick)

Fourth quarter

WC — Trey Parra 3 run (Easley kick)

Stat geekage

Webb City
Jamison Cady, senior fullback — 11 carries for 80 yards, 5 TDs
Phoenix Johnson, junior running back — 14 carries for 138 yards, TD
Breckin Williams, senior quarterback — 6 carries for 139 yards, 0-for-4 passing, 2 ints

Hillcrest
Matt Futrell, senior quarterback — 13-of-27 for 112 yards and 3 interceptions, 3 rushes for 7 yards
Dorial Green-Beckham, senior wide receiver — 6 catches for 58 yards (none in second half)
Hillcrest total offense — 117 yards

Interview with Jamison Cady

DGB speaks

Missouri State’s men’s basketball team accepted commitments from three high school seniors Wednesday during the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period. Here is what you need to know about them:

Bruce Marshall

Bruce Marshall
6-foot-10, Fr.
Fayette High (Mo.)
Twitter handle: @MrBruceMarshall

Marshall is a guard who grew into a giant. After being measured at 6-1 as a freshman, he’s shot up to 6-10, but hasn’t lost his shooting touch. As a junior, he averaged 11.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks for Fayette HS, a Class 2 school. According to an MSU press release, he averaged 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 blocks as a sophomore on Rameybasketball AAU Club.

It has been reported he chose MSU over Air Force.

MSU loses a ton of size with Caleb Patterson and Isaiah Rhine graduating after this season. If Marshall beefs up, he could earn playing time immediately.

“Bruce is very long and mobile and has the ability to stretch the defense with his face-up game,” Missouri State coach Paul Lusk said. “He has a great shooting touch, and as he continues to grow into his frame, he will be a difficult match-up at the college level.”

Marcus Marshall

Marcus Marshall
6-foot-2, Fr.
Johnson High (St. Paul, Minn.)
Twitter handle: @BearWitme23

No relation to Bruce, Marcus Marshall is a 3-star recruit, according to Rivals.com, which ties him for the highest acclaim for an MSU recruit with last year’s wooing of Christian Kirk and Dorrian Williams. He chose MSU over Indiana State, Kent State, Murray State and many other Summit League, MEAC and MAC schools. Rivals.com said he had scholarship 14 offers.

He averaged 16.0 points per game, and this shows the depth of Lusk’s Big 10 recruiting ties, reaching into Minnesota to pull out a guard.

“He comes from a good high school program that won the state title in Minnesota a couple years ago,” Lusk said. “He is good with the ball, distributes well and is a talented scorer. He has the ability to create his own shot and set people up. We are happy to have him.”

Gavin Thurman

Gavin Thurman
6-foot-6, Fr.
Heights High School (Wichita, Kan.)

Thurman seems to be a recruit MSU fans should be proud of. Not only is he a 3-star recruit like Marcus Marshall, he had offers from a Big 10 school (Iowa) and he was yanked out from under Wichita State’s nose. This has to be a Lusk special as Thurman was likely recruited to Purdue.

Thurman averaged 18.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks per game at Southeast HS in Wichita. He has since transferred to Heights HS, but made his name as a standout for KC Pump ‘N Run, the same team Christian Kirk played for. He chose MSU over scholarship offers from Wichita State, Iowa, Colorado State, Drake, Fresno State, Nevada and Western Kentucky. Here is a small feature story on him from another site.

“He has the ability to be like a point-forward,” Lusk said. “He can handle the ball, pass, drive to the basket, score in a variety of ways and make good decisions on the floor. He is a very versatile player.”

Lusk and the Bears open the 2011-12 season this Friday at Nevada for a 9 p.m. tipoff.

The second round of the high school football playoffs lived up to the hype. Below are the scores and we are adding game story links from around the state.

Class 5

Parkway Central 42, Webster Groves 26
Hazelwood East 25, McCluer 14
Camdenton 26, Ft. Zumwalt East 24
Kirkwood 48, Holt 0
Lee’s Summit West 35, Glendale 28, OT
Nixa 41, Branson 15
Fort Osage 12, Winnetonka 3
Staley 45, Raytown South 6

Class 4

Farmington 42, Hillsboro 7
Gateway 52, Miller Career Academy 14
MICDS 31, Ladue 21
St. Francis Borgia 30, St. Charles West 10
Hillcrest 28, Union 21
Webb City 63, Jefferson City Helias 21
Harrisonville 21, Hannibal 7
Savannah at Kearney, (n)

Class 3

Ste. Genevieve 30, Park Hill Central 7
John Burroughs 42, Lutheran North 12
North Callaway 24, Southern Boone Co. 0
Osage 38, Boonville 20
Rogersville 34, SGF Catholic 14
Cassville 42, Pleasant Hill 12
Renaissance at O’Hara, (n)
Richmond 21, Maryville 2

Class 2

Caruthersville 55, Crystal City 20
Maplewood 7, Brentwood 0
MV-BT Liberty 61, Fair Grove 26
Lamar 62, El Dorado Springs 6
Blair Oaks 14, South Callaway 8
Macon 31, Monroe City 7
Lafayette 29, Butler 6
Penney at Lawson, (n)

Class 1

Valle Catholic 52, Thayer 21
Skyline 54, Miller 34
Concordia 58, Tipton 12
Archie 33, Osceola 29
South Shelby 21, Louisiana 7
Westran 14, Salisbury 0
Wellington-Napoleon 15, South Harrison 14
West Platte at East Buchanon, (n)

————

Quarterfinal schedule

All games at 1:30 p.m. Saturday

Class 5

Hazelwood East (7-4) at Parkway Central (10-1)
Kirkwood (10-0) at Candenton (7-5)
Nixa (10-1) at Lee’s Summit West (10-1)
Staley (11-0) at Fort Osage (10-1)

Class 4

Gateway Tech (10-2) at Farmington (11-1)
MICDS (12-0) at St. Francis Borgia (12-0)
Webb City (12-0) at Hillcrest (11-1)
Harrisonville (11-1) vs. Kearney/Savannah

Class 3

Ste. Genevieve (10-2) at John Burroughs (11-1)
North Callaway (8-4) at Osage (12-0)
Rogersville (11-1) at Cassville (12-0)
Richmond (11-1) vs. O’Hara/Renaissance winner

Class 2

Caruthersville (11-1) at Maplewood (10-2)
MV-BT Liberty (12-0) at Lamar (11-1)
Macon (11-1) at Blair Oaks (10-2)
Lafayette (11-1) vs. Penney/Lawson

Class 1

Valle Catholic (11-1) at Skyline (9-3)
Concordia (11-1) at Archie (9-3)
South Shelby (8-4) at Westran (10-2)
Wellington-Napoleon (12-0) vs. East Buchanon/West Platte

When Glendale High School’s football players look back on Monday night’s Class 5 sectional loss to Lee’s Summit West, they’ll remember they took the defending Class 5 champions to overtime. They’ll remember they made the Titans play catchup in a way they’ve never seen. They’ll remember how the Titans were so desperate they asked the officials to investigate the length of their spikes coming out of halftime.

One day, it will be a story worth telling, and one they’ll dish out to friends and family with pride. It will be one told with their heads held high.

But the near future isn’t going to feel good.

Lee’s Summit West erased a 28-0 second half deficit to beat Glendale 35-28 in overtime Monday night with a gutsy and clutch performance. For two-and-a-half quarters, The Class 5 District 7 champion Falcons (8-3) outplayed Lee’s Summit West. The Falcons stopped the run, made nice defensive plays down the field and took advantage of an offensive and defensive line that featured future Missouri Tiger recruit Evan Boehm (6-foot-4, 305 pounds). And when they had the ball, Trevor Vaughn treated Lee’s Summit West (11-1) as he did most teams this season.

Vaughn finished with 31 carries for 273 yards and two TDs, including a 78-yard run on the game’s third offensive play, and broke another 68-yard run in the second quarter, but fumbled at the 1-yard line. It was recovered by Omar Wijahat for a TD. Two TDs later — one on a 18-yard play-action pass from Will Rogers to Cameron Johnson — Glendale had a 28-0 lead with 7:50 left in the second half.

But what followed was unbelievable. Lee’s Summit West, which couldn’t move the ball in the first half, came alive. Senior quarterback — and Iowa State commit – Luke Knott may have started the game 3-of-14 passing for 34 yards and two interceptions, but he finished 13-of-28 for 208 — that’s right, he was 10-of-14 passing for 174 yards in the second half. He also rushed for 145 yards and two TDs, mostly coming off of QB draws from a 5 wide receiver set.

LSW slowly chipped away at the Glendale lead, remarkably moving the ball at lightning speed, scoring all four TDs on drives less than two minutes. Meanwhile, the Titan defense smothered Glendale, not allowing Vaughn to get loose on the perimeter or Johnson to break free in the secondary.

With 6:11 left on the clock and leading 28-21, Glendale converted two third downs, including a third-and-13 on a 37-yard reverse by Vaughn. But the drive stalled and Glendale punted the ball to the LSW 20 with 2:15 left. It turns out, Glendale left the Titans too much time. With a mix of runs and passes — all by Knott – LSW punched a TD in on a 1-yard Knott sneak with 41 seconds left.

Glendale couldn’t answer, getting the ball to the LSW 43 before time expired.

In overtime, it looked like Glendale’s defense might have made a stand. LSW faced a fourth-and-9 from the Glendale 24 and Knott found senior receiver Shaq Harrison on a post route in the end zone with a beautiful sliding catch. Glendale moved the ball to the 14, but a fade pass from Falcons QB Will Rogers to WR Jared Hood was intercepted.

The hundreds of LSW players and fans celebrated. The Glendale team and fan base was shocked. Sure, they knew they were huge underdogs against the defending state champs, but they were so close. Still, Glendale coach Joel Heman urged his kids to be proud.

“They played their hearts out against the defending state champs,” Heman said. “We were close, but that’s a state-championship caliber football team. I couldn’t be more proud of our kids.”

Lee’s Summit West will host Nixa in a Class 5 quarterfinal at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Lessons learned

• Let’s be honest, Glendale was a huge underdog coming into this game. But as they have done all season, the Falcons found a way to score. The offensive line played well and so did Trevor Vaughn, finding wrinkles in the defense and making players miss. On his 68-yard run where he fumbled heading in to the end zone, he juked and jumped at the same time, seeming jumping over a defender, and turned a hit into a 360 spin. Very impressive. Still, Glendale didn’t blow this game, LSW took it. They figured it out and were able to score at will, scoring 4 TDs in 17 minutes.
• LSW was grasping at straws coming out of halftime. You’ll probably read about this elsewhere, too, and it was really a non-issue. But it made for one of my favorite crowd moments of all time. After a first half of watching his players slip on a muddy Lowe Stadium field repeatedly, LSW coach Royce Boehm approached the officials and asked them to check Glendale’s spikes. According to my friend Justin McMillin, who was covering the game for the News-Leader, the beef was over a quarter-inch. MSHSAA made a few Falcons — including Trevor Vaughn — change their spikes, missing the opening kickoff. Once Glendale fans figured out what was going on, they started yelling at the LSW sidelines and chanting, “Check. Their. Cleats.” In the moment, it was hilarious. But once LSW made its charge, it lost its steam.
• LSW offensive lineman Evan Boehm is a beast. 6-foot-4, 305 pounds? He’s headed to Mizzou.
• Many question how many of these Glendale players will be differencemakers at the college level. Lee’s Summit West has 7 kids who will likely be Division I.
• Glendale didn’t blow it. LSW took it. Glendale has nothing to be ashamed of.

Stat geekage

Glendale

• Senior tailback Trevor Vaughn carried 31 times for 273 yards and 2 TDs.
• Junior quarterback Will Rogers was 5-for-9 passing for 78 yards, a TD and an interception.
• Senior wide receiver Cameron Johnson had 3 catches for 50 yards and a TD

Lee’s Summit West

• Senior QB Luke Knott was 13-of-28 passing for 208 and rushed for 145 yards and 2 TDs
• Senior tailback Marcus Strickland had 11 carries for 53 yards and 2 TDs.
• Lee’s Summit West scored 28 points in 17 second-half minutes

The second round of the high school football playoffs begin tonight, and there are huge local games. Below is the schedule and be sure to stop back by for game-story links tomorrow.

All games begin at 7 p.m.

Class 5

Webster Groves at Parkway Central
McCluer at Hazelwood East
Camdenton at Ft. Zumwalt North
Holt at Kirkwood
Lee’s Summit West at Glendale
Branson at Nixa
Winnetonka at Fort Osage
Raytown South at Staley

Class 4

Hillsboro at Farmington
Gateway vs Miller Career Academy at Sumner HS
MICDS vs Ladue at SLUH
St. Francis Borgia vs St. Charles West
Hillcrest at Union
Jefferson City Helias at Webb City
Harrisonville at Hannibal
Savannah at Kearney

Class 3

Park Hill Central at Ste. Genevieve
Lutheran North at John Burroughs
Southern Boone Co. at North Callaway
Boonville at Osage
SGF Catholic at Rogersville
Pleasant Hill at Cassville
Renaissance at O’Hara
Maryville at Richmond

Class 2

Crystal City at Caruthersville
Maplewood at Brentwood
Fair Grove at MV-BT Liberty
El Dorado Springs at Lamar
Blair Oaks at South Callaway
Macon at Monroe City
Lafayette at Butler
Penney at Lawson

Class 1

Valle Catholic at Thayer
Skyline at Miller
Concordia at Tipton
Archie at Osceola
Louisiana at South Shelby
Westran at Salisbury
South Harrison at Wellington-Napoleon
West Platte at East Buchanon

Thanks to MSHSAA.org, here is the most up-to-date playoff scoreboard around. And, check back in the morning for game-story links.

Class 5
Webster Groves 34, Rockwood Summit 32
McCluer 42, Seckman 7
Camdenton 24, Vianney 7
Holt 13, Waynesville 10
Lee’s Summit 38, Lebanon 6
Branson 21, Lee’s Summit 17
Winnetonka 14, Truman 0
Raytown South 8, Central

Class 4
Farmington 61, Desoto 16
Hillboro 34, Sikeston 0
Miller Career 42, Festus 14
Gateway Tech 50, Cexter 0
Ladue 58, Vashon 40
St. Charles West 29, Jennings 6
MICDS 47, Soldan 12
St. Francis Borgia 42, Duchesne 7
Union 28, Republic 6
Hillcrest 41, St. Clair 14
Webb City 35, Bolivar 21
Jefferson City Helias 26, Carthage 17
Hannibal 26, Grain Valley 17
Harrisonville 43, Moberly 0
Kearney 16, Platte City 3

Class 3
Park Hills Central 29, Dexter 28
Ste. Genevieve 48, Fredericktown 14
John Burroughs 28, McCluer South 8
Lutheran North 33, Priory 26
Southern Boone County 38, Bowling Green 33
North Calloway 54, Orchard Farm 35
Osage 35, Eldon 0
Boonville 52, Owensville 14
Rogersville 28, Aurora 6
Cathoilc 35, Mountain Grove 7
Cassville 35, Clinton 0
Pleasant Hill 14, Monett 6
O’Hara 28, Lincoln Prep 0
Renaissance 50, Pembroke Hill 26
Richmond 42, Chillicothe 8
Maryville 41, Van Horn 0

Class 2
Caruthersville 48, Herculaneum 0
Crystal City 16, Charleston 13
Brentwood 17, Carnahan 14
Maplewood 38, Principia 0
MV-BT Liberty 49, Strafford 8
Fair Grove 34, Willow Springs 13
Lamar 61, Warsaw 0
El Dorado Springs 44, Sarcoxie 0
South Callaway 44, Christian 14
Monroe City 24, Centralia 21
Macon 21, Clark County 13
Butler 30, Carrolton
Lafayette 47, Adrian 0
Lawson 39, Trenton 0
Penney 13, Hogan Prep 12

Class 1
Thayer 42, Cleveland NJROTC 0
Valle Catholic 44, Hayti 8
Miller 49, Lockwood 14
Skyline 21, Greenfield 0
Tipton 56, Santa Fe 14
Concordia 62, Sacred Heart 0
Osceola 13, Midway 10
Archie 20, University 6
South Shelby 39, Knox County 8
Louisiana 29, Scotland County 20
Salisbury 35, Marceline 7
Westran 39, Milan 0
Wellington-Napoleon 22, Polo 0
South Harrison 58, St. Mary’s 0
East Buchanon 48, Albany 8
West Platte 20, King City 6