Sports
Red Devils struggle against Riverton Rams
RIVERTON — Riverton High School needed only two quarters to defeat the Erie Red Devils 46-0 here Friday night. The Rams started scoring early in the first quarter with a 21-yard interception return by Greyson Spriggs. Spriggs, Landon North and Chandler Underhill combined for all of Riverton’s touchdown runs, all of them from more than 20 yards out. The game ended by halftime. Riverton amassed more than 300 yards of offense, most of it on the g...
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Chargers get first ‘W’
CHERRYVALE — The Cherryvale Chargers broke into the win column for the season by shutting out the Fredonia Yellowjackets. Tristan Thornton scored the first points of the game in the second quarter with a 70-yard run. Drew Housel ran in for two points. Cherryvale struck again in the fourth quarter when Jake Hammer passed to Chase Davidson for a 13-yard touchdown. Cherryvale had 306 yards of offense, including 281 yards on the ground. Hammer rus...
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Oswego falls to Commerce, Okla.
OSWEGO — Oswego High School attacked Commerce, Okla., early here on a soggy Friday night. But the Indians couldn’t sustain the effort and Commerce won 49-18. The Indians scored early in the first quarter on a 57-yard pass from quarterback Ethan Spore to Brant Yeoman. Oswego held Commerce scoreless until less than five minutes remained in the first quarter, when Commerce scored two touchdowns in less than three minutes. The Oklahoma team scored...
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Parsons suffers third-straight loss
By Jason Peake jpeake@parsonssun.com When it rains, it pours.  For the third straight week, rain greeted Friday night football. And for the third straight week, the Parsons Vikings went head to head with one of the league’s top football teams. And unfortunately for the Vikings, the outcome was once again the same. The Vikings suffered a lopsided loss for the third week in a row, as visiting Chanute left town with a 61-0 victory over Parsons at...
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Middle school Vikings even records at 1-1
The Parsons Middle School football teams evened both the seventh- and eighth-grade records to 1-1 after both teams defeated Coffeyville here Tuesday evening.  After a scoreless first quarter, the seventh-grade Vikings struck in the second quarter on a 6-yard run by KeShaun Anderson. The conversion failed and Parsons led at the half 6-0.  Coffeyville scored to even the score in the third at 6-6.  A T.J. Mayhue 6-yard run in the fourth quarter...
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LCHS volleyball earns two wins, now 5-5
The Labette County High School volleyball team improved to 5-5 on the season with two wins on Thursday, topping Coffeyville 25-13, 25-1 and Parsons 25-14, 25-13. Michaela O’Brien led the Grizzlies with 10 digs, nine kills, six blocks, and five assists. Sadie Atkins had eight blocks, nine assists, five kills and two digs, while Holleigh Sorrell had five kills, six digs and four blocks. Rhianne Taylor had seven assists, nine kills and three bloc...
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GRIZZLIES ROAR AT BIG HILL
By Jason Peake jpeake@parsonssun.com CHERRYVALE — Drew Baum’s toughest competition came from his teammates. A Labette County senior, Baum cruised to first place in the varsity boys race on a cool, cloudy Thursday at the Calvin Priest Cross Country Invitational at Big Hill Lake. Baum toured the 5K course in 16:59, winning by 39 seconds over his teammate David Geren. After catching his breath, Baum said he was pleased with his performance again...
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PHS Football: Vikings staying positive despite 0-2 start
By Jason Peake jpeake@parsonssun.com As the 2012 high school football season began, the Parsons Vikings had only four returning starters to work with. Lots of untested underclassmen are being thrust into big roles. And with inexperience up and down the roster, the Vikings have struggled out of the gates, suffering lopsided losses in Week One and Week Two. But if you ask Parsons Coach David Pitts, morale remains high in the PHS locker-room. ...
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Vikings tennis competes at Baldwin
BALDWIN —The Parsons High School girls tennis team ran into some stellar competition at the Baldwin Invitational on Wednesday. Still, three of four PHS entries reached third place matches. In the number-one singles bracket, Malina Kipp of Parsons took fourth place. Kipp defeated Hannah Hunt of Bonner Springs 8-3, beat Kaitlin Jorgensen of Baldwin 8-6 and then lost a close one, falling to Emily Mulvinhill of Perry 8-6. Kipp defeated Independen...
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Vikings split volleyball matches
By Jason Peake jpeake@parsonssun.com If you ask Hillary Lott, she’ll tell you her Parsons High School volleyball team took a big step forward on Thursday night. The Vikings hosted Coffeyville and Labette County in non-league matches. Parsons defeated Coffeyville 25-15, 25-14 and later in the night, Labette County defeated Parsons 25-14, 25-13. Despite the loss to the Grizzlies, Lott saw many positives. “I thought we played well,” Lott said. ...
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Girls golfers compete at Girard JV invite
Golfers from Parsons and Labette County High Schools competed at the Girard JV Girls Golf Invite on Wednesday. Marina Shields of Parsons finished with a score of 51 and took first place. Parsons Coach Anthony Houk said it was Shields’ best outing of the season. “That’s right where we need her to be in a varsity meet if we want to be in the hunt for a team medal,” Houk said. Others competing from Parsons were Jessica Haynes and Claire Jack...
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Erie hosts annual volleyball tourney this weekend
Parsons will be one of eight teams competing at Saturday’s Erie Red Devil Classic volleyball tournament. There are two pools, with four teams each. Erie, Coffeyville, Parsons, and Neodesha make up Pool A. Pool B features Chanute, Southeast, Frontenac and Wichita West. Matches begin at 9 a.m. The top two teams in each pool will advance to the championship bracket. The third and fourth place teams in each pool head to a consolation bracket. Er...
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SLIDESHOW: CROSS COUNTRY AT BIG HILL
Parsons and Labette County were among the 20-plus schools competing at Big Hill Lake on Thursday at the Calvin Priest Memorial Invitational. To purchase one of these photos, call 421-2000. All photos by Jason Peake/Sports Editor.
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PHS Football: Another week, another solid opponent
By Jason Peake jpeake@parsonssun.com For the third week in a row, the Parsons Vikings will face one of the league’s top football teams. Parsons hosts Chanute at 7 p.m. Friday at Marvel Park in Week Three of the 2012 high school football season. Now 0-2 after losses to Fort Scott and Coffeyville, the Vikings must deal with the always-solid Blue Comets (1-1). “In our first five games we’re playing the top four teams in the league,” Parsons Coac...
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Labette County looks for first win on Friday vs. Bulldogs
By Jason Peake jpeake@parsonssun.com ALTAMONT — Two teams searching for their first win of the season will meet on Friday night at Lucas Field. Labette County will host Independence at 7 p.m. in Week Three of the high school football season. Both the Grizzlies and Bulldogs enter Friday’s matchup with 0-2 records. It will be Labette County’s home opener. “We’re excited to play at home,” LCHS Coach Jesse Ybarra said. “And I know the kids are l...
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Grizzlies take third at tennis invite
INDEPENDENCE — Paige Smith led the way for the Labette County High School girls tennis team on Tuesday at Independence. A sophomore, Smith took first place in the No. 2 singles bracket. Smith defeated Rayleigh Long of Parsons 8-1, topped Neodesha’s Maggie Whittum 8-1, edged Independence’s Ashlyn Conner 8-6, and beat Fort Scott’s Krista Hightower 8-3. At No. 1 doubles, LCHS junior Caitlin Closs and Jackie Wertz finished third in their bracket, ...
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Parsons Middle School drops football games
The Parsons Middle School Vikings opened their home football season last Thursday by dropping a pair of close, hard-hitting games against the Pittsburg Middle School Dragons. Pittsburg won the seventh-grade game 8-6 and then took the eighth-grade game 32-20. After a scoreless first quarter in the seventh-grade game, Pitt scored in the second quarter and added a conversion to make the score 8-0 at the half. After a scoreless third quarter, the ...
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Grizzlies win fresh/soph game with Chanute
The Labette County freshman/sophomore football team mounted an exciting come-from-behind 39-34 victory over Chanute on Monday at Lucas Field. Down 26-6 in the second quarter, the Grizzlies regrouped at halftime and started an inspired comeback. Led by Parker Grant’s four touchdowns on the ground, the Grizzlies chipped away at the lead and rallied the defense to limit Chanute’s offense in the second half. The offensive line that opened the run...
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Parsons football notes: Vikings make strides in Week Two
By Jason Peake jpeake@parsonssun.com Despite a 49-0 loss to Coffeyville on Friday, there were some positives for the Parsons High School football team. “The kids played better and they competed hard,” PHS Coach David Pitts said. The Vikings continued to play hard on every possession, even when the score was getting out of hand. There were a couple other positives on the field. The first possession of the game saw Coffeyville march down field ...
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MAKING PROGRESS
By Jason Peake jpeake@parsonssun.com CHANUTE — Gaining valuable experience along the way, golfers from Parsons and Labette County High Schools competed at the Chanute Invitational on a near perfect Monday at Quarry Stone Golf Course. There were 14 schools represented at Monday’s invite in Chanute. Labette County freshman Erica Gartner and Parsons senior Alison Hudson tied for 14th place at the tourney with identical scores of 53. Renae White...
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