Galen Shelton

Massac County's girls made the trip to Perry County to take on Pinckneyville last Tuesday and came home smarting from a 62-40 loss.

As the lady Patriots basketball team struggled to find their identity on the road, Massac County's boys team has faced a similar fate. The boys own a 2-3 record and play their first home game this Friday against a tough Murphysboro team.

MCHS senior Riley Baumgart recently signed a letter of intent to attend Frontier College in Fairfield, Illinois and play softball for the Bobcats' head coach Jeremy Ellis. At Massac, Baumgart has been sort of a ‘jack of all trades' playing infield positions, mostly third base, and most recently catching. In Baumgart Ellis is getting a girl with a strong arm, good hands, a potent bat and a strong “softball IQ”. Ellis said his current plan for Baumgart is to play shortstop and catch. Baumgart said she is very grateful for this opportunity and proud of the fact that she has made the grades in the classroom and learned to overcome her weaknesses to get this opportunity. Baumgart said she would like to pursue a career in nursing and follow the footsteps of her mother, a traveling nurse, and see as much of the world as she can. She said it also wouldn't hurt if her journey takes her to places with a nice beach! Frontier College is part of the Association of Illinois Eastern Community Colleges consisting of Frontier College, Lincoln Trail, Olney Central and Wabash Valley. Frontier was founded in 1976 and is a NJCAA Division 1 school in the Association's 24th region.

Today will mark the end of the girls' ‘City of Metropolis' tournament and the tournament champion will be crowned tonight. In opening round action, Vienna overcame a first-half, 29-24 deficit and held off Carbondale 55-50.

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The four team City of Metropolis Tournament wrapped up last Thursday with Vienna's Lady Eagles emerging unscathed with a 3-0 record to take home the tournament trophy.

Massac County senior Jordan Hansen signed last Friday to attend Shawnee College and play volleyball for Saints' coach Mark Mizell. With Mizell's connections to MCHS, the Shawnee coach knows what he's getting in Hansen, i.e. a much improved hitter and more importantly, a tough, focused girl who has done what a lot of kids in similar circumstances shy away from.

While Massac County's girls' basketball team struggles to find their way, the boys' team finds itself in a similar circumstance.

For the fourth straight year, Herrin's Tigers laid claim to the Championship hardware at the 60th Eldorado Holiday Tournament.

After Massac's boys got by Anna's boys in the “breakfast special” at Eldorado on a buzzer-beater, the last thing Wildcat fans wanted to see was another buzzer-beater by a Massac County team.